Connect with us

Hi, what are you looking for?

General

2014 FOG! Holiday Gift Guide: Books

The classic tale of good versus evil set in a galaxy far, far away, quickly became a cultural phenomenon during its time, inspiring a generation of story lovers and storytellers. Now, the original trilogy of Star Wars shines anew with the vibrant concept art of Ralph McQuarrie, the legendary conceptual designer behind the original trilogy.

Collected in a picture book for the first time, McQuarrie’s art is paired with captivating text by New York Times bestselling author Tony DiTerlizzi-a winning combination that will delight Star Wars fans old and new and delight generations of readers to come.

1883:  Texas Ranger William Ray Strong teams up with Judge Roy Bean to track down the Old West’s first serial killer who’s stitching a trail of death along the railroad lines slicing their way through Texas.

The Present:  Fifth Generation Texas Ranger Caitlin Strong finds herself pursuing another serial killer whose methods are eerily similar to the one pursued by her great-grandfather almost a century-and-a-half before.  But that’s just the beginning of the problems confronting Caitlin in her biggest and most dangerous adventure yet, starting off when the son of her reformed outlaw boy friend Cort Wesley Masters is nearly beaten to death while at college.

The trail of that attack at Brown University leads all the way back to Texas and a Chinese high-tech company recently awarded the contract to build the nation’s Fifth Generation wireless network.  Li Zhen, a rare self-made man in China and the company’s founder, counts that as the greatest achievement of his career.  But it’s an achievement that hides the true motivations behind a rise fueled by events dating back to the time of Caitlin’s great-grandfather.  Because the same era that spawned a serial killer who has impossibly resurfaced today also hides the secrets behind Li’s thirst for nothing less than China’s total domination of the United States.

His fiendishly clever plan is backed by all-powerful elements of the Chinese underworld that will stop at nothing to insure its success.  Up against an army at Li’s disposal, Caitlin and Cort Wesley blaze a violent trail across country and continent in search of secrets hidden in the past, but it’s a secret from the present that holds the means to stop their adversary’s plot in its tracks, even as a climactic battle dawns with nothing less than the fate of the U.S. at stake.   Because there’s a darkness coming, and only Caitlin Strong can find the light before it’s too late.

The Original Folk and Fairy Tales of the Brothers Grimm: The Complete First Edition

When Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm published their Children’s and Household Tales in 1812, followed by a second volume in 1815, they had no idea that such stories as “Rapunzel,” “Hansel and Gretel,” and “Cinderella” would become the most celebrated in the world. Yet few people today are familiar with the majority of tales from the two early volumes, since in the next four decades the Grimms would publish six other editions, each extensively revised in content and style. For the very first time, The Original Folk and Fairy Tales of the Brothers Grimm makes available in English all 156 stories from the 1812 and 1815 editions. These narrative gems, newly translated and brought together in one beautiful book, are accompanied by sumptuous new illustrations from award-winning artist Andrea Dezsö.

From “The Frog King” to “The Golden Key,” wondrous worlds unfold–heroes and heroines are rewarded, weaker animals triumph over the strong, and simple bumpkins prove themselves not so simple after all. Esteemed fairy tale scholar Jack Zipes offers accessible translations that retain the spare description and engaging storytelling style of the originals. Indeed, this is what makes the tales from the 1812 and 1815 editions unique–they reflect diverse voices, rooted in oral traditions, that are absent from the Grimms’ later, more embellished collections of tales. Zipes’s introduction gives important historical context, and the book includes the Grimms’ prefaces and notes.

A delight to read, The Original Folk and Fairy Tales of the Brothers Grimm presents these peerless stories to a whole new generation of readers.

The Boomer Book of Christmas Memories

Baby Boomers, remember the holidays? Aluminum trees, “The Chipmunks Song,” TV specials with the Peanuts gang or the Grinch? Remember making Chex Mix and Green Bean Casseroles?

The true and sometimes wacky stories behind the fads and holiday traditions of the Boomer Era are stuffed into this book. Who invented Bubble Lites? Did an Oregon DJ really get fired on the air for playing Elvis’ version of “White Christmas?” What were the secret histories of Barbie and Ken, Slinkys, Play-Doh, and games like Operation?

The Boomer Book of Christmas Memories
reveals all this and more! If you’re a Baby Boomer, or if you want to thrill someone born between 1946 and the 1960s, this book is certain raise a smile, a squeal, and maybe even a toast.

Alien: The Archive

Alien is one of the most original, thrilling, and beautiful franchises in cinema history. From Ridley Scott’s elegant horror masterpiece and James Cameron’s visceral and heart-pounding Aliens, to David Fincher’s nihilistic Alien3, and Jean-Pierre Jeunet’s twisted Alien Resurrection, these are the films that birthed a monster and a cultural phenomenon.

Alien: The Archive is a beautiful celebration of these landmark films, delving deep into the process of how all four films were created. From the earliest script ideas to final cut, this book showcases the making of the series in exhaustive and exclusive detail. Featuring storyboards from Ridley Scott, exclusive concept designs from Ron Cobb and Syd Mead, behind-the-scenes imagery of the xenomorphs being created, deleted scenes, unused ideas, costumes, weapons, and much more.

This must have retrospective also includes brand new interviews with Ridley Scott, Sigourney Weaver, H.R. Giger, Jean-Pierre Jeunet, Jenette Goldstein, and those whose vision and originality created a cinema legend.

This book is for all fans of Alien, art lovers, and cinema and science fiction historians. Alien:The Archive is the final word on the series and showcases the breathtaking creation of a terrifying and beautiful filmic nightmare.

A Weird-Oh World: The Art of Bill Campbell

You may know Bill Campbell’s name, but chances are, you know his handiwork better, especially the Weird-Ohs models that burst on the pop culture scene in the 1960s. Enjoy looking back over the career of this colorful artist in over 700 brilliant photos and witty prose. From his early days painting model box tops for the Hawk Model Company to his invention of the iconic Weird-Ohs model kits, Bill has continued to create some of the most unique artwork the world has seen. Also discover his work for national ad campaigns, editorial cartoons, his box art, fine art, and the Weird-Ohs that never were. Now much of that work has been gathered into one volume that traces the entire arc of Bill’s career, including his connection to the Manhattan Project, an initiative that may well have saved his life. Much of the art is presented here for the very first time.

Pacific Ocean Park

Pacific Ocean Park–or as it was commonly known in Los Angeles from the ’50s through the ’70s, P.O.P.–was extraordinary in both its glamorous rise and spectacular fall.

As a family-oriented attraction in the ’50s with modernist-styled rides designed by Hollywood’s best, P.O.P.’s attendance briefly surpassed that of Disneyland.

Christopher Merritt and Domenic Priore’s spectacular history includes hundreds of images, most of them unseen elsewhere, including original ride designs and illustrations, including Tiki-rich, space age, and nautical rides. P.O.P. was often widely seen in movies and television shows throughout the ’60s. Its Cheetah auditorium hosted important early rock shows, including those by Ritchie Valens, The Doors, and Pink Floyd.

P.O.P. was located at the dividing line between Santa Monica and Venice, the only spot during Prohibition-era Los Angeles where residents were allowed to dance and consort in a carnival-like atmosphere. The book also backgrounds the infamous “Dogtown” of the ’70s in which surfers took advantage of big waves that rolled through P.O.P.’s rotting piers near homeless junkies.

In 1973, a young filmmaker named George Lucas scribbled some notes for a far-fetched space-fantasy epic. Some forty years and $37 billion later, Star Wars–related products outnumber human beings, a growing stormtrooper army spans the globe, and “Jediism” has become a religion in its own right. Lucas’s creation has grown into far more than a cinematic classic; it is, quite simply, one of the most lucrative, influential, and interactive franchises of all time. Yet incredibly, until now the complete history of Star Wars—its influences and impact, the controversies it has spawned, its financial growth and long-term prospects—has never been told.

In How Star Wars Conquered the Universe, veteran journalist Chris Taylor traces the series from the difficult birth of the original film through its sequels, the franchise’s death and rebirth, the prequels, and the preparations for a new trilogy. Providing portraits of the friends, writers, artists, producers, and marketers who labored behind the scenes to turn Lucas’s idea into a legend, Taylor also jousts with modern-day Jedi, tinkers with droid builders, and gets inside Boba Fett’s helmet, all to find out how Star Wars has attracted and inspired so many fans for so long.

