No comments about Official Handbook Of The Marvel Universe A To Z Volume 6 Premiere HC (v. 6).

4 comments about World War Hulk: Marvel Universe.

1. This part of the World War Hulk Series is awesome! Huk beats all the members of the X-Men and trashes Ghost Rider too! Hulk truelly is: The Strongest One There Is!!!
   
   The action and the story is great! Buy this piece of the WWH trilogy. It's a great buy for anyonw who is a big fan of the incredible hulk and x-men. So, what are you waiting for? Buy it now and enjoy!



2. The only goog part of this World War Hulk tie in, is the x-men part, where Wolverine, colossus, cyclops and juggernaut fight relly good, but all the aditional issues are useless.



3. Compared to Civil War, and more currently Secret Invasion, World War Hulk doesn't feature all that many tie-in's; a majority of which are collected here in World War Hulk: Marvel Universe. Taking up most of the collection here is the World War Hulk: X-Men mini-series, in which Beast and the young New X-Men come head to head with the Hulk. Written by Christos Gage, the story itself isn't that bad, but is hardly anything to write home about either. Also featured here are two issues from Iron Man, taking place after his battle with the Hulk in the beginning of World War Hulk; an issue of Robert Kirkman's highly underrated Irredeemable Ant-Man series; two issues from Dan Slott's Avengers: The Initiative where Rage and some recruits come face to face with Hulk and his Warbound; and a rather boring segment from Daniel Way's run on Ghost Rider to boot. The Avengers: The Initiative, Ant-Man, and Iron Man stories are definitely the best part of what's to be found here, and the various artwork found throughout is pretty good as well. It should also be worth noting that the Punisher's run in with the Hulk (which can be found in Punisher War Jornal: Hunter Hunted) is not collected here, where as the Avengers: The Initiative and Ghost Rider segments can be found in other collections. All in all, for anyone besides the World War Hulk completist, World War Hulk: Marvel Universe is worth a look, but there's nothing essential here in the least.



4. This is a good collection of the crossovers within the marvel universe for the WWH story. Admittedly one of the best stories that year, this collection showcases how futile it is to go up against the Hulk. If you are a big X-Men fan, you might be hurt by their battle, where a young mutant by the name of Darwin who's ability is to "evolve a power" to defend against any situation, gets hit by the hulk so his body evolves the best defense against the Hulk, Be somewhere else. All in all the battles are big, the story is worth while and a definite good companion for the WWH main trade.

5 comments about The Skillful Huntsman: Visual Development of a Grimm Tale at Art Center College of Design.

1. Watch Video Here: http://www.amazon.com/review/R24YAWVXSPRFQE This is essentially a sketchbook. It also looks very much like a school project for art students. And the art students in particular are Khang Le, Mike Yamada and Felix Yoon.
   
   The Skillful Huntsman is actually a story by the Brothers Grimm.
   
   Based on the short story, the artists then came up with concept drawings for the characters, set, props and environment. As you can see in the video, there are lots of sketches on character designs. For every subject, there's comment from the artist on the thought process for the creation. And just beneath that comment is another one from the Scott Robertson, a teacher at the Art College of Design.
   
   It's fun to see how the 3 artists interpret the stories and come up with their own unique concepts and designs.
   
   Bear in mind that this book was published in 2005. These talented students have already gone on to work at major studios.
   
   There are more pictures on my blog. Just visit my Amazon profile for my blog's link.



2. Ever wondered what students work at art center looks like? look no further, both the skillful huntsmen and into the future are absolutely stunning books for the students at art center. For anyone who has ever dreamed of pursuing concept art as a career, these two books are amazing!



3. Very informative book. its good being able to get a glimpse of the creative design process.
   
   i thought it was kind of intersting (a little unexpected) that the 3 artists being featured are asian, even though i myself am asian as well.
   
   i wonder if other nationality of artists have different styles and processes? That would be interesting to see
   
   also, having the teacher's critique right under the student's explanation was a good idea! a compare and contrast to new and seasoned talents!



4. Here's an overview of Art Center's Entertainment Design teaching process, as told by several of its most gifted students. Shows Entertainment Design work at a high level, though it doesn't reach the level of the best graphic novels. (should one expect such maturity from student work?) This book illustrates the didactic process of nurturing the next generation of visual storytellers.



