Next week collectors finally get their hands on Ian Fleming Publications' first hardback set. Much of the anticipation - however - comes from artist Michael Gillette designing an epic set of covers. We spoke to him exclusively about the task of designing Bond (again):
The wait is nearly over.
First teased in January this year, shortly after Ian Fleming Publications (IFP) regained control of the publishing rights to the iconic 14-book series, collector anticipation has been steadily building around the first new hardback set of books since Penguin’s popular ‘Centenary Edition’ in 2008.
With just a week to go though, until the 3rd October launch date though, collectors won't have much longer to wait.
The sneak-peaks IFP has released will soon be replaced by the physical books, and many book lovers are saying that their cover designs could already be classics.
Perhaps this is not surprising though. For what links the Centenary set with this new set is the fact they've both is that they come from hand (and mind) of the same artist, Michael Gillette (some of the Centenary editions are shown below):
Above: Some of Michael's artwork for the Penguin Centenary Set published in 2008
For this new IFP set though, the Swansea-born artist, - pictured left - who now lives in California, has arguably produced his best work yet.
So, to mark the one-week-to-go count-down before deliveries are made, jamesbondfirsteditions.co.uk spoke exclusively to Michael to hear exactly how these amazing new visualizations were conceived.
Below we present Part 1 of an exclusive two-part interview.
First up we talk to Michael in very broad terms - about about the overall scope of the project, how he got to be involved in designing a brand new set of covers (all over again); and how he tackled doing such iconic books for the second time of asking (including what his inspirations were, what his brief was, and what key design principles wanted to follow).
Part 2 will be here this time next week - on the day the new books actually go live.
Part 2 will dive much deeper, and discuss more of the design-specifics of some of the main books in the new series, including discovering how the ideation process panned out, what hiccups were encountered along the way, and which covers Michael admits he really struggled over. We discuss the fan theories emerging about what some of the imagery used is said to mean, while Michael then reveals the far less glamorous 'real' reasons behind some of design choices used!
Oh, and if that wasn't enough, we even showcase some exclusive images of some of his early ideas that 'didn't 'make the cut.
That's all for next week though!
In the meantime - sit back, relax, and hear from the man himself about how it all happened, and how he first started the process of bringing back Bond...
Q: I know lots of Fleming collectors were jubilant when they finally saw the new covers, and that you’d been commissioned to design the new books. So, do tell all, when did you get the call?
A: “Actually, it was me that contacted the Fleming estate. After the Penguin books came out, people would sometimes ask me when my next set would happen, and I’d bat them away, saying it didn’t work like that. But having developed a relationship with IFP – to enable me to sell prints of the Penguin covers – I felt that maybe I could pitch a new set to them. I felt there hadn’t been a really strong graphic approach that could stand up as a thumbnail online through to books and prints. So, I designed eight test covers; put them in a bespoke box and posted them to Corinne [Turner] – managing director at IFP. I emailed her to say ‘expect a package, and see what you think.’ This was back in 2018. Corinne said she enjoyed what I sent, but that nothing was happening right now, and so that’s how things were left. Fast forward to 2022 though, and I sensed there might be change in the air and so I revisited my ideas, and spent two weeks belting new ideas out. These were sent on as well. In the meantime [in October 2022] it had been announced IFP would release books under their own imprint after its license with Vintage ended – and in 2023 the books were officially happening. I sent a next set of designs by about March 2024.”
Q: How much creative control were you given?
A: “In contrast to Penguin, which was a ‘job’ that happened to very tight deadlines, this was a project where I felt I was able to be more creative over much a longer period of time, and IFP was very willing to let me come up with-and run with my own ideas. The last books were 16 years ago, so I felt that if we’re doing them again, let’s go ‘full-steam’. There was obviously direction from IFP, but IFP was very generous in allowing me to keep presenting them with new ideas. Some of the first ideas I presented were quite abstract [see next week's blog], so the main process was sticking with some of the best ones, finishing the others, and then designing all the other details – like the back cover and end papers – which can sometimes get forgotten, but which are just as important.”
