No comments about A History of American Magazines, Volume V, 1905-1930.

5 comments about The Classic Era of American Pulp Magazines.

1. A somewhat personal account at times of the editor's interest in pulp magazines.
   
   He mentiones when he first saw them in Woolies in the 50s - saying they were used as ballast in ships, then sold cheaply. That is whacky, but good for him, after scoring a Weird Tales.
   
   He goes through various different types, spicy, detective, fantasy, shudder, hot, etc.
   
   Also, being a pom he talks briefly about the magazines there, especially when the yank imports where banned, and some of the artists.
   
   That is where a heavy focus of this book is, the artwork.
   
   He does detail some of the publishers, who put them out, the strategies they used, etc., but also talks a lot about the artwork and styles used as far as what they could and could not get away with as American became more and more puritanical moving into the 50s.
   
   He deliberately ignores the superheroes, or the major variety, mentioning a couple in passing like the Black Bat and the Crimson Mask. Nothing much on the Lone Ranger or various Westerns either, or major science fiction magazines.
   
   So partly interest, partly what has been covered already drove his editorial decisions, presumably.
   
   People who like those covers will like it, hardcore pulp historians maybe wouldn't be so thrilled, but would still be interested somewhat.
   
   
   3.5 out of 5



2. Note: There are a couple Mormons who are angry over my negative reviews of books written in defense of the Book of Mormon, and they have been slamming my reviews. Your "helpful" votes are appreciated. Thanks.
   
   As a non-artist, it's hard to write a review of an art book, but I know what I like. So here's a non-expert's opinion.
   
   This book is well worth the price. It is full of color covers of pulp magazines from the 1930s through the 1950s. I've owned it for many years, and I still love browsing through it. I've copied a couple of them and hung them on my wall.
   
   Also, if you don't already know about Bud Plant, then also check out his site. You'll go broke ordering from it. What a wonderful collection classic illustrations!
   
   Check out my download pictures.



3. The colorfully covered, cheaply printed pulp magazine of the 1920s and 30s great out of the 19th-century dime novel and served as the forerunner of the comic books and paperback novels of today. In its heyday, pulp magazines were a staple of popular culture that offered every genre of readership the thrills, adventures, and entertainments they craved -- often to the dismay of parents, teachers, and clergy! Virtually creating the now popular literary genres as science fiction and the hard-boiled private eye mystery, these magazines were the incubators of such American literary talents as Arthur C. Clarke, Isaac Asimov, Raymond Chandler, James M. Cain, Dashiell Hammett, and a legion of others. An outstanding recommendation for personal, academic, and community library collections, The Classic Era Of American Pulp Magazines tells the complete story of these colorful pulps and those that wrote and published them, with a wealth of colorful cover art giving today's readers an accurate sense and taste of what the glory years of pulp magazines had to offer their enthusiastic readers.



4. Peter Haining has published a huge number of volumes on a variety of topics, which tend to be both well illustrated and very carelessly researched. This latest addition to the stack unfortunately follows that pattern.

   First the good stuff: the book offers a large number of well-reproduced covers from a wide variety of pulps. The images are photographs (two are out of focus slightly), and so do not have the problems seen in several similar recent books which had electronically-scanned covers displaying a color palette nothing whatsoever like the actual covers.

   Now for the bad part. The text is mainly just a description of particular magazines which happen to be in the author's personal collection. Where the text departs from what is really just a catalog of the collection, to provide background on publishers, specific titles and authors, the material is so riddled with errors as to be of very limited use and reliability. So much of the text is clueless, every reader will have his favorite (and different) gaffe. Mine is the reference (p. 203) to "famous American space artist Chester Bonestall." He's apparently not as famous as I thought!

   To summarize the contents: Chapter 1 provides a confused account of the origins and types of pulp magazines. Chapter 2 is devoted to the very-soft-porn pulps usually sold from under the tobacco shop counter. Chapter 3 deals with detective, crime and gangster pulps. Chapter 4 covers the "spicy" pulps and their imitators. Chapter 5 introduces the weird fantasy pulps, of which the best and best known were WEIRD and UNKNOWN. Chapter 6 surveys the "shudder" pulps which featured heavy doses of sadism and torture. Chapter 7 fairly casually dips into the huge sea of science-fiction pulps. Finally, chapter 8 shows us a little bit of the little-known world of British pulps and pulp publishing. (About half the space actually is devoted to paperbacks rather than pulps.) Notable complete omissions from the book are the most popular pulp genre, westerns (perhaps half of all pulp titles at peak), and the justice-figure pulps such as THE SHADOW, DOC SAVAGE and the SPIDER, which are the best remembered pulps today. Also largely ignored are the general fiction titles, such as BLUE BOOK, ARGOSY and ADVENTURE. With such omissions, the present book cannot be considered very valuable even as a pictoral survey of the pulp era.

