Close Calls and Near Misses
‘‘A selection of times, trials, tribulations and triumphs’’.
Close Calls and Near Misses is a selection of short stories written by Damola Oladapo. With design, art and creative direction provided by STUDIO STAYUP alongside integrated designer Luke Remon. Close Calls is told by a young black man in his twenties (between the yrs 23-27/28), detailing the black British millenial experience and the highs and lows of ‘‘adulting’’.
Oladapo uses a mix of long and short form prose, poetry, stream of consciousness and critical essay writing to get his point across. Covering identity, race relations in Britain, mental health, the workplace, relationships and family.
Close Calls and Near Misses takes visual cues and inspiration from a number of places. Designed as a ‘‘bookazine’’ - there are punkish, iridescent gradients used in its design which work as the perfect platform to alongside Oladapo’s vivid written imagery. Oladapo expresses his interest in film, music, pop culture and literature in Close Calls with references and cues to them throughout the books visual language. From Kendrick Lamar’s seminal ‘‘Alright’’ video to WhatsApp, famous memes and the 19th-century Nantucket whaling ship ‘‘Pequod’’ from the classic, Moby Dick.
Maybe most clearly is the book cover - a direct riff on A Tribe Called Quest’s iconic ‘‘Midnight Marauders’’ album cover. Done to express the universality of the stories and the multitude of people the content can resonate with. Close Calls and Near Misses meshes into a collection that looks and feels contemporary while reading with a wide-eyed and earnest familiarity.
Close Calls and Near Misses acts as the first release from creative Damola Oladapo and is the unearthing of a new, and exciting voice.
Film Content
Produced and edited by STUDIO STAYUP, this piece of promo content was written, directed and performed by Damola Oladapo.
Book Excerpts
‘‘Houses’’ is a breakdown on some of the realities found in a housing estate in Greater London.
An exercpt from ‘‘Biafran Love Story’’ the retelling of a bad date. Design features the famous ‘‘Smoking Black Man’’ meme.
Taken from Oladapo’s ‘‘Unemployment Ethers’’ story on Page 38 - the design features a cue to Boots Collins’ future cult-classic film ‘‘Sorry To Bother You’’. Oladapo is detailing the difficulties black people can face when job-seeking. He begins the story by putting on a ‘‘white voice’’ - something the main character (photographed) had to do in the film in order to start making sales.
