Front cover: T-shirt design for Screenwriters & Actors of Hollywood, 2018.
Back cover: “Blueprint” of past logo designs.
Second edition © 2023-25 by Bill Weber Studios. All rights reserved. This publication may not be reproduced, distributed, or otherwise transmitted without the express permission of the author.
All designs are copyright by their respective owners. Printed in USA.
Bill’s work is a never-ending explosion of wit and ingenuity. The deep dive into Bill’s world leaves you with profound appreciation not only for his talent, but for the continuous thread of love for humanity, children, and the difference we can all make in a world that challenges us every day.
– Michael Breitner, American Express Publishing,
Former Director of Corporate Sales and Marketing
Bill’s contribution to our business has been enormous. He has helped design best-sellers, consult with corporate customers and solve manufacturing problems. Bill is creative, inventive and intuitive. He can size up a client in an instant and offer solutions that match their needs and our capabilities.
– Mark Lawrence
CEO, Trophyman.com and affiliated brands
Bill Weber's inventiveness and skill is unmatched. No matter the challenge, his boundless creative imagination rises to meet it. It's thrilling to see Bill's beautiful work collected in one place to experience its remarkable breadth and scope.
– Lesley Karsten
Producer, That’s Not Tango
Bill has an innate sense of style and the ability to bring to life designs that capture the essence of any project. The breadth of his work is a testament to his attention to detail and representing ideas without unnecessary embellishment. The end result is the perfect design, no more, no less.
Producer-Director, Democratic National Convention – Peter Singer
The logos in this collection of imaginative work are cleverly, thoughtfully, tastefully conceived. They are both educational and fun to view. Like intelligent, playful riddles, they invited me to spend some time with them and find the deeper connection they make to the purposes they serve.
– Stephen Cohn
Emmy-winning composer
With his design and copywriting skills, Bill helped our organization gain self-confidence and a sense of worthiness. He is an expert at communicating values.
– Rev. Hannah Hope Petrie
Bill Weber has been a benevolent force for connection throughout his life. Those of us who have engaged with his work have connected energetically not only with him, but with all of humanity.
– Liz Fernandez, DVM
Author, Sacred Gifts of a Short Life Unitarian Universalist Association
ever since I started my own stationery business when I was in elementary school. My mother would bring me old ‘ ve been up to something office supplies – obsolete letterhead and address labels – from
her job and I would staple together notepads and hand-draw stickers for my family and friends.
Today, I design much more than notepads and stickers. I design animation, billboards, books, digital media, favicons, gizmos, gadgets, hang tags, packaging, posters, wayfinding systems, and anything else that the modern world asks me to dream up.
THIS BOOK CONTAINS A comprehensive collection of my work in a 30+ year career.
Some designs are simple, some are complex. Some are for longestablished businesses. Some are for launches. And some are just for love.
old problems and create new opportunities through design, storytelling, and sound business strategy. So you will see my contributions beyond the design world here, too.
I’ve developed best-selling products, launched magazines, named companies, set up camps and concert halls, and earned two patents.
You’ll also see my work in family media: children’s books, tv and theme park pitches, and product concepts.
It is my wish that “what I’ve been up to” connects you with your own creative spirit and the ambitions, hopes, and dreams of the people that I have been privileged to serve.
Bill Weber December 2024
Left-hand page: “Jupitor” label catalogs and comic books that I made in elementary school. I had big ambitions, so I named my company after the biggest thing I could think of.
enjoy an eclectic and creative career, alternating between the worlds of design, publishing, personal development, and entertainment. I’ve designed for Broadway, film, television, and print and received awards for my professional work.
After attending both the New Jersey School of Architecture and Parsons School of Design, I rose to become the publisher of magazines in the parenting, entertainment, and advertising industries.
I was privileged to be mentored by PEGOT (Pulitzer, Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, Tony) winner Marvin Hamlisch (A Chorus Line), Tony nominee Bill Gile (Very Good Eddie),and Emmy and Peabody winners Shari Lewis (Lamb Chop’s Play-Along) and John Burstein (Slim Goodbody).
My Broadway credits include work on the musicals Smile, Jean Seberg, and That’s Not Tango. I’ve designed for many independent films including I’ll Be Next Door for
Christmas, 42 Seconds, and The Happy Side. For TV, I was Executive Producer for Music City Tonight’s Salute to Children’s Entertainment and have developed a number of children’s media concepts for investment groups.
I have been a member of new product brainstorming teams for companies like GE, Krups, Ragu, and Welch’s. I’ve also held leadership roles in professional associations in the children’s media, advertising, and interfaith communities.
I am the author of four children’s books and share two patents in the food service industry.
national family in a multi-ethnic neighborhood where people enthusiastically shared each other's cultural traditions. I am committed to building a world where people are celebrated for the contributions they make – not judged by their racial, religious, or cultural backgrounds.
