Things! The finest bits and bobs we were sent in September

As is the tradition of the calendar month, rolling through we eventually arrive back at everyone’s favourite event—Things. And this month our postbox was collapsing beneath the weight of great work, swimming caps, T-shirts and snacks. Scroll down for a plethora of creative production at its best.

Juan José Oritz & TRIP Magazine: Dagenham

Dagenham , by photographer Juan José Oritz is a record of the people in and streets of the Essex city. It’s got old Rovers, bowling lanes, garages, school kids and lads, lads, lads. Published by TRIP Magazine, It makes for a nice record of life in Britain’s cities and the people bringing life to their dwindling high streets.

Kiosk: Print Selection

Independent publisher Kiosk was kind enough to send us a selection of their wares. A tote bag, a series of prints and a selection of archival and prospective posters advertising their independent publishers fair. They seem to cover all bases from the rough’n’ready DIY tradition through to pretty damn perfect full colour photo prints. Well done Kiosk.

Shaun Usher: More Letters of Note

This edition of More Letters of Note , compiled by Shaun Usher has the same mix of heartfelt, historically significant, tragic and comic notes as its predecessor. This copy, designed exclusively for long-term subscribers by Here Design has a bookbinders card cover with a library card insert, giving the aesthetic historic referencing to match the book’s content.

Mark Wheatley: People

People is a series of postcard reproductions of Mark Wheatley’s acrylic on canvas paintings of abstracted faces. Playing with both form and colour, his work brings to mind 1960s portraiture and pattern, amalgamating grids, squiggles and triangles amongst floating, quite blank eyes. Clearly they have no idea what’s going on on their face…

A Secret Club: Swimming Cap

It’s not often that one is sent a swimming cap, and this one by collective A Secret Club isn’t just your average rubber hair protector. Made for The Outdoor Swimming Society, the cap communicates their philosophy on wild swimming, which includes “Driftwood Avoidance,” “Delight at Open Sky” and “Acceptance of Seaweed.”

Mike Perry: Poster

This double-sided poster by It’s Nice That favourite Mike Perry is characteristically bright, surreal and playful. On one side there’s a giant fruit bowl surrounded by dining table detritus and dwarfed buildings; on the other, an orange with legs exploring a forest. Can’t argue with that.

Peter Roden: 100% Chocolate Grotesque

It is not a prerequisite, but after designer Peter Roden came in to meet us and left us with this incredible and delicious bespoke chocolate bar, we might suggest that you’ll have favourable treatment if you at least attempt to do the same.

Peter designed and produced this chocolate bar to showcase his skills, interests and personal background that covers typography, design, letterpress and food. He redrew each character from the original found in a type book, 3D printed the chocolate mould and designed and printed the packaging, all typeset for letterpress. It’s an incredible effort and with the quality of the design, production and chocolate has proved absolutely worthwhile.

George Heaven: Strange World

Strange World describes itself as “a selection of illustrated verse,” and it is, but not necessarily as you know it. Published by the press of the same name, the zine is made up of short verses on breasts with eyes, creepy commuters and giving birth in a very unfortunate scenario. Printed in black and fluorescent pink, It also comes with a print AND a T-shirt.

Joji Koyama: Plassein

This collection of drawings and short visual stories by graphic artist Joji Koyama was published as the first release from his imprint Toupée. It shows an incredible breadth of drawing styles and narrative pacing, moving from visual abstraction through to incredibly detailed one point perspective.

Sofia Clausse: ?+?

This publication by designer Sofia Clausse is a series of type experiments using a variety of systems and tools for design. Letterforms are folded onto themselves, rotated on a grid, or captured on Photobooth. The letters hold onto their original essence with arbitrary changes produced through each experiment. It makes for a book that is both interesting pictorially and as a type reference.