THE NOT-SO-PLAIN DEALER

Work, wit and wisdom from Ohio's best visual team

90 seconds of Super, man

posted on cleveland.com, April 12, 2013

William Neff, Chris Morris, producers. Jon Fobes, music maestro.

Just like Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, the Cleveland creators of Superman, did so long ago, our super duo of Neff and Morris fly high again as the 90-Second Know-It-Alls.

This time they examine Kryptonite on the eve of the 75th anniversary of the Man of Steel’s debut. It’s killer stuff.

And go here to read more or watch a video about Superman’s Cleveland roots as our resident comics expert Mike Sangiacomo and videographer David Andersen trace the history of the Man of Steel around our Metropolis.

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Be a green goddess. Style & Taste, April 3, 2013 Andrea Levy, illustrator; Amanda Petkiewicz, designer We never know exactly what imagery Andrea will make up, but we know it will always be a beautiful solution and a perfect match to the topic. Like this one, to accompany Style editor Emily Hamlin Smith’s story about a movement toward healthier, chemical-free beauty products and services. Grab your deodorant. Is the first ingredient cyclopentasiloxane? That’s also the first ingredient in dry-cleaning fluid, says Christine Vadala, co-founder of GlamNatural in Akron. You’ll find it on the top of many ingredient lists for makeup, shampoo and conditioner, too. “We know how to read the back of a cereal box, but we don’t know how to read a cosmetic label,” Vadala says. “If you can’t pronounce the ingredients, it’s not good for you.” Read the rest of Emily’s story here. No vegetables were harmed in the making of this illustration. Some eco-friendly resources: Mona Lisa Eco Salon & Spa, Mayfield Heights, Ohio. GlamNatural, Akron Lush Handmade Cosmetics, Beachwood Raw Esthetics Organic Spa, Rocky River copyright 2013

Be a green goddess.

Style & Taste, April 3, 2013

Andrea Levy, illustrator; Amanda Petkiewicz, designer

We never know exactly what imagery Andrea will make up, but we know it will always be a beautiful solution and a perfect match to the topic. Like this one, to accompany Style editor Emily Hamlin Smith’s story about a movement toward healthier, chemical-free beauty products and services.

Grab your deodorant. Is the first ingredient cyclopentasiloxane? That’s also the first ingredient in dry-cleaning fluid, says Christine Vadala, co-founder of GlamNatural in Akron. You’ll find it on the top of many ingredient lists for makeup, shampoo and conditioner, too.

“We know how to read the back of a cereal box, but we don’t know how to read a cosmetic label,” Vadala says. “If you can’t pronounce the ingredients, it’s not good for you.”

Read the rest of Emily’s story here.

No vegetables were harmed in the making of this illustration.

Some eco-friendly resources:

Mona Lisa Eco Salon & Spa, Mayfield Heights, Ohio.

GlamNatural, Akron

Lush Handmade Cosmetics, Beachwood

Raw Esthetics Organic Spa, Rocky River

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Tribe time, 2013.
Wait till this year.

Special Sports section, March 31, 2013.

Chuck Crow, photographer; Bill Gugliotta, picture editor; David Kordalski, design director; Greg Darroch, Tim Leonard, Keith Bracken, designers; Paul Hoynes, primary reporter; Mike Starkey, deputy Sports editor

We got quite a bit of mileage out of Chuck’s great work during Spring Training in Goodyear, Arizona.

And the section was loaded with tantalizing tidbits to tease a Tribe fan to hope that this might be the right combination of skill and attitute, like this gem from Hoynsie’s q&a with new Indians manager Terry Francona:

“This situation was very appealing to me. The more I’m here, the better I feel. The first question you asked me about having fun, well, you can’t really fake that. I like showing up for work. I like who I’m working with. Again, there are no guarantees, but I think I’ll enjoy figuring out how to get this done with those guys.”

You can read the full q&a and get links to other preview coverage here.

And go Tribe!

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Killer. March 20, 2013 Tim Graham, David Kordalski, design; Bill Gugliotta, picture editor. Pool photograph by Duncan Scott, The News-Herald via AP Convicted Chardon High School shooter T.J. Lane stripped off his shirt at his sentencing to reveal a t-shirt with “Killer” scrawled in black marker. We wrestled how to play this, given the circumstances and the timing of the verdict, but eventually the drama of the moment won out. We tried to balance Lane’s action with a photographic reminder of his victims up high and an emotional — but secondary — picture of the mother of one of dead students in the package. Would you have played it differently, and if so, why? Please add your comments to the disqus notes below. Go here to see a video of T.J. Lane addressing the families. Warning: it uses explicit language. Go here for a link to a panorama of some of our coverage in the immediate aftermath of the shootings. copyright 2013

Killer.

March 20, 2013

Tim Graham, David Kordalski, design; Bill Gugliotta, picture editor. Pool photograph by Duncan Scott, The News-Herald via AP

Convicted Chardon High School shooter T.J. Lane stripped off his shirt at his sentencing to reveal a t-shirt with “Killer” scrawled in black marker.

