Books, glorious books.
We all know reading is fundamental, but these selections after the jump might be the perfect gift for yourself or someone on your list.
The Art of Bob Peak by Thomas Peak
For the first time ever, a comprehensive oversized coffee-table book (11″ x 12.5″) on The Art of Bob Peak. Expanded to 392 pages with over 600 images and illustrations. The book includes work spanning a 40 year career with many never before seen illustration along with his iconic illustrations for the Movies, Major Periodicals, National Ad Campaigns, Time Magazine Covers, TV Guide Covers, Fashion Advertising, Sports Advertising and more. Among the stunning artwork within are such iconic movie posters as the Star Trek films, Apocalypse Now, My Fair Lady, Camelot. Excalibur, Superman: The Movie, Hair, Modesty Blaise, Our Man Flint, In Like Flint, The Spy Who Loved Me, and Prince of The City as well as TV Guide covers featuring The Six Million Dollar Man, Star Trek, Fantasy Island, Madonna, Johnny Cash, Hawaii Five-O, Mork & Mindy, Man From Atlantis and CHips. A must have for anyone with an interest in pop culture or art.
Back in Time: The Unauthorized Back to the Future Chronology by Greg Mitchell and Rich Handley
Great Scott, the space-time continuum can be tricky to navigate! But fear not, time-travelers, for your troubles are over. The next time you hop into your DeLorean, bring along Back in Time: The Back to the Future Chronology to guide you through every galaxy-shattering paradox. Back in Time explores the complex timelines of Back to the Future, as presented in the films, cartoons, novels, comics, video games, card game and even McDonalds Happy Meal boxes. Bring some spare plutonium or a few empty cans for the Mr. Fusion, and prepare to blast to the past, as The Back to the Future Chronology brings you:
- A detailed history of the Back to the Future mythos, from the dinosaur age to a staggering three quadrillion years into Earth’s future
- A stunning painted cover and more than 40 breathtaking, full-page interior sketches from artist Pat Carbajal, produced exclusively for this volume
- An insightful foreword by Dan Madsen, founder and publisher of the original Back to the Future Fan Club
- A nostalgic essay examining Hill Valley’s prominent families and significant events, from the town’s Old West frontier beginnings to a future world of barbarians, dragons and sorcerers
- A comprehensive map offering a comparative view of the businesses and shops of Hill Valley’s Courthouse Square, in numerous eras across divergent timelines
- Detailed family trees listing all known members of the McFly, Brown, Tannen, Baines, Parker, Strickland and Clayton bloodlines
- A mini-timeline presenting all known jumps through space-time in a coherent, chronological context, broken down by mode of temporal travel
- An examination of the main characters’ brushes with fame, as Doc and Marty reshaped history and encountered historical figures, their own idols—and even a few characters from other franchises
Designed for both casual fans and those who know the names of Jennifer Parker’s three grandfathers, The Back to the Future Chronology is your guide to Hill Valley history.
Sick Little Monkeys: The Unauthorized Ren & Stimpy Story by Thad Komorowski
In the 1990s animation boom, The Ren & Stimpy Show stood supreme. Through vigorous draftsmanship, charismatic voices, irreverent sight gags, crass humor, and stellar character acting, animation’s most talented and disturbed artists created an entity for the Nickelodeon cable network that pulled the art form out of a 25-year rut. The world has never been quite the same since – and we’re eternally grateful! Now you too can join the rollercoaster ride that is the fascinating, insane real-life story of art, money, and ego that gave birth to Ren Höek and Stimpson J. Cat. History Eraser Buttons need not apply. No stone has been unturned, no magic nose goblin unpicked, in this extensively detailed history of the show that defined a generation and changed an entire medium. It’s everything you wanted to know about Ren & Stimpy – but were afraid to ask!
Throughout our history, humans have been captivated by mythic beasts and legendary creatures. Tales of Bigfoot, the Yeti, and the Loch Ness monster are part of our collective experience. Now comes a book from two dedicated investigators that explores and elucidates the fascinating world of cryptozoology.
Daniel Loxton and Donald R. Prothero have written an entertaining, educational, and definitive text on cryptids, presenting the arguments both for and against their existence and systematically challenging the pseudoscience that perpetuates their myths. After examining the nature of science and pseudoscience and their relation to cryptozoology, Loxton and Prothero take on Bigfoot; the Yeti, or Abominable Snowman, and its cross-cultural incarnations; the Loch Ness monster and its highly publicized sightings; the evolution of the Great Sea Serpent; and Mokele Mbembe, or the Congo dinosaur. They conclude with an analysis of the psychology behind the persistent belief in paranormal phenomena, identifying the major players in cryptozoology, discussing the character of its subculture, and considering the challenge it poses to clear and critical thinking in our increasingly complex world.
Magic. 1400s -1950s by Mike Caveney and Jim Steinmeyer
Magic has enchanted humankind for millennia, evoking terror, laughter, shock, and amazement. Once persecuted as heretics and sorcerers, magicians have always been conduits to a parallel universe of limitless possibility—whether invoking spirits, reading minds, or inverting the laws of nature by sleight of hand. Long before science fiction, virtual realities, video games and the internet, the craft of magic was the most powerful fantasy world man had ever known. As the pioneers of special effects throughout history, magicians have never ceased to mystify us by making the impossible possible.
This book celebrates more than 500 years of the dazzling visual culture of the world’s greatest magicians. Featuring more than 1,000 rarely seen vintage posters, photographs, handbills, and engravings as well as paintings by Hieronymus Bosch and Caravaggio among others, The Big Book of Magic traces the history of magic as a performing art from the 1400s to the 1950s. Combining sensational images with incisive text, the book explores the evolution of the magician’s craft, from medieval street performers to the brilliant stage magicians who gave rise to cinematic special effects; from the 19th century’s Golden Age of Magic to groundbreaking daredevils like Houdini and the early 20th century’s vaudevillians.
Who is Killing the Great Capes of Heropa? by Andrez Bergen
Heropa: A vast, homogenized city patrolled by heroes and populated by adoring masses. A pulp fiction fortress of solitude for crime-fighting team the Equalizers, led by new recruit Southern Cross – a lifetime away from the rain-drenched, dystopic metropolis of Melbourne. Who, then, is killing the great Capes of Heropa? In this paired homage to detective noir from the 1940s and the ’60s Marvel age of trail-blazing comic books, Andrez Bergen gloriously redefines the mild-mannered superhero novel.
Heroes in the Night: Inside the Real Life Superhero Movement by Tea Krulos
The Watchman didn’t arrive in a Batmobile but drove a tan, four-door Pontiac. He was in costume, of course—a trench coat, motorcycle gloves, army boots, a domino mask, and a red hooded sweatshirt emblazoned with a W logo. Journalist Tea Krulos had spoken to him over the phone but never face-to-mask. By the end of the interview, he wasn’t sure if the Watchman was delightfully eccentric or completely crazy. But he was going to find out.
Heroes in the Night traces Krulos’s journey into the strange subculture of Real Life Superheroes, random citizens who have adopted comic book–style personas and hit the streets to fight injustice. Some concentrate on humanitarian or activist missions—helping the homeless, gathering donations for food banks, or delivering toys to children—while others actively patrol their neighborhoods looking for crime to fight. By day, these modern Clark Kents work as dishwashers, pencil pushers, and executives in Fortune 500 companies. But by night, only the Shadow knows.