Since the first film’s release in 1977, Taylor shows, Star Wars has conquered our culture with a sense of lightness and exuberance, while remaining serious enough to influence politics in far-flung countries and spread a spirituality that appeals to religious groups and atheists alike. Controversial digital upgrades and poorly received prequels have actually made the franchise stronger than ever. Now, with a savvy new set of bosses holding the reins and Episode VII on the horizon, it looks like Star Wars is just getting started.

An energetic, fast-moving account of this creative and commercial phenomenon, How Star Wars Conquered the Universe explains how a young filmmaker’s fragile dream beat out a surprising number of rivals to gain a diehard, multigenerational fan base—and why it will be galvanizing our imaginations and minting money for generations to come.

John Alvin’s movie poster art is among the most iconic of the last 40 years, from Disney films such as Beauty and the Beast, Mulan and Pinocchio, to Empire of the Sun, Gremlins, Blazing Saddles, Predator, and the Star Wars 30th anniversary posters.

This book not only collects some of Alvin’s finest work, but also includes previously unseen comprehensives and in progress sketches. With the text including commentary from Alvin’s widow, this is a unique insight into the work of one of the 20th century’s great artist/illustrators

American Musicals: The Complete Books and Lyrics of 16 Broadway Classics, 1927–1969

The Broadway musical is one of America’s great indigenous popular forms, a glorious hybrid that emerged “out of our speech, our tempo, our moral attitudes, our way of moving” (as Leonard Bernstein put it). Now in a landmark two-volume collection, The Library of America presents sixteen enduring masterpieces charting the Broadway musical’s narrative tradition from the groundbreaking Show Boat (1927) through the genre’s Golden Age to its response to the turbulent 1960s with the Tony Award–winning shows Cabaret and 1776. Based on new research, this historic collection presents the complete libretto of each musical in its Broadway opening night version, making these beloved stories available as never before. Irving Berlin and Moss Hart’s As Thousands Cheer is published here for the first time. Show Boat and Pal Joey are presented in newly restored versions. Seven other shows, including South Pacific, Guys and Dolls, and My Fair Lady, return to print for the first time in decades.

Each of these classic musicals has evolved over time, receiving many important revivals and new productions. This Library of America boxed set offers readers unprecedented insight into this living history with a selection of hard-to-find or previously unpublished supplementary items, including lyrics of songs dropped out-of-town or added in later revivals. Lavishly illustrated­­ with 64 pages of photographs and other images drawn from the original productions, the set also contains biographical sketches of the book writers and lyricists; cast lists and other information about the shows’ Broadway openings; and detailed accounts of the path each show took on the road to Broadway. As a special feature, the box includes 16 full-color postcards reproducing the original show posters.

American Musicals contains:

  • Show Boat: Book and lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II · Music by Jerome Kern
  • As Thousands Cheer: Lyrics and music by Irving Berlin · Sketches by Moss Hart
  • Pal Joey: Book by John O’Hara · Music by Richard Rodgers · Lyrics by Lorenz Hart
  • Oklahoma!: Music by Richard Rodgers · Book and lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II
  • On the Town: Book and lyrics by Betty Comden and Adolph Green · Music by Leonard Bernstein
  • Finian’s Rainbow: Music by Burton Lane · Lyrics by E. Y. Harburg · Book by Fred Saidy and E. Y. Harburg
  • Kiss Me, Kate: Music and lyrics by Cole Porter · Book by Sam[uel] and Bella Spewack
  • South Pacific: Music by Richard Rodgers · Book and lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II
  • Guys and Dolls: Music and lyrics by Frank Loesser · Book by Jo Swerling and Abe Burrows
  • The Pajama Game: Book by George Abbott and Richard Bissell · Music and lyrics by Richard Adler and Jerry Ross
  • My Fair Lady: Adaptation and lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner · Music by Frederick Loewe
  • Gypsy: Book by Arthur Laurents · Music by Jule Styne · Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim 
  • A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum: Book by Larry Gelbart and Burt Shevelove · Lyrics and music by Stephen Sondheim
  • Fiddler on the Roof: Book by Joseph Stein · Music by Jerry Bock · Lyrics by Sheldon Harnick
  • Cabaret: Book by Joe Masteroff · Music by John Kander · Lyrics by Fred Ebb
  • 1776: Music and lyrics by Sherman Edwards · Book by Peter Stone

The Sherlock Holmes Companion: An Elementary Guide


A beautiful and lavishly illustrated book on one of the greatest and most enduringly popular literary characters of all time: Sherlock Holmes.

Since it’s original printing five years ago, we are re-issuing The Sherlock Holmes Companion with a full update of all the exciting detective developments from both the small and big screen as well as further details on all the major characters and locations.

Illustrated throughout with more than 150 pictures ranging from period engravings and book jackets to modern-day location shots and film stills from TV adaptations, this is a compendious guide to all the stories, their author and the enigmatic pipe-smoking creation at their heart.

Daniel Smith’s witty and informed text provides plot summaries of every single Sherlock Holmes story, potted biographies of Holmes, Moriarty, Watson and of course Conan Doyle, and interviews with many original interviews with the actors who’ve played Holmes over the years.

This is a book aimed at both the Holmes aficionado and at the gift market – comprehensive and nostalgic while also rigorously critical and not afraid to rank the better Holmes stories against the lesser.

Inside HBO’s Game of Thrones: Season 3 & 4

Each episode of HBO’s Game of Thrones draws millions of obsessed viewers who revel in the shocking plot twists, award-winning performances, and gorgeously rendered fantasy world. This official companion book reveals what it takes to translate George R. R. Martin’s bestselling series into a wildly popular television series. With unprecedented scope and depth, it showcases hundreds of unpublished set photos, visual effects art, and production and costume designs, plus insights from key actors and crew members that capture the best scripted and unscripted moments from Seasons 3 and 4. Required reading for the die-hard fan, and the perfect way to catch up on the series before the much-anticipated Season 5 debuts, this special volume offers an exclusive window into cable’s highest-rated show

A Mickey Mouse Reader

Ranging from the playful, to the fact-filled, and to the thoughtful, this collection tracks the fortunes of Walt Disney’s flagship character. From the first full-fledged review of his screen debut in November 1928 to the present day, Mickey Mouse has won millions of fans and charmed even the harshest of critics. Almost half of the eighty-one texts in A Mickey Mouse Reader document the Mouse’s rise to glory from that first cartoon, Steamboat Willie, through his seventh year when his first color animation, The Band Concert, was released. They include two important early critiques, one by the American culture critic Gilbert Seldes and one by the famed English novelist E. M. Forster.

Articles and essays chronicle the continued rise of Mickey Mouse to the rank of true icon. He remains arguably the most vivid graphic expression to date of key traits of the American character–pluck, cheerfulness, innocence, energy, and fidelity to family and friends. Among press reports in the book is one from June 1944 that puts to rest the urban legend that “Mickey Mouse” was a password or code word on D-Day. It was, however, the password for a major pre-invasion briefing.

Other items illuminate the origins of “Mickey Mouse” as a term for things deemed petty or unsophisticated. One piece explains how Walt and brother Roy Disney, almost single-handedly, invented the strategy of corporate synergy by tagging sales of Mickey Mouse toys and goods to the release of Mickey’s latest cartoons shorts. In two especially interesting essays, Maurice Sendak and John Updike look back over the years and give their personal reflections on the character they loved as boys growing up in the 1930s.

In 1987 a science fiction blockbuster arrived and a pop culture legend was born. RoboCop is the story of a hero police officer in near-future Detroit who is gunned down and reborn as justice-seeking cyborg. The groundbreaking visual effects, thrilling set pieces, and biting satire entertained audiences the world over.

The film spawned two sequels, TV versions, swathes of gorgeous merchandise, and, in 2014, was reimagined for the new millennium.

For the first time ever, here is the whole story of RoboCop.

RoboCop: the Definitive History details the journey from the original script and early concept designs, all the way to the art and stunning effects work on the 2014 reimagining. Rare and exclusive images, script pages, storyboards, and much more have been discovered in the archives and are presented here for the first time, alongside brand new interviews with key creatives such as Ed Neumeier, Michael Miner, Jose Padilha, Joel Kinnaman, and Nancy Allen.

This is a landmark book for a science milestone. And for RoboCop fans this books fulfills all prime directives.

