books

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.

In Clarity & Connection, Yung Pueblo describes how intense emotions accumulate in our subconscious and condition us to act and react in certain ways. In his characteristically spare, poetic style, he guides readers through the excavation and release of the past that is required for growth. A powerful resource for those invested in the work of personal transformation, building self-awareness, and deepening their connection with others.

I can’t believe that Frank Miller’s Sin City is 30 years old. It is my favorite Miller work, it’s a masterpiece. I am biased because I love film noir movies. Miller brilliantly captures the essence of the genre on paper. If you never had a chance to get the original run, now is the perfect time to get a great piece of art with this deluxe edition of Sin City. It would be a sin not to get Volume 1, The Hard Goodbye.

The Oscar-winning director has a two-book deal with Harper, beginning with a novelization of “Once Upon a Time … In Hollywood” that is scheduled for this summer. “Once Upon a Time” will be a true Tarantino production: The book will come out first as a mass-market paperback, like the old pulp novels the filmmaker loves and will offer “a fresh, playful and shocking departure from the film,” according to Harper.

I have gravitated to podcasts like no other time in my life. I love history-based podcasts. You’re Dead to Me from BBC Radio 4 is a hilarious romp into history for people who hate history by Greg Jenner. Who knew could be so much fun. When these podcasts are put in a modern context, it is always fun to listen to. Jenner is labeled as a ‘celebrity historian’

Soylent Green: The “miracle food” of high-energy plankton, gathered from the oceans of the world. Due to its enormous popularity, Soylent Green is in short supply, so remember—Tuesday is Soylent Green day.