BOOKS & LITERATURE
Cinemaps: An Atlas of 35 Great Movies
Acclaimed artist Andrew DeGraff has created beautiful hand-painted maps of all your favorite films, from King Kong and North by Northwest to The Princess Bride, Fargo, Pulp Fiction, even The Breakfast Club—with the routes of major characters charted in meticulous cartographic detail. Follow Marty McFly through the Hill Valley of 1985, 1955, and 1985 once again as he races Back to the Future. Trail Jack Torrance as he navigates the corridors of the Overlook Hotel in The Shining. And join Indiana Jones on a globe-spanning journey from Nepal to Cairo to London on his quest for the famed Lost Ark. Each map is presented in an 11-by-14-inch format, with key details enlarged for closer inspection, and is accompanied by illuminating essays from film critic A. D. Jameson, who speaks to the unique geographies of each film.
Shoot the Moon
From FOG! Contributor Fred Shahadi!
“You know the story. It starts here in the shadow of a book depository and ends in a police parking garage. A small man kills a great man who is in turn killed by a patriot. Except that never happened. Would you like to know the real story? It has never been told and you won’t believe it. It started before the Russians landed on the Moon on 22 November, 1963. Yes, that is correct. Pay close attention. Forget what you know. This is my only chance to get this out before we change it, hopefully for the last time this time.”
So begins the journey of one hapless Apollo Astronaut leading us on the ultimate time-bending trip through the sixties racing to right history before it’s too late. Shoot the Moon creates an world where JFK never died, NASA lost the Space Race, and Lee Harvey Oswald becomes an international hero. Or is that all wrong? And can it be figured out before it’s too late?
Buffy the Vampire Slayer: The Official Grimoire
Every good witch has a grimoire, and Willow Rosenberg is no exception. The Official Grimoire is the first and only truly comprehensive collection of every magical moment from all seven seasons of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, humorously narrated by beloved resident witch Willow Rosenberg. Completely illustrated and annotated by the rest of the gang, this book of spells is a unique keepsake for fans of the Buffy-verse and an incredible celebration of the show’s twenty-year legacy.
Fucking Innocent: The Early Films of Wes Anderson
Wes Anderson is now seen as one of America’s greatest and most stylistic filmmakers. With movies like The Fantastic Mr. Fox, The Grand Budapest Hotel, Moonrise Kingdom, and The Darjeeling Limited, Anderson has solidified his place among the best and brightest of contemporary filmmakers.
Anderson’s early films, the films that rocketed him to stardom, are often written about separately and in contrast to his later films, in Fucking Innocent, John Andrew Frederick, who has taught Anderson’s early work at the University of Southern California, examines his three earliest films and discusses each individually and as the burgeoning of the art of one of most talented of American directors.
Frederick’s criticism looks at Bottle Rocket, Rushmore, and The Royal Tennenbaums in this fun and sharp critique.
DC Comics Justice League The Ultimate Guide
This comprehensive guide celebrates the exciting world of the iconic Justice League Super Heroes, a roster that includes Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, The Flash, Aquaman and Cyborg. A must-have for fans, this book showcases major in-world events in the Justice League’s pulsating story, spanning nearly 60 years of comic book history, and is packed with info on the team’s allies, enemies, bases, origins, and more. Includes artwork from the first Justice League comic book in March 1960 to the crucial Rebirth issues and beyond. The stunning design contains lots of in-world information, including in-depth profiles of characters, key comic book issues, and special features on the Justice League’s greatest adventures.
Seduced by Mrs. Robinson: How “The Graduate” Became the Touchstone of a Generation
When The Graduate premiered in December 1967, its filmmakers had only modest expectations for what seemed to be a small, sexy art-house comedy adapted from an obscure first novel by an eccentric twenty-four-year-old. There was little indication that this offbeat story—a young man just out of college has an affair with one of his parents’ friends and then runs off with her daughter—would turn out to be a monster hit, with an extended run in theaters and seven Academy Award nominations.
The film catapulted an unknown actor, Dustin Hoffman, to stardom with a role that is now permanently engraved in our collective memory. While turning the word plastics into shorthand for soulless work and a corporate, consumer culture, The Graduate sparked a national debate about what was starting to be called “the generation gap.”
Now, in time for this iconic film’s fiftieth birthday, author Beverly Gray offers up a smart close reading of the film itself as well as vivid, never-before-revealed details from behind the scenes of the production—including all the drama and decision-making of the cast and crew. For movie buffs and pop culture fanatics, Seduced by Mrs. Robinson brings to light The Graduate’s huge influence on the future of filmmaking. And it explores how this unconventional movie rocked the late-sixties world, both reflecting and changing the era’s views of sex, work, and marriage.
Miller and Max: George Miller and the Making of a Film Legend
Miller and Max is the story of two heroes. One, a leather jacket-clad road warrior whose adventures in a dystopian future have made an indelible imprint on global popular culture. The other, the artist who created him: a softly spoken son of Greek and Turkish migrants, whose life charters a spectacular course from a tiny Queensland town to the highest echelons of Hollywood.
George Miller made his first film, Mad Max in 1976 after raising $300,000 from family and friends and hiring a no-name actor, Mel Gibson. Edited in his kitchen, it would become the most profitable film ever made, a title it kept for over two decades. Written with the cooperation of Miller and a role call of cast, crew and family, Miller and Max gets behind the scenes and on set, to reveal what’s really inside the man — which is more than a little Max Rockatansky.
Video Dungeon: The Collected Reviews
Ripped from the pages of Empire magazine, the first collection of film critic, film historian and novelist Kim Newman’s reviews of the best and worst B movies. Some of the cheapest, trashiest, goriest and, occasionally, unexpectedly good films from the past 25 years are here, torn apart and stitched back together again in Kim’s unique style. Everything you want to know about DTV hell is here. Enter if you dare.
The Best of Booksteve’s Library
From FOG! contributor Steven Thompson! A collection of 100 of the best essays, articles, reviews, interviews, short stories, profiles, musings, and memories from a dozen years of blogging.
Ultimate Marvel
This definitive in-world guide to the Marvel Comics Universe features, in chronological order, every significant Marvel Comic character, location, vehicle, and weapon in the company’s illustrious history.
Go on a fact- and fun-filled journey via the first major Marvel heroes, villains, cowboy stars, and comic characters of the 1940s and 1950s to the iconic, timeless Super Heroes and Super Villains of the Marvel Age of the 1960s and beyond, such as Thor, Hulk, Spider-Man, Black Widow, Doctor Strange, Iron Man, the Avengers, Storm, Loki, and Green Goblin. Further sections feature key vehicles and technology, magical artifacts, planets, countries, and places, plus a glimpse behind the scenes into Marvel Comics’ creative processes and techniques. Cover artwork is by esteemed comic book artist Adi Granov. Including authoritative text by Marvel Comics experts and spectacular artwork from the original comic books.
Oswald the Lucky Rabbit: The Search for the Lost Disney Cartoons
Oswald the Lucky Rabbit was created in 1927 by Walt Disney and his team through twenty-six cartoon shorts. Not without fits and starts, the series and its impish title character were an instant hit with audiences. At the end of that initial run, Walt lost the contract to Oswald, which prompted the creation of Mickey Mouse. Over the years, Oswald became a footnote in the Disney story . . . until 2006, when The Walt Disney Company recovered rights to Walt’s twenty-six shorts. Behind-the-scenes, a complex and labor-intensive search developed for the physical film footage of some Oswald cartoons deemed “lost to time.” For anyone interested in Disney origins, fascinated by early cinema, or entertained by a feisty little rabbit, this engaging and accessible volume delivers an in-depth look at Walt s first major animated success and the journey to reclaim the lost Disney films.
Treknology: The Science of Star Trek from Tricorders to Warp Drive
The name Star Trek conjures images of faster-than-light spacecraft, holographic crew members, and phasers set to stun. Some of these incredible devices may still be far from our reach, but others have made the leap from science fiction to science fact—and now you can learn the science and engineering of what makes them tick.
Treknology looks at over twenty-five iconic inventions from the complete history of the Star Trek television and film universe. Author Ethan Siegel explores and profiles these dazzling technologies and their role Star Trek, the science behind how they work, and how close we are to achieving them in the real world today.
This stunning collection is packed with 150 superb film and television stills, prop photography, and scientific diagrams to pull you into another world. Brace yourself for a detailed look at the inner workings of Star Trek’s computing capabilities, communications equipment, medical devices, and awe-inspiring ships. Treknology is one that no fan of Star Trek, or future tech, will want to miss.
Star Wars Stormtroopers: Beyond the Armor
Just in time for the next blockbuster, Star Wars: The Last Jedi, this unique and beautifully designed compendium with removable features traces one of the franchise’s most iconic characters—the stormtrooper—from initial development through all nine Star Wars movies to their many iterations in TV, comics, videogames, novels, and pop-culture.
Star Wars: A New Hope, the very first installment in the beloved science-fiction series, introduced the Imperial stormtroopers—the army of the fearsome and tyrannical Galactic Empire. Charged with establishing Imperial authority and suppressing resistance, these terrifying, faceless, well-disciplined soldiers in white have become a universal symbol of oppression.
Star Wars Stormtroopers explores these striking warriors and their evolution in depth for the first time. Ryder Windham and Adam Bray trace the roots of their creation and design, and explore how these elite troops from a galaxy far, far away have been depicted in movies, cartoons, comics, novels, and merchandizing.
Filled with photographs, illustrations, story boards, and other artwork, this lavish officially licensed book comes complete with removable features, including posters, stickers, replica memorabilia and more, making it an essential keepsake for every Star Wars fan, as well as military, design, and film aficionados.