Marvel Vehicles: Owner’s Workshop Manual

They may be best known for getting around on their own steam, but sometimes even Marvel Super Heroes need some extra torque. This Haynes Manual takes a look at the amazing vehicles of the Marvel Comics universe, from the X-Men’s supersonic jet, The Blackbird, to the mighty Helicarrier that transports the Avengers into battle and the Green Goblin’s preferred method of travel, the Goblin Glider. Also covering less well-known modes of transport like Spider-Man’s custom beach buggy, the Spider-Mobile, this lavishly illustrated book forms a comprehensive guide to the iconic vehicles that have helped make the Marvel Universe so rich and compelling. Marvel Vehicles: Owner’s Workshop Manual comes complete with schematics and in-depth technical information, making it essential for Marvel fans everywhere.

The Ultimate Woody Allen Film Companion

A complete look at the extensive, ageless, unparalleled filmography of Woody Allen. Writer, actor, director, comedian, author, and musician, Woody Allen is one of the most culturally and cinematically influential filmmakers of all time. His films – he has over 45 writing and directing credits to his name – range from slapstick to tragedy, farce to fantasy. As one of history’s most prolific moviemakers, his style and comic sensibility have been imitated, but never replicated, by countless other filmmakers over the years. In The Ultimate Woody Allen Film Companion, film writer Jason Bailey profiles every one of Allen’s films: from his debut feature, What’s Up, Tiger Lily, through slapstick classics such as Take the Money and Run and Sleeper; Academy Award-winning films such as Annie Hall and Hannah and Her Sisters; and recent gems such as Midnight in Paris and Blue Jasmine. Bailey also includes essays on the fascinating themes that color Allen’s works, from death and Freud to music and New York City. Getting up close and personal with the actors and actresses that have brought the iconic films to life, this book’s behind-the-scenes stories span the entire career of a man whose catalog has grown into a timeless cornerstone of American pop culture. Complete with full cast lists, production details, and full-color images and artwork, The Ultimate Woody Allen Film Companion is the ultimate, indispensable reference to one of cinema’s most beloved and important figures.

Heavy metal and high-thrill cinema have been joined together like mutant twins since before the band Black Sabbath adopted the name of a chilling Italian horror film. The unadulterated journey of Heavy Metal Movies spans concert movies and trippy midnight flicks, inspirational depictions of ancient times and future apocalypses, and raw handheld digital video obsessions. As brash, irreverent, and visceral as both the music and the movies themselves, Heavy Metal Movies is the ultimate guidebook to the complete molten musical cinema experience.

Exploding with way over 666 true headbanger classics—raging with disturbing documentaries, bulging barbarians, Satanic shockers, spluttery slashers, post-nuke dystopias, carnivorous chunk-blowers, undead gut-munchers, midnight mind-benders, concert films, killer cameos—plus witches, werewolves, bikers, aliens, lesbian vampires, and vengeful vikings galore…the heaviest sin-ematic sensations of all time!

Who can forget the first time Darth Vader marched onto Princess Leia’s ship, in his black cape and mask? Or the white hard-body suit of the stormtroopers? Or Leia’s outfit as Jabba’s slave? These costumes—like so many that adorned the characters of that galaxy far, far away—have become iconic. For the first time, the Lucasfilm Archives is granting full access to the original costumes of episodes IV, V, and VI, allowing them to be revealed in never-before-seen detail. In over 200 new costume photographs, sketches, and behind-the-scenes photos and notes, based on new interviews, fans will get a fresh perspective on the creation of the clothes and costume props that brought these much-loved characters to life. Star Wars Costumes: The Original Trilogy affords both new and longtime Star Wars fans an intimate look at the unforgettable costumes from this classic series.


Retronaut: The Photographic Time Machine 

 

Based on the widely popular blog that started as a side project in a basement, Retronaut reveals strange yet enlightening photographs from the past that somehow seem to depict another version of now. Martha Stewart as a fashion model, Kim Jong Il in a bumper car, and Ronald Reagan modeling for a sculpture class—this quirky page-turner enriched with author Chris Wild’s unique wit and oddball knowledge is a must-have for collectors of the unusual.

Wild, a former museum archivist, has revolutionized the way we think of dusty photos—turning them into a sensation that has taken the Internet by surprise. He has selected over 300 of the best photographs from the site’s most visited eras and themes, mashing up Victoriana with vintage advertising from the ’60s and ’70s and unearthing rare snapshots of evil dictators taking vacations. Page by page, this unconventional, thought-provoking photographic time machine will change what you think you know about history.


Planet of the Apes: The Evolution of the Legend

In 1968 audiences around the world were transported to a world eerily similar to their own, but where apes ruled and mankind was subjugated. A terrifying, thrilling film, featuring one of the most famous twist endings in film history, Planet of the Apes is a science fiction masterpiece. The film birthed one of the longest running and most successful film franchises in cinema history, spawning seven further films, two television series, comics, novels and much more. Over 40 years later moviegoers around the world are still enthralled by this iconic, award-winning series.

Planet of the Apes: The Evolution of the Legend is the definitive guide to every aspect of this cultural phenomenon.

From the groundbreaking original to 2014’s blockbuster Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, this book tells the whole story, accompanied by brand new interviews with key creatives and die-hard fans. The book is illustrated throughout by gorgeous behind the scenes photography, makeup tests, candid stills, and beautiful film frames. Highly rare conceptual artwork has been unearthed and promises fans an exclusive glimpse into the creation of this beloved series.

Detailing the writing and production process of all the films, the impact and influence, the makeup, the music, and much more. Planet of the Apes: The Evolution of the Legend is a landmark book and must-have for fans everywhere.


I Only Read It for the Cartoons

 

Available for the first time to The New Yorker’s one million-plus readers: a volume dedicated to the individual careers of the magazine’s cartoon superstars. Widely considered to be the pantheon of single-panel cartooning, The New Yorker cartoonists’ styles are richly varied, and their personal stories are surprising. For example, did you know that Arnie Levin is a seventy-three-year-old former Beatnik painter with a handlebar mustache and a back decorated by Japan’s foremost tattoo artists?

Gehr’s book features fascinating biographical profiles of such artists as Gahan Wilson, Sam Gross, Roz Chast, Lee Lorenz, and Edward Koren. Along with a dozen such profiles, Gehr provides a brief history of The New Yorker cartoon itself, touching on the lives and work of earlier illustrating wits, including Charles Addams, James Thurber, and William Steig.

 

The 100 Greatest Console Video Games: 1977-1987

There have been many top 100 books before, but rarely one like this. Here are the best of the early video games, shown in over 400 color photos and described in incredible detail in the entertaining and informative text. Each game’s entry features production history, critical commentary, quotes from industry professionals, gameplay details, comparisons to other games, and more. This book celebrates the very best of the interactive entertainment industry’s games from this highly crucial, fondly remembered decade. This pivotal period was marked by the introduction of the indispensable Atari 2600, Odyssey2, and Intellivision, the unleashing of the underrated Vectrex, the mind-blowing debut of the next-gen ColecoVision and Atari 5200, plus the rebirth of the industry through Nintendo’s legendary juggernaut, the NES. Whether you’re young or old, new to the hobby or a hardcore collector, this book will introduce you to or remind you of some of the greatest, most historically important games ever made.

Sci-Fi Chronicles
 

The definitive encyclopedia for the science fiction fanatic.

From Barbarella to Blade Runner, from Solaris to Star Wars, and from 1984 to 2001, Sci-Fi Chronicles seeks out 200 of the greatest galactic creations. Presented in an arresting blend of incisive text, infographic timelines, and stunning photographs, each chronologically arranged entry features an entertaining overview written by a science fiction expert, plus:

  • The lifespan of sci-fi creations, for example, from book to movie to television series
  • Other key media, such as comics, graphic novels, video games, manga, where appropriate
  • Film and television stills, book and comic covers, and other archive material.

Larger franchises — such as Doctor Who and The War of the Worlds — feature lavish spreads of photographs illustrating how they have evolved from black-and-white beginnings to big-budget blockbusters. Seminal sagas like Star Wars and Star Trek enjoy not only a “real world” timeline of films and TV broadcasts, but also a fascinating spread detailing their role in the series’ fictional universe.

