Graphics and images « Charles Apple « copydesk.org

Charles Apple: The Visual Side of Journalism

‘Graphics and images’ archive

Number of comments in parentheses

May 4: More fabulous Avengers features pages are rolling in today

Are you getting sick of seeing Avengers movie pages? I’m not. But then again, I’m such a fanboy. As you might have noticed, I took the morning off from blogging and took my daughter to see the movie. Even at 9:40 a.m., it was a packed house. We didn’t bother with 3D or Imax or any of the other gimmicks. [...]

May 4: Yet more fun Avengers movie treatments (1)

Can you tell I’m excited about this movie? In fact, my daughter and I have tickets to an early morning showing of the Avengers. We’re both excited. And my wife is rolling her eyes. Hey, it could be worse. I could have made a costume like this fellow did: Pretty sweet, huh? There’s nothing quite like a superhero movie to [...]

May 3: Two more fun Avengers movie treatments to enjoy (2)

The clock is ticking down until midnight tonight, when the Avengers opens in many cities around the U.S. I’m not crazy enough to try a midnight showing. But I have tickets to a Friday morning show. In the meantime, here are a couple more fun Avengers pages to tide you over… — McCLATCHY-TRIBUNE INFORMATION SERVICES Washington, D.C. MCT senior designer [...]

May 3: More fun ‘Avengers’ movie treatments (1)

I have two Avengers movie treatments to show you today and another two in house to show you tomorrow. So far, that is. I’m hoping you folks will send me a lot more. — BILL KUCHMAN Washington, D.C. Private project Bill Kuchman — a designer for Politico, writes: Politico obviously doesn’t run movie previews/reviews, but I wanted to do something [...]

May 2: I hate bubble charts. I hate ‘em, I hate ‘em, I hate ‘em… (3)

Earlier today, I wrote a glowing review of three front-page infographics, including this gorgeous one in the Forum of Fargo, N.D. What I said about that chart: As a rule, I don’t like bubble charts. Almost always, anything a bubble chart can do, a bar chart can do better. Including showing the difference in numerical values. But [artist's name here] [...]

May 2: Last week: Student paper copyright issue. This week: Internet meme.

You know the story by now: Friday: College journalist shoots a great picture for the University of Colorado Independent of officials bringing a bear down out of a tree. Photo by Andy Duann — Poynter’s Andrew Beaujonwrites about the picture: The bear hangs in midair above a mat in Duann’s shot, as if it had slightly miscalculated before popping into [...]

May 2: Three papers… three front pages… three great infographics (6)

Today must have been infographics day or something. Three Midwestern newspapers led with huge infographics on page one. And I love it. Let’s check ‘em out, shall we? — POST-CRESCENT Appleton, Wis. Circulation: 38,421 The story today in Appleton: Cases of melanoma are on the rise. A bar chart shows the number of annual cases over 35 years. What I [...]

May 2: For your consideration…

OK, this one’s cute… Average daily circulation for the New York Post is 555,327. The page is from the Newseum. Of course.

May 1: Wall Street Journal illustration is ‘lively and original and different’

Cathy Clabby — a friend from my old Raleigh News & Observer days and now a senior editor for American Scientist magazine in Research Triangle Park, N.C. — writes: I thought of you this morning when I saw an incredibly charming and inviting and clever illustration in the Wall Street Journal yesterday. I don’t know if you share good work [...]

April 30: Another amazing Avengers treatment (1)

Early today, I asked you to send me interesting Avengers movie treatments. Already, I’ve received one that just won’t wait until tomorrow. You have to see this one tonight. Right now. This is from the National Post of Toronto, Canada. Click for a larger view: The Post has assembled a huge list of former, current and prospective members of the [...]

April 30: Stirring up a little visual excitement with the Avengers movie (1)

It’s that time of year again: Summer movie season kicks off this Friday when the super-hero movie the Avengers opens in theaters. Or, at least, that’s the case here in the U.S. In fact, the Avengers has already opened in much of the rest of the world. And yes, it’s selling tickets like crazy. This is going to be one [...]

April 29: Today’s five most arresting front page visuals

A quick look at some of the days’ most arresting front-page visuals… — POCONO RECORD Stroudsburg, Pa. Circulation: 13,448 The story in Eastern Pennsylvania today: Homeless school-age children. Obviously, parents of such children might not want to see themselves on page one with such a story. So how did the Pocono Record illustrate the story? With this great illustrative shot, [...]

April 29: L.A. papers look back on the Rodney King beating post-verdict riots (1)

Brian Harr, executive news editor of the Los Angeles Daily News, writes: Thought you might like to see what we did for the [20th] anniversary of the L.A. riots. We made the call to not take a start out there but just go with the art. In addition, Brian chose to take down the size of the nameplate. The photo [...]

April 26: How the Daily Iowan played Wednesday’s presidential visit (2)

Sam Lane — co-editor-in-chief of the Daily Iowan, the student newspaper at the University of Iowa — writes: I just wanted to shoot you a note about our Obama coverage today. I saw you post The Daily Tar Heel‘s front the other day and I thought you might be interested in checking out ours. For the front, we liked the [...]

April 26: Victoria, Texas, Advocate takes on the long-lost art of movie theater etiquette (1)

Julie Zavala of the Victoria Advocate writes: I’m sending you the Get Out cover and centerpiece that I wrote and illustrated this week. It’s all about movie theater etiquette and some of the worst offenders we’ve dealt with. I, myself, love to go to the movies but all it takes is one of these goofballs to ruin what could have [...]

April 26: The NFL Draft is like dogs playing poker (2)

Check out the amusing illustration Chris Morris created for the front of the NFL Draft special section in today’s Cleveland Plain Dealer. Chris tells us: Something I rarely do anymore is good ol fashioned, wet brush painting. But after two straight months of vector (for the Rock Hall of Fame project) this was a nice change. I watercolored the Dogs [...]

April 25: How the Daily Tar Heel played Tuesdays’ presidential visit

The Daily Tar Heel — the student paper at the University of North Carolina — ran a poster front this morning of President Barack Obama, who visited campus Tuesday. No headline. No story. No nuthin’, really, other than the smaller-than-usual nameplate and the nice quote along the very bottom. Not even a photo credit, in fact. Which might be going [...]

April 25: An unusual recession-themed front page photo

Now, here’s something you don’t see every day on page one. Click for a larger view. The picture is by staffer Courtney Sacco. And you’ll note, of course, the little bit of Photoshop editing going on here. Average daily distribution for the free Metro Boston tabloid is about 163,000. The front page image is from the Newseum. Of course.

April 24: Behind the York (Pa.) Daily Record’s look back at a tragic school shooting (2)

The Daily Record of York, Pa., published what, for them, was an unusual front page this past Sunday. The centerpiece is but a promo referring inside to four full pages of coverage commemorating the ninth anniversary of a shooting in a local junior high school cafeteria that left the school’s principal — as well as the 14-year-old boy who shot [...]

April 24: Great time-lapse shot of a drone plane in action over Afghanistan (2)

Photographer James Robinson of the Fayetteville (N.C.) Observer is in Afghanistan this week, embedded — along with reporter Drew Brooks — with troops from nearby Fort Bragg. The story they sent back for today’s paper is about the drone aircraft operated out of Pasab, Afghanistan, by the 508th Special Troops Battalion of the 4th Brigade Combat Team. What caught my [...]