Well, the Shadow and Tea Krulos. Through historical research, extensive interviews, and many long hours walking patrol in Brooklyn, Seattle, San Diego, Minneapolis, and Vancouver, British Columbia, Krulos discovered what being a RLSH is all about. He shares not only their shining, triumphant moments but some of their ill-advised, terrifying disasters as well. It’s all part of the life of a superhero. As the Watchman explains, “If everyone made little changes in what they did, gave a little more to charity, watched out for their neighbors, we wouldn’t have the problems that we have.”
Star Wars: Frames by George Lucas
After George Lucas finished work on Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith, he wanted to look back on the Star Wars saga with an entirely new point of view: isolating stills, or frames, from each of the six Star Wars films, focusing on them intensely as works of photography and design, and reproducing them in a book. For two years Lucas went through more than 150,000 frames per film, editing more than 1 million frames down to the 1,416 images that now comprise Star Wars: Frames, a testament to the hard work, craftsmanship, and dedication evident in every frame of every film. Star Wars: Frames brings together Lucas’s personal shot-by-shot selections into a lavishly designed two-volume hardcover set—one volume for the Original Trilogy and one volume for the Prequel Trilogy. For collectors and fans, Star Wars: Frames is the ultimate look on this grand project devoted to a cinematic phenomenon—and the ultimate Star Wars collector’s tome.
The Geek’s Guide to Dating by Eric Smith
You keep your action figures in their original packaging. Your bedsheets are officially licensed Star Wars merchandise. You’re hooked on Elder Scrolls and Metal Gear but now you’ve discovered an even bigger obsession: the new girl who just moved in down the hall. What’s a geek to do? Take some tips from Eric Smith in The Geek’s Guide to Dating. This hilarious primer leads geeks of all ages through the perils and pitfalls of meeting women, going on dates, getting serious, breaking up, and establishing a successful lifelong relationship (hint: it’s time to invest in new bedsheets). Full of whimsical 8-bit illustrations, The Geek’s Guide to Dating will teach fanboys everywhere to love long and prosper.
The Cool School: Writing from America’s Hip Underground Edited by Glenn O’Brien
Who were the original hipsters? In this dazzling collection, Glenn O’Brien provides a kaleidoscopic guided tour through the margins and subterranean tribes of mid-twentieth century America—the worlds of jazz, of disaffected postwar youth, of those alienated by racial and sexual exclusion, of outlaws and drug users creating their own dissident networks. Whether labeled as Bop or Beat or Punk, these outsider voices ignored or suppressed by the mainstream would merge and recombine in unpredictable ways, and change American culture forever.
To read The Cool School is to experience the energies of that vortex. Drawing on memoirs, poems, novels, comedy routines, letters, essays, and song lyrics, O’Brien creates an unparalleled literary mix tape bringing together Henry Miller, Miles Davis, Jack Kerouac, Diane di Prima, Lenny Bruce, William S. Burroughs, Bob Dylan, Annie Ross, Norman Mailer, Terry Southern, Andy Warhol, Lester Bangs, and dozens of others, including such legendary figures as Beat avatar Neal Cassady, jazz memoirist Babs Gonzales, inspired comic improviser Lord Buckley, no-holds-barred essayist Seymour Krim, and underground filmmaker Jack Smith. His one-of-a-kind anthology recreates an unforgettable era in all its hallucinatory splendor: transgressive, raucous, unruly, harrowing, and often subversively hilarious.
The latest Blaine McCracken novel from national bestselling author Jon Land. Blaine McCracken races to stop terrorists from unleashing an ancient weapon of unimaginable power at the president’s State of the Union speech
Blaine McCracken pulled off the impossible on a mission in Iran, but his work has just begun. Returning to the US, he faces another terrible threat in the form of Reverend Jeremiah Rule, whose hateful rhetoric has inflamed half the world, resulting in a series of devastating terrorist attacks. But Rule isn’t acting alone. A shadowy cabal is pulling his strings, unaware that they are creating a monster who will soon spin free of their control.
Finding himself a wanted man, McCracken must draw on skills and allies both old and new to get to the heart of a plot aimed at unleashing no less than the tenth circle of hell. A desperate chase takes him into the past, where the answers he needs are hidden amid two of history’s greatest puzzles: the lost colony of Roanoke and the Mary Celeste. As the clock ticks down to an unthinkable maelstrom, McCracken and his trusty sidekick, Johnny Wareagle, must save the United States from a war the country didn’t know it was fighting, and that it may well lose.
Crab Monsters, Teenage Cavemen, and Candy Stripe Nurses by Chris Nashawaty
Crab Monsters, Teenage Cavemen, and Candy Stripe Nurses is an outrageously rollicking account of the life and career of Roger Corman—one of the most prolific and successful independent producers, directors, and writers of all time, and self-proclaimed king of the B movie. As told by Corman himself and graduates of “The Corman Film School,” including Peter Bogdanovich, James Cameron, Francis Ford Coppola, Robert De Niro, and Martin Scorsese, this comprehensive oral history takes readers behind the scenes of more than six decades of American cinema, as now-legendary directors and actors candidly unspool recollections of working with Corman, continually one-upping one another with tales of the years before their big breaks.
Crab Monsters is supplemented with dozens of full-color reproductions of classic Corman movie posters; behind-the-scenes photographs and ephemera (many taken from Corman’s personal archive); and critical essays on Corman’s most daring films—including The Intruder, Little Shop of Horrors, and The Big Doll House— that make the case for Corman as an artist like no other.
Toy Time! by Christopher Byrne
What was your favorite childhood toy?
Do you have fond memories of fighting unseen enemies with your G.I. Joe action figures, demolishing fleets of vehicles with your Tonka Toy Trucks, or Karate-chopping imaginary street thugs with your Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles? What about carefree summer afternoons counting ticks on your Skip-It, scooting around the neighborhood on your Big Wheel, or soaring down your backyard Slip ‘n Slide? Still a little bitter that your parents never let you have a Nerf Super Soaker, or a Barbie Dream House? Did you prefer to unleash your inner artist with your Etch a Sketch, or your inner chef with your Easy-Bake Oven? Did you like to challenge your friends to a rousing game of Mousetrap, or did you prefer to get tied up in knots over a round of Twister?
In Toy Time! you’ll be reunited with all these classic toys and more. No matter when you grew up, or what types of play ignited your imagination, Toy Time! will take you on a journey of rediscovery, allowing you to relive those carefree, innocent, and fun-filled days of childhood. Charming, playful, and full of photos of vintage toys, Toy Time! is an exploration and celebration of the toys that roused our imaginations, shaped our memories, and touched our lives.
Long before Titanic and Avatar broke box-office records and won countless awards, James Cameron announced his genius with the 1984 release of The Terminator. Nothing like it had ever been seen before—it fused time travel, thrilling action, artificial intelligence, and terror with provocative questions about the human race—and of course, it made Arnold Schwarzenegger an international superstar. The movie’s 1991 sequel, Terminator 2: Judgment Day, has some of the greatest special effects in movie history and remains one of the most influential science fiction films of all time. The story of Sarah and John Connor’s fight against the advanced assassin cyborg, the T-1000, is an astonishing look at the battle between good and evil.Now, for the first time ever, here is the complete story of the Terminator world. Terminator Vault, written by acclaimed film expert Ian Nathan and with a foreword by “Governator” Schwarzenegger, takes a behind-the-scenes look at the making of both films, from the initial conception of Skynet (the AI system determined to destroy humanity) to the creation of the films’ special effects, many of which had never been previously attempted. Reproductions of original scripts and concept drawings provide completely new insights into the Terminator backstory, and there are over 170 color images of the development, production, and more.
