5 comments about Vanity Fair's Proust Questionnaire: 101 Luminaries Ponder Love, Death, Happiness, and the Meaning of Life.

1. Wonderful coffee table book. The celebrities answer the questions with humor and at times, amazing insight and honesty.



2. This is a great read- I was suprised by many, and entertained by all. You can read this over and over again!



3. Despite the rather pretentious title, this book does have 101 (a pretentious number too) luminaries (pretentious) pondering (in one page capsules) "love, death, happiness and the meaning of life." A must have book for the person that likes to dip into deeper things. The best part of the book? The illustrations by Risko of all the luminaries--and on quality paper.



4. This should have been interesting but blame the respondants, they blew off the questions with breezy, funny answers. The flipness might make for a SNL skit that doesn't quite work (but do any of them?) or for a VF article but except for the interesting drawings there's nothing here. Skip this lemon.



5. I enjoyed this book very much. I always turn to the last page of VF to read the Proust interview before I read the magazine. This is a collection of same. Insightful in some cases, frivolous in others..all are cool!

5 comments about 1897 Sears Roebuck & Co. Catalogue.

1. This catalog is wonderful.. Quality of the reprint is just fine. I love going through all the old items to see how life was then. (and the prices..lol)



2. Fun and very extensive -- much moreso than I thought it would be, for the money. Very pleased.



3. This book is a very good quality large paperback featuring crisp lettering and illustrations all the way through. I very much enjoyed the curiosities contained in the book, especially the archaic phrasing and overcooked descriptions of items. I found it amusing that the catalog states, in effect, don't be a nuisance and a waste of time by not doing your homework before purchasing products... the times have definitely changed! The range of goods sold and shipped by Sears, Roebuck, and Co., even at the end of the 19th century, is absolutely staggering! This Victorian-age wonder is "coffee-table approved" in my house.



4. I remember looking at one of these when I would visit my uncle as a kid. You could spend hours looking at all the things they sold "way back then." I bought it for a Christmas gift last year. It's a lot more interesting that you would think an old catalog would be.



5. I sit for long periods of time just wandering through this old Sears catalogue and wonder where our country went. It's nothing like it used to be. The prices were amazing too. You should get one of these. It's informative, fun and very sad at the same time. Because, you can't get the products any longer and especially at the prices listed. What a shame. What a wonderful catalogue for the pupil, for the older generation to remember the way things were, before we were stripped from being a nation to be proud of, and for the historian. There are others old Sears books or catalogues too. Their house catalogues are great! I have them. A whole house only cost a few hundred dollars. When you see today's prices compared to then you'll see that in the last 100 years something happened to America that isn't very good. Thieves and corrupt people, plus foreign invasion has taken a nation, the greatest country ever known to mankind, mind you, to total ruin. Ted Kennedy, one of the many devil's disciples, did the most damage to America by changing the American Immigration Policy back in 1965 and opened the flood gates to the Third World gushing into the land and bringing along with them their horrible politics and violent, cheating corruptive ways. Every American is now suffering it's aftermath and feeling it's "change' and will no longer be able to live the American dream, unless changed back to the way it was. These catalogues show you how things have changed.

5 comments about Horror Movie Freak.

1. If you are a true horror movie freak like I am, buy this book! Even if you are an aspiring horror movie freak you should buy this book.
   
   This is the guide to getting the s**t scared out of you!



2. Horror Movie Freak is the ultimate guide for both casual fans and dyed in the wool horror buffs. Packed with tons of photos and in depth details on every classic (new and old), this tome will lead you through what you need to see and why. It will also help you steer clear of a genre that may not be just for you.
   
   Don and his staff have done a bang up job with this book and after reading my copy in one afternoon, I cannot wait to see the next volume!



3. Full disclosure: I'm a Horror Movie Wuss. The only reason I managed to watch Halloween with my eyes open was because of my crush on Jamie Lee Curtis. Same for Adrianne Barbeau in The Fog and Swamp Thing. But Scream Queens can only hold your hand -- and eyes -- for so long. Thanks to Don Sumner's Horror Movie Freak I like my chances to actually watch something with less jiggle. The book is flat-out fun. The writing is clever, the pictures are awesome and the design is great. Sumner's introduction to the movie The Night of the Living Dead (the free DVD included in the book) is brilliant. I also thought it cool that director George A. Romero endorsed the book. I am now religiously following the author's 7 Rules of Survival in a Horror Movie found in the front of the book. You can't be too careful. I may not be able to watch all the movies in the book but I sure am enjoying reading about them. For more, check out this clip on You Tube: [...]



