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2012 Gift Guide: Home & Office

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Rorschach's Journal


When you feel the need to write down your deepest, darkest secrets, forego the internet and return instead to a time in the past (like 1984-85 in fact) when people scribbled on papyrus encased in leather to hold their thoughts and feelings (and yes, goth-centric poetry).

And in this particular tome you not only have an attractive book in which to transcribe the ramblings of a mad person, each of the 200 pages are monogramed by Watchmen anti-hero Rorschach, so you know that your diatribe against McDonalds’ decision to keep the Shamrock Shake a seasonal item will be protected at all costs.

And remember, make sure to write down all your stuff while wearing your underpants over your face, it’ll feel more authentic that way.

Hurm.


Retro Television Pillow


If you grew up during a time when a television set was considered furniture and you had about five stations to choose from, then you are probably going to enjoy napping on a retro television pillow (where you will dream the afternoon away with the casts of Barney Miller, Welcome Back Kotter and Taxi).

If you are someone who grew up during the era of cable and are pissed that people my age are so cool and awesome, then you are welcome to buy one of these pillows and join us in a big cuddle pile…not that it would be creepy or anything, just a bunch of people hanging out together snuggling with retro TV pillows…repeat NOT BEING CREEPY.


You Were Never Here Doormat


People who come to my home know that they have to sign a confidentiality clause before entering my abode due to my belief that I am on some kind of governmental watch list (stemming from the amount of Hentai I watch on the Internet).

So having a doormat that reinforces my code of silence rules would be a nice little reminder that when push comes to shove, my guests were never here.

This also works for underage family members as well who come in search of various plant-like substances and who need to learn to keep stuff on the DL so that Aunt Ebeth doesn’t get in trouble.


Comic Toilet Paper


Look, we all know that you are already reading comics while squeezing out a #2 so why not take the opportunity to finish your task by wiping your nether region with a comic-inspired tissue that will leave your starfish clean and nerd-approved.

Besides, it’ll be fun to see the words “Flush” and “Splash” swirl down the drain with a little bit of you on it.
 

Field Notes “The Kit”


I am a stationary/notions sucker. Seriously, if you ever need to woo me for any reason just give me a stack of cool notebooks and some pencils and I’ll be yours forever.

This particular “Kit” comes complete with everything a stationary/design junkie could covet: Steno pads, Graph notebooks, pencils, click pens, rubber bands, and a 2013 calendar all done in a super-sharp font that screams vintage.

Someone should really buy this for me.


Portal 2 Companion Cube Ice Cube Tray



Portal 2 is my only reason for staying alive some days and knowing that I can cool down my Johnny Walker Black with a couple ice cubes shaped like a companion cube makes me a very happy chick.

Not that I’m filled with suicidal tendencies or anything, it’s just that having to share this mortal coil with the likes of the Honey Boo Boo family is sometimes more than I can handle and having some booze with ice cubes that remind me of my favorite video game helps some.


iClassic Rotary Phone Docking Station


Docking stations are a dime-a-dozen these days but the iClassic Rotary Phone happens to be the only one I really want.

First, it totally reminds me of those days when, if I wanted to talk to my friends without my family overhearing, I would have to stretch the phone cord out to trip-wire tension so that I could go into the hall closet for some privacy (you couldn’t take the phone with you since it was SECURED LIKE A SAFE TO THE WALL). It also triggers how much I hated anyone who had any 9s or 0s in their number because if you miss-dialed you had to start all over again and it was a pain in the ass.

And, to make this docking station even sweeter, when you set your phone in it, a blue light will flash alerting you that you have an incoming call (you can even rig an old-timey ring so it sounds just like Grandma’s old phone).

Ahhh…the memories.


Wampa Rug


I cannot stress how romantic it would be to make sweet, sweet love by the fire while all nekkid on a Wampa rug.

The kind of love where you will be using the euphemism “Lightsaber” many, many times.


Star Trek Door Chime


Doorbells are one of the more neglected aspects of your home and, until now, there wasn’t a whole lot of interesting things you could do with it other than make it chime a different tune.

But I have to say, slapping on this Star Trek Door Chime will certainly announce to the world that behind your front door lies a mess of geek so spectacular that they should probably prepare themselves emotionally.

The chime is done in the style of the original Trek (for the purists amongst us) and comes with three different sound effects: push-button Communicator Whistle, a Door-Opening sound and, my personal favorite, the Red Alert Alarm (use it when your family pops by for a visit) .

Your house just got awesome.


Lil’ Reds Plastic Shot Glass


The red plastic keg cup is what separates the lame parties from the awesome ones (were talking about evenings ending with a vow of silence and the destruction of all photos from everyone’s phone/camera due to whatever people drank from those red plastic cups).

So why not keep the party headed in the direction of unplanned pregnancies and shame and pour all those ill-advised shots that you have concocted into the little sister of those keg cups, the lil’ red plastic shot glass.

Trust me, those little alcoholic bursts of bad decisions will be swaddled in a level of cuteness that even the most responsible people at the party will not be able to resist and soon you will have a party that will reach a level of supreme that even your neighbors will hold off on calling the cops due to its transcendental nature.

I think I’ve made my point.


Alien Chestburster Chopsticks


You eat Chinese food because it is delicious.

You use the Alien Chestburster Chopsticks because it is awesome.

Now pass me some Dim Sum.


Doctor Who: Sonic Screwdriver Universal Remote


Who freaks rejoice!

What we have here is an actual working Sonic Screwdriver that you can wield like the Doctor himself (granted it doesn’t pick locks or track alien life but it does change the television channel or skip a song on your iPod so that’s still kinda cool).

Here’s what to expect from your screwdriver: it can power up to 39 different infrared signals, the tip lights up in a pleasing way when in use, it pulses while in stand-by mode and it makes 13 different Doctor Who sounds for your enjoyment.

So feel free to strut around your home armed with your screwdriver, turning things off and on all day long you big nerd.


Jaws License Plate


No Jaws fan should be without the iconic “Sportsmen’s Paradise” license plate featured in the very first movie.

In fact, if you don’t own this and you call yourself a fan, you should be ashamed of yourself…not that I’m judging you or anything, it’s just that you make such a big deal out of knowing every line of dialog and stuff and then I find out you are missing something this cool and, well, I gotta question where your priorities lie.

Just get one and clear up all this confusion on your level of fandom okay?


The Avengers Decorator Throw Pillow


As a chick, I am required by law to own as many throw pillows as humanly possibly but there's no reason to limit myself to only pillows that match my couch or bedding (This is America and I can do what I want).

Which is why I think that loading up my L-shaped couch with about a million Avengers throw pillows will not only satisfy my chick/pillow quota, it will also establish me as someone who is only a little bit obsessed with comic books, thus proving my worth to whomever is keeping score.

Sometimes it really is hard to be a woman.



2012 Gift Guide: Comics & Graphic Novels

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Words and pictures.  Funny books.  Graphic narratives.  Regardless of what you call them, they're comics; one of America's greatest inventions.

Regardless of what genre interests you, there's something there for everyone.  As Marshall McLuhan said, "the medium is the message."

I tend to think Jack Kirby said it best, "My stories are very sincere, my stories are people’s stories."

There's a reason why he's "The King."

Check out some recommended stories after the jump.

My Friend Dahmer


Incredibly absorbing graphic novel by cartoonist Derf Backderf, who actually attended high school and was friends with serial killer Jeffery Dahmer.  Beckderf's insightful observations and recollections paint an interesting and chilling story of social misfit and nerd turned cannibal.  It's a dark, tragic and somewhat humorous attempt to make sense of the unexplainable.


Get Jiro!


The inimitable Anthony Bourdain co-wrote with Joel Rose this highly entertaining graphic novel set in a not too distant future Los Angeles where a culinary war rages on.  Here, two major factions, the Internationalists and "Vertical Farm," rule the city like crime lords as people fight and kill one another for an opportunity to experience a culinary experience.  Sushi chef Jiro is sought by both factions, but like Kurosawa's Yojimbo, neither side is prepared for the outcome.  Illustrator Langdon Foss' work is reminiscent of both the late Seth Fisher and Moebius and is incredibly dense.  Get Jiro! is the perfect introduction for any foodie on your list.


Supercrooks


It's no secret that Mark Millar writes his comics with an eye on having it adapted to film, and Supercrooks is no exception.  Reteaming with frequent collaborator Lenil Francis Yu, Millar takes a group of American super villians out of the states (which is too heavily populated with heroes and police, not to mention the competition) and sends them to Spain where they can pull off one last heist.  Only the target is the greatest super villain of all time, who may or may not be ready for them in this incredibly entertaining read.


Grant Morrison
One of comics most interesting and entertaining writers, it's hard to single out a single volume of Morrison's work to recommend.  This season I recommend Absolute Final Crisis, a giant oversized volume collecting his mammoth DC Universe event that might be the greatest love letter to superheroes in the last decade.


Also worth seeking out is Morrison's The Invisibles Omnibus, a 1500+ page counterculture epic combining conspiracy theories, magic, alien abductions, time travel and more in a haze of ultra violence as a group of rebels fight to liberate humanity from the machinations of extra-terrestrial consciousness.  In Action Comics Volume 1: Superman and the Men of Steel, Morrison teams with Rags Morales to reimagine The Man of Steel for the New 52 relaunch at DC Comics.  This Clark Kent is brasher, still learning his capabilities and like the character's original incarnation in the Thirties, is fighting against corruption and economic and social inequality in America.  Finally, in Batman Incorporated: Volume One, Morrison and several artists including Yanick Paquette, Chris Burnham, Michel Lacombe, and Cameron Stewart take on the ramifications of Bruce Wayne's announcement that he finances Batman and intends to franchise Batman internationally.  The first volume focuses on the Dark Knight recruiting crimefighters across the globe to join his crusade.


Yoe! Books
Any regular reader knows how much I love Craig Yoe's work.  The proclaimed "comics archeologist" by Publishers Weekly and his collaborators at Yoe! Books continue to publish book after book that quickly becomes "my new favorite."


First up and an amazing book that will be out just in time for Christmas is Comics About Cartoonists: Stories About The World’s Oddest Profession, which reprints stories on real and fictional cartoonists told by a literal who's who of the greatest cartoonists ever to work in the medium including Jack Kirby, Steve Ditko, Wally Wood, Jack Cole, Dick Briefer, Winsor McCay, George Herriman, Chester Gould, Sheldon Mayer, Milton Caniff, Ernie Bushmiller, Basil Wolverton, Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, Will Eisner, Elzie Segar, Charles Schulz, and Harvey Kurtzman.

Another Yoe! Book that I think is absolutely amazing this year is The Creativity of Steve Ditko, which combines reprinted comic stories with illuminating and entertaining recollections of the extremely private cartoonist.  At the height of his mainstream success as co-creator of Spider-Man and Doctor Strange, Ditko walked away from Marvel for reasons unknown became an ardent supporter and advocate of the philosophy of Objectivism.  A fascinating look at an equally fascinating man.


An evolution of both art and fashion from the forties through the present, The Art of Betty & Veronica edited by Yoe and Archie editor-in-chief Victor Gorelick, features an array of art and stories by some of the company's most legendary artists including Dan DeCarlo, Harry Lucey, Samm Schwartz, Bill Vigoda, Bob Montana, and Dan Parent. Other notable releases by Yoe! Books this year include  Zombies: The Chilling Archives of Horror Comics, featuring some amazing comics from the golden age and Frazetta Funny Stuff which collects the funny anthropomorphic comics by legend Frank Frazetta.


Image Comics
Image Comics is currently publishing the some of the best monthly work in the history of the medium, all of it creator owned, and thankfully, all of it collected.

