earthquakes, mudslides, fires & riots: california and graphic design, 1936-1986

Louise Sandhaus's publication, Earthquakes, Mudslides, Fires & Riots, is the first to comprehensively document the vast array of visually stunning graphic design that emerged from California for much of the twentieth century. This substantial 432-page hardcover is the result of more than a decade of research and presents a lively compilation of smart, unconventional, and innovative graphic design from the "Left Coast" that will dazzle readers with its depth and diversity.

Divided into four sections, "Sunbaked Modernism," "Industry and the Indies," "60s Alt 60s," and "California Girls," the book features over 275 striking color reproductions, including books and magazines designed by Merle Armitage, Alvin Lustig, Herbert Matter, and Sheila Levrant DeBretteville; posters for Disneyland, Cream, and Herman Miller; Marget Larsen's print ads for Joseph Magnin; title cards and sequences for popular TV shows such as Lassie and The Smothers Brothers; title sequences for films ranging from Taxi Driver to Tron; motion graphics from early animated abstractions to the iconic 7-Up "Bubbles" advertisement and Atari video games; immersive live performances by Bill Ham and Single Wing Turquoise Bird; architectural supergraphics by Barbara Stauffacher Solomon and Alexander Girard; print and environmental designs by Gere Kavanaugh and Deborah Sussman; and much more.