This is a must-have book for any Terminator fan, released in anticipation of the first film’s thirtieth anniversary.
The Adventure Time Encyclopaedia: by Martin Olson Hunson Abadeeer
What time is it? Adventure Time! Explore the magical world of Ooo with Jake the dog and Finn the human, along with the Ice King, Princess Bubblegum, Marceline the Vampire Queen, and all your favorite Adventure Time characters, in this first official guide to Cartoon Network’s hit animated series.
Written and compiled by the Lord of Evil himself, The Adventure Time Encyclopaedia matches the playful, subversive tone of the series, detailing everything anyone will ever need to know about the post-apocalyptic land of Ooo and its inhabitants—secret lore and spells, fun places you should visit and places where you will probably die, whom to marry and whom not to marry, how to make friends and how to destroy your enemies—plus hand-written marginalia by Finn, Jake, and Marceline. An indispensable companion to the show, this side-splittingly funny love letter to is sure to appeal to fans of all ages. Heck yeah!
Magic Words: The Extraordinary Life of Alan Moore by Lance Parkin
For over three decades comics fans and creators have regarded Alan Moore as a titan of the form. With works such as V for Vendetta, Watchmen and From Hell, he has repeatedly staked out new territory, attracting literary plaudits and a mainstream audience far removed from his underground origins. His place in popular culture is now such that major Hollywood players vie to adapt his books for cinema.
Yet Moore’s journey from the hippie Arts Labs of the 1970s to the bestseller lists was far from preordained. A principled eccentric, who has lived his whole life in one English town, he has been embroiled in fierce feuds with some of the entertainment industry’s biggest corporations. And just when he could have made millions ploughing a golden rut he turned instead to performance art, writing erotica, and the occult.
Now, as Alan Moore hits sixty, it’s time to go in search of this extraordinary gentleman, and follow the peculiar path taken by a writer quite unlike any other.
The Art of Metal edited by Malcolm Dome and Martin Popoff
Since the late 1960s, the imagery of the heavy metal genre has been closely connected with the music itself. Classic albums evoke memories of famous cover artwork; metal bands have become forever synonymous with their iconic logos; and landmark live shows have led to instantly recognizable gig posters that embody the time, place, and passion of the events. It’s even possible to trace the genre’s evolution by examining a continuum of its art.
In The Art of Metal, renowned music journalist Malcolm Dome offers a beautifully presented chronological collection of the colorful, outlandish, and sophisticated album covers, posters, T-shirts, and more that span decades of heavy metal music. More than 400 gorgeously reproduced works of art are complemented by in-depth features, including quotes from the graphic artists and musicians responsible for them. Dome also spotlights the metal genre’s most influential artists and photographers and delves into other topics that include metal merch, magazines, fashion, and tattoos.
In the process, The Art of Metal illustrates and explores the close-knit relationship between those timeless riffs that thunder from Marshall stacks and the images that have come to represent the songs, anthems, and sheer nature of headbanger culture—a must for any true thrasher’s bookshelf.
Pulp Fiction: The Complete Story of Quentin Tarantino’s Masterpiece by Jason Bailey
When Pulp Fiction was released in theaters in 1994, it was immediately hailed as a masterpiece. The New York Times called it a “triumphant, cleverly disorienting journey,” and thirty-one-year-old Quentin Tarantino, with just three feature films to his name, became a sensation: the next great American director.
Nearly twenty years later, those who proclaimed Pulp Fiction an instant classic have been proven irrefutably right. In Pulp Fiction: The Complete Story of Quentin Tarantino’s Masterpiece, film expert Jason Bailey explores why Pulp Fiction is such a brilliant and influential film. He discusses how the movie was revolutionary in its use of dialogue (“You can get a steak here, daddy-o,” “Correct-amundo”), time structure, and cinematography—and how it completely transformed the industry and artistry of independent cinema. He examines Tarantino’s influences, illuminates the film’s pop culture references, and describes its phenomenal legacy. Unforgettable characters like Jules Winnfield (Samuel L. Jackson), Vincent Vega (John Travolta), Butch Coolidge (Bruce Willis), and Mia Wallace (Uma Thurman) are scrutinized from all-new angles, and memorable scenes—Christopher Walken’s gold watch monologue, Vince’s explanation of French cuisine—are analyzed and celebrated.
Much like the contents of Marcellus Wallace’s briefcase, Pulp Fiction is mysterious and spectacular. This book explains why. Illustrated throughout with original art inspired by the film, with sidebars and special features on everything from casting close calls to deleted scenes, this is the most comprehensive, in-depth book on Pulp Fiction ever published.
The Complete Grimm’s Fairy Tales by Jacob Grimm and Wilhelm Grimm
Originally titled Children’s and Household Tales, The Complete Grimm’s Fairy Tales contains the essential bedtime stories for children worldwide for the better part of two centuries. The Brothers Grimm, Jacob and Wilhelm, were German linguists and cultural researchers who gathered legendary folklore and aimed to collect the stories exactly as they heard them. 2012 marked the 200th anniversary of Grimm’s Fairy Tales, and what better way to celebrate than to include all 211 stories into the Knickerbocker Classic Series?
Featuring all your favorite classics, including “Hansel and Gretel,” “Cinderella,” “The Frog Prince,” “Rapunzel,” “Snow White,” “Rumpelstiltskin,” and dozens more, The Complete Grimm’s Fairy Tales is also accompanied by 40 color plates and 60 black and white illustrations from award-winning English illustrator Arthur Rackham, whose books and prints are now highly sought-after collectibles.
The third title in the Knickerbocker Classic series has 800 pages of classic fairy tales to enjoy and will also feature a full-cloth binding, ribbon marker, and will fit neatly in an elegant slipcase for your personal library collection.Also includes a selection of stunning color reproductions by the famous illustrator, Arthur Rackham.
Soul Train: The Music, Dance, and Style of a Generation by Questlove
From Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson of the award-winning hip-hop group the Roots, comes this vibrant book commemorating the legacy of Soul Train—the cultural phenomenon that launched the careers of artists such as Tina Turner, Stevie Wonder, the Jackson 5, Whitney Houston, Lenny Kravitz, LL Cool J, and Aretha Franklin. Questlove reveals the remarkable story of the captivating program, and his text is paired with more than 350 photographs of the show’s most memorable episodes and the larger-than-life characters who defined it: the great host Don Cornelius, the extraordinary musicians, and the people who lived the phenomenon from dance floor. Gladys Knight contributed a foreword to this incredible volume. Nick Cannon contributed the preface.
With its smooth, soulful tunes and groovy dance moves, Soul Train launched the careers of countless African American artists and set lasting trends in music, dance, and fashion for more than three decades. To create this unparalleled tribute to the show, Questlove, the brilliant frontman for the Roots, has pored through more than 1,100 episodes of the show and been given exclusive access to its archives to present hundreds of never-before-seen photographs and the riveting, unfiltered story of how Don Cornelius revolutionized black entertainment.
