Graphic Design

My name is Richard J. Fowlks, a lifelong resident of the Great Northwest. I am a graphic designer with a specialization in photography retouch and publication design. I am fascinated with comic book and pop culture, and my work is inspired by different eras of media.

I prepare work for both print and the web. I’ve worked with big national clients and local mom and pop companies for over 13 years with a vast range of diversity in projects.

For me, art and creativity is a complex communication with the intended audience. As a designer, I seek to communicate clearly and concisely with intuitive design that conveys the meaning and intent of the material. Each design choice–from color to typography to size and spacial relationships–creates meaning for the material being presented. Any extraneous design for design's sake is not just a waste of space, but dilutes the power of the communication with your audience. I am inspired during collaborations with photographers and authors to deliver their intended material in a way that draws the audience in and shares a viewpoint with them.

When I’m not in front of a computer monitor, I can be found outside playing with my kids, reading or enjoying a tasty beverage.

I prepare work for both print and the web. I’ve worked with big national clients and local mom and pop companies for over 13 years with a vast range of diversity in projects.

When I’m not in front of a computer monitor, I can be found outside playing with my kids, reading or enjoying a tasty beverage.

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COMIC BOOK EXPLOSION: AN ORAL HISTORY OF DC COMICS CIRCA 1978

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Things looked bleak for comic books throughout the 1970s because of plummeting sell-through rates. With each passing year, the newsstand became less and less interested in selling comic books. The industry seemed locked in a death spiral, but the Powers That Be at DC Comics had an idea to reverse their fortunes. In 1978, they implemented a bold initiative: Provide readers with more story pages by increasing the price-point of a regular comic book to make it comparable to other magazines sold on newsstands. Billed as “The DC Explosion,” this expansion saw the introduction of numerous creative new titles. But mere weeks after its launch, DC’s parent company pulled the plug, demanding a drastic decrease in the number of comic books they published, and leaving stacks of completed comic book stories unpublished. The series of massive cutbacks and cancellations quickly became known as “The DC Implosion.” TwoMorrows Publishing marks the 40th Anniversary of one of the most notorious events in comics with an exhaustive oral history from the creators and executives involved (Jenette Kahn, Paul Levitz, Len Wein, Mike Gold, and Al Milgrom, among many others), as well as detailed analysis and commentary by other top professionals, who were “just fans” in 1978 (Mark Waid, Michael T. Gilbert, Tom Brevoort, and more)—examining how it changed the landscape of comics forever! By Keith Dallas and John Wells.