In this special report, we take a look at some of the exciting work done by graphic design organizations and advertising agencies in the area of pop culture. In it, yo will see great print, packaging, p-o-p, web and broadcast design from the likes of Stefan Sagmeister, Margo Chase, Melanie Paykos, Cartoon Network Creative Services, WhiteRunkle, Asterik Studio, The Heads of State, Trollback & Company and Eyeball NYC.

Equally interesting, these stars-in-their-own-right provide insights about the special challenges and singular benefits of working with pop cultural clients and projects, how they got started in the area, who they watch and admire, whether it is all as glamorous and fun as its looks, and the extent to which graphic design shapes or is shaped by the popular culture.

And we would not be us without including a roundup of papers, products, stock imagery and services that can help designers perform on this stage.

Please read on.

- The Editors

MARGO CHASE DESIGN GROUP

How did you first get involved in pop cultural projects? Did you go out looking for such clients?

Margo Chase: It can be hard to get your first job for a big star. There is a Catch-22, which is that to get a star gig you have to have had a star gig before. Stars often trust you based on which other stars have trusted you in the past. I was fortunate to get hired in the mid-eighties to do logos for Prince, Madonna and others, which gave me an early track record in music. We worked with Cher around 1990 on a special promotional album package for Love Hurts, and her team remembered us. Along with that, we have been visible in the industry, doing tour books for Madonna's last two tours and some other work, which probably made us seem current. In the case of Angel, her manager called us because he had seen the Cher tour book. He wants to make Angel a star, and he knows he'll only get one chance to launch her. The fact that Cher had trusted us gave us credibility. So in a way, the work took an identical path to find us.

Is it as fun or as glamorous as it looks to an outsider?
If you're looking for a glamorous life, doing graphic design for celebrities isn't a likely route. We are a trustworthy commodity service; that's all. We get hired to create a piece of their promotional effort. We don't get to hang out in their pool and make calls. Creatively, these jobs can be great. Understanding Angel and working to help her be successful is a fundamental creative effort. We've been given a large hand in framing the strategy, which is always fun.

Are you yourself a pop culture junkie? Who is your pop cultural icon?
Fortunately, I'm a culture junkie, pop and ancient and many other kinds. I love the occasional overseas job we get because it gives me a chance to see inside another culture. In the studio we listen to a wide variety of music all day long - pop, electronica, rock, hip-hop, alternative, latin - and we have heated discussions over lunch. At home, I also listen to jazz and classical music. My mother plays contrabass in the Santa Barbara symphony, and my father has been an amateur jazz guitarist for 40 years. I love books, comics, fashion and movies. I guess the exception would be I mostly hate tv. I don't even have one at home, which is a terrible admission since we do some advertising work and I should at least watch more ads. My favorite pop culture icons change often. Today I'd have to name Moby and Marilyn Manson. They are smart artists who understand the implications of their work. They are thoughtful about what they do and what it means.

What is the role of the graphic designer? Do you shape pop culture, are you shaped by it, are you it? Designers have a role in shaping culture. We create images for people and products that can have an impact on how society and consumers feel and react. That's really the job of a designer - to create a powerful image, distilling cultural experience and intuition into graphic form.

ANGEL FAITH With Angel Faith we have had an appropriate amount of time. A promising fifteen year old, Angel had done mall tours and been in a group band, and she was ready for the next step. The biggest challenge for us was to figure out who she is, which is really who will she be as a pop artist, and how to express that visually. Her managers were new to this level of the music business, though they brought a lot of savvy from other accomplishments. Part of our job has been to bring their sensibility to a higher level. It's been fun. I hope all the pieces come together for her. Watch for her first album.