1 comments about The Art of Graeme Base.

1. Perhaps best known for his creation of Animalia, Graeme Base is a prodigiously talented artist whose paintings enchant both children and adults. To celebrate a quarter century of his extraordinary talent Penguin Books Australia published this retrospective of his work. With text by children's book editor and publisher Julie Watts who has worked closely with Base we are not only treated to a magnificent collection of his art but also to insights into the life and mind of this unique artist.
   
   Words are inadequate to describe the riotous colors and incredible detail found in Base's paintings. Watts describes his appeal well, "What I first saw as clutter is actually the hallmark of Graeme's work. The crowded design is one of the things children like most, because it gives them so much to do, so much to search for. The amazing imaginative worlds portrayed, each teeming with life, give children so much to discover for themselves." And so much for all ages to search for and discover I might add.
   
   What a pleasure to have many of his pieces in one lavish 244 page volume with 400 full-color illustrations, 400 reasons to return to this book again and again.
   
   - Gail Cooke

5 comments about Caravaggio.

1. 
   the quality of the research and the color of the paintings are outstanding.
   Also the CD-ROM has an unbelievable amount of information on the artist's
   works and their provenance.
   Dr.John T. Spike's 20 years of research is shared with the reader and is so readable and engaging.



2. The reproductions are excellent. The binding is fine and the cover handsome. The writing is solid academically. I would have liked the book to have had more information on the artist and his life. Much is left to be done in the study of Caravaggio. His life still seems to be quite mysterious. His probable use of optics and mirrors in his work is touched on and needs further exploration. This book provides a good introduction to Caravaggio and his paintings in a handsome package.



3. Great book on the greatest of all Italian painters. Glorious plates. And the text is a pretty good bio.



4. My husband and I just came back from Italy and we had to have a Caravaggio book. His painting in Vatican museum was especially memorable! I picked this book and it is very good. I agree with the earlier comments that some (not "many") pictures are poor quality (too red), but many photographs are very good, nice size for an art book and very important - it is an interesting and detailed research.



5. My library contains many various volumes on the subject of Caravaggio--fiction, biography, fictionalized biography and photo surverys of his works--but if I were allowed only one book on this most extradordinary painter and his life I'd take "Caravaggio" by John T. Spike. In this weighty large-format picture-book Mr. Spike has given us the most complete look at the artist and his works currently available, presented in graceful depth so as to engage any interested reader and art enthusiast regardless of the nature of his commitment. It's unusual to find such an authoritative colaboration of art historical expertise and first quality illustration as we have here, a book to read, study and savor.

5 comments about Our Gods Wear Spandex: The Secret History of Comic Book Heroes.

1. The second (as far as I know, anyways) book from Chris Knowles (the first being a collection of writings on The Clash, a different subject but tackled with the same enthusiasm and mad genius as this one), Our Gods Wear Spandex is a fantastic book. I should make a couple of notes right away here: in cases of both the fantastic/occult and comics I have some historical knowledge but am not an in-depth scholar of either. I like reading comics and I like reading about wild stuff, but this was a great journey into the world of both (a world which is very much interconnected a Knowles makes clear in his book).
   
   Our Gods Wear Spandex takes a well ordered approach to making connections between our contemporary comic heroes and the ancient world, the occult, literary figures, and so on. While one doesn't need to be on board with every single element of Knowles' master hypothesis, the connections and parallels he draws are always compelling and thought provoking. Despite my admittedly meager knowledge of some of the topics covered, I never felt lost and my knowledge of both comic history and the esoteric expanded considerably by the end of the book.
   
   Knowles' writing style also helps bring the whole book together. The author is a gifted storyteller, and does a great job weaving together his master narrative on the nature of our comic heroes. I entered the book somewhat skeptical, but was drawn in from page one and felt some disappointment definite disappointment when the book ended.
   
   As I said earlier, one doesn't need to buy into every single moment of the book but Knowles does a great job keeping you wrapped up in the whole darned thing from the front of the book to the back. A must have for anyone interested in what lays underneath the surface of their favorite superhero comics.



2. It kind of scares me that some in the comic book industry are getting a bit of a god complex, the worst was when Michael Uslan compared teaching a course in college on comic books with teaching a course in the Bible (what is up with that or the point he was trying to make is perhaps better off not addressed). I also do not know where the writer (if he really is a writer at all) seems to be going with this essay either. At best it's a loose attempt on how themes of religon sometimes appear in comic book stories, but if he really comparing the comic book heroes of today with some kind of new age religon that is being built up, then I must say to the guy, Stop right now. The worst aspect of all this is the fault of writers like Frank Miller and Alan Moore who write comic stories along these lines, they seem to be giving ammuniction to nut cases like the author here and going down a path that leads into darkness and ignorance.



