Jakob Vala

Jakob Vala on Designing Poetry Collection Anodyne

I was a little hesitant to write about the cover design for Anodyne, because it makes my job seem so easy. The process took only a few hours, from my initial meeting with marketing to getting approval from all parties. A lot of the credit should go to the author, Khadijah Queen, who found the cover art.

Jakob Vala on Designing Poetry Collection Anodyne

Jakob Vala Explores the World of Taxidermy for Mostly Dead Things

Mostly Dead Things tells the story of Jessa-Lynn Morton, who takes over her father’s taxidermy business shortly after his suicide. Still grieving, she struggles to keep both the business and her family from falling apart. While Jessa buries herself in work and alcohol, her mother begins making lewd window displays with animals from the taxidermy shop. Jessa's first love—also her brother Milo’s wife—ran out on the family years before, leaving Milo with their young daughter and her troubled son from a previous relationship. Struggling to cope with her absence, Jessa and Milo remain locked in a pattern of resentment and grief.

Jakob Vala Explores the World of Taxidermy for Mostly Dead Things