4. lots of fun facts and great pics of our favorite horror movie characters. A must have for all movie freaks!!



5. Movie Horror Freak by Don Sumner is a user friendly; fun read. The book is full of fantastic full color images that will bring back great memories of your favorite horror movies. I like how the movies are organized by genre making it easy to find a horror movie depending on my mood. This book also provides a great mix of classic, modern and foreign films giving any horror movie fan satisfaction.
   
   The movie summaries are nice without spoiling twists or endings; which is important for movies you haven't seen yet. Each movie review includes a quote from the movie, which is fun to read. And don't worry no psychobabble or academia talk in this book just fun interesting facts on horror movies.
   
   Can't beat the value the book it includes George Romero's "Night of the Living Dead" original version DVD a classic must have film.
   
   I'm glad I added Movie Horror Freak to my book collection.

5 comments about Neverland Lost: A Portrait of Michael Jackson.

1. I'm not sure what I had hoped to find in this book...maybe I thought it would finally show the world the "essence" of Michael - what made him tick, so to speak. Maybe I hoped for stories about the items, like who made them, or when he obtained them. There have been so many books recently published about Michael that one has to admit he affected THE WORLD in many ways, whether they listened to his music or not. Once and for all, I hoped it would be positive attention for the man that gave us so much.
   
   This picture book opens our eyes to a few of the items the photographer had access to during his initial assignment to photograph the iconic white glove for which Michael Jackson was so well known. During his first visit, Leutwyler saw a "story" aching to be told. Although he waited years to tell that tale, he did a fair job of it in these pages.
   
   Published with no dialogue, save the Epilogue on the last two pages, Leutwyler shows us the detail that went into Michael's costumes and gloves. He shows us a few of the pieces of simple art and magnificent jewelry that Michael owned -- and the care that went into each piece is evident in the crystal clear photographs. Some of the costumes show wear or makeup and that allows us to see Michael as more than a musical genius, more than an icon, more than a humanitarian. Perhaps, he would not personally have chosen these items for this book, but he was willing to part with them at auction someday (which means he was willing to allow us to see them in this state of disrepair at some point).
   
   The child-like quality of some of the items lets us see into Michael's heart and how much he yearned for a more complete childhood than he had...remember, he worked on stage since the age of 5! Looking at his collection of Wizard of Oz characters and his dog-eared copy of Peter Pan, we see the tenderness his heart possessed. Viewing the actual gold pants and the glittered shoes, we are able to remember the moments we first saw him wear them, which takes us back to the days when he could do no wrong.
   
   The throne and crown were definitely befitting a king; there will never be another King of Pop...and really, who could ever overcome this man's giant footprint on our culture? Michael Jackson was one of a kind, as many of the items in this book reveals. He had an eclectic taste that spanned all genres, all cultures, all ages, and strove to sustain them in his home - far from the maddening glare of the world's attention.
   
   When Sneddon destroyed Jackson's blissful peace at Neverland, he took more than a house from Michael; he took a large amount of joy from him that could never be replaced. Joy that Michael had created to restore himself after tours and personal appearances; joy that Michael had provided for countless underprivileged children through visits to Neverland; joy that showed his goodwill to others even when they had not shown him kindness. After Sneddon was finished, the home was only a shell - a place that had been mercilessly ransacked and had issued -- nothing but innocence. That joyful peace was taken from him, as so much else was taken during the years through virulent media presentation. And yet, Michael still believed he could somehow Heal our World up to his last day.
   
   Yes, he was rich; yes, he was famous; yes, he traveled the world freely; yes, he had the adoration of millions of people everywhere. But what made him happy? Perhaps, these trinkets tell a part of that story. After all, who among us does not collect something in our lifetimes? What would our books of prized possessions contain? This book makes you "think".
   
   We can never know what might have been, but we can look back at the things that once gave him a smile. Maybe I did find what I was looking for when I bought this book -- a small peek into Michael's "happiness" wish list. Inanimate objects cannot lie about you or cheat you, and sometimes they can provide great comfort in times of stress...and we know Michael was given a lot of stress during his lifetime! As I looked through this book many times, I found something new with each viewing.
   
