3 comments about Clean Cartoonists' Dirty Drawings.

1. This book is just what the title offers; a very nice collection of early 1900's era dirty cartoons from some of the worlds most famous cartoonists including surprises from creators like Charles Schulz (creator of Peanuts) and Jack Kirby (creator of the X-Men, Fantastic Four, Hulk, Thor, etc.). As a self-proclaimed pervert I thoroughly enjoyed the drawings in this book, my only complaint, and thus the 4 out of 5 stars, is that each cartoonist features only a page at most of their work. While this allows the book to collect a prolific number of creators, I would have liked to see a full strip or story; I guess I'm just a sucker for a plot.



2. A book of cartoonists offbeat drawings-including risque, and glamour drawings by such artists as milton caniff(terry and the pirates), chuck jones(bugs bunny),ham fisher(joe palooka) and al capp(li'l abner among others. A good book if you are interested in cartoons or comic book art.



3. I'd been waiting for this book for a long time, reading about it on the web site, and anticipating it anxiously. I wasn't disappointed.
   
   It's a tricky topic and I can see how it could easily have been mishandled. Make it too dirty and people are offended. Make it too clean and they're disappointed. I think Craig has achieve the perfect balance of showing the work of familiar cartoonists whom we know from the funny pages and the comic books, and giving us just a peek at what they draw for themselves in their private moments.
   
   Art schools are full of nude models in life drawing classes, so it should come as no surprise that most artists have drawn an unclad female at one time or another. The fun is in seeing drawings like this from the pen of well-known cartoonists who specialize in family-friendly material. It's a novelty that in no way detracts from their vast body of work but shows them as rather human.
   
   I also have to mention the beautiful production. You don't usually find such high-quality paper and printing in a book at this price point. The cover alone is impressive, gorgeously printed with embossing and spot varnish. A real art book kind of treatment, nicely designed and executed.
   
   I'm looking forward to the next volume!

4 comments about Comin' at Ya!: The Homoerotic 3-D Photographs of Denny Denfield.

1. Over the years there have been some true pioneers in the art of male erotica and Denny Denfield rates highly amongst them! As the result of a bequest of numerous Athletic Model Guild publications and photos, see The Complete Reprint of Physique Pictorial: 1951-1990 (Photo & Sexy Books) in the early 1990s, I became interested in the origins of male erotica.
   
   That, combined with my interest in photographic effects, such as 3D, inspired me to purchase this book. Thanks to David Chapman and the 3D-impaired Thomas Waugh for collating such an O-U-T-standing volume.
   
   I only hope that some of the current generation of gay males - most of whom have no knowledge of significant events like Stonewall (1969) or the first Sydney Gay Mardi Gras (1978) - will chance upon this presentation of even earlier (1950s & 60s) gay male forays into the expression of sexuality.
   
   Although more explicit than most of the tame (by current standards) Physique Pictorial and Athletic Model Guild (Bob Mizer: Athletic Model Guild publications (AMG): American Photography of the Male Nude 1940-1970, Vol. 7 (American Photography of the Male Nude 1940-1970)) this is an excellent collection of some of the earliest representations of the male nude as a sexual identity!
   
   Although aimed at a specific audience, combined with the added excitement of 3D, I highly recommend this book for both the more mature and Playstation Generation X and Y gay males!!!



2. ...it is, however; nostalgic, titillating, risque, kitsch, 50's and early 60's style physique photo worship fun with some (almost) soft porn (think what you'd see in a playguy or blue) content. it's great parlor table party fun and a perfect gift for those gays and single women (and perhaps a few married ones as well) that you're having difficulty finding the right gift for. if you love hard-core mapplethorpe you will be bored to tears. i found it charming. it is very saddening when you think of all the photos by mr. denfield that were destroyed over time. how fortunate to have the likes of david chapman and thomas waugh out there preserving this photographic past for the future. hopefully others will join in this preservation of gay art.



3. Retro homoerotic physique pics in 3-D! Who comes up with this stuff!?! It's hot and funny at the same time. Comes with viewing glasses. The only problem is getting the soft cover book flat enough to see the goods.



4. Chapman, David L. and Waugh, Thomas. "Coming at Ya":The Homoerotic 3-D Photographs of Denny Denfield", Arsenal Pulp Press, 2007.
   