3. When it opens with a statement as ludicrous as the one giving Star Wars credit for the modern superhero mythology, it betrays such poor research and self-satisfied ignorance as to make it clear to me it's not worth reading. The Spandex-clad savior was in our popular culture for at least two generations before that, beginning with the Phantom and of course coming into its own with Superman, Batman, the Sub Mariner and all the many characters of the 1940's. Superman and Batman were known worldwide thirty years before Lucas's hackneyed nonsense. Joseph Campbell was apparently also unaware of the comics - since he gives them no mention but praises Star Wars when discussing popular modern myths - which suggests he should have stepped out of the Antiquities section of the library and actiually LOOKED at the popular culture before writing about it. The same goes foe Mr. Knowles.



4. Want to learn about the history of secret societies and their links to the modern myth that is the superhero? This is the book to read. Whether you're into comics, history, mythology or just plain learning about stuff you've probably never even thought about, this book has it all. I can't wait to see the movie version!



5. I picked up this book thinking it would be a fun and thorough examination of comics as a modern telling of religion and all the things that come along with it (mythology, mysticism, occultism, etc). It does all of that, but I think the book fell just a little short of what I was hoping for.
   
   It opens with a detailed history of religion and mythology, and how it gave rise to occultism and mysticism. Then it follows that into the involvement of literary figures (Poe, Lovecraft, Doyle, etc.) which then creates the pulps and then eventually comics. It's a solid evolution, but it suffers greatly in its segregation of topics. The first half of the book is all about religion, with very little to do about comics. The middle is about literature and social trends, and then it picks up about comics, with little to do with religion -- certainly not enough to make a solid argument.
   
   I think the author is 100% right in his claims. I just think they suffer in this book from being separated and isolated from one another. It seems like he felt he had to give us the background on religion first, and then show us how comics have translated it. A better outline, I think, would have been to jump right into the history of comics, told chronologically and pulling aside at times to expand on how the characters represent religious aspects.
   
   By separating them as he's done, the author separates also characters from religion and defeats his whole purpose. At times, it felt like I was reading two, and sometimes even three, different books.
   
   In all, I think the author almost nails it. It's a great book with great analysis and revealing comparisons. It's only fault is that it fails to combine the two aspects of comics and religion at once, choosing instead a "this and that" format.

5 comments about Taking Things Seriously: 75 Objects with Unexpected Significance.

1. Most readers will wish, as I did, that THEY had thought to compile and edit a book like this. Or at least that they had been called upon to contribute an essay to this collection of photos and stories about objects of particular and unexpected significance to the individuals. Intriguing stuff. Most of us have equally fascinating and quirky objects we've trucked around for years or even decades. I will share the book with friends who dabble in writing. We should have fun identifying our own special objects and using the concept of analyzing their importance as both a writing exercise and a way to share our idiosyncrasies. (Why DO I cling to that brass drain cover from the urinal at an abandoned mine?)



2. This was such a delightful read. Each of these (mostly short) essays extols a particular object which might, at first glance, seem like a piece of junk. But it turns out that junk is in the eye of beholder. The uplifting moral of the book is that the best "things" aren't the most expensive or shiniest or rarest. They are the ones with the most personal significance. Highly recommended.



3. This book is a real original. It's great to pick up and enjoy, then pick it up again later and enjoy some more.
   It encompasses something everyone does and hardly anyone really thinks about...hoarding/collecting stuff that is really important only to you. It puts a perspective on people's emotional ties to sometimes useless things. I had a lot fun reading it and sharing it.
   Pat D.



4. Glenn and Hayes' book offers some wonderful little pieces of others' memorabilia that makes you look at all of your ephemera in a different way: the story behind each object puts a poetic narrative blanket over the world. Yard sales become soap operas, trash dumps become family trees. A book you can't put down, it's so engaging. Highly recommended. Esp. good for a gift.



5. If you are somebody that enjoys things or objects, or even if you don't, this book is great fun to read. If you know somebody that tends to find interest in life - you should buy this book for them. If you know somebody that does not tend to find interest in life - you should buy this book for them, maybe it will help.