Are You In The House Alone?: A TV Movie Compendium 1964-1999
Beginning in the 1960s through its heyday in the 1970s and beyond, the telefilm stands as an important cultural artefact masquerading as disposable entertainment. Made specifically for the small screen, within the tight constraints of broadcasting standards, what these humble movies lacked in budget and star appeal, they made up for in other ways. Often they served as an introduction to genre films, particularly horror, mirroring their theatrical counterparts with a focus on sinister cults, women in prison, haunted houses and even animals in revolt. They were also a place to address serious contemporary issues – drugs, prostitution, sexual violence and justice –albeit in a cosy domestic environment.
Production of telefilms continues to this day, but their significance within the history of mass media remains under-discussed. Are You in the House Alone? seeks to address this imbalance in a series of reviews and essays by fans and critics. It looks at many of the films, the networks and names behind them, and also specific genres – everything from Stephen King adaptations to superheroes to true-life dramas. So, kickback and crack open the TV guide once more for the event that is the Movie of the Week!
Staying Alive: The Disco Inferno Of The Bee Gees
In the late 70s, the Bee Gees spectacularly revived their career and, with their soundtrack to the Saturday Night Fever film, became the biggest disco group in the world. But when the disco boom crashed they went from icons to punch lines overnight. The band was inescapably frozen in time: all long, flowing manes, big teeth, falsettos, medallions, hairy chests, and skintight satin trousers, one finger forever pointing in the air.
The Bee Gees would spend the next forty years trying to convince people there was more to them, growing ever more resentful of their gigantic disco success. ‘We’d like to dress “Stayin’ Alive” up in a white suit and gold chains and set it on fire,’ they said.
Stayin’ Alive finally lifts that millstone from around their necks by joyfully reappraising and celebrating their iconic disco era. Taking the reader deep into the excesses of the most hedonistic of music scenes, it tells how three brothers from Manchester transformed themselves into the funkiest white group ever and made the world dance. No longer a guilty pleasure but a national treasure.
Soonish: Ten Emerging Technologies That’ll Improve and/or Ruin Everything
What will the world of tomorrow be like? How does progress happen? And why do we not have a lunar colony already? What is the hold-up?
In this smart and funny book, celebrated cartoonist Zach Weinersmith and noted researcher Dr. Kelly Weinersmith give us a snapshot of what’s coming next — from robot swarms to nuclear fusion powered-toasters. By weaving their own research, interviews with the scientists who are making these advances happen, and Zach’s trademark comics, the Weinersmiths investigate why these technologies are needed, how they would work, and what is standing in their way.
New technologies are almost never the work of isolated geniuses with a neat idea. A given future technology may need any number of intermediate technologies to develop first, and many of these critical advances may appear to be irrelevant when they are first discovered. The journey to progress is full of strange detours and blind alleys that tell us so much about the human mind and the march of civilization.
To this end, Soonish investigates ten different emerging fields, from programmable matter to augmented reality, from space elevators to robotic construction, to show us the amazing world we will have, you know, soonish.
Guts: The Anatomy of The Walking Dead
From its first episode, The Walking Dead took fans in the United States and across the world by storm, becoming the highest-rated series in the history of cable television. After each episode airs, Paul Vigna writes a widely read column in which he breaks down the stories and considers what works and what doesn’t, and tries to discern the small details that will become larger plot points.
So how did a basic cable television show based on Robert Kirkman’s graphic comic series, set in an apocalyptic dog-eat-dog world filled with flesh-eating zombies and even scarier human beings, become a ratings juggernaut and cultural phenomenon? Why is the show such a massive hit? In this playful yet comprehensive guide, Vigna dissect every aspect of The Walking Dead to assess its extraordinary success.
In the vein of Seinfeldia, Vigna digs into the show’s guts, exploring its roots, storyline, relevance for fans and the wider popular culture, and more. He explores how the changing nature of television and media have contributed to the show’s success, and goes deep into the zombie genre, delineating why it’s different from vampires, werewolves, and other monsters. He considers why people have found in zombies a mirror for their own fears, and explains how this connection is important to the show’s popularity. He interviews the cast and crew, who share behind-the-scenes tales, and introduces a cross-section of its diverse and rabid viewership, from fantasy nerds to NFL stars. Guts is a must have for every Walking Dead fan.
Guillermo del Toro’s The Devil’s Backbone
Explore the creation of Guillermo del Toro’s early masterpiece through this visually stunning and insightful look at the spine-chilling classic. Released in 2001, Guillermo del Toro’s The Devil’s Backbone announced the director as a singular talent with a unique ability to mix the macabre with the sublime. A spiritual companion piece to his Oscar-winning Pan’s Labyrinth (2006), the film shares similar themes and is also set against the backdrop of the Spanish Civil War, a brutal conflict that turned ordinary men into monsters.
Through a series of in-depth and extremely candid interviews with the director, this deluxe volume not only explores the shooting of the film but also delves into a range of other topics with del Toro, including his influences, his uniquely nuanced approach to filmmaking, and the traumatic personal events that colored the creation of The Devil’s Backbone.
The book also draws on interviews with key contributors in the film’s creation, including cinematographer Guillermo Navarro and composer Javier Navarrete, to give readers an exclusive, behind-the-scenes look at how this gothic horror masterpiece was crafted. Featuring a wealth of exquisite concept art and rare unit photography, Guillermo del Toro’s The Devil’s Backbone is the ultimate behind-the-scenes look at an unforgettable Spanish-language classic.
Previously on X-Men: The Making of an Animated Series
In late 1992, on small budgets and under tight schedules, the cast and crew of X-Men: The Animated Series crafted a television show that, despite an industry full of naysayers, immediately shot to #1. This kids’ show often landed more than half the TV viewers across America, and a twenty-year gold rush of Marvel motion pictures and TV series followed. Previously on X-Men is Eric Lewalds personal, inside account of how the series got on the air, the many challenges that were overcome, and how the show prevailed. The head writer interviewed 36 of the artists, writers, voice cast, and executives who helped make this game-changing series a worldwide success. This book is an authoritative look into the creation of the animated series that nobody expected to succeed. Lewald offers a unique behind-the-scenes look at the Saturday-morning cartoon series that changed Hollywood.
The Art of the Pulps: An Illustrated History
Experts in the ten major Pulp genres, from action Pulps to spicy Pulps and more, chart for the first time the complete history of Pulp magazines—the stories and their writers, the graphics and their artists, and, of course, the publishers, their market, and readers.
Each chapter in the book, which is illustrated with more than 400 examples of the best Pulp graphics (many from the editors’ collections—among the world’s largest) is organized in a clear and accessible way, starting with an introductory overview of the genre, followed by a selection of the best covers and interior graphics, organized chronologically through the chapter. All images are fully captioned (many are in essence “nutshell” histories in themselves). Two special features in each chapter focus on topics of particular interest (such as extended profiles of Daisy Bacon, Pulp author and editor of Love Story, the hugely successful romance Pulp, and of Harry Steeger, co-founder of Popular Publications in 1930 and originator of the “Shudder Pulp” genre).
With an overall introduction on “The Birth of the Pulps” by Doug Ellis, and with two additional chapters focusing on the great Pulp writers and the great Pulp artists, The Art of the Pulps covers every aspect of this fascinating genre; it is the first definitive visual history of the Pulps.
The Art of Star Trek: The Kelvin Timeline
From one of the most famous franchises ever to hit our screens has come a new smash-hit trilogy of movies for the 21st century. Set in the alternate Kelvin timeline, Star Trek (2009), Star Trek Into Darkness (2013)and Star Trek Beyond (2016) tell the story of the U.S.S. Enterprise and its crew, lead by brazen Captain James T. Kirk (Chris Pine) and his Vulcan science officer Spock (Zachary Quinto).
Boldly going where no man has gone before, the visions of directors J.J. Abrams and Justin Lin have come to life on the big screen, reintroducing timeless characters such as Uhura (Zoe Saldana), Sulu (John Cho) and Dr Leonard ‘Bones’ McCoy (Karl Urban) to a new generation. And the introduction of the menacing villains Nero (Eric Bana), Khan (Benedict Cumberbatch) and Krall (Idris Elba) reveals what happens when the Final Frontier pushes back.
New alien species, fantastical new worlds and action-packed space adventures abound in this grandly illustrated accompaniment to the ongoing space epic. Combining all three movies, The Art of Star Trek: The Kelvin Timeline showcases behind-the-scenes production, dazzling costume and set designs, intricate concept art and on-set photography. This is the essential companion to the movies.
They Drew as They Pleased Vol. 3: (The 1940s – Part Two)
Walt Disney always envisioned the studios that bear his name remaining relevant by consistently taking creative risks and doing the unexpected. Heading into the 1940s, he crafted an entirely new division of the studio called the Character Model Department, which focused solely on the details of character development. This latest volume from famed Disney historian Didier Ghez profiles six remarkable artists from that department, sharing uncommon and never-before-seen images of their influential work behind the scenes. With vivid descriptions and passages from the artists’ journals, this visually rich collection offers a rare view of the Disney artists whose work gave rise to many classic Disney characters, and who ultimately rewrote the future of character creation in animation.
The Movie Art of Syd Mead: Visual Futurist
Syd Mead is one of the most accomplished and widely respected artists and industrial designers alive today. His career boasts an incredible array of projects from designing cars to drafting architectural renderings, but he is most famous for his work as a concept artist on some of the most visually arresting films in the history of cinema. Since working on Star Trek: The Motion Picture in 1978 as a production illustrator Syd Mead has always aimed to render “reality ahead of schedule,” creating evocative designs that marry believable content with a neofuturistic form. It is this ability to predict technological potential that has helped Mead create such a distinctive and influential aesthetic. From his work with Ridley Scott on Blade Runner, to his striking designs for the light cycles in Tron, to his imposing concept art for the U.S.S. Sulaco in James Cameron’s Aliens, Syd Mead has played a pivotal role in shaping cinema’s vision of the future.