The book is divided into five distinct sections:

  • Early Science Fiction: The Birth of a Genre, 1818-1940 including Frankenstein, Journey to the Center of the Earth, A Connecticut Yankee, The Time Machine, The Lost World, Tarzan
  • The Golden Age: 1920-1950 including Karel Capek, Metropolis, Buck Rogers, Olaf Stapledon, King Kong, Flash Gordon, Frederick Pohl, The Thing, Batman, Stan Lee, Arthur C. Clarke, George Orwell
  • The Era of the Atom: The Marvels and Perils of Science, 1950- 1970 including Dan Dare, Quatermass, The Fly, The Twilight Zone, Solaris, The Jetsons, Barbarella, Dune, Soylent Green, Logan’s Run, Land of the Giants, The Iron Man, A Boy and His Dog
  • Dark Futures: Apocalypse and the War in Space, 1970-1990 including The Stepford Wives, Moebius, Star Wars, Judge Dredd, Mork and Mindy, V, Neuromancer, Back to the Future, Red Dwarf
  • The Adventure Continues: Modern Science Fiction, 1990-Present including Jurassic Park, Men in Black, Doom, Babylon 5, Stargate, The Matrix, Halo, Jericho, The Hunger Games, Fringe, Wall-E, Avatar.

Sci-Fi Chronicles is a truly international guide, with entries focusing on everything from Hollywood blockbusters to Russian cult classics, and from European literature to Australian franchises. It is perfect for dipping into, while its memory-jogging mentions and illustrations make it impossible to put down. It will delight long-standing sci-fi aficionados, yet with a scope that extends from vintage volumes to amazing anime, Sci-Fi Chronicles will also entrance a younger generation.

Maps

Travel the world without leaving your living room.  This book of maps is a visual feast for readers of all ages, with lavishly drawn illustrations from the incomparable Mizielinskis. It features not only borders, cities, rivers, and peaks, but also places of historical and cultural interest, eminent personalities, iconic animals and plants, cultural events, and many more fascinating facts associated with every region of our planet. 

Even This I Get to Experience 
 

In my ninety-plus years I’ve lived a multitude of lives. In the course of all these lives, I had a front-row seat at the birth of television; wrote, produced, created, or developed more than a hundred shows; had nine on the air at the same time; founded the 300,000-member liberal advocacy group People For the American Way; was labeled the “no. 1 enemy of the American family” by Jerry Falwell; made it onto Richard Nixon’s “Enemies List”; was presented with the National Medal of the Arts by President Clinton; purchased an original copy of the Declaration of Independence and toured it for ten years in all fifty states; blew a fortune in a series of bad investments in failing businesses; and reached a point where I was informed we might even have to sell our home. Having heard that we’d fallen into such dire straits, my son-in-law phoned me and asked how I was feeling. My answer was, “Terrible, of course,” but then I added, “but I must be crazy, because despite all that’s happened, I keep hearing this inner voice saying, ‘Even this I get to experience.’”

Norman Lear’s work is legendary. The renowned creator of such iconic television programs as All in the Family; Maude; Good Times; The Jeffersons; and Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman, Lear remade our television culture from the ground up. At their peak, his programs were viewed by 120 million people a week, with stories that dealt with the most serious issues of the day—racism, poverty, abortion —yet still left audiences howling with laughter. In Even This I Get To Experience, Lear opens up with all the candor, humor, and wisdom to be expected from one of America’s greatest living storytellers.

But TV and politics are only a fraction of the tale. Lear’s early years were grounded in the harshness of the Great Depression, and further complicated by his parents’ vivid personalities. The imprisonment of Lear’s father, a believer in the get-rich-quick scheme, colored his son’s childhood. During this absence, Lear’s mother left her son to live with relatives. Lear’s comic gifts were put to good use during this hard time, even as they would be decades later during World War II, when Lear produced and staged a variety show for his fellow airmen in addition to flying fifty bombing missions.

After the war, Lear tried his hand at publicity in New York before setting out for Los Angeles in 1949. A lucky break had a powerful agent in the audience the night Danny Thomas performed a nightclub routine written by Lear, and within days his career in television began. Before long his work with Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis (and later Martha Raye and George Gobel) made him the highest-paid comedy writer in the country, and he was spending his summers with the likes of Carl Reiner and Mel Brooks. Movies followed, and soon he was making films starring Frank Sinatra, Dick Van Dyke, and Jason Robards. Then came the ’70s, and Lear’s unprecedented string of TV hits.

Married three times and the father of six children ranging in age from nineteen to sixty-eight, Lear’s penetrating look at family life, parenthood, and marriage is a volume in itself. A memoir as touching, funny, and remarkable as any of Lear’s countless artistic creations, Even This I Get To Experience is nothing less than a profound gift, endlessly readable and characteristically unforgettable. 

On Set with John Carpenter

John Carpenter’s producing partner Debra Hill hired photographer Kim Gottlieb-Walker to be the unit photographer on Halloween, and Kim soon became part of Carpenter’s filmmaking family, going on to shoot stills on the sets of some of his most iconic films:

Halloween
The Fog
Escape from New York
Halloween II
Christine

Collected together here for the first time is the best of that on-set photography, with iconic, rare, and previously unseen images. All accompanied by exclusive commentary from those involved, including John Carpenter himself, and other key crew and cast.

From production stills, to candids of the stars between takes, and the crew in action, alongside portrait shots of the actors who would eagerly pose for Kim, this book gives an unprecedented glimpse into the action on set with John Carpenter.

Hansel & Gretel (A Toon Graphic)

Best-selling author Neil Gaiman and fine artist Lorenzo Mattotti join forces to create Hansel & Gretel, a stunning book that’s at once as familiar as a dream and as evocative as a nightmare. Mattotti’s sweeping ink illustrations capture the terror and longing found in the classic Brothers Grimm fairy tale. Neil Gaiman crafts an original text filled with his signature wit and pathos that is sure to become a favorite of readers everywhere, young and old.

Mark Mothersbaugh: Myopia

Mark Mothersbaugh is a legendary figure for fans of both street art and music culture. Cofounder of the seminal New Wave band DEVO, he was a prolific visual artist before the band’s inception moving seamlessly between multiple mediums creating bold, cartoonish, strangely disturbed works of pop surrealism that playfully explore the relationship between technology and individuality. In the most comprehensive presentation of his work to date, Mark Mothersbaugh: Myopia features a lifetime of his creative inventions from the beginning of his artistic career in the 1970s to his most recent work, including early postcards, screen prints, decals, and DEVO ephemera as well as later paintings, photographs (such as the celebrated Beautiful Mutants series), sculpture, and rugs. Accompanied by a major six city traveling exhibition, this richly illustrated catalog positions Mothersbaugh as a pivotal figure in the history of both contemporary art and indie culture.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Ultimate Visual History

Discover the complete story of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles for the first time–from their humble beginnings in black-and-white comics created in a home studio in Dover, New Hampshire, to their multimillion-dollar breakout success, and their position as four of the best-loved characters of all time.

Featuring interviews with every key figure in the Turtles’ evolution, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Ultimate Visual History presents the tale straight from the mouths of those who were there, including co-creators Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird, animation legend Fred Wolf, creature effects maestro Brian Henson, and even the man behind the “Ninja Rap,” Vanilla Ice.

In visually stunning detail, this book explores each iteration of the Turtles from the past to the present, including the hit animation show from Nickelodeon and the Michael Bay–produced live-action movie from Paramount starring Megan Fox. Bringing together the rarest art and artifacts from three decades of TMNT comics, TV shows, and films, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Ultimate Visual History leaves no shell unturned!

Geek-Art: An Anthology

Every age has its artistic inspiration. Medieval artists exalted spiritual subjects. Modernists shifted their attention to humanity and the senses. For a generation of artists and fans today, our heroic subjects are Mario, Pikachu, Spider-Man, Darth Vader, Frodo, and a legion of other iconic figures from the “geek” culture realms of movies, cartoons, video games, and comics. For the first time, Geek-Art collects the work of nearly 100 international illustrators, graphic designers, photographers, and artists whose inspired interpretations of these beloved characters celebrate them with creative brilliance and a true fan’s passion. Featuring more than 750 images, this lavish illustrated anthology showcases the inspired energy that drives pop culture and makes geeky fans of us all.

Becoming Richard Pryor

A major biography—intimate, gripping, revelatory—of an artist who revolutionized American comedy.

Richard Pryor may have been the most unlikely star in Hollywood history. Raised in his family’s brothels, he grew up an outsider to privilege. He took to the stage, originally, to escape the hard-bitten realities of his childhood, but later came to a reverberating discovery: that by plunging into the depths of his experience, he could make stand-up comedy as exhilarating and harrowing as the life he’d known. He brought that trembling vitality to Hollywood, where his movie career—Blazing Saddles, the buddy comedies with Gene Wilder, Blue Collar—flowed directly out of his spirit of creative improvisation. The major studios considered him dangerous. Audiences felt plugged directly into the socket of life.

