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You know Saul Bass, even if you've never heard of him

4. Saul Bass inspired a generation of designers – and a lot of copy cats...

  • By Aimee Ortiz

They say that imitation is the best form of flattery.

It’s not surprising that many people wanted to emulate the great Saul Bass. After, his work with posters, type, film sequences, and storyboards brought him accolades from many fields. When director Martin Scorsese “re-discovered” Bass in the 80’s, a new generation of designers found that they wanted to copy the great designer. But how much Bass is too much Bass? Apparently, we’ve already hit that point.

Enough with Saul Bass Already, a Tumblr dedicated to ridiculing the copycats, points out that the style is getting old.

“Let me guess, you have a 'project' where you make 'Saul Bass inspired' or otherwise 'retro minimalist' movie posters for a recently hyped or classic movie, which you want to sell on your Etsy account despite having absolutely no licensing rights, as hopeful promotion for your fledgling 'design business' you run from your dorm room. You and everyone else, buddy,” says the introduction to the Tumblr blog.

From there on out, it’s a sea of Bass-imitation posters. They range from recent movies such as "Inception" and "Harry Potter" to older films like "The Graduate" and "E.T." However, these designers-in-training have nothing on the great maestro of design.

While the imitation posters may not be of the highest quality, they are a testament to the man, the myth, and the legend – Saul Bass. Happy Birthday, ol’ boy. 

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Mark Sappenfield
Editor

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