   Buy it for the cover reproductions and you won't be too disappointed. But if you try to read the text, you're in for dismay and frustration.




5. Obviously the politically incorrect covers are the first attraction. You can't ignore the cultural significance of the covers and thus, if you are a teacher of semiotics or visual interpretation, I can't think of a richer source. Congrats to the publishers for printing such a glorious book. For those more interested in what's between the covers, Haining gives insightful critical analysis of the different genres. A great gift for anyone; a wonderful coffee table book for yourself. It's worth every penny.

1 comments about Signs of Our Times.

1. A nicely designed book about the visual fun along the nations roads and small towns. By the nature of these signs a lot of them shown in this book have probably disappeared by now. How many barns are still standing with a Chew Mail Pouch Tabacco painted on them? The author's note that as companies merge and expand one part of America can now look very much like any other part but surely this has always been the case, a Coke sign looked the same anywhere, Holiday Inn used their 'Great Sign' coast to coast. Perhaps what they regret is the decline of originality (and fun) many small-time businesses put into attention getting signs.
   
   Most of the hundred or so photos in the book are external signs but there are some vintage postcards, matchbook covers and architectural photos. The chapter on motel signs shows the art of the signmaker at its best, arrows, lettering and animal shapes made out of neon, revolving stars, in fact anything to attract the eye of the passing motorist.
   
   John Margolies earlier book 'The End of the Road' covers the same subject but concentrated more on buildings rather than signs, both books capture a vanishing America. Nostalgia fans will love these books.
   
   ***FOR AN INSIDE LOOK click 'customer images' under the cover.

1 comments about Old Magazines with Year 2003 Price Guide.

1. Sorry to say this but this booklet is very superficial and incomplete and not always correct.
   
   Its 'all-encompassing' title is misleading, as it only lists a snippet of the thousands of old magazine titles that were published.
   
   The titles mentioned have no description, like what publishers published each magazine, what the content is focusing on, for what market/customer the magazine was meant, what happened with the magazine (sold/discontinued). No frequency nor numbers of copies issued are mentioned.
   
   The only information that is mentioned for each title is:
   - title (not always what changes of title)
   - years (but incomplete)
   - price ranges (but usually too modest, on the low side, so inaccurate).
   
   What do I mean by the problem with the mentioned prices? An example illustrates it best:
   Harper's Weekly journals from 1866-1899 have been known to fetch much higher prices than the stated $6-12 (well over $50), sometimes because of engravings by Frederic Remington or of Winslow Homer being in them, sometimes just because of important historical events first being mentioned in those issues.
   
   There is no mention on where and when these prices where realized, nor for what condition of magazine the price was paid (all this influences the price enormously).
   
   Some cover images have been added, but only in b/w and randomly, so without method.
   
   Conclusion: One can do much better just by browsing on the Internet.

No comments about A History of American Magazines, Volume III, 1865-1885.

1 comments about An American Premium Guide to Jukeboxes and Slot Machines: Identification and Value Guide.

1. This handy sized 5 1/4" x 8 1/4", 352 page book features more than 275 great black and white photos of every type of jukebox, gumball, trade-stimulator, and slot machine imaginable. There's plenty of history, investment advice, information on pitfalls, restoration and more, to whet the appetite of any coin-op machine collector. Illustrations are quite large, and the text provided is most interesting. Enthusiasts of these collectibles will find it of great interest and value by adding it to their library.

2 comments about Radios: The Golden Age.

1. "This book of postcards pictures extraordinary radios of the thirties, forties, and fifties. Philip Collins's superb collection of the colorful gizmos includes many that are drop-dead beautiful and not a few that are deeply peculiar.
   
   "In only eleven years, between 1930 and 1941, an estimated 71 million home radio receivers were sold in the United States. The designs featured here are a cross section of three decades of radio cabinet aesthetics. Their elegance and occasional whimsy are uniquely American. Vintage-radio collecting has mushroomed in the United States. There are specialists now who enjoy comfortable careers as restorers and manufacturers of replication parts, such as knobs, dial glasses, trims, handles, and cosmetic adornments that time has not treated well.
   