Left-hand page: My brother, Don (right), and I on top of our bunkbed. I was five years old. Some of my art is taped to the wall on the bottom bunk. Don grew up to be a successful singer-songwriter and music producer.
This section is devoted to art that was made as much for enjoyment as for a commercial purpose.
My goal is to create designs that are as delightful in a picture frame as they are impactful on a billboard. isn’t an ad; it’s a work of art.
I always ask myself three questions: “Does this design have meaning?” “Does it have feeling?” and “Will people want to wear it on a t-shirt?”
I designed this symbol for Anatomy of Peace, a symphony composed by Marvin Hamlisch. The composer’s goal interconnected and harmonious world of peace, too. 1991. was “to weave a spell” of peace. My design weaves an
This holiday greeting card design delivers a Blizzard of Good Wishes with basic colors and shapes. 1997.
A quirky poster, combining photo and typographic elements, for Shari Elf and the All-Star Seamstress Band. I love using textures (linoleum, embroidery) to highlight emotion. 2007.
Empathy Not Ammunition. This t-shirt design against gun violence
uses an image of earth centered on the United States. 2022.
Originally created for a National Endowment for the Arts design competition, Give the Arts a Hand promotes
arts participation and funding. 2020.
FACING PAGES: Halloween Helper is a mix-and-match costume card game that was designed during my years at Parsons School of Design. Detail (above) and full poster (right-hand page). 1980.
FACING PAGES: The Hamsa for Peace is a two-part graphic that takes visual cues from Middle Eastern culture and religion to present an interfaith message of peace.
The rst part is the Hamsa hand, a Middle Eastern sign of divine protection and strength. The second part is a calligraphic treatment of the words for peace in Arabic, Hebrew, and English: Salaam, Shalom, Peace.
(continued on next page)
The letterforms are variations of each other. The art uses the colors of the ags of the Palestinians (green/black/red/white) and Israelis (blue/white). Inside the Hamsa is fertile black earth (representing the traditions of the past from which good things grow), a blue sky (hope for the future), green olive leaves (peace), a white cup (holiness and health), and a red ame (justice). The color gold represents the preciousness of life. The components can be placed front and back on a t-shirt or stacked and used together. 2024.
International City graphics that highlight the diverse cultures that contribute to their cities. New York was originally designed for FACING PAGES: Chicago and New York are the first in a series of the Rockefeller Center Flag Design competition. 2020.
Chicago: Europe (Irish harp), Africa (shield and flag elements), Central America and Native American cultures (cactus/Mexican flag elements), Mediterranean (olive wreath), Asia (temple structure), Germanic/Slavic countries (sausages), South America (Brazilian flag elements)
New York: Ireland and Europe (Irish harp), Puerto Rico (flag elements), Middle East (calligraphy and sun element), India (sanskrit lettering), South America (Brazilian flag elements), Asia (dragon motif), Africa (Kenyan flag elements)
Rogers & Hammerstein, and other Broadway notables.
Concord Theatricals licenses the music of Marvin Hamlisch, I was commissioned to design the official graphic for Concord’s
celebration of Marvin Hamlisch’s 80th birthday. 2023.
Love Notes, an engagement announcement for a music-loving
couple, is a romance novel in three bars of sheet music. 1998.
The Larry Neal Dog Run is located in the colorful neighborhood of Washington Heights, New York. I designed this colorful t-shirt for a fund-raiser. 2024.
Sometimes the quickest, simplest sketch conveys the proper attitude for a project. This cover illustration for the New York Creative Professionals Sourcebook depicts the big city as a friendly community of artistic support. 1984.
Our Deepest Fear unboxes Marianne Williamson’s famous quote. 2004.
Birth announcement for my son, a powerful baby boy named Ross Paul. 1990.
This birth announcement for a boy named Ryan
is made of snakes and snails and puppy dog tails. 2000.
Explosive t-shirt design for Screenwriters & Actors
of Hollywood, a screenwriting group. 2018.
Red Skelton appears as Freddy the Freeloader, (Bathing Beauty) in this graphic for the Augustus Pirdy (The Yellow Cab Man), and Steve Elliott Red Skelton Museum of American Comedy. 2024.
Skies of Peace is a multi-facted icon for a Jewish cultural festival. 1981.
Animals and I have a mutual love affair. I composed and snapped
this shot of a terrier named Wynston as a gift for his puppy parent.
The tucked-in ear was a happy accident. 2019.
Today, logos are precision cogs that operate in the machinery of the communications world.
They must communicate the name, function, and personality of a business. They must be sensitive to global cultures. They must be legible on cell phone menus and on the side of buildings. hardest-working, art forms. Logos were developed to warn travelers of dangers (like roaming mastodons) and opportunities (like a kind neighbor with a hot meal).
And, just as important, they must be beautiful.
one of my earliest professional designs. I rendered comedy and tragedy symbols as quotation marks. The design
Ad Lib Productions is a theatre company. This logo is the company’s Latin name in a classic typeface, then added is simple, communicative, and timeless. 1975.
