During the 1930s and ’40s, before Theodore Geisel was Dr. Seuss, he was Don Draper. A “mad man” from Madison Avenue, Geisel began his career concocting and drawing up remarkable ad copy for America’s largest companies. See our favorite of his vintage ads, plus more on the collection from UCSD »

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Reader’s Digest Table of Contents, September 2012

Well here it is, all the awesome articles in the September issue. So what are you waiting for? Go to your local store to purchase the magazine on newsstands or visit iTunes.com to purchase the app!

Check out extra article content online at rd.com/September, too.

Award-winning illustrator Bob Staake appears in this month’s Reader’s Digest, and even with several new titles on the horizon, he took a moment to share art inspiration and wisdom with us. Read the full interview and see more amazing images »

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Reader’s Digest front and back cover, February 1958

Illustration: “Lincoln Memorial, Washington, D.C.” by Arthur Smith

On this major day for American politics, sit back, take a break from the updates, and enjoy a classic illustration of our capital.

Take that, Instagram: In a series called Pencil Vs. Camera, Artist Ben Heine seamlessly combines sketches and photography to create scenes of cool donkeys, children playing, cityscapes—what have you. Read more »

Image: Ben Heine © 2012

(Source: facebook.com)

Aside from my job at Reader’s Digest, I’m taking a class in Narrative Theory and Screenwriting. One of the books that’s required reading is 99 Ways To Tell A Story by Matt Madden. When I first opened it, I was intrigued; instead of how-to text, Madden uses comic-book style illustration to help push writers beyond their creative boundaries.

Madden starts with one story: A man, sitting at a computer, gets up for something from the fridge. Someone asks what time it is. The man answers, continues to fridge but forgets what he wanted. End scene.

From there, Madden tells the same story 99 other ways: Monologue (a passive recounting of the story), Subjective (viewing only what the man sees), Furry (if the man was a skunk), as a Public Service Announcement (“Oh, Julio, I think you just found it!”), and so on. Each is more fantastic than the next.

Even if you’re not a writer (or planning to be), this easy read is a key tool for challenging creativity.

—Adrienne Farr

MORE FROM THE BLOG: READER’S DIGEST RECOMMENDS »

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Reader’s Digest Condensed Books, 1958

Illustrated by: Ken Riley

The Today’s Inspiration illustration website is featuring a week-long look at the illustrations of Reader’s Digest Condensed Books. The first post celebrates the work of Ken Riley. “… because Riley most often created full color painted work for the best publications, these illustrations give us a chance to see how effectively he was able to find an alternate strategy for dealing with [Reader’s Digest Condensed Books]’s inferior printing and very poor paper quality.”

Visit Today’s Inspiration for many more examples of Riley’s Reader’s Digest Condensed Books illustrations.

Great reads meet great art in this must-see series.