   "Pomegranate's books of postcards contain thirty top-quality reproductions bound together in a handy collection. Easy to remove and produced on heavy card stock, they also make great little books. This convenient compilation offers a wide selection of gorgeous cards to choose from, making it easy to find the perfect postcard to send to any friend, family member, or casual acquaintance. ISBN: 0-7649-2039-1; size: 4 3/4 x 6 7/8". See also: Radios Poster."--© Pomegranate



2. If you have one of the antique radios shown in this book, you will want to display it open next to your radio. The photos are absolutely stunning. The book also provides some help in identifying rarely seen radios and how they should look if you have one that's not in good condition.

   The author includes some resources and contacts, but the beauty of the subject is reason enough to have this now out-of-print classic. A MUST for antique radio collectors.

5 comments about Peanuts: Home Collection--A Collector's Guide to Identification and Value.

1. I'm not truly a peanuts collector per se...I don't pursue any item I can find depicting the Charles Schulz characters. But I am a big Peanuts fan and I do collect certain items such as holiday themed items and other odds and ends. There are a few other Peanuts guides out there but I think this is the best. It lists over 2000 items with over 1000 photographs. In somewhat unique fashion the author has categorized the items by the room in your home where you would find these pieces. In case that doesn't work there is a very thorough index.
   
   The information provided is about as thorough as one could expect with the name of the maker, date, price, size, etc...In addition there is some good reference material noting other Peanuts collectors and clubs. Nicely done.



2. I have been collecting Peanuts for over 15 years. This book is the first I reach for when deciding to purchase an item. The index thoroughly covers the book making it easy to get to an item right away. The book has a great coverage of Peanuts collectibles in a logically organized manner. The pictures are professionally taken and in full color. The item descriptions are helpful and concise with production dates, manufacturers, dimensions and price ranges.
   
   Beyond being a pricing guide, this book also contains a tribute to Charles M. Schulz, an overview of how the evaluations of price were determined, collecting tips every Peanuts Collector should know, a collector's corner with photos of Peanuts Collectors' collections, Peanuts Collector's Clubs and activities, and more.
   
   I highly recommend this book for every Peanuts Collector.



3. I was greatly disappointed in the book. While it has lots of Great pictures and information, the editor, freddy Margoline has to let us know time and again how big her collection is or how she has personally met Mr. Schulz and stuff like that. I just never got a "Happiness is" feeling from this book like I got from the Andrea Podley and Derrick Bang book. That book (Peanuts Collectibles: Identification & Value Guide) really does give the "Happiness is a Peanuts Collection" feeling in the spirit that Sparky would appreciate. So if you can only get one book on Peanuts Collecting, get the Podley one - it has a "Happy" soul.



4. This is the best Peanuts Collectors' book ever! It contains excellent pictures and the price values are right on target. These Peanuts collectibles are organized by where you might find them in your home, so it is user friendly. (i.e. Peanuts in the kitchen, bathroom, playroom etc.) It has been very helpful for shopping at auctions on the internet. I have even been able to find items by their discription when the seller has not provided a picture. This book is great and well worth its price.



5. Freddi's book is a MUST HAVE for anyone collecting or dealing in Peanuts memorabilia. The layout of the book is fabulous and you only have to go to the index to find exactly which page you need to be on unlike other guides that give you a ballpark topic. You want bobbleheads, look up bobbleheads etc! The pricing is fair and not out of this world. Some folks like to charge outlandish prices for Peanuts items but this book gives you the real scoop on what something is worth, so don't be fooled by those who tell you an item is rare and worth $100 when this book will tell you it was made yesterday and on;y worth what was originally paid for it.

   The pictures are great, lots of them and clear and concise, not to mention they show the item as it should be, in pristine condition.

   The Collectors Corner in the back of the book is great too because it gets you up close and personal with others who are just as crazy about Peanuts as you might be. You are not alone in your craziness!

   BUY THIS BOOK!

5 comments about The Flintstones: A Modern Stone Age Phenomenon (Flintstones).

1. This book is a must for any major fan of The Flintstones.Everything you want to know about the series is all here.Including"The Honeymooners"take off controversy.Plus all kind of colourful pictures of Fred,Wilma,Barney,Betty and the rest of their clan.Not to mention a complete episode guide of the original 1960s prime time series that started it all.
   
   A page right out of history!



