Showing posts with label Books new releases. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Books new releases. Show all posts

New and upcoming pop culture books

These may be of interest to some of you out there. Click the links to get more info from Amazon.

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Superheroes: Fashion and Fantasy (Metropolitan Museum of Art Publications)
From Wonder Woman’s satin stars and golden bracelets to Batman’s brooding cape and mask, the style of superheroes’ dress has influenced both street wear and high fashion. This richly illustrated book explores how radical couture, avant-garde sportswear, and state-of-the-art military garments—as seen through the lens of the superhero—can be metaphors for sex, power, and politics. Beginning with the origins of the superhero costume, this volume looks at how designers have been influenced by iconographic components such as the cape, mask, boots, and unitard. Costumes, such as those worn by Batman and Catwoman, are examined as reflections of sexual and physical prowess, while others, most notably those of Superman and Captain America, are analyzed as political propaganda.

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Love on the Racks: A History of American Romance Comics
For the better part of three decades romance comics were an American institution. Nearly 6,000 romance comics were published between 1947 and 1977, and there was a time when one of every five comics sold in the U.S. was a romance comic. This is the first book devoted entirely to the rarely studied world of romance comics. The text includes information on several types of romance comics and their creators, plus the history, numbers, and publishing frequency of dozens of romance titles. The author examines several significant periods in the development of the romance genre, including the origins of Archie Comics and other teen romance publications, the romance comic "boom and bust" of the 1950s, and the genre's sudden disappearance when fantasy and superhero comics began to dominate mainstream comics in the late 1970s.

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Collector's Guide to Pez: Identification and Price Guide, 3rd Edition

PEZ's claim to collectible fame is among one of the most intriguing urban legends on the books. Word has it a die-hard PEZhead's desire to trade and connect with her fellow PEZ pals was the impetus for her boyfriend developing eBay. True or not, the PEZ you love has certainly come a long way since its start in 1927. In this new edition of the Collector's Guide to PEZ you gain thorough details of company history, updated pricing and more than 16 chapters devoted to PEZ. Look for information on many rare and extremely valuable dispensers, plus 1,000 fun and fantastic photos.

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DC Universe Illustrated by Neal Adams Vol. 1
The first of three hardcover volumes collecting nearly every DC Comics story and cover by Neal Adams not already collected in Green Lantern/Green Arrow, Batman or Deadman titles! Featuring rarely seen stories from Our Army at War issues #182, 183 and 186, Star Spangled War Stories #134 and 144, Detective Comics #369, Teen Titans #20 to 22, Action Comics #425, Superman #254, Weird War Tales #12 and 13 and more.

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Creepy Archives
Dark Horse Comics further corners the market on high-quality horror storytelling with one of the most anticipated releases of the decade - a hardcover archive collection of the legendary Creepy Magazine! This groundbreaking material turned the world of graphic storytelling on its head in the early 1960s, as phenomenal young artists like Bernie Wrightson and Neal Adams reached new artistic heights with their fascinating explorations of classic and modern horror stories.

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Zot!: The Complete Black and White Collection: 1987-1991
Long before manga took the American comics market by storm, Scott McCloud (Understanding Comics, Making Comics) combined the best ideas from manga, alternative comics, and superheroes into Zot!—a frenetic and innovative exploration of comics' potential that helped set the stage for McCloud's later groundbreaking theoretical work.

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Hawkman Companion
Instantly recognizable among comic fans, Hawkman is one of the most iconic heroes ever created. Inspired by tales as old as mankind and those much more recent, this four-color legend has left an indelible mark upon the comic industry. Behind a fabulous CLIFF CHIANG cover, this collection contains interviews and commentary from many who have helped Hawkman soar through the ages, including JOE KUBERT, GEOFF JOHNS, SHELLY MOLDOFF, TIMOTHY TRUMAN, JUSTIN GRAY, JIMMY PALMIOTTI, RAGS MORALES, STEPHEN SADOWSKI, DON KRAMER, BEN RAAB, TONY ISABELLA, DAN JURGENS, ROY THOMAS, STEVE LIEBER, MURPHY ANDERSON and many other top comics creators. Also included is a copious image parade, profiles on the Hawks through the ages, as well as their allies and adversaries, and a timeline of Hawkman's storied existence throughout the DC Comics Universe. With insight into the character and the creators who made him what he is, the HAWKMAN COMPANION is certain to please any Hawkfan. Written by Doug Zawisza.