A pen cap, computer cable, t-shirt, and wristwatch, representing different merchandise categories, form the acronym for the Advertising Specialty and Promotional Products trade association. 2019.
Amplify America is a political non-profit. A unique, non-clichéd
take on the red, white, and blue American flag. 2016.
Different, yet complementary, styles of calligraphy support organization whose members work make up the logo for A.R.T.S., an international artists in a wide range of creative disciplines. 2008.
yet reads clearly and beautifully. 2022. A celestial logo for an Astrology website. The design is filled with movement and complexity,
Bags in Boots Productions, product developers, named after the clever childhood practice of wearing plastic bags inside
snow boots to keep feet extra warm and dry. 2009.
This logo for Big Bear Coffee combines ferocious and wild with friendly and warm. 2024.
Blue Suede Collectibles, a sports memorabilia dealer. This logo is designed to impress at charity events, the client’s main market. 2021.
Brad/Ford. Logo for a Ford automobile enthusiast named Brad. Embroidered patches were made to give away at car shows. 2007.
Celebrity Shoes sells high performance women’s footwear to the entertainment industry. This dancing star is made up
of the toeboxes of women’s shoes. 1982.
made from colored lines in motion. This hyperactive design for Chockablock.tv, a streaming channel for children, is a box-like “c”
I named the company and designed the branding. 2022.
This symbol of sun, shelter, and warmth was designed for
Church and Synagogue, an association of faith-based marketers. 2022.
This pinwheel logo for CJ Designs, a toy and giftware designer, good shape, color, and proportions. 1989.
is filled with movement. It reads well as “CJ” thanks to
A purple paisley pattern adds a retro vibe to Mr. Fox, the mascot of The Crazy Fox family restaurant. 1984.
Del Business Systems is a reseller of photocopiers and other in the same league as IBM, Xerox, and Minolta. 1982. office machines. The logo was designed to put the company
The sun rising on a construction site for East Coast Construction Company. I love this design because it tells you both the name of the company and what they do in an instant. 1987.
Robert Fligel Associates advises accountants on their careers graphic to complement an RFA monogram. 2007.
from college through retirement. I created this conversation-starting
An intentionally bad, over-designed logo for Freight,
a pitch for a sitcom about an inept delivery service. 1994.
I worked with composer Marvin Hamlisch early in my career
and presented him with this art as a wedding gift. 1989.
Heart-to-Heart is a mutual support group for cardiac patients.
This design was inspired by memories of my grandmother’s overstuffed furniture. 1977.
Holis Institute for Ecological Living is a school for environmental design. The logo has a
very clean Asian/European fusion look. 2010.
A glass office building reflects the sky and bursts with nature
in this design for the Holistic Chamber of Commerce,
a trade association. 2014.
HydroPlus is an industrial agriculture company developing artificial aquifiers in the California desert. The logo illustrates the process of extracting pure water out of new layers of earth. 2022.
IntegraNet is an insurance agency committed to diversity and integrity. Their logo illustrates the company’s philosophy that insurance is, at its most basic, people leaning on and helping each other. 1985.
The International Center for Endoscopic Training teaches surgeons how to operate by looking through fiber optic cables. The logo is made up of letters inside tubes. 1994.
This design for the Jewish Arts Ensemble of New York,
a klezmer music quartet, combines a music staff with a stylized Torah. 2013.
This logo happily bounces with the fun of Joey’s Fine Foods, a baker and distributor of snack cakes, cookies, and other treats. 1995.
Kalyn Press, book printers. The company’s old-fashioned craftsmanship and service is represented by a stylized book, a built-in ribbon bookmark, and the letters “K” and “L.” 2000.
“Which way to the ladies’ room?” Just follow the wall
of doors for The Ladies Room comedy club. 2000.
This logo for the Majestic Theatre Company
plays with scale to give an experience of the size, scope and majesty of the stage. 2007.
Marquee Communications is an entertainment publishing company. The logo served as the nameplate for
the company’s series of theatrical playbills. 1979.
This masculine mark for the Men’s Interfaith Fellowship shows a circle of men in action around the light of faith. 2017.
Metal Mouth is a heavy metal band. The textured
background adds just the right amount of grunge. 2013.
The sun in the northwest corner of the logo for while giving a spiritual feel to this Catholic hospital. 1994.
NorthWest Convenant Medical Center reinforces the name
This logo is for a patient advocacy campaign in support of California Proposition 46, which would have required drug and alcohol tests for doctors. The message: No to Drunk/Drugged Doctors. 2014.
A fun, old-timey design for Now Hear This,
a nostalgia radio quiz show. 1989.
Sharp hand-drawn letters and the unconventional choice of “Z” make up the logo for Papercutz, a graphic novel publisher. 2004.
The denomination’s chalice icon, a green leaf for nature and growth, and Gothic-flavored calligraphy come together in this logo for the
Park Avenue Christian Church. 2008.
