The Beatles landing in New York in February 1964 was the opening shot in a cultural revolution nobody predicted. Suddenly the youth of the richest, most powerful nation on earth was trying to emulate the music, manners and the modes of a rainy island that had recently fallen on hard times.
Posts published in “books”
Author Surayyah “RayRay” Fofana knows what it's like to grow up in a multiracial/multireligious/multicultural home and to wonder about what makes her different. As a 16-year-old, high school student, activist, and dancer with a full head of curly hair, Surayyah Fofana penned RayRay Paints a Self-Portrait, to share with the world a realistic and warm portrayal of a diverse home and to create a character that kids just like RayRay could identify with.
I knew nothing of writer Filipe Melo and illustrator Juan Cavia. As I keep reading, the book flowed in a cinematic tone. How silly of me, both of the creators have cinema backgrounds. As most of you know your friendly bookstores are littered with superhero graphic novels. So it is very hard for good graphic storytelling to get through the mainstream audiences. Top Shelf Productions (an imprint of IDW) publisher of Ballad for Sophie, sums it as a music-themed graphic novel by Portuguese musician Filipe Melo and artist Juan Cavia that is packed with all of the drama of a rock ‘n’ roll biopic and with more twists than a night at the opera.
Rock star. Whatever that term means to you, chances are it owes a debt to Led Zeppelin. No one before or since has lived the dream quite like Jimmy Page, Robert Plant, John Paul Jones, and John Bonham. In Led Zeppelin, Bob Spitz takes their full measure, separating the myth from the reality with his trademark connoisseurship and storytelling flair.
Flowers of Evil has always been part of my life since my college days. That is where most people get to hear about Charles Baudelaire. I own various translations of Flowers of Evil. Being fluent in French poses no issue for me to read the book in French, however, Aaron Poochigian's translation shines the prose to a more modern contemporary tone. I am really excited about getting this version of Baudelaire's classic book. It is hard to believe that it has been 200 years since Flowers of Evil was first published. It's a great testament that Flowers still continues to influence both poets and singers for such a long time. I found myself reading Flowers of Evil even more in COVID times. The dark and sombre themes run through once again in our present time. It's not every day I get excited about a translation but after hearing Aaron Poochigian's passion for Baudelaire on Jacke Wilson's podcast History of Literature has me sold. I highly recommend you buy The Flowers of Evil translated by Aaron Poochigian.
I love the Penguin Classics series books. You will find some of humanity's greatest books ever written. Comics have come a long way since Superman hopped over buildings in Metropolis. Marvel Comics is now deemed as classic literature by Penguin Classics. The first three books in the series, Black Panther, Captain America, and The Amazing Spider-Man will be published on June 14, 2022. These three books should be hot sellers for Penguin Books and perhaps pump new sales for both Penguin and Marvel.
Woody Gutherie has to be the most important lyrist in the history of music. His words have weight if you study the man and the times he grew up in. Kung-fu introduced me indirectly to Woody Guthrie through David Carradine's "Bound for Glory." Carradine channeled Gutherie's life as no other actor has done for a musical artist. Nora Guthrie the daughter of Woody with the help of Robert Santelli has brilliantly captured the essence of one greatest musician. Woody Guthrie: Songs and Art, Words and Wisdom by Nora Guthrie and Robert Santelli collects some of Gutherie's personal writings and scribbles. The book is graced with original Woody drawings and copies from the various copybooks of his lyrics that he jotted when he was alive. This is the most personal book on Woody Guthrie in book form. You get the see a passionate human fighting corruption in politics and big business with his music and various artistic extensions of his core believes. You don't have to love Woody's music. This testament to his legacy will surprise both and new and old fans. You can't be more personal than this unless you talked to the man himself.
But Inked is more than a book of cartoons. Dator also dives into the creative process, offering bonus commentary on how ideas have come to fruition, how one idea has led to another, and the various attempts to get an idea right. Along the way, he shows how a spark of imagination has turned into a laugh-out-loud moment with only a single image and caption, and how other attempts have found themselves on the cutting-room floor.
Everything old is new again. Argle Bargle Books is onto something special. Their winning formula is quite simple. They take public domain comic books and repurpose them with new pertinent dialogue. I love the old comic book feel. This is a winning formula for the Ottawa-based independent publisher. The Canuck publisher supports Canadian and international underground comic creators who exhibit something new to say in the 4-color medium. Argle Bargle Books' new offering is called, GREENIE JOSEPHENIE. Just think of it as a rap song with loops and mixes cobbled together with new lyrics.
You can't keep a good book down. Even if it's a children's book. Vote For Me! by Ben Clanton is enjoying a resurgence due to his Narwhal and Jelly fame. Vote For Me! was Clanton's first published book. It was re-issued a year ago. It is so apropos for today's political divide so Tundra Books decided to reprint the book. The whole notion of the book is silly but rooted in reality at many times. Since the book's first printing in 2012, politics has grown to new shameful heights and Vote for Me! parodies the opposite polarities in both political parties. There is no right or wrong, and blue or red. They just want your vote.
Ritchie Blackmore by Ross Halfin is an intimate portrait of Blackmore both on and off stage and captures the brilliance and madness of Rainbow during those years. Ross had unparalleled access for several years and the images in this book often show Ritchie as you’ve never seen him before. It finishes with shots of early Blackmore’s Night in action.