New and upcoming books of interest to pop culture fans

Click titles to order books from Amazon.

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Fear Of Music: The 261 Greatest Albums Since Punk and Disco
If there had been a music book of the year award in 2002, Garry Mulholland’s This is Uncool: The Greatest 500 Singles Since Punk and Disco would have walked away with the honors. Not only did it receive impressive reviews, but Mulholland simply has the knack of writing about music with such clarity that you can practically hear the song playing in your head. With his newest guide, he moves on from the single to the album format and produces an equally fantastic volume. Fans will be thrilled to discover that Fear of Music features all the witty, irreverent, and insightful criticism they expect from Mulholland. He takes on classics from the last 30 years by everyone from Iggy Pop (The Idiot), Television (Marquee Moon), and David Bowie (Heroes) through the Rolling Stones (Some Girls), Eminem (The Marshall Mathers LP), Madonna (The Immaculate Collection), Outkast (Speakerboxx/The Love Below), and The Prodigy (Music for the Jilted Generation). Of course The Talking Heads, whose Fear of Music gave the book its name, are here too. It’s the perfect gift for everyone who loves popular music, and readers will have a blast debating the selection.

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The Mojo Collection: The Ultimate Music Companion
Quite simply, the greatest albums of all time—and how they happened. The smartest, most keyed-in music critics from London’s best rock magazine provide opinionated, funny, insightful portraits of the best pop music records ever made. Redesigned and updated to include the most recent releases, and with a new section of artists contributing their top-five albums of all time. Informative, gossipy, and wide ranging, The MOJO Collection is an essential purchase for those who love and live music.

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Beatles for Sale: How Everything They Touched Turned to Gold
Beatles for Sale is a brand new way of looking at a story you may think you know inside out. Author John Blaney shows for the first time how the group and their inner circle invented so much of what we now recognize as the modern business of making and selling rock music. This was certainly not because Lennon, McCartney, Epstein, and the rest had a clear vision of the way things ought to be. Very often it was simply down to making things up as they went along - because no one had been there before and no one knew how to do these things. The book details the ups and downs of the group as they promoted, advertised, and sold records, played concerts, sold merchandise, made films, and set up publishing and record companies of their own. It is a story of naivety and greed, inexperience and luck, gullibility and ingenuity. It is the story of every aspect of how the Beatles made money - and how virtually every group since then has followed in their footsteps.

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Rock 'N' Roll 39-59
Snare drum backbeat plus electric guitar: the simple formula that launched the rock star, and contemporary teen culture along with it. Today rock 'n' roll seems to define postwar American culture, especially in its impact abroad. Though its inception is often imagined as sudden and seismic, it was of course a gradual and complex transition from boogie-woogie to the stardom of Elvis Presley and Bill Haley. A thorough survey of rock 'n' roll's bloodline would even reach back as far as 1939, a time when the electric guitar's role was mostly played by piano or saxophone. Rock 'n' Roll 39-59 does this, with the assistance of some of the genre's finest photographers. Bruce Davidson, Wayne Miller, Robert W. Kelley, Esther Bubley, Eve Arnold and Ernest C. Withers are all here, amid a wealth of visual props, including priceless period posters, records, rare souvenirs, photographs and film stills, and indices of the movement's key venues, events, artists, producers and people. This book describes a lively mess of genres, from boogie-woogie to blues, gospel, big band jazz, country and most of all rhythm and blues--interbreeding against a backdrop of colossal social change, and culminating in the rock 'n' roll explosion of the mid-1950s.

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Simpsonology: There's a Little Bit of Springfield in All of Us
In this amusing and informative appreciation of The Simpsons, sociologist Tim Delaney looks at the many ways America's longest-running sitcom and animated TV program reflects American culture. For more than fifteen years, the Simpsons have touched upon nearly every aspect of the American social scene--from family dynamics and social mores to local customs and national institutions. With over four hundred episodes aired so far, Delaney finds a goldmine of insights couched in parody on any number of perennial topics:

· On television's influence on American culture, Krusty the Clown says, "Would it really be worth living in a world without television? I think the survivors would envy the dead."