5. I have been looking for good concept art books and have yet to find one I like as much as this one. If you are like me you have looked through tons of book store for good art books, but only manage to find lame kiddie stuff. I was so tired of "how too" books on comic heros and magna, that were drawn at a 4th grade level. If you are looking for quality art, this is some of the best freehand skething I have seen.
   This book really is not an instruction book or anything of that nature, but if you need good drawing refrences or inspiration for new and creative comic like ideas this is the book for you.

5 comments about 1,000 Restaurant Bar and Cafe Graphics: From Signage to Logos and Everything in Between (1000 Series).

1. First off, Amazon never fails to deliver. I'm always impressed with how efficiently and quickly I get my things in the mail. Second, I'm very happy with this purchase finding it very inspiring. Great quality photos and paper stock. If I could change one thing it would be to include a wider variety of company logos. I found some to repeat too much.



2. Watch Video Here: http://www.amazon.com/review/R1YW5G9BCSS6S3 I guess the graphics showcased really work because I felt like ordering some food.
   
   There's a wide range of graphics collected over a variety of medium. The design medium includes, signage, logos, menus, packaging, promotional items and stationery.
   
   I'm not too sure if because of the variety, the book has spread itself too thin. Personally, I would have preferred that the author had grouped all the designs created under each food outlet. That way, at least, we can see how the designer work his/her way across the different packaging mediums.
   
   The variety in the book might make up for the lack of depth.
   
   Overall, it's still a recommended book for any graphic or packaging designer.



3. This book has a lot of very interesting usages for artwork and logos in the restaurant industry, but also includes a nice variety of design principles that can be used in many other applications.



4. I was looking for a book that showed more branding within the space, rather than all the 'extras' like menus, etc. Maybe the coverage in the book was too broad so they had to include equal coverage on each category (signs, menus), so they sacrificed on the interior/environmental design category. Also the 1000 is misleading - there seemed to be a lot of images from the same restaurants within each chapter in the book. If I were looking for a book on menu design, I'd buy it separately. That whole chapter was of little importance to me (based on what I thought the book would be about). I would not recommend this book for a designer looking for inspiration for environmental design/branding of restaurants. It wasn't comprehensive in this regard at all.



5. This 1000 series is wonderful and this is an excellent example. It really stands out in the sea of graphic design annuals that are poorly designed and are questionably juries.

5 comments about A Guide to Graphic Print Production.

1. the book was everything they said it would be. arrived earlier than expected in very good condition!



2. The book is full of wonderful information that any graphics student/enthusiast should know, but EVERY page it seems has HUGE typos. Some words are even the complete wrong word "dot" instead of "does" or "pwdr" instead of "powder". This book isn't that expensive, but when I'm learning something or referring to a book for information (instead of the unreliable internet) I want to be confident in the information I am gathering. Due to the many typos I am not always sure their information is right. On a happier note, the print quality is awesome and the design work is something I would expect a graphics book to look like. So, 4 1/2 stars on the graphics side, 1 star on the grammatical portion and 3 on the info only because I am not always so confident in the information.



3. This book offers tons of good information in a nicely designed format, but you can tell it has been translated into English. The grammar is terrible and there are misspelled running rampant throughout the pages. I'd recommend it, but be aware that some of the passages are hard to interpret because of the language barrier.



4. Absolutely every chapter has at least 10 misspellings or grammatical errors in it. It is quite funny how in the first chapter they stress how important it is to proof copy before it goes to the printer. Maybe the authors or the publisher need to read the book themselves. It is a very dry book and each chapter covers the main points with in the first few pages then repeats the topics over and over again through out the rest of the chapter. I would not recommend this book unless the person does not mind being distracted by misspelling, grammatical errors, and repetition.



5. This book has a ton of great information, and has been very helpful. But I have to agree that it is filled with typos, which makes them look bad. BUT the HUGE problem with this book it the text is too freaking small. These
   idiot 's should have known this being graphic designers/printers, it is SO hard to read. They made the text at about a 9 or 10 point. And no, I am not farsighted, or really old and can't see, I am a young graphic designer, but find it VERY hard to read this text.
   