Becoming Richard Pryor brings the man and his comic genius into focus as never before. Drawing upon a mountain of original research—interviews with family and friends, court transcripts, unpublished journals, screenplay drafts—Scott Saul traces Pryor’s rough journey to the heights of fame: from his heartbreaking childhood, his trials in the Army, and his apprentice days in Greenwich Village to his soul-searching interlude in Berkeley and his ascent in the “New Hollywood” of the 1970s.

Becoming Richard Pryor illuminates an entertainer who, by bringing together the spirits of the black freedom movement and the counterculture, forever altered the DNA of American comedy. It reveals that, while Pryor made himself a legend with his own account of his life onstage, the full truth of that life is more bracing still.

American Cornball: A Laffopedic Guide to the Formerly Funny


American Cornball is Christopher Miller’s irresistibly funny illustrated survey of popular humor—the topics that used to make us laugh, from hiccups and henpecked-husbands to outhouses and old maids—and what it tells us about our country yesterday and today.

Miller revisits nearly 200 comic staples that have been passed down through our culture for generations, many originating from the vaudeville age. He explores the (often unseemly) contexts from which they arose, why they were funny in their time, and why they eventually lost their appeal. The result is a kind of taxonomy of humor during America’s golden age that provides a deeper, more profound look at the prejudices, preoccupations, and peculiarities of a nation polarized between urban and rural, black and white, highborn and lowbrow.

As he touches on issues of racism and sexism, cultural stereotypes and violence, Miller reveals how dramatically our moral sensibilities have shifted, most notably in the last few decades. Complete with more than 100 period illustrations, American Cornball is a richly entertaining survey of our shifting comic universe.

DC Comics: A Visual History

Updated and expanded edition, with 16 new pages to cover 2010-2014! Featuring a new slipcase design along with two NEW prints packed inside.

Trace DC’s fascinating story: the company’s beginnings as National Allied Publications in the 1934, and its subsequent change to Detective Comics, Inc. in 1937. The book details all the major DC publishing landmarks and more, displayed clearly, month by month.

Highlighting the debuts of iconic super heroes like Superman and Batman, the geniuses that invented them, and the real-life events, like the Vietnam War, the atom bomb, and the Space Race, that shaped the atmosphere of the times, DC Comics: A Visual History follows the characters’ foray into the real world through TV series and blockbuster movies.

Tiki Pop


Polynesian pop icon: How Tiki became an American dream.   Urban islands and bamboo hideaways set the stage for a pop culture phenomenon like no other. In mid-century America, the imaginative appeal of Tiki penetrated fashion, music, eating, drinking, and architecture.

Published in connection with an exhibition at the prestigious Musée du quai Branly in Paris, Tiki Pop traces the development of Tiki as romantic vision and cultural appropriation. Follow Tiki from James Cook’s first Pacific Island expeditions, through Gauguin’s exotic paintings, Hollywood jungle fantasies, and elaborate temples erected to celebrate Tiki as the god of recreation. With hundreds of previously unpublished images, Tiki the pop icon unfolds from its earliest, enthusiastic beginnings to its spectacular downfall in the dawning awareness of the Western world’s colonial misdeeds.

This book is the culmination of the extensive research of Sven Kirsten, urban archaeologist, Tiki sage, and author of earlier Tachen books, The Book of Tiki and Tiki Modern, which first recovered the figure of Tiki from obscurity. In his widely lauded graphic style, Kirsten places venerable ancient godheads next to their Polynesian pop counterparts, movie posters next to matchboxes, comic strips next to Robinson Crusoe illustrations. The result is at once a visual feast, a piece of cultural history, and a tribute to a very particular vision of paradise.

Batman: A Visual History


Batman: A Visual History follows the DC Comics Super Hero from his 1939 beginnings as a crime-fighting vigilante to his present status as a worldwide cultural icon approaching his 75th anniversary.

The book celebrates Batman’s greatest stories and the writers and artists that created them. It also charts the careers of the Super Heroes and super-villains — Robin, the Justice League, the Joker, Catwoman — associated with Gotham City’s Dark Knight. The debuts of every key Batman character are featured, as well as some details of Batman movie and TV series, both live-action and animated.

Perfect for any comic book fan, this visually stunning, definitive guide arrives in a slipcase featuring specially commissioned artwork by a top DC Comics artist plus two original prints.


Few pieces of artwork distill the passion for Star Wars as do posters. From Tom Jung’s iconic one-sheet for Episode IV to Roger Kastel’s Gone with the Wind–inspired painting for Episode V and beyond, Star Wars has enjoyed nearly four decades of poster art from some of the most renowned artists working in movies. The fifth book in the George Lucas–curated Star Wars Art series, Posters collects the best artwork from all six Star Wars films, the Star Wars: The Clone Wars animated television series, and limited-edition prints. This collection unites all of the action, artistry, and drama of a galaxy far, far away into one lavishly produced tome.

Weekly World News!

Founded in 1979, the Weekly World News was an irreverent tabloid newspaper that played with sensationalist conventions in tabloid journalism. Iconic in its design and infamous in its content, it ran for twenty-eight years, and at its peak it had a circulation of 1.2 million per issue. It ceased to appear in print form in 2007, but has maintained its cult status with an on-line presence. (Recent startling stories include President Obama’s Executive Order to immediately begin carving his face on Mount Rushmore.)

What I Love About Movies: An Illustrated Compendium

A single, searching question: “What do you love about movies?” is posed to fifty of cinema’s brightest lights. The answers have been entertaining, profound, personal, ridiculous, revealing and unexpected, but always unique. These declarations of movie passion have been collected into the ultimate one-stop celebration of cinema. This lovingly crafted compendium offers a fascinating and insightful look at the movies through the eyes of 50 of its brightest stars, with subjects including legendary directors such as Francis Ford Coppola, the Coen brothers, Wes Anderson, Steven Soderbergh, Pedro Almodovar, Darren Aronofsky, Quentin Tarantino, and Spike Jonze, and A-list acting icons such as Ryan Gosling, Michael Fassbender, Kristen Stewart, Jake Gyllenhaal, and Tom Hardy. Alongside these star-spangled testimonies are newly comissioned illustrations from amazing illustrators around the world. What I Love About Movies is the perfect gift for every movie fan.

The Essential Supernatural: On the Road with Sam and Dean Winchester

Go back on the road with Sam and Dean Winchester in this revised and updated edition of the best-selling The Essential Supernatural. Filled with interviews with the cast and crew of the hit show, stunning behind-the-scenes-imagery and art, and a wealth of thrilling removable items, this updated version includes new chapters on seasons 8 and 9 and a preview of the upcoming season 10.

This deluxe edition dissects the show season by season, state by state, tracking the Winchester brothers as they travel across the U.S. in their distinctive classic car. Join them as they hunt all those things that go bump in the night, seek vengeance on the Yellow-Eyed Demon that killed their parents, deal with the Knights of Hell, and stop the bona fide Apocalypse! Illustrated with full-color images, behind-the-scenes photos, exclusive production art, and other elements—such as continuity photos and even the covers of the in-universe Supernatural novels by Chuck Shurley—this is the ultimate guide to Supernatural for the show’s legion of fans.

The New England Life of Cartoonist Bob Montana: Beyond the Archie Comic Strip

Bob Montana, creator of the Archie comic strip and one of America’s greatest cartoonists, always considered himself a true New Englander. Filled with the antics of the rambunctious teenagers of the fictional Riverdale High, Montana’s comic strip was based on his high school years in Haverhill, Massachusetts. At the height of his career, he lived as a beloved resident in the quaint, picturesque town of Meredith in the heart of the Lakes Region of New Hampshire. For nearly thirty years, he was considered an extraordinarily respected contributor to the community. Drawing from the Yankee humor he saw around him, Montana deftly included local scenes, events and characters in the puns and pranks of Archie’s comic-strip life. Join Lakes Region historian Carol Lee Anderson as she takes readers beyond the Archie comic strip and tells the story of the remarkable New England life of Bob Montana.

Hollywood Frame by Frame

There is a voyeuristic thrill in contact sheets, the direct prints used by photographers of the pre-digital age to edit their work. You look directly through the photographer’s eyes as each photo gets closer to that perfect shot. And yet, it’s often the photos not chosen that best capture the true spirit of their subjects and the life they lead after the director yells cut. This was never truer than in the classic Hollywood era, where behind-the-scenes photos were carefully vetted for marketing purposes and unapproved shots were never expected to be seen again. Hollywood Frame by Frame presents hundreds of never-before-published photos from the sets of some of the greatest films of the twentieth century. Hollywood’s biggest stars are caught with their guard down behind the scenes of movie classics from Some Like It Hot and Breakfast at Tiffany’s to Taxi Driver and The Silence of the Lambs. A treasure trove for any fan of Hollywood’s Golden Age, this rare glimpse of the unseen silver screen will intrigue even movie buffs who think they’ve seen everything.