· On New Age religion, Homer says, "To think, I turned to a cult for mindless happiness when I had beer all along."

· On the thorny issue of gun ownership and home security, Homer purchases a pistol at "Bloodbath and Beyond" and then tells Marge, "I don't have to be careful, I got a gun."

· On the theme of community spirit, Bart thoughtlessly signs up with a local Boy Scout troop while on a sugar rush from eating a "Super-Squishee." The next day he realizes what he has done: "Oh, no. I joined the Junior Campers!" To which his sister, Lisa, responds: "The few, the proud, the geeky."

Delaney finds many more episodes relevant to major sociological issues such as environmentalism, feminism, romance and marriage, politics, education, health, aging, and more. Students of popular culture and laypersons alike will learn basic sociological concepts and theories in a refreshing, jargon-free work that offers plenty of entertainment.


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A Complete History of American Comic Books
This book is an updated history of the American comic book by an industry insider. You’ll follow the development of comics from the first appearance of the comic book format in the Platinum Age of the 1930s to the creation of the superhero genre in the Golden Age, to the current period, where comics flourish as graphic novels and blockbuster movies. Along the way you will meet the hustlers, hucksters, hacks, and visionaries who made the American comic book what it is today. It’s an exciting journey, filled with mutants, changelings, atomized scientists, gamma-ray accidents, and supernaturally empowered heroes and villains who challenge the imagination and spark the secret identities lurking within us.

From the Back Cover
"One part history and one part how-to add up to a book that really puts the ‘Pow’ back into comics." —Joe Quesada, Editor-in-Chief, Marvel Comics

"Shirrel Rhoades reflects on his journey through the world of comics as a reader, collector, and executive, offering a very personal perspective on a unique American art form and industry." —Paul Levitz, President and Publisher of DC Comics

"It’s a rare treat to read a book on this peculiar medium by a man who knows it as well, from the inside, as Shirrel Rhoades—and a fast, fun, crystal-clear book it is." —Gerard Jones, Author of Men of Tomorrow: Geeks, Gangster, and the Birth of the Comic Book


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Teenage: The Prehistory of Youth Culture: 1875-1945
“The definitive history of youth in revolt, from the gaslight age to the dawn of rock.”
—David Fricke, Rolling Stone

“Compulsive reading . . . Teenage is a rich, rewarding book that makes an important contribution to cultural history.”
—Camille Paglia, The New York Times Book Review

“Resonant . . . Savage explores . . . [an] array of teenager types, from the wild, sensational precursors to juvenile delinquency to the straight-laced good-citizen proto-preppie. It’s Savage’s claim to being a great historian, and it’s mighty convincing.”
—The Onion

In his previous landmark book on youth culture and teen angst, the award-winning England’s Dreaming, Jon Savage presented the “definitive history of the English punk movement” (The New York Times). Now, in Teenage, he explores the secret prehistory of a phenomenon we thought we knew, in a monumental work of cultural investigative reporting. Beginning in 1875 and ending in 1945, when the term “teenage” became an integral part of popular culture, Savage draws widely on film, music, literature high and low, fashion, politics, and art and fuses popular culture and social history into a stunning chronicle of modern life.


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Wacky Packages
Wacky Packages—a series of collectible stickers featuring parodies of consumer products and well-known brands and packaging—were first produced by the Topps company in 1967, then revived in 1973 for a highly successful run. In fact, for the first two years they were published, Wacky Packages were the only Topps product to achieve higher sales than their flagship line of baseball cards. The series has been relaunched several times over the years, most recently to great success in 2007.

Known affectionately among collectors as “Wacky Packs,” as a creative force with artist Art Spiegelman, the stickers were illustrated by such notable comics artists as Kim Deitch, , Bill Griffith, Jay Lynch, and Norm Saunders.

This first-ever collection of Series One through Series Seven (from 1973 and 1974) celebrates the 35th anniversary of Wacky Packages and is sure to amuse collectors and fans young and old.


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Working with Walt: Interviews With Disney Artists
Walt Disney created or supervised the creation of live-action films, television specials, documentaries, toys, merchandise, comic books, and theme parks. His vision, however, manifested itself first and foremost in his animated shorts and feature-length cartoons, which are loved by millions around the world.