The Movie Art of Syd Mead: Visual Futurist represents the most extensive collection of Mead’s visionary work ever printed, compiling hundreds of images, sketches and concept arts from a career spanning almost 40 years, many of which have never been seen in print before. Each entry provides a unique insight into the processes involved in Mead’s practice as well as illuminating the behind-the-scenes work involved in creating a fully realized, cinematic depiction of the future. With such a plethora of images from the many genre-defining films Mead has worked on, this is essential reading for film fans, artists and futurologists alike.
Justice League: The Art of the Film
Inspired by Superman’s selfless act, Batman and Wonder Woman work quickly to find and recruit a team of metahumans – Aquaman, Cyborg, and The Flash – to save the planet from an assault of catastrophic proportions. Packed with stunning concept art, sketches, costume detail, stills, and behind-the-scenes shots from the set, this book is an invaluable insight into the world of Justice League.
The Art of Horror Movies: An Illustrated History
This magnificent companion to The Art of Horror , from the same creative team behind that award-winning illustrated volume, looks at the entire history of the horror film, from the silent era right up to the latest releases and trends. Through a series of informative chapters and fascinating sidebars chronologically charting the evolution of horror movies for more than a century, profusely illustrated throughout with over 600 rare and unique images including posters, lobby cards, advertising, promotional items, tie-in books and magazines, and original artwork inspired by classic movies, this handsomely designed hardcover traces the development of the horror film from its inception, and celebrates the actors, filmmakers, and artists who were responsible for scaring the pants off successive generations of moviegoers!
Edited by multiple award-winning writer and editor Stephen Jones, and boasting a foreword by director and screenwriter John Landis (An American Werewolf in London), this volume brings together fascinating and incisive commentary from some of the genre’s most highly respected experts. With eye-popping images from all over the world, The Art of Horror Movies is the definitive guide for anyone who loves horror films and movie fans of all ages.
The Book of Alien: Augmented Reality Survival Manual
The Alien movie franchise has been shocking audiences for more than thirty-five years, and the series now continues in eons to come—where this special interactive edition derives. Beamed back to us from the future reality witnessed in the movies, it is a handbook for new recruits of the U.S. Colonial Marines.
The Book of Alien includes everything you need to know to identify and combat the terrifying, extra-terrestrial species known as Xenomorphs. Protecting yourself and mankind against this significant and ever-growing threat is the goal. With this book, you will learn how to clearly identify the threat—and which weapons you will need to successfully neutralize it.
A practical combat guide The Book of Alien is both an old-world handbook—featuring paper pages, text, diagrams, and 100 color and black-and-white photographs—and a futurebook—with 3D interactive animations, sound and vision. A superb interactive companion volume to all the Alien movies, The Book of Alien is an exciting immersive experience that lets you revisit many key moments from the movies, and interact with people, objects . . . and of course, aliens!
This groundbreaking book features Augmented Reality animations, which bring favorite Xenomorph creatures to life via smartphone or tablet.
It’s Alive!: Classic Horror and Sci-Fi Movie Posters from the Kirk Hammett Collection
One of the world’s premier collections of horror and sci-fi movie posters amassed, not altogether surprisingly, by the dark mind of Metallica’s lead guitarist, Kirk Hammett. Before Kirk Hammett assumed the heavy metal mantle of one of the most successful and beloved bands in rock history, he was a geek for the imaginative universe of horror. This generously illustrated book highlights the finest examples from Hammett’s personal collection—an astonishing trove of horror and sci-fi film posters that span the history of the genre. The guitarist credits his musical force to a lifelong fascination with the gothic fantasy developed in these films and their original posters. In this volume, several intriguing essays cover the history of the film poster, the brain’s response to fear, and Hammett’s own contributions to the world of the macabre.
Tarantino: A Retrospective
Celebrate the 25th Anniversary of Reservoir Dogs by diving into the brilliant, twisted mind of Quentin Tarantino and discover the artistic process of an Oscar-winning legend. Born in Knoxville, Tennessee, in 1963, Quentin Tarantino spent many Saturday evenings during his childhood accompanying his mother to the movies, nourishing a love of film that was, over the course of his life, to become all-consuming. The script for his first movie took him four years to complete: My Best Friend’s Birthday, a seventy-minute film in which he both acted and directed. The script for his second film, Reservoir Dogs (1992), took him just under four weeks to complete. When it debuted, he was immediately hailed as one of the most exciting new directors in the industry.
Known for his highly cinematic visual style, out-of-sequence storytelling, and grandiose violence, Tarantino’s films have provoked both praise and criticism over the course of his career. They’ve also won him a host of awards—including Oscars, Golden Globes, and BAFTA awards—usually for his original screenplays. His oeuvre includes the cult classic Pulp Fiction, bloody revenge saga Kill Bill Vol. 1 and Vol. 2, and historical epics Inglorious Basterds, Django Unchained, and The Hateful Eight . This stunning retrospective catalogs each of Quentin Tarantino’s movies in detail, from My Best Friend’s Birthday to The Hateful Eight. The book is a tribute to a unique directing and writing talent, celebrating an uncompromising, passionate director’s enthralling career at the heart of cult filmmaking.
Stan Lee: The Man Behind Marvel
From the mean streets of Depression-era New York City to recipient of the National Medal of Arts, Lee’s life has been almost as remarkable as the thrilling adventures he spun for decades. From millions of comic books fans of the 1960s through billions of moviegoers around the globe, Stan Lee has touched more people than almost any person in the history of popular culture.
In Stan Lee: The Man Behind Marvel, Bob Batchelor offers an eye-opening look at this iconic visionary, a man who created (with talented artists) many of history’s most legendary characters. In this energetic and entertaining biography, Batchelor explores how Lee capitalized on natural talent and hard work to become the editor of Marvel Comics as a teenager. After toiling in the industry for decades, Lee threw caution to the wind and went for broke, co-creating the Fantastic Four, Spider-Man, Hulk, Iron Man, the X-Men, the Avengers, and others in a creative flurry that revolutionized comic books for generations of readers. Marvel superheroes became a central part of pop culture, from collecting comics to innovative merchandising, from superhero action figures to the ever-present Spider-Man lunchbox.
Batchelor examines many of Lee’s most beloved works, including the 1960s comics that transformed Marvel from a second-rate company to a legendary publisher. This book reveals the risks Lee took to bring the characters to life and Lee’s tireless efforts to make comic books and superheroes part of mainstream culture for more than fifty years. Stan Lee: The Man Behind Marvel not only reveals why Lee developed into such a central figure in American entertainment history, but brings to life the cultural significance of comic books and how the superhero genre reflects ideas central to the American experience. Candid, authoritative, and utterly absorbing, this is a biography of a man who dreamed of one day writing the Great American Novel, but ended up doing so much more—changing American culture by creating new worlds and heroes that have entertained generations of readers.
Star Wars The Last Jedi Incredible Cross-Sections
This beautiful hardcover book reveals the inner workings of 13 key vehicles from Episode VIII of the Star Wars saga, Star Wars: The Last Jedi. Each vehicle is shown as an intricately detailed, full-color cross-section artwork, complete with callouts to the important features of each ship. Clear, comprehensive text makes this an indispensable reference guide for the new craft in the Star Wars galaxy.
Movie Geek: A Geek’s Guide to the Movieverse
Movie Geek is a nerdy dive into popular movies, brought to you by the award-losing Den Of Geek website, with a foreword by the UK’s foremost film critic, Mark Kermode. Discover hidden stories behind movies you love (and, er, don’t love so much), and find out just why the most dangerous place to be is in a Tom Hanks film.
Fascinating, surprisingly and hugely entertaining, this leftfield movie guide is gold for film buffs, and might just bring out the geek – hidden or otherwise – within you…
Includes alternative movie endings that were binned, movie sequels you didn’t know existed, massive box office hits that were huge gambles, the collateral damage of Tom Hanks movies, hidden subtexts in family movies, disastrous things that went wrong on modern movie sets…and much, much more!
OSTIUM Book One: Population Zero
From former FOG! Contributor Alex C. Telander! In Northern California there is a secret town called Ostium where there are no people. One day, Jake Fisher discovers the town while playing a game of GeoGuessr. It is the genesis of a long journey that will have Jake searching remote places for this hidden town until he eventually discovers it. Within he finds many buildings with many doors, and eventually he will learn that each of these doors leads to a unique place . . . in time . . . and space. In the first book of the popular Ostium Podcast readers are introduced to the strange town where there are no people through the eyes of Jake Fisher. OSTIUM Book One: Population Zero covers all ten episodes of Season One, as well as ten mini episodes. The book contains the original untouched covers to all ten episodes, as well as the finished covers, and some work in progress sketches. There are also two bonus mini episodes.
Yuletide Terror: Christmas Horror on Film and Television
This comprehensive new collection of essays is set to deck your halls with insightful looks at all your festive fright favourites, from the BBC’s A Ghost Story For Christmas series to Silent Night, Deadly Night (and the ensuing controversy), from Eastern European folk-horrors all the way up to the seasonal succubi of the “New French Extremity”—followed by a compendium of over 200 Christmas horror film reviews.
Chip Kidd: Book Two: Work 2007-2017
Chip Kidd: Book Two: Work 2007-2017 picks up where Book One left off showcasing his impressive body of work from the past decade as well as new works yet to be seen this year. We see not just hundreds of his recent projects, but the working processes behind them—thoughts, sketches, revisions, scrapped drafts, and triumphant final versions. The bestselling authors he has worked with include the likes of Cormac McCarthy, John Updike, David Sedaris, Augusten Burroughs, Mary Roach, Oliver Sacks, and Elie Wiesel. He has created movie art for entertainment powerhouses like J.J. Abrams, DC Comics, Universal Pictures, and Paramount Pictures, and, he is known by geeks worldwide for his comic book and graphic novel work. Alongside striking images of his work are witty essays by Haruki Murakami, Neil Gaiman, and Orhan Pamuk that are sure to delight any bibliophile.
