ShadowMonster Creations
Design by Cliff N. Hansen
Abraham Lincoln traveling to the future and sireing a child in modern times; a man sinking into the depths of insanity, unsure if he killed his own family; chefs who search the world for mythological creatures, and then serve them as gourmet meals; and the story of friendships threatened by infatuation with an underage girl. The phrase “off-the-beaten-path” doesn’t adequately describe the type of books I like to design... “beyond the pale” does a much better job.
Who is Cliff N. Hansen?
I come from a small farming community ouside of Spokane, Washington but have come to think of myself as a Portlander after receiving my Master’s in Publishing from Portland State University.
I travel as much as I can and pay attention to the different design styles, colors, and motifs in each place I go. I’ve lived in America, Cape Verde, Korea, and the Philippines and have also spent time in Canada, Japan, Senegal, Mali, Portugal, Ireland, Nicaragua, Vietnam, Indonesia, and Hong Kong. Each one of those places have influenced my designs and my view of the world.
Working as an English professor allows me to carefully choose only the projects that accomplish my goal of designing books on the fringe of modern Western culture. I work with publishing houses that focus on the reader’s experience rather than dry consumer sales figures. I welcome work with companies that might have small backlists, but stand behind their books instead of forgetting them when the next product is released. Painted Carpet Press, Quaker Abbey Press, Ooligan Press, and Cultivator Press are examples of such fine publishing houses I have had opportunites to work with.
What is your design like?
My design is largely experimental but I do not—at least yet—make art books like House of Leaves. I find such books beautiful to look at and study, but impossible to read and that is not my style. The written word is still first and foremost on my mind as I design. However, I do explore the meeting points between art, literature, and culture. To force the reader into the tormented mind of 42’s protagonist, I designed the book as if it were a graphic novel with the name of his mistress redacted, elements running off the page, and a continuous chaotic bifurcation of the invasive number 42. Similarly, in the upcoming Rêve, odds are always on the reader’s mind as the design reflects the protagonist’s lottery addiction.
What are your inspirations?
I think the Book of Kells is the world’s most beautifully designed publication because it unified the relationship between the physical elements creating a unique emotional experience. Staring through its glass encasement in Dublin, it’s hard not to fall into a daydream of monks laboring intently on the intricately knotting patterns in dimly lit monastery. Though I am not religious, I continually draw great inspiration from such early Christian and Islamic works.
I once saw a medieval manuscript that married the effect of its translucent medium with the candlelight it was read under. Artwork on the opposite side of the page was intended to show through in reverse. I keep this image in mind constantly as I work with the book as a physical object. E-books have a well-earned place in the future of our literature which publishers are rightfully taking advantage of. I, however, prefer working on books that explore the printed medium. Many books are ideal for our e-readers and many instead for our shelves. Books that remain on our shelves might as well look damn good there. This doesn’t mean that I am traditional—I try to be as far from that definition as possible—but I do believe that some books should get sand stuck in their pages, add character to our rooms, be lost and found by someone new, and retain that awkward inscription from the lover whose affections never lasted as long as yours for the book she or he gave you.
What are your aspirations?
I got into publishing to work with documenting disappearing indigenous languages. That hasn’t happened yet in my career since I lack a lot of of the linguistic skills necessary for such publications and there are already many good organizations working in that field. While I would love to work in that area, I am most interested in publishing manuscripts from groups that receive less attention from publishers such as the blind, Native Americans, people in developing nations, etc.
I plan on continuing my path of international roving for the next decade or so possibly working in the Middle East in the next couple years and being in Brazil in time for the world cup. Eventually like to find a place to slow down in Portland, Hawaii, Cape Verde, or somewhere in Ireland.