   Neverland Lost does not show us ALL that was Michael Jackson, and there are no stories inside...but it shows us something many people forgot in his later years...that this famous, mesmerizing personality was human.



2. I find the photographs of stained and damages clothes an invasion of Michael's privacy. Michael was very careful about the image he presented to the world and he I don't think he would approve of detailed photographs of his clothes in less than perfect state being made public.
   I like the photos of his belongings and clothes that are in good condition (since they were showed to the public with Michael's permission before) Why are there so few of them? Why was it necessary to show details of less than perfect clothes? It made me very sad. The man is gone and his unwashed and damaged clothes are for all to see. I saw some photographs from the book on the Internet and out of respect for Michael decided against buying the book. Very disappointed. Not the book I was hoping for.



3. Some say that inanimate objects have a presence or a sense of being. This photographer has captured a few of Michael's items and presented them on the pages in such a way that we are carried inside the beauty and being of each. A hat, a glove, a toy, each alone on the page. A nametag inside a shirt reminds that this once danced with Michael inside. The beautiful brooch once felt the touch of fingers as it was pinned to a jacket. One shoe's sole experienced so many slides and spins. Viewing these individual objects has allowed me to experience another layer of a precious story. I am thankful that there was a photographer that understood this story, and he could share it.



4. I am not sure that this book is really worth what is being charged for it. It had some great photos in it though.



5. This is a beautiful picture book of extremely close-up photos of Michael's items- many of them pieces of his clothing. The famous "gold pants" and the gold "onesie" are even included.
   
   I loved looking at the construction of these iconic costumes- makeup stains and all. All I could think of was that these held his wonderful, rhythmic body and I thought of all the performances I watched on YouTube of him performing in them.
   
   It was also very sad to see items wrapped and taped to be removed from the house. Neverland was Michael's dream home. A place where he could have the fun he never got to have as a child. A place where inner city kids and children with terminal illnesses, could have one day of fun- even when he wasn't there.
   
   IMO, it is a shame that the DA, Tom Sneddon, and his seventy some officers desecrated it. I think the term "overkill" could apply here. Their ransacking of Michael's home made it a place to which Michael vowed never to return- and he never did. His dreams had been shattered.
   
   This book allows us to see the magic that was Michael Jackson. He is now finally free of the non-stop media/tabloid bashing. It is a scary world in which a human being could be so methodically and sytematically set upon to be destroyed as Michael Jackson was. I'm surprised he survived as long as he did and that he still ws able to keep his loving and giving heart. As Maya Angelou wrote, "We had him. And we are the world." Too bad we didn't take care of him.

5 comments about Wacky Packages.

1. I love and collected these cards as a child. They inadvertently informed my work as a toy designer and illustrator. I was not surprised when I learned the identity of the the artist was the future "Raw" publisher and pulitzer prize author and illustrator art spiegelman. I bought this and the second volume for my son on his 11th Birthday. I hope it encourages him to be irreverent and humorous with the ridiculous and over saturated world of products.The cover and layout of the book is very clever and well conceived.



2. This book is pure fun! I love it so much. It's a bargain price too. It's printed and put together very well. I think this book is one of the best things in the world. It's a treasure. It's a small hardcover book. The dust cover is made of the same waxy wrapping material they use for trading cards. It has some bonus wacky packages stickers inside the back cover. I paid much more for some books that I didn't like nearly as much as this one. I bought some wacky packages stickers when I was about 8 yrs old and I had a wacky packages t-shirt then too. I'm gonna start buying a bunch of wacky packages cards and things now that I have a lot of money to spend, which I didn't have as a kid. Product parodies will always be popular. I've seen lots of t-shirts with product parodies. Wacky packages rules! It's right up there with Ed Roth's rat fink artworks and other great pop culture things.



3. For the last 10 years I've been dreaming of a book just like Abrams' Wacky Packages archive. Like a lot of kids growing up in the 70s and 80s I had a huge collection of Topps branded sticker cards, from brightly colored and iconic-bordered die-cut movie and TV show sticker subsets, to the sets of beautifully painted parody sticker sets. My main focus was in collection Garbage Pail Kids, but when one looks back we wouldn't have had those without the many Wacky Packages sticker sets. Guys like Len Brown, Woody Gelman, Kim Deitch, Jay Lynch, Art Spiegelman, Peter Orens, Norm Saunders, Ray Hammond, and the Shorin Brothers, the Topps old guard as they were, were the equivalent to trading cards what the staff of MAD magazine was to humor comics, pumping out hundreds of hilarious and deftly rendered product parodies from the late 60s through to the late 80s.
   
