No comments about Undiscovered Museums of Paris.

4 comments about William Scott.

1. I first saw William Scott's work in a smaller book on British painters
   and sculptures. I was attracted to his strong simple style.
   Being impressed, I saw this large monograph book was available.
   When it came, I was extremely impressed with the complete, detailed
   story of his life ...as an artist ,I was looking for inspiration,and
   the large color reproductions are breathtaking and leave you more than
   satisfied. The book takes great pains in showing you the studious
   progression of his painting, his truth to himself. Just to read of
   his life or watch the progression of his work is inspiring. I don't know
   if I have seen so many color examples in an art book before and if color is
   important in your work, this book gives you the disipline that will help.
   Great price on an important book.



2. As a long-time admirer of William Scott's work, I found the Lynton book a reference and pictorial of extraordinary value, quality and beauty.



3. I saw this book and just had to buy it and I'm not disappointed. I haven't read it all yet but can't wait to! wonderful inspring artworks and very comprehensive



4. This may be the most awesome and dazzling art book of the over 100 I have. It arrived yesterday and I spent three straight hours with it and will spend many more. Hundreds of lovely color reproductions on very heavy stock, a truly in-depth study of the artist and his work, with a completeness that even includes pictures of Scott's models and of his wife's sculpture. The book is divided into sections - all well documented - that deal with various aspects of Scott's work, including a separate one devoted to his drawings. The only complaint I have is the author's constant use of "WS" in all references to Scott.

1 comments about Calder in Connecticut.

1. Reading this book about Calder's work makes me want to bend a wire clothes hangar into nifty loops and spirals ... just for the fun of it.

   Calder's art is BIG TIME fun, on every scale from immense graceful outdoor sculptures to strikingly elegant necklaces and pins. The book shows the variety of his creations...tapestry motifs, silver and brass cutlery, campaign posters. Check out his clever pull toy for a toddler.

   Mobiles is probably Calder's most familiar category of work, but his playful menagerie, including a kangaroo, an elephant, a giraffe, a big bird and a flock of origami-size birds is his most endearing.

   Photos and narrative, together, convey the wit and warmth of the sculptor. They offer opportunity to meet Calder, his wife, and their circle of friends.

   Calder, by fine example, inspires one to lighten up and love it. This book is written permission to do exactly that, be it, high brow, low brow or no-brow.

5 comments about Retro Stud: Muscle Movie Posters from Around the World.

1. I'm a big fan of Peplums and I've been a collector of movie posters (of every kind of film) since I was a kid, so it was a given that I would end up buying Retro Stud. All in all, the book is excellent. Beautiful reproduction and great reference for any movie poster collector. I don't regret buying it.
   
   With that said though, the book has several glaring flaws. The first flaw is that the collection is incomplete. Many famous S&S titles are not even represented. I'm aware that they couldn't catalog all S&S posters but still some of them are classics and nowhere to be seen here. I have a Spanish poster for Hero of Rome and it's one of the best Peplum posters ever. It's a stand-out. It would have been great if it had been included. But more importantly, you can go on eBay and find many sellers with great collections. The Ten Gladiators posters in the book are good but there are some better ones available on eBay right now. And looking at the posters on eBay doesn't cost anything.
   
   Second problem, as mentioned by others, is that the author translated the foreign titles word for word, even though they don't match the titles here in North America. Now, granted, many of the titles for the US version were misleading or terrible and changing them to what the Italians intended originally is ok but for reference, if you can't read French or Italian, then it might be a chore to figure out the corresponding US title. Also, many titles from other countries do not match the original Italian titles. For example, one Mexican poster reads "El Triunfo de Spartaco", which the author translated as "The Triumph of Spartacus", a title that doesn't exist. The original Italian title is "Gli Invincibili Dieci Gladiatori", which translates into "The Invincible Ten Gladiators". But here that film goes under the name of "Spartacus & the Ten Gladiators". The Mexican title is misleading and to translate it word for word doesn't make much sense.
   
   Some posters are a total mystery. The one on page 59, which takes over the whole page, has no stars or director listed and the author says the title is The Challenge of the Giants, which is not a real title. It's impossible to figure out which movie the poster is for. The actor in the painting looks like Richard Harrison and from the looks of the actress, the poster might be L'Ultimo Gladiatore, known here as the boneheadedly titled "Messalina Against the Son of Hercules". But that's just my guess.
   
   Also, some of the info about the production or the photos have glaring mistakes. On page 116, there's a photo from "Hercules and the Captive Women". The caption says that the two actors are Reg Park and Fay Spain but the woman in the photo is not the beautiful Fay Spain but the wife of Hercules seen at the beginning of the movie. Speaking of "Hercules & the Captive Women", the author notes that the sensational title is misleading because there are no captive women in the movie, which again is incorrect. The whole point of the story is the Queen's daughter being one of a series of sacrifices to Proteus and Uranus as to keep the island of Atlantis hidden from the outside world. The daughter is rescued from captivity and later on in the movie she's bound 2 more times! The title could also be interpreted as Fay Spain's character inability to love Hercules and that she's fatally caught in her scheme to control the world. The original Italian title translates as Hercules Conquers Atlantis, which is good but it's a more generic title. I prefer "Hercules & the Captive Women" myself.
   