Working with Walt: Interviews with Disney Artists collects revealing conversations with animators, voice actors, and designers who worked extensively with Disney during the heyday of his animation studio. The book includes fifteen interviews with artists who directed segments of such classic animated features as Dumbo and Fantasia. Some interviewed were part of Disney's famed team dubbed "The Nine Old Men of Animation," and some worked closely with Disney on Steamboat Willie, his first cartoon with sound.

Among the subjects the interviewees discuss are the studio's working environment, the high-water mark of animation during Hollywood's Golden Age, and Disney's mixture of childlike charm and hard-nosed business drive. Through these voices, Don Peri preserves an account of the Disney magic from those who worked closely with him.


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Radio Drama: A Comprehensive Chronicle of American Network Programs, 1932-1962
Grams (CBS Radio Mystery Theater) has unearthed a mother lode of information about old-time radio. Over 300 programs are alphabetically arranged by title, not just drama and genre programs but documentaries, variety shows, and musical comedies. The titles of individual episodes are listed with air dates and cast members. Directors, producers, writers, and musical personnel are credited, and meticulous care is given to title changes, sponsor, and the day and time of broadcast. Sometimes, though, attention to minutiae obscures more important facts. The entry on The Return of Nick Carter, for instance, notes that the first two episodes were called Nick Carter, Master Detective but neglects to mention that after a three-year run the program used this title again for another eight years. Better use of cross references (only one now appears) would help clarify connections among various programs. Also, some popular shows are inexplicably omitted, notably Little Orphan Annie, The Lone Ranger, and The Shadow, and the 39-page three-column index gives ample access to the people involved but doesn't refer to program titles, sponsors, or networks.

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Captain Kirk's Guide to Women
Casanova, Don Juan, James Bond -- these are men of legendary romance, but only one man can boast that his seductive powers take him boldly where no man has gone before: James T. Kirk.

Captain Kirk's status as an interstellar stud is proven by his ability to seduce any woman, in any situation, in any part of the galaxy. From high-society princesses to unbalanced Orion slave girls, from gender-switching shape-shifters to emotion-deprived androids -- they all swoon, acquiesce, and malfunction from just one kiss.

But a single question remains in the minds of millions: How does he do it?

Captain Kirk's Guide to Women is the first book to answer this question by probing deeply into Kirk's character, charisma, and seductive techniques, making it possible for any man to model himself after the Casanova of the Cosmos. It is also the only warp-powered romance manual written with enough wit, charm, and humor to help the female of the species make first contact.

Employing meticulous research, along with fanatic-level detail and the kind of pointy-eared logic even a Vulcan would find fascinating, Captain Kirk's Guide to Women shows you how to be as effective as Captain Kirk.

Upcoming books for pop culture fans

Here are new and upcoming books of possible interest to pop culture fans. Click the titles to order them from Amazon.


Scorchy Smith And The Art Of Noel Sickles

Noel Sickles drew comics for three brief years, yet his groundbreaking work on the 1930s aviation adventure series Scorchy Smith is a milestone in the history of newspaper comic strips. Over the past 70 years, however, readers have seen only occasional excerpts of this seminal work. Now, IDW's Library of American Comics presents Scorchy Smith and The Art of Noel Sickles, a comprehensive, oversized volume that collects, for the first time, every Sickles Scorchy strip, from December 1933 through November 1936.


The Ten-Cent Plague: The Great Comic-Book Scare and How It Changed America

“Every once in a while, moral panic, innuendo, and fear bubble up from the depths of our culture to create waves of destructive indignation and accusation. David Hajdu's fascinating new book tracks one of the stranger and most significant of these episodes, now forgotten, with exactness, clarity, and serious wit, which is the best kind. He illuminates the lives of his protagonists -- from pompous, on-the-make censors to cracked comic book geniuses -- with his own graphic powers, as well as his intense intellectual curiosity. The book is a rarity, vividly depicting a noirish 1950's America but without a trace of irony or nostalgia.” --Sean Wilentz, Professor of History, Princeton University


Betsy and Me by Jack Cole

For Betsy and Me, featuring city dweller Chet Tibbit's day-to-day stuggles and achievements, Cole stripped his style down to its bare essentials, creating a strip that sparkles with economy, wit, and charm. What gave the strip its edge, however, was Cole's innovative storytelling. As R.C. Harvey writes in his introduction, "Cole's storytelling manner was unique: the comedy arose from the pictures' contradicting the narrative prose. Cole's fatuous protagonist and narrator would say one thing in the captions accompanying the drawings, but the pictures of his actions showed the opposite, revealing [him] to be a trifle pretentious and wholly delusional." Harvey's intro also serves as a biographical sketch and sheds light on the circumstances surrounding Cole's suicide.


