“Nothing I did where the only reason for doing it was the money was ever worth it, except as bitter experience. Usually I didn’t wind up getting the money, either. The things I did because I was excited, and wanted to see them exist in reality have never let me down, and I’ve never regretted the time I spent on any of them.”

Sometimes the tomorrow of yesterday is even more intriguing than the present. It’s fun to look back at past predictions of what “the future” would look like — flying cars, spaceports, food pills. But buried beneath some of those fanciful ideas are nuggets of insight and amazing visions.

Futurist and artist Art Radebaugh was one of those visionaries. Radebaugh was known for his beautiful airbrushed illustration and syndicated newspaper strips “Closer Than We Think” and “Can You Imagine?” in the late 50s and early 1960s. Each of the hundreds of entries he created was a jaunt into possibility, as his artistry was inspired by snippets of scientific breakthroughs or upcoming technologies.

Hexanine partner Tim Lapetino is working on efforts to preserve the work and name of Radebaugh, and wrote an article this month for our friends at Geek Magazine on the artist. It’s featured in the August 2013 issue of the magazine.

Here’s an excerpt from the article:

Radebaugh’s creative visions were fueled by a post-war optimism that centered around new technology and progress, ideas that were still en vogue when his work began. There’s very little trace of cynicism in the concepts he put to paper, even though they dealt with topics like disease, famine, and military conquest. While some might look back on that perspective as naive, the reality is that Radebaugh’s art is a product of his time. Each piece is a unique reflection of a more hopeful time.

This issue of Geek is available in digital editions, or at local book retailers. But our work with Art Radebaugh and his artwork has barely begun. Watch this space for some upcoming Radebaugh-focused announcements. We’re excited about what the future (of the past) holds.

Closer Than We Think & Can You Imagine? © Tribune Content Agency, LLC  All rights reserved. Used with permission.

Some designers seem to conveniently disappear when writing and copy are discussed, and I think this relates to our overall visual natures. Many designers think, relate, and communicate in images — it’s one of the skills that leads to great design and better designers. But while a picture is supposedly worth a thousand words, text isn’t going away anytime soon. So, it’s up to us, as designers, to wrangle the written word and to make the work we do even greater by engaging with the copy.

That’s a snippet from an article I wrote for HOW Magazine, about the fear that many designers and creative types have when it comes to writing. We find it’s a common issue among peers and others we rub elbows with, and I believe I’ve got some helpful thoughts to consider. Check it out and comment either here, or at HOW directly.