travels with charley

brief

Create a new book cover

aim

To echo the sentiment of the book, although Steinbeck meets lots of people, much of his journey is solitary – with only Charley for company. Steinbeck returns from his travels noting how America has changed, not necessarily for the better, and reflects on what that means

idea

I wanted to make Charley the main character, capturing the excitement of a dog with its head out of the car window—unaware of what lies ahead, but full of optimism and ready to enjoy the ride. I set this against Steinbeck’s perspective: he sets out after a storm nearly wrecks his property, carrying a sense of pessimism about how the journey might unfold. I chose yellow and red as two colours that can signal danger or warning, echoing that feeling of foreboding