One of my all-time favorite covers for Performance, and one of the most satisfying. A complete package: from concept, to photo styling and direction, to design, to proofing on-press. To this day, it's the one that my cohorts recall the best.
In the constant struggle between art and commerce, art usually loses. So was the case between this fun cover and the honchos who needed it to be more "bloody" (their words). It didn't make it past the comp stage.
This cover was more of a diplomatic triumph than a design one... having to meet the product-placement desires of three different product departments with an image that was still compelling to the riding customer was a frequent challenge.
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Performance Bicycle Catalog
The Performance Bicycle catalog mailed over a million copies a year during the mid-90's. We produced around six complete catalogs per year, with each one requiring a multitude of cover variations and insert materials for different mailings. They were printed at Quad Graphics in Wisconsin on rotogravure presses, and required meticulous press checks... more than half of the catalog was dedicated to cycling apparel, and correct color was a paramount concern.
