3 comments about Film Posters of the Russian Avant-Garde (Jumbo).

1. If you're a graphic designer, you only need browse this excellent book for a moment or two to realize that Russian artists in the 1920's and 30's knew more about how to make a great poster than any American has ever known before or since.
   
   Every poster designer and film buff loves American designer Saul Bass and I'm no exception, but Bass borrowed a lot from these early Russian designers like Rodchenko, and its no wonder--they were an incredible wellspring of creativity. Open any single page in this collection and you'll find a hundred great ideas regarding use of color, perspective, and mixing photography with illustration. Every designer should have this book at hand for reference. Unfortunately many of these early films have been lost or destroyed over time, but one wonders if the best part hasn't been saved--these glorious posters. I can't say enough good things about this book.



2. I'm not a collector of Russian/Soviet film posters, so all the liner notes could be complete bullocks, but the book is brilliantly large and appears to really want to give the straight story (for instance it gives the title that the artists gave the posters not the movie title associated w/ it). I've only seen a few of the movies it covers so I bought it solely for the art. If you're a fan of the clean Bauhaus style this book is for you.



3. Susan Pack's overview of the Russian avant-garde film poster, is a visual delight, and a welcome addition to the library of anyone interested in graphic design. This book is a handsome collection of pre-Communist posters from such notable graphic artists as the Stenberg brothers, and Alexander Rodchenko, as well as many other lesser known, yet talented artisans. Anyone familiar with Russian graphics of this period are in for a treat, and those seeing them for the first time will soon become addicted to their graphic impact, and innovative type treatments. A friend I've shown it to has warned me to keep an eye on it, lest it mysteriously disappear!

   The book is written to address audiences in English, German, and French.

No comments about World War I Posters (Schiffer Book for Collectors with Price Guide).

No comments about Fly Now!.

5 comments about The Complete "Masters of the Poster": All 256 Color Plates from "Les Maitres De L'Affiche" (Dover Pictorial Archive Series).

1. For those interested in the poster or in Art Nouveau or in the history of printmaking, specifically lithography, this is an essential reference book. The "Masters of the Poster" portfolios were reduced size reproductions of selected advertising posters of the late 19th century and included works by Mucha, Cheret, Bonnard, Toulouse-Lautrec and many, many others. These reproductions were printed by one of the major lithographic printing houses of the time and sold as annual editions to subscribers. Many of these lithographs are still available in galleries, although expensive. This Dover book includes 256 of the posters which represents the basic subscription portfolio as well as the supplemental lithographs of drawings especially prepared for the subscribers. It is rare to find such a definitive work at such an inexpensive price.



2. As stated, the book contains all 256 plates. But there is almost no informational material. If you just want to know what was included in this series, this is your reference manual.



3. Nice quality with large reproductions, nice heavyweight pages, and great color. Full of inspiring figurative artwork, graphic design, and lettering from a time and place when more work by hand and individual style made it into advertising.



4. i collect posters.
   i love posters.
   for some of the posters, this will be as close as i'll get unless i win the lottery.
   a great present to your friends or to yourself.



5. An an interior designer and a collector of antique posters, I completely rely on this book. Roger Marx brings to us an amazing selection of posters ranging from whimsical prints to dramatic and romantic pieces as well as thorough information on each piece. Featured on the cover is my most treasured posession.

4 comments about More Cowboy Movie Posters (The Illustrated History of Movies Through Posters, Vol 6).

1. Excellent book for the western enthusiast. was a little disappointed that posters were not full page but guess I'm being a bit picky.No text apart from the introduction, many memories came flooding back of favourites such as Charles Starrett, Allan Lane, Roy Rogers, Gene Autry etc.
   These books will end up collectors items so strike while the iron is hot.



2. More Cowboy Movie Posters is a fabulous art book and truly invaluable, offering the highest quality images from good and bad westerns. As someone who collects western posters, I have used this book as an important aid to purchasing posters illustrated within. Without such a quality reference I would have needed to peruse a stack of catalogs to find the same amount of images. For the non collector movie buff, the book is equally a delight and tremendous value at the low price.



