NEWSPAPER DESIGN
Front Pages
It takes seconds to turn a bystander in to a reader, whether your publication is newspaper at a newsstands or a social media post in the infinite internet scroll, a clever headline and a strong visual are the ingredients to achieve a successful front page. I am the visual.
Dramatizing the shameful conditions
50 YEARS LATER. WHAT WOULD HE THINK? A day when every paper was going to have Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s face on their front page, we chose to used the fallen victims as a background and the recognizable and iconic silhouette of Dr. King to bring to light that not much has changed.
In a world full of colors sometimes is best to go with black and white, especially for the 50 years of Dr. Kings assassination broadsheet front page, it helps contrast the issues we continue to have today in U.S..
The background is filled with faded head shots of African-Americans killed by law enforcement. With the exception of the bottom right corner image of Colin Kaepernick, the most out spoken athlete against police brutality. Kaepernick lost his job for protesting police brutality in a nonviolent - but controversial way - when the football star kept kneeling every time the nation anthem was played before an NFL game.
Eric Garner
George Floyd
The never ending mass shootings and the quest to have assault rifles banned
The horrific mass shooting that claimed the life of 26 people, 20 of whom were children ages 4-5 and six faculties at Sandy Hook Elementary in Newtown, Conn. on December 14, 2012 shocked the whole nation. My daughter was around the same age as the victims when the tragedy took place. It broke my heart over and over again when I searched the system for their photos and looked at their angelic faces.
Sandy Hook Elementary Schook, Orlando nightclub, Las Vegas strip, Douglas High School in Parkland and no bans, no background check and a lot more illegal guns in the streets.
Sen. Dianne Feinstein of California speaking before the U.S. Senate uses a blow up of the 'SHAME ON US.' front page during her gun debate speech.
There is no award without a little controversy
'GOD ISN'T FIXING THIS': As latest batch of innocent Americans are left lying in pools of blood, cowards who could truly end gun scourge continue to hide behind meaningless platitudes. NY State Associated Press Association "Best Full Page Design Winner 2016"
CLOWN RUNS FOR PREZ: 2 years after Newtown, America loves guns more than ever. NY State Associated Press Association "Best Full Page Design Winner 2015"
WE FAILED THEM: 2 years after Newtown, America loves guns more than ever. NY State Associated Press Association "Best Full Page Design Winner 2014"
America's Mayor who became ...
A candidate for the 2008 Republican presidential nomination. Rudy Giuliani also joined President Trump personal legal team in 2018. Ever sense he's been called many other things, even a "Masked Singer."
President Trump:
A lifeline to news media, political cartoonist and Twitter
A lifeline to news media, political cartoonist and Twitter
On 2012 the White House called Trump a "Sideshow with zero chance to be president" and that was the first time I put clown makeup on Trumps face. Four years later, Trump rode down the escalator along side his wife, Melanie Trump, and announce he was running for president as a Republican, everyone thought it was the biggest joke in history, so I dusted off the makeup kit.
Donald Trump's great showman skills managed to entertained and offend the world from the comfort of his phone and his rallies. News networks rating skyrocketed and newspapers circulations downtrend slowed down. And on November of 2016, when population was expecting to see history being made by Hillary Clinton to become the first woman president. The man once called a 'Sideshow Don' became 'The GOP Father.'
(Click the arrows to see more controversial Donald Trump front pages)
Tragedy in pursuit for happiness
It doesn't matter how tall the wall is, how strong the river current may be or the length of the sea in front of our feet, our nature will make us take the leap for a better life for our kids.
Liberty and Design for All
STABBED IN THE BACK: N.Y. pols blast Sandy betrayer Boehner.
I presented two Lady Liberties stabbed in the back, although the illustration of Lady Liberty kneeling was a much more time consuming to illustrate, the Editor chose the iconic Lady Liberty's standing stabbed. It was the better choice, clean and easy to read.
Ted Cruz visited the City for a Fund Raiser after questioning New York's values. Lady liberty illustration sent a clear message. This is the only time an uncensored middle finger made it to the Front page. For those who still question it, No, I din't use my finger.
When the front page becomes cover of a cover
There is always a legal concerns to replicating someone else work. That why it was always important to keep the legal team informed on what the front page designs and headlines.
In the case of the next two Obamba front pages there was very little 'Change.'
SPORTS?! ... Yeah, I've designed that!
The most time consuming part aside from silhouetting all the different element of an art piece this complex, is finding the photos the best fit your needs. Shout out to the photo desk. I had to include include Victor Cruz's boom box, he was bringing the party to the field.
It was more than making sports covers, it was about building memorable posters that fans would love to collect or put up on their walls.
There is something special about these sections
'EYE OF THE STORM' is among my favorite covers, in a time when electricity wasn't just added with a Instagram filter, I took a couple of lightnings images to continue the electrifying cover. The ripped floor and flying woods were done individually. Too bad St. John was eliminated on the first round. SMH.
'If you build it. It will come" and it did. A successful idea by Eric Barrow to place top players coming out of the field imitating. Silhouetting baseball players is not difficult, silhouetting corn plants leaves, now that was another monster.
When in doubt, throw grass on the floor and add at least a yellow cab. It works every time.
Pitching ideas can sometimes be way out of the strike zone
It may sound like a wild pitch when you say it, but when you present the finished idea, it may become a beautiful piece or the sprinkled details of a bigger master piece.
