The Clouds Caught On Fire

Recently self-published, The Clouds Caught On Fire features two years worth of collaborative drawings and paintings from San Francisco Bay Area artists Rich Jacobs and Billy Sprague. I have become aware Sprague's work through his zines and prints, and while I didn't initially recognize Jacob's name, his oval-headed dark-nosed head illustrations are very familiar. The works in the book were created as the artists continually exchanged individual pieces until one or other declared the art done. The art is very loose and unpretentious and the whole publication has the feeling of two artists friends having fun.

For the most part, the artwork looks like it is coming from one mind, which often isn't the case with many artistic collaborations where each artist's area of participation is easily recognizable. There are occasionally pieces where one artist's hand feels more dominant, but the results from page to page are remarkably cohesive.

The works are generally heavily layered mixed media abstractions. Loose patterning and hand-drawn textures are built using markers, opaque paints, washes, stencils, and photocopies. Sometimes a bilateral symmetry develops, other times more figurative works take form. These are often created upon found objects and used papers: braille, sheet music, maps, envelopes, even vinyl records.

The Clouds Caught On Fire is a full-color book, with 120 glossy pages. 8" x 10". Perfect bound. It is available in three edition: a softcover version for $35 (featured in photos), a hardcover for $60, and also a deluxe edition available only direct from the artists that features extra prints and stencils and stickers and stuff.

It was created in 2008 using the popular print-on-demand (POD) service blurb. If you aren't familiar with the several POD printer now online, here is a very quick primer: You upload your designed pages (or use their template) and using digital printing techniques they produce a relatively high quality full color book. You pay per book with no minimums, and there are price breaks for large quantities. Never before has low quantities of full color books been available so easily. These printers usually will sell your book online through their website, and some act as a "subsidiary publisher".

The advantage of POD is that it makes books like The Clouds Caught Fire possible. There is not a lot money that needs to go up front, and since books are printed as they sell, you won't get stuck with unsold inventory. "Color books in low quantities" makes doing a private edition for an exhibition or something possible. 

The problems with POD is that, while it may be affordable to make a color book for yourself, the pricing allows very little room for profit. Certainly there is no room for wholesale discounts. That leaves an artist with the options to sell the book directly or through the POD website and even then these books can get expensive. And I won't begin to get into the whole ISBN issues or some of the insane contracts out there.

All added up, and then factoring in that I had to pay sales tax and shipping for one book, Clouds ended up costing me almost $50. In this case, it was worth it; It feels good to know your money is going direct to the artists, and I appreciate the potential to have some rare and valuable self-published works from artists I enjoy. Something you won't find in a bookstore. But these kinds of dollars are a gamble if you aren't familiar with the artist's work and can't see the book beforehand. 

I am currently working on a more comprehensive blog that discusses POD printing and pricing. In the meanwhile, you can get this book direct from the artists or online at http://www.blurb.com/bookstore/detail/514628. You can also find some of Billy Sprague's zines on the Rowan Morrison online artist's bookstore and zine emporium.