David Sepulveda Photo
If you are a fan of Garry Trudeau’s Doonesbury comic strip, you have already seen some of the handiwork of Design Monsters George Corsillo and Susan McCaslin, a husband-and-wife graphic design team specializing in commercial art. Corsillo is responsible for coloring the nationally syndicated Doonesbury cartoon strip. The design power-couple recently moved to Westville from Darien, in what Corsillo has described as a search for “kindred spirits,” among other things.
“When we saw the “Rock” — that was it” said Corsillo, recalling the view of West Rock from a window of the Art Lofts West (Arlow) apartment he and McCaslin, would soon call home. The Westville apartment located at the corner or West Rock and Whalley Avenues is part of a three building complex designed specifically for working artists, with businesses at street level.
Viewing the space for the first time with Westville arts and real-estate developer Thea Buxbaum, the couple beamed as they viewed the open floor plan, hardwood floors, and second story balcony that affords a unique perspective of bustling Whalley Avenue. With additional window views overlooking bucolic Edgewood Park, it was not an exaggeration to say the apartment’s views boasted the best of all worlds in capturing the physical diversity of the “Village” as it is known colloquially. But it was the “rock” that most resonated, evoking fond memories of western landscapes they had enjoyed while living in Los Angeles, and ultimately had them scrambling to sign a lease.
After enjoying commercial success in both Los Angeles and New York City, the couple, with a toddler and twins on the way, settled in Darien, in Fairfield County. It was a great place to educate and raise their growing family, but in the end, the memories of city life and its cultural benefits sparked their decision to seek an alternative to the suburbs. A close friend suggested New Haven and Westville in particular, even as some suburban acquaintances urged caution and shared their trepidation about a move to the Elm City. But the couple, well versed in urban, big-city living, was ready to make their move.
Demographic studies continue to show general population shifts away from cities to suburbs, though in urban areas where cities have made big quality-of-life improvements, the trend has seen some reversal. Tony Bialecki, Deputy Director of Economic Development for the City of New Haven, believes the city is showing growth, “simply because there are more and higher quality [residential] units to choose from… and because the quality of life in the city has gotten better.” Nationally, city governments have begun to realize that attracting artists in large numbers is among the best strategies and catalysts for creating vitality and boosting local economies; a kind of fast track to urban renewal.
Design Monsters may typify the profile of those returning to cities, but theirs is not your typical graphic design studio. The couple have side-by-side desks, and credit their ability to work in such close quarters with the fact that they are first and foremost, “best friends.” They met in their senior year at Brooklyn’s Pratt Institute and married three years later. The studio does not solicit work or advertise for themselves per se, but enjoy steady work through a loyal customer base that includes clients Garry Trudeau, Andrews McMeel Publishers, Off Broadway’s Celebrity Autobiography, American Composers Orchestra and Divabetic.org.
Earlier in his prolific career, Corsillo designed album covers and book jackets exclusively. His work included designs for musical acts like Pat Benetar, Yoko Ono, Bon Jovi, and most recently for The Eagles. His book jacket designs have wrapped books by authors Larry McMurtry (“Lonesome Dove”), Brett Easton Ellis (“Less than Zero”) and Bob Woodard (“Wired”) to name a few. The late Luther Vandross was a client for 20 years, as was rock star John Mellencamp for whom Corsillo designed twelve album covers, serving as art director for Mellencamp’s 1991 feature film “Falling from Grace.”
Design Monster’s images, while bearing hallmarks of the latest design technologies, gain their appeal not so much from the ubiquitous technical wizardry available to most graphic designers, but through a content-based, humor-infused approach that underscores the studio’s design philosophy. “If it ain’t fun, it ain’t worth doing” declares a folky, but unapologetic statement on one of their web pages.
Susan McCaslin, whom Corsillo credits with being “the brains of the operation and teaching [him] everything he knows about computers,” came to graphic design through a background in fine art. Recently, she wowed viewers in her solo art exhibit at the Loft Artists Association Gallery located on Canal Street in Stamford, Connecticut’s South End.
McCaslin Imagined some of the encounters with nature by the Old Leatherman (paintings).
The exhibit which runs through September 12, is entitled “Recent Works Inspired by The Old Leatherman.” The Old Leatherman was a legendary, if enigmatic character in the mid-nineteenth century who dressed in his own hand-stitched leather clothes, reportedly walking the same 360 mile route through Connecticut and parts of New York in 34 day cycles from 1858 to 1889. He was known to some locals who helped provide sustenance along the way, and were familiar with the traveler’s eccentricities and cyclical appearances. The story of the Old Leatherman has been documented by author Dan W. Deluca, one of the few experts on the subject. He will be appearing at the Loft Artists Galleryon September 12 at 2:00 p.m. to deliver a lecture on the topic, “The Old Leatherman, Historical Accounts of a Connecticut and New York Legend” and to sign copies of his book. The public is invited to attend.
The show, organized much like a museum exhibit with installations and displays, is comprised of stations that feature McCaslin’s two and three dimensional musings on the life of the Old Leatherman. Her intense interest in icons, psychology, symbolism, nature, and the sense of time and place, imbues the exhibit through a mixed-media tour de force.
Part of a series of large posters designed by Corsillo for the Starbucks-Trudeau Charity fund raiser.
Recent major initiatives undertaken by Design Monsters includes work on two new books — both celebrating the work of artist and writer Garry Trudeau. “Doonesbury and the Art of G.B. Trudeau,” published by Yale University Press, is written by Brian Walker, a cartoon scholar and son of Mort Walker, creator of the comic strip “Beetle Bailey.” Brian, along with his father and brother, continues to produce “Beetle Bailey,” as well as the ever popular strip “Hi and Lois.” Walker’s Doonesbury book pays homage to Trudeau’s immense skills as draftsman and cartoon illustrator. Corsillo describes the book’s design as a “toy box,” containing Doonesbury posters, figurines, games, clothing and more. Many of these artifacts are a result of the decade-long association between Design Monsters and Trudeau.
The other book, published by Andrews McMeel, is an oversized, encyclopedic retrospective of 40 years of Doonesbury strips, with essays by Trudeau. Corsillo was responsible for the book’s design including the eighteen illustrative character portraits. Both books are scheduled for release in late October.
While Design Monster’s success is enviable on many levels, much of their work over the years has been devoted to charitable causes. Corsillo has designed numerous posters and objets d’art related to Doonesbury and Trudeau’s charitable association with Starbucks Coffee, resulting in over one million dollars of support to local literacy funds throughout the United States. McCaslin continues her association with Divabetic, a nonprofit providing empowerment and encouragement for women at risk, affected by, and living with diabetes (www.divabetic.org) and the Obie Harrington-Howes Foundation, which provides financial support to those with spinal cord injuries. Chris Heitmann, Executive Director of Westville Village Renaissance Alliance, said the couple has already been a big asset to the organization, volunteering their work and services during this year’s 13th Annual ARTWALK arts festival.
Much to their delight, Corsillo and McCaslin have once again found a geographic comfort zone that fuels their present “lightness of being” with amenities that include nearby Manjares Cafe, the Sunday Farmer’s Market, wine tastings at Westville Wines, Edgewood Park and its wealth of activities, an ethnically diverse neighborhood, a town blessed with an abundance of academic institutions, a thriving arts community of kindred spirits, and, of course, that beautiful “rock.”
On October 2 – 3, Design Monsters welcome visitors to their Westville studio during the Artspace City-Wide Open Studios event.
Thanks for another interesting and well-written article, David! We here in Westville are thrilled to see artists move in and help give the neighborhood its unique flavor.