3 comments about How To Draw Crazy Cars & Mad Monsters Like a Pro (Motorbooks Studio).

1. This book was written and drawn by some of the original artists of Ed Roth's studio. It doesn't get any closer than this, great book!



2. My kids just loved this book. They are both aspiring artists and have done some great work since Christmas!



3. I bought this book for my husband, after several refferals from other hot rod friends. This book is better than described.

4 comments about Encyclopedia of Northwest Native Plants for Gardens and Landscapes.

1. This is a must have for the Northwest gardener whether you are a long time NW gardener or a new one. Large photos with excellent descriptions.



2. I've been growing NW natives for 25 years with successes and failures (and a lot of fun). With this book, I would have had many fewer failures! I've pulled it out a dozen times already this season and it's never failed me. Excellent photos, descriptions, and propagation instructions. It looks like a tea-table treasure, but it performs like a combination field guide and cultivation handbook. Highly recommended.



3. This is the best book on NW natives I've found. Great pictures, descriptions and very complete. If I could only have one native plant book this'd be the one. Worth the pirce



4. The layout and format are excellent. I especially appreciate that the pictures are on the same page as the relevant text. (Books that make me turn to page 437 for the picture annoy me.) You won't be taking this book along in your backpack as you hike in the wilderness, due to its size and weight, but that's what Pojar and Mackinnon's Plants Of The Pacific Northwest Coast: Washington, Oregon, British Columbia & Alaska is for. You'll keep this book at home near your garden, and the wealth of pictures will help you dream and plan about the beautiful natives you could have in your garden.
   
   The descriptions feature recommendations for locations within your garden, helping you put the right plant in the right place. With large native evergreens, this is the absolute critical step, as many a cute little fir has grown up to menace the neighborhood. This book is similar to Kruckeberg's Gardening With Native Plants of the Pacific Northwest but with ten times as many plants to choose from.
   
   The book is not as complete as Hitchcock's Flora of the Pacific Northwest: An Illustrated Manual, but it is much more user friendly. You could spend a lifetime trying to fit every plant in this encyclopedia into your garden, and you would be kept happily busy.
   
   Any northwest gardener with the slightest interest in gardening with natives will want to add this book to his or her shelf.

5 comments about Chinese Brush Painting: A Complete Painting Kit for Beginners.

1. Easy to read and understand! Even my 8-year-old can follow steps in the book. Good price for the book and tools (brushes, paints and papers...)



2. The book is very good, but the brushes are of poor quality. Most of the other supplies are good. I will have to replace one or two of the brushes to use this kit.



3. This kit includes all of the items you need to get started. This kit, along with the book, The Chinese Brush Painting Bible: Over 200 Motifs with Step-by-Step Illustrated Instructions will make you proficient at Chinese Brush Painting.



4. I was thrilled when I received my kit. It has everything you need to get started and specific details to help you along the way. In painting a flower, it even details how the brush stroke should look, which direction, how much pressure. All you need to complete a beautiful piece of art is yourself and some fun! Definitly recommend for beginners looking for help and ideas.



5. This kit is great. I bought it and the Brush Painting for Animals so that my kids (7 and 11) and I could do some art together. The inkstone, ink, paints and brushes are really cool, in the words of the 11 year old. The instructions are good, and all you really need to add is a pad of newsprint paper ($1.59 at Hobby Lobby). As an introductory kit, this is great.

2 comments about Challenging Graph Art.

1. The product was different from what I expected but I believe I can still make use of it in several ways and am completely happy with it.



2. Order came on time and in the condition stated/

3 comments about A History of Icon Painting.

1. Gives us a very good idiea of the history of icon painting. Very good ilustations.



2. The book presents a geographical history of the icon. Very good quality with the images and the paper. A great work that makes you understand the icon with a great deal of examples.



3. I am an iconographer and the priest who taught me everything I know gave me this book. Unlike many of the icon books I own, it gives a more detailed description of each icon. It also has many inset photos of the icons so that you may study details better. It is inexpensive and contains a wealth of knowledge. If you are looking for more information on this beautiful and sacred art, this is a good start.

2 comments about Glass and Print (Glass Handbooks).

1. not quite what i expected. this is geared more toward commercial installations than a hobbyist.



2. Nicely written with good depth, this survey of printing techniques with and on glass is an interesting read. I kinda wish the author had been able to go into the actual techniques a bit more, but this book is still a wonderful resource.