T R A T T O R I A T R A T T O R I A
The tagline for Patsey’s Trattoria is “food like your grandmother made.” This logo evokes the old-fashioned tile walls of restaurants in New York’s Little Italy, the neighborhood where Grandma grew up. 2012.
A shimmering, shooting, explosive design for
Sacks & Associates, a public relations agency. 2002.
Saturday Night Taped is a Los Angeles comedy troupe. 2016.
Skip the Warehouse is an HVAC ecommerce business. This logo shows why you should let them do the heavy lifting. 2011.
Subaru, the automobile brand, is named for the six stars
of the star cluster Pleiades. Answering a call for new ideas, I contributed this six-sided starburst. 1977.
Icons for Team+Mates Sports Wear, a school sports uniform company. The seven icons are used both together and separately. 1988.
“Big People, Big Lives” is the tagline for the Team Management
Leadership Program, a professional development course from Landmark Education. I designed ads and posters for Landmark’s communications programs. 2012.
This logo for Troppomondo Sailing Retreats, a Caribbean boat charter company, reflects the relaxing and pleasurable experience that they provide their guests. 2010.
This design for the Unitarian Universalist Association combines a chalice, the tree of life, and six sparks representing
the denomination’s six guiding values. 2019.
The Unstoppable Hollywood awards honor leadership, Honorees successfully “surf the tornado” that is Hollywood. 2016.
creativity and talent in the entertainment industry.
company in New York City’s historic Greenwich Village. This logo
Don Weber Building Services is a building management evokes the mason’s marks of the 19th century when much of the village’s small-scale architecture was built. 2002.
Butterflies and mermaids are magical creatures that represent transformation. their clients to feel the magic of possibility and personal transformation. 2002.
New York City’s Women’s Confidential Counseling Center wanted
A jazzy design for the Young Singles Social Club. than just sit there. In this case, they get up and dance! 1996. When a logo is also an acronym, the letters should do more
ahead of, or confuse, the audience. It’s the same with marketing design. Whether the audience is kids, music lovers, religious people, or home buyers, you must tell your story in the visual and emotional language that the audience respects, understands and relates to.
My design work always supports the story. The first picture, page, or headline that you see will lead you to the next picture, page, or headline. That’s why I design different projects in different styles; I design for the audience, not for me.
TM I used a recognizable symbol of the awards industry – the Oscar -style statuette – as the centerpiece of Best Buy Trophy’s trade show booth.
I also made sure that signage, table covers, and printed materials
contained all the info that a sales prospect would need to make a buying decision right then and there. 2018.
I combined Coty Corporation’s corporate wordmark and butterfly icon into beautiful stationery. 2020.
This t-shirt design for the Experimental Aircraft Association’s Young Eagles Program invites teens to learn to fly. 2022.
Fabrics That Go is a Tucson institution where home fashion ideas become reality. This giant fold-over business card shows off some of those ideas. 2012.
Key art, poster, and website for 42 Seconds, an independent film that follows the survivors of a mass shooting as they take their first steps toward healing. The design uses the minute marks on a clock to suggest both the passage of time and the crosshairs of a rifle. 2022.
I used unique embroidered typography for this CD package design for Hold On To The Dream from singer-songwriter Valerie Gomes. 2007.
Kids Rocking Cancer is a non-profit providing support to children impacted by cancer in their families. I wrote the tagline
and designed all marketing materials. 2011.
Key art and movie poster for Lockdown Love Life, an independent
comedy about dating during Covid quarantine. 2022.
Circulation campaign key art for Luerzer’s Archive, an advertising industry trade magazine. The design presents the four main motivations
of advertising creatives: money, recognition, ideas, and love. 2004.
Double-page spread for Luerzer’s Archive, one of a series I designed the ads and wrote the copy. 2005.
of ads inspired by the magazine’s unique covers.
sponge for them to play with. 2007.
Trade show backdrop for Luerzer’s Archive magazine using
recent publication covers. I wrote the company tagline. 2007.
Key art, poster, and tagline for the short film, Mail Order Bestie. 2024.
I used an extreme close-up of Eric Messin’s Cinderella Coach ring to show off his talent in jewelry design. 2004.
Key art and poster for the Paul Robeson Theatre Festival production of Ode to a Cauliflower by Uriah Carr. The poster captures the setting of this comedy about a family of Black strivers in Los Angeles. 2017.
The Park Avenue Christian Church is a magnificent Gothic their Arts at the Park program shows the majesty of the hall, cathedral with superb acoustics for live music. This poster for
the beauty of the choir, and the passion of the conductor. 2011.
I designed all promotional materials, including logos, giftware, location over the years, was published for the church’s 200th anniversary. and invitations, for their bicentennial events. 2010. This commemorative map, showing the Park Avenue Christian Church’s
Key art for The Refuge, a zombie apocalypse board game.
I took disparate art from playing tokens, the game board, and other promotional materials and assembled them into a cohesive design. 2013.