You'd have to be under a rock not to be familiar with The Walking Dead.  From creators Robert Kirkman, Charles Adlard, Cliff Rathburn and Tony Moore, The Walking Dead is not only one the most popular comics currently being published, but it's also the basis of the hit AMC television series.  This year, The Walking Dead Compendium Volume 2 is the easy recommendation collecting issues #49-96 in one big chunk.  If you like the show and haven't read the comic, grab this and Compendium Volume 1 for an unforgettable reading experience.


Other Image collections that I heartily recommend include:
  • Saga (by Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples) When two soldiers from opposite sides of a never-ending galactic war fall in love, they risk everything to bring a fragile new life into a dangerous old universe.  Saga is the sweeping tale of one young family fighting to find their place in the worlds. Fantasy and science fiction are wed like never before in this sexy, subversive drama for adults. 
  • The Manhattan Projects (by Jonathan Hickman and Nick Pitarra)  What if the research and development department created to produce the first atomic bomb was a front for a series of other, more unusual, programs?


  • Hell Yeah!(by Joe Keatinge and Andre Szymanowicz) Today is the worst day of Benjamin Day's life. He's the poster child for the first generation raised in a world where superheroes exist, but he wants nothing to do with super-anything. When versions of himself from throughout the multiverse show up dead, this one-man crisis of infinite selves tears open twenty-year-old secrets. Ben's now forced into the super-society he's long denied. 
  • Mind The Gap (by Jim McCann, Sonia Oback  and Rodin Esquejo ) Elle Peterssen is young, wealthy, and beautiful - and there is a reason someone tried to kill her! Only, Elle doesn't remember any of this. Elle, in a spirit form detached from her comatose body, must not only unravel the mystery of her attacker's identity and motive, but her entire life as well. Who can she trust, in both this word and in the gap she exists in that lies between life and death? Deceit, secrets, and hidden agendas are everywhere in a story where everyone is a suspect, and no one is innocent.  
  • Fatale (by Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips) Secrets, lies, horror, lust, and monsters from the time before time all collide. In present day, a man meets a woman who he becomes instantly obsessed with, and in the 1950s, this same woman destroys the lives of all those who cross her path, on a quest for... what?
  • Thief of Thieves (by Robert Kirkman, Nick Spencer and Shawn Martinbrough) Conrad Paulson lives a secret double-life as master thief Redmond. There is nothing he can't steal, nothing he can't have... except for the life he left behind. Now with a grown son he hardly knows, and an ex-wife he never stopped loving, Conrad must try to piece together what's left of his life, before the FBI finally catch up to him... but it appears they are the least of his worries.


  •  Prophet(by by Brandon Graham, Simon Roy, Farel Dalrymple, and Giannis Milogiannis) On distant future Earth, changed by time and alien influence, John Prophet awakens from cryosleep. His mission: to climb the the towers of Thauili Van and restart the Earth empire. But, news of the Empire's return brings old foes and allies out of the recesses of the vast cosmos.
  • Glory (by Joe Keatinge and Ross Campbell) After missing for almost a decade, Glory's whereabouts are uncovered by a lone reporter, but the globe-spanning conspiracy keeping her hidden from humanity could make her return more dangerous than anyone ever anticipated! This first collection of a brand-new saga reintroduces Glory to a new century by revealing secrets from her past, journeying to the far-flung future and beginning a war unlike any we've seen before!
  • The Strange Talent of Luther Strode(by Justin Jordan and Tradd Moore) Luther Strode is just your average geek - until he sends for an exercise course from the back of an old comic book. What he gets is the instruction manual from a murder cult as old as mankind that does everything that it promised - and more! 
  • King City (by Brandon Graham) Joe is a catmaster, trained to use his cat as any tool or weapon. His best friend, Pete, falls in love with an alien he's forced to sell into green slavery, while his ex, Anna, watches her Xombie War veteran boyfriend turn into the drug he's addicted to. King City, an underbelly of a town run by spy gangs and dark dark magic with mystery down every alleyway.


  • Morning Glories (3 volumes available by Nick Spencer,  Joe Eisma and Rodin Esquejo)  Morning Glory Academy is one of the most prestigious prep schools in the country... but something sinister and deadly lurks behind its walls. When six gifted, but troubled, students arrive, they find themselves trapped and fighting for their lives as the secrets of the academy reveal themselves!
  • Chew(6 volumes available by John Layman and Rob Guillory)Tony Chu is a detective with a secret. A weird secret. Tony Chu is cibopathic, which means he gets psychic impressions from whatever he eats. It also means he's a hell of a detective - as long as he doesn't mind nibbling on the corpse of a murder victim to figure out whodunit and why. He's been brought on by the Special Crimes Division of the FDA, the most powerful law enforcement agency on the planet, to investigate their strangest, sickest and most bizarre cases.

Big John Buscema: Comics & Drawings


One of the greatest comic book artists, John Buscema (best known for The Avengers, Thor, The Fantastic Four, Silver Surfer, Conan the Barbarian and as the artist of How To Draw Comics The Marvel Way), is the subject of this amazing hardcover originally created for a foreign exhibition and reprinted in the United States for the first time.  Tons of Buscema's art is reproduced in various stages of execution and this is the must have book for any fan of comic art and/or Marvel Comics.


The Carter Family: Don’t Forget This Song


For music fans, this original graphic novel by Frank M. Young and David Lasky is a must have, chronicling the story of the first superstar group of country music, the Carter Family.  The story details the struggles on their road to success and serves as an incredibly detailed snapshot of the South.  The Carter family's influence on country music is unparalleled and their story is both heartbreaking and inspirational.  This must read also includes a bonus CD of original Carter Family music.


DC Comics
Batman: The Court of Owls by Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo might be the best comic to come out of the New 52 at DC, revealing a new mythology for The Dark Knight that has ties to both Bruce Wayne and Gotham City itself.


Also by Snyder is the first volume of the relaunched Swamp Thing with Yanick Paquette, which reestablishes the character in the DC Universe as well as featuring the return of his previously deceased alter-ego Alec Holland.  Writer Jeff Lemire and Travel Foreman flesh out Swamp Thing's sister title, Animal Man, which deals with Buddy Baker and his family as his daughter begins to manifest powers of her own.  And, like you've never seen her before, Wonder Woman by Brian Azzarello and Cliff Chiang reimagines the icon as they reveal the truth behind her origins, tying her deeper into the Greek god pantheon and establishing her as more Amazon badass than super hero.


Marvel Comics
Mark Waid, Paolo Rivera and Marcos Martin have already released three volumes of their rebooted Daredevil, the best Marvel title on the stands.  After two excellent, albeit darker runs by writers Brian Michael Bendis and Ed Brubaker, Waid's take on the character combines super-heroics with strong characterization and snappy writing.  It's refreshing to read the adventures of a hero who smiles, and Waid and Co. deliver the grins from cover to cover.


One of Marvel's other fantastic releases this year was their Season One line, which were retold origin stories aimed at a contemporary audience.  In particular, I enjoyed the X-Men and Doctor Strange, but Hulk: Season One by Fred Van Lente and Tom Fowler was pure gold.  Van Lente's sharp script combined various Hulk interpretations and created a new, reinvigorated take on the character and Fowler's energetic art reminded me of a strange mash up of Jack Kirby and Steve Ditko with Jack Davis and Mort Drucker.  If you are or have ever been a fan of the character, Van Lente and Fowler's take is among the best incarnations ever produced and worth a look.  I also want to mention Brian Michael Bendis' Ultimate ComicsSpider-Manseries.  For those unfamiliar, the Ultimate Comics line is a variant version of the traditional Marvel Universe, and in this one, Peter Parker died and a new Spider-Man, a young teen named Miles Morales has adopted the identity after gaining similar powers.  The series is phenomenal and there are already two collections available.  I do think, that a great sampling of the character can be found in Spider-Men, which teams Morales with the traditional Peter Parker versus a shared nemesis.  Written by Bendis and illustrated by Sara Pichelli this is a tremendously fun read.


Sandman SlipcaseEdition

New York Times best-selling author Neil Gaiman's transcendent series The Sandman is often hailed as the definitive Vertigo title and one of the finest achievements in graphic storytelling. Gaiman created an unforgettable tale of the forces that exist beyond life and death by weaving ancient mythology, folklore and fairy tales with his own distinct narrative vision. This set includes all ten volumes of the series, recolored in a slipcase.  Includes Preludes and Nocturnes, The Doll's House, Dream Country, Season of Mists, A Game of You, Fables and Reflections, Brief Lives, Worlds' End, The Kindly Ones and The Wake.


NBM Publishing
Taxes, The Tea Party, and Those Revolting Rebels: A HistoryinComics of the American Revolution by Stan Mack is a must read for every student of politics and government, elected official or registered voter.  It's a passionate, entertaining and revealing look at the people that founded our country and shows a number of parallels to our nation today.  


Also from NBM Publishing that's a can't miss is The Treasury of Victorian Murder Compendium, collecting three previous releases by the always amazing Rick Geary.  Included are Jack The Ripper, The Beast of Chicago and Fatal Bullet; a wonderfully morbid gift choice for the history buff or true crime lover on your list.


Titan Books


Titan Books has reprinted Archie Goodwin and Walt Simonson's New York Times best-selling adaptation of the film Alien from 1979 in two editions; one a standard reissue of the original book and the other a beautiful oversized edition shot from the original artwork.  Either would be appreciated by the sci-fi movie buff on your list.


Dark Horse Comics
Writer Steve Niles and artist Greg Ruth's Freaks of The Heartland reminds me a bit of John Steinbeck meets Stephen King.  Trevor's monstrous little brother lives in the barn behind the house. The boy's only six years old, but he towers over his older brother, and possesses incredible strength. For years, Trevor has looked after his baby brother, keeping him from the light, but now that's all about to change. His family's secret is about to be revealed, uncovering the horrible truth of the small midwestern town the boys have grown up in. Lushly painted, the story is a perfect recommendation for any fan of character based horror.


I also recommend another horror title from Dark Horse, the first volume of The Strainby David Lapham and Mike Huddleston adapting the novel by Guillermo del Toro and Chuck Hogan.  When a Boeing 777 lands at JFK International Airport and goes dark on the runway, the Centers for Disease Control, fearing a terrorist attack, calls in Dr. Ephraim Goodweather and his team of expert biological-threat first responders. Only an elderly pawnbroker from Spanish Harlem suspects a darker purpose behind the event - an ancient threat intent on covering mankind in darkness!  This fresh take on the genre makes vampirism a pandemics, resulting in a thrilling and and truly scary story.


Building Stories


As seen in the pages of The New Yorker, The New York Times and McSweeney’s Quarterly Concern, Building Stories collects a decade’s worth of work, with dozens of “never-before published” pages, and is truly a one of a kind reading experience.  This box set includes 14 items of varying formats, all stunningly illustrated and designed, but at times crushingly sad and dark as it explores the futility of life and failure of personal success.  A true celebration of the mundane.  An unparalleled accomplishment in design, Building Stories is a welcome addition to Ware's distinctive body of work.


IDW Publishing

Among my favorite offerings from IDW, is Archie's Sunday Finest by my favorite Archie artist Bob Montana.  This collection includes Sunday Archie comic strips from the late 1940s and early 1950s. Montana is approaching the peak of his creative juices in these pages, which feature classic Archie themes and characters including Archie, Jughead, Reggie, Mr. Weatherby, Miss Grundy and the sexiest Betty and Veronica ever drawn,  



Every little boy dreams about putting on a cape and soaring up, up, and away... but what if one day that dream were to come true? Eric was like every other eight-year-old boy, until a tragic accident changed his life forever. Based on the short story by Joe Hill and adapted by Jason Ciaramella, Zach Howard and Nelson Daniel, Joe Hill's The Cape explores the dark side of power, as the adult Eric - a confused and broken man - takes to the skies... and sets out to exact a terrible vengeance on everyone who ever disappointed him.