I read the French version of Leonard Cohen: On a Wire by Philippe Girard. For those unaware, Leonard Cohen is Canada's version of Bob Dylan. I am sure if he would be alive, he would not like that comparison. When it comes to poetry, Cohen beats Bob Dylan hands down. Philippe Girard brings grace to Montreal's modern-day poetic bard. Cohen's music is weaved in his personality. He is a fabric of the diversity that makes Montreal unique. Leonard Cohen has wandered throughout the world but Montreal was always his home. Philippe Girard captures the man and the myth through flashbacks of the best and worst in his storied life. Philippe's art is a blend of Quebec and European influences that come into his own. You will love reading and marvel at the lush art. It's about time the rest of the world gets to read this amazing book from Drawn & Quarterly. Leonard Cohen: On a Wire is translated by Helge Dascher and Karen Houle.
Each year I treat myself to a Peanuts calendar. This year there is an exceptional calendar from Andrews McMeel Publishing. Take Care of the Earth is sure to be a hit with Peanuts fans. Peanuts have always been at the forefront in caring for many important causes. Peanuts are global ambassadors to worthy causes that matter each day for young and old at heart.
At long last Robby Krieger has written his first book that Doors' fans will fall in love with. He is of the last three surviving band members after the death of Jim Morrison kept his silence from book form. Set the Night on Fire: Living, Dying, and Playing Guitar With the Doors with a little help from Jeff Alulis brings to the forefront an added view of perhaps the greatest band from the 60s. The legend of Jim Morrison has grown in 50 years and still keeps growing. I think we can put to rest that Jim Morrison is not alive. All the literature and music out there sustain Jim and the rest of the group alive for many generations to follow.
Marilyn Monroe was an avid reader and something of a culture vulture while she lived in New York. One would never guess from her on-screen roles where she played the opposite. Below, is a list of books owned by Marilyn Monroe auctioned at Christies-NY, October 28-29, 1999.
Quentin Tarantino’s first work of fiction, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood will include two color inserts featuring never-before-seen photos from the set and posters and other memorabilia from Rick Dalton’s career. The book will also feature an original, exclusive script for a Bounty Law episode by Tarantino titled “Incident at Inez,” and a Mad Magazine parody of Bounty Law titled “Lousy Law: Loser’s Last Ride.”
The 1950s was a decade of change for the Dark Knight Detective, one that introduced new friends—and foes! These tales include the debuts of Deadshot, a future member of the Suicide Squad; the original Batwoman, Kathy Kane; Mr. Zero, who would go on to greater fame as the nefarious Mr. Freeze; the original Red Hood; and the pesky interdimensional pixie known as Bat-Mite. This was also an era of great inventiveness, with tales that revealed how Batman’s own father, Thomas Wayne, was once a Batman himself; how Batman became a Superman-like hero on the distant planet Zur-En-Arrh; the secrets of Batman’s utility belt; and the introduction of an all-new Batmobile.
We all live in a world of objects, yet we rarely stop to think about how and why they came to exist, why they look and feel the way they do, or what shapes our preferences and why we own and use the ones we do. In Things We Create, renowned concept designer, cartoonist, and sculptor Axel Brechensbauer pulls back the curtain and provides a visual guide to civilization's endless quest for the perfect human-made object.
Star Trek: The Original Series (1966-1969) was the first installment of one of the most successful and longest-running television franchises of all time. Today, Trek fans champion its writing, progressive social consciousness, and aesthetic. Designing the Final Frontier is a unique, expert look at the mid-century modern design that created and inspired that aesthetic. From Burke chairs to amorphous sculptures, from bright colors to futuristic frames, Star Trek TOS is bursting with mid-century modern furniture, art, and design elements—many of them bought directly from famous design showrooms.
The 500 Years of Indigenous Resistance Comic Book: Revised and Expanded powerfully portrays flashpoints in history when Indigenous peoples have risen up and fought back against colonizers and other oppressors. Events depicted include the Spanish conquest of the Aztec, Maya, and Inca empires; the 1680 Pueblo Revolt in New Mexico; the Battle of Wounded Knee in 1890; the resistance of the Great Plains peoples in the 19th century; and more recently, the Idle No More protests supporting Indigenous sovereignty and rights in 2012 and 2013, and the resistance to the Dakota Access Pipeline in 2016. Canadian events depicted include the Oka crisis in 1990, the Grand River land dispute between Six Nations and the Government of Canada in 2006, and the Wet’suwet’en anti-pipeline protests in 2020.
Written by Dune executive producer Tanya Lapointe, THE ART AND SOUL OF DUNE is a visually dazzling exploration of the filmmaking process that gives unparalleled insight into the project’s genesis—from its striking environmental and creature designs to its intricate costume concepts and landmark digital effects. The Art and Soul of Dune also features exclusive interviews with key members of the cast and crew, including director/co-writer/producer Denis Villeneuve, stars Timothée Chalamet, Rebecca Ferguson and Oscar Isaac, and many more, delivering a uniquely candid account of the hugely ambitious international shoot.
In Charles Addams: A Cartoonist’s Life, meet the legendary cartoonist behind the altogether ooky Addams Family in this first biographical exposé, written with exclusive access to Charles’ Addams’ private archives.
From creator, Eldo Yoshimizu comes a stunning manga that tells the tale of Ryuko, a fierce woman of the Yakuza thirsty for revenge. Both Ryuko volumes are now collected into this one must-buy box set complete with three exclusive art cards.
An irresistible alchemy of screwball comedy, tender romance, and rags-to-riches fantasy, Elsie Crisler Segar's newspaper comic strip captivated readers of the Roaring Twenties and beyond. And Popeye, the sailor man, was the unlikely star of the show. Fantagraphics is thrilled to bring Segar's whimsical world back into print, reviving the origins of the beloved spinach-eating American icon for a whole new readership. The E.C. Segar Popeye Sundays series collects the complete Popeye Sunday stories in four gorgeous full-color volumes, each packaged in a deluxe die-cut vertical slipcase.