Shame is an independent film about sexual abuse and suicide. For this key art, I used a frame from the film that showed the main character’s inner turmoil. The title “shame” was designed to futher emphasize the panic, numbness, and fear experienced by victims of sexual abuse. 2024.
Front cover gatefold
This gatefold brochure launched a new endowment campaign for Temple Beth Hillel. The main image is of the synagogue’s “Ark,”
the ornamental chamber that houses the Torah scrolls. 2014.
Comic book-style truck wrap for Trophyman.com. The truck promotes two main businesses: Sign.Graphics and Trophyman.com, plus all the products and services spelled out on the signs on the cartoon skyline. 2022.
I created key art, street displays, and guerilla marketing materials for
Waiting for the Show, a New York Fringe Festival comedy. 2008.
exploring New York City’s manufacturing districts. After work hours, there would be dumpsters full of fabric scraps, vacuformed plastics, and other manufacturing by-products. I was fascinated: How did they make that?
What can I make out of that?
Today, I work with manufacturers, retailers, and distributors to take advantage of opportunities in markets and materials.
I’ve designed bestsellers in magazines, ecommerce, packaging, and awards and recognition products. And I share two patents for a product serving the billion-dollar food service industry (see page 126).
I always want to know what’s been selling, what it’s made of, and what I can create that’s brand-new.
FACING PAGES: I created Artistry Eyewear, a high-end eyeglass frame clear frames to match the customer’s complexion, wardrobe, or mood. 2020.
sales system. Trained artists use special make-up-like paints to color
Frames that match your complexion, your wardrobe, or your mood. Made by you and your personal artist.
Choose from the latest shapes and styles of clear acetate frames for your best look.
Our talented artists work with you to make a one-of-a-kind frame to complement your shoes, dress, or complexion.
Special UV light bonds the color to your glasses, making them dirt- and water-proof.
FACING PAGES: The Dentarhythmic is an electric toothbrush
that I pitched to Krups. 1989.
Hard plastic neck Fret-like grooves allow for slip-free control
Soft silicon end with electronics inside
On/Off/Function selector is utilized by a sequence of firm squeezes
1) On – Timer with ‘beep’
2) Drum beat
3) Vibrator
4) Off
Snap-fitting for replaceable head
Diamond-shape head with ultra-soft bristles can be snapped off and replaced
Metal contact for recharging battery
Speed selector Speed of drum beat and vibrator is regulated by a firm squeeze
One of a series of packages for energy-efficient lightbulbs
that I designed for the Good Deed Foundation. 2007.
TM Key Base Trophies, designed for Trophyman.com, solve a major problem of the low-margin awards industry – shipping costs – by shipping flat. Before presenting the trophy, the buyer snaps a little “key” into the bottom of the trophy allowing it to stand. I also designed the mascot logos that have become best-sellers. 2018.
promotional picnic basket
promotional coffee caddy
The Home Stretch Coffee Caddy (US Pat. 9861169, pictured at right) is designed for coffee house drivethrus to reduce spillage and serve as a promotional item. It is made from non-woven polypropylene that is absorbant, strong, printable, recyclable, and food-safe.
The Home Stretch Promotional Picnic Basket (US Pat. 9301594, next page) is designed for quickservice restaurants, theme parks, and stadium concession stands. I share patents for both of these products with packaging engineer Susan Scior. 2016.
Pull up on the handles
Locking handle
Food and drinks are securely cradled
This page: instructions on how to transform The Home Stretch food and beverage carrier from poster to picnic basket. Next page: Sales deck cover.
Polished metal and wood family tree for the Lehman Family Foundation.
The finished sculpture, representing an olive tree, is easily updatable. 2003.
The Love & Light Custom Photo Menorah puts full-color
acrylic prints of family pictures onto the front of an innovative electronic menorah. For Trophyman.com. 2021.
I worked with network executives and Trophyman.com to create
this acrylic trophy for the Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Award. 2018.
The California Department of Public Health commissioned this acrylic trophy for their Never A Bother teen suicide prevention program. Teenagers compete to make public service announcements that save lives. 2024
Creating stickers for hospital patients was a fun project for Nourished With Love. The stickers appeal to both adults and kids and hold together thematically.
Magic Television-Watching Socks replace balloons as a low-cost promotional product for PBS Sprout to give away at street fairs. 2008.
The Center for Artistic Activism counters voter suppression and celebrates voting rights. Sit Up for Your Right to Vote! is my contribution: portable chairs made from low-cost, lightweight plastic buckets that voting advocates would set up for people waiting on line to vote. They are covered with conversation-starting quotes and can be used
to carry water, books, and other helpful supplies. 2019.
FACING PAGES: SnackBots is a healthy snack concept for Welch Foods that puts trail mix (cereal, fruit, nuts) into colorful shaker containers. 2007.
Colored plastic lid with perforated pie-shaped “dial spout”
Foil seal
Recyclable cardboard cans, with embossed, full-color label, are the size of a small ®Pringles can.