   This Abrams coffee table book serves as a cleverly designed art book and an archive of the first seven Wacky Packages series. All of the paintings are presented one to a page and at about double the size of the original stickers in full color. The hardback book itself is smaller than most coffee table volumes (about the size of a standard DVD case), and is wrapped in a nostalgia inducing wax-paper dust cover that resembles a pack of the Wacky Packages stickers. This volume features an interview with Art Spiegelman and a forward by Jay Lynch, as well as some never-before-produced Wacky Packages stickers. It serves as an excellent way to flip though the stickers without having to spring for the long out of print original stickers on the secondary market.
   
   Abrams is also releasing a second volume, titled Wacky Packages New New New, which will feature all of the stickers from series 8 through 14. It's the perfect gift for anyone who loves sticker collecting, Topps, or sticker cards like Garbage Pail Kids, Weird Wheels, and the granddaddy of them all the Ugly Stickers from the 60s.



4. It is great to see these old memories revived. I remember collecting the first set of Wackies, as a kid, back in the late 60's (that same first set was re-released in 1973). A real blast from the past! So much of the history and culture of my age-group (those born between mid 1954 and the end of 1964) has simply fallen between the cracks. I would like to thank Art Spiegelman for bringing back something of our forgotten generation.



5. This is a great book that is done so well! Wonderful pictures of the sticker categorizes by each set that was issued. I grew up in the Wacky Packages era and remembered and had many of these stickers. It was fun going through them with my kids and pointing out the ones I had and seeing if they could figure out the real add/brand that they were spoofing. Some of the adds were a challenge for even my husband and I to figure out. This is a really well done book and great to have in our library!

1 comments about Catalog No. 439: Burlesque Paraphernalia and Side Degree Specialties and Costumes.

1. From this point in the 21st century, it's all but impossible to make sense of certain "humorous episodes" from the 19th and 20th centuries. When Geo. W. Peck has "Peck's Bad Boy" nearly murder his father in a mock lodge ritual, it seems like Oedipus on wood alcohol. Artist C.M. Russell left us a cartoony drawing of himself having "rode the goat" for an Elks' initiation; it's one his few portraits showing a smile. Laurel & Hardy draw laughs getting smacked with a paddle in "Sons of the Desert," but it's such a BIG paddle. And for all us "Vic & Sade" fans, what's with all those bizarre lodge initiations?
   
   Wonder no more. Or wonder even more. "Burlesque Paraphernalia" reproduces Catalog No. 439 from De Moulin Bros. & Co., filled gadgets guaranteed for knee-slapping good fun, like the Bucking Goat, trick chairs that do everything from mere collapsing to zapping with an electrical charge, phoney guillotines, fake branding irons, and several variations of the fabled "electric carpet" to simulate perilous desert crossings for certain fraternal degrees. There is also a selection of masks and costumes with an ethnic variety that includes something to offend everyone.
   
   This is a fascinating, and eyebrow raising, glimpse of the humor and attitudes of a time gone by, when Victorian deportmant and morality hadn't quite gone away, but when people took opportunities to thumb their noses at it, to deflate pomposity with simulated mayhem and murder. It also sheds light on the roughouse antics of early comic strips ("Katzenjammer Kids," for instance) and comedy short subjects from the Biograph and Keystone Studios.
   
   Mark Twain hated roughouse jokes, and even Geo. W. Peck later turned to shaking a finger at them in his later years. We're probably better off not reviving this dangerous brand of humor; its time has gone by. But it doesn't hurt to look.

3 comments about Antique Trader Collectible Paperback Price Guide.

1. this book is well put together,with plenty of pictures and pricing. it has been a handy reference in determining a price estimate on pulp paperbacks.although it does not cover everything,it establishes a decent price line for many genres and titles. one thing i like is the reference guide to pen names used by well known authors. overall i find myself using this book regularly as a reference guide,as well as a pricing estimate. i would recommend this book to anyone interested in pulp titles.



2. Great guide for study or general reference. Contains a large variety of paperback books in different categories. Listed by subjects with prices related by condition of the book. Many color photos. Author also covers the importance of cover art and general grading guide.