Throughout this ten-year retrospective, Kidd leads readers through each step of his design journey culminating in a section on how to write and art-direct a graphic novel, using as an example his New York Times-bestselling Batman: Death by Design.
Displaying the master’s passion for unconventional and forward-thinking book covers, film work, and graphic novel projects, this volume is sure to bring fresh inspirations to design aficionados, book lovers, pop-culture fanatics, comics fans, and design students.
The Dark Crystal: The Ultimate Visual History
Dark Crystal: The Ultimate Visual History is the definitive collection of rare artwork, interviews, and on-set photos from the beloved Jim Henson fantasy classic.
A true masterpiece brought to life by the ingenious puppetry and peerless storytelling of Jim Henson, Dark Crystal is revered by an entire generation of fans. For the first time, this deluxe and highly comprehensive book tells the complete story of this deeply personal Henson project, highlighting the unique creative journey and groundbreaking techniques that brought the film to the screen. Drawing from unseen archive interviews with Jim Henson and new interviews with the film’s behind-the-scenes creative team, Dark Crystal: The Ultimate Visual History leaves no stone unturned in chronicling the entire production, from the initial concept based on themes close to Henson’s heart to the ingenious conceptual design, puppet construction, and logistics of the shoot itself. The book also delves into the wider world of Dark Crystal, exploring the creation of comics, novels, and other official projects inspired by the film.
This deluxe coffee-table book contains an in-depth look at the day-to-day production of the film and showcases a huge range of incredible visuals, including candid set photography, previously unseen concept art, storyboards, production notes, and more. The book also features a plethora of amazing removable items, such as script pages, notes and sketches from Henson, and other unique treasures. Definitive, enthralling, and revelatory, Dark Crystal: The Ultimate Visual History is the last word on an enduring modern classic and the book that fans of the film have been waiting for.
Ink & Paint: The Women of Walt Disney’s Animation
From the earliest origins of animated imagery, the colorful link between paper and screen was created by legions of female artists working on the slick surface of celluloid sheets. With calligraphic precision and Rembrandtesque mastery, these women painstakingly brought pencil drawings to vibrant, dimensional life. Yet perhaps as a reflection of the transparent canvas they created on, the contributions and history of these animation artists have remained virtually invisible and largely undocumented, until now. Walt Disney’s pioneering efforts in animation transformed novelty cartoons into visual masterpieces, establishing many firsts for women within the entertainment industry along the way. Focusing on talent, Disney sought female story specialists and concept artists to expand the scope and sensibility of his storytelling. Upon establishing the first animation-training program for women, ink pens were traded for pencils as ladies made their way into the male-laden halls of animation. World War II further opened roles traditionally held by men, and women quickly progressed into virtually every discipline within animation production. Disney s later development of the Xerox process and eventual digital evolution once again placed women at the forefront of technological advancements applied to animated storytelling.
In her latest landmark book, Ink & Paint: The Women of Walt Disney’s Animation, author Mindy Johnson pulls back the celluloid curtain on the nearly vanished world of ink pens, paintbrushes, pigments, and tea. From the earliest black-and-white Alice Comedies to the advent of CAPS and digital animation, meet the pioneering women who brought hand-rendered animated stories to vibrant, multicolored life at Walt Disney Studios and beyond. Extensively researched with the full support of the entire Walt Disney Studios archival resources, plus a multitude of private collections, firsthand accounts, newly discovered materials, and production documentation, as well as never-before-seen photography and artwork, this essential volume redefines the collective history of animation.
The Making of Dunkirk
A behind-the-scenes look at director Christopher Nolan’s gripping action-thriller Dunkirk, which brings to life one of World War II’s most pivotal events.
Set during World War II, director Christopher Nolan’s (The Dark Knight Trilogy, Interstellar) much-anticipated new film tells the story of the evacuation of British troops from Dunkirk, France, in a daring endeavor that saved them from certain defeat at the hands of enemy forces. Featuring a stunning ensemble cast that includes newcomers Fionn Whitehead, Tom Glynn-Carney, and Harry Styles, as well as acclaimed actors Kenneth Branagh, Mark Rylance, Cillian Murphy, and Tom Hardy, Dunkirk offers a breathtaking glimpse at a turning point in the conflict determined by not only the ingenuity of the British forces but also the bravery of British civilians who sailed into war-torn waters to save them.
The Making of Dunkirk tells the incredible story of how Nolan brought this pivotal moment in World War II to life on the screen using innovative film-making techniques that give the film a gritty, exhilarating realism rarely seen in modern cinema. Featuring interviews with the director and key department heads and filled with never-before-seen imagery from the shoot, plus concept art, storyboards, and other amazing visuals, The Making of Dunkirk is the ultimate insider’s look at one of the most anticipated films of 2017.
Capturing Archetypes, Vol. 3: Astonishing Avengers, Adversaries, and Antiheroes
Capturing Archetypes, Volume 3 is a loving homage to the fandoms that Sideshow Collectibles represents. Featuring iconic and universally beloved characters from Star Wars, DC Comics, Marvel Comics, and others, this deluxe art book celebrates Sideshow Collectibles’ astonishing ability to capture the essence of archetypal characters in its phenomenal sculptures. Implementing classical sculptural techniques and the latest technology in digital rendering, each piece featured in Capturing Archetypes, Volume 3 is created with the passion, devotion, and enthusiasm of true fans. So peer into the modern-day renaissance studio of Sideshow Collectibles, and be amazed!
Ghostbusters: Ectomobile Owner’s Workshop Manual
Discover the secrets of the Ghostbusters’ iconic specter-smashing automobile, Ecto-1, with this comprehensive owner’s workshop manual. Along with a detailed breakdown of Ecto-1’s capabilities and exclusive cutaway images that show the car’s souped-up engine and onboard ghost-tracking equipment, the book also focuses on the Ghostbusters’ portable tools of the trade, including proton packs, ghost traps, and PKE meters. The book also looks at various models of Ecto-1, including the Ecto-1A from Ghostbusters II and the version of Ecto-1 seen in 2016’s Ghostbusters: Answer the Call. Featuring commentary from familiar characters, including Ray Stantz, Peter Venkman, and Jillian Holtzmann, Ghostbusters: Ectomobile: Owner’s Workshop Manual is the ultimate guide to the Ghostbusters’ legendary vehicles and the ghost-catching equipment the cars haul from one job to the next.
Close Encounters of the Third Kind: The Ultimate Visual History
Celebrate the fortieth anniversary of Steven Spielberg’s sci-fi classic Close Encounters of the Third Kind with this fully authorized behind-the-scenes book exploring the creation, production, and legacy of this iconic film.
Created in conjunction with Sony Pictures and Amblin Entertainment, Close Encounters of the Third Kind: The Visual History details the complete creative journey behind the making of the film and examines its cultural impact.
Featuring rare and never-before-seen imagery from the archives, the book brings together a stunning collection of on-set photography, concept art, storyboards, and more to create a visual narrative of the film’s journey to the big screen. It also features a wealth of insightful commentary from every key player involved in the film, from the acclaimed director himself to the film’s stars and the key department heads who brought Spielberg’s vision to life.
Special inserts and interactive elements include script pages, call lists, concept sketches, and more. Comprehensive, compelling, and filled with unseen treasures, Close Encounters of the Third Kind: The Ultimate Visual History is a fitting tribute to one of history’s most iconic films.
The Shape of Water: Creating a Fairy Tale for Troubled Times
Explore the art and making of Guillermo del Toro’s new masterpiece, The Shape of Water, winner of the Venice Film Festival’s top prize, the Golden Lion.
From master storyteller Guillermo del Toro comes The Shape of Water—an other-worldly fairy tale set against the backdrop of the Cold War-era United States circa 1962. In the hidden high-security government laboratory where she works, lonely Elisa (Sally Hawkins) is trapped in a life of silence and isolation. Elisa’s life is changed forever when she and coworker Zelda (Octavia Spencer) discover a secret classified experiment. Rounding out the cast are Michael Shannon, Richard Jenkins, Michael Stuhlbarg, and Doug Jones.
Guillermo del Toro’s The Shape of Water: Creating a Fairy Tale for Troubled Times chronicles the entire filmmaking journey, from development to design to filming. Featuring interviews and commentary from key actors and members of the creative team, the book also showcases the amazing concept art and design work created for the film. For del Toro fans and movie lovers everywhere, it’s the perfect way to explore this exciting new movie from a master filmmaker known for his poignant storytelling and visual grandeur.
The Art of Kong: Skull Island
In March 2017, the producers of Godzilla transport audiences to the birthplace of one of the most powerful monster myths of all in Kong: Skull Island, from Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary Pictures.
When a scientific expedition to an uncharted island awakens titanic forces of nature, a mission of discovery becomes an explosive war between monster and man. Tom Hiddleston, Samuel L. Jackson, Brie Larson, John Goodman and John C. Reilly star in a thrilling and original new adventure that reveals the untold story of how Kong became King.
The Art and Making of Kong: Skull Island goes behind the scenes and reveals how this monster-sized production was brought to the screen. Featuring incredible concept art and on-set photography, this deluxe book is a rare treat for fans as key cast and crew tell the story of how Kong was given a whole new lease of life.
Wonder Woman: The Art and Making of the Film
Patty Jenkins’ Wonder Woman sees the hero brought to the big screen for the first time in her own movie, and fully realizes the breathtaking wonder, strength, and grace of such an historic character. Wonder Woman: The Art & Making of the Film celebrates the creation of this groundbreaking movie, taking fans on a voyage of discovery through the world of Wonder Woman. Showcasing the earliest concept art, set and costume designs, sketches and storyboards, the book delves deep into the filmmaking process, from creating the stunning island of Themyscira to the war-torn trenches and towns of First World War Europe.