3. This review can easily apply to any of the books in the Bruce Hershenson edited series of film poster history. Hershenson rightly treats film graphics not just as pop culture artifacts but true works of art. His books are filled with a curator's eye for superior choice and reproduction, each poster in striking color and with a clarity of printing that rivals most any coffee table art book. Somewhere between advertising and illustration, film posters, like book jackets and record covers, inhabit that imaginative and atmospheric zone where one art reflects another. It's not just the history of film or the history of film design, it's a history of twentieth century Saturday afternoons and Saturday nights. How often we would go into the dark theatre armed only with the ideas and ideals of the posters outside, and then return to them afterward, perhaps with nodding affirmation or smirking disillusionment, but still a vision of what could be. This series of books should be subtitiled: THE FINE ART OF ANTICIPATION,for no matter if expectation was filled or emptied by the films behind them, their posters kept on shining.



4. All the great heroes of Hollywood westerns are represented in a book that's a delight to flip through. It's packed with the colorful, dramatic, enticing art that made movie posters even more appealing than the movies, themselves.

No comments about Old Advertisements and Popular Culture: Posters, Calendars and Cigarettes, 1900-1950 (Arts of China).

3 comments about Earl MacPherson: The Sketchbook Pin-Ups (Vignettes).

1. The pin-ups of days gone-by, still retain their classy beauty, their timeless appeal. Any lover of pin-up art, any lover of the girl-next door female form, any lover of classy and beautiful art of the ladies, ought to seriously consider adding this book to their collection. A+



2. Like VARGAS Vignettes 1 and 2, I wish this was bigger. The book is small and that is the only reason it didn't get the full 5 stars. Although Vargas is my favorite artist, MacPherson is right up there too, and this book shows a lot of examples of his WWII era art. A lot of these pin-ups also appeared on the WWII bombers. There are about 30 works represented and they are all beautiful.

   The book has a nice set-up as the pinups are printed nicely with good color reproduction. I use them as reference for painting nose art on A-2 flight jackets and the quality really allows me to get some really nice detail for my purposes.

   At $10 it is worth getting but I would also recommend VARGA by Robothman which is a lot bigger format so it really allows you to fully appreciate the art with the bigger format. Also, check out THE GREAT AMERICAN PIN-UP as that has a lot of pin-up artists represented and shows the rich history of Pin-Up art




3. Award winning Author Max Allan Collins is also one of the foremost collectors of original pin up art in the country. He combines his love of this media with the detailed research evident in his awardwinning Nate Heller and Eliot Ness historical novels to produce yet another outstanding pin up book similar to his award winning collaboration with artist Gil Elvgren's son Drake last year. Max comes to this project with the benefit also of having known Earl MacPherson in his final years of life. On top of all of this you get the high production quality known to most collector's press books. Highly recommended.

2 comments about The Lord of the Rings Poster Collection 2.

1. In the world of Tolkien artwork, two artists sit at the top of the heap: Alan Lee and John Howe. These two artists have devoted a lot of ink to sketching scenes from J.R.R. Tolkien's masterworks, and in the "Lord of the Rings Poster Collection 2," we get to see some of Lee's best work.
   
   "The Halls of Moria" is one of the most stirring pieces of artwork -- an enormous dark hall full of pillars and vaulted ceilings, with a beam of light shining over the Fellowship. "Tol Brandir" shows a tangle of leafless branches, mossy rocks and stone steps. And then there's the "Golden Hall," a beautiful landscape crowned by a hill, on top of which is Theoden's home. Lee's painted clouds look as if they are glowing.
   
   "Orthanc" shifts the focus to grimmer subjects -- Saruman's stronghold is immense, menacing, vaguely insectile with its black shiny look. And, of course, it's surrounded by floodwater. "The Siege of Gondor" is tightly packed with grinning, creepy orcs with spears, and a few human warriors, one of whom is dead. And "Two Orcs" has a pair of suitably creepy-looking orcs, not doing much.
   