We wrestled how to play this, given the circumstances and the timing of the verdict, but eventually the drama of the moment won out. We tried to balance Lane’s action with a photographic reminder of his victims up high and an emotional — but secondary — picture of the mother of one of dead students in the package.

Would you have played it differently, and if so, why? Please add your comments to the disqus notes below.

Go here to see a video of T.J. Lane addressing the families. Warning: it uses explicit language.

Go here for a link to a panorama of some of our coverage in the immediate aftermath of the shootings.

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Where the players play Friday! Magazine, March 22, 2013 Chris Morris, illustration and art direction; Lisa Griffis, design It’s appropriate that Chris took his cue for this piece about favorite places for Cleveland athletes to step out from R. Crumb’s iconic “Keep On Truckin’” guy because — like everything else in this world — there’s a very real Cleveland connection. Crumb got his start as an artist at Cleveland’s own American Greetings way back in 1962. And started taking acid here in 1965. Which totally opened up his style. Far out, dude. copyright 2013

Where the players play

Friday! Magazine, March 22, 2013

Chris Morris, illustration and art direction; Lisa Griffis, design

It’s appropriate that Chris took his cue for this piece about favorite places for Cleveland athletes to step out from R. Crumb’s iconic “Keep On Truckin’” guy because — like everything else in this world — there’s a very real Cleveland connection.

Crumb got his start as an artist at Cleveland’s own American Greetings way back in 1962. And started taking acid here in 1965.

Which totally opened up his style.

Far out, dude.

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The madness continues

Special section, March 18, 2013

Chris Morris, illustrator; Tim Leonard and Greg Darroch, designers; Scott Sheldon, graphics and art direction; David Kordalski, design direction

A selection of the 10-page annual preview of March Madness. Our favorite part? This refreshing candor on top of the bracket:

Here’s your 8½ x 11 bracket form to fill out. It will fit perfectly on that copier that is only supposed to be used for work purposes.

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Green. Machine. Friday! Magazine, March 15, 2013 Ted Crow, illustrator; Lisa Griffis, designer To advance St. Paddy’s Day happenings in Cleveland, Ted drew a leprechaun with just a wee bit o’ the old mischief, what with the greenin’ o’ the Friday! name and all. Our view: We’re green with envy at the speed with which Ted cranks out quality illos — and we’re blessed with the luck o’ the Irish that he’s on our team. copyright 2013

Green. Machine.

Friday! Magazine, March 15, 2013

Ted Crow, illustrator; Lisa Griffis, designer

To advance St. Paddy’s Day happenings in Cleveland, Ted drew a leprechaun with just a wee bit o’ the old mischief, what with the greenin’ o’ the Friday! name and all.

Our view: We’re green with envy at the speed with which Ted cranks out quality illos — and we’re blessed with the luck o’ the Irish that he’s on our team.

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Elusive sales tax Business, March 8, 2013 Reid Brown, designer; Ted Crow, illustrator Janet Cho looks at the proposed federal Marketplace Fairness Act and its potential impact on Northeast Ohio. Ted’s illustration certainly catches the elusive nature of current online sales tax collection, and Reid’s graphic showing the number of big retail online visits — including Amazon, which slips through the tax net because it doesn’t have a physical presence in the state — is telling. Read Janet’s story here. copyright 2013

Elusive sales tax

Business, March 8, 2013

Reid Brown, designer; Ted Crow, illustrator

Janet Cho looks at the proposed federal Marketplace Fairness Act and its potential impact on Northeast Ohio.

Ted’s illustration certainly catches the elusive nature of current online sales tax collection, and Reid’s graphic showing the number of big retail online visits — including Amazon, which slips through the tax net because it doesn’t have a physical presence in the state — is telling.

Read Janet’s story here.

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Pretty sharp reader service Business, March 13, 2013 Reid Brown, designer and graphics artist In light of the Transportation Security Administration’s recent announcement allowing pocketknives on board planes starting in April, The Plain Dealer’s Janet Cho looked at the issue from the perspective of opponents of the move. Sharp guy that he is, Reid cut to the heart of the controversy with this simple but effective story-telling graphic, and then he designed the page. Which made him as handy as a Swiss Army knife. Read Janet’s story here. copyright 2013

Pretty sharp reader service

Business, March 13, 2013

Reid Brown, designer and graphics artist

In light of the Transportation Security Administration’s recent announcement allowing pocketknives on board planes starting in April, The Plain Dealer’s Janet Cho looked at the issue from the perspective of opponents of the move.

Sharp guy that he is, Reid cut to the heart of the controversy with this simple but effective story-telling graphic, and then he designed the page.

Which made him as handy as a Swiss Army knife.

Read Janet’s story here.

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Papal page-count puzzle

March 14, 2013

Tim Graham, designer; Ken Marshall, graphics; Bill Gugliotta, picture editing; Scott Sheldon, David Kordalski, design direction

Time was that in a heavily Catholic market like Cleveland, we took it on faith that news of the naming of a new pope would result in 8 to ten open pages.

But we confess that there’s a new reality in newsrooms — drastically lowered page counts for the big story — that forces us to walk a tight line between efficiency and bold play.

Still, we believe we did right by the new pontiff, with a package of tightly edited but well-played pictures and graphics that complemented the smart story selections.

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