In this incredible volume, Questlove takes you on a journey from the show’s conception and first episode in 1971 to Don’s final episode as host in 1993. You will learn how all-star performers such as Ike and Tina Turner, Marvin Gaye, Michael Jackson, Stevie Wonder, Elton John, Whitney Houston, David Bowie, Aretha Franklin, LL Cool J, Lenny Kravitz, the Beastie Boys, and Mariah Carey, to name a few, got their start, and get an up-close look at the show’s most memorable dancers, and the moves and fashion they popularized.
Soul Train was the longest-running syndicated program in television history. It was beloved by generations of youth, like Questlove, who eagerly awaited every episode, and young music lovers are still discovering it today. It’s taken more than forty years for the awesome legacy of Soul Train to be celebrated in a proper way, and this book does just that.
Alternative Movie Posters: Film Art from the Underground by Matthew Chojnacki
Film poster art is back….with a vengeance.
Alternative Movie Posters: Film Art from the Underground is the first book to take a comprehensive look at the spectacular art of underground film posters.
In an era of studio posters that endlessly rely on enhanced head shots of film actors, this book chronicles a network of designers reinventing film posters and bringing “the art” back to the one-sheet. This dynamic group of illustrators have reinvigorated the public’s interest in film artwork, crafting stunning pieces for classic and cult flicks. Underground film posters sell out within minutes due to their limited quantities, and are now the most coveted posters by ardent moviegoers.
Alternative Movie Posters presents this eclectic medium through more than 200 posters from over 100 groundbreaking artists (hailing from 20 countries), coupled with fascinating commentary and behind-the-scenes information. With a smart, fresh visual perspective, Alternative Movie Posters celebrates classics like Star Wars, A Clockwork Orange, The Godfather and The Shining as well as cult favorites including The Big Lebowski, Blade Runner, Fight Club and Pink Flamingos.
Crazy 4 Cult: Cult Movie Art 2 by Gallery 1988
Gallery 1988’s annual Crazy 4 Cult art show has quickly become a phenomenon, with huge crowds and high profile buyers like Kevin Smith and Joss Whedon snapping up work by the cream of the underground/urban scene. Following 2011’s critically acclaimed first volume, here’s the eagerly awaited second selection of surprising, beautiful and just plain cool cult movie-inspired artwork. Includes pieces inspired by inspired by Escape From New York, Shaun of the Dead, Ghostbusters, The Princess Bride, The Big Lebowski, A Clockwork Orange, The Shining, Donnie Darko, Alien, Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, The Wizard of Oz, Back to the Future, Pee-wee’s Big Adventure, Scott Pilgrim vs. The World, The Evil Dead, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Hellraiser, Predator, The Monster Squad and Troll 2.
Fizz: How Soda Shook Up the World by Tristan Donovan
This social, cultural, and culinary history charts soda’s remarkable, world-changing journey from awe-inspiring natural mystery to ubiquity. Off-the-wall and offbeat stories abound, including how quack medicine peddlers spawned some of the world’s biggest brands, how fizzy pop cashed in on Prohibition, how soda helped presidents reach the White House, and even how Pepsi influenced Apple’s marketing of the iPod. This history of carbonated drinks follows a seemingly simple everyday refreshment as it zinged and pinged over society’s taste buds and, in doing so, changed the world.
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood by Juliette Michaud
This work examines Hollywood from every angle-offering an insider’s view of the iconic films and people that comprise the epicenter of unrivaled cinematic glory-and includes first-hand interviews with the stars. From the pioneers of cinema to the New Hollywood of the 1960s, this volume tells the epic tale of the golden age of American film studios. Featuring previously unpublished or rare interviews with Hollywood greats from Mickey Rooney to Kirk Douglas and from Jane Fonda to Julie Andrews, and including an excerpt from the last interview ever granted by the late Richard Burton, this history offers an insider’s perspective of the world’s most beloved entertainment traditions. From silent films to the innovations of sound and then color, from the studio systems that shaped Hollywood (nababs, censure, and “starification”), to glamour in all its facets (from set design to the femme fatale), and featuring all of the emblematic genres, professions, and even the studio brands, this book celebrates the vast creative hive at the center of the world’s cinematic hub. Rare archival photographs from the set and behind the scenes accompany reproductions of the great movie posters and headshots of screen stars to provide a visual chronology of the evolution of American cinema.
From musicals to Westerns to live-action movies, all of the great films, producers, stars, and directors that propagate the fabulous myth of Hollywood make this the ultimate homage and a valuable reference.
MONSTER EARTH! edited by James Palmer and Jim Beard
Welcome to a world where the Cold War was fought not with the threat of nuclear destruction, but with Giant Monsters. Watch as the denizens of this Earth that might have been learn to harness the power of these legendary creatures for good and ill. In these seven tales you’ll witness first hand as… –A young boy learns the value of sacrifice when the Japanese use a giant monster to attack Pearl Harbor… –An Inuit confronts his heritage to harness a frightening creature of the Great White North… –A false guru’s greed endangers 1960s Boston… All this and more await you in the pages of MONSTER EARTH! Join editors James Palmer (Slow Djinn), Jim Beard (Sgt. Janus, Spirit-Breaker) and some of the most talented voices in New Pulp, including Nancy Hansen (Prophecy’s Gambit), Edward M. Erdelac (The Merkabah Rider series), and I.A. Watson (Blackthorn: Dynasty of Mars) as they take you to a frightening vision of Earth… MONSTER EARTH!
A new book series published by Intellect that aims to ‘decode’ cult subjects in terms of their resonance within popular culture. Prompted by a growing appetite for books that tap into the fascination we have with what constitutes an iconic or cultish phenomenon and how a particular person, TV show or film character/film infiltrates their way into the public consciousness. We will look at particular examples of ‘fan culture’ and approach the subject in an accessible manner aimed at both fans and those interested in the cultural and social aspects of these fascinating – and often unusual – ‘universes’.
Each of the subjects have massive visual appeal as they deal with fan fashion, memorabilia, (fan)homages, merchandising and branding that help to create the immersive world that extends beyond the phenomenon itself.
Titles available:
The Awakened edited by Neal Levin and Hal Greenberg
You just turned nineteen. Do you feel… different? Is strange magic happening all around you? Are you suddenly mindspeaking with a sentient animal? In The Awakened, this could be you. Sixteen exciting stories pull you into the diverse and unusual world of Grimaton, where the twin moons above might mean a lifetime of change. Join our celebrated authors as they explore the world of The Awakened and spotlight the heroes, the villains, and the magic; where a random few may find themselves bonded to an animal companion for life, or might find they are the possessor of weird and powerful magic they could never have imagined. How these exceptional few are treated and how they learn to use those unasked-for powers… Well, that is the adventure we have started here.Experience the highs and lows of becoming an Awakened, decide if you would use your power for good or for evil, and grow with characters who will make you proud… or make you angry. Featuring the works of: Erik Scott de Bie, Clinton Boomer, Steve Creech, Torah Cottrill, Darrin Drader, Hal Greenberg, Ed Greenwood, Doug Herring, Jaleigh Johnson, Rosemary Jones, Ty Johnston, Kevin Kulp, Colin McComb, Darren W. Pearce, Rai Smith and most importantly, Forces of Geek‘s very own Rich Redman!