3. For any one who is collecting vintage paperbacks, this guide is a must have, not only for the guidelines it gives for what a proper price is for the book you want to buy, but also for the nice introduction on collecting paperbacks as well.

5 comments about Tiki Mugs: Cult Artifacts of Polynesian Pop.

1. I bought this book for my husbands' birthday. We are really into surf culture and I thought this would be a perfect addition to the collection. This is a perfect coffee table book; it has lots of great, varied pictures, and it gives you a bit of written information on different types and times of tiki! My husband loves it, and so do I.



2. Whether you are a poly-pop devotee or simply a collector of the super-cool tiki mug, this book is an absolute must-have for you. Great words, great artwork and photography, great lay-out and presentation, great information and reference. Clearly produced by people with a genuine love and knowledge of their work. Well done Jay Strongman and Holden Westland. Buy it now while you can. Now...bring on volume two, boys. O.K?



3. A must have for the person that loves tiki mugs. Facts for types of mugs, makers of mugs. It has interviews with the designers, the companys that make them. I love all the photos of mugs, tiki bars, menus, all things tiki. The only bad thing about this book is wanting to find all the mugs you have never seen before. It really has a lot of info on mugs and tiki collecting.



4. The main focus of this book is the artwork of the current wave of tiki mug artists that have
   sprouted in response to the resurgence of tiki culture. It is a must have read and full of
   pictures to gawk at while jotting down your collector want list.



5. Tiki mugs are a 1950s classic, a product of the pseudo-South Seas subculture which was part of the American scene. This book looks at some great examples of the mugs which would be available at Tiki bars which sprung up in cities and towns across the U.S. While not a catalog of Tiki mugs, this book contains photos of some of the best examples of mugs, which were loosely-based on idols from polynesia and developed into the sublime and the silly. The book discusses Tiki culture and some of the artists who are now designing mugs to satisfy a small but devoted audience.

5 comments about Petretti's Coca-Cola Collectibles Price Guide: The Encyclopedia of Coca-Cola Collectibles.

1. OK - so it's been almost ten years since my post on the last edition and a lot has happened to the Coca-Cola collectable marketplace. My ending comments on the market collapsing and the price points being at those of the guides from the 70's has occurred. But that is not all bad, as there has never been a better time for getting in the market as a COLLECTOR and a person that appreciates the heritage and sheer quality of vintage coca-cola memorabilia. A lot of great pieces are surfacing at more affordable prices and hopefully many new people are getting into the hobby. It is a GREAT time to join-in the fun of vintage Coca Cola memorabilia. So jump on in!
   
   Now for my thoughts on Allan's latest book. First off - thanks Allan for re-issuing a new guide and helping to keep the vintage market going. This book continues to be the ONLY book on the subject, and Allan continues with his pattern of putting out the best collectors guide on any subject around. Pictures are high quality and the coverage (though a bit less than prior editions) is still incredible. For a reference guide - this is THE book you want. As a price guide - it is another story.
   
   Unfortunately - Allan's prices continue to be out of sink with the market - so first and foremost don't rely on them at all. If you have a piece to sell - you'll be a bit disappointed if you think you can get anywhere near the prices in the guide. As always the mint and near mint items continue to maintain their value and in some instance can approach Allan's prices but in general even those items tend to be available at 50% - 60% of the prices in the guide. As for the items below near-mint - those can typically be obtained at 20% - 30% of the guide prices. As of January, 2010 - perhaps more than anything the tray market has really suffered. High quality signs seem to have retained their value the most - perhaps since they also have commercial value for restaurants and bars. Some of the best quality and most affordable merchandise can be purchased at Coca Cola collectors auctions where collectors understand the "real" pricing and are in it more for the thrill of the hunt and the history of the item - then trying to turn a fast buck.
   
   As a collector with a lot of early pieces - it is a bit disheartening that the value of my collection has really taken a hit - but the thrill of the hobby has returned as the ability to purchase at prices not seen for 25+ years makes me search even harder for that once-in a lifetime piece and that is what collecting is really about. There are great pieces still out there - so congratulations to those of you that love the hobby for the sake of the hobby - our time has returned! For those who were in it for the investment - rest assured prices will continue to rise again but understand that they probably will never realize those prices of the late-90's. Perhaps the best thing that has happened is that everyone has come to realize that the "new" collector pieces are junk and they've become so plentiful that no one wants them. As for the "quality" reproduction sign garbage available on eBay that is meant to "fool" people into thinking they have vintage pieces - why purchase a knock-off when you get the real thing at the lowest prices seen in years and have a real piece that has value not only for its imagery but for its age and collectablity. Remember there is nothing like the "Real Thing"....
   