   The third and the most annoying part of the book though is the fact that the author disses Hercules, the Steve Reeves film that started it all, as an "unimpressive" epic. He then goes on and basically tries to point out why the "obscure" film became such a success: it was just clever marketing. Honestly, I find this perplexing. The author proceeds to write an entire book on a subject that was spawned by a single film he dismisses as either "unimpressive" or "obscure". Hercules ignited a whole new genre, from which over 300 films were made between the late 1950s and mid-1960s. Not bad for an unimpressive or obscure epic. Heck, not even Star Wars generated that many films after its massive success.
   
   The author shoots himself in the foot here. Hercules is a great moody fantasy directed by Pietro Francisci (who directed many S&S films, including the equally great pre-Hercules B&W film, The Queen of Sheba, which is not listed in the book) and it caught on with the public more than just because of marketing. It would be too long to explain the many reasons why Hercules became such a success and the subsequent Peplum explosion, many of which the author doesn't seem to realize, including female moviegoers (notice the French poster for Hercules Unchained on page 56, which is also the cover of the book, and tell me that wasn't designed specifically to attract women).
   
   I can easily overlook the errors in the production details about movies and the confusing translated titles. In fact, trying to figure out which movie was which was sorta fun. But the author's dismissive attitude towards the movie which generated the Peplum explosion, and subsequently, 50 years later, this book too, is odd and disappointing. Had the author had a bit more faith or respect about the subject, I would have given this book 5 stars instead of 4.



2. Retro Stud is a great collection of color poster art from the era of the Italian peplum/sword and sandal movies. It is a book that will please fans of the genre, artists, and bodybuilders. Printed on quality paper in hardbound format, Retro Stud is a great addition to any coffee table.



3. As a collector of every Hercules and Gladiator movie i can find,i was thrilled to find out there were actual posters to go with the movies.This book really delivers the goods with hundreds of posters.this being said the book could have been so much better.there are posters overlapping destroying the total artwork when they didn't have to.ALso on foreign posters he gives the foreign translation in english but not what the movie was know as in America.i'd like to know what movies i am missing.Despite these big flaws it is the best Hercules-gladiator poster book available.



4. Who could ask for more? This book is a stunning achievement and a must for any collector or fan of Gladiator movie posters that were produced during the period of 1959-1965. Chapman had his work cut out for him in gathering this comprehensive collection, and he did a terrific job. These color posters are from around the world and feature complete descriptions and author's commentary about each poster that is quite fascinating. Who can forget "Hercules" Steve Reeves, the first to debut in a gladiator movie, in his skimpy loincloth, his muscles rippling, and the frail beautiful women he had to save from the evil tyrants. People all over the world couldn't wait for the next Gladiator movie to be released to their theaters; they were new, sexy, dramatic, erotic, and filled with many different musclemen who followed in Steve Reeve's shoes. This was an era that was fresh and new to everyone who wanted something different and exciting to watch at the movies. They were our heroes, and our fantasy. Take a look at this collection of posters, and re-live history, and remember when Gladiators ruled the earth! Enjoy this collection, I know I did!

   Joe Hanssen




5. Compiled by David Chapman, Retro Stud: Muscle Movie Posters From Around The World is an impressive full-color showcase of "Gladiator" era movie posters from 1959 to 1965, a cinematic trend that was initiated by the American debut of the 1959 movie "Hercules" starring bodybuilder and physical hunk Steve Reeves. The eroticism, muscular posing, and sexual symbols of these international posters are discussed in thoughtful detail. Retro Stud is a thoroughly enjoyable reference and a highly recommended presentation for all classic movie fans and bodybuilding enthusiasts.

4 comments about Classic Comics Illustrators: The Comics Journal Library (Burne Hogarth, Frank Frazetta, Mark Schultz, Russ Heath and Russ Manning).

1. I haven't finished reading all the text yet... actually I would have preferred somewhat less text (it could have been edited down considerably) and more space devoted to the artwork. Also I wouldn't have included Russ Heath, whose focus is more on war and westerns while the other artists seem to have more in common with each other... more sci-fi, fantasy, Burroughs based illustrations. Oddly the picture of the cover posted by Amazon shows Dave Stevens as one of the artists featured in the book, but in fact he is not in it at all... though that would have been nice. Anyway, if you have room for this large sized book on your shelves it is a nice one. These guys are great artists, all you have to do is include proper quality reproductions of their work and you can't go too wrong.



