A series of eight low-poly illustrations of animals, each set against a different bright background. The animals include a fox, a manatee, a tiger, a peacock, a whale, a crocodile, a cobra and a dog. Each panel features a name at the top, such as “Hal”, “Tappie” and “Ghost dog of Brooklyn”.

MGMT.design and Thomas Wilder pay tribute to animals spotted in NYC

Words: Rob Alderson
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Date: 28 February 2013; Work
Graphic Design
Illustration

Do you remember how viscerally exciting it was when a dog got into your school? All rules were suspended, teachers lost control and the communal excitement spread through the corridors in an almost tangible way. There’s something of that heady excitement about this ace new project from Brooklyn-based studio MGMT.design which was inspired by the recent sighting of a dolphin in a New York canal.

They looked into which other weird and wonderful creatures had been on the loose in NYC in the past 10 years and the results were extraordinary – from a Bengal Tiger to a cobra, and a manatee to Prospero, the Ghost Dog of Brooklyn (really!). The studio then commissioned Thomas Wilder to produce these cool illustrations to adorn a set of wanted posters which document some of the strangest animal-based escapades The Big Apple has experienced.

A geometric illustration of a yellow cobra facing forward against a lime green background. Text at the top reads “@bronxzoocobra”, followed by a short story about a cobra that escaped from the Bronx Zoo in 2011. — Above
MGMT.design and Thomas Wilder: Animals On The Loose in NYC

A geometric illustration of a crocodile head in shades of grey against a bright pink background. Text at the top reads “Damon” alongside a brief story about a caiman spotted in Central Park in 2001. — Above
MGMT.design and Thomas Wilder: Animals On The Loose in NYC

A low-poly illustration of a black dog’s head centered on a red background. Above the image, a header reads “Ghost dog of Brooklyn”, followed by a brief story and details about the dog’s capture in Prospect Park. — Above
MGMT.design and Thomas Wilder: Animals On The Loose in NYC

A low-poly illustration of a manatee against a bright orange background. Above the figure, the name “Tappie” appears in large white type, followed by a detailed breakdown of the animal’s description, location and story. — Above
MGMT.design and Thomas Wilder: Animals On The Loose in NYC

A geometric illustration of a coyote’s head, created with sharp grey, brown and white shapes. Above the image, the name “Hal” appears in a large script, followed by a factual summary of the animal’s capture in Central Park. — Above
MGMT.design and Thomas Wilder: Animals On The Loose in NYC

A geometric illustration of a tiger’s head against a deep blue background. Above the image, a header reads “Ming” alongside a brief story about a Bengal tiger found in a Harlem apartment. — Above
MGMT.design and Thomas Wilder: Animals On The Loose in NYC

A geometric illustration of a peacock against a green background. Above the bird, a header reads “@birdonthetown” alongside a short story about a peacock escaping from the Central Park Zoo. — Above
MGMT.design and Thomas Wilder: Animals On The Loose in NYC

A low-poly illustration of a minke whale in shades of blue and white against a deep purple background. Text at the top reads “Sludgie” and includes a brief story about the whale being spotted in the Gowanus Canal in 2007. — Above
MGMT.design and Thomas Wilder: Animals On The Loose in NYC

Further Info

www.mgmtdesign.com
www.behance.net/thomaswilder

About the Author

Rob Alderson

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Rob Alderson is a freelance writer, editor and strategist. He was previously editor-in-chief of It’s Nice That and WePresent, and editor of Design Week. He publishes the newsletter Undo, which tries to make sense of how AI is changing design work, the design process and the design industry.

MGMT.design and Thomas Wilder pay tribute to animals spotted in NYC

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