Alex Raymond: His Life And Art

Complete with a foreword by George Lucas and an introduction by famed artist James Bama, Alex Raymond: His Life and Art delves deep into the history and work of this internationally famous artist, showcasing never-before-known facts and art that transcended the confines of a comic strip page and make him more than the renowned artist of Flash Gordon.


Men's Adventure Magazines

Paying homage to the American periodicals of the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s that documented outrageous exploits, this hefty, comprehensive guide is packed full of colorful cover art, sumptuous sample spreads, and enlightening essays.


The Official Batman Batbook: The Revised Bat Edition

The Official Batman Batbook Revised Bat-Edition is the only official guide to the 1966 television series.(The original edition sold over 100,000 copies worldwide) Containing a detailed guide to every episode and the feature film. Obsecure batfacts, trivia, a complete list of Holy Words, Batfight words, BatEquipment. Interviews with cast and crew members. This newly updated edition contains hundreds of new photos, additional facts (like cast salaries), trivia and interviews with guest stars, henchmen, crew members and the producers.


The Avengers: The Inside Story

Patrick Macnee tells all! The secrets of the hit TV series The Avengers are laid bare by the man who was John Steed.

Lavishly illustrated, with many unpublished stills, behind-the-scenes photos, and snaps from Macnee's private collection, this is a very personal portrait of the world's best-loved cult action-adventure series, and its classic sequel, The New Avengers.

In unflinching detail, Macnee reveals the true story behind the show, including his relationships with all four Avengers girls — Honor Blackman, Diana Rigg, Linda Thorson and Joanna Lumley — on and off the set!



LOST Ultimate Guide Season III: The Unauthorized Guide to the ABC Hit Series Show LOST Season Three

Oceanic Flight 815 out of Sydney, Australia is mysteriously brought down out of the sky, crashing on an uncharted island somewhere out in the Pacific Ocean. The survivors quickly learn they must band together in order to have any hope of rescue, because the island is treacherous and holds many secrets. As they are about to learn, the survivors also have many secrets of their own! It's clear that ABC's LOST has captivated the minds of TV viewers all around the world. What isn't clear is what it actually means. This guide answers many of the questions you've been asking about ABC's series: LOST. From a complete analysis of the plot and its symbolism to hidden clues within the show, this book provides inside analysis and news that can't be found anywhere else. The book includes a complete summary, interpretation, and analysis for Season Three and unauthorized news. This is quite simply the Ultimate Unofficial Guide to ABC's Hit Series LOST. THIS BOOK INCLUDES: Analysis and Interpretation Predictions Hidden Messages Signs & Symbols Before they were LOST. DISCLAIMER: This book is unofficial and unauthorized. It is not authorized, approved, licensed, or endorsed by ABC, Lost, it's producers, writers, distributors, publishers, or licensors. Any use of the trademarks and character names is strictly for the purpose of analysis and news reporting.


The Pin-Up Art of Dan DeCarlo Vol. 2

For more than 40 years, Dan DeCarlo was best known for his definitive rendition of Archie Comics' Betty and Veronica, two of comics' most beloved icons.

But before joining Archie in the late 1950s and unbeknownst to many, DeCarlo was already honing his skills as a good girl artist for the Humorama line of digest magazines. Beginning in 1956, DeCarlo created hundreds of pin-up cartoons for titles such as Comedy, Jest, and Laugh Riot, where his line drawings and his exquisite ink-wash paintings shared the pages with pin-ups by Jack Cole, Bill Ward and Bill Wenzel, and photos featuring Bettie Page.

In contrast to the innocence that was Archie's Riverdale, DeCarlo's Humorama pin-ups portrayed a world populated by strippers, gold diggers, buxom secretaries, lecherous bosses, cheating spouses, and even the occasional "spanking daddy." These characters, who often bore an uncanny resemblance to Archie's snooty socialite and perennial girl next door, were clearly having sex and plenty of it.

