Speider Schneider
Speider Schneider is a former member of The Usual Gang of Idiots at MAD Magazine and has designed products for Disney/Pixar, Warner Bros., Harley-Davidson, ESPN, Mattel, DC and Marvel Comics, Cartoon Network and Nickelodeon among other notable companies. Speider is a former member of the board for the Graphic Artists Guild, co-chair of the GAG Professional Practices Committee and a former board member of the Society of Illustrators. Follow him on Twitter @speider or add him on Google+
Should creatives be unionized or earn certification?
Every now and then, on some blog or design group, someone brings up the question of designers unionizing or having some…
Certifications for U.S. designers to become law in 2015
The much talked about step of creating professional certification for graphic/web designers looks like it will become a…
QR codes turn dynamic
When I write about the black and white, crossword puzzle-like QR code, I feel like I'm talking about the stone age of…
How to get TOUGH with clients
I recently received a call from a young designer who I met when she was in art school. I reviewed her portfolio and…
“You ruined the project!”
Who said that? Both parties often do. Both the client and the designer often accuse each other of ruining a web…
Schoolhouse Rock!: 40th anniversary of the best animated innovation ever!
Forty years ago this coming Sunday (January 13th 1973), the American Broadcast Company added to its lineup of Saturday…
Copyright hell: toy and packaging design ripoffs
When I walk into a design studio, there are several things I know I'll see; tattoos, piercings and toys... lots and…
Barry Blotter and the iCurse
"Barry, wake up!" screamed Winny but he just groaned and pulled up the old comforter over his head. It was his first…
How to use QR codes for the holidays (and other celebrations)
The wonders of the QR code have been proved over and over for marketing and customer engagement. You see them all over,…
What designers want
"Whew!" exclaimed a recent client when he finally agreed to pay his entire fee, "I didn't know artistic-types were such…
Are corporate logo changes always necessary?
It seems that everyone is on the logo change bandwagon. Why are so many companies choosing now to change logos that are…
Web Revenge! Dirty tricks for Halloween
My therapist says I’m obsessed with revenge. He’ll be sorry he said that! It’s not that I’m paranoid about all of the…
Is falling down the career ladder the end?
I fully admit to my days of bastardness, obsessed with success, craving power over others for the sake of revenge and…
Motion graphics are back… and HOT!
If you’re a fan of the show Mad Men or have seen the opening, then you’ve seen a motion graphic.
Motion graphics were…
The warning signs of a trouble client: real emails of lunacy and horror!
Sure, it’s happened to all of us. A prospective client contacts you and something just doesn’t feel right. The hair on…
Dashiell Hammett on the death of Flash
Graphic design is a dirty business. It’s filled with people who excuse theft with tags like “inspiration,” backstabbin’…
Retro commercials: old toys your parents loved
There was a time when toys didn’t plug in and the batteries were your imagination. They had sharp edges, eye-poking…
Congratulations art school graduates!
When I was in art school, before my senior year, I volunteered to help with the senior graduation. As an usher, I just…