Hergé and the Treasures of Tintin

Tintin is beloved around the world—and inspired Steven Spielberg to make a Golden Globe-winning and Oscar-nominated film. Hergé and the Treasures of Tintin tells the story of how Georges Rémi became Hergé, how his private life and interests influenced his work, how Tintin came to be, and what sparked Hergé’s other delightful characters. In addition to 20 beautifully reproduced removable facsimile documents—including sketchbook extracts, illustrated letters, personal drawings, and posters—special information boxes discuss many of the people who appear in the Tintin stories.

The Secret History of Wonder Woman

A riveting work of historical detection revealing that the origin of one of the world’s most iconic superheroes hides within it a fascinating family story—and a crucial history of twentieth-century feminism

Wonder Woman, created in 1941, is the most popular female superhero of all time. Aside from Superman and Batman, no superhero has lasted as long or commanded so vast and wildly passionate a following. Like every other superhero, Wonder Woman has a secret identity. Unlike every other superhero, she has also has a secret history.

Harvard historian and New Yorker staff writer Jill Lepore has uncovered an astonishing trove of documents, including the never-before-seen private papers of William Moulton Marston, Wonder Woman’s creator. Beginning in his undergraduate years at Harvard, Marston was influenced by early suffragists and feminists, starting with Emmeline Pankhurst, who was banned from speaking on campus in 1911, when Marston was a freshman. In the 1920s, Marston and his wife, Sadie Elizabeth Holloway, brought into their home Olive Byrne, the niece of Margaret Sanger, one of the most influential feminists of the twentieth century. The Marston family story is a tale of drama, intrigue, and irony. In the 1930s, Marston and Byrne wrote a regular column for Family Circle celebrating conventional family life, even as they themselves pursued lives of extraordinary nonconformity. Marston, internationally known as an expert on truth—he invented the lie detector test—lived a life of secrets, only to spill them on the pages of Wonder Woman.

The Secret History of Wonder Woman is a tour de force of intellectual and cultural history. Wonder Woman, Lepore argues, is the missing link in the history of the struggle for women’s rights—a chain of events that begins with the women’s suffrage campaigns of the early 1900s and ends with the troubled place of feminism a century later.

Kiddie Cocktails

A hip retro-styled visual guide to the ultimate collection of nonalcoholic drink recipes. Calling vintage lifestyle, cooking, and entertaining enthusiasts of all ages—here is the coolest collection of vintage cocktails, minus the hooch! From the standard Shirley Temple to Cotton Candy, Bahama Mama, and Cactus Juice, this book discusses the appropriate bar equipment, glassware, garnishes, and technique. In addition to hip drinks, the book is filled with recommendations for throwing a swingin’ kiddie cocktail party complete with classic punchbowl recipes, party favors, music, and of course a few tasty snack suggestions. The entire book is lavishly illustrated by the internationally renowned artist Derek Yaniger.

Cosplay World

Featuring work by FOG!’s Benn Robbins!

Filled with striking images of costume play from around the world, this definitive look at the global phenomenon known as “cosplay” examines its evolution from the fringes of society to the spotlight of modern culture. For over 100 years, men and women around the world have been dressing up as their favorite characters from movies, games, comics, TV, and books. Beginning as a curiosity and hobby for social outcasts, it’s now a global phenomenon, fuelled by the Internet and an explosion in geek fandom. This in-depth look at the world of cosplay includes interviews with stars like Yaya Han, Crystal Graziano, and Spiral Cats, offers insights into cosplay’s history and current landscape, and explains its creative processes, like how Megan Marie built the perfect Wonder Woman costume. Cosplay World features over 200 compelling photographs, showcasing everything from campy 1970s costumes to cutting-edge suits engineered in workshops and built using space-age materials. The result is both a celebration of and an informed look at a popular means of self-expression that continues to fascinate.

Hope: Entertainer of the Century

The first definitive biography of Bob Hope, featuring exclusive and extensive reporting that makes the persuasive case that he was most important entertainer of the twentieth century.

Born in 1903, and until his death in 2003, Bob Hope was the only entertainer to achieve top-rated success in every major mass-entertainment medium, from vaudeville to television and everything in between. He virtually invented modern stand-up comedy. His tours to entertain US troops and patriotic radio broadcasts, along with his all-American, brash-but-cowardly movie character, helped to ease the nation’s jitters during the stressful days of World War II. He helped redefine the very notion of what it means to be a star: a savvy businessman, pioneer of the brand extension (churning out books, writing a newspaper column, hosting a golf tournament), and public-spirited entertainer whose Christmas military tours and tireless work for charity set the standard for public service in Hollywood. But he became a polarizing figure during the Vietnam War, and the book sheds new light on his close relationship with President Richard Nixon during those embattled years.

Bob Hope is a household name. However, as Richard Zoglin shows in this revelatory biography, there is still much to be learned about this most public of figures, from his secret first marriage and his stint in reform school, to his indiscriminate womanizing and his ambivalent relationship with Bing Crosby and Johnny Carson. Hope could be cold, self-centered, tight with a buck, and perhaps the least introspective man in Hollywood. But he was also a dogged worker, gracious with fans, and generous with friends.

Hope is both a celebration of an entertainer whose vast contribution has never been properly appreciated, and a complex portrait of a gifted but flawed man, who, unlike many Hollywood stars, truly loved being famous, appreciated its responsibilities, and handled celebrity with extraordinary grace.

Horrorstör: A Novel

Something strange is happening at the Orsk furniture superstore in Columbus, Ohio. Every morning, employees arrive to find broken Kjerring wardrobes, shattered Brooka glassware, and vandalized Liripip sofa beds—clearly, someone or something is up to no good. To unravel the mystery, five young employees volunteer for a long dusk-till-dawn shift—and they encounter horrors that defy imagination. Along the way, author Grady Hendrix infuses sly social commentary on the nature of work in the new twenty-first century economy. A traditional haunted house story in a contemporary setting (and full of current fears), Horrorstör comes conveniently packaged in the form of a retail catalog, complete with illustrations of ready-to-assemble furniture and other, more sinister accessories.

Aurora Monster Scenes – The Most Controversial Toys of a Generation

At last – the full story about the most infamous toys of the boomer generation. Monster Scenes, intended as an exciting and innovative model kit series in 1971, touched off a firestorm of parental outrage and public protest. Its makers meant to deliver an interactive series of adaptable figures and playsets based on classic monster movies. The marketing angle, however, touted apparent sex and sadism, going so far as to promote the series as “Rated X…for Excitement,” all pitched at children 8 years and up. Oops! Now read the full account of this unusual set of model kits, from its initial inspiration, through its ever-changing development, and through its battles with parent organizations, women’s advocacy organizations, and toy safety watchdogs. It was a series that unwittingly toppled the long-proud Aurora Plastics Corporation, this through a series of missteps and misunderstandings. 


Written and presented by the men behind the Monster Scenes, then and now. Andrew P. Yanchus, original Aurora Project Manager in 1971, opens his vault of artifacts and doles out his first-hand anecdotes of the series that went so wrong. Dennis L. Prince, present-day purveyor of Monster Scenes, leaves no stone unturned in his quest to tell the complete story, dispel myths that have surrounded it, and surprise readers with fateful truths that are truly stranger than fiction. If you’re ready to know everything about this oft-cited debacle in the toy & hobby industry, you’re ready for Aurora Monster Scenes – The Most Controversial Toys of a Generation.


Total Immersion: The Comprehensive Unauthorized Red Dwarf Encyclopedia
A-K (Volume 1)
L-Z (Volume 2)

If you have ever wondered if there was more to Red Dwarf than just a television series, then prepare to have your nipple nuts spun, because Total Immersion: The Comprehensive Unauthorized Red Dwarf Encyclopedia has got you covered!

