Scoop: Bow Wow!

Modern Dog: 20 Years of Poster Art, Mike Strassburger and Robynne Raye. Chronicle Books, 2008, $27.50

A gorilla wearing a beret. A gumball machine stuffed with doughnuts. A one-eyed monster slurping a “Crappuccino.” These are just a few of the images dreamed up by Seattle’s Modern Dog Design Co., which has been cranking out posters for the last 20 years. Founded by Mike Strassburger and Robynne Raye, who met at Western Washington University, Modern Dog has created posters for social issues, theater, film and of course bands, bands, bands. While the work is often slapped with the “grunge” label, Raye prefers “punk.” “We built the company from the ground up on pure instinct—and that is punk rock,” she says in the introduction. Strassburger comments, “We often work tongue-in-cheek.” (Uh, yeah.) But while much of the collection radiates with humor and a DIY, joie-de-cut-and-paste spirit, Modern Dog: 20 Years of Poster Art is impressive not merely in volume, but in diversity. Just when you think you could spot a Modern Dog poster on the street (thick, child-like, hand-drawn lines) you see another with a wholly distinct vibe (grainy vintage photos and classic jazz fonts). While it makes for a rockin’ coffee table book, what’s perhaps most interesting are the hilarious captions Raye and Strassburger include with each poster. In addition to being funny commentary, they also offer actual information on how ideas are born and executed. It adds up to both a juicy tutorial for wannabe graphic designers and a charming read for eye-candy consumers. A+