Elvis Presley’s downward spiral, punctuated by health problems routinely written off as the consequences of addiction, may have actually been triggered by an event that happened generations before he was even born: Elvis’s maternal grandparents were first cousins.
Posts published in “books”
Life and Other Shortcomings is a collection of linked short stories that takes the reader from New Orleans to New York City to Madrid, and from 1970 to the present day. The women in these twelve stories make a number of different choices: some work, others don’t; some stay married, some get divorced; others never marry at all. Through each character’s intimate journey, specific truths are revealed about what it means to be a woman―in a relationship with another person, in a particular culture and era―and how these conditions ultimately affect her relationship with herself. The stories as a whole depict patriarchy, showing what still might be, but certainly what was, for some women in this country before the #MeToo movement.
Making the leap from convenience store worker to international film icon, Kevin Smith has spent over twenty-five years at the forefront of pop culture. In this hilariously candid treasure trove of artifacts and anecdotes, Kevin tells the full story of his incredible life for the first time, from his early days in Highlands, New Jersey, through to the breakout success of low-budget indie smash Clerks in 1994, and the series of hit films that allowed him to build his own cinematic “View Askewniverse.
This is a gorgeous, hardcover retrospective, the first-ever history of PAC-MAN.
Full of historical imagery, concept designs, marketing photos and more, the book examines the game’s design philosophy and origins through the artists, designers, developers, and other creative teams who brought PAC-MAN to life.
If you watch Noir Alley and read Eddie Muller's Dark City revised and expanded edition, you will be blasted with a cornucopia of information about the origins and politics of the Film Noir from all the creators. The creators lived lives as complicated as their characters. Muller's book is more than a picture book, it's the top book on Film Noir movies. Muller has single-handed created a Film Noir universe, from actors to writers, many jumped from movie to movie. Dark City is a great read into old Hollywood and a genre long gone, often imitated, never duplicated. I never put down Dark City, Muller is a wordsmith of the highest caliber. This is the definitive book on Film Noir.
The first issue of Fantastic Four by legendary creators Stan Lee and Jack Kirby introduced fans to a now-iconic team of Super Heroes—Mister Fantastic, the Invisible Girl, the Human Torch, and the Thing—ushering in the modern Marvel Age of comics. Chip Kidd uses an original copy of the comic book (which initially sold for ten cents and now sells for astronomical prices in good condition) to present the classic story in a whole new way that is sure to engage both lifelong fans and the latest generation of Marvel enthusiasts.
Seth’s acclaimed graphic novel George Sprott has now inspired a modern opera by artistic director and musician Mark Haney. Captured on a classic vinyl record with sumptuous and over-the-top design by Seth, Omnis Temporalis: A Visual Long-Playing Record is part chamber music, part song cycle, and part audio drama. Haney’s unique project builds on Seth's original picture novella while standing alone as a musical triumph.
Taschen is at it again with their new whopping 528-page hardcover book on all-American toy ads from the past 100 years. Toys: 100 Years of All-American Toy Ads by Jim Heimann and Steven Heller celebrates toy ads from various print forms.
Monsterverse Titanthology Vol 1, the epic compilation featuring two fan-favorite graphic novels—Skull Island: The Birth of Kong (2017) and Godzilla: Aftershock (2019)—from Legendary Comics is now on sale in stores and online. For new readers wanting to discover more about the backstories of the mighty Kong and great Godzilla or fans revisiting their favorite adventures, Monsterverse Titanthology Vol 1 brings these two beloved Titan prequel stories together for the first time ever in one legendary volume that features a new cover by Arthur Adams as well as never-seen sketches and art.
As a kid, there was not much in book collections when it came to comics. What kids got were Mad Magazine and Peanuts paperbacks. Throughout the years, I amassed a very large collection of Charlie Brown paperbacks. Sunday's Fun Day, Charlie Brown is a great reprint of the original book printed in 1965. The 12th in the series collects Sunday strips from 1962-1965. This was at the height of Charles M. Schulz's rendition of the classic characters. Some significant events happened in those three years, one major one is that Snoopy was finally revealed to be a beagle.
After tremendous acclaim for their series Coin-Op Comics, two brilliant creators present their first graphic novel: a menagerie of wild tales. Pushing the boundaries of their dazzling and unique narrative style, Animal Stories weaves together six short stories exploring the mysterious relationships between humans and other animals.
