Fearless, Direct, Spontaneous, a Rebel. The Bad Boy of Graphic Design:

Tibor Kalman

was the cheeky designer that passionate about creating a better world through communication design, and didn’t care whose toes he stepped on in the process.

an American graphic designer of Hungarian origin

Well known for his work as editor-in-chief of COLORS magazine.

Born in Budapest in 1949 to parents of Jewish descent who converted to Catholicism to escape persecution, Kalman only learned about his Jewish heritage at 18. Fleeing Hungary in 1956, the family settled in Poughkeepsie, New York. Kalman’s educational journey led him to New York University in 1967, but he left after a year to join the Venceremos Brigade in Cuba, exploring Cuban culture through sugar cane harvesting. Returning to New York City in 1971, Kalman began his influential career.

Initially hired by Leonard Riggio at a small bookstore, which later evolved into Barnes & Noble, he became known for his bold graphic design. Co-founding M&Co. in 1979, he challenged conventional design thinking, advocating for ethical design and social consciousness. Kalman’s legacy extended through projects like Colors magazine, emphasizing multiculturalism and global awareness. He passed away in 1999, leaving behind a profound impact on graphic design, recognized with awards including AIGA medal as the “design profession’s moral compass and its most fervent provocateur”.

Rules are good.

Break them.

He wanted designers to take greater responsibility for how their work influenced the surrounding culture. As the designer Milton Glaser asserted,

”He emerged in such a short amount of time as a major influence on a young generation.”

Kalman, Explained.

This is the story about graphic design’s badass, for all those who believe in social equality, sustainability, and multiculturalism. These four things made up his identity:

Maira Kalman

Girlfriend, Wife, Muse, Collaborator, Illustrator – Married in 1967 and Co-founded M&Co in 1979

Philosophy of The Rebel

Ultimate Perfectionist – Many bad companies has good designs – Wining design is not seperated from the coporate ethic

M&Co. Design Firm

Co-founded with Maria Kalman, Liz Trovato & Carol Bokuniewicz – Tackled serious topics with humour

COLORS Magazine

About the rest of the world – F***: Bush Vote, Religion, Consumerism, Corporation, Capitalism, Polution, Wealth, Establishment

Notable Facts

Early Life & Education
  • His mother had visions, and his father was a precise and dapper man.
  • He was an Journalism drop-out.
  • He had no design training, he is self taught.
Personal & Family
  • His daughter’s name is Lulu Bodoni
  • His son’s middle name is Onomatopoeia
  • He collected egg beaters, sodas, and onion rings
Work & Life
  • He was the founder and editor in chief of COLORS magazine
  • His wife Maira was his biggest muse and life-long collaborator and inspiration
Sayings in his monograph, “Tibor Kalman: Perverse Optimist”

“For my father the engineer, for my mom the artist, for my children who have made me change my mind about everything, for my sexy girlfriend, beautiful wife, lifetime collaborator, humorista, goodness consultant, and fellow traveler on the international curiosity circuit.

I’m not sure. In my lifetime I have witnessed the creation of the greatest accumulation of wealth in history. More than we need to feed the hungry, house the homeless, cure the sick throughout the world. In pursuit of this wealth we have already endangered most of our environment. Consumption is a treatable disease. Consumer culture is an oxymoron. Wealth is poverty. Religion works better for corporations than for people. Most media, architecture, design and art exist for the sole purpose of creating wealth. Your children will smash your understanding, knowledge and reality. You will be better off. Then they will leave. You’ll miss them forever. But I’m not pessimistic. Future generations not burdened by the egotism of having created wealth will be able to create a righteous society, live in harmony with nature and germinate culture from the few grains not yet destroyed.

Rules are good. Break them. Good designers (and writers and artists) make trouble. Eventually you’ll forget all this but there will be plenty of new ideas to choose from. And I believe that they will be better. Everything is an experiment. The perfect state of creative bliss is having power (you are 50) and knowing nothing (you are 9). This assures an interesting and successful outcome. As soon as you learn, move on. You’ll see it better if you look upside down. Success = boredom. Mistakes, misunderstandings, and mis-comprehensions provide fresh ideas. New ideas exists in high art (often called art). I have never found much in between. Good clients are smarter than you. Bad clients are dumber than you.

Graphic design is a means, not an end. A language, not content. I am in search of the simple elegant seductive maybe even obvious IDEA. With this in my pocket I cannot fail. This must be true because I’m writing it in the middle of the night.

Tibor Kalman. New York, June 1998.”

Here was this Tibor. Six foot two. Larger than life. Mountain mover. Fearless guy. Political. Romantic. Hilarious. The works. Interested in EVERYTHING. From how snack foods are invented, to why people hate. Drove himself relentlessly. Drove people nuts. Royal pain in the ass.

He simply wanted to, believe he could – change the world. No more or less.

nothing, except everything.

anh’s notebook

“Dream big and dare to fail.”

Norman Vaughan

Comedian