   Because of this I wouldn't reccommend this book, find a different book that knows how to spell, and knows not to make the reading text a 9 point

2 comments about Understanding Color: An Introduction for Designers.

1. Pretty good with examples, and ways to utilize color. This is a keeper in the collection for me.



2. This book is pretty good. It explains the different color wheels, how we see color, value, saturation, harmony, and so much more. It is pretty thorough and easy to read. I recommend this book for anyone needing to understand color theory.
   
   Minetta Minnick

5 comments about Costume and Fashion: A Concise History (World of Art).

1. Using only primary resources (paintings, statues, etc. from the periods being shown), this book is both concise and trustworthy. Unlike other books that try to cover an expansive period of time in Western costume, this one never uses original or after the fact illustrations, which can be misleading and/or inaccurate. The only downside is that there are only a few samples from each period, so the reader doesn't get as broad a sense of the time as one might hope. Still, if the idea is to get a broad understanding, the text with the pictures combine to make a decent starting point for Western fashion from Ancient times to the 1990's.



2. This book is aptly titled. It gives just a little bit about everything from ancient Egyptian styles to fashion in the 1990s. Those of you looking for photos and descriptions with great attention to detail should look elsewhere, but those of you looking for just an overview of fashion, this would be a good introduction.

   The author discusses the rise and fall of fashion trends through the ages, and how society, industry, and particular people influenced them. The text in this book seems as informative, as it is concise. However, other reviewers seem to think that the author's information about pre-20th century costumes is inconsistent with other sources, but the post-20th century information is consistent with what I have learned from other sources.

   Therefore, I recommend this book with some hesitation. If you want a good overview of fashion history, especially a pictoral history, I would recommend this book. On the other hand, if you are looking to learn more about a particular era, especially ancient costumes, I would recommend choosing a book specifically written about that era.




3. An easy read. Covers from 2900 B.C. to the 1990's with a particular emphasis on the 1800's. James Laver's writing style is wonderful, describing not only the clothing but the historical and social context for each style of dress. The fashions of each period are illustrated by a variety of historical evidence, including statutes, famous works of art, fashion drawings, diaries, cartoons and photographs. The book is not an in-depth study of each period but rather a very brief overview. The last chapter covering from 1940 to the 1990's was writen by Amy de la Haye and is markedly different in writing style. She does not discuss the social and historical context to the extent that Laver does but rather gives an overview of the major designers of each decade and their respective styles. As there is a lot to discuss in the last 50 years of fashion, I wish that this book had dedicated more than 31 pages to modern fashion.



4. This classic by James Laver is a very good introduction to the subject. This is not an exhaustive history of clothing that one should consult for lengthy descriptions, or pinpoint accuracy tied to the latest scholarship. But what this book is (and is wonderfully) is an overview of a very vast subject distilled into one portable volume. The illustrations are excellent and worth the price of the book in themselves. Great amounts of detail are lacking, but the student of costume history can look elsewhere for in depth information in the works of Boucher, Davenport, Ribeiro, and others. This book can provide the basic knowledge one needs to approach the more advanced publications.

   There are discrepencies of terminology in comparison to other texts. This is especially true in his descriptions of Byzantine court costume; Laver uses some Greek terms as opposed to the Latin terms used by most other historians. Laver also has an ethnocentric bias and gives much information from an English point of view. As with Contini's "Fashion: A Social History" and Batterberry's "Fashion: The Mirror of History" (both sadly out of print), Laver's prose and scholarship are a little dated, and he predates political correctness. But the history of clothing is heavily tied to religion and superstitions, public morals and sexuality, gender and social hierarchy. To tell a politcally correct history of clothing is to apply a bias as skewed as the biases it would seek to rectify.

   This is a highly readable and succinct account of its subject and is strongly recommended. Given that the wonderful Contini and Batterberry books are not available, Laver's very accesible text is an excellent introduction for the beginning costume historian.




5. This is a nice *SMALL* (which is important when you are carrying it back and forth to class) book that is FULL of pictures. Don't by this book if you are looking for detailed explanations of the costumes...go to Boucher if you are looking for that... But if you want a good colour pictoral quick reference, this is the one to buy.