2. Although some of these interviews may have been printed elsewhere, much of it was new to me and the illustrations are large, excellently reproduced and stunning. There is a wealth of information here and the production values are exquisite. I heartily recommend this book.



3. Old interviews rehashed from the magazine. Just another example of The Comics Journal trying to wring big sack of cash out of dead artists (not all of them I know). There's some nice artwork here, that's unavoidable, but it would be better served in a book by a publisher that respects these artists, not one that's just trying to cash in.



4. I'll try to be brief. This is a great book for anyone who hasn't read the old interviews contained within this volume. However, I have read these interviews over the years and so there are no insights for anyone else who read them in The Comics Journal over the years. The art contained within this volume, on the other hand, is quite wonderful and a good deal of it is different, an update from the original interviews. Make no mistake, this book is a great art collection with insightful, if older interviews to round it out. The large format is guite nice for showcasing the art as well.
   If you've somehow missed the interviews this is an opportunity to get into the heads of some stellar talents in the illustration and comic art field. With a line up a talent featuring the works and words of Frank Frazetta, Russ Manning, Burne Hogarth, Mark Schultz and Russ Heath, it's hard to imagine how the editors at TCJ could mess this up and, of course, they didn't.
   My big beef is the lack of better Manning and Heath art. The examples are fine but I hoped for better, perhaps rarer samples.
   That's a small complaint.

No comments about Perfect Likeness: European and American Portrait Miniatures from the Cincinnati Art Museum.

5 comments about The Nature of America: Images by North America's Premier Nature Photographers.

1. I agree with all the reviewers that the 200+ photographs in the book are first-class. The names of Art Wolfe, David Muench, John Shaw, and Willian Neil alone should guarantee that much. The only big complaint I have is that a lot of large-format photographs are splitted onto twoadjacent pages (about 3/4 on one page and 1/4 on the other page). This essentially ruins the composition of those beautifule photographs because it naturually draws your eyes to the split area, regardless of the photographers' intended focus. (In fact, in a number of photographs, the focus is in the split area). Instead of the book's 9 in x 12 in portrait format, they should have used the 12 in x 9in landscape format to avoid the two-page split. Mr. Middleton has a lot to learn about book design. As is, I don't think the book is worth its full [item price]. If you want to have it, buy it used at cheaper prices.



2. I keep this book on the coffee table and thumb through it often. Every time I do, I see something new and wonderful. Originally I bought the book because I know Bill Fortney and thought it would be neat to own his book and I'd have some nice pictures, too. WELL, did I learn a lesson! I have grown to love this book as a reminder of the awesome love and power of God who created all the beautiful places these gifted photographers have captured--from the simple to the majestic. Anyone can take a picture but this is art! ...



3. This is a most facinating book with the writings and photography excellent in every way. I am very impressed with all of it.



4. This is a beautiful and well-produced book. Truly a representation of the creme of the crop of american nature photographers. It is both inspiring in it's illustration of some of the country's most beautiful wild areas -- and a strong reminder that we must preserve these areas for the future. I have been fortunate enough to meet the authors and some of the photographers represented in the book, and I am truly impressed by their amazing dedication to their craft and their sincere love and concern for nature. It is evident in these images. I only wish it was larger so the images could be reproduced over one page. Highly recommend.



5. This book contains a beautiful collection of photographs which enables us to appreciate all the majestic and natural beauty North America has to offer. How fortunate we are that the photographers were able to capture such images and present them in the one impeccably produced book. As for the writers, they too have captured a beauty which encourages us to ensure the land remains unspoilt and protected for all to enjoy. The joy of treasuring such a book necessitates a strong desire for more and one can only dream that another book like this will come our way again soon. A true work of art and a source of inspiration.

1 comments about Beyond the Easel: Decorative Painting by Bonnard, Vuillard, Denis, and Roussel, 1890-1930.

1. Co-published with the Yale University Press, Gloria Groom's Beyond The Easel: Decorative Painting By Bonnard, Vuillard, Denis, And Roussel, 1890-1930 is an exhibition catalog which is profusely illustrated with both color and black-and-white reproductions. With an informative essay by Nicholas Watson, and additional contributions to the text by Jennifer Paoletti and Therese Barruel, Beyond The Easel is a magnificent, very highly recommended addition to personal, academic, and community library art history collections.

No comments about American Masters of the Mississippi Gulf Coast: George Ohr, Dusti Bonge, Walter Anderson, Richmond Barthe.

1 comments about In Focus: Julia Margaret Cameron: Photographs from the J. Paul Getty Museum (In Focus).

1. It was a pleasant surprise to get to know this 19th century photographer. The images are beautiful and have a romantic dreamlike atmosphere that somehow recall pre-raphaelite paintings. The edition is well done and texts suit well the exquisite photographs.