This official companion explores the Amazons’ rigorous training regimens, their weaponry, armor, Themysciran culture, and the amazing women themselves. With exclusive insights from cast and crew, including director Patty Jenkins, production designer Aline Bonetto, and Diana herself, Gal Gadot, this volume is the ultimate guide to the past, present, and future of one of the most iconic heroes in the world – Wonder Woman.
The Art and Making of Alien: Covenant
Ridley Scott returns to the universe he created with Alien: Covenant, a new chapter in the groundbreaking Alien franchise. The crew of the colony ship Covenant discover what they think is an uncharted paradise, but it is actually a dark, dangerous world, whose sole inhabitant is the synthetic David, survivor of the doomed Prometheus expedition. Alien: Covenant – The Art of the Film reveals how the visual style of the film evolved, with breathtaking concept art accompanied by insight and interviews with key cast and crew.
This official companion book explores all the major environments, creatures and technology that feature in this exciting new movie. It explores the intricate technology of the eponymous colony ship and its auxiliary vehicles, designs of the crew’s uniforms and weaponry, artwork of key locations and breathtaking alien art imagery in amazing detail. Packed with fascinating sketches, blueprints, diagrams, full-color artwork, final film frames and behind-the-scenes shots from the set, Alien: Covenant – The Art of the Film is the ultimate literary companion to this highly anticipated movie event.
It Came From the Video Aisle!: Inside Charles Band’s Full Moon Entertainment Studio
Charles Band’s Full Moon Entertainment was the most remarkable B-movie studio of the 1990s, responsible for a barrage of sci-fi, fantasy, and horror classics during the last true “golden age” of the home video era. From Puppetmaster to Trancers and beyond, Full Moon transformed the VHS experience for fans worldwide, bringing the inner workings of the movie-making process into the living room, and in turn creating a ravenous fan base that remains to this day. This book tracks the history of the company, from its late ’80s birth among the ruins of the American drive-in through to its bid to survive in the modern digital world. Featuring rare artwork, behind-the-scenes photos, and over 50 exclusive interviews with the cast and crew who helped to create the legendary B-movie studio, this is an essential read for any cult film fan still lamenting the death of the “mom ‘n pop” video store.
Middle-earth from Script to Screen: Building the World of The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit
For the first time ever, the epic, in-depth story of the creation of one of the most famous fantasy worlds ever imagined–an illustrious compendium that reveals the breathtaking craftsmanship, artistry, and technology behind the magical Middle-earth of the blockbuster film franchises, The Lord of the Rings Motion Picture Trilogy and The Hobbit Trilogy, directed by Peter Jackson.
They said it couldn’t be done, but in an effort spanning a decade and undertaken in a distant corner of the world, a team of artists and creative visionaries laboured to bring the unfilmable to the silver screen. Under the direction of Sir Peter Jackson, their extraordinary efforts to adapt J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit generated almost 24 hours of cinematic wonder, and transported audiences to a world of astonishing beauty and power.
Richly illustrated with thousands of film frames, concept art and behind-the-scenes imagery, many previously unseen, Middle-earth: From Script to Screen follows in the footsteps of the Fellowship of the Ring and the Company of Thorin Oakenshield, visiting the realms and landscapes of Middle-earth and uncovering their secrets. Accompanying this stunning gallery, cast and crew reflect upon their experiences, share brand-new stories and insights into how the wildernesses and soundstages of New Zealand were transformed into a magical world of hobbits, Dwarves and Elves, resulting in one of the most spectacular achievements in cinematic history.
With foreword by Sir Peter Jackson and additional writing by K.M. Rice; illustrated with final film imagery, behind-the-scenes pictures and conceptual artwork, including places not seen in the final films, this monumental compilation offers unique and far-reaching insights into the creation of the world we know and love as Middle-earth.
Playboy Laughs: The Comedy, Comedians, and Cartoons of Playboy
Following her success with Playboy Swings, Patty Farmer looks at Playboy’s relationship with comedians and cartoonists in her new book Playboy Laughs.
Playboy Laughs invites readers onto the sets of the organization’s groundbreaking TV shows, Playboy Penthouse and Playboy After Dark. These popular variety series brought top-tier comedians, impressionists, and monologists―as well as the finest musicians―into people’s homes each week.
Readers will learn how before he ever dreamed of conquering the magazine publishing world―and along the way establish a worldwide brand―Hugh Hefner harbored aspirations of making his mark in the world as a cartoonist.
Playboy Laughs delves into the darker aspects of the time as well, tackling the ways Playboy and its comedy stars helped break down social and racial barriers as well as sexual ones.
Known for her devotion to meticulous research and clear, honest storytelling, Farmer has gained the full cooperation of the Playboy organization―and Hugh Hefner himself―making this not only an entertaining read but a trustworthy history of an under-appreciated aspect of American comic culture.
Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets The Art of the Film
Rooted in the classic graphic novel series, Valerian and Laureline– visionary writer/director Luc Besson advances this iconic source material into a contemporary, unique and epic science fiction saga. Valerian (Dane DeHaan) and Laureline (Cara Delevingne) are special operatives for the government of the human territories charged with maintaining order throughout the universe. Under directive from their Commander (Clive Owen), Valerian and Laureline embark on a mission to the breathtaking intergalactic city of Alpha, an ever-expanding metropolis comprised of thousands of different species from all four corners of the universe. Alpha’s seventeen million inhabitants have converged over time- uniting their talents, technology and resources for the betterment of all. Unfortunately, not everyone on Alpha shares in these same objectives; in fact, unseen forces are at work, placing our race in great danger.
Wonder Woman: Ambassador of Truth
A gorgeous, authorized celebration of one of the most popular and enduring Super Heroes of all time—Wonder Woman—that chronicles the life and times of this pop-culture phenomenon. This lush full-color compendium features a removable tiara on the front cover, inserts and exclusive interactives, and illuminating interviews and anecdotes from key artists, writers, and personalities involved in bringing Wonder Woman to life across the years.
Created by William Moulton Marston and introduced at the beginning of America’s involvement in World War II, Wonder Woman—the fierce warrior and diplomat armed with bulletproof Bracelets of Victory, a golden tiara, and a Lasso of Truth—has been a pop-culture icon and one of the most enduring symbols of feminism for more than seventy-five years. Wonder Woman: Ambassador of Truth now tells the complete illustrated story of this iconic character’s creative journey. Signe Bergstrom examines Wonder Woman’s diverse media representations from her wartime comic book origins to today’s feature films, and explores the impact she has had on women’s rights and empowerment and the fight for peace, justice, and equality across the globe.
Wonder Woman: Ambassador of Truth brings together a breathtaking collage of images—from the DC comic books, the 1970s-era television show starring Lynda Carter, her numerous animated appearances, the June 2017 Wonder Woman feature film called “the best DC universe film yet”, and the November 2017 film Justice League.
Fluff: The Sticky Sweet Story of an American Icon
At the turn of the twentieth century, Boston was a booming candy town. Of all the tantalizing treats, nothing has stuck around like Marshmallow Fluff. Since that time, the small, family-run company Durkee-Mower has churned out a century of Fluff with the secretive air of Willy Wonka. Little has been made of this extraordinary legacy until now. To author Mimi Graney, Fluff is more than a retro ingredient. It is a story about the merits and pitfalls of adaptation and innovation. Graney deftly brings the factory floor alive, weaving a fascinating narrative about New England s forgotten candy industry, changing social roles for women, the advent of commercial radio and modern advertising, and the supermarket revolution. Fluff has survived two world wars, corporate attacks, nutrition battles, and the rise and fall of manufacturing towns. The world has changed around it, yet this icon remains the same.
Yesterday’s Tomorrow: Disney’s Magical Mid-Century
Yesterday’s Tomorrow is a valentine to an era of optimism, relaxed lifestyle, and innovative design; a large-format, general audience book, illustrated with rarely seen art and photography of the mid-20th century reflecting the unique style that Walt Disney and his artists contributed to the era. If you’ve seen Sleeping Beauty, read Dwell Magazine, shopped at Design Within Reach, or watched Mad Men, this book is for you and all those who love this extraordinary era of Disney.
Paperbacks from Hell: The Twisted History of ’70s and ’80s Horror Fiction
Take a tour through the horror paperback novels of two iconic decades . . . if you dare. Page through dozens and dozens of amazing book covers featuring well-dressed skeletons, evil dolls, and knife-wielding killer crabs! Read shocking plot summaries that invoke devil worship, satanic children, and haunted real estate! Horror author and vintage paperback book collector Grady Hendrix offers killer commentary and witty insight on these trashy thrillers that tried so hard to be the next Exorcist or Rosemary’s Baby. Complete with story summaries and artist and author profiles, this unforgettable volume dishes on familiar authors like V. C. Andrews and R. L. Stine, plus many more who’ve faded into obscurity. Also included are recommendations for which of these forgotten treasures are well worth your reading time and which should stay buried.
Crunch!: A History of the Great American Potato Chip
The potato chip has been one of America’s favorite snacks since its accidental origin in a nineteenth-century kitchen. Crunch! A History of the Great American Potato Chip tells the story of this crispy, salty treat, from the early sales of locally made chips at corner groceries, county fairs, and cafes to the mass marketing and corporate consolidation of the modern snack food industry.
Crunch! also uncovers a dark side of potato chip history, including a federal investigation of the snack food industry in the 1990s following widespread allegations of antitrust activity, illegal buyouts, and predatory pricing. In the wake of these “Great Potato Chip Wars,” corporate snack divisions closed and dozens of family-owned companies went bankrupt. Yet, despite consolidation, many small chippers persist into the twenty-first century, as mom-and-pop companies and upstart “boutique” businesses serve both new consumers and markets with strong regional loyalties.
Illustrated with images of early snack food paraphernalia and clever packaging from the glory days of American advertising art, Crunch! is an informative tour of large and small business in America and the vicissitudes of popular tastes.