The quintessential reference guides to the whos, whats, whens and wheres of the entire Red Dwarf universe, Total Immersion contains thousands of entries from the television episodes, novels, websites, games, comics and more, meticulously compiled and all-inclusive. Every person, place, thing, event and reference is alphabetically listed—from Androids to zero-gee football, from Alphabetti Spaghetti to Zogothoniumeliumoxiixiexiphulmifhidikalidrihide — to produce this trivia buff’s ultimate treasure trove of all things Dwarf. This two-book set includes:

  • More than 5,500 entries culled from every Red Dwarf story and source material
  • A detailed index breaking the entries down into seventy-five categories for easy browsing
  • A foreword by Jonathan Capps, a founding member of Ganymede & Titan, the premier Red Dwarf fan site
  • More than sixty breathtaking interior sketches from artist Pat Carbajal, produced exclusively for this set
  • A complete story guide to the television series, novels, Smegazine comics and more
  • An overview of the many universes and timelines featured in Red Dwarf

Written for both casual fans and those who know the range of a C-180A Canary Rifle, Total Immersion is your one-stop guide to the entire Red Dwarf mythos. Smeggin’ hell!

Live From New York

When first published to celebrate the 30th anniversary of Saturday Night Live, Live From New York was immediately proclaimed the best book ever produced on the landmark and legendary late-night show. In their own words, unfiltered and uncensored, a dazzling galaxy of trail-blazing talents recalled three turbulent decades of on-camera antics and off-camera escapades. Now a fourth decade has passed—and bestselling authors James Andrew Miller and Tom Shales have returned to Studio 8H. Over more than 100 pages of new material, they raucously and revealingly take the SNL story up to the present, adding a constellation of iconic new stars, surprises, and controversies.

A Geek in Korea: Discovering Asia’s New Kingdom of Cool

For every fan of K-Pop music, Korean Wave dramas and Kimchi—or anyone intrigued by Korea and Korean culture—A Geek in Korea is a hip, new guide to the land of the Samsung smartphone and Psy.

Author Dan Tudor first arrived in Korea on the eve of the 2002 World Cup when South Korea played Italy in the finals. What he saw inspired him to return and work in Korea. He served as The Economist magazine’s Korea correspondent for three years, and he writes regular columns for the national daily Joongang Ilbo newspaper. Along the way, he has developed a great love and admiration for Korea and Koreans.

A Geek in Korea reinvents the culture guide for the Internet age. Packed with articles and photographs, it covers all the touchstones of Korean culture—from Buddhism and Confucianism to chapters on the traditional arts and disciplines like Taekwondo. There are chapters on cultural code words and norms; personal relationships; business and technology; and symbols and practices that are peculiarly Korean. A number of chapters are devoted to Korean pop culture, with attention to the stars, idols, and urban subcultures associated with them. For visitors to Korea, the author includes a mini-guide to his favorite neighborhoods in Seoul and other places of outstanding interest.

Spotlighting the originality and creativity of the Koreans, debunking myths about them, and answering nagging questions like why they’re so obsessed with education and success—Tudor has created the perfect book for the growing ranks of Koreaphiles in this inspired, insightful, and highly informative guide.

Jane Austen Cover to Cover: 200 Years of Classic Book Covers

Jane Austen’s six novels are true classics, still immensely popular some 200 years after their first publication. But although the celebrated stories never change, the covers are always different. Jane Austen Cover to Cover compiles two centuries of design, from elegant Victorian hardcovers and the famed 1894 “Peacock” edition to 1950s pulp, movie tie-in editions, graphic novels, foreign-language translations, and many, many others. Filled with beautiful artwork and insightful commentary, this fascinating and visually intriguing collection is a must for Janeites, design geeks, and book lovers of every stripe.

DC Comics: Super-Villains: The Complete Visual History

As any comics fan knows, a Super Hero is nothing without a worthy foe to battle. For every Batman there has to be a super-villain like The Joker, and for every Superman a Lex Luthor. This deluxe book celebrates nearly eighty years of compellingly corrupt characters from the DC Universe’s remarkable gallery of super-villains. From the Penguin to Harley Quinn and Doomsday to General Zod, DC Comics: Super-Villains explores the story of these beloved baddies through new interviews with acclaimed writers and artists, including Jim Lee, Mike Carlin, Dan DiDio, and Chuck Dixon. Charting the dynamic way in which DC Comics evildoers have evolved throughout the years, the book brings together the very best super-villain art from the DC Comics archives. Also featuring a foreword by filmmaker and comic book writer Kevin Smith, and an exclusive cover illustrated by acclaimed artist Phil Jimenez, DC Comics: Super-Villains is the ultimate celebration of the nefarious DC Comics characters that fans love to hate.

The Art of Big Hero 6


Walt Disney Animation Studios’ Big Hero 6 is the story of Hiro Hamada, a brilliant robotics prodigy who must foil a criminal plot that threatens to destroy the fast-paced, high-tech city of San Fransokyo. This new title in our popular The Art of series, published to coincide with the movie’s U.S. release, features concept art from the film’s creation—including sketches, storyboards, maquette sculpts, colorscripts, and much more—illuminated by quotes and interviews with the film’s creators. Fans will love the behind-the-scenes insights into Disney’s newest action comedy adventure.

Steampunk LEGO

Filled with dirigibles and floating cities, penny-farthings and pirate ships, curiosities and robots galore, Steampunk LEGO is an illustrated collection of Victorian-era sci-fi treasures, all built from LEGO.

Curated by award-winning LEGO builder and special effects master Guy Himber, this full-color coffee table book showcases an eclectic variety of models designed by dozens of the world’s best LEGO artists.

Grab your brass goggles and join fictional explorer Sir Herbert Jobson as he travels the world cataloguing its technological wonders for Queen Victoria. His entertaining descriptions of an imaginative alternate history bring these delightful LEGO models to swashbuckling life.

Adventure Time: The Art of Ooo

Adventure Time: The Art of Ooo is the first book to take fans behind the scenes of Finn the Human’s and Jake the Dog’s adventures in the post-apocalyptic, magical land of Ooo. Packed to the seams with concept art and storyboards, this lavishly illustrated tome offers an all-access pass into the Emmy Award–winning show team’s creative process. The Art of Ooo traces series creator Pendleton Ward’s early influences and work, then reveals how the writers, storyboarders, animators, and voice actors work in tandem to bring this wildly inventive series to life.

Fans will pore over early character sketches, as well as back­ground paintings and rare glimpses into the series’ show bible. This visual treasure chest is gilded throughout with commentary from all the show’s key creative talent. The Art of Ooo is the perfect compan­ion to and celebration of this groundbreaking, award-winning series.

These Vampires Still Don’t Sparkle

Featuring a story by FOG!’s Alex C. Telander!

Sparkly Vampires? Oh Pluuueeeaasse!

Since when have there been sparkling vampires? Are they a new brand of champagne or what?

Vampires are supposed to be wily, tricky, and even evil. And they never, ever sparkle. In this book, you’ll find stories with some refreshing takes on vampires: vampire heroes, vampire villains, humorous vampires, among others. Check out 22 stories with the most bite by Carol Hightshoe, Lee Pletzers, J.A. Campbell, T. Fox Dunham, Stephanie Ellis, and other exceptional authors. Grab some garlic, wooden stakes, and crucifixes, and get ready to party, because these vampires don’t sparkle.

The Simpsons Family History


So you think you know the Simpsons? Well, think again! The Simpsons Family History unravels 25 years of Simpsons facts and fun and presents them in a never-before-seen chronological format. Travel through time with Matt Groening as he pulls back the curtain and reveals the events that turned this average family into a pop-culture phenomenon. Discover the hopes and dreams of a young Homer and uncover the sensitive and driven girl Marge was before she married him. Marvel at the hidden moments you never knew you missed, as all the pieces of Simpsons history fall into place. Chock full of art taken directly from the source, this massive tome is a must for Simpsons fans and the perfect way to celebrate The Simpsons’ 25th anniversary.

Marc Davis: Walt Disney’s Renaissance Man

Walt Disney once said of Marc Davis, “Marc can do story, he can do character, he can animate, he can design shows for me. All I have to do is tell him what I want and it’s there! He’s my Renaissance man.” As such, Davis touched nearly every aspect of The Walt Disney Company during his tenure. He began as an animator, whose supporting work on Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs and Bambi inspired Walt to promote him to full animator.

In the ensuing years, Davis breathed life into a bevy of iconic Disney characters, including Cinderella, Alice (in Wonderland), Tinker Bell, Maleficent, and Cruella De Vil. Then, in 1962, Walt Disney transferred the versatile Davis to the Imagineering department to help plan and design attractions for Disneyland and the 1964 65 New York World’s Fair. While at Imagineering, Davis conceived of designs for such classic attractions as Jungle Cruise, Pirates of the Caribbean, and Haunted Mansion.

