Graphic Journey reader, Edward Milward-Oliver, brought these to my attention…
The above two posters are from Manchester based, Piper Gates Design. They purport to be ‘retro graphic specialist.’ But in reality, all they appear to be doing is lifting another designer’s work wholesale and flogging it on eBay. They even have the audacity to sign them 'Piper Gates'. No reference on eBay as to where they ripped off the design from.
Well, in this case it was from the hand of the late and highly talented Raymond Hawkey…
Raymond Hawkey's original 1960's Penguin paperback covers
It was he who produced the original designs on which the posters have been based.
I find this kind of theft grossly insulting to Hawkey’s sterling work and hope that Penguin Book’s legal department descends on Piper Gates Design to stop them. And whatever monies made out of the sale of theses posters should be sent to Raymond Hawkey’s widow.
There is a big difference between being ‘influenced’ or ‘inspired’ by a designer and what Piper Gates have done. It is plain graphic robbery.
For those of you interested to know more about the genuine artical, Raymond Hawkey, you can read my interview with him here.
Hi Mike,
This shows how bereft of ideas young people are.
They think, this is how you do it.
Cut and paste.
I know you don't suffer the "Glory Days Old-Geezer".
But in ye olde times, you did have to draw something with a pencil.
Or you ended up with a blank sheet of paper.
What do you think of this:
In "The day of the Triffids", John Wyndham says, it only takes two generations of no schooling and we are all yokels.
Posted by: Carlo | March 06, 2012 at 08:59 PM
I think it is more the superficiality of a lot of designers that don't care about graphic history. Which is rather sad.
Posted by: Mike Dempsey | March 06, 2012 at 09:30 PM
I'm sure Len - who I caught up with on Saturday - would be disappointed as a designer himself to see his friend Ray's designs ripped off, and also the lack of imagination on the part of the Designer.
Posted by: DeightonDossier | March 06, 2012 at 10:11 PM
I agree Mike. Hawkey's work stands head and shoulders above those feable copies. Three great covers. Although I have to say, it's Horse Under Water that shines out. The other two suffer a little by the rather sensationalistic inclusion of the machine gun. I suspect the marketeers had a hand in that. Still, the cropping is masterful.
Posted by: Richard | March 12, 2012 at 11:42 PM
Weirdly enough, I just started to read 'Billion Dollar Brain' this morning (in an edition with this cover), and then just read this post.
Also weirdly enough, the main character gets himself a false passport in the name of Dempsey, from Cork, in the very first chapter.
Posted by: Malcolm Garrett | April 22, 2012 at 03:45 PM