Joe Caroff, 1921 – 2025

Joe Caroff, most well-known — and that is putting it generously because he never sought to be well known — for having designed the 007 logo, passed away earlier this week at the age of 103. Unbeknownst to most, including yours truly — and even design historian Steve Heller who first heard of Caroff in 2016 — his contributions to culture through design are equaled by few in our industry having designed hundreds of iconic posters for movies like West Side Story, Manhattan, and Cabaret. A documentary, By Design: The Joe Caroff Story, is available to stream on HBO Max and I know what I am watching tonight.