Jim Thompson book series, Vintage Crime/Black Lizard (1994)

Covers for a series of books by crime fiction writer Jim Thompson (1906–1977), designed by Pamela Scheier and published by Vintage Crime/Black Lizard in 1994.

The author’s name is set in tracked out caps from Filmotype Quiet. In this stencil typeface from the 1950s, almost all bridges run vertically, even in letters like M or N where diagonal cuts would be an obvious choice. The designer emphasized this fact by highlighting the bridges with color.

Titles are set in an unconnected brush script with a remarkably small x-height. This typeface is yet unidentified. Additional text and blurbs are set in DIN 1451 Engschrift and Monotype Bodoni.

Scheier used Compliment in her cover designs for two other books by Thompson published the same year. Previously, in the early 1990s, Keith Sheridan Associates used Latin Wide for several reissued titles by the author. Later on, the publisher had a series featuring Neue Helvetica Black Extended, designed by Chin-Yee Lai.