herman chaneco: shadow ninjas

with images of assassins that change based on the light, the book covers designed by herman chaneco mimic the content of the books

the book covers and posters designed by los angeles-based designer herman chaneco turn the printed page into a small-scale installation. the pop-up titles contain figures designed so that a different image is produced based on the differing angles of its light source.

designing the cut-outs required a multifaceted approach, to allow that the title remain legible in a range of circumstances. in the final design, the shadows serve both to fill in the typography as well as create a ninja character.

in both regards, chaneco notes, ‘the concept of the design is influenced by the attributes of a ninja assassin’, the subject of brent weeks‘s ‘night angel trilogy’ for which they were designed.

detail view of the papercraft

a second cover

a third cover

closer view of one of the poster designs

detail view of a book cover