For the newest fans of the medium, you can't go wrong with Comic Book History of Comics by Fred Van Lente and Ryan Dunlavey.  The creative team behind the comic series Action Philosophers turn their irreverent-but-accurate eye to the inspiring, infuriating, and utterly insane story of comics, graphic novels, and manga.  Jack Kirby, R. Crumb, Harvey Kurtzman, Alan Moore, Stan Lee, Will Eisner, Fredric Wertham, Roy Lichtenstein, Art Spiegelman, Herge, Osamu Tezuka are just a few of the personalities covered in this entertaining and must have tome.


GoComics.com


Finally, for the comic strip fan, GoComics PRO membership, allowing subscribers to have an unlimited amount of new comic strips and panels e-mailed to them daily.  The membership costs $11.88 for an annual subscription, or 99 cents per month. At such an affordable price, this is a fantastic way to give to your friends and family a gift that lasts all year.


2012 Gift Guide: Books

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Books, glorious books.

We all know reading is fundamental, but these selections after the jump might be the perfect gift for yourself or someone on your list.

A Matter of Time: The Unauthorized Back to the Future Lexicon by Rich Handley

A Matter of Time: The Back to the Future Lexicon brings fans the entire franchise: every character, place and object ever featured in the BTTF mythos. This staggeringly complete encyclopedia, written by Rich Handley,  contains nearly 3,000 alphabetical entries detailing every character, scientific innovation, institution, location, vehicle, business and more, from every corner of the BTTF universe, an episode guide to the entire expanded universe, an image gallery and much more.

Bill the Boy Wonder: The Secret Co-Creator of Batman by Marc Tyler Nobleman and Ty Templeton

Every Batman story is marked with the words “Batman created by Bob Kane.” But that isn’t the whole truth. A struggling writer named Bill Finger was involved from the beginning. Bill helped invent Batman, from concept to costume to character. He dreamed up Batman’s haunting origins and his colorful nemeses. He named Gotham. Despite his brilliance, Bill worked in obscurity, his name never appearing on a Batman comic. It was only after his death that fans went to bat for Bill, calling for DC to acknowledge him as co-creator of Batman. Their fight for justice continues to this day.

Complete World Knowledge by John Hodgman

The Complete World Knowledge box set contains all three of humorist John Hodgman’s books of fake knowledge: The Areas of My Expertise, More Information Than You Require, and That Is All. Known for their absurdist sense of humour, bizarre running jokes and high degree of cohesion between volumes, absolutely deadpan writing style, and sheer breadth of subject matter, ranging from cheese to axolotls to aliens to hoboes to mole-men to celebrity status to zeppelins to lobsters to ancient and unspeakable ones.

Fairy Tales from the Brothers Grimm: A New English Version by Philip Pullman

Two centuries ago, Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm published the first volume of Children’s and Household Tales. Now Philip Pullman, one of the most accomplished authors of our time, makes us fall in love all over again with the immortal tales of the Brothers Grimm.  Pullman retells his fifty favorites and at the end of each tale he offers a brief personal commentary, opening a window on the sources of the tales, the various forms they've taken over the centuries and their everlasting appeal.  Suffused with romance and villainy, danger and wit, the Grimms' fairy tales have inspired Pullman's unique creative vision—and his beguiling retellings will draw you back into a world that has long cast a spell on the Western imagination.

Dr. Seuss: The Cat Behind the Hat: The Collector's Edition by Caroline M. Smith


This exquisitely produced collector’s edition holds four exclusive lithographs along with a cloth-covered edition of The Cat Behind the Hat, a beautifully illustrated book that redefines Dr. Seuss as an iconic American artist. Illustrator by day, surrealist by night, Dr. Seuss created a body of little-known work that he called his “Midnight Paintings.” For sixty years, this work allowed Geisel to expand his artistic boundaries outside the confines of commercial influences and deadlines. The book exuberantly juxtaposes Geisel’s “Midnight Paintings” with his best -loved children’s books. Though he fiercely protected his “Midnight Paintings” from criticism during his lifetime, his intention all along was for these works to be seen when he was gone. This comprehensive look at the art that he created over his lifetime, along with four frame-able prints, is an eye-opening peek behind the public persona into the real story of the man who was Dr. Seuss.

Underwater Dogs by Seth Casteel

From the water's surface, it's a simple exercise: a dog's leap, a splash, and then a wet head surfacing with a ball, triumphant.

But beneath the water is a chaotic ballet of bared teeth and bubbles, paddling paws, fur and ears billowing in the currents. From leaping lab to diving dachshund, the water is where a dog's distinct personality shines through; some lounge in the current, paddling slowly, but others arch their bodies to cut through the water with the focus and determination of a shark.

In more than eighty portraits by award-winning pet photographer and animal rights activist Seth Casteel capture new sides of our old friends with vibrant underwater photography that makes it impossible to look away. Each image bubbles with exuberance and life, a striking reminder that even in the most loveable and domesticated dog, there are more primal forces at work. In Underwater Dogs, Seth Casteel gives playful and energetic testament to the rough-and-tumble joy that our dogs bring into our lives.

Silhouettes from Popular Culture by Olly Moss

For his eagerly awaited first book, acclaimed artist Olly Moss has had the simple but brilliant idea of putting his own twist on the Victorian art of silhouette portraits. While this lovingly crafted volume might look as if it’s from the 1890s, its pages contain today’s favourite cult characters from movies, TV, comics and videogames. Can you recognise them all?

Inside HBO’s Game of Thrones: The Collector’s Edition Box Set + Exclusive Signed Book Plate by Bryan Cogman


This spectacular collector’s edition includes a lavishly illustrated book on the making of the show, two maps, plus an artist’s portfolio of never-before-seen storyboards, housed in a handsome gold-stamped case.  The book reveals how the best-selling fantasy series was translated into a show that has captivated millions. It includes hundreds of unpublished set photos, production and costume designs, plus family trees, a dissection of the Dothraki language, and histories of the realms. Interviews with actors and crew members, as well as a foreword by George R.R. Martin, make this an exclusive window into the show.  The portfolio shows how comic book artist Will Simpson singlehandedly storyboarded seasons one and two and features deleted scenes and alternate scenes. Storyboards are seldom made public, so this collection is as rare as it is fascinating. Completing the package are maps of Westeros and Essos, printed on archival, acid-free paper, and ready for framing. Also included is a bonus book plate signed by author Bryan Cogman.

My Ideal Bookshelf by Jane Mount and Thessaly La Force

The books that we choose to keep --let alone read-- can say a lot about who we are and how we see ourselves. In My Ideal Bookshelf, dozens of leading cultural figures share the books that matter to them most; books that define their dreams and ambitions and in many cases helped them find their way in the world. Contributors include Malcolm Gladwell, Thomas Keller, Michael Chabon, Alice Waters, James Patterson, Maira Kalman, Judd Apatow, Chuck Klosterman, Miranda July, Alex Ross, Nancy Pearl, David Chang, Patti Smith, Jennifer Egan, and Dave Eggers, among many others. With colorful and endearingly hand-rendered images of book spines by Jane Mount, and first-person commentary from all the contributors, this is a perfect gift for avid readers, writers, and all who have known the influence of a great book.

Naughty and Nice: The Good Girl Art of Bruce TimmBig Pocket Edition by Bruce Timm

For those who prefer a more compact format, Flesk is pleased to introduce the Naughty and Nice Big Pocket Edition. This stylish new presentation preserves the aspect ratio of the original Naughty and Nice in a volume made even more conducive to curling up with a good book. The new format also affords the Big Pocket Edition the luxury of a modest price, that it may find its way more readily into the hands of the discerning Everyman. In a radical departure from his previous work on animated films and comics featuring superheroes, Naughty and Nice: The Good Girl Art of Bruce Timm showcases hundreds of full-color, line and pencil images of partially clothed and nude women of almost every conceivable description and temperament. Be it a sophisticated city gal or a savage jungle queen, a hard-boiled dame or a quietly smoldering sorceress, Timm explores the female form with absolute creative freedom, and pure personal expression is the result. The artist has granted Flesk Publications unprecedented access to his archives to provide the best representation of his private works. These rarely seen images span the last 15 years and are showcased in a single collection for the first time.

My Life as a Mankiewicz: An Insider's Journey through Hollywood by Tom Mankiewicz and Robert Crane

The son of famed director and screenwriter Joseph L. Mankiewicz (All About Eve, Guys and Dolls, Cleopatra) and the nephew of Citizen Kane screenwriter Herman Mankiewicz, Tom Mankiewicz was genuine Hollywood royalty. He grew up in Beverly Hills and New York, spent summers on his dad's film sets, had his first drink with Humphrey Bogart, dined with Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton, went to the theater with Ava Gardner, and traveled the world writing for Brando, Sinatra, and Connery. Although his family connections led him to show business, Tom "Mank" Mankiewicz forged a career of his own, becoming a renowned screenwriter, director, and producer of acclaimed films and television shows. He wrote screenplays for three James Bond films -- Diamonds Are Forever, Live and Let Die, and The Man with the Golden Gun -- and made his directorial debut with the hit TV series Hart to HartMy Life as a Mankiewicz is a fascinating look at the life of an individual whose creativity and work ethic established him as a member of the Hollywood writing elite.

Mankiewicz details his journey through the inner world of the television and film industries, beginning with his first job as production assistant on The Comancheros starring John Wayne. My Life as a Mankiewicz illuminates his professional development as a writer and director, detailing his friendships and romantic relationships with some of Hollywood's biggest stars as well as his struggle with alcohol and drugs. With the assistance of Robert Crane, Mankiewicz tells a story of personal achievement and offers an insider's view of the glamorous world of Hollywood during the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s.

Billion Dollar Batman by Bruce Scivally

Since his creation in 1939, Batman has become one of the most popular characters in fiction. From his humble roots in dime comic books, he grew to become a serial hero, a frequent guest star on the Superman radio show, and then the star of his own explosively successful TV series, spawning a nationwide epidemic of Batmania. After Batman became a movie star, his thrilling exploits were no longer kid stuff-he was now a multinational conglomerate's biggest corporate asset. Billion Dollar Batman reveals the stories behind the story of one of the most lucrative and profitable media creations in history. Includes profiles of the people who guided Batman from Bright Knight to Dark Knight and revealing behind-the-scenes information about Batman serials, TV shows and films. Illustrated with photos of the actors who have brought Batman to life for seven decades.

Marvel Comics: The Untold Story by Sean Howe

An unvarnished, unauthorized, behind-the-scenes account of one of the most dominant pop cultural forces in contemporary America.

Operating out of a tiny office on Madison Avenue in the early 1960s, a struggling company called Marvel Comics presented a cast of brightly costumed characters distinguished by smart banter and compellingly human flaws. Spider-Man, the Fantastic Four, Captain America, the Incredible Hulk, the Avengers, Iron Man, Thor, the X-Men, Daredevil—these superheroes quickly won children's hearts and sparked the imaginations of pop artists, public intellectuals, and campus radicals. Over the course of a half century, Marvel's epic universe would become the most elaborate fictional narrative in history and serve as a modern American mythology for millions of readers.