Following the immensely popular The Pin-Up Art of Dan DeCarlo (which was featured in Playboy magazine and quickly sold out its first printing), this second volume once again displays DeCarlo's sexiest Humorama pin-up cartoons, and continues Fantagraphics' dedication to showcasing the best of the classic pin-up cartoonists.



Twinkie, Deconstructed: My Journey to Discover How the Ingredients Found in Processed Foods Are Grown, Mined (Yes, Mined), and Manipulated into What America Eats

Like most Americans, Steve Ettlinger eats processed foods. And, like most consumers, he didn’t have a clue as to what most of the ingredients on the labels mean. So when his young daughter asked, “Daddy, what’s polysorbate 60?” he was at a loss—and determined to find out.

From the phosphate mines in Idaho to the oil fields in China, Twinkie, Deconstructed demystifies some of the most common processed food ingredients— where they come from, how they are made, how they are used—and why. Beginning at the source (hint: they’re often more closely linked to rock and petroleum than any of the four food groups), we follow each Twinkie ingredient through the process of being crushed, baked, fermented, refined, and/or reacted into a totally unrecognizable goo or powder—all for the sake of creating a simple snack cake.

An insightful exploration of the modern food industry, if you’ve ever wondered what you’re eating when you consume foods containing mono- and diglycerides or calcium sulfate (the latter a food-grade equivalent of plaster of paris), this book is for you.



Q Guide to Buffy the Vampire Slayer

Go behind the scenes of the smash hit television show that just won't die! From its origins as a reviled movie to its seven-year reign on the WB and UPN, Buffy spawned a new generation of vampire lovers.


Licence to Thrill: A Cultural History of the James Bond Films

"There are two kinds of academic texts: the kind that contains photographs of Ursula Andress wearing a bikini, and the kind that do not. Licence to Thrill falls, fortunately, into the first category." -- Giles Coren, The Times (London)


Instamatic Karma: Photographs of John Lennon

John Lennon is the most famously photographed Beatle—everyone from Iain MacMillian to Annie Lebowitz took iconic images of him—but there have never been pictures of him like these taken by May Pang, Lennon’s girlfriend from 1973 to 1975. In INSTAMATIC KARMA, they’re collected for the first time. With very few exceptions, these photos are that rare thing: never-before-seen images of an icon. The photos here show Lennon in a variety of settings: at work, at play, at home, and away. They show a playful Lennon, a casual, unguarded Lennon; they’re the kind of photos one lover takes of another. May has written rich captions to accompany her photos--taken together, they tell a simple story of the time May and Lennon spent together; a time, according to legend, when Lennon was unhappy and unproductive, estranged from his family and bandmates. Pang’s photos clearly tell another story—they show Lennon clowning around, working on his hit album “Walls and Bridges”, embracing old friends and family, hanging out in their apartment on Manhattan’s East 52nd Street, relaxing in the country in upstate New York or spending peaceful days swimming in the waters of Long Island.


Cosmic Motors: Spaceships, Cars and Pilots of Another Galaxy

Come explore the vehicle designs of a far away galaxy called Galaxion where futuristic concepts exist in everyday life. Nine different spaceships, pods, race cars, giant trains, warships and balloons from various planets of the Galaxion system are shown from concept to completion. Daniel Simon is an established senior car designer who has spent the last several years focusing his talents on futuristic concepts for such automakers as Bugatti and Lamborghini. In his first book, Cosmic Motors, each chapter shows the design process of a unique vehicle, from the first ideation sketches to the stunningly detailed 3-D models to the final photorealistic full spread renderings. Join Daniel in this virtual world of visionary vehicles!

New and upcoming books of interest

Click title links to pre-order from Amazon:


Humbug (2-volume slipcased set)
"We won't write for morons. We won't do anything just to get laughs. We won't be dirty. We won't be grotesque. We won't be in bad taste. We won't sell magazines."—Declaration of editorial principles, Humbug #1
Harvey Kurtzman changed the face of American humor when he created the legendary MAD comic. As editor and chief writer from its inception in 1952, through its transformation into a slick magazine, and until he left MAD in 1956, he influenced an entire generation of cartoonists, comedians, and filmmakers. In 1962, he co-created the long-running Little Annie Fanny with his long-time artistic partner Will Elder for Playboy, which he continued to produce until his virtual retirement in 1988.