   They Come Alive
   
   Amos Lassen
   
   Denny Denfield was an amateur physique photographer in the early 1950's. His photographs which never received public viewing because of the temper of the times are extremely interesting and in some cases risqué. In fact, even in their naiveté, they are somewhat roguish. Looking at them in this new volume allows us to see precursors to the modern age of gay male pornography but there is something more than that here--sheer beauty.
   The photographs are known as stereography and by looking at what appears to be two identical photos, with the aid of the glasses that come with the book, shows a kind of photography that many of us are not familiar with.
   When the 3-D camera in a compact, easy to use format became popular in 1947, Denfield was able to capture these wonderful male images. They are kitschy, they are sexy and they are beautiful. We have an absolutely amazing collection here.
   With the photographs, we get a narrative by David L. Chapman who owns this collection of male pictures and he explains a great deal about Denfield's life and work. He explains how that before the 1970's, all homoerotic art was considered dangerous and that Denfield was in part responsible for opening the gates to artistic freedom of the homosexual image.
   Thomas Waugh, a Montreal scholar and writer also contributes a valuable essay to the book as he shows how Denfield's photographs fit into the historic context of homoeroticism.
   What is the true value of a book like this is that many of us have never been aware of the work of the photographer. Now we have a beautiful book which contains beautiful and exciting photographs that might have been lost to us forever.

No comments about Private Collection: A History of Erotic Photography (1850-1940).

2 comments about Vintage Collage-Works: Artful Ideas with Antique Ephemera.

1. I love this book! I am an admitted fan of Maryjo Koch's work since discovering her feather art on some wrapping paper. Unlike many other books on collage I own, every image in this book appeals to me. Her "technique" instructions are helpful and there is a great section of clip art images to cut out or scan in the back of the book. I also like her ideas for easy, tiny projects like collaging matchbook boxes.



2. I was somewhat disappointed with this book. It is a nice take on mixed media collage with tips on painting, but not as new or innovative as I had hoped.

2 comments about Start Your Engines: Surface Vehicle Sketches & Renderings from the Drawthrough Collection (Air Vehicle Sketches).

1. A very good book! It must be different, because Scott Robertson, is a phenomenal artist!
   Very good same!



2. This second book from scott robertson is just as amazing as his "lift off" book. This book has real world examples of the creative process that it takes to create a vehicle from a simple idea to a final render. Tons of amazing sketches are inspirational and just candy for your eyes. I love this book and never get tired off looking at it. I recomend it to anyone in the design field who is looking for fresh ideas and work for inspiration

1 comments about Hiroshige, 100 Views of Edo.

1. Hiroshige is a very well known Japanese artist who worked in the style called, ukiyo-e, wood block prints whose name translates as pictures of the floating world. Floating, fleeting, ephemeral world, the world of transitory pleasures. Just as cherry blossoms last but for a brief time, so are our lifes. Since they are gone so quickly, they must be cherished all the more while they are still here.
   
   This series of 100 shows Edo, which is the city now known as Tokyo. There are lots of pictures that depict the man-made dwellings and buildings of a thriving metropolis, but also, in virtually every print, there is also the natural world. The juxtapostion of the man-made and natural is what fascinates Hiroshige in this collection, and what will also fascinate the viewer. Though Hokusai is a more prolific and iconic artist in this genre, Hiroshige has his fans. This reprint is made from one of the finest complete original set of woodprints belonging to the Ota Memorial Museum of Art in Tokyo.
   
   Other items of interest:
   
   Hiroshige's Journey in the 60-Odd Provinces (Famous Japanese Print Series)
   
   The Sixty-Nine Stations of the Kisokaido
   
   Hiroshige's Views of Mt. Fuji
   
   Hiroshige
   
   Hokusai and Hiroshige: Great Japanese Prints from the James A. Michener Collection, Honolulu Academy of Arts
   
   Hokusai
   
   Hokusai's Mount Fuji: The Complete Views in Color
   
   Hokusai, First Manga Master
   
   Utamaro and the Spectacle of Beauty
   
   The Narrow Road to the Deep North and Other Travel Sketches (Penguin Classics)

5 comments about Mosaics: Inspiration and Original Projects for Interiors and Exteriors.

1. This is the most beautiful and inspiring book on mosaic I've ever seen. I'm going to tackle my first big mosaic project soon--doing the back of the chimney of my fireplace. It is under a covered porch outside, and after seeing the beautiful photos in the book, I'm inspired to do something that will amaze anyone who sees it.



2. If you find yourself covering everything that doesn't move with mosaics then this is the book for you! See stunning examples by people who may just be crazier than you are. Just great.



3. I love the explosion of colors that Kaffe uses, both in mosiacs and quilts . This book has a ton of brightly colored mosiac pictures in it...lots of interesting ideas...fairly good instructional pictures but all in all , I didn't like it and returned it . There was only one project (the broken pottery flower pot) that I would have even considered doing and it, too , was just to busy looking for what I was interested in doing. If you love the color explosion that always come with Kaffe projects then this book is for you. If you prefer something a little toned down , or a little structured, then this book is not for you. Hope this helps someone decide!



4. Always an inspiration is kaffe Fassett. Gives some really fresh and colorful info which I will apply soon



5. Great ideas, practical creative applications. This book has ideas that you can tweak and use to make very nice things for your home or as a professional artist.

5 comments about Spilling Open: The Art of Becoming Yourself.