William Shakespeare’s Star Wars by Ian Doescher
Return once more to a galaxy far, far away with this sublime retelling of George Lucas’s epic Star Wars in the style of the immortal Bard of Avon. The saga of a wise (Jedi) knight and an evil (Sith) lord, of a beautiful princess held captive and a young hero coming of age, Star Wars abounds with all the valor and villainy of Shakespeare’s greatest plays. ’Tis a tale told by fretful droids, full of faithful Wookiees and fearstome Stormtroopers, signifying…pretty much everything.
Reimagined in glorious iambic pentameter—and complete with twenty gorgeous Elizabethan illustrations–William Shakespeare’s Star Wars will astound and edify Rebels and Imperials alike. Zounds! This is the book you’re looking for.
Jim Henson: The Biography by Brian Jay Jones
The Muppets made Jim Henson a household name, but they were just part of his remarkable story.
This extraordinary biography–written with the generous cooperation of the Henson family–covers the full arc of Henson’s all-too-brief life: from his childhood in Leland, Mississippi; through the years of burgeoning fame in Washington D.C., New York, and London; to the decade of international celebrity that preceded his untimely death at age fifty-three. Drawing on hundreds of hours of new interviews with Henson’s family, friends, and closest collaborators, as well as unprecedented access to private family and company archives (including never-before-seen interviews, business documents, and Henson’s private letters), Brian Jay Jones explores the creation of the Muppets, Henson’s contributions to Sesame Street and Saturday Night Live, and his nearly ten-year campaign to bring The Muppet Show to television. Jones provides the imaginative context for Henson’s non-Muppet projects, including the richly imagined worlds of The Dark Crystal and Labyrinth–as well as fascinating misfires like Henson’s dream of opening an inflatable psychedelic nightclub or staging an elaborate all-puppet Broadway show.
An uncommonly intimate portrait, Jim Henson captures all the facets of this American original: the master craftsman who revolutionized the presentation of puppets on television, the savvy businessman whose dealmaking prowess won him a reputation as “the new Walt Disney,” and the creative team leader whose collaborative ethos earned him the undying loyalty of everyone who worked for him. Here also is insight into Henson’s intensely private personal life: his Christian Science upbringing; his love of fast cars, high-stakes gambling, and expensive art; and his weakness for women. Though an optimist by nature, Henson was haunted by the notion that he would not have time to do all the things he wanted to do in life–a fear that his heartbreaking final hours would prove all too well founded.
An up-close look at the charmed life of a legend, Jim Henson gives the full measure to a man whose joyful genius transcended age, language, geography, and culture–and continues to beguile audiences worldwide.
Over the last two decades, writer-director Guillermo del Toro has mapped out a territory in the popular imagination that is uniquely his own, astonishing audiences with Cronos, Hellboy, Pan’s Labyrinth, and a host of other films and creative endeavors. Now, for the first time, del Toro reveals the inspirations behind his signature artistic motifs, sharing the contents of his personal notebooks, collections, and other obsessions. The result is a startling, intimate glimpse into the life and mind of one of the world’s most creative visionaries. Complete with running commentary, interview text, and annotations that contextualize the ample visual material, this deluxe compendium is every bit as inspired as del Toro is himself.
Contains a foreword by James Cameron, an afterword by Tom Cruise, and contributions from other luminaries, including Neil Gaiman and John Landis, among others.
Wonderbook: The Illustrated Guide to Creating Imaginative Fiction by Jeff VanderMeer
This all-new definitive guide to writing imaginative fiction takes a completely novel approach and fully exploits the visual nature of fantasy through original drawings, maps, renderings, and exercises to create a spectacularly beautiful and inspiring object. Employing an accessible, example-rich approach, Wonderbook energizes and motivates while also providing practical, nuts-and-bolts information needed to improve as a writer. Aimed at aspiring and intermediate-level writers, Wonderbook includes helpful sidebars and essays from some of the biggest names in fantasy today, such as George R. R. Martin, Lev Grossman, Neil Gaiman, Michael Moorcock, Catherynne M. Valente, and Karen Joy Fowler, to name a few.
They were a phenomenon together and a fascination apart. The Beatles as a group released 12 studio albums in 8 years. As solo artists, however, John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr have released a collective 70 LPs and 900 songs since 1968. Never before have the Fab 4 been covered like this: masterpieces and missteps, triumphs and tragedies, moments of clarity and serious lapses in judgment – they’re all here. From George Harrison’s lush Wonderwall (the shot that launched the post-Beatles era), to the Plastic Ono Band, Wings, the Traveling Wilburys, The Firemen, Ringo’s hit singles and All-Starr Bands and more. An examination of their individual musical catalogues, their film careers, and their personal lives far and away from the studio are all covered for Beatles fans to enjoy.
This stunning gift set contains four beautifully illustrated books –one for each Beatle – covering their lives since they broke up in 1969. Jam-packed with nearly 400 pages, 200 photos, quotes, lyrics, and memorabilia all packaged in an elegant slipcase, this is a must-have gift item for the Beatle-lover in your life.
Longtime music journalist and former editor of Mojo magazine, Mat Snow has been writing about the Beatles for years, and he’s doing fresh interviews with friends and colleagues of the Beatles to gain insight into the solo lives of these four extraordinary men.
Alternate Histories of the World by Matthew Buchholz
This remarkable collection of maps, photographs, engravings and paintings from the early ages to modern day provides a stunning new look at the world as defined by our struggles and alliances with the monsters and supernatural creatures that have defined our existence. Learn how a mechanical man helped write America’s Declaration of Independence. Track the course of the Living Dead virus from Africa to Europe and on to the New World. View artifacts from our uneasy alliance with the Martian race, or simply delight in the vibrant colors and illustrations from a bygone age. More than 100 full-color images and insightful essays make this book an essential addition to the libraries of dedicated historians as well as casual fans of monsters and mayhem.
Mix hundreds of thousands of LEGO bricks with dozens of artists, and what do you get? Beautiful LEGO, a compendium of LEGO artwork that showcases a stunning array of pieces ranging from incredibly lifelike replicas of everyday objects and famous monuments to imaginative renderings of spaceships, mansions, and mythical creatures.
You’ll also meet the minds behind the art. Interviews with the artists take you inside the creative process that turns simple, plastic bricks into remarkable LEGO masterpieces.
The Making of The Wizard of Oz by Aljean Harmetz
Released in conjunction with the 75th-anniversary DVD release of The Wizard of Oz, this book is the definitive story of how one of America’s most beloved movies was made and a marvelous, unprecedented examination of how Hollywood used to make movies. This updated edition includes numerous photos and shares hundreds of interviews with cameramen, screenwriters, costume designers, directors, producers, light technicians, actors, and more to reveal how the factory-like Hollywood system of moviemaking miraculously produced one of the most enduring films ever made. From the scandalous headlines of Munchkin orgies at the Culver City Hotel and the Witch’s (accidental) burning to the building of the Emerald City and the sewing of nearly 1,000 costumes, The Making of The Wizard of Oz provides a richly detailed re-creation of MGM’s production No. 1060 and a detail-by-detail, department-by-department look at the most powerful and flamboyant studio Hollywood has ever known.
A Christmas Story: Behind the Scenes of a Holiday Classic by Caseen Gaines
The definitive guide to everything fans want to know about A Christmas Story shares the inside story behind the film’s production, release, and unlikely ascent to the top of popular culture. From Jean Shepherd’s original radio broadcasts to Bob Clark’s 1983 sleeper hit film and beyond, A Christmas Story has become a beloved Yuletide tradition over the last three decades. In conjunction with the 30th anniversary of its theatrical release, this is the untold story of the making of the film, and what happened afterwards. Ralphie Parker’s quest for a Red Ryder air rifle didn’t end with the movie’s release; the tale inspired massive VHS sales, a Broadway production, and a mountain of merchandise.
