The Centennial State Electrigram Company

Standards & Practices

II

PIKES PEAK | DENVER IOWA CITY | NEW YORK LONDON | PARIS BERLIN | HONG KONGMOSCOW | TOKYOREYKJAVIK

The Centennial State Electrigram Company Denver, ColoradoMDCCCXCIX

Copyright © 2013 by Tyler Dickey. All rights reserved under Pan American and International Copyright Conventions.

www.tylerdickey.com

1 2 4 6 8 9 7 5 3

For John Komdat the Elder & John Komdat the Younger.

3

CS E

C

Table of ContentsForward 5

Type Specimens 6-7

Color Code 8-23

Tools & Materials 24-29

e·lec·tri·gram

noun

a type of message that derives both lift and propulsion from one or two sets of horizontally revolving overhead rotors, equipped with an internal store of air and a periscope and typically armed with torpedoes and/or missiles.

4

5

ManufactureHubschrauber

DEATHMATCHƒ/1.4

SPIDERSnoopy

EAGLE Intrepid

6

7

Electrickilogram

gallonmilliliter

Ω ü

&

Aa Bb Cc Dd Ee Ff Gg Hh Ii Jj Kk Ll Mm Nn Oo Pp Qq Rr Ss Tt Uu

Vv Ww Xx Yy Zz

The Hoefler Text family of typefaces is standard when setting type digitally, all other

applications are on a case by case basis.

8

COLOR1

At The Centennial State Electrigram Com-pany we follow our tightly defined color code. Developed over decades, our code consists of a specific and precise palette. This section will attempt to familiarize you with the company color code.

1 Adapted from Color written by Tom Sachs and Van Neistat

9

10

11

WHITE: Snow is a mixture of tiny ice crystals and air that reflects almost all of the visible spectrum of light, resulting in a frosty white death. In fact in many Eastern cultures white is the color of death. In the west, white represents purity: brides wear white to symbolize virginity, the good guy in cowboy movies often wears a white hat, and unused toilet paper is white. At the company we have onion skin paper white, Ilford photo paper white, and blank LCD white to name a few.

12

YELLOW & GREEN: The color of the fertile land and the shrubberies—green. For our green we looked to the green of victory: Olive drab, the standard color worn by U.S. Soldiers in World War II. In nature colors are either subdued (for hid-ing from Nazis) or alert (usually to attract a mate). Yellow is an alert color. In its prime, Kodak packaged film in yellow canisters, making them easy to see in a black camera bag. For company purposes green is olive drab and yellow is Kodak yellow. Olive Drab:#6B8E23 HEX107, 142, 35 RGB

Kodak:#F49007 HEX244,144,7 RGB

13

14

RED: A small trickle of red has a big impact when sending a message: Dad is going to kill us in the haunted hotel, the computer has power, this lever turns on the fire alarm. Too much red is alarming, offensive, or invasive. It says: I’m speeding, please pull me over, the computer is totally fucked, these guys are going to steal the Ark of the Covenant and The Holy Grail. At the Electrigram Company we use red economically and decisively to convey in-formation. Red is often associated with the blood of the innocent and communism, so we chose the red of freedom: Old Glory Red, the red raised above Iwo Jima and the red that landed on the moon.

Old Glory Red#BB133E HEX187,19,62 RGB

I’ve always wanted to go to Switzerland to see what the army does with those tiny red knives, do you suppose they open wine under fire?

15

16

BLUE: At the Electrigram Company we shun decision by committee. A commit-tee mentality ensures that uninspiring things like economy cars are only available in dopey colors like teal and burgundy. Before committees homogenized the automobile industry to death, GM had the foresight to offer its first car in color, a 1924 Oakland, in a beautiful True Blue. We also look to the unparalleled Porsche pallette, which remains timeless despite the company’s aging, unsavory customer base and Nazi roots. Company approved shades of blue are Gulf Porsche Blue and True Blue. Substitution discouraged but permissible on a case-by-case basis.

Gulf Porsche Blue#B9E0F7 HEX185,224,247 RGB

True Blue#0073CF HEX (0, 115, 197) RGB

17

18

PURPLE: Purple is an atrocity, there is no reason to use purple. Purple is the worst color ever. Purple is grounds to be drawn and quartered. Never use purple.

19

This page intentionally left blank .

20

ORANGE: Orange the color is named for the fruit, not the other way around. For visibility highway workers and cyclists wear bright orange to avoid becoming roadkill. Agent Orange isn’t actually orange (it is named after the color of its barrel). Doritos are artificially colored orange to imitate cheese which also is artificially colored orange. Orange has been on the Crayola crayon palette since since their introduc-tion in 1903. At the Company, default or-ange is Crayola orange, though substitution is encouraged.

Crayola Orange #FF7538 HEX255, 117, 56 RGB

21

22

BLACK: Black is the color of unlimited power, terrifying depths, and outer space. Blackberries are delicious. Black lung, black widows, and black mambas are dead-ly. Bats are black and they rule the night. The only way to drink coffee is black. The best permanent marker is the Sharpie and its best color is black. At the Centennial State Electrigram Company we admire black for its mystical powers (especially regarding cats) and it’s illusions to secrecy (we’re looking into getting a black helicop-ter). We like black, when in doubt paint it black. Remeber, all color applications are on a case-by-case basis. Don’t improvise. Ask.

23

24

TOOLS: You are only as strong, fast, or smart as your extensions. Your tools are the causeway from the plains of your imagination into the realms of reality. Whether a chisel working stone or a churn for cream tools are an essential appendage. Jack isn’t going to get to Wendy and Danny without his axe. Cartier-Bresson had a Leica, Leatherface had a massive chainsaw. Tools are meant to compete their specific task and should be well maintained. A flat-head screwdriver is not a paint can opener, a dull knife is just going to give you a more ragged and expensive wound to be sewn shut.

It was probably the ape that first used a rock or bone to smash something open to eat or clobber its enemies. In covered wagon times you needed enough oxbows, spare wheels, and bullets or you might find yourself stuck in the high Sierras having to eat your party. Luckily most of the tools needed these days are simple and elegant. For basic company tasks have at least: one claw hammer (16 oz.), flathead and phil-lips screwdrivers in various sizes, a tape measure (25 ft.), a crescent wrench, socket wrench and sockets, vise grips, needle-nose pliers, cordless drill and bits, crosscut saw, level and utility knife. Add tools for spe-cific tasks as needed.

25

26

MATERIALS: A material is what you transform with your tools. Taking a pile of insignificant nothings and beating them into a hopefully useful or thought-provoking somethings. Michelangelo took paint to turn a ceiling into a masterpiece, Oscar Mayer works wonders with wieners, bologna, and has a wiener shaped truck to move it all around. At The Centennial State Electrigram Company we tend to use an abundance of paper. .

27

PEN & INK: Pens matter. At least have a pen. Steal the little one on the chain from the bank if you have to. The fountain pen while an effective writing instrument is not totally ideal due to leakage. The people at Pilot make a damn fine pen and it is not going to break the bank. Always carrying a pen is a good idea, there are ideas to be expressed, postcards to grandma to send, bathroom graffiti to be rendered, and lame books to be defaced.The Camera Go forth and write.

28

CAMERAS: If it takes pictures it’s good to go. Every great photograph ever taken was taken with a far less magical instrument than what is so ubiquitous today. Most cameras aren’t precious, they’re tools and if you break them you break them. Though some cameras are works of art in and of themselves and should be treated as such.

29