1. As an Artist and a Graphic designer I found this book abolutely inspiring. It encouraged me to create my own journal which has become a major part of my creative process. This is a great way to put ideas together and from there find answers about my work and myself.



2. best book everywhere..i take it everywhere with me, its a wake up call to life i think/



3. I was given a copy of this book when I was twenty and it honestly changed my life. It made me realize that I wasn't alone in the thoughts, doubts, fears, and "aches of inadequacy" that I was going through. This book is an open heart spilled onto the page/canvas and any young woman going through life with any amount of uncertainty and lonliness will benefit tremendously from just being with this book.



4. Sabrina Ward Harrison writes with intention, inspiring one to think and feel more deeply. Her work is creative, artistic, spiritual and intelligent. She writes-creates with a thoughtful balance. The only challenge is, at times, being able to read what she has written as it is overlaid on photography and collage.



5. A look inside the author through her journal. Beautiful color. Inspiring...

5 comments about Polymer Clay Surface Design Recipes: 100 Mixed-Media Techniques Plus Project Ideas.

1. This book had some interesting techniques in it, but for the most part this isn't something that will get a lot of use. I'm not all that into uing paint on my clay and this book has several paint treatments. So for me, this book wasn't that great.



2. I really like this book for the fact that although i do not use polyclay often, this books ideas on color, scheme, and technique can work for most media. i thoroughly enjoyed the eye candy but savor it mostly for the secret recipes on coloration. i would recommend this book for all involved in visual arts.



3. Great information, I would recomend it to anyone who likes Polymer Clay.



4. This book needed writing! Thank you, Ellen for sharing years of experimentation and innovation. as you created your art. The specific information contained within its covers could well save an artist much time and money.
   
   Great information and a must have resource on surface treatments and polymer clay.
   
   Donna Kato, author of The Art of Polymer Clay



5. Some techniques in this book were new to me and some I have done for years. I like this book because it is a good collection of surface treatments all in one place.

3 comments about Gods of Sport.

1. Having been a fan of the Dieux Du Stade series of DVDs, and the book, I decided to check out this one since it looked similar. I have found that there is a huge gap in quality and presentation.In this book, there is even less nudity than there is in the Dieux Du Stade series which normally feature more backsides than frontal shots. While these footballers are nice to look at in this book, I just wanted more. I don't need full frontal shots all the time (of which there are none in this book), just some great nude shots would be nice.Well, the number of nude shots are scarce here, even if the main form of these shots is of the rear. These rear shots are the bright spots of the book, as there are a some buns featured that could be used as flotation devices - nice and muscular even when shown through white underwear.Most shots, though, have the athletes covering up their frontal regions, or presented in jeans and white briefs/boxer briefs. So much so that this whole book could sub for a catalog for said items. And since these are footballers on display, why are they put in fighting poses? One pose even has an athlete choking another from behind. The guys are even covered in dirt and look messy, but not in a sporty kind of way, posed in some kind of abandoned warehouse.There are some poses performed in a locker room, but the guys are still mostly covered way too much.And do you like plumber's crack? Well, you'll get your fill, as a lot of poses have the top part of some of the guys' peach fuzzed buns popping out of their jeans. Some of these shots are kinda good, but guys sagging could have been shown a lot more hotter than is presented here. It's Unfortunate that most of the overall poses featured are just not that artistic, nor interesting.Another gripe is the wasted pages. While the Dieux Du Stade book had pictures of a barren locker room and field of play to fit in with the theme of the athletes, and this book has maybe one shot of a used locker room, many pages are just wasted with nothing. Turn the page and you'll see the white blank on another side; another page may just have blackness. Total waste of paper and potential.Overall, this quality pressed, grand book is just not really erotic, nor interesting, even with some scarce, nice shots and cute guys on display. In using leftover pics from the well intentioned calendar, it is shown why they weren't used in the first place. With this book it is shown that Pedro Virgil and his crew have a long way to go to truly give the artistic presentation true athletes deserve. That's something that the Dieux Du Stade series already does - and does well.



2. This is a very thick and overpriced book. If you were looking for full frontal nudity, spend you money some place else. The photography is rather dark. And it is most annoying, that each one of the photos has the models with some grease on their bodies. What is that about ? Don't waste your money.



3. I just received this much-anticipated book, and overall, I am very disappointed with it. Though the men are indeed extremely rugged and handsome, the images are hardly racy or tantalizing; it's clear the men were very uncomfortable with their nudity as most images have the men with their jeans pulled partially down their backside, and any frontal images have the genitals hidden behind shadows or hand-held towels. Strangely, there are several images spread over both pages, but the second page is completely blackened (for effect). Overall, the images are staight out of a men's fitness magazine like Exercise for Men Only.
   
   There are better books that portray the male form more vibrantly and sensually: the various Bondi books and the Dieux du Stade books - all which I highly recommend.