I'd Rather Not

The cover of Robert Skinner’s I’d Rather Not sets the tone for this wry and offbeat exploration of life’s absurdities. The accompanying promotional campaign extended this distinct visual identity to build excitement and awareness around the title.

Concept Work

Black Inc. Books

This cover features artwork by nineteenth-century artist Aloys Zötl, an image suggested by author Robert Skinner himself. The illustration style suits the book’s wry tone and captures its offbeat quality. There is also something about Zötl’s monkey – its bemused expression and awkward stance that evokes the protagonist’s hapless tendencies and sardonicism. Apparently caught in motion, it seems unsure of how to act. But the true connection between illustration and narrative might lie with Zötl himself, an obscure artist whose life and artistic raison d’être remain enigmatic. His backstory offers a fitting punchline for anyone who bothers to look into it.

A series of social media assets was created to start building awareness from the books pre-release all the way through its launch. Typography that is bold and elements from the cover develop visuals as quirky as its tone.