Throughout this decades-long journey to becoming a multibillion-dollar enterprise, Marvel's identity has continually shifted, careening between scrappy underdog and corporate behemoth. As the company has weathered Wall Street machinations, Hollywood failures, and the collapse of the comic book market, its characters have been passed along among generations of editors, artists, and writers—also known as the celebrated Marvel "Bullpen." Entrusted to carry on tradition, Marvel's contributors—impoverished child prodigies, hallucinating peaceniks, and mercenary careerists among them—struggled with commercial mandates, a fickle audience, and, over matters of credit and control, one another.

For the first time, Marvel Comics reveals the outsized personalities behind the scenes, including Martin Goodman, the self-made publisher who forayed into comics after a get-rich-quick tip in 1939; Stan Lee, the energetic editor who would shepherd the company through thick and thin for decades; and Jack Kirby, the World War II veteran who'd co-created Captain America in 1940 and, twenty years later, developed with Lee the bulk of the company's marquee characters in a three-year frenzy of creativity that would be the grounds for future legal battles and endless debates.

Drawing on more than one hundred original interviews with Marvel insiders then and now, Marvel Comics is a story of fertile imaginations, lifelong friendships, action-packed fistfights, reformed criminals, unlikely alliances, and third-act betrayals—a narrative of one of the most extraordinary, beloved, and beleaguered pop cultural entities in America's history.

American Noir: 11 Classic Crime Novels of the 1930s, 40s, & 50s (Library of America) edited by Robert Polito

The eleven novels in The Library of America's adventurous two-volume collection represent a rich vein of modern American writing too often neglected in mainstream literary histories. Tapping deep roots in the American literary imagination, they explore themes of crime, guilt, deception, obsessive passion, murder, and the disintegrating psyche.

Included in this collection are the books The Postman Always Rings Twice by James M. Cain, They Shoot Horses, Don't They? by Horace McCoy, Thieves Like Us by Edward Anderson, The Big Clock by Kenneth Fearing, Nightmare Alley by William Lindsay Gresham, I Married a Dead Man by Cornell Woolrich, The Killer Inside Me by Jim Thompson, The Talented Mr. Ripley by Patricia Highsmith, Pick-Up by Charles Willeford, Down There by David Goodis and  The Real Cool Killers by Chester Himes.

Lou Scheimer: Creating the Filmation Generation by Lou Scheimer and Andy Mangels

Hailed as one of the fathers of Saturday morning television, Lou Scheimer was the co-founder of Filmation Studios, which for over 25 years provided animated excitement for TV and film. Always at the forefront, Scheimer s company created the first DC cartoons with Superman, Batman, and Aquaman, ruled the song charts with The Archies, kept Trekkie hope alive with the Emmy-winning Star Trek: The Animated Series, taught morals with Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids, and swung into high adventure with Tarzan, The Lone Ranger, and Zorro. Forays into live-action included Shazam! and The Secrets of Isis, plus ground-breaking special effects work on Jason of Star Command and others. And in the 1980s, Filmation single-handedly caused the syndication explosion with He-Man and the Masters of the Universe and its successors. Now, with best-selling co-author Andy Mangels, Lou Scheimer tells the entire story, including how his father decked Adolf Hitler, memories of the comic books of the Golden Age, schooling with Andy Warhol, and what it meant to lead the last all-American animation company through nearly thirty years of innovation and fun! Profusely illustrated with photos, model sheets, storyboards, presentation art, looks at rare and unproduced series, and more plus hundreds of tales about Filmation s past, and rare Filmation-related art by Bruce Timm, Adam Hughes, Alex Ross, Phil Jimenez, Frank Cho, Gene Ha, and Mike McKone this book shows the Filmation Generation the story behind the stories!

Star Wars: The Ultimate Action Figure Collection: 35 Years of Characters by Stephen Sansweet 

Here at last is the complete and definitive collection of the more than 2,500 Star Wars® action figures produced over the last 35 years. Fans and collectors can finally trace the evolution of each character in toy form from the time of their first appearance through the designs of today, with pages of amazing and inventive variations crafted to tell the stories of Luke Skywalker, Darth Maul, and literally hundreds more. Compiled by Stephen J. Sansweet, owner of the world's largest private collection of Star Wars memorabilia, the book also showcases and details the rare, popular, forgotten, and beloved figures coveted by fans the world over, drawing figures from the feature film, video game, and cartoon realms of the vast Star Wars universe.

The Art and Making of The Dark Knight Trilogy by Jody Duncan Jesser and Janine Pourroy 

In 2005, director Christopher Nolan redefined the Batman legend with Batman Begins, starring Christian Bale as the Caped Crusader. A fresh, dynamic reboot of the franchise, Batman Begins explored the comic book hero’s origins and his evolution from billionaire Bruce Wayne to dark avenger who fights crime and corruption in Gotham City. A 2008 sequel, The Dark Knight, took those compelling, character-driven foundations and raised the stakes, pitting Batman against a deranged master criminal, the Joker, in an all-out war for Gotham’s soul. Now, the final film of Nolan’s trilogy, The Dark Knight Rises, is 2012’s most anticipated film release.

The Art and Making of The Dark Knight Trilogy tells the complete behind-the-scenes story of these three monumental films. Based on in-depth interviews with Nolan and all of the films’ key cast and crew—including cowriters David S. Goyer and Jonathan Nolan, cinematographer Wally Pfister, and more—the book reveals the creative process behind the epic Dark Knight Trilogy, supported by lavish art and never-before-seen photography.

The Art and Making of Peanuts Animation: Celebrating Fifty Years of Television Specials by Charles Solomon

For the first time, this deluxe visual history treats Peanuts fans to an in-depth look at the art and making of the beloved animated Peanuts specials. From 1965's original classic A Charlie Brown Christmas through the 2011 release of Happiness is a Warm Blanket, animation historian Charles Solomon goes behind the scenes of all 45 films, exploring the process of bringing a much-loved comic strip to life. The book showcases the creative development through the years with gorgeous, never-before-seen concept art, and weaves a rich history based on dozens of interviews with former Peanuts directors, animators, voice talent, and layout artists, as well as current industry folk. Filling a void in animation publishing—there is no other history or art book of the Peanuts specials—this volume celebrates five decades of the artistry and humor of Charles M. Schultz and the artists who reimagined the comic for the screen.

American Science Fiction: Nine Classic Novels of the 1950s edited by Gary K. Wolfe

Modern science fiction came of age in the 1950s, and it was in America that the genre broke most exuberantly free from convention. Moving beyond the pulp magazines, science fiction writers stretched their imaginations at novel length, ushering in an era of stylistic experiment and freewheeling speculation that responded in wildly inventive ways to the challenges and perplexities of an era of global threat and rapid technological change. Long unnoticed or dismissed by the literary establishment, these “outsider” novels are now recognized as American classics.

Included are the following novels: The Space Merchants by Frederik Pohl and C. M. Kornbluth, More Than Human by Theodore Sturgeon, The Long Tomorrow by Leigh Brackett,  The Shrinking Man by Richard Matheson, Double Star by Robert A. Heinlein, The Stars My Destination by Alfred Bester,  A Case of Conscience by James Blish, Who? by Algis Budrys and The Big Time by Fritz Leiber.

The Dark Knight Trilogy: The Complete Screenplays with Storyboards by Christopher Nolan, Jonathan Nolan and David S. Goyer

Over 60 pages of storyboards Symposium featuring the three screenwriters Christopher Nolan, Jonathan Nolan and David S. Goyer discuss the evolution of Batman and the creation of the films Includes the imminent Dark Knight Rises starring Christian Bale, Michael Caine, Gary Oldman, Anne Hathaway, Tom Hardy, Marion Cotillard, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, and Morgan Freeman, among others.

Steampunk: An Illustrated History of Fantastical Fiction, Fanciful Film and Other Victorian Visions by Brian J. Robb 

Steampunk is the hottest science fiction counterculture, alive in fantasy novels, films, arts and crafts, fashion, comic books, music, computer games, even architecture. Enter a world of Victorian technology, where steam power meets space travel. From Jules Verne and H. G. Wells to Alan Moore, Hayao Miyazaki, and Philip Pullman, the genre has captured imaginations around the globe. Here’s the first grand, illustrated history of the counterculture movement in a book fittingly stylish in its design, package, and artwork. From the fastest dirigible and steam-powered ray guns to fashionistas Lady Gaga and Alexander McQueen, the whole story of the gaslight romance is here.


The Geek Handbook: Practical Skills and Advice for the Likeable Modern Geek by Alex Langley 

Although it may not be good for their skin, geeks these days are enjoying a moment in the sun. It's true, Geeks have inherited the Earth-ready or not. Taking lessons from such classic geeks as Bill Gates, Steve Jobs and Sheldon Cooper, author Alex Langley provides useful-and awesomely funny-advice every geek needs. This humor handbook helps full-fledged geeks, geeks-in-training and even non-geeks go through daily life with geeky flair, as well as celebrating all things geek. It covers the basics all geeks should know to live life to its fullest, including essential gadgets to waste money on, famous role models to emulate, overcoming social anxieties, essential movies to see and books to read, making friends, and dating. And who knows, you might even get laid. * Over the past few years, a seismic shift has taken place in our culture and what was once hopelessly geeky-video games, superheroes, fantasy novels, science fiction-has now become cool, and geeks themselves are inheriting the Earth.


The Fairest One of All: The Making of Walt Disney's Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs by J.B. Kaufman

Walt Disney’s Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs was first shown to a theatrical audience in December 1937 and brought overwhelming, joyous applause from a house full of hardened film-industry professionals. In subsequent months it would open around the world, happily acclaimed by audiences and critics everywhere as one of the best films of the year, if not the decade.

From today’s perspective, its stature is even greater—named as one of the best movies of all time by the American Film Institute, and still beloved by children and adults around the world, Snow White can be seen as the flowering of an all-too-brief Golden Age of animation as well as a fascinating document of its time.

Such a level of artistic achievement doesn’t happen by accident. Walt Disney and a staff of exceptionally talented artists labored over Snow White for four years, endlessly working and reworking their scenes to achieve an ever higher standard. The result, as we know, was magnificent and game-changing for the Disney Studios and, indeed, for the art of animation itself.

This book is the first to reconstruct that process in exacting detail, with the loving attention it deserves from an internationally noted film scholar. Author J.B. Kaufman spent years researching the film’s history, interviewing participants, and studying the marvelous archival art that appears in these pages. The result is a work that can be appreciated equally as a piece of film history and as a collectable art book, a joy for anyone who loves film, animation, and the magical world that Walt Disney created.

James Bond: 50 Years of Movie Posters 

Packaged with two exclusive prints!

Coinciding with the fiftieth anniversary of the Bond movie franchise as well as the release of the new Bond film, Skyfall, featuring Daniel Craig, James Bond: 50 Years of Movie Posters is sure to be a must-have for every Bond fan.

From 1962's Dr. No to 2012's Skyfall, this lavish film-by-film guide, written by Bond Production Designer Dennis Gassner, boasts the most impressive visual collection of James Bond movie posters to date. Featuring a gallery of rare and sought-after posters, as well as spectacular unused concept artwork, and unique teasers and lobby cards from virtually every country where Bond movies have screened, this is a gorgeous collection of the images that have defined cinema's most famous superspy.

The Art of Rise of the Guardians by Ramin Zahed

In Rise of the Guardians, North (Alec Baldwin), Bunnymund (Hugh Jackman), Tooth (Isla Fisher), and Sandman try to recruit the mysterious Jack Frost (Chris Pine) to help them stop Pitch (Jude Law) from putting an end to childhood belief and sending the world into eternal darkness.