Comic Shop: The Retail Mavericks Who Gave Us a New Geek Culture
The early 1970s saw the birth of the modern comic book shop. Its rise was due in large part to a dynamic entrepreneur, Phil Seuling. His direct market model allowed shops to get comics straight from the publishers, bypassing middlemen. Stores could better customize their offerings and independent publishers could now access national distribution. In this way, shops opened up a space for quirky ideas to gain an audience and helped transform small-press series, from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles to Bone, into media giants.
Comic Shop is the first book to trace the history of these cultural icons. Dan Gearino brings us from their origins to the present day, when the rise of digital platforms has the industry at a crossroads even as sales are robust. He spends a year with stores around the country, with a spotlight on The Laughing Ogre in Columbus, Ohio. Along the way he interviews those who shaped comics retailing from the early days, including many pioneering women; top creators; and shop owners who continue to push the industry in new directions. A guide to forty of the most interesting shops around the United States and Canada is a bonus for fans
Houdini: The Life and Times of the World’s Greatest Magician
Based on contemporary reports and diaries and supported with historic photographs and period posters, Houdini is an intriguing biography of the world’s greatest magician and escape artist. Ninety years after his death, this brings both the man and his magic back to life again for one last performance. In the early 1900s, Houdini’s handcuff show was a huge sensation which toured the best venues in the USA and Europe, and when audiences demanded more, so he introduced straight-jackets, water-filled tanks, and nailed shut packing crates.
His outdoor spectaculars became increasingly elaborate. In the early winter of 1906, he leaped manacled from the MacArthur Bridge in Detroit, MI, freeing himself from two pairs of handcuffs beneath the icy waters. Houdini’s mega-star status allowed him to fly airplanes, star in his own movies, write and publish his own books, and even become president of the Society of American Magicians. This biography is an authoritative view from accomplished biographer Charlotte Montague, and belongs on the shelf of any lover of magic, escape artistry, and enigmatic figures.
The Year of the Geek: 365 Adventures from the Sci-Fi Universe
The Year of the Geek is a fascinating look into geek culture. Each day will tell a different story from the sci-fi universe, from famous franchises and figures such as Star Wars, The Matrix, Peter Jackson and Luc Besson, to lesser known stories, including the French cult classic City of Lost Children, the Japanese anime Akira and bestselling German novelist, Marcus Heitz. With text written by self-confessed geek James Clarke and accompanied by over 100 infographics that have been specially commissioned for this book, The Year of the Geek celebrates all things geek in a new and intriguing way.
Slayers & Vampires: The Complete Uncensored, Unauthorized Oral History of Buffy & Angel
Two decades after its groundbreaking debut, millions of fans worldwide remain enthralled with the incredible exploits of Joss Whedon’s Buffy Summers, the slayer and feminist icon who saved the world…a lot; as well as Angel, the tortured vampire with a soul who fought against the apocalyptic forces of evil.
Now, go behind-the-scenes of these legendary series that ushered in the new Golden Age of Television, with the candid recollections of writers, creators, executives, programmers, critics and cast members. Together they unveil the oftentimes shocking true story of how a failed motion picture became an acclaimed cult television series, how that show became a pawn between two networks, and the spin-off series that was as engaging as everything that came before. This is the amazing true story of Buffy and the friends, vampires, slayers, and demons who changed television forever.
Pinball Wizards: Jackpots, Drains, and the Cult of the Silver Ball
Pinball’s history is America’s history, from gambling and war-themed machines to the arcade revolution and, ultimately, the decline of the need to leave your house. The strangest thing about pinball is that it persists, and not just as nostalgia. Pinball didn’t just stick around—it grew and continues to evolve with the times. Somehow, in today’s iPhone world, a three-hundred-pound monstrosity of wood and cables has survived to enjoy yet another renaissance.
Pinball is more to humor writer Adam Ruben than a fascinating book topic—it’s a lifelong obsession. Ruben played competitive pinball for years, rising as high as the 80th-ranked player in the world. Then he had children. Now, mired in 9,938th place—darn kids—Ruben tries to stage a comeback, visiting pinball museums, gaming conventions, pinball machine designers, and even pinball factories in his attempt to discover what makes the world’s best players, the real wizards, so good. Along the way, Ruben examines the bigger story of pinball’s invention, ascent, near defeat, resurgence, near defeat again, and struggle to find its niche in modern society.
Claws & Saucers: Science Fiction, Horror, and Fantasy Film: A Complete Guide: 1902-1982
From FOG!‘s David E. Goldweber comes the digital edition of his amazing book! Claws & Saucers is the most complete guide to classic science fiction, horror, and fantasy films ever written. Claws & Saucers describes and critiques 1700+ films: virtually every sci-fi, horror, and fantasy film made from 1902-1982, including dozens of thrillers, exploitation films, psychedelic films, and adventure films. Claws & Saucers offers accurate facts, clear consistent writing, and honest opinions from someone who respects both his subject matter and his readers.
Spinal Tap: The Big Black Book
More than 30 years ago Marty Di Bergi (played by director Rob Reiner) could not have known that as he introduced his “rockumentary” This Is Spinal Tap , he was creating a work of genius that would rock on for decades. Consistently cited as one of the funniest movies ever made (and often spoken about by rock stars as one of the most frightening movies they’ve ever seen), This Is Spinal Tap has achieved cult status around the world. Spinal Tap: The Big Black Book will bring to the public, for the very first time, the story of the band in words, pictures, and removable facsimile memorabilia. Turn your bookshelf up to 11 with this fully authorized publication…
House Industries: The Process Is the Inspiration
A standard-bearer of American design since 1993, House Industries answers the burning question, “Where do you find inspiration?” with this illustrative collection of helpful lessons, stories, and case studies that demonstrate how to transform obsessive curiosity into personally satisfying and successful work. Presented in House’s honest, authentic, and often irreverent style, and covering topics ranging from fonts and fashion to ceramics and space technology, this beautifully useful 400–page volume offers a personal perspective on the origin of ideas for creative people in any field. Most important, this book shows that there’s no sense in waiting for inspiration because inspiration is already waiting for you.
Junk Type: Typography – Lettering – Badges – Logos
Junk Type is a project driven by the passion of one man to document a disappearing aspect of American culture. Bill Rose—aka Recapturist—is a photographer and designer who has spent the last decade traveling across America looking for junkyards, yard sales, antique stores, and other unlikely sources of inspiration to capture examples of postwar American typography and design before they’re lost forever.
Bringing together more than 400 images, this invaluable book is a visual history of postwar America, told through the distinct typography, icons, badges, and branding of the country’s industrial heritage. From Art Deco–inspired fonts and unique handmade cursive lettering to illustrated insignia and clean graphic logos bearing the influence of European design of the 1960s, these pictures together represent an encyclopedic reference of creative typefaces and graphics.
With each photograph representing just a detail—an embossed logo, a specially created icon, or an advertising slogan—this book captures the optimism and pragmatism of a golden age of American industrial creativity and distills it into a charming resource for anyone with an eye (or nostalgia) for vintage design.
Elmore Leonard: The Classic Crime Novels
The Library of America presents the definitive edition of an American master of crime fiction: twelve modern classics in a deluxe three-volume collector’s boxed set. Blending gritty toughness and unpredictable violence with wild humor and an uncanny ear for the rhythms of ordinary speech, Elmore Leonard was the most widely and enthusiastically admired crime novelist of his time. His genius for scene and dialogue led Time magazine to describe him as “a Dickens of Detroit,” and Newsweek called him “the best American writer of crime alive, possibly the best we’ve ever had.” Now The Library of America inaugurates a three-volume edition of Leonard’s greatest work, prepared in consultation with the author shortly before his death and edited by his long-time researcher Gregg Sutter.
Leonard began his career in the 1950s as a writer of pulp westerns, but switched genres at the end of the 1960s and slowly but steadily achieved recognition as a fantastically inventive storyteller and a one-of-a-kind stylist. For all the dazzling complications of his plots—often involving brilliantly elaborate scams, of which he was a master—it was the people who mattered most in his books, people from every walk of life and every social byway.
This is Elmore Leonard at his unbeatable best. Includes: Fifty-Two Pickup, Swag, Unknown Man No. 89, The Switch, City Primeval, LaBrava, Glitz, Freaky Deaky, Get Shorty, Rum Punch, Out of Sight, and Tishomingo Blues.
Never Use Futura
It’s everywhere, including the moon (on the commemorative plaque left by Apollo 11 astronauts), Nike sneakers, the artworks of Barbara Kruger, Ed Ruscha, and Jenny Holzer, 2001: A Space Odyssey credits, Domino’s Pizza boxes, Absolut Vodka bottles, and Red Bull cans. Futura and its typographic offspring have been the face of presidential campaigns from Richard Nixon to Hillary Clinton. Indeed, Futura is one of the most used fonts in the world today—the typeface of modern design—more so even than Helvetica. This fascinating book explores the cultural history and uses of a face that’s so common you might not notice, until you start looking, and then you can’t escape it. Douglas Thomas traces Futura from its Bauhaus-inspired origin in Paul Renner’s 1924 design, to its current role as the go-to choice for corporate work, logos, motion pictures, and advertisements. Never Use Futura is illuminating, sometimes playful, reading, not just for type nerds, but for anyone interested in how typefaces are used, take on meaning, and become a language of their own.
Supernatural: The Men of Letters Bestiary: Winchester Family Edition
An immersive in-world guide to the Supernatural universe, this tome from the Men of Letters’ archive features information on the deadliest ghosts, monsters, and creatures ever encountered. The Men of Letters was a secret society dedicated to accumulating knowledge of supernatural and arcane mysteries. Decades after the order was wiped out, Sam and Dean Winchester inherited their hidden bunker, where Sam compiled the records of the supernatural entities discovered by the Men of Letters into one book. Once assembled, the Winchester brothers themselves included their own additions and annotations.