Collectable shaker cans are divided into sections and filled with different healthy snack foods. Kids turn them upside down and, by “dialing” the notched lid, control (or combine) the four foods they shake
out into their hands.
4-chambered interior
Cheerios Peanuts Coconut Flakes Nacho Cheese Powder
Suggested ingredients loaded into chambers: cereal, raisons, banana chips, nuts, nacho cheese chips, coconut flakes, barbeque chips, chocolate chips, etc.
Spirit of Kobe, a tribute to the late Kobe Bryant, for profile from an existing poster, then mounting it, and a purple silk Trophyman.com. This poster is made by laser-cutting Kobe’s background, onto the back of a clear sheet of acrylic plastic. 2020.
I designed this crocheted puppy for a gift for the new grandson of the human parent of William the Potcake, a dog rescued from the Turks and Caicos islands. Stray dogs there are called ”potcakes” because they are fed the leftovers from the bottom of rice cooking pots. 2024.
Man Reaching Up to God, God Reaching Down to Man is my also serves as the skylight for a chapel below. 2003.
World Trade Center Memorial Competition entry. The design’s centerpiece is a 55-foot cast-glass obelisk using molds cast from the handprints of the children of those lost in the attack. The sculpture
This means that it must be readable: no super-thin letters that fade into the background, no super-wide columns and super-deep paragraphs that force readers, after they summon the courage to read a line or two, to give up reading.
The first major magazine that I worked for asked their readers what articles they read, how far they read, and if they remembered what they read. science. Not only must a magazine, newsletter, book, catalog, or theatre program have attractive, communicative illustrations, but its typography must accommodate the real, physical limitations of the human eye and brain.
The art department devoured this data, using it to increase both recall and readership.
I designed the Astoria Center of Israel’s Journal for a decade, beginning with their 83rd year. This cover recreates the look of the stained glass windows in their historic sanctuary. 2016.
The licensing style guide for Avery’s World. 2021.
This digital catalog for Best Buy Trophy, put together in under two weeks, opened up a new revenue stream for a business hard-hit by the Covid pandemic. 2020.
An angelic cover design for The Eternal Amen of Abraham Joshua Heschel. 2005.
This is the cover of the donor solicitation book for The Hidaya Project, a Middle East peace initiative of the Education Development Center. Copies of the book are printed as needed (via POD technology)
for small, home-based, fundraising events. 2013.
Let Love Lead is a gift book for the human parents of pets who have died. The front cover has a built-in picture frame so that
a picture of the beloved pet can be inserted. 2021.
This book cover for author Michael Lipp reflects the psychedelic energy of the 1960s and 70s. 2007.
This proposed cover for the Los Angeles Guild of Puppetry membership directory challenges the stereotype of the kind of people who become professional puppeteers. 2021.
The promotional stickers I added to newsstand copies of Lurzer’s Archive (which previously had no cover lines at all)
doubled single-copy sales. 2005.
I wrote the creative copy and designed the cover of the tourist map
for the Nolita Merchants Association in New York City. 2009.
I was the Publisher, Editor, and Design Director of Parents & Kids
Directory, New York City’s first local magazine for families. The magazine pioneered the city parenting magazine category and had a successful 10-year run. This cover is one of my favorites. 1990.
The Park Avenue Christian Church’s newsletter, The Forward, is easy to read and, design-wise, easy for editorial staff to put together each month. 2012.
Performance Animation, published for the Los Angeles to the entertainment industry at large. 2018. Guild of Puppetry, showcases member’s talents
Seaport District Map & Guide, a tabloid newspaper for New York’s Seaport District Cultural Association, promotes
independent businesses in the neighborhood. 2007.
I redesigned, repositioned, and relaunched publication, rather than as a calendar of events. 2014.
Temple Beth Hillel’s Hillel Omer as a people-oriented
Key art and souvenir program cover for the Lincoln Center the controversial Tango composer and bandoneon player. 2019. run of That’s Not Tango, a stage show about Astor Piazzolla,
I designed the book and guided the story for Illustration by Edward B. Snyder
Through Tiger’s Eyes, a children’s picture book. 2007.
This cover design for Weber’s Internet Sourcebook, a consumer the publication’s name and purpose. 2002.
directory, uses a spider-shaped computer circuit board to emphasize
PARENTS ARE COMMITTED TO THEIR KIDS. THEY volunteer, they coach, they chaperone, and they worry. They move to the suburbs and take on new jobs, longer commutes, and more debt.
My work as a writer, artist, and mentor in children’s media is an expression of my own commitment to the physical, intellectual, and emotional needs of families.
The projects in this section bring families together, enrich their lives, and improve their world.
Avery’s World, an anti-bias children’s property, stars Avery the communication, and contribution to preschoolers and their families.
TM Dove of Peace. This iconic character represents peace, friendship,
FACING PAGES: Don’t Lose Your Hat in the Zucchini Patch is a cooperative
card game that teaches teamwork and cultural contribution. Children play together as a team against the game, not each other. 2017.