   Comments are always welcome so feel free to email me at conapt@hotmail.com



2. This book was purchased for my brother. He is an avid Coca-Cola Collector. He was very impressed with the hardcover book. The picture quality was also very excellent. Any collector would be proud to add this book to their collection.



3. I bought this book as a gift for my son. He tells me this is an awesome guide with so much information. He said it merits a very high recommendation.



4. If it's one big, definitive collector's 'bible' you seek on Coca- Cola collecting, make it the 13th updated edition of the classic Petretti's Coca-Cola Collectibles Price Guide. For over three decades it has proven its richness in providing Coca- Cola collectors with definitive details: this latest edition packs in more color photos, the latest prices, and keys to avoiding fakes and reproductions. All types of collectibles are covered, making this a 'must have'.



5. Alan Petretti has done a one up on his last Coca Cola Collectibles Price Guide. Easier to find items, more color pictures and just an overall informative guide. Each guide just gets better and better. These truly are the encyclopedia of Coca Cola collecting.

5 comments about The Batman Vault: A Museum-in-a-Book with Rare Collectibles from the Batcave.

1. Looking for a special gift for the Batman fan on your Christmas list? Here's the perfect choice...This is Running Press' latest release in their "Museum-in-a-book" series. The Batman Vault is hardcover, spiral bound, and gift book-sized. The book is a historical look at the Batman character from his creation right up to the present. So what is the deal with the Museum-in-a-book feature? Well the book comes packed with several pieces of reproduction memorabilia. These pieces all come in plastic sleeves for protection although you can easily take them out to examine the pieces. More on this later...
   
   The authors begin with a look at what inspired Bob Kane's creation including a pulp story called "Bat Man" from 1936. Greenberger and Manning have uncovered rare documents that are reprinted in the book such as Bill Finger's original script to Batman #31 from 1945. The first piece of memorabilia you encounter is the uncolored cover to Detective Comics #60, credited to Bob Kane but actually done by Jerry Robinson and Fred Ray. For those unfamiliar with Batman's early days, Batman was often "ghosted" by other artists but Kane was given the credit. Included in this early look are movie poster and rare lobby card reprints from the Batman film serials of the 1940s. There's even a vintage photo of a 1940s theater marquee that was showing the Batman serial.
   
   For baby boomers, the book includes several rare promotional photos and ads for the 1960s Batman TV show including Adam West, in full costume, posing with Mr. TV Milton Berle who portrayed villain Louie the Lilac on the show. This sections memorabilia item is several pages from a 1960s Batman color-by-number coloring book as well as a reproduction 1966 cardboard Batman mask that kids could remove from a book.
   
   Sections that follow include a look at Bruce Wayne and his Family, Gotham City, Batman's Allies, and his villains. Throughout the book there are never-before-scene pieces of artwork, some finished and some just sketches, including rough design work from the various Batman films. Other reproduction pieces included a batplane that you can assemble and fly, a Robin mobile, Batcave Poster, Anton Furst Sketches for the 1989 Batman film, and a 2003 Catwoman sketchbook by Darwyn Cooke. The book is a lot of fun and, at $49.95 fairly reasonably price for the quality of the material.



2. This is the perfect gift or self indulgence for any Batman fan. No matter which version of the Caped Crusader is your favorite (past, present or future!), it's covered in this massive volume loaded with fun extras (some replicated from the ones I foolishly lost from my own childhood! Great nostalgia for me...). Encyclopedic and handsomely produced, my only gripe is that the spiral binding makes page-turning a delicate operation if you're as fanatical as I am with preserving a special book's pristine condition.
   
   Done with great care and respect for its subject matter, this is a great addition to any comic lover's collection and a bargain, especially at the sale price.



3. //The Batman Vault// touts itself as a museum-in-a-book, and it is just that: at once a primer on the character, a retrospective on his history in pop culture, and an impressive assemblage of timeless images, stories, and reproductions of collectibles.
   
