Fred/Alan: A Decade in Media History 1983-1992
Discover the untold story of the creative rebels who helped build the look, sound, and attitude of modern television.
In the early 1980s, television was predictable, rigid, and corporate. Then came Fred/Alan.
Co-authored by legendary media visionaries Alan Goodman and Fred Seibert, A Decade in Media History 1983-1992: Annotated & Illustrated is an all-access, behind-the-scenes pass to America’s first media branding agency. If you have ever shouted "I Want My MTV!", gotten slimed on Nickelodeon, or stayed up late with Nick-at-Nite, you have experienced the creative disruption of Fred/Alan.
Packed with 376 rare illustrations, concept sketches, and historical artifacts, this 362-page memoir chronicles a golden era of pop culture. Goodman and Seibert detail how a small team of "subversives, misfits, and thrillmakers" threw out the advertising rulebook to capture the generation under 35.
Inside this book, you’ll discover:
•The Birth of MTV: The year-long frantic process behind the thousands of mutating logo variations and the "happy accident" that turned an archival NASA moonwalk into a global icon.
•The Resurrection of Nickelodeon: How a failing, lowest-rated cable network was transformed into an absolute rating powerhouse within six months.
•The Invention of Nick-at-Nite & TV Land: The logic behind turning cheap, black-and-white reruns into prime-time gold.
•Wild Creative Collaborations: From art directing legendary artist R. Crumb and reviving Tony Bennett’s career, to working with Comedy Central, A Current Affair and The Fat Boys for Swatch.
Equal parts design history masterclass, business memoir, and nostalgic trip through Gen X pop culture, this book is a must-read for anyone interested in branding, creative direction, 1980s music history, and television broadcasting.
Grab your copy today and see how the rules were broken to change media forever!
#17 in the FredFilms Professional Library
Fred/Alan: A Decade in Media History By Alan Goodman & Fred Seibert
Paperback available on Amazon. Preview a PDF on Scribd.
378 pagesDimensions : 7” x 0.89” x 10”