It’s their super power. Make A Play For Peace asks children (and Puppets empower children to speak up about things that matter to them. and share, a message of peace. 2007. grown-ups) to use an Avery puppet (or their own creation) to make,
TM
Avery’s World character necktie. 2007.
FACING PAGES: Try On My Hat! is a picture book that introduces the main characters of Avery’s World. The themes of the book are international culture, contribution, and teamwork. 2022.
Avery’s World promotes peace, love and family through stickers like these. Since 2012, tens of thousands of peace and holiday-themed stickers have been handed out at parades and community events from coast to coast.
During its 4-year existence, AACE produced an impressive list of accomplishments: nationally televised awards, publications, and a marketing partnership over 150 independent producers of children’s music, television, film, and video.
The American Academy of Children’s Entertainment was an association of with Parenting magazine. I was founding president. 1993-1997.
The Children’s Entertainment Awards had the ambition to be to honor AACE winners. In return, the organization put on a live, celebrity-studded show at the Opryland USA theme park. 1995-97
TM the Oscars of the children’s media industry. The Nashville Network devoted 90 minutes of prime time (reaching 30 million viewers)
AACE initiatives included Who’s Who in Children
Entertainment, a print publication promoting AACE members’ talents to the wider entertainment industry, testimonial dinners for industry veterans, and co-marketing ads in Parenting magazine. 1995-97
With my work in popular culture and design, and as a parent myself, it is only natural that I have ideas for programming
that serves young people and their extended families.The following pages contain fully-developed concepts to enrich family lives.
public sphere. The logo represents a news headline, a culturally-diverse Assembly, a not-just-the-news show for kids where journalists and other writers teach how to think critically and communicate effectively in the audience, and the power of smart phones and social media. 2006.
® The Children’s Entertainment Hall of Fame is a plan for a broadcast special and a “brick and mortar” entertainment and educational attraction. 1996.
Home Made Horror is a movie-making show for teens advice from professionals. 2006. that showcases the work of viewers along with
Ingenuity is a high-tech game show for families. The show combines comedy, hands-on science experiments, and role models from the world of science. 2006.
Rheostat’s Restaurant is a country music show starring
a wacky family of alien puppets learning about our culture.
Proposed attraction for Opryland USA. 1996.
RoleModel.tv, an internet talk and reality channel for families,
gives parents and kids real, experienced role models 24-hours a day. 2006.
Sports Beast, an inspirational sports show for kids. Each episode to inspire commitment and teamwork. 2006.
pairs a famous sports role model with a middle-school athlete
to practice conflict resolution and teamwork in Toy Team,
Twin brothers and their friends use imaginative play a sci-fi/fantasy family series. 2018.
haven’t been one to selfpromote, preferring to let my work speak for itself. But when I heard “I didn’t know you did that!” from clients and friends, I began to think that it was time to make a little promotional giveaway.
I started with a simple 24-page booklet that I could leave behind on appointments. But it wasn’t very satisfying. There wasn’t room to show the big ideas and the creative problem-solving that is the backbone of my professional life.
I also realized that showing what I did in the past was all well and good, but what about my intentions for the future?
That little giveaway grew into this book. Up To Something has become more than a showcase for my work; this book lets me acknowledge – and honor – one chapter of my life in
order to freely begin another. What’s that next chapter going to look like? I don’t know. But as new challenges arise, and as more of my own intellectual property gains traction, I look forward to being “ up to something” for many more years to come.
immediate family and the friends and colleagues who have helped shape my life and, by extension, this book. They include Michael Breitner, Abigail Brown, Lia Chilton, Stephen Cohn, Aaron and Shirell Coleman, Henry D. Hill III, Lesley Karsten, Mark Lawrence, Sherrie Lynne, Wayne Morales, Holly Payberg, Orin Shemin, Ross Weber, and others too numerous to mention.
You’ve taught me, encouraged me, and held me to account through this great creative process called life.
Left-hand page: Bill Weber up to something in 2023.
I first met Shari Lewis at Toy Fair in the 90s, where I interviewed her for Parents & Kids Directory. Shari, who mentored me as I launched the American Academy of Children’s Entertainment, served on the organization’s Board of Advisors, won the first “Entertainer of the Year” award, and contributed to our Music City Tonight appearance.
BOTTOM: Paul Couch, Brian O’Connor (partially hidden), me, Jim Moore, Bob McGrath, and Joanie Bartels at the Opryland Hotel in Nashville in 1995. We led a press conference to announce the winners of the Children’s Entertainment Awards and promote our Opryland USA show.
The AACE Board and some celebrity members were in Nashville in 1995 to put on two shows: the AACE Father’s Day AllStar Family Festival on stage at Opryland USA, and a special Children’s Entertainment Awards edition of Music City Tonight broadcast on the Nashville Network.