Rise of the Guardians is one of DreamWorks Animation’s most ambitious films to date, allowing families to get to know the icons of childhood in a whole new way. Its mythic premise provided the artists at the studio with an opportunity to let their imaginations soar, producing a truly unique take on the imaginary figures of childhood and the innocence and joy they represent. The Art of Rise of the Guardians is a fascinating look at the ways these artists and craftspeople collaborated to create a stunning CG movie in 3D that will change the way we look at childhood.

Raiders!: The Story of the Greatest Fan Film Ever Made by Alan Eisenstock 

In 1982, in Ocean Springs, Mississippi, Chris Strompolos, eleven, asked Eric Zala, twelve, a question: “Would you like to help me do a remake Raiders of the Lost Ark?  I’m playing Indiana Jones.”

And they did it.  Every shot, every line of dialogue, every stunt.

They borrowed and collected costumes, convinced neighborhood kids to wear grass skirts and play natives, cast a fifteen-year-old as Indy’s love interest, rounded up seven thousand snakes (sort of), built the Ark, the Idol, the huge boulder, found a desert in Mississippi, and melted the bad guys’ faces off.

It took seven years.

Along the way, Chris had his first kiss (on camera), they nearly burned down the house and incinerated Eric, lived through parents getting divorced and remarried, and watched their friendship disintegrate.

Alan Eisenstock's Raiders! is the incredible true story of Eric Zala and Chris Strompolos, how they realized their impossible dream of remaking Raiders of the Lost Ark, and how their friendship survived all challenges, from the building of a six-foot round fiberglass boulder to the devastation of Hurricane Katrina.

Imagination Illustrated: The Jim Henson Journal by Karen Falk 

Jim Henson's iconic puppet characters, fantastic worlds, and warm humor have delighted millions of people of all ages. His incredibly diverse body of work, from the Muppets to the world of The Dark Crystal, reveals his charm and genius to fans old and new. Compiled directly from The Jim Henson Company archives, Imagination Illustrated adapts the diary that Jim faithfully kept throughout his career, supplementing it with a trove of little-seen visual material, including rare sketches, personal and production photographs, storyboards, doodles, and much more. Throughout, archivist Karen Falk delves into the behind-the-scenes details of Henson's life and artistic process. Sure to delight anyone who has enjoyed Henson's creations—seeing early drawings of Kermit and Rowlf is like smiling over childhood photos of dear friends—this lovely book celebrates Jim's life and his magic.

The Law of Superheroes by James Daily and Ryan Davidson

 An intriguing and entertaining look at how America’s legal system would work using the world of comic books.
The dynamic duo behind the popular website LawAndTheMultiverse.com breaks down even the most advanced legal concepts for every self-proclaimed nerd.

James Daily and Ryan Davidson—attorneys by day and comic enthusiasts all of the time—have clearly found their vocation, exploring the hypothetical legal ramifications of comic book tropes, characters, and powers down to the most deliciously trivial detail.

The Law of Superheroes asks and answers crucial speculative questions about everything from constitutional law and criminal procedure to taxation, intellectual property, and torts.

Engaging, accessible, and teaching readers about the law through fun hypotheticals, The Law of Superheroes is a must-have for legal experts, comic nerds, and anyone who will ever be called upon to practice law in the comic multiverse.

Poster Art of the Disney Parks by Daniel Handke and Vanessa Hunt

Anyone who has ever walked through the gates at a Disney Park knows that there is a magical experience waiting to be had on the other side. All of the telltale signs are there: the sound of joyful music pipes across the promenade; the smells of popcorn and cookies waft through the air; and the colorful attraction posters depict all the wonderful rides and shows created for Guests by the Imagineers. Poster Art of the Disney Parks is a tribute to those posters, which begin telling the story of each attraction even before Guests have entered the queue area.

Disney attraction posters have been an important means of communication since Disneyland began displaying them in 1956. Not only are they eye-catching pieces of artwork that adorn the Parks with flair and style, they are also displayed to build excitement and disseminate information about the newest additions to the Disney landscape. When the first attraction posters made their debut at Disneyland, one such piece of art proclaimed that Guests could have a “true-life adventure” on the Jungle Cruise. And in 2012 at Disney California Adventure, a poster announced the grand opening of Cars Land—the newest thrill-filled destination at the Disneyland Resort. Both of those posters are reproduced within this book, along with posters from every decade in between.

As evidenced by the evolution of the attraction posters, art styles and design techniques have certainly changed over the years. These characteristics also differ from continent to continent. Posters from Tokyo Disneyland, Disneyland Paris, and Hong Kong Disneyland exhibit the nuances in presentation that give each Park’s pantheon of posters its signature look. But while artistic interpretations and color palettes may vary from Park to Park and from year to year, the spirit of Disney storytelling is a constant that ties them all together.

The Steampunk Gazette by Major Thaddeus Tinker

This handsomely produced, color-illustrated volume tells the story of Steampunk, which started in the 1980s as a pop culture movement inspired by the early science fiction that came out of the Victorian era. It soon developed into an international lifestyle movement, having its own distinctive art, fashion, home decor, music, and social events. The Steampunk Gazette chronicles the origins and development of this subculture, using an illustrated newspaper-style design that reflects Steampunk's retro aesthetic.

The Steampunk Gazette will delight anyone who is interested in learning more about the origins--and current expression--of this vital and burgeoning arts movement. Color illustrations on most pages--approximately 500 in total.

Punk: An Aesthetic by Jon Savage, William Gibson, Linder Sterling and Johan Kugelberg

From posters for punk-rock bands and indie filmmakers to fanzines and other independent publications, the art of the punk movement revolutionized design in ways whose influence is still felt today, and reflected the consciousness of a counterculture with a clarity seldom seen since.

Drawing on private and public archives of rare material from around the world, this heavily illustrated book presents an unrivaled collection of punk art and ephemera that incorporates every aspect of the movement, from the earliest occurrences of punk symbolism in posters and flyers for underground bands to the explosion of fanzines and Xerox culture, and from rare photographs of musicians such as the Sex Pistols and the Screamers to the artwork of Crass, Jamie Reid, John Holmstrom, and the contemporary street artist Banksy.

With more than three hundred images and accompanying essays by Johan Kugelberg, Jon Savage, and William Gibson, this definitive visual narrative illustrates how the DIY ethic of the punk era inspired a movement in graphic arts and design whose influence is still felt among the most significant figures in the fields today. 

Fallen Superheroes by Scott Allen Perry, Adam Mock and Eric Curtis 

Using superheroes as the allegory, this colorful photo narrative explores the not-so-glamorous and sometimes dark realities of those who strive to live their dreams against all odds. The creators of Mime Very Own Book have reunited to pair trademark imagery with witty snippets to create a hilarious visual smorgasbord of real people and their quest to see themselves as more than they really are. From fast food to the simple pleasures of gardening, this lighthearted spoof reveals the superhero in all.

The Unofficial LEGO Builder's Guide by Allan Bedford

What exactly is a slope? What's the difference between a tile and a plate? Why is it bad to simply stack bricks in columns to make a wall? The Unofficial LEGO Builder's Guide is here to answer your questions.

Focusing on building actual models with real bricks, The Unofficial LEGO Builder's Guide comes with complete instructions to build several cool models but also encourages you to use your imagination to create your own fantastic creations.

The Unofficial LEGO Builder's Guide also includes the Brickopedia, a visual guide to nearly 300 of the most useful and reusable elements of the LEGO system, with historical notes, common uses, part numbers, and the year each piece first appeared in a LEGO set.

A Mary Blair Treasury of Golden Books

Fans of illustrator Mary Blair will cherish this never-before-published treasury of her Golden Books, which includes material that hasn't been in print in decades. I Can Fly is here in its unabridged glory, as are Baby's House, The Up and Down Book, and The Golden Book of Little Verses. Many of the finest pages from The New Golden Song Book are included, to round out this gorgeous collection. All of the original artwork has been digitally reproduced, and has never looked more breathtaking!

Academy Award-winning animator John Canemaker—author of The Art and Flair of Mary Blair—wrote the foreword for this highly anticipated book honoring one of the most beloved illustrators of our time.

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs: The Art and Creation of Walt Disney's Classic Animated Film by J.B. Kaufman

In 1933, Walt Disney was a rising star in the world of animation, just beginning to become a household name. Ambitious new ideas emerged from the Disney studio on a regular basis, and the film world waited eagerly to see what the creative young filmmaker would do next. The answer surprised them all: a full-length animated feature film, based on the traditional tale Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.

The production took three years and the talents of many of Hollywood’s top artists . . . and, of course, created one of the best-loved classics of all time. This book, based on a ground-breaking exhibition of both familiar and never-before-seen art from the Walt Disney Animation Research Library, walks the reader scene by scene through the movie, accompanying the art with behind-the-scenes stories about the film’s production.

The book features over 200 pieces of art, many reproduced from original concept sketches, background paintings, and production cels, as well as alternate character concepts, deleted scenes, and step-by-step process shots.

The Great Showdowns by Scott Campbell

Since the beginning of time, there has been struggle. The epic clash of being against being. Han vs the green fellow. Chief Brody vs the very large shark. John McClane vs broken glass, and many, many more...

Scott Campbell’s acclaimed Great Showdowns series, showing strangely good-natured confrontations between his favorite movie characters, finally gets the book collection fans have been demanding!

Whether it’s Ripley vs the Alien Queen or Spinal Tap vs an undersized model of Stonehenge, these memorable moments of melee deserve to be celebrated. Behold, The Great Showdowns.

Mars Attacks by The Topps Company

In celebration of the 50th anniversary of Mars Attacks, this comprehensive book is the first-ever compilation of the infamous science-fiction trading card series produced by Topps in 1962. Edgy, subversive, and darkly comedic, this over-the-top series depicting a Martian invasion of Earth has a loyal following and continues to win new generations of fans. For the first time, this book brings together high-quality reproductions of the entire original series, as well as the hard-to-find sequel from 1994, rare and never-before-seen sketches, concept art, and test market materials. Also included are an introduction by series co-creator Len Brown and an afterword by Zina Saunders, daughter of the original artist, providing an insider’s behind-the-scenes view of the bizarre and compelling world of Mars Attacks.

Includes four Mars Attacks trading cards.

Includes preliminary sketches and artwork, including a facsimile of the original trading card mechanical on the inside back cover, with reproduction of the 1962 handwriting from the original Topps production department.

The Dark Knight Manual: Tools, Weapons, Vehicles and Documents from the Batcave by Brandon T. Snider

In 2005, filmmaker Christopher Nolan redefined Batman for a new generation with Batman Begins, followed in 2008 by The Dark Knight, and now 2012’s conclusion to the trilogy, The Dark Knight Rises. Here, for the first time, is an in-world exploration of Christopher Nolan's Batman: The Dark Knight Manual, the definitive guide to his tools, vehicles, and technologies.

Following the destruction of Wayne Manor, Bruce Wayne began to assemble key sketches, diagrams, observations, and other top-secret documents germane to becoming Batman; he then entrusted this manual to his faithful butler, Alfred. Every defining moment is detailed here, charting Wayne's collaborations with Lucius Fox at Wayne Enterprises on the latest cutting-edge technology.

This package features a distressed vintage cover design and includes removable documents, including the design and capability of the famed utility belt, the hi-tech functions of Batman’s cowl, and every detail of his amazing arsenal of weapons and gadgets, The Dark Knight Manual reveals how Bruce Wayne operates as Gotham's greatest protector.