   Of the two poster collections of Lee's work, the second is obviously superior. We get a range of subjects, from all three books, and it shows the different kinds of artwork that Lee can do. The posters themselves are lovely -- high quality paper, clear reproduction. As for the pictures themselves....
   
   Alan Lee does "still work" the best -- even when his subjects are in motion, they look very quiet and almost dreamlike. There's a lot of detail poured into these, since even small twigs, cracks and stains make their way into his artwork. They also tend to have muted, faded colours, lots of soft greys, browns and greens. Some of them look like sepia photographs.
   
   Looking at these beautiful posters, it's easy to see why Lee was one of the designers for the "Lord of the Rings" movies' exquisite sets. A wonderful collection of fantasy artwork.



2. This collection features six works of Alan Lee who, along with John Howe, was one of the principle conceptual artists for Peter Jackson's films based on J.R.R. Tolkien's "The Lord of the Rings".
   
   The six works featured in this collection are:
   
   1. The Mines of Moria
   2. Tol Brandir
   3. The Golden Hall
   4. Orthanc
   5. The Siege of Gondor
   6. Two Orcs in the Land of Shadow
   
   The six works are large, stand alone posters on heavy stock contained within an attractive folder featuring "Orthanc" on the front cover. The prints--the originals were done in watercolor--have a black border with the name of the work and the artist at the bottom in small print.
   
   These prints are an excellent addition to any Tolkien fan's collection.

1 comments about Exploitation Poster Art.

1. Another great release from Tony Nourmand. I just received this one today in the mail, and it was hard to put it down. If you are a fan of movies you should look into all of the collection from Nourmand. I have discovered many movies i had never heard of just by seeing the poster in these books. This book covers a great part of cinema, Exploitation movies. Next time you are in a book store you should check these titles out if not just go ahead and make a blind purchase from Amazon, you will not be disappointed.

3 comments about The Silmarillion Poster Collection: Six Paintings by Ted Nasmith.

1. First of all, I'd like to say that anyone who gives this book less than 5 stars doesn't fully understand or appreciate how monumentally amazing it trully is. Second, those who gave it only one obviously can only read on a second grade level (that means a eight year old can out read you.) I will admit that the beginning is difficult, but it's like riding a bike. At first it's a little rough, but once you get into it you'll never stop. This book is filled with many wonderful and emotional stories. The words and mental illustrations used are phenomenal, and most of the best parts made me want to cry and shout to the world how ingenious Professor Tolkien was! Not only were the climaxes so awesome, but they were filled with emotion and power. And since this book is a history and therefore filled with many stories of great battles, heroes, and mighty deeds, the climaxes are many and never get dull. Trust me, when you really get into this book you will feel sorry for every person who gave this book one star because they aren't intelligent enough to appreciate the awesome power of this piece of literature. This is one of those books that you buy in the finest hardcover available and hire ten guards to keep it safe day and night! Don't be daunted by the vast number of names: they are important but memorization isn't crucial, and if you so wish you can use the 50 page glossary in the back. This book is a rare gem and should be read by every human being on the earth! I give it 100 stars out of 5!



2. The crowning masterpiece of the greatest author of the 20th century, The Silmarillion can alternately break one's heart and stir it to excitement unlike any other literary work. The themes are familiar: courage, love, loyalty, obsession, greed, treachery, et al, but it feels to the reader as if one was encountering them for the first time in literature, by a master of the language, and the effect can be almost overwhelming: many are the passages that will effectively halt a reading until your tears are dried: Yavanna lamenting over the Trees, Fingolfin's hopeless duel with Morgoth, Finrod Felagund's "First Contact" with the Fathers of Men and subsequent death saving Beren, and Hurin's last stand at the Fen of Serech are just a few. I have owned this book since it was first published in the 1970s, and with each reading, my appreciation grows deeper, and my thanks to Tolkien more heartfelt. No one should be without this treasure.



3. I love it! I love it! I love, love, love it! Ted Nasmith's pictures are simply great and really capture the mood of the scenes described in Tolkien's "Silmarillion". These pictures are now decorating my walls and I hardly ever had anything nicer to watch at.