Cities is a 28-page art book featuring the skylines of the most beautiful cities in the world, but not in this world.
RoosterCow Press has published Chris Auman’s art book Cities. The 28-page 4.1” x 5.8” publication features illustrations of a dozen imaginary cities. Cities is the companion book to Chris Auman's Maps published by RoosterCow Press in 2021.
Cities by Chris Auman will capture the imaginations of young and old as readers are encouraged to envision what these cities are like at ground level. Readers are invited to ask, What kind of people will I meet in this city? Where are the good bars and restaurants? Or the book and record stores?
About Chris Auman
Chris Auman is a Chicago artist, writer, and musician who has published zines and comics since 1993. His many titles include the long-running music and humor zine Reglar Wiglar. He releases music on his RoosterCow Records label. Cities is his follow-up book to Maps, published in 2021, this compact atlas is 4.9" x 6.9" 24 pages with a glossy 110 lb color cover, color throughout, stapled, 100 lb paper, and satin finish.
See more from Chris Auman on the web [chris-auman.com] and on Instagram [@chris.auman]
Introduction to "Cities" by Chris Auman
"Cities are living, breathing things. They expand and contract. Some cities are modern and new. Some are ancient and lie buried under layers of soil waiting to be discovered.
Cities start as settlements and grow into villages then into towns, and then into cities. Some grow into even larger metropolitan areas with dozens of suburbs. Neighborhoods and communities are all connected by complex systems of roads and railways. Within cities, other systems distribute energy and water, eliminate waste, provide food and medicine, and enforce laws. Cities are managed by mayors, councils, boards, and trustees.
Cities can sprout up anywhere. They’re often established near lakes and rivers. They are built on valley floors and atop mountain peaks. Getting the many tons of building materials up mountains and into valleys and gorges takes great feats of engineering. There are even cities built in trees and on the edges of cliffs.
It’s hard to tell from a skyline view what goes on within a city. Knowing that requires exploration. Only then could you more accurately gauge a city’s health, its vibrancy or decay, and its
attitude toward the rest of the world.
The cities in this book will be unfamiliar to most. They exist in worlds we don’t know much about. We can’t go there yet, so we have to imagine what they’re like.
Imagine walking down the streets of the cities depicted on these pages. What kind of people will you meet? What types of businesses will you visit? Where are the good bars and restaurants? Or the book and record stores? What neighborhoods should you explore? Which should you avoid? What problems plague
the city’s population?
Is it pollution, crime, and income inequality?
Rotting infrastructure and homelessness?
Bad drivers and losing sports teams?
If you find out,
let me
know."
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