From the Knight of Hell Abaddon to banshees and wendigos, this fully illustrated tome will allow fans to explore the creatures of Heaven, Hell, and Earth from the Winchester brothers’ perspective. Complete with commentary from Sam and Dean, Supernatural: The Men of Letters Bestiary offers a unique and immersive look at the creatures and entities that inhabit the series.
Cartoon County: My Father and His Friends in the Golden Age of Make-Believe
For a period of about fifty years, right in the middle of the American Century, many of the the nation’s top comic-strip cartoonists, gag cartoonists, and magazine illustrators lived within a stone’s throw of one another in the southwestern corner of Connecticut―a bit of bohemia in the middle of those men in their gray flannel suits.
Cullen Murphy’s father, John Cullen Murphy, drew the wildly popular comic strips Prince Valiant and Big Ben Bolt, and was at the heart of this artistic milieu. Comic strips and gag cartoons read by hundreds of millions were created in this tight-knit group―Superman, Beetle Bailey, Snuffy Smith, Rip Kirby, Hagar the Horrible, Hi and Lois, Nancy, Sam & Silo, Amy, The Wizard of Id, The Heart of Juliet Jones, Family Circus, Joe Palooka, and The Lockhorns, among others. Cartoonists and their art were a pop-cultural force in a way that few today remember. Anarchic and deeply creative, the cartoonists were independent spirits whose artistic talents had mainly been forged during service in World War II.
Illustrated with never-before-seen photographs, cartoons, and drawings, Cartoon County brings the postwar American era alive, told through the relationship of a son to his father, an extraordinarily talented and generous man who had been trained by Norman Rockwell. Cartoon County gives us a glimpse into a very special community―and of an America that used to be.
Becoming AFI: 50 Years Inside the American Film Institute
For over fifty years, the American Film Institute has flourished as one of America’s great cultural entities. Its graduates, faculty, supporters, and trustees have included such acclaimed individuals as Steven Spielberg, Maya Angelou, Gregory Peck, Meryl Streep, Les Moonves, Patty Jenkins, David Lynch, Jane Fonda, Edward James Olmos, Shonda Rhimes, James L. Brooks, Michael Nesmith, Sir Howard Stringer, and many other respected leaders in the worlds of film, television, digital media, and philanthropy.
Written in a unique memoir style, Becoming AFI: 50 Years Inside the American Film Institute offers a candid look at how this remarkable organization has brought together aspiring filmmakers, outstanding educators, and visionary artists. The book details AFI’s journey to becoming the foremost national champion for moving images as a vibrant art form and a critical component of America’s cultural history. AFI’s story is chronicled through in-depth essays written by those who have been involved in its adventures, growth, and successes: from its early years under George Stevens Jr.’s direction at the legendary Greystone mansion and the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC; through its period of incredible growth, under Jean Picker Firstenberg’s guidance, as an influential cultural institution at its landmark Hollywood campus; to its continued years of excellence under Bob Gazzale’s dynamic leadership.
Becoming AFI provides an insightful, behind-the-scenes look at how AFI―with passionate determination―overcame the hurdles of advancing technology, political shifts, and new audience dynamics to turn its aspirations into a substantial and highly successful organization. A tireless advocate of moving images as one of America’s most popular art forms, AFI is maturing into one of the world’s most respected educational and cultural institutions.
Star Wars The Last Jedi The Visual Dictionary
Star Wars: The Last Jedi:The Visual Dictionary is the definitive guide to Star Wars: The Last Jedi, revealing the characters, creatures, droids, locations, and technology from the new film. Packed with 100+ images and information as penned by Star Wars scribe Pablo Hidalgo, it’s a must-have for all fans who want to go beyond the movie experience.
Star Trek: The Book of Lists
Spanning the epic science fiction franchise’s fifty-one-year history, a breathtaking collection of the most compelling Star Trek facts and trivia, including events from both on and off-screen, available in 100 concise lists.
Since Gene Roddenberry’s original series first aired in 1966, Star Trek has become a pop culture phenomenon, and one of the largest global properties of all time. Entertaining and fun, Star Trek: The Book of Lists catalogs the most compelling facts about the original series and its spin-offs, as well as its thirteen films, gathered together and broken down into one hundred lists, including: Historical Figure Cameos, Crew Crossovers, Memorable Deaths and Intergalactic Threats, Enemies, and Villains. Compiling a galaxy’s worth of information in one handy digest, Star Trek: The Book of Lists is a fascinating historical record of the Star Trek universe for both hardcore fans and causal viewers.
Breaking Bad 101: The Complete Critical Companion
AMC’s Breaking Bad is among the most beloved, critically acclaimed American television series of our time. Created by Vince Gilligan, the series charts the transformation of high school science teacher Walter White (played by Bryan Cranston) into a cold, calculating meth kingpin. Breaking Bad 101 collects esteemed critic Alan Sepinwall’s (Uproxx) popular Breaking Bad recaps in book form, featuring new, exclusive essays and completely revised and updated commentary—as well as insights from and interviews with the creative masterminds behind Breaking Bad. The ultimate critical companion for one of the greatest television dramas of all time, Breaking Bad 101 offers fans Sepinwall’s smart, funny, and incisive analysis of the psychology and filmmaking craft behind each episode and celebrates the series’ unique place in pop-culture history.
The X-Files: Earth Children Are Weird
One the most beloved TV shows of all time is now a sweet, silly, sci-fi bedtime story perfect for kids and their parents!
Best pals Dana (Scully) and Fox (Mulder) have pitched a tent in the backyard for a sleepover. But the night is full of strange sounds, lights, and shadows. Surely there’s a rational, scientific explanation for everything . . . or is there? With beautiful illustrations of pint-sized Dana and Fox, this humorous and not-scary-at-all story will introduce the cult TV show to an entire new generation of fans.
Marlowe Kana Vol. 1
From FOG! Contributor Joe Peacock! It’s 51 years after the Second American Civil War. The 40 million citizens of the United American State are aghast to find that their biggest celebrity, Major Marlowe Kana of the Imagen Military and Security Division (MilSec), has just been found guilty of treason. Every Feed on the Net has been covering the events of her trial, and two questions remain to be answered: What will happen to MK, and what will the nation watch now that the Next Top Soldier Hall-of-Famer (and star of the most-watched Feed in history) is locked away? The answer comes almost immediately and shakes the country to its core. (Volumes 2 & 3 also available!)
E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial: The Classic Illustrated Storybook
When E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial was released in theaters thirty-five years ago, its bittersweet story enchanted millions and the film surpassed Star Wars to become the highest-grossing movie of all time. Now the cinematic blockbuster is transformed into an illustrated storybook, with colorful, adorable drawings by Kim Smith. Here is a story you can’t help but love: After E.T. is stranded on Earth, he takes refuge with Elliott, a boy in need of a friend. Together they find a way to help E.T. get back home. Along the way, both child and alien learn important lessons about courage, friendship, and the power of imagination. This is the perfect read-along story for children, their parents, and E.T. fans across the universe.
The Best of Richard Matheson
The definitive collection of terrifying stories by “one of the greatest writers of the 20th century” (Ray Bradbury), edited by award-winning author Victor LaValle
Among the greats of 20th-century horror and fantasy, few names stand above Richard Matheson. Though known by many for novels like I Am Legend and his sixteen Twilight Zone episodes, Matheson truly shines in his chilling, masterful short stories. Since his first story appeared in 1950, virtually every major writer of science fiction, horror, and fantasy has fallen under his influence, including Stephen King, Neil Gaiman, Peter Straub, and Joe Hill, as well as filmmakers like Stephen Spielberg and J.J. Abrams. Matheson revolutionized horror by taking it out of Gothic castles and strange cosmos and setting it in the darkened streets and suburbs we recognize as our own. He infused tales of the fantastic and supernormal with dark explorations of human nature, delving deep into the universal dread of feeling alone and threatened in a dangerous world. The Best of Richard Matheson brings together his greatest hits as chosen by Victor LaValle, an expert on horror fiction and one of its brightest talents, marking the first major overview of Matheson’s legendary career.
Dark Tales
For the first time in one volume, a collection of Shirley Jackson’s scariest stories, with a foreword by PEN/Hemingway Award winner Ottessa Moshfegh
After the publication of her short story “The Lottery” in the New Yorker in 1948 received an unprecedented amount of attention, Shirley Jackson was quickly established as a master horror storyteller. This collection of classic and newly reprinted stories provides readers with more of her unsettling, dark tales, including the “The Possibility of Evil” and “The Summer People.” In these deliciously dark stories, the daily commute turns into a nightmarish game of hide and seek, the loving wife hides homicidal thoughts and the concerned citizen might just be an infamous serial killer. In the haunting world of Shirley Jackson, nothing is as it seems and nowhere is safe, from the city streets to the crumbling country pile, and from the small-town apartment to the dark, dark woods. There’s something sinister in suburbia.
Makeup Man
In Hollywood’s heyday, almost every major studio had a Westmore heading up the makeup department. Since 1917, there has never been a time when Westmores weren’t shaping the visages of stardom. For their century-long dedication to the art of makeup, the Westmores were honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2008. In this lively memoir, Michael Westmore not only regales us with tales of Hollywood’s golden age, but also from his own career where he notably transformed Sylvester Stallone into Rocky Balboa and Robert DiNiro into Jake LaMotta, among many other makeup miracles.
Westmore’s talent as a makeup artist first became apparent when he created impenetrable disguises for Kirk Douglas, Tony Curtis, Burt Lancaster, Robert Mitchum, and Frank Sinatra for the 1963 film The List of Adrian Messenger. He later went on to become the preferred makeup man for Bobby Darin and Elizabeth Taylor, and worked on such movies and TV shows as The Munsters, Rosemary’s Baby, Eleanor and Franklin, New York, New York, 2001: A Space Odyssey, and Mask, for which he won an Academy Award. The next phase of his career was to create hundreds of alien characters for over 600 episodes of Star Trek in all its iterations, from The Next Generation to Enterprise.