Between MAD and Annie Fanny, Kurtzman's biographical summaries will note that he created and edited three other magazines, Trump, Humbug, and Help!, but, whereas his MAD and Annie Fanny are readily available in reprint form, his major satirical work in the interim period is virtually unknown. Humbug, which had poor distribution, may be the least known, but to those who treasure the rare original copies, it equals or even exceeds MAD in displaying Kurtzman's creative genius. Humbug was unique in that it was actually published by the artists who created it: Kurtzman and his cohorts from MAD Will Elder, Jack Davis, and Al Jaffee, were joined by universally acclaimed cartoonist Arnold Roth. With no publisher above them to rein them in, this little band of creators produced some of the most trenchant and engaging satire of American culture ever to appear on American newsstands. At last, the entire run of 11 issues of Humbug is being reprinted in a deluxe format, much of it reproduced from the original art, allowing even owners of the original cheaply-printed issues to see the full impact of these creators' artistry for the first time.

"Man—We're Beat! Satire has got us beat. 1953—We started MAD magazine for a comic-book publisher and we did some pretty good satire and it sold very well. 1956—We started Trump magazine...and we worked much harder and we did much better satire and we sold much worse. 1957—We started Humbug magazine and we worked hardest of all and turned out the very best satire of all, which of course now sells the very worst of all. And now...as they throw rocks at Vice President Nixon...as space gets cluttered with missiles...and as our names are carefully removed from our work in MAD pocketbooks—a feeling of beatness creeps through our satirical veins and capillaries and we think how George S. Kaufman once said, 'Satire is something that closes Saturday night....'"—From the editorial to Humbug's final issue


Birth of the Cool: California Art, Design, and Culture at Midcentury
1950s West Coast style exuded "cool": from the smooth, hypnotic strains of a Miles Davis riff through Richard Neutra's elegant, modernist residences to the hard-edged paintings of Helen Lundeberg and Karl Benjamin. This richly illustrated volume casts a fresh eye on Fifties West Coast style with illuminating commentary from a variety of perspectives. Designed to echo the period it celebrates, this catalog explores modernist innovations in art, architecture, design, film and music. Prominent cultural critics write on an array of topics: Thomas Hine about the culture of cool; Elizabeth Smith on domestic aspects of the period's architecture; Francis Colpitt on hard-edged abstract painting; Dave Hickey on jazz, and Bruce Jenkins on the crossover between animation and experimental film. The result is a multi-faceted exploration of the 1950s West Coast zeitgeist in all its color, creativity, and cool.


Iconic America: A Roller-Coaster Ride through the Eye-Popping Panorama of American Pop Culture
What is America? It’s Monopoly and Mickey Mouse, but also Sinatra and Fred Astaire. It’s the Declaration of Independence, but it’s also Barbie and Playboy, Winslow Homer and Rudi Gernreich’s topless bathing suit. This juxtaposition of images reflects America’s unique eclecticism, and the unprecedented influence that the images of America’s pop culture have had on the world. This book works as a great treasury of Americana, and as a mischievously enjoyable observation on all things truly American. Fashion designer Tommy Hilfiger and famous adman George Lois have crafted an enlightening book, searching American history to find over 350 people, symbols, and things of import. Their iconic and iconoclastic choices are entertainingly presented through surprising visual juxtapositions. Inspired by Tommy Hilfiger’s passion for Americana and George Lois’ wit, Iconic America dramatizes the national ethos, and makes us think about who we are and what we stand for, with humor and charm.


James Bond Encyclopedia
Created in full collaboration with Eon Productions, producers of the Bond movies, this illustrated celebration of the world's most famous super-spy examines every aspect of 007's world, with information on his history, style, and tastes, along with A-Z guides to his adversaries, allies, gadgets, cars, and, of course, the ever-glamorous Bond girls. AUTHOR BIO: John Cork and Colin Stutz authorities on every aspect of the James Bond story, wrote the acclaimed book on the James Bond phenomenon, James Bond: The Legacy, have produced, written and directed 30 special feature documentaries for MGM's DVD releases of James Bond films, and contributed to The Ultimate James Bond: An Interactive Dossier CD-Rom for MGM Interactive.