The LEGO Adventure Book, Vol. 1: Cars, Castles, Dinosaurs & More! by Megan H. Rothrock

Unleash your imagination as you journey through the wide-ranging world of LEGO building with The LEGO Adventure Book. This inspiring tour is filled with bright visuals, step-by-step breakdowns of 25 models, and nearly 200 example models from the world's best builders. Learn to build robots, trains, medieval villages, spaceships, airplanes, and much more. Whether you're brand-new to LEGO or have been building for years, this book is sure to spark your imagination and motivate you to keep creating!

Hong Konged: One Modern American Family's (Mis)adventures in the Gateway to China by Paul Hanstedt 

In this alternately hilarious and heartrending memoir, acclaimed writer and editor Paul Hanstedt recounts the true story of his family's recent sojourn to Hong Kong. Hanstedt and his wife and three children--aged 9, 6, and 3--lived in Hong Kong for a year, a year beset by culture clash, vicious bullies, hospital visits, M&Ms, and the worst traffic jam you've ever seen.

Through the eyes of the earnest if sometimes clueless Hanstedt family, you'll discover a world you've never known before. But in the end, Hong Konged is about place and family and what it is that makes us human--no matter who we are or where we live.

The Art of Wreck-It Ralph by Maggie Malone and Jennifer Lee 

In Wreck-It Ralph, Disney's expert team of concept, visual development and story artists explore the hidden world of video games from classic 8-bit arcade games to the most modern and inventive offerings of the digital age. At the center of this hilarious and wildly original video-game-hopping adventure is Wreck-It Ralph, an arcade game bad guy who breaks all the rules when he sets off on a mission to prove he can be good. The Art of Wreck-It Ralph captures the fresh artistic vision of the film and the aesthetic journey of the filmmakers through interviews with the film's many artists, including a foreword by director Rich Moore and a preface by John Lasseter. Illustrated with character sketches, storyboards, visual development paintings, colorscripts, and more, this behind-the-scenes look at Disney's latest 3-D animated epic is a treat for video game and animation lovers alike.

Playing at the World by Jon Peterson

Explore the conceptual origins of wargames and role-playing games in this unprecedented history of simulating the real and the impossible. From a vast survey of primary sources ranging from eighteenth-century strategists to modern hobbyists, Playing at the World distills the story of how gamers first decided fictional battles with boards and dice, and how they moved from simulating wars to simulating people. The invention of role-playing games serves as a touchstone for exploring the ways that the literary concept of character, the lure of fantastic adventure and the principles of gaming combined into the signature cultural innovation of the late twentieth century.

Planet Taco: A Global History of Mexican Food by Jeffrey M. Pilcher

As late as the 1960s, tacos were virtually unknown outside Mexico and the American Southwest. Within fifty years the United States had shipped taco shells everywhere from Alaska to Australia, Morocco to Mongolia. But how did this tasty hand-held food--and Mexican food more broadly--become so ubiquitous?

In Planet Taco, Jeffrey Pilcher traces the historical origins and evolution of Mexico's national cuisine, explores its incarnation as a Mexican American fast-food, shows how surfers became global pioneers of Mexican food, and how Corona beer conquered the world. Pilcher is particularly enlightening on what the history of Mexican food reveals about the uneasy relationship between globalization and authenticity. The burritos and taco shells that many people think of as Mexican were actually created in the United States. But Pilcher argues that the contemporary struggle between globalization and national sovereignty to determine the authenticity of Mexican food goes back hundreds of years. During the nineteenth century, Mexicans searching for a national cuisine were torn between nostalgic "Creole" Hispanic dishes of the past and French haute cuisine, the global food of the day. Indigenous foods were scorned as unfit for civilized tables. Only when Mexican American dishes were appropriated by the fast food industry and carried around the world did Mexican elites rediscover the foods of the ancient Maya and Aztecs and embrace the indigenous roots of their national cuisine.

From a taco cart in Hermosillo, Mexico to the "Chili Queens" of San Antonio and tamale vendors in L.A., Jeffrey Pilcher follows this highly adaptable cuisine, paying special attention to the people too often overlooked in the battle to define authentic Mexican food: Indigenous Mexicans and Mexican Americans.appropriated by the fast food industry and carried around the world did Mexican elites rediscover the foods of the ancient Maya and Aztecs and embrace the indigenous roots of their national cuisine.

From a taco cart in Hermosillo, Mexico to the "Chili Queens" of San Antonio and tamale vendors in L.A., Jeffrey Pilcher follows this highly adaptable cuisine, paying special attention to the people too often overlooked in the battle to define authentic Mexican food: Indigenous Mexicans and Mexican Americans.

If you ran into Stephen Tobolowsky on the street, you would not be mistaken: Yes, you’ve seen him before. A childhood dentist? A former geometry teacher? Your local florist? Tobolowsky is a character actor, one of the most prolific screen and stage presences of our time, having appeared in productions that range from Deadwood to Glee, from Mississippi Burning to Groundhog Day. But Stephen Tobolowsky, it turns out, is not just an actor; he is also a dazzlingly talented storyteller and writer. He has earned a devoted base of fans for his original stories, told in front of live audiences as well as in a popular podcast. Now, for the first time, he has assembled those stories here. The result is creative mitzvah, a work of art, and a narrative feat that combines biography and essay, ranging in tone from the hilarious to the introspective.

To read these pages is to enter an astonishing world that, like all art, is universal yet individual, familiar yet disquieting. A dangerous world, indeed.

When We Were Free to Be: Looking Back at a Children's Classic and the Difference It Made Edited by Lori Rotskoff and Laura L. Lovett

If you grew up in the era of mood rings and lava lamps, you probably remember Free to Be . . . You and Me--the groundbreaking children's record, book, and television special that debuted in 1972. Conceived by actress and producer Marlo Thomas and promoted by Ms. magazine, it captured the spirit of the growing women's movement and inspired girls and boys to challenge stereotypes, value cooperation, and respect diversity. In this lively collection marking the fortieth anniversary of Free to Be . . . You and Me, thirty-two contributors explore the creation and legacy of this popular children's classic.

Featuring a prologue by Marlo Thomas, When We Were Free to Be offers an unprecedented insiders' view by the original creators, as well as accounts by activists and educators who changed the landscape of childhood in schools, homes, toy stores, and libraries nationwide. Essays document the rise of non-sexist children's culture during the 1970s and address how Free to Be still speaks to families today.


In the second decade of the twenty-first century, the movies, once America’s primary popular art form, have become an endangered species. Do the Movies Have a Future? is a rousing and witty call to arms. In these sharp and engaging essays and reviews, New Yorker movie critic David Denby weighs in on “conglomerate aesthetics,” as embodied in the frenzied, weightless action spectacles that dominate the world’s attention, and “platform agnosticism,” the notion that movies can be watched on smaller and smaller screens: laptops, tablets, even phones.

At the same time, Denby reaffirms that movies are our national theater, and in this exhilarating book he celebrates such central big movies as Avatar and The Social Network as well as small but resonant triumphs like There Will Be Blood and The Tree of Life. Denby joyously celebrates what remains of the shared culture in romantic comedy, high school movies, and chick flicks; he assesses the expressive triumphs and failures of auteurs Quentin Tarantino, the Coen brothers, Pedro Almodóvar, and David Fincher. Refusing nostalgia, he mines the past for strength, examining the changing nature of stardom and the careers of Joan Crawford, Otto Preminger, and Victor Fleming, and the continuing self-invention of Clint Eastwood. And he recreates the excitement of reading two critics who embodied the film culture of their times, James Agee and Pauline Kael.

Wry, passionate, and incisive, Do the Movies Have a Future? is both a feast of good writing and a challenge to fight back. It is an essential guide for movie lovers looking for ammunition and hope.


This is the first book to combine an authoritative history of the Star Trek franchise—including all six television series and eleven feature films—with anecdotes about the show from those who helped shape it from the outside in: the fans. Star Trek expert Robert Greenberger covers everything from show creator Gene Roddenberry’s initial plans for a series combining science-fiction and Western elements, the premiere of the original series in 1966, its cancellation, the franchise’s return in an animated series, and its subsequent history on television and film, up to expectations for the 2013 J.J. Abrams film. Along the way, Greenberger analyzes Star Trek’s unique cultural impact and tremendous cult following, including the famous (and first ever) save-the-show mail campaign. But this isn't a sugarcoated history; this book chronicles the missteps as well as the achievements of Roddenberry and others behind the franchise.

Approximately two dozen sidebars provide personal experiences of dedicated Trekkies who influenced or became a part of the franchise. Star Trek fandom is unparalleled in the effects it has had on the franchise itself. The book is illustrated with a large collection of photographs of memorabilia, many of which have never been seen before in print.


The Biographical Dictionary of Popular Music is an incredible and opinionated collection of celebrated cultural critic Dylan Jones’s thoughts on more than 350 of the most important artists around the world—alive and dead, big and small, at length and in brief. This A to Z reference is the true musical heir to David Thomson’s seminal The New Biographical Dictionary of Popular Film. Jones writes entertainingly about bands that have inspired, bedeviled, and fascinated him over the years.




"Instant photography at the push of a button!" During the 1960s and '70s, Polaroid was the coolest technology company on earth. Like Apple, it was an innovation machine that cranked out one must-have product after another. Led by its own visionary genius founder, Edwin Land, Polaroid grew from a 1937 garage start-up into a billion-dollar pop-culture phenomenon. Instant tells the remarkable tale of Land's one-of-a-kind invention-from Polaroid's first instant camera to hit the market in 1948, to its meteoric rise in popularity and adoption by artists such as Ansel Adams, Andy Warhol, and Chuck Close, to the company's dramatic decline into bankruptcy in the late '90s and its unlikely resurrection in the digital age. Instant is both an inspiring tale of American ingenuity and a cautionary business tale about the perils of companies that lose their creative edge.

There’s a new movement afoot—a whole generation of makers and tech-savvy innovators who excel at making wild and fascinating projects using electronics and found materials. In The Book of Hacks, you get a collection of these amazing ideas from the DIY masters at Popular Science magazine—from a theremin you can make for under $15 to a motorized skateboard, from an epic potato gun to a Roomba that waters your plants. It’s never been a better time to be a geek. Four comprehensive chapters help readers create megafun games and toys for the amusement of all; trick out their home with improvised gadgets; upgrade basic electronics and tools like a pro; and build wild and zany vehicles.

Tears in Rain by Rosa Montero

Death is inevitable. Especially when you have an expiration date.

As a replicant, or “techno-human,” Detective Bruna Husky knows two things: humans bioengineered her to perform dangerous, undesirable tasks; and she has just ten years on the United States of Earth before her body automatically self-destructs. But with “anti-techno” rage on the rise and a rash of premature deaths striking her fellow replicants, she may have even less time than she originally thought.

Investigating the mysterious deaths, Bruna delves into the fractious, violent history shared by humans and replicants, and struggles to engage the society that fails to understand her—yet created her. The deeper she gets, the deadlier her work becomes as she uncovers a vast, terrifying conspiracy bent on changing the very course of the world. But even as the darkness of her reality closes in, Bruna clings fiercely to life.

Leaping Tall Buildings: The Origins of American Comics by Christopher Irving and Seth Kushner

Some are mild mannered geeks, others mad geniuses or street-smart city dwellers driven to action. These are the men and women behind the masks and tights of America’s most beloved superheroes. But these aren’t the stories of the heroes’ hidden alter egos or secret identities…these are the stories of their creators! Leaping Tall Buildings: The Origins of American Comics gives you the truth about the history of the American comic book—straight from the revolutionary artists and writers behind them.

From the founders of the popular comics website Graphic NYC—writer Christopher Irving and photographer Seth Kushner—comes the firsthand accounts of the comic book’s story, from its birth in the late 1930s to its current renaissance on movie screens and digital readers everywhere. Kushner’s evocative photography captures the subjects that Irving profiles in a hard-hitting narrative style derived from personal interviews with the legends of the art, all of which is accompanied by examples of their work in the form of original art, sketches, and final panels and covers.