   I love it and use it all the time. It is cracked open to the picture of Rubens and Isabella Brant!

5 comments about Manga Mania Magical Girls and Friends: How to Draw the Super-Popular Action fantasy Characters of Manga.

1. Just what i was looking for my daughter is starting to really draw. I hope she likes it as much I do, if not, won't be much of a loss since I will take over. Great details, lot of variety and instruction in an easy to read and follow way.



2. I love this book!!! It has fantastic art work and is very helpful. This one of Christopher Hart's best books besides Chibi and Furry.
   My mother says this is an awesome book and I recomend it for you!!!



3. Manga mania magical girls and friends: how to draw the super popular action fantasy characters of manga is really just a book i can turn to for refrence. When it comes to the magical girls costume, he does not tell you as much as you would need to know. He says somthing like, to make it look like a school uniform. I don't like that. I want to see more pizzaz, more color, more style. But thats just me. Over all, this is a great book. But if you want to know how to draw a magical girl uniform filled with everything i mentioned above, I suggest reading up on your manga(Sailor moon, Card captor Sakura, Tokyo mew mew, etc.)



4. I've never been fond of Chris Hart's books. The illustrations tend to be overtly generic with very little detail in my eyes, so I tend to push them to the side when I'm scanning the local bookstores for new art books and How to Draw tutorials. However, when this one came out, the cover caught me by surprise. THIS was Hart's work?
   
   Well, in truth, it wasn't. Hart only did maybe five to six pages of drawings while the rest were done by a legion of other artists. Artists who I believe have a much stronger grasp of composition and balance than Hart does. (If I remember correctly, it was Nao Yazawa who created the most breath-taking images.) For those who grew up watching Sailor Moon as a kid, the nostalgia will hit you like a train, but in a good way. Everything about this book was pure classic.
   
   The instruction is mostly visual, as in while there is text I certainly didn't need to read it. It's easy to pick up and easy to practice the techniques the artists are trying to teach. I highly recommend this book, as it is one of the few non-Japanese books where the drawings truly feel authentic.



5. This book is GREAT for getting ideas; the anatomy parts are not anything particularly spectacular, but it's great for getting ideas and concepts going, as well as what to DO with these ideas. I recommend it for those who like fantasy and/or the 'Magical Girl' genre

5 comments about Area_2.

1. Ugly cover design, but the inside is a delight. I gave it as a gift, and it was well received.



2. A very thorough book for those looking for a wide variety of branding and design solutions.



3. Excellent overview of current state of design. Although the book is a bit too heavy, don't try reading this in bed or on a plane, it is worth every penny. Compared to Area (the non-numbered first issue) this book focuses not only on paper based graphic design and I really don't know how one can assess or put a value on such a broad field of possibilities. It is still brilliant. For anyone assuming an investment in graphic design be it a box, a shop, a book, stationery or whatever needs an outside with colours or patterns, this book is a must-have, must read.



4. Makes a good companion to the first area book. Each ones shows off the best of the best in current design.



5. This is most certainly one of the best books Phaidon has published yet. Completely blows Area out of the water. Worth every penny.

5 comments about Art Forms in Nature (Dover Pictorial Archives).

1. I have to say that out of all the books I own,this one is my favorite.If you are an artist,in any media,and have a love for the beauty in geometry in natural forms,this book is a keeper.



2. Though the images are stunning...I thought some would be in color. Not full color...but a monotone or duotone...not just black and white.
   
   My professor had this book, but the images were monotones and duotones. So I am dissapointed. I guess I ordered the wrong one, but I really didnt have other choices. hmm.



3. Depending on what you are purchasing this book for...my interest was for fiber art work which it fits the bill totally. The drawings from Mr. Haeckel are superb. I only wish they were in color...which you can purchase the more expensive color plate book. But still this is quite worth the money.



4. I recommend a different version of this book, also sold on Amazon - link below. I am not sure if it contains the same set of illustrations, but many of the illos are in color, and it includes a CD containing all the pics from the book.
   
   [...]



5. great book to just stare at. the amazing part is that it's real.