Customer Reviews

Victore or, Who Died and Made You Boss?

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In James Victore's "Who Died and Made You Boss?" are examples of quotes that hit very close to home. Almost as if I could hear my dad saying them as he did when I was a kid. "If you didn't like doing it the first time, you're gonna hate doing it again!" "You wanna cry? I'll give you something to cry about!" "You don't ask, you don't get!"

I have been a big fan of James' work well before he became what he is today. I think James is a talented designer with an eye towards pretty pictures and cool use of color.

I am also his sister, so I can say what I want.

Great book, James.

jacq'

James Victore is often referred to as 'the angriest man in graphic design'the title is undeserved, the fact of the matter is that he has a unique point of view in a field that is often unfortunately defined by the latest trends of what merely 'looks cool at the moment.' Victore can say more in a single brush stroke than most of us can convey in a month of diddling at our computers. I'm pretty much over the 'designer vanity monograph' but this book manages to rise above the 'show-ff' standards of such books to convey a real dedication and honesty to the craft of graphic design. Crammed with a plethora of beautifully designed pieces from his early days to the present, the book is designed by like-minded design adventurer Paul Sahre and has a foreward written by probably the smartest person in graphic design at the moment, Michael Beirut - you get a lot of bang for your buck with this book! A welcome addition to any designers collection.

Hi all,

I saw a review of this book on a site called Cool Hunting (one of those sites that sends you an email every day on unique and varied items of interest) which I really love - it's one of the better ones. Anyhow, I saw a review of this book and I had to have it.

Let me tell you, it does not disappoint! If pressed, I would call Victore's style as a kind of mix of Toulouse Latrec (in the sense of big bold posters) mixed with the humor of Banksy - and the result is just wonderful and pure Victore.

I ended up actually purchasing a poster (How to draw a chicken) from his Etsy site, which he was kind enough to autograph for me. It is now in a place of honor in my living room, and Victore is my new favorite.

BUY THIS BOOK!!! :)

-Suzy

James Victore's VICTORE OR, WHO DIED AND MADE YOU BOSS? provides an outstanding collection of Victore's visual arts graphic design projects. He's spent over twenty-five years seeking to make his works personal reflections: VICTORE surveys his 'greatest hits' and discusses the business and teaching of modern graphic design using his nearly fifty most popular projects as examples in the course of discussion. Graphic design collections will consider this a huge hit.

This sharp-tongued, eyeball-tingling, smart-witted, love letter of a book has made a permanent impression on me and my creative process. I was most surprised at Victore's candid words about early work, missteps, and learned lessons along the way. It's one of the few books I won't loan out unless I'm prepared to buy another copy - it'll live with me permanently.

This is not a book about graphic design. It's a book about life, love, and the creative process. The smart, provocative projects profiled inside are worth the price alone, but the book's deeper charm lies in the stories and musings that accompany the work.

Victore's lessons are applicable to any creative field. His personal stories of creative exploration are universally relevant across a range of disciplines-- from design to writing, filmmaking or music. "Who Died and Made You Boss" is a great teaching tool for any creative industry. All individually compelling, the passages combine to create a portrait of an person driven by a love of the creative process, a thirst for knowledge and an undying drive to grow as an artist and communicator. The book is a great blueprint for living a full, creative life.

How nice to have a `designer profile' that isn't the glitzy flashy production common nowadays. How nice also to discover a designer that is free of computer trickery and who's visual language could be 1920 or 2020. The mark of a true maverick and a proper graphic designer. The text is both informative and provoking, not least a very nice intro by Michael. I learned plenty reading it all. The illustrator of the poster/dustwrap sure can paint. Strewth, to be blessed with talent like that. I first thought it may be a Sargent painting...

James Victore is an amazing designer, teacher, and source of inspiration, so it's no surprise that his first book is superbly designed and executed. A chronologically-arranged compendium of some of the best and most memorable work of his decades-long career, this book is more than a greatest hits collection. It's an immersive experience which you'll find yourself wanting to revisit frequently for the foreseeable future. Also, you'll impress your friends and co-workers with this on your coffee table or bookshelf.

This book is and amazing experience. The work is great but the book goes way beyond that. It is a driven curated look at one of the great artists of our time. Filled with thoughts and stories that surround the work and make it even more powerful then ever seen before. Every detail of this book delivers and the book itself becomes an art piece. I bought two in order to keep one as art and share the other with friends.

This gorgeous book shares the brilliant work of graphic communicator James Victore whose work is illuminating and irreverent. The production values are exceptional. A real treasure.