Q: Was any part of the brief concerned with pulling in ‘new’ readers. Did you have a image of the buyer in mind while designing?
A: “I was just in the mindset of creating something entertaining and appealing. I wanted to create a set that was collectable for sure, but first and foremost, I wanted to make something that is both desirable and commercially successful. I want the books to succeed. I’m gunning for these to be successful. Bond is such a desirable brand; I thought, let’s just make a beautiful set of objects. But I do hope they go beyond just collectors, and into regular readers’ hands too.”
Q: The Penguin ‘Bond Girls’ set was iconic in its own right. This new set is very different. How did you initially start to think about what Bond should look like now?
A: “You can go all deep, but really the main questions that crossed my mind were ‘What is the essence of Bond?’; ‘What’s endured?’; and ‘How can we update it?'
Q: How did this turn into an actual treatment – and how do you begin to devise concepts for the titles?
A: “I referred back to the mission statement used by Saul Bass [the American graphic designer and Oscar-winning filmmaker, who designed the logos for AT&T, Continental Airlines and Warner Bros] – which was ‘symbolise and summarise’. The key was finding that one image that captured the book. It didn’t necessarily have to encapsulate the whole story; maybe just the ‘vibe’ of a book, but that visual hook was what was needed – almost a logo.”
Q: That still sounds like a big ask. How did you break things down?
A: “I think with Bond, it’s not about re-inventing the wheel. I think it’s more about putting on new rims! The take I wanted was modernism – which still feels fresh – and finding something immediate and simple, an icon. I was aiming for graphic, classy, and modern – a bit like a Paul Smith suit – classic but with a modern twist. Bond is a unique phenomenon, that’s gone from pulp fiction to a luxury brand, so as well as the look, I also wanted designs that would denote luxury. In these books I wanted to create desirable objects. It had to be something worth punters’ money.”
Q: Did you feel a sense of pressure designing these?
A: “I wouldn’t say pressure, but as an obsessive Beatles fan I get disappointed when their legacy is treated with anything less than love. I’m fully aware that lots of people hold Bond very close to them. Rene Girard – a Stamford professor – coined the theory of Mimetic Desire, where we generally mimic others in forming our tastes. Many have picked up a full spectrum of cues from James Bond, and I hope to intersect with that, but not to stress too much. It has to be fun. Although the Penguin set is well liked, I remember at the time, that it got push-back from some fans because they said it didn’t match their expectations. Design folks at the time received it much better. But then again, it was a totally different job, done over a very short period of time. I wasn’t a pin-up artist per se – it was a job then, a very enjoyable assignment though.”
Q: You’ve gone quite minimal in both the overall design and the colours – was this deliberate?
A: “Yes. As well as my job being to symbolise and summarise, the concepts that I initially sent to Corinne came to me from being in a block print workshop, and wanting to see if a block approach could work. So less was always going to be more here. The idea was to have a limited pallet of colours, keep things punchy and bold. The colours were suggested in-part by the stories themselves. The covers are hopefully entertaining, with colours that POP! I don’t think Ian Fleming was too uptight when he was writing the stories, I wanted a similar spontaneous spirit in the designs.”
But how easy did the design process be once he really got going?
Make sure you tune in next week to hear about which titles came easier than others.
Read about the one specific title he really fought his corner to get approved; plus the true reasons behind some of his design choices (and why the fan theories are actually wrong!).
And of course - we exclusively show the roughs that didn't get used (some of which I think should have been!!)
Don't miss next week's blog!
PS: Did you notice..?
When images of the covers were initially revealed, Octopussy & The Liiving Daylights was originally just titled 'Octopussy' (see above, left) - much to some fans confusion.
This has since been corrected, and the title now has its full title!
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