Lost and Philosophy: The Island Has Its Reasons
Sometimes it feels like you need a Ph.D. to follow the show. But you don't. You just need this book in which twenty-one philosophers explore the deep questions we all face as survivors on this planet: Does "everything happen for a reason"? Is torture ever justified? Who are the Others? How do we know we're not patients in Hurley's psych ward? What if the Dharma Intitiative is experimenting on us? Desmond may not be able to save Charlie, but this book could save you.


Moondog: The Viking of 6th Avenue: The Authorized Biography
"Moondog is one of America’s great originals."—Alan Rich, New York Magazine

Here is one of the most improbable lives of the twentieth century: a blind and homeless man who became the most famous eccentric in New York and who, with enormous diligence, rose to prominence as an internationally respected music presence.
Born Louis Thomas Hardin in 1916, Moondog first made an impression in the late 1940s when he became a mascot of The New York Philharmonic at Carnegie Hall. His unique, melodic compositions were released on the Prestige jazz label. In the late 1960s the Viking-garbed Moondog was a pop music sensation on Columbia Records. Moondog is the noted inspiration for the contemporary freak folk movement led by Devendra Banhart.
Moondog's compositional style influenced his former roommate, Philip Glass, whose Preface and performances of Moondog works appear in the book. Moondog's work transcends labels and redefines the distinction between popular and high culture. A CD compilation with a variety of Moondog's compositions is bound into the book.


Ray Davies: Not Like Everybody Else
In Ray Davies: Not Like Everybody Else, Tom Kitts presents a critical biography of Davies, his music and his times. Based on interviews with his closest associates as well as thorough study of the recordings themselves, Kitts creates the most thorough picture of Davies' work to date. He places the work in the context of the British Invasion and growth of the rock in the '60s and'70s, affirming Davies' role as a key innovator whose groundbreaking techniques often predated more famous examples by years. Throughout, Kitts balances a fan's appreciation with a critical eye to place Davies and his work in proper perspective.

For fans of rock music and the music of the Kinks, Ray Davies: Not Like Everybody Else will be a must purchase. It will finally place this legendary innovator in the pantheon of the great rock artists of the past half-century.


Rolling Stone Cover to Cover: The First 40 Years
Celebrating its 40th anniversary this year, Rolling Stone stoked the imagination of America's social revolutionaries and fueled the careers of brilliant writers like Tom Wolfe, Hunter S. Thompson, Joe Klein, Cameron Crowe, P.J. O'Rourke and visionary photographers including Annie Leibovitz, Mark Seliger and Baron Wolman.

Rolling Stone Cover to Cover is a backstage pass to four decades of popular culture--a DVD ROM-based, searchable digital archive of every issue of Rolling Stone magazine from 1967 to 2007. Browse issues 1 through 1026 – over 98,000 searchable pages, exactly as they first appeared in print--every story, review, interview and even every ad.

This exclusive box set also comes with a photo-filled, 208–page page companion coffee table book providing a vivid behind-the-scenes look at the magazines history, from birth to today and includes a bonus one-year subscription to Rolling Stone (a $12.95 value). See certificate inside package for offer and rebate details.

The product includes the Bondi Reader, powerful MAC or PC browsing software that allows you to explore, search and view every page, and to arrange and save multiple reading lists. The ultimate pop culture reference tool, this essential collection is a must-have for all music fans, political junkies, nostalgia buffs and collectors.


Smile
Author Dominic Priore, dubbed by MOJO the worlds foremost Smile-ologist, has written the definitive book on the entire experience from the original recording to the revival tour and beyond. He has been in the studio with Wilson, as well as on the road for the celebrated European Smile concerts, and the result is the full version of one of pops mythic stories. Features forewords by Brian Wilson and Van Dyke Parks. Previously published by Sanctuary.


Taken By Storm
Taken By Storm is a superb selection of British artist Storm Thorgersons work over the past 30 years. It features the best of Hipgnosis, Pink Floyd, and the Storm Studios and is a visual equivalent of a greatest hits album! Thorgersons prolific album art is presented in full-color and includes in-depth analysis of each image, including the themes and motivations that inspired the work as well as the practical details involved in producing each stunning image. Includes new material from the last five years, none of which has been previously published in book form. Great for music and art lovers alike!