Complete with rare and previously unreleased photographs, now fans of the movie and film buffs alike can lean all they didn’t know about the timeless classic.
Curly: An Illustrated Biography of the Superstooge by Joan Howard Maurer
While the Three Stooges were the longest-active and most productive comedy team in Hollywood, their artistic height coincided with the years Curly was with them, from 1932 to 1946. To their fans, Curly stands out as the zaniest of the three. Famous for his high-pitched voice, his “n’yuk-n’yuk-n’yuk” and “why, soitenly,” and his astonishing athleticism, Curly was a true natural, an untrained actor with a knack for improvisation. Yet for decades, little was known about his personal life.
Then, in 1985, Joan Howard Maurer, Curly’s niece, published this definitive biography.
When she first set out to write the book, there was almost no biographical information available about Curly. So she spoke at length to his relatives, friends, and colleagues. She amassed a wealth of Curly memorabilia, a mixture of written material and rare photographs of Curly’s family, films, and personal life. In Curly: An Illustrated Biography of the Superstooge, she put it all together to come up with the first and only in-depth look at this crazy comedic genius. She included plenty of intimate details about his astonishing relationship with his mother, his marriages, and his interactions with his daughters and friends.
Despite its excellence as a well-rounded portrait of the most unpredictable—and most popular—Stooge, Curly has long been out of print. This new edition of a timeless classic, now updated with previously unpublished facts, is sure to be appreciated by Three Stooges fans new and old.
I Stooged to Conquer: The Autobiography of the Leader of the Three Stooges by Moe Howard
Telling the full story of the head Stooge, this work reveals the life-long career of a legendary funnyman. Born into a working-class family in Brooklyn, Moe Howard transformed his real-life experiences of getting into mischief with his brother Shemp into the plots that would have millions rolling in the aisles. From childhood, Moe’s ambition was to perform—whether it was plucking a ukulele on the beach, or playing a halfwit on a Mississippi showboat. But he only found success when he joined with Shemp and Larry Fine to play, as the New York Times put it, “three of the frowziest numskulls ever assembled.” As the brains behind the Three Stooges, he went on to act in hundreds of their movies, introducing his little brother Curly into the act when Shemp departed, and, after Curly’s death, partnering with Joe Besser and finally Joe de Rita.
This is Moe Howard’s self-penned, no-holds-barred story of the ups and downs of his life, ranging from personal family tragedies to tidbits about career mishaps and triumphs. It overflows with the easygoing charm, generosity, and inspired lunacy of the “wise guy” behind America’s most successful comedy trio.
What is a Superhero? edited by Robin S. Rosenberg and Peter Coogan
It’s easy to name a superhero–Superman, Batman, Thor, Spiderman, the Green Lantern, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Rorschach, Wolverine–but it’s not so easy to define what a superhero is. Buffy has superpowers, but she doesn’t have a costume. Batman has a costume, but doesn’t have superpowers. What is the role of power and superpower? And what are supervillains and why do we need them?
In What is a Superhero?, psychologist Robin Rosenberg and comics scholar Peter Coogan explore this question from a variety of viewpoints, bringing together contributions from nineteen comic book experts–including both scholars in such fields as cultural studies, art, and psychology as well as leading comic book writers and editors. What emerges is a kaleidoscopic portrait of this most popular of pop-culture figures. Writer Jeph Loeb, for instance, sees the desire to make the world a better place as the driving force of the superhero. Jennifer K. Stuller argues that the female superhero inspires women to stand up, be strong, support others, and most important, to believe in themselves. More darkly, A. David Lewis sees the indestructible superhero as the ultimate embodiment of the American “denial of death,” while writer Danny Fingeroth sees superheroes as embodying the best aspects of humankind, acting with a nobility of purpose that inspires us. Interestingly, Fingeroth also expands the definition of superhero so that it would include characters like John McClane of the Die Hard movies: “Once they dodge ridiculous quantities of machine gun bullets they’re superheroes, cape or no cape.”
From summer blockbusters to best-selling graphic novels, the superhero is an integral part of our culture. What is a Superhero? not only illuminates this pop-culture figure, but also sheds much light on the fantasies and beliefs of the American people.
Inside MAD: The “Usual Gang of Idiots” Pick Their Favorite MAD Spoofs by The Editors of MAD Magazine
Go Inside MAD!
It has long been assumed that anyone who wasted their formative years reading MAD must have wound up as a complete failure in life. But as it turns out, some readers actually went on to be…successful!
For the first time ever, MAD asked some of these successful readers to share what reading (and appearing in) MAD meant to them. What they have to say may surprise you!
Featuring essays with nouns, verbs, and punctuation by Roseanne Barr, Ken Burns, Dane Cook, Paul Feig, Whoopi Goldberg, Harry Hamlin, Tony Hawk, Ice-T, Penn Jillette, George Lopez, David Lynch, Todd McFarlane, Jeff Probst, John Slattery, John Stamos, Pendleton Ward and Matthew Weiner.
But wait-there’s more! (Regrettably.)
MAD asked some of the aforementioned “complete failures in life” (MAD‘s editors, writers and artists to share their all-time favorite MAD articles. What they have to say will definitely disappoint you!
Featuring the moronic mumblings of Sergio Aragones, Tom Bunk, Tim Carvell, Paul Coker, Jack Davis, Dick DeBartolo, Desmond Devlin, Mort Drucker, Mark Fredrickson, Drew Friedman, Frank Jacobs, Al Jaffee, Peter Kuper, Tom Richmond and many more!
Plus, inside: a never-before-reprinted Alfred E. Neuman pop art poster! And, an all new fold-out poster: a specially commissioned look at the legendary MAD offices by Sergio Aragones!
The Art of Rube Goldberg: (A) Inventive (B) Cartoon (C) Genius by Jennifer George
Not many of us make it into the dictionary as an adjective. But then again, Rube Goldberg was no ordinary noun. He was a cartoonist, humorist, sculptor, author, engineer, and inventor, and in a 72-year career he wrote and illustrated nearly 50,000 cartoons. Goldberg (1883–1970) was the most famous cartoonist of his time, best known for his comical inventions, which were syndicated in daily newspapers throughout the world. Author Jennifer George celebrates all aspects of her grandfather’s career, from his very first published drawings in his high school newspaper and college yearbook to his iconic inventions, his comic strips and advertising work, and his later sculpture and Pulitzer Prize–winning political cartoons. Also included are essays by noted comics historians, rare photographs, letters, memorabilia, and patents, many reproduced here for the first time. Brilliantly designed and packaged to capture the inventiveness of Rube Goldberg’s work, The Art of Rube Goldberg is a coffee table book the whole family can enjoy.
From Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary:
Rube Gold·berg. adjective rüb-ˈgōl(d)-ˌbərg: accomplishing by complex means what seemingly could be done simply < a kind of Rube Goldberg contraption . . . with five hundred moving parts —L. T. Grant >; also: characterized by such complex means. also: Rube Gold·berg·i·an
Shattering Conventions: Commerce, Cosplay and Conflict on the Expo Floor by Bob Calhoun
Conventions. Tradeshows. Expos. Every profession and obsession has them. We select hot tubs, handguns, the best Wonder Woman costume and even our presidential contenders at these neo-tribal gatherings where commerce and communalism collide. With a tanking economy and looming layoffs, lapsed-fanboy Bob Calhoun sets out on a quest through the temporary worlds created in concrete convention centers and hotel conference rooms for the nerdy enthusiasm he has lost. However, in Shattering Conventions, his new pop-culture memoir, Calhoun quickly discovers that escapism provides little escape from a growing American craziness.
During his self-imposed one year mission, Calhoun confronts the Westboro Baptists in front of Comic-Con, gets called out by Andrew Breitbart at a Tea Party rally, sneaks into a hemp expo and is chased out of a plastic surgeons’ conference by security guards. Shattering Conventions is filled with first-person observations of such luminaries as George Takei, Gene Simmons, Stan Lee, Mitt Romney, Kevin Smith, Bootsy Collins, Ted Nugent, HP CEO Meg Whitman, Gavin Newsom, Mr. T, Congressman Darrell Issa, William Shatner, Sir Patrick Stewart, a pro-wrestler called The Miz and even the ghost of Elvis. And in between the celebrity run-ins are the stories of Star Wars and Twilight fans seeking camaraderie through cosplay, and entrepreneurs striving to make it in the worst economy since the Great Depression.
Starting out as a goofy pop-culture experiment, Shattering Conventions becomes a twisted political odyssey where Calhoun witnesses the growing conflict between sci-fi nerds and rightwing extremists for the very soul of a nation. And the more conventions that Calhoun attends, the more he realizes that all of this coming together might be tearing us apart.
Super Graphic: A Visual Guide to the Comic Book Universe by Tim Leong
The comic book universe is adventurous, mystifying, and filled with heroes, villains, and cosplaying Comic-Con attendees. This book by one of Wired magazine’s art directors traverses the graphic world through a collection of pie charts, bar graphs, timelines, scatter plots, and more. Super Graphic offers readers a unique look at the intricate and sometimes contradictory storylines that weave their way through comic books, and shares advice for navigating the pages of some of the most popular, longest-running, and best-loved comics and graphic novels out there. From a colorful breakdown of the DC Comics reader demographic to a witty Venn diagram of superhero comic tropes and a Chris Ware sadness scale, this book charts the most arbitrary and monumental characters, moments, and equipment of the wide world of comics.
Star Trek: The Art of Juan Ortiz by Juan Ortiz
What if every Star Trek: The Original Series episode was a movie event? What would the movie poster look like? This was the inspiration to develop a one-of-a-kind set of images for the series that launched a franchise. Juan Ortiz is an avid Star Trek enthusiast and an accomplished artist that set out to create an art program representing each of the 80 episodes from the Star Trek: The Original Series. The artwork embodies his passion for the series, the transformational Sixties, and the visceral reaction generated from each episode. Ortiz has created unique retro-style art with the look of a 60s movie poster, comic book, pulp novel cover or advertisement, one each for all 80 episodes.
A Very Klingon Khristmas by Paul Ruditis and Patrick Faricy
This hilarious parody firmly plants Klingons at the center of the Christmas story—where they rightly should be—including everything from a Santa equipped with retractable claws, tribbles in the stockings of naughty Klingon boys and girls, and the spirited holiday warmth of a hot cup of mulled blood wine. Illustrated in a classic Norman Rockwell–inspired style, A Very Klingon Khristmas is the perfect holiday gift for every Star Trek fan!
Bazooka Joe and His Gang by The Topps Company, R. Sikoryak, Bhob Stewart and Jeff Shepherd
Bazooka Joe and his Gang have been synonymous with bubble gum ever since their debut in 1953, providing an irresistible combination of cheap laughs wrapped around pink, sugary sweetness. This book celebrates the iconic mini-comics that are recognized the world over. The story of Bazooka Bubble Gum is also detailed with extensive essays, including a profile of Wesley Morse, the original illustrator of Bazooka Joe. Included are reproductions of more than 100 classic comics spanning six decades—including the complete first series, reprinted in its entirety for the first time—as well as jokes, fortunes, and tiny ads for mail-order merchandise. Like Bazooka Bubble Gum itself, the book is pure nostalgia and guaranteed to appeal to kids and adults alike.
Includes 4 bonus trading cards and a genuine wax wrapper that evokes the original bubble gum packaging—like holding an actual piece of Bazooka in your hands!
The Wes Anderson Collection by Matt Zoller Seitz
Wes Anderson is one of the most influential voices from the past two decades of American cinema. A true auteur, Anderson is known for the visual artistry, inimitable tone, and idiosyncratic characterizations that make each of his films—Bottle Rocket, Rushmore, The Royal Tenenbaums, The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou, The Darjeeling Limited, Fantastic Mr. Fox, and Moonrise Kingdom—instantly recognizable as “Andersonian.” The Wes Anderson Collection is the first in-depth overview of Anderson’s filmography, guiding readers through his life and career. Previously unpublished photos, artwork, and ephemera complement a book-length conversation between Anderson and award-winning critic Matt Zoller Seitz. The interview and images are woven together in a meticulously designed book that captures the spirit of his films: melancholy and playful, wise and childish—and thoroughly original.
Star Wars Art: Concept by Lucasfilm Ltd.
From Ralph McQuarrie and Joe Johnston to Doug Chiang, Ryan Church, Iain McCaig, Erik Tiemens, and the next generation of animation and video-game artists, Star Wars Art: Concept collects, for the first time ever, the very best Star Wars conceptual artwork. As curated by George Lucas, the artwork that helped bring the Star Wars Saga to life is revealed in all its glory, featuring pre-production drawings and paintings from the Original Trilogy, the Prequel Trilogy, the TV shows, and the video games, including an exclusive preview of artwork from the highly anticipated 1313. Spanning the years from 1975 to the present, Star Wars Art: Concept is a fascinating look at the process of conceptual design. From pen and paint and paper to the digital realm, the result is the creation of breathtaking iconic worlds, vehicles, and characters that successive generations have embraced and made their own.
Pacific Rim: Man, Machines, and Monsters by David S Cohen
From acclaimed filmmaker Guillermo del Toro comes Warner Bros. Pictures’ and Legendary Pictures’ epic sci-fi action adventure Pacific Rim.
When legions of monstrous creatures, known as Kaiju, started rising from the sea, a war began that would take millions of lives and consume humanity’s resources for years. To combat the giant Kaiju, a special weapon was devised: massive robots, called Jaegers, which are piloted by an international crew of soldiers in the Pan Pacific Defense Corps. But even the Jaegers are proving nearly defenseless in the face of the relentless Kaiju. On the verge of defeat, two unlikely heroes—a washed up former pilot and an untested trainee—team up to pilot a legendary but seemingly obsolete Jaeger on a mission to halt the mounting apocalypse.
Pacific Rim: Man, Machines & Monsters chronicles the production of the film with stunning concept art, captivating photography, and cast and crew descriptions of the shoot.