   Chronicling the creation of the Dark Knight, his journey through comics, television, films and other media, it is a celebration of everything Batman. With almost eighty years of stories to cover, it is hardly all-encompassing, but the authors do an admirable job picking and choosing what to include while giving tantalizing glimpses into the much-larger (and often, more convoluted) world of the Caped Crusader.
   
   Brief but detailed profiles highlight many key characters, including Alfred, Commissioner Gordon, the various Robins, the Joker, and other villainous members of his Rogue's Gallery, but the collectibles are what put this collection over the top.
   
   How-to books, promotional images, coloring book pages, paper toys, a fold-out poster of the Batcave, and even a replica playbill featuring a first sketch of Robin the Boy Wonder, these inserts are links to the past and terrific little additions to stir the spirit of the fanboy in all of us.
   
   Museum-in-a-book? Yeah, I'll buy that.
   
   Reviewed by Glenn Dallas



4. The Batman Vault is the latest in these "Museums in Books" series that both DC, Marvel, and various other studios such as Hanna-Barbara have embraced. They include reproductions of supposedly "lost," or rarely seen items that many fans may have missed coming across over the years.
   
   2009's entry is DC's flagship character -- The Batman. One presumes that next year's will be Superman, but moving on, Robert Greenberger has done an excellent job in researching the DarkKnight Detective's many, many products which have entertained both kids and adults in his sixty year history.
   
   Standouts include the previously unseen Sheldon Mayer (who previously wrote kid's comics Sugar and Spike)booklet "How to Draw Batman," which must have raised quite a few eyebrows in the seventies when the writers and editors were trying to make Batman more dark and gritty.
   
   This eighteen page story is a highlight and should be required reading for all Bat-writers.
   
   Other rarely seen illustrations include: Bob Kane's Christmas cards featuring the Bat-family, the 1960 Bat-family portrait done for that year's Bat-Annual, the Bruce Timm early design for Catwoman that was scrapped during production, a sixties Batman record cover.
   
   While I give kukos for these items, I really wish Mr. Greenburger could have included some more photos of the sixties Bat-toys, which are now commanding thousands of dollars on ebay. For example, the Ideal Batman Utility Belt had some great box art, maybe some more of Joe Gielisa's newspaper strips from the late sixties. Maybe even a CD of some of Bat children's records or one of the appearances of Batman on the 40's Superman radio program.
   
   I even seem to recall some Bat postcards that were called "Bat-o-Grams" that featured sixties art that I picked up at a Custer, SD store.
   
   Again. A nice collection and should provide hours of entertainment, but me being the nit picker that I am would have liked a bit more.
   
   JThree
   carolyn@dia.net
   Williston, ND



5. 
   How do you examine the Batman mythos in less than a thousand pages effectively?
   
   Robert Greenberger and Matthew K Manning have taken a look at the Dark Knight from his 'creation'/evolution to the present day complex incarnation. To say that Bob Kane 'created' the Batman, would be a quick lie. Batman is the result of years of influences from the Black Bat (pulp magazine), Mary Reinhart (novel), Lew Merril, the Shadow, and many others. In Detective Comics #27, he first appeared, and overshadowed all of his influences.
   
   The Museum includes chapters on
   
   The Coming of the Caped Crusader
   Bruce Wayne and His Family
   Batcave and Gear
   Robin
   Gotham
   Women of the Knight
   the Allies
   Batman Beyond
   Essential Reading
   
   Each covers complex matters with different storylines in a compelling manner. The graphics have been chosen with care. For instance, the Dick Sprang inside piece is stunning! Scans of existing original art rocks. The promotional items included in the plastic pockets are cool too. The neatest item is the signed Jewish Theatre playbill.
   
   The book is heavy in 'newer' graphics (post 1980) and that is a weakness. There are many artists that I do not see represented that should be, and identification of many of them is not done. For instance, the Batman A to z Book, (pocket) was done by Tom Gill. This is not marked. Page 14 features a tryout by an unidentified artist, if I were a betting man, I would say it is Jack Sparling or Tom Gill again.
   
   That aside, I enjoyed the book and our journey through history. I do understand the difficulty in choosing what to include, and the limitations of space.
   
   With that, I highly recommend this book and await the opening of a DC Museum that has ongoing displays of artifacts, art, and rare items for those so inclined.
   
   Tim Lasiuta