Leaping Tall Buildings, like comics themselves, uses both words and images to tell the true story of the comic’s birth and evolution in America. It is a comprehensive look at the medium unlike any other ever compiled covering high and low art, mass market work and niche innovations. It is the story of an art form and an insider’s look at the creative process of the artists who bring our heroes to life.

Krampus: The Yule Lord by Brom

One Christmas Eve in a small hollow in Boone County, West Virginia, struggling songwriter Jesse Walker witnesses a strange spectacle: seven devilish figures chasing a man in a red suit toward a sleigh and eight reindeer. When the reindeer leap skyward taking the sleigh, devil men, and Santa into the clouds, screams follow. Moments later, a large sack plummets earthward, a magical sack that will thrust the down-on-his luck singer into the clutches of the terrifying Yule Lord, Krampus. But the lines between good and evil become blurred as Jesse's new master reveals many dark secrets about the cherry-cheeked Santa Claus, and how half a millennium ago, the jolly old saint imprisoned Krampus and usurped his magic.

Now Santa's time is running short, for the Yule Lord is determined to have his retribution and reclaim Yuletide. If Jesse can survive this ancient feud, he might have the chance to redeem himself to his family, to save his own broken dreams...and help bring the magic of Yule to the impoverished folk of Boone County.

The Best of Punk Magazine by John Holmstrom


The very best of Punk—the legendary magazine that defined an era—finds new life in this stunning anthology, featuring original articles along with behind-the-scenes commentary and the backstory on each issue as told by editor-in-chief John Holmstrom. Punk was the Bible of the urban counterculture movement. It not only gave punk music its name, but influenced the East Village art scene and steered the punk aesthetic and attitude. The Best of Punk Magazine includes high-quality reprints of hard-to-find original issues, as well as rare and unseen photos, essays, interviews, and even handwritten contributions from the likes of Andy Warhol, Lou Reed, Debbie Harry, the Ramones, the Sex Pistols, Lester Bangs, Legs McNeil, Lenny Kaye, and many more. For collectors, lifelong punks, and those just discovering what punk is all about, this is the chance see the history of the movement come back to life.


A paleoartist is an illustrator who specialises in the science and art of reconstructing ancient animals and their world.

In Dinosaur Art, ten of the top contemporary paleoartists reveal a selection of their work and exclusively discuss their working methods and distinct styles.

Filled with breathtaking artwork - some never before seen - and cutting edge paleontology, this is a treasure trove for dinosaur enthusiasts, art lovers and budding illustrators.


Celebrating the 15th anniversary of Joss Whedon’s Buffy the Vampire Slayer TV series, this lavishly produced book is the first authorized, fully illustrated retrospective of the hit show. Offering in-depth commentary on the making of the series, the book explores the characters and mythology of the Buffy universe and follows the evolution of all seven seasons. Die-hard Whedon fans will also find insider information on his involvement in other projects, including Angel, Firefly, and more. Housed in a foil-stamped slipcase, this volume features more than 120 images, including rare behind-the-scenes photos, sketches, props and memorabilia from the Twentieth Century Fox archives, along with stills from the most pivotal on-screen moments. Tucked in the inside cover of the case is an envelope holding “Slayer Lore: Texts and Magicks for the Battle.” These 13 removable pieces are replicas of the ancient spells and prophecies the characters used on-screen to defeat vampires, demons, and other monsters, making this the ultimate treasure-trove for every Buffy fan. 


EARTH 2717: THE 3RD GOLDEN AGE

Building a better tomorrow today…

The planet we call home slowly dies beneath us.

Most humans now live in teeming surface “Terrarium Cities,” off world colonies or orbiting space stations. All of earth’s resources have been depleted.

All corporations, nations and technologies have merged into THE CONGLOMERATE, whose Enforcer Battalions now conquer whole planets to feed its shareholders’ insatiable appetites.
THE CONGLOMERATE,  which began with the spirit of the best mankind had to offer, saved humanity from itself by taking us to the stars and has become the most ruthless profit machine to ever exist.

Never use a robot when a human will do…

Dishonorably discharged from the Conglomerate’s elite Enforcer Corps, Jon is doing a job too lowly for a robot. He leaps at the chance to go on a peaceful, first contact mission to an untainted world. Playing armed babysitter to Samantha, the daughter of a powerful Conglomerate executive, shouldn’t be too hard.

What could go wrong?

Everything…

For Jon, it’s a relief to get away – on an easy assignment protecting a couple of do-gooders visiting a peaceful new planet. For Samantha, it’s a mission to change the world. For Jasson, it’s a chance to put his theories to the test.

Being marooned on Anomaly where technology doesn’t work, the terrain is lethal and the creatures even more so, Jon quickly learns he’s not the man he once was. Dark secrets surround the various species that call this world home. Jon’s actions here have the potential to ripple across the void of space, and touch everything in it… Maybe even the Conglomerate…

But when Anomaly sprouts synthetics-eating viruses, flesh-eating mutants and deadly magic, it becomes a race against which form of death will come first. Who will survive? Who will return?
Join us on an adventure that reclaims our humanity and saves a world!

Bonus: includes Anomaly UAR that integrates the print and virtual experience like never before.


Celebrating one hundred years of Tarzan, Titan Books presents the only official commemorative illustrated history of this worldwide phenomenon. To celebrate the Lord of the Jungle's 100th birthday, internationally-acclaimed Edgar Rice Burroughs expert Scott Tracy Griffin presents the ultimate review of a century of Tarzan. Lavishly illustrated and with fascinating insight into every element of Burroughs' extraordinary legacy - from his first writings to the latest stage musical - this is a visual treasure trove of classic comic strip, cover art, movie stills, and rare ephemera.

From the first publication of the smash hit Tarzan of the Apes, Burroughs' ape man captured the hearts and the imaginations of adults and children across the globe, whether by written word, moving image, comic strip or radio. Each of the 24 original novels and the many varied appearances on stage, screen and in print receive a detailed commentary, illustrated with some of the most evocative and beautiful artworks, illustrations and photographs, many rarely seen in print before.

With features on Korak, Jane, Tantor and Cheetah, plus their innumerable friends, foes and exotic adventures, this is an amazing collection of all things Tarzan and a vital addition to any Tarzan-lover's library.


Hollywood is under attack from videogames. Movies defined the 20th century but games are now pushing them aside as the medium that captures our time, fascination and money. Generation Xbox digs into the love-hate relationship between games and cinema that has led us to this point. It's a story of disaster, triumph and Angelia Jolie in hot pants. Learn how Steven Spielberg's game-making dreams fell apart and why Silicon Valley pioneers wooed Stanley Kubrick. Discover the story behind the failed Halo movie, how videogame tech paved the way for Avatar, and what companies like Ubisoft and Valve are doing to take gaming to the next level. Based on more than 100 interviews with leading figures from videogames and Hollywood, Generation Xbox is the definitive history of an epic power struggle that has reshaped the entertainment landscape. Are you ready to play?


2012 Gift Guide: Food & Drink

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Nesquick Chocolate Fountain


Why should only the top 1% have the freedom of dipping their faces into a chocolate fountain whenever they want, while the rest of us 99 %-ers suffer from the depression caused by not having our very own mechanical device that spews warm chocolate onto our pasty bodies?

Well, damn the man, I’m going to get my own fountain and fill it with affordable Nesquick chocolate syrup and then re-enact the gluttonous Roman Empire in my own living room.

Ha!

That’ll show ‘em.


Pure Black Cold Brew Bottled Coffee


Forget about Starbucks people, when you want real COFFEE from a bottle, get something that actually tastes good and has the strength of Superman to keep you going between those Mindsweeper battles at work (you know, when you are supposed to be accomplishing something).

This stuff is steeped for 16 hours in a stainless steel wine cask and pressed and filtered twice so that it makes your heart race with happiness the moment it touches your lips. Pour it over ice and enjoy your caffeine the way it’s supposed to taste…like frakking coffee.


Sriracha Popcorn


Hot, buttery popcorn is for wimps. Real popcorn lovers want their kernels covered in Hot Rooster sauce that can sterilize them from ever having children.

Yeah, we’re talking hot.

But tasty.


Lee Kum Kee® Sriracha Chili Sauce


I’ve been in a Sriracha mood lately and for $ .11 a packet, I can freely pursue my latest obsession by ordering several pounds of them without breaking the bank (lucky me!)

Since they are small like ketchup packets, I can slip a bunch in my purse and never have to worry about where my next sriracha fix will come from. I can simply pull one out and slop some “OH-FRAKKING-GOD-THAT-IS-HOT” on whatever I’m eating and feel sated for about five minutes.

We are living in delicious times my friends.


Judge Wapner’s Cream Soda


“I Sentence You to Drink My Soda!”

Celebrate the best judge that ever graced the small screen by tasting some of his cream…wait, that didn’t come out right…

Made from pure cane sugar and a solid punch of justice, this cream soda will fill your belly with righteous satisfaction and tiny vanilla bubbles.

Yummy.


Tabasco Spicy Chocolate


Dark chocolate deliciously tainted with a hint of Tabasco sauce?

Sign me up.

If you like spice, chocolate and reusable tins that you can then fill with prescription drugs, then I think we have found you a gift that will satisfy you on all levels.

Did I mention it was chocolate?


Bacon Gravy


Ever wish that there was a way to make a bowl of liquid meat without having to shove a pork butt into a blender? Well thank your lucky stars, ‘cause the universe has finally made bacon gravy a reality!

Just break open a pouch of J and D’s Bacon Gravy granules, add some hot water and in a few minutes you got yourself a bag full of delicious bacon gravy that you can drink straight or pour over some food that is in desperate need of bacon flavoring.

Yes, it really is that easy for your dreams to come true.


Biofuel Caffeinated Popcorn


You know what would be a really fun practical joke to pull on your family during the holidays?

Opening up a bag of Biofuel Caffeinated Popcorn (which contains the same amount of caffeine as two cups of coffee in each bag) for all your little nieces and nephews to munch on as they watch Madagascar 3 for the fifth time in a row, then walking out of the house, leaving the rest of the family to deal with the aftermath.

Hilarious.


Bacon Jelly


This is what we who love bacon would call “The Most Perfect Concoction Ever Created in a Jar”. A jelly that combines the great taste of bacon, onion, garlic, honey, maple syrup, coffee, and spices that you can then spread on whatever bread item your heart desires (I’m thinking cinnamon rolls).

Why the hell would you ever need to put anything else in your face hole ever again?


Candwich Canned PB and J Sandwich


With the possibility of a Zombie Apocalypse lurking around the corner, this might be a good time to start loading up your basement with canned goods. But there’s no need to limit your selection to just Beans and Weenies when the Candwich Canned PB&J Sandwich is on the market and comes with a shelf life of one year.

Sure it may sound gross at first, but all the ingredients for the sandwich are packaged separately (and there’s even a treat in there as well!) so it isn’t going to be soggy and besides, what are you complaining about? You’re living in a basement with a bucket for a toilet and no place to run to.

At least you get to eat a PB&J sandwich before being hollowed out and worn as a coat by one of your infected neighbors.

Sheesh.


Chocolate Space Invader Bar


At a loss as to what to get that gamer this holiday season? Then perhaps a combination of chocolate and a trip down memory lane might be just the ticket.

This Space Invader-style chocolate bar is handcrafted with 66% dark chocolate and comes in two different packaged sets.

Set 1: 3 50 gram chocolate invaders, an invader mini-poster, an invader sticker and an invader postcard.

