Together with the jagged wave lines, Klaus Richter’s striped Television (Mecanorma, 1975) creates a relevant technical look for the cover of Peter Manning’s Electronic & Computer Music. First published in hardback in 1985, this is the paperback edition from 1987. The book was set by Hope Services, Abingdon. It’s not clear if they designed the cover, too.

“BUZZ OFF” bookmark

I came across a small collection of vintage bookmarks, of which the most interesting and charming are these two from Sunshine Thoughts, a trademark of Antioch Publishing Company.

These bookmarks are the sort of thing that would be sold at a counter display in bookshops and museum giftshops in the 1980s (at least, judging from my own experience of the 1980s).

“BUZZ OFF” is in Television, with the TV tube’s scanlines and the bouncing baseline being a sort of synaesthetic reference to the bee’s flight and sound.

The rounded sans used for “I’m trying to read!” is Formula.

The font in the “book worm Strikes Again” bookmark is Octopuss. The bookmark itself is modelled after a worm-ridden piece of wood, with real holes punched into it.

One the back the “Sunshine Thoughts” wordmark is in Corporate Image, note the two forms of t.

The UK copyright notice is in Optima, and the US copyright notice looks like Helvetica Condensed.

Reverse of “BUZZ OFF”; Copyright 1985

“Book worm” bookmark

Reverse of “book worm”; Copyright 1976; Made in U.S.A.

Television (Mecanorma, 1975) on the cover of the first edition of The Feelies, a cyberpunk science fiction novel by Mick Farren with illustrations by Chris Welch, published by Big O in 1978. You can read more about the book on Trash Fiction.

Some of the scan lines in Klaus Richter’s typeface design were extended to the left and right, adding a flickering glitch-like effect to the words. The format of dry transfer lettering lends itself to such additions – one could simply use parts of leftover glyphs for the “speed lines”.

[More info on ISFDB]

Digital release.

Discogs:

Shox were a post-punk trio comprising Mike Atkinson, Jacqui Brookes and John Peters. Their sole release was [this single] issued on the pre-4AD label Axis. Pop with an electronic twist, it was likened to early Human League by the NME. … Was one of the four singles released by Axis, the Beggars Banquet off-shoot that would be renamed 4AD later in 1980. This single was later reissued directly on Beggars Banquet.

Note that the Mecanorma (dry transfer) typeface, Television, was set properly tight, so the scan lines of each letter merge together. Unfortunately, in the digital artwork (above), the ‘OX’ is not quite aligned with the ‘SH’.

Axis release (back). The small type is in Univers featuring its original ‘Et’-like ampersand.

Beggars Banquet release (back).