Replete with anecdotes about Hollywood and its stars, from Bette Davis’s preference for being made-up in the nude to Shelley Winters’s habit of nipping from a “little bottle” while on the set, Makeup Man will satisfy any Hollywood’s fan’s appetite for gossip or a behind-the-scenes look at how tinsel town’s most iconic film characters were created.
Addicted to Americana: Celebrating Classic & Kitschy American Life & Style
Raised on a used-car lot, Charles Phoenix was destined to become the Ambassador of Americana. The photo collector, food crafter, and field tripper is famed for his hilarious live show performances and “theme park” tour of downtown Los Angeles. This riotously colorful book, replete with Charles’s collection of vintage Kodachrome slides, celebrates his lifelong quest to unearth the best of classic and kitschy American life and style. Charles Phoenix is a showman, tour guide, food crafter, and author known for his live comedy slide-show performances, madcap test-kitchen videos, field-trip-style adventure tours, and colorful books.
In Addicted to Americana, Phoenix launches us into the stratosphere of space-age style, amazing attractions, roadside wonders, festive foods, crazy car culture, and futuristic transportation via his road-trip discoveries and found vintage Kodachrome slides. Sit back and enjoy the fabulous flight as he guides us through his action-packed, fun-filled, wondrous world of mid-century marvels. Your imagination will be inspired and your spirit will soar!
Harry Potter: The Wand Collection
In the Harry Potter films, each wand is as unique as the witch or wizard who wields it. From Hermione Granger’s elegant, vine-wrapped wand to the bone-inlaid wands of the Death Eaters, each was designed and crafted by the filmmakers to reflect its owner’s identity.
Harry Potter: The Wand Collection is a visual guide to these magical wands, their makers, and the characters who mastered them. Profiles of each wand feature stunning new photography of the original props, wand statistics, insights from the cast and crew, and other filmmaking secrets from the Warner Bros. archive.
This collectible volume is an ideal resource for both wand-wielding veteran fans seeking to learn the history behind these beloved items and a new generation just beginning their journey into the wizarding world.
The Ross Macdonald Collection: 11 Classic Lew Archer Novels
Kenneth Millar, who published most of his novels under the name Ross Macdonald, was a master of all the kinds of devices and deceptions on which mystery fiction depends. Books like The Galton Case and The Chill and The Far Side of the Dollar remain unsurpassed for the deepening intricacy of their narratives, the awesomely engineered dovetailing of hidden relationships and long-buried crimes. In his work, as he explained to his editor Alfred A. Knopf, the mystery is far more than a puzzle to be solved: “Plot is important to me. I try to make my plots carry meaning, and this meaning such as it is determines and controls the movement of the story.” The meanings he explored expressed both the privations and troubles of his own youth in Canada and a larger vision of the guilt and raging discontent simmering not far beneath the surface of the apparently thriving Southern California where he spent his adult life. The puzzles he so brilliantly constructed culminate in revelations not far from the stark clarity of tragedy.
Set against the background of a glittering yet darkly enigmatic Southern California, Macdonald’s books are both unsurpassed entertainments and emotionally powerful evocations of an outwardly prosperous, inwardly turbulent America. Macdonald mastered the hard-boiled detective form early on and brought to it a prose style of extraordinary beauty. Set includes The Way Some People Die, The Barbarous Coast, The Doomsters, The Galton Case, The Zebra-Striped Hearse, The Chill,The Far Side of the Dollar, Black Money, The Instant Enemy, The Goodbye Look and The Underground Man.
The New Annotated Frankenstein
Two centuries after its original publication, Mary Shelley’s classic tale of gothic horror comes to vivid life in “what may very well be the best presentation of the novel” to date (Guillermo del Toro).
“Remarkably, a nineteen-year-old, writing her first novel, penned a tale that combines tragedy, morality, social commentary, and a thoughtful examination of the very nature of knowledge,” writes best-selling author Leslie S. Klinger in his foreword to The New Annotated Frankenstein. Despite its undeniable status as one of the most influential works of fiction ever written, Mary Shelley’s novel is often reductively dismissed as the wellspring for tacky monster films or as a cautionary tale about experimental science gone haywire. Now, two centuries after the first publication of Frankenstein, Klinger revives Shelley’s gothic masterpiece by reproducing her original text with the most lavishly illustrated and comprehensively annotated edition to date.
Featuring over 200 illustrations and nearly 1,000 annotations, this sumptuous volume recaptures Shelley’s early nineteenth-century world with historical precision and imaginative breadth, tracing the social and political roots of the author’s revolutionary brand of Romanticism. Braiding together decades of scholarship with his own keen insights, Klinger recounts Frankenstein’s indelible contributions to the realms of science fiction, feminist theory, and modern intellectual history―not to mention film history and popular culture. The result of Klinger’s exhaustive research is a multifaceted portrait of one of Western literature’s most divinely gifted prodigies, a young novelist who defied her era’s restrictions on female ambitions by independently supporting herself and her children as a writer and editor.
Born in a world of men in the midst of a political and an emerging industrial revolution, Shelley crafted a horror story that, beyond its incisive commentary on her own milieu, is widely recognized as the first work of science fiction. The daughter of a pioneering feminist and an Enlightenment philosopher, Shelley lived and wrote at the center of British Romanticism, the “exuberant, young movement” that rebelled against tradition and reason and “with a rebellious scream gave birth to a world of gods and monsters” (del Toro).
Following his best-selling The New Annotated H. P. Lovecraft and The New Annotated Sherlock Holmes, Klinger not only considers Shelley’s original 1818 text but, for the first time in any annotated volume, traces the effects of her significant revisions in the 1823 and 1831 editions. With an afterword by renowned literary scholar Anne K. Mellor, The New Annotated Frankenstein celebrates the prescient genius and undying legacy of the world’s “first truly modern myth.”
SHAG: The Collected Works
With an unparalleled collection of paintings and illustrations, featuring new and unpublished pieces, Josh Agle―more commonly known as Shag―presents a tome bursting with vibrant colors, vivacious personalities, and a magic mirror into midcentury modernism.
Including an introduction by author and expert on 1960s and ’70s youth culture, Domenic Priore, SHAG: The Collected Works serves as a curated catalogue of Shag’s creativity of the past three decades. Travel through Shag’s creativity, enjoying themed creations from over the years, including Cocktails & Characters, Utopia/Dystopia, and Modernism Madness. A collection of previously unseen Disney-inspired work will grace the pages of this one-of-a-kind book, as well as a behind-the-scenes look into Shag’s studio in Southern California. SHAG: The Collected Works contains collaborations with impressive design entities, including typography creation with prolific type foundry House Industries.
Totally Awesome: The Greatest Cartoons of the Eighties
Totally Awesome: The Greatest Cartoons of the Eighties is the ultimate guide to ’80s cartoon nostalgia, featuring the art, toys, and inside story behind icons like He-Man, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, G.I. Joe, and the Thundercats.
For an entire generation of kids weaned on the intoxicating excitement of eighties cartoons, the decade can be summed up with two words: Totally Awesome! With a thriving Saturday morning network schedule, a full complement of weekday syndicated programming, and the removal of guidelines that prevented cartoons from being based on toys, the 1980s enjoyed an unprecedented TV animation boom that made household names of a host of colorful characters.
From He-Man and the Masters of the Universe to The Transformers, G.I. Joe, and The Muppet Babies, eighties cartoons would have such a huge impact on an entire generation that decades later they have become pop culture touchstones, revered by fans whose young minds were blown by their vivid visuals and snappy storytelling.
In this deluxe book, Andrew Farago, a respected cartoon historian and child of the eighties, provides an inside look at the history of the most popular cartoons of the decade, as told by the writers, animators, voice actors, and other creative talents who brought life to some of the era’s most enduring animated shows. Also featuring Thundercats, Inspector Gadget, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and many more cartoon classics, Totally Awesome is a treasure trove of eighties animation nostalgia that will take fans back to a time of unlimited imagination and unparalleled adventure.
Frankenstein: The First Two Hundred Years
On New Year’s Day 1818, Mary Shelley’s novel Frankenstein was first published in an anonymous three-volume edition of 500 copies. Some thought the book was too radical in its implications; a few found the central theme intriguing; no-one predicted its success.
Since then, there have been many, many adaptations―120 films alone, at the last count―on screen, stage, in novels, comics and graphic novels, in advertisements and even on cereal packets. From a Regency nightmare, Frankenstein became a cuddly childhood companion―thoroughly munstered, so to speak. The story has been interpreted as a feminist allegory of birthing, an ecological reading of mother earth, an attack on masculinist science, the origin of science fiction, an example of “female gothic,” a reaction to the rise of the industrial proletariat and much else besides. Frankenstein lives! The F word has been applied, since the 1950s, to test-tube babies, heart transplants, prosthetics, robotics, cosmetic surgery, genetic engineering, genetically modified crops and numerous other public anxieties arising from scientific research. Today, Frankenstein has taken over from Adam and Eve as the creation myth for the age of genetic engineering.
This book, celebrating the 200th birthday of Frankenstein, traces the journey of Shelley’s Frankenstein from limited-edition literature into the bloodstream of contemporary culture. With text by renowned Gothic scholar Sir Christopher Frayling, it includes new research on the novel’s origins; a facsimile reprint of the earliest-known manuscript version of the creation scene; visual material on adaptations for the stage, in magazines, on playbills, in prints and in book publications of the 19th century; visual essays on many of the film versions and their inspirations in the history of art; and Frankenstein in popular culture―on posters, advertisements, packaging, in comics and graphic novels.
