Stampede
J.W. Mitchell High School, New Port Richey, Fla.
Theme: “Too Legit”
Adviser: Sabrina Schmitz
Editors: Justin Galicz and Sarah Page
Yearbook representatives: Missy Green, Adam Livesay and Jenna Fabick
This quarterbound book, with a Plexiglas® front cover, and clear silkscreen words over a more traditional black matte, truly is original. The theme is “too legit,” and these words are etched into the Plexiglas®. The theme is further defined through a clear-silkscreened series of words that demand you to bring the cover close to a light to read it. “Epic,” “Accomplished,” “Swagger,” “Sublime,” are just a few.
When you open the book, the red endsheets that were visible behind the clear cover reveal the section spinoffs and content preview. This is not a timid theme, and spinoffs such as “Bragging rights” and “In your face” underscore its masculine nature. These phrases work along with the bold color red and thick, black tool lines.
All of the required information is shown, using simple typography. The background is white and gives the reader a break from the black and saturated red backgrounds so far. What’s fun about this page is the introduction of purposely bad or “rough” cutouts of a couple of male sports fans. It’s a retro look that dovetails with the retro theme “too legit” that was the name of an early-‘90s M.C. Hammer rap song. It’s almost as though the staff is winking at itself and acknowledging its “old school” look.
Simple design and fantastic, specific writing brings the book back into focus. Incorporating the theme spinoff phrases into transitions between student quotes provides for solid, engaging opening theme copy.
The second opening spread continues the simple design, but is softened with the addition of a baby blue color. The bold copy takes ownership of bragging rights: “We’re DOWNRIGHT PROUD of our accomplishments. We are established. We are real. We are bold. We are legit… Too legit.”
Scatter stories about off-campus clubs integrate some of the copy with theme visuals. Baby blue and bold red are used alongside gray and bold black in typography and color blocks. An intentionally rough cutout is used around a person again, and provides an interesting alternative to a man-on-the-street-type mug shot. The use of a dominant image and story provides an underlying structure for the graphic design. Secondary coverage on the spread is clean, organized and stunning.
Generous use of planned white space increases the impact of the two photos used. The dominant bleeds off all sides on the left, and spills into the right page. A series of words mirrors the typography on the cover, but these reveal the section contents: “Track and field,” “Baseball,” “Tennis,” “Bowling.” The “sloppy” cutout is used around the caption lines. Bold black tool lines and type give way to gray for a slightly softened look.
Creativity isn’t just confined to the cover. An accordion-fold insert that contains 10 panels of 6” x 6” paper provides a natural way to address some serious issues. The spinoff on the cover reads, “(Legit)imate Problems,” and topics inside include cyberbullying, sexting and shoplifting. Coverage is solid and photo illustrations are used effectively.
Closing copy continues a theme of boldness: “Go ahead, call us haughty. Say we’re the snobby, rich kids. Just a bunch of arrogant posers. See, thing is we’re not just all talk: we can actually WALK THE WALK.” This conversational tone continues to draw in the reader, even on the book’s last spread. The last page uses the rough cutout again, ending with a “wink” instead of a serious tone.