Better late than never. Here is a little gem that flew under my radar. I am enamored with narrative poetry. The Long Take by Robin Robertson harks to works such as Joseph Moncure March’s The Set-Up and The Wild Party. I discovered The Long Take through the library app, Libby. I plan to buy a hardcopy version of the book. Being a Film Noir enthusiast, this is a great find. Narrative poetry is a niche market, when you find a good one, you cannot put it down.
Mark Schulz and Al Williamson are my favorite adventure comic book artists. Flesk Publications houses some of the top artists in the industry. This triple bill of books is a perfect addition for the avid collector and the curious. This is true comic art at its highest pinnacle.
The Beginner Books have always had an enriched history in my household. So much so that the original teeth marks of my son graces the covers of Cat in the Hat and other "Beginner" books that we subscribed to when he was young. I treasure those books so much, they bring back good memories. Paul V. Allen has finally given the world the story of I Can Read It All by Myself: The Beginner Books Story.
This hardcover collection celebrates the incredible art of Popeye illustrated by scores of artists over the years with a special focus on Popeye's Cartoon Club by King Features Syndicate.
Also included are highlights from The National Cartoonists Society's celebration of Popeye's 90th year, and a collection of rare cover illustrations by popular counter-culture artists done for IDW comics.
Get it while it's hot! Taschen's new book Paul features 100 photos from Harry Benson. The luxury numbered photo book is limited to 600 copies. The deluxe ‘XL’ hardcover edition comes in a bespoke acrylic box. The exact dimensions are 26.9 x 37.3 cm. It weighs over 5kg. The Paul McCartney book is selling like hotcakes.
For the first time, DC offers a retrospective of the 1980s, a monumental decade that introduced some of DC’s all-time bestselling titles. DC Through the 80s: The Experiments explores the experimental adventures of some old and new DC properties that changed the comic book industry.
Hermes Press is celebrating the art of Popeye, the longest-living pop culture comic strip character. The Art of Popeye: A Masterwork of the Medium by R.C. Harvey is a must for fans. Popeye was created by Elzie Segar, the character comes and goes like a wave that hits the shore. 2021 is one of those years, another book titled The Art of Popeye Artists and Comic Strippers': Versions of the Spinach-Eating Superhero edited by comic book archivist Craig Yoe comes out this year from Clover Press.
Summer Movies is your guide to 30 sun-drenched classics that—through beach parties, road trips, outdoor sports, summer camp, or some intangible mood that brings the heat—manage to keep summer alive year-round. Packed with production details, stories from the set, and more than 150 photos, the book takes an in-depth look at films from the silent era to the present that reflect the full range of how summer has been depicted on screen, both by Hollywood and by international filmmakers.
One of the most acclaimed and popular television series of all time, Breaking Bad left an indelible imprint on the imaginations of viewers around the world. Walter White’s transformation from high school chemistry teacher to meth kingpin has inspired thousands of artists to creatively reinterpret the show’s stark, stylish visuals and unforgettable characters.
I Don’t Know Sh*t About F*ck: The Official Ozark Guide to Life by Ruth Langmore presents the rich philosophy of Ruth Langmore, everyone’s favorite foul-mouthed criminal. This irreverent, playful, and profanity-laden “guide to life” is inspired by the hit Netflix television series Ozark, produced by MRC Television, and is written in Ruth’s distinctive voice.
Joseph Moncure March is best known for The Wild Party and The Set-Up. In 1999, Art Spiegelman brought back The Wild Party from obscurity with the accompaniment with Spiegelman's unique art to the narrative poem. It is quite surprising that March's better-known work, The Set-Up, has been out of print for over 50 years. The Set-Up was made into an award-winning movie with Robert Ryan playing the lead. Unlike the book, Ryan's portrayal of an older white boxer down on his luck changed the dynamics of the movie. Illustrator Erik Kriek was commissioned by Korero Press to revamp the underworld boxing story.
Profanity has always been a deliciously vibrant part of our lexicon, an integral part of being human. In fact, our ability to curse comes from a different part of the brain than other parts of speech–the urgency with which we say “f&*k!” is instead related to the instinct that tells us to flee from danger.
M.C. Escher: Journey To Infinity is the story of world-famous Dutch graphic artist M.C. Escher (1898-1972). Equal parts history, psychology, and psychedelia, Robin Lutz’s entertaining, eye-opening portrait gives us the man through his own words and images: diary musings, excerpts from lectures, correspondence and more are voiced by British actor Stephen Fry, while Escher’s woodcuts, lithographs, and other print works appear in both original and playfully altered form.