The Flip Books of Scott Blake

One of the first books I bought from the shop before I began working here was the flip book Barcode Ozzy by Scott Blake, it was a birthday gift for my brother (no words, takes 2 seconds to read, just perfect for his pea-sized intellect*). A photo-real image of Ozzy Osbourne zooms out to reveal that it is constructed from thousands of barcodes. I also hazily recall that Ronald Reagan, Oprah Winfrey and possibly Jesus were available. Ah, these were simpler times. Now Elvis, Marilyn, Bruce Lee, Chairman Mao, Andy Warhol, Madonna and Amy Goodman (I’m sorry but I don’t know this person and am going to presume that I’m meant to) have all been turned into barcode flip books. Well except the ever awkward Amy Goodman who has been turned into a QR Code (that square barcode for smart phones).

I have absolutely no idea how Scott Blake makes these, I can only assume that he is a wizard.

And that’s not all. Scott Blake has also made some smaller flip books of a book of matches being lit, a watch revolving through exactly one minute, and – I never knew flip books could be so poignant – the precise moment in which the second plane struck the twin towers.

The barcode flip books cost £7 and the other smaller ones are £3.50. In the case of the 9/11 book, Blake donates a portion of the revenue to relevant charities. They are all available in the shop now.

*this of course is a joke, as he is soon to graduate as a doctor and therefore, we would hope, very clever.

- Jon Lander