2. People who are already quite familiar with Hanna-Barbera and the genesis of The Flintstones will probably not find this book very interesting. However, aficionados and students of animation who have not already studied the cartoon will certainly find the book interesting, though perhaps a bit insubstantial. On a positive note, the book touches on every aspect of the show: conceptual development, character animation, background art, music, voice acting, producing issues, and all the major contributors (including reminiscences from several of them). Memorabilia collectors will like the second half of the book, which includes descriptions and color photos of an amazing volume of Flintstone kitsch. (It's hard to believe anyone would have bought some of these things when they originally hit the market - like the gruesome Fred and Wilma hand puppets or the Tiki-like statuettes of what are probably intended to be Fred and Barney.) And, happily for practicing animators and students, it includes a couple revealing reproductions of Ed Benedict's character animation notes; a number of illustrations that depict the evolution of the characters in pre-production; and a page of storyboard illustrations. However, there's really only enough technical material here to whet the curious reader's appetite for a meatier exploration of the character animation, music scoring and story writing, each of which, in my opinion, attained to a degree of brilliance. The book also suffers from a lack of critical analysis. The unfortunate introduction of the Gazoo character, for example, is not even addressed. (I'm sure I'm not alone among fans, writers and critics in viewing this development as a strategic error, a poor attempt to breathe more life into the show after the first season.)

   In many respects The Flintstones was very innovative (it was the first cartoon sitcom), clever and polished, and it really deserves a deeper treatment than this or any other book has given it. Nevertheless, fans should get a copy of this book, along with _Hanna Barbera Cartoons_ or the out-of-print _Art of Hanna Barbera_. For more on William Hanna and Joe Barbera, check out their respective autobiographies, _A Cast of Friends_ and _My Life in Toons_.




3. No matter who your favorite Flintstone character is (for me, it's Betty Rubble nee McBricker...but Baby Puss is underrated and underused, too!), you will find him/her in this wonderfully illustrated book---no Flintstones fan should be without it. A treasure for your collection and a tribute to the enduring appeal of the Hanna Barbera Bedrock denizens. Nostalgia never looked so good! And since you won't find it even in this book, here are the "unknown" lyrics to the SECOND verse of the FLINTSTONES theme song...hum the melody and give it a go!
   "Rubbles! Meet the Rubbles! They're the other stone-age fam-i-ly! Barney! And his Betty! They're as neighborly as they can be! (Barney sings:) Barney, I'm Fred's bosom buddy friend! (Betty sings:) As long, as he has a buck to lend! When you're with the Rubbles, have a Scooby-Dooby-Doo time, a Dooby-Doo time, we'll have a gay old time!"



4. Full of glaring misinformation, hackneyed stories Bill & Joe have told a thousand times over, and recycled publicity materials, this book's only saving grace is the rare artwork they've unearthed. There's a good reason why this book features a great big 'F' on its cover!



5. As a cartoonist, I love animation, and want to know all I can about the behind-the-scenes shennanigans of our favorite toon makers. That's why this book was something of a disappointment.

   I will say this--it has GREAT illustrations, including some early model sheets of "The Flagstones" (yes, that's what they were originally called, until someone found it sounded too similar to the name of the family in the "Hi amd Lois" comic strip). Not to mention some priceless background drawings, which give the reader a fairly good idea of the evolution (faintly appropriate term here) of a classic. There are even some drawings of aborted Flintstones-related projects, such as "The Blackstones", a black "Modern Stone Age family" who would have been Fred's new neighbors. Imagine Sherman "George Jefferson" Hemsley and Isabel "Weezy" Sanford voicing the leads..oh, well.

   It even contains the oft-repeated (though I suspect apocryphal) story of how Bill Hanna and Joe Barbera tried all sorts of unusual sitcom family types before arriving at the Flintstones and the Rubbles--Pilgrims (!), Romans, hillbillies, and even gypsies. And it tells in nerve-wracking detail how a frantic Barbera pitched the show to a roomful of unsmiling Phillip Morris executives, whose idea of approval was the comment, "At least there's no blood running in the streets.."

   Trouble is, there are too few stories like that--I wanted to read more. So what could have been a brontoburger-sized feast ended up a small snack.

1 comments about Oil Company Signs: A Collector's Guide.

1. although i bought this book elsewhere, it is very informative for those who remember that there was a standard oil in many states after its breakup in 1911. however,there are some flaws in the book's text-they used the spelling of "it's" incorrectly(example: "standard is the best in it's marketing area").