I’ll never be able to thank enough the children’s music, tv, and stage stars who believed in me and traveled to Nashville to represent the very best in children’s entertainment. They include Shari Lewis (appearing on video), Bob McGrath, Joanie Bartels, John Burstein (the inimitable Slim Goodbody), Judy Sladsky (the Olympic skater who performed as Snoopy), Brian O’Connor (Schemer on Shining Time Station), Jim Moore (the Animal Band), and characters Garfield the Cat and Thomas the Tank Engine. You are the most generous people – and characters – in show business.
I designed an Avery, the Dove of Peace puppet and attended children’s television conferences, licensing shows, and large family events (like New York’s Halloween parade) in order to gauge interest, refine the concept, and start pitching media
and toys.
The early years of my career were spent at a mix of small, eclectic publications while absorbing all I could about the magazine business. A timeline: The original Marquee was an entertainment newspaper for suburban New Jersey that I published with friends while still in college. The second Marquee was a series of playbills for New Jersey theaters co-published after college.
Larry Harmon clowned around with my Dove of Peace character at Toy Fair. Larry was an inspiration; as one of the hardest working people in kid biz, he was constantly in motion, traveling the world to sell his syndicated shows in each, every and any market.
Next, I worked in the ad sales department at Savvy, the first magazine for executive women. Then, after stints as art director at Movers News, Computer Advertising News, and the Motion Picture TV & Theatre Directory, my wife and I started Parents & Kids Directory – New York’s first local parenting magazine. This third entrepreneurial venture hit and had a successful 10-year run.
Brian O’Connor is famous as Schemer, the villain-with-a-heart on Shining Time Station. Brian shared that heart with Opryland USA audiences on our goodwill trip.
Xavier Roberts was another interviewee of mine when I was editor and publisher of Parents & Kids Directory. Famous for creating the Cabbage Patch Kids, Xavier was also an astute businessman who generously gave me personal advice as well as a terrific magazine interview.
Annie Leonard wrote The Story of Stuff in 2011, transforming how we, as consumers, interact with each step of the materials economy – from manufacture to consumption to trash. We met at a Campaign for a Commerical-Free Childhood (now Fairplay) conference.
Bob McGrath and I would run into each other at various kid biz events in New York City. Here we are about 2010.
I attended the 1989 Walt Disney World press conference where Jim Henson and Michael Eiser announced the merger of their two companies. After Jim died a year later, the deal was called off until it was reset in 2004.
Avery and I met Johnny Tartaglia in New York when we took his puppeteering for television workshop. (When we met a few years later at the Henson Studios, he remembered!)
When I arrived in Los Angeles in 2013,
I fell in with a troupe of very creative, very welcoming performing artists led by the ultra-talented Missy Galore (front center with the fluffy headdress). We filmed a
music video called “Fluff the Goodness.”
Avery and I are at the left rear of the group shot and in the inset above right. I couldn’t have asked for a better introduction to LA.
These beautiful people are my Los Angeles family. From 2013 to 2018, I had the privilege of leading Screenwriters and Actors of Hollywood, Los Angeles’ most diverse, successful, and longest-running open writer’s group.
Every week, 40 new and seasoned writers met to practice being good collaborators, share creative insights, make films, and support each other’s creative journeys.
We had holiday parties, an annual anniversary awards show, field trips, meetings with agents, and hung out in the parking lot until late talking movies, tv, and comic books. We had a marriage proposal (accepted) and babies born. and appearing on screens near you. Members are now on staff at studios, making indies, winning awards, getting grad degrees,
At the International Family Film Festival, (which I served as judge for many years,) with my friend Suzanne Birrell, an awardwinning stage and screen writer-directorcomposer.
With my good friend, Emmy-winning composer Stephen Cohn and actress Amy Shi in 2016 at one of the many Los Angeles music world premieres we attended. Stephen and I collaborated on the theme song for Avery’s World, my animated preschool project.
Shari Elf, an artist with a large LA following, and I were friends in New York City before we both moved west. We’re pictured at her Joshua Tree gallery.
In Superior, AZ, with the cast and crew of 42 Seconds, a multiple-award winning independent film. I designed graphics and graphic props. Producer-writer-actor Judy Eisenberg and I are friends from the writers group in Los Angeles.
“We are the well.” LA is full of classes, and I took some of the best. Jen Julian and Holly Payberg taught us how to craft and deliver a pitch with creative confidence.
After taking a workshop with Marianne Williamson, I volunteered with her 2014 campaign for congress.
At the Trophyman booth at Los Angeles ComicCon, showing off some of the amazing pop culture objects that I helped design.
Pamela Hamilton is a multi-talented musician, vocalist, songwriter – and good friend – who performs worldwide. I support her touring shows and performances with promotional materials.
Ashna Sharan is a rising writer-actor in Hollywood. We know each other from LA networking groups. We met up in New York in 2025 at the premiere of her latest film at the NewFest Film Festival.
Actor and visual artist Edward B. Snyder and I go way back. He is currently showing his naïve art in Los Angeles; I never miss a show.