As Davis had so many talents and hats, it is only fitting that this tribute be composed by a multitude of talented writers. Experts in fine art, animation, Imagineering, and filmmaking have come together to honor Davis’s contributions to their realms. Each chapter is accompanied by a wealth of artwork, much of which was offered up by Alice Davis exclusively for this book. This volume is both the biography and the portfolio of a man who was, on any given day, animator, Imagineer, world traveler, philanthropist, husband, and teacher.

Star Wars Storyboards: The Original Trilogy

For the first time, Lucasfilm has opened its Archives to present the complete storyboards for the original Star Wars trilogy—the world-changing A New Hope and its operatic sequels, The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi—as well as never-before-published art from early conceptual and deleted scenes.

From the opening chase above Tatooine in A New Hope to the Battle of Endor in Jedi, this book presents the visual inspiration behind now-iconic moments. Readers can finally see a full set of storyboards by legendary artist Joe Johnston, as well as early boards for Episode IV by Alex Tavoularis and for Episode V by Ivor Beddoes, rarely seen Episode VI boards by Roy Carnon, and Ralph McQuarrie’s never-before-seen storyboards for Episode V.

Brief Encounters: Conversations, Magic Moments, and Assorted Hijinks

In Brief Encounters, the legendary talk show host Dick Cavett introduces us to the fascinating characters who have crossed his path, from James Gandolfini and John Lennon to Mel Brooks and Nora Ephron, enhancing our appreciation of their talent, their personalities, and their place in the pantheon. We tag along as Cavett spends an afternoon with Stan Laurel at his modest apartment in Los Angeles, spars with Muhammad Ali at his training camp, and comes to know a young Steve Jobs—who woos him to be Apple’s first celebrity pitchman. He also offers piquant commentary on contemporary politics, the indignities of travel, the nature of comedy writing, and the utter improbability of being alive at all.

On his talk show, Cavett welcomed the leading figures from film, music, theater, literature, comedy, and politics, and engaged them in conversation that made viewers feel that the discussion was taking place in their own living rooms. Jimmy Fallon, the host of The Tonight Show, has called him “a legend and an inspiration” and has written a foreword that makes clear the debt that today’s talk show hosts owe to Dick Cavett.

To spend a few minutes, or an hour, or even a whole evening with Dick Cavett is an experience not to be missed, and now there’s no reason to deny yourself. Enjoy the conversation!

Animalium

Welcome to the Museum is a series of books set on the “walls” of the printed page, showcasing the world’s finest collections of objects — from natural history to art. Open 365 days a year and unrestricted by the constraints of physical space, each title in this series is organized into galleries that display more than 200 full-color specimens accompanied by lively, informative text. Offering hours of learning, this first title within the series — Animalium — presents the animal kingdom in glorious detail with illustrations from Katie Scott, an unparalleled new talent.

William Shakespeare’s Star Wars Trilogy: The Royal Imperial Boxed Set

May the verse be with you! Return once more to a galaxy far, far away with this retelling of George Lucas’s Star Wars Trilogy in the style of the immortal William Shakespeare. This Royal Imperial Boxed Set includes all three volumes in the original trilogy: Verily, A New Hope; The Empire Striketh Back; and The Jedi Doth Return. Also included is an 8-by-34-inch full-color poster illustrating the complete cast and company of this glorious production.

Living Language Dothraki


Fans of the hit HBO series Game of Thrones can now learn the Dothraki language. Written by David J. Peterson, who developed the language for the HBO series, Living Language Dothraki will arm you with enough vocabulary and grammar to have a complete conversation in Dothraki. Me nem nesa!*

The course includes a 128-page language guide and a one-hour audio CD featuring over 200 words and phrases, grammar explanations, cultural notes, a dialogue, and exercises for reinforcement. Containing words never before heard on HBO’s Game of Thrones or seen in George R.R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire series, this course is the ultimate Dothraki guide.

*Me nem nesa! = It is known!

Mysteries of the Unknown


Could the strange actually be true? Time-Life Mysteries of the Unknown takes readers on a tour of the eerie and unexplained – from the search for vanished civilizations to the science of real-life zombies, from famous UFO sightings to encounters with ghosts and otherworldly creatures, and much more. This rich full-colour guide offers scores of photographs and documents that shed new light on the world’s most puzzling supernatural events and paranormal phenomena. Mysteries of the Unknown also ventures into strange geographical locations where the laws of nature appear to be suspended and examines the paradoxes of ancient scientific instruments that seem far too advanced for their time. And meet the scientists and dedicated amateur researchers who are unlocking the secrets to the great mysteries of history – and the future.

From Scratch: The Uncensored History of the Food Network


“I don’t want this shown. I want the tapes of this whole series destroyed.”—Martha Stewart

“In those days, the main requirement to be on the Food Network was being able to get there by subway.”—Bobby Flay

“She seems to suggest that you can make good food easily, in minutes, using Cheez Whiz and chopped-up Pringles and packaged chili mix.”—Anthony Bourdain

This is the definitive history of The Food Network from its earliest days as a long-shot business gamble to its current status as a cable obsession for millions, home along the way to such icons as Emeril Lagasse, Rachael Ray, Mario Batali, Alton Brown, and countless other celebrity chefs. Using extensive inside access and interviews with hundreds of executives, stars, and employees, From Scratch is a tantalizing, delicious look at the intersection of business, pop culture, and food.

Star Trek: Ships of the Line

In celebration of one of science fiction’s most beloved franchises, an updated edition of the acclaimed Ships of the Line hardcover collection.

They dared to risk it all in a skiff of reeds or leather, on a ship of wood or steel, knowing the only thing between them and certain death was their ship. To explore, to seek out what lay beyond the close and comfortable, every explorer had to embrace danger. And as they did so, what arose was a mystical bond, a passion for the ships that carried them. From the very first time humans dared to warp the fabric of space, escaping from the ashes of the third World War, they also created ships. These vessels have become the icons of mankind’s desire to rise above the everyday, to seek out and make the unknown known. And these ships that travel the stellar seas have stirred the same passions as the ones that floated in the oceans.

While every captain has wished that their starship could be outfitted in the same manner as the sailing ship H.M.S. Beagle—without weapons—that proved untenable. From the start, Starfleet realized that each vessel, due to the limited range of the early warp engines, must be able to stand alone against any attack. Thus arose the idea, taken from the days of wooden sailing ships, that every Starfleet vessel must stand as a ship of the line. Through the actions of their captains and crews, countless starships have taken on that role. Here we remember some of those ships and their heroic crews.

In celebration of one of science fiction’s most beloved franchises, this updated edition of the acclaimed Ships of the Line hardcover collection now includes dozens of additional images brought together for the first time in book format—spectacular renderings featured in the highly successful Star Trek: Ships of the Line calendar series. With text by Star Trek‘s own Michael Okuda, the story of each of these valiant starships now comes to life.

Beautiful LEGO 2: Dark

Beautiful LEGO 2: Dark showcases dark LEGO masterpieces from artists around the world. From realistic sculptures of creepy crawlers to impressionist works of shadowy nightmares, this collection will leave you marveling at every turn. But dark has its lighter side, too—with sculptures of dark chocolate as well as plenty of black humor on display.

Gothic fantasies and sci-fi horrors come to life in scenes created entirely with the simple LEGO brick. Step into a world of pure imagination in Beautiful LEGO 2: Dark.

 

Click to comment

Leave a Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

DISCLAIMER

Forces of Geek is protected from liability under the DMCA (Digital Millenium Copyright Act) and “Safe Harbor” provisions.

All posts are submitted by volunteer contributors who have agreed to our Code of Conduct.

FOG! will disable users who knowingly commit plagiarism, piracy, trademark or copyright infringement.

Please contact us for expeditious removal of copyrighted/trademarked content.

SOCIAL INFLUENCER POLICY

In many cases free copies of media and merchandise were provided in exchange for an unbiased and honest review. The opinions shared on Forces of Geek are those of the individual author.

You May Also Like

General

You thought we were done with recommendations? With Hannukah in full force and a visit from Saint Nick imminent, here are some more things...

General

If you are bored of everything in your home and office do the mature thing, box all of your stuff up and donate it...

General

YOE BOOKS Whether you grew up hitting the newsstand or comic shop every week, or have an interest in pop culture of the past,...

General

I don’t care how old I get, if I don’t unwrap one freaking, non age-appropriate toy I feel completely and utter let down. Like...