Iron Man Manual by Daniel Wallace
Go inside Tony Stark’s amazing high-tech world with this stunning exploration of Marvel’s Iron Man universe. Compiled by Stark’s loyal digital assistant, JARVIS, Iron Man Manual delves into the Stark Industries archives to deliver a complete report on all aspects of the billionaire playboy’s life. From a S.H.I.E.L.D. psychological evaluation that reveals the true Tony Stark to detailed breakdowns of the suits and weaponry that make his armored alter ego so formidable, Iron Man Manual is the ultimate exploration of his extraordinary career. Also featuring in-depth reports on Stark’s allies and enemies, along with classified information on Stark Tower, the Malibu mansion, and Stark’s workshop, Iron Man Manual is the ultimate guide to the world of a Super Hero legend.
Star Trek: The Original Topps Trading Card Series by Paula M. Block and Terry J. Erdmann
Ever since Star Trek first aired on television in 1966, the series has had a strong influence on pop culture. In 1976, due to the show’s rising popularity in syndication, Topps released a series of collectible trading cards featuring full-color images from the classic television series created by Gene Roddenberry, as well as synopses and information on the cast and crew of the Starship Enterprise. This first-ever compilation includes the fronts and backs of all 88 cards and 22 rare and hard-to-find stickers (which were originally sold one per pack), as well as text and commentary by Star Trek insiders Paula M. Block and Terry J. Erdmann—guaranteed to please the die-hard Trekkie as well as a whole new generation of fans.
These Are The Voyages – TOS: Season One by Marc Cushman with Susan Osborn
Author Marc Cushman had the great honor of befriending both Gene Roddenberry and Robert H. Justman, who cooperated in the development of this three-book series and backed their endorsement with hundreds of never-before-released documents concerning the writing and production of the first Star Trek series. After decades of research, hundreds of exclusive interviews, and the inclusion of thousands of documents, from story outlines to scripts to interoffice memos between Roddenberry and his creative staff, correspondences with NBC and Desilu Studios, production schedules, budgets, and even the Nielsen ratings for every episode of the first Star Trek series, These Are the Voyages serves as a time machine, taking the reader back to witness the creation, writing and making of Star Trek. Decades of folklore is dispelled as the authentic documents are presented, revealing the true production order of the episodes (never before properly identified), the truth behind the ratings (Star Trek often won its time slot and was usually NBC’s top-rated Thursday night series, and again, Friday night series), the actual cost of each episode, when and where and how each scene from every episode was filmed, who wrote what part of which scripts (often not the writer given the screen credit), fan letters and trade reviews from the time of the first broadcasts, and much more. Foreword by TOS first season producer and writer John D.F. Black, and Mary Black.
The Beatles At Shea Stadium: The Story Behind Their Greatest Concert by Dave Schwensen
The Beatles’ performance at New York’s Shea Stadium on August 15, 1965 is one of the most exciting and important concert events in the history of popular music. Produced by Sid Bernstein and introduced on stage by television legend Ed Sullivan, John, Paul, George and Ringo played, sang, sweated and laughed for a record crowd of 55,600 fans. It was the height of Beatlemania and launched the modern era of outdoor stadium shows.
The Beatles At Shea Stadium tells the story of this concert through researched commentary and exclusive interviews with Beatles insiders, friends and fans. The story begins in 1963 with Bernstein scheduling the then-unknown group for two concerts at Carnegie Hall and the first wave of U.S. Beatlemania. Follow events leading up to the concert as the Beatles arrive in New York, tape The Ed Sullivan Show and attend a never-before revealed dinner at Rockefeller Center.
Then go backstage as they nervously prepare to face their largest live audience. The concert and excitement surrounding their performance are described in detail based on unedited live recordings and eyewitness accounts, and gives new insights into making the television special, secret recording session to overdub the live audio for network broadcast, and subsequent restoration of the classic film.
Book includes rare photos, memorabilia, and never-before published correspondence, documents and production notes.
S. by J. J. Abrams and Doug Dorst
One book. Two readers. A world of mystery, menace, and desire.
A young woman picks up a book left behind by a stranger. Inside it are his margin notes, which reveal a reader entranced by the story and by its mysterious author. She responds with notes of her own, leaving the book for the stranger, and so begins an unlikely conversation that plunges them both into the unknown.
The book: Ship of Theseus, the final novel by a prolific but enigmatic writer named V.M. Straka, in which a man with no past is shanghaied onto a strange ship with a monstrous crew and launched onto a disorienting and perilous journey.
The writer: Straka, the incendiary and secretive subject of one of the world’s greatest mysteries, a revolutionary about whom the world knows nothing apart from the words he wrote and the rumors that swirl around him.
The readers: Jennifer and Eric, a college senior and a disgraced grad student, both facing crucial decisions about who they are, who they might become, and how much they’re willing to trust another person with their passions, hurts, and fears.
S., conceived by filmmaker J. J. Abrams and written by award-winning novelist Doug Dorst, is the chronicle of two readers finding each other in the margins of a book and enmeshing themselves in a deadly struggle between forces they don’t understand, and it is also Abrams and Dorst’s love letter to the written word.
The CG Story: Computer-Generated Animation and Special Effects by Christopher Finch
The Art of Walt Disney author Christopher Finch tells the story of the pioneers of CG films: producer/directors like George Lucas, Steven Spielberg, and Ridley Scott; and John Lasseter and Ed Catmull, founders of Pixar.
Computer generated imagery, commonly called “CG,” has had as big an impact on the movie industry as the advent of sound or color. Not only has it made possible a new kind of fully animated movie, but it also has revolutionized big-budget, live-action filmmaking. The CG Story is one of determined experimentation and brilliant innovation carried out by a group of gifted, colorful, and competitive young men and women, many of whom would become legendary in the digital world.
George Lucas, Steven Spielberg, and Ridley Scott embraced the computer to create believable fantasy worlds of a richness that had seldom if ever been realized on screen. Their early efforts helped inspire a revolution in animation, enabled by technical wizardry and led by the founders of Pixar, including John Lasseter and Ed Catmull, who would create the entirely computer-produced worlds of Toy Story and subsequent Pixar films. Meanwhile, directors like James Cameron used the new technology to make hybrid live-action and CG films, including the extraordinary Avatar. Finch covers these and more, giving a full account of today’s most significant CG films.
MAD’s Greatest Artists: Dave Berg: Five Decades of The Lighter Side Of. . . by Dave Berg
Included in this magnificent collection are some of the greatest works from Dave Berg—one of MAD Magazine’s most popular writers/artists. The material will be presented chronologically and interspersed throughout with rough sketches,
a rare 1970 interview, an introduction and portrait of Berg by well-known American illustrator Drew Friedman, a “growing up with Dave Berg” essay by his daughter Nancy Berg, newly illustrated versions of classic Berg strips by several noteworthy cartoonists, and much more.
Tintin: The Art of Hergé by Michel Daubert
Since 1929, Tintin has captivated generations of children and adults alike with his thrilling adventures, published in 24 bestselling books. Millions followed Tintin from the wilds of the Congo to the streets of Prague, Moscow, New York, and more. Lavishly illustrated with photographs, original plates, and ephemera, Tintin: The Art of Hergé offers fresh insight into the story behind this iconic character, with unprecedented access to original sources from the Hergé Museum in Belgium.
Offering a new and nuanced look into the world of Tintin, journalist Michel Daubert explains how the artist Georges Remi became the world-famous Hergé. The book also includes profiles on the beloved characters, selections from Hergé’s earliest work, and chapters that trace the development of a rough sketch into a masterpiece. With its dynamic narrative and visual treasures, Tintin underscores the artist’s varied inspirations, revealing how Hergé’s creations have become modern classics.
