A visual autobiography from the lettering legend behind iconic artwork for Kiss, Disney, the Knicks, and many more
In this vivid and humorous monograph-meets-memoir, Los Angeles–based lettering supremo Michael Doret shares his top-secret tricks for making mere words into iconic words-as-images for clients such as Disney, Pixar, Time, Kiss, the Knicks and more. With more than 700 images, Alphabet City traces Doret’s influences from 1950s Brooklyn to 2000s LA, showcasing his clever logo, signage and poster projects along the way. It also presents and preserves the pre-digital process of custom lettering―from initial pencil sketches to printer mechanicals to final art (plus some spurned client proposals for good measure).
With original photo tutorials that teach all the classic lettering tricks, a foreword by type aficionado Nick Sherman and a freshly commissioned cover by Doret himself, Alphabet City offers a dose of welcome nostalgia―and endless inspiration―for letterform lovers of any generation.
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Michael Doret has hit one out of the park
If you love New York, Rock and Roll, baseball Nathan’s hot dogs, the rock group KISS, the 1970s, and are curious about the art that helped make all these things (and many more) famous, this book is for you or someone you love. Michael Doret details his development as a graphic artist specializing in letterforms. His prodigious memory takes us on a wild ride through boomer history as he details his work with generous and detailed hat tips to his mentors and the artists that influenced his work. This large format book has foldout pages with detail his art and his techniques which will delight and inform the aspiring artist or art lover. This book is the perfect gift for yourself or a friend who loves art, graphics, letterform, history, New York, Los Angeles, sports, rock and roll and more. If I was a child who loved to draw and received this. I would have been in ecstasy. Highly recommended.
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An excursion into the ingenious!
Michael Doret’s “Alphabet City” is spectacular. A unique gem. This book will delight and educate artists and lovers of graphic design, letterforms and typeface design alike—revealing Doret’s meticulous steps in producing his work—from initial thumbnails and layouts to the perfection of his completed, produced work. This is not only a beautiful presentation of many culturally noteworthy and memorable graphics, it is also a guidebook for the viewer to learn how such things are done—going back to the days of pencil and hand-rendered visuals to our current modern and highly technical digital age. “Alphabet City” is a rare opportunity to see the genius level of Doret’s work in one, beautifully-produced collection. I would think every artist and appreciator of 20th and 21st Century design will want to have this book in their collection. It is quite simply, a masterpiece!
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For fans of Doret’s work, designs you’ve never seen before
This is an incredible collection of custom, one-of-a-kind lettering, logos, and design from the legendary designer. Michael has been making work that amazes graphic designers and illustrators for decades and now this book collects everything in one volume. I’ve been a fan of Doret’s work since I was a small boy, and in this book I’m seeing designs I’ve never seen before, and rough sketches that have never left his studio. This is a fantastic book for anyone who cares about letterforms and craftsmanship at the highest level.