Set 2: 2 50 gram chocolate invaders, a limited edition engraved wood box, a mini poster, a sticker and a postcard.

And each set is priced at $20 and under…yes, it’s cheap and awesome.

You can thank me by sending one of these my way.


2012 Gift Guide: Kid Stuff

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Babies come out of the womb completely empty in the head and, as a parent; it is your responsibility to fill up that noggin with stuff that is important to its well-being…like Star Trek stuff.

So get that DNA replicate of yours started as soon as possible on all things Trek by covering its body with a light up Star Trek bib and shoving food into its maw with an Enterprise spoon so it learns just how important Kirk, Picard, Sisko and Archer were in pop culture history (and yes, I’m leaving out any mention of Voyager, as should you).

And besides, shouldn’t the first words out of Junior’s mouth be “Make it so”?




Robots are scary, but baby robots are freaking adorable and seeing how this particular rolling robot has enough room inside it for stuff like junk food, comic books, and stuffed animals, it is well worth allowing it into your home for your children to enjoy, even though your first instinct would be to kill it with fire.

Still not convinced that allowing a robot to spend time with your family would be a good thing? 

The Luggo rolling robot can also be worn as a backpack, which will come in handy when our robot overlords decide to destroy the earth and begin executing humans…once they spot you or your children giving a piggy-back ride to a baby robot, they might decide to spare your life and keep you as a pet.  

A fine investment I would say.




Introduce your children to the Cthulhu mythos with this beautifully illustrated picture book (by Ian Thomas and Adam Bolton) that tells the tale of a young boy who wants to take his Shoggoth out for a walk, only to find out that it’s missing.
What transpires is a very sweet adventure through a mansion and its grounds, filled with various creatures and demi-gods, all to find his friend.
And while some parents might be a bit freaked to give their child a picture book with subject matter a little more hardcore than say, Are You My Mother? Just remember, it’s a perfect introduction to the Old Ones to whom your future teen Goth will be praying to out of spite.


Kids love to pretend to be someone else so why not indulge their delusion by giving them various identities to practice with this holiday (it’ll come in handy when they grow up to be a con artist). 
Each kit comes with a registration form, a troubleshoot guide, FAQs, and signature practicing sheet (plus some extras) and only cost $7.99 a piece (which means you can afford to invest in more than one identity!).
Let the lies and deceit begin!

My desire to breed is normally ‘nil, but since spying this awesome inflatable kids version of the Star Trek Captain’s chair, I’ve been reconsidering. I mean, how cute would it be to dress up my offspring in a little Trek onesie and set them up in this blow-up chair while forcing them to watch STNG against its will?
Frakking cute I’d say.
Let the procreation begin!

Engage!

Forget about traditional board books that attempt to limit the vocabulary of toddlers to things like B is for Ball…totally boring. What you want to get for a young ‘un starting out in the world is an ABC book that teaches “REAL” words like Z is for Zombie or J is for Joystick- you know, words that they will actually need to know.
I mean, how helpful is it going to be if your child starts mumbling A is for Apple when some malfunctioning android is skulking up behind you (the book covers Android, thank god). 

Who cares about a damn apple…I NEED TO KNOW IF ASH FROM ALIEN IS GOING TO KILL ME.



Comic artist and writer Jeffrey Brown has managed to create an alternate Star Wars universe that will satisfy all hardcore fans of the original trilogy while still appealing to young kids who may not understand why their parents are bat shit insane over it.
Beautifully done and super-sweet, I cannot stress how amazing this little book is for people of all ages.





Comic books have always been an excellent gateway into reading, and when it comes to smart, imaginative and engaging, you don't have to go much further than Carl Barks.  Barks known as "The Good Duck Artist," wrote and illustrated Donald Duck and Uncle Scrooge comics from the forties through the sixties and remain some of the best comics ever produced.  Now, Fantagraphics is reissuing Barks' work in a series of must own hardcover volumes.

What better way to introduce your own Huey, Dewey or Louie to comics?



Tales From Lovecraft Middle School #1- Professor Gargoyle 


Middle School is a horrible time in every person's life, but in this book, the horrors deal not with being bullied by your peers, but realizing that your new state-of-the-art school just might be a portal to a different world. Add to that  a two-headed rat,  a secret attic above the library that no one seems to know anything about, and a teacher that may or may not be a monster, and you have the makings of a coming-of-age story that dives deep into RL Stine territory...in a good way.

Perfect for any kid who has no interest in sparkly vampires or moody werewolves.


Waga's Big Scare


When I was a little girl I was never interested in dolls or playing house, instead I played games like Ghost (put a sheet on your head and scare your little brother) or Knife Butcher (same concept only chasing him down with a plastic butter knife). So a story about a monster named Waga who lost his scare and is trying to get it back would be high on my reading list back then (of course, I was kinda weird and, according to my mother, most likely possessed, so keep that in mind if you happen to be looking for a kid's book about a scary monster).

Now, don't let the subject matter fool you. This is a story of perseverance and being true to yourself, which are two very important attributes that all children should learn about at a young age. And, seeing that the main character is a monster, it will more than likely keep the kindergarten-3rd grade reading group engaged in the moral of the story rather than boring them to death like those stupid Serendipity books I was given back in the day.

So yay monsters!

I'm all about educating young people.


The Adventure Collection: Gulliver's Travels, White Fang, The Jungle Book, The Adventures of Robin Hood, Treasure Island


Children need to read as much literature as possible in order to undo all the damage that "Must See TV" has done to them.  And starting with a collection of classic adventure stories should begin to help them refocus their brain and appreciate the "internal TV" that occurs when one reads a great book.

Now, I know that handing a tween a book that doesn't have One Direction on the cover can be a challenge, so might I suggest telling them that their favorite band member reminds you of some of the lead characters in the books (this might help them get into it) and reading the stories with them.

And, if that doesn't work, tell them that these are required reading in high school so they might as well start reading them now.


Star Wars Origami


Winter is coming (and I'm not talking about The Game of Thrones) which means that the kiddos are going to be stuck inside all day...with you, which means that you should probably engage them in something other than all-day video game marathons before their brains atrophy from a lack of use.

And wouldn't you know it, someone (author Chris Alexander) has married your love of Star Wars with an activity that will keep your kids occupied for hours. 

Oh, Happy Day!

The Star Wars Origami book comes not only with instructions on how to fold and make 36 different characters and ships, it also comes with special Star Wars paper that, when folded correctly, will make said constructions look exactly like they should (although, for practice purposes I would have the little shavers start out with regular paper first).

I tell you, once those little bastards get a taste of folding paper into tangible things, they are going to want to do it every day...which is great since Winter lasts frakking forever.


The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore



Writer/illustrator William Joyce is one of the most amazing artists in picture book literature and if you have any doubt as to why you should have a special shelf in your kid's bedroom dedicated to him, then pick up a copy of The Fantastic Flying Books of Morris Lessmore (the inspiration for his Academy Award winning short film) and find out why.

This is a book about the magic of stories (regardless of the form, be they books, e-books or apps) and why it is important to surround yourself with them.

Magical, beautiful and down-right inspirational

Get it now!


2012 Gift Guide: Stuff From FOG! Writers & Friends

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One of the factors that makes FOG! so rewarding is working with so many great and talented people.

Here's some recommendations of products released this year by present and past Forces of Geek contributors.

Hello Sadness

From the Welsh-based band Los Campesinos! (bass player is FOG! columnist Ellen Waddell) is their latest album, Hello Sadness.  Check them out playing their song "By Your Hand" on The Late Show with David Letterman.




Zombies: A Record of the Year of Infection


Former FOG! columnist Don Roff's book Zombies: A Record of the Year of Infection has a brand new audio edition.
The year is 2011, and what starts as a pervasive and inexplicable illness ends up as a zombie infestation that devastates the world's population. Taking the form of a biologist's illustrated journal found in the aftermath of the attack, this pulse–pounding, suspenseful tale of zombie apocalypse follows the narrator as he flees from city to countryside and heads north to Canada, where he hopes the undead will be slowed by the colder climate. Encountering scattered humans and scores of the infected along the way, he fills his audio recorder with descriptions and careful observations of zombie behavior, along with terrifying tales of survival. This "translation" of the popular graphic novel to audio, complete with "killer" sound effects, will keep fans on the edge of their seats right up to the very end.

Terminal Island


Occasional FOG! contributor Walter Greatshell's newest novel, Terminal Island, is now available from Night Shade Books.
As a child, Henry Cadmus lived on Catalina Island, a scenic vacationland off the Southern California coast. But Henry's experiences were far from idyllic. Today, even though Henry has seen firsthand the horrors of war, the ghastly images that haunt his dreams are ones he associates with his childhood... and the island: a snarling pig-man holding a cleaver; a jackal-headed woman on a high balcony, dripping blood; strange occult rituals... and worse. If it was up to Henry, he would avoid the island entirely.

But Henry is returning to Catalina Island. At his wife Ruby's insistence, Henry, Ruby, and their infant daughter are coming to Avalon, so that Henry can face his fears, exorcise his demons, and reconcile with the one he dreads most... his mother.

100 Years of Vicissitude


Andrez Bergen's second genre-splitting novel, 100 Years of Vicissitude, that I was honored enough to read early and call, "a unique, memorable story - indescribable, exhilarating."
"First up, a disclaimer. I suspect I am a dead man. I have meagre proof, no framed- up certification, nothing to toss in a court of law as evidence of a rapid departure from the mortal coil. I recall a gun was involved, pressed up against my skull, and a loud explosion followed."

Thus begins our narrator in a purgatorial tour through twentieth-century Japanese history, with a ghostly geisha who has seen it all as a guide and a corrupt millionaire as her reluctant companion.

Thrown into the milieu are saké, B-29s, Lewis Carroll, Sir Thomas Malory, Melbourne, 'The Wizard of Oz', and a dirigible - along with the allusion that Red Riding Hood might just be involved.

Out of the Future and Into the Woods


Former FOG! Editor Kyle Jackson's second album, is currently available via 75orlessrecords.
Six Star General guitarist Kyle Jackson crashes through the stratosphere and lands in deep spacetronic on his second solo release under the moniker '15er'. Let "Out of the Future and Into the Woods" be the soundtrack to the Sci-Fi film that's always lived in your head... this is music to make movies to. Featuring appearances by Jodie Treloar and Stan Sobczak. Recommended if you like: M83, Daft Punk, Tangerine Dream, and radical soundtracks.

The Freak Table


Former FOG! columnist Gavin Hignight's first book, The Freak Table, is available now.
Every generation has its misfits. The Freak Table transports us to the starched suburbs of late-80s Denver where skateboarding's a crime and listening to underground rock is akin to devil worship. Author Gavin Hignight's adolescent narrator trades the safety of conformity for the post-punk music scene, choosing to suffer the consequences that come with being yourself. The Freak Table is a story for anyone who has ever felt alienated, hated or misunderstood. It's the adventure of the kids who didn't fit in, the tale of how they banded together to fight a battle called high school. Their trials hint at a larger rebellion at hand, a call for individuality that reverberated across the nation.

Challenger Comics


Our own master of the pompadour, former columnist Ryan Ferrier, has gone off and started his own comic imprint, Challenger Comics.

There are several titles currently available including Tiger Lawyer and Orc Girl, and all of them well worth your time and money.


Claws & Saucers


An amazing book by contributor David E. Goldweber.
The fullest, strongest, most complete guide to classic science fiction, horror, and fantasy films ever written, Claws & Saucers describes and critiques 1500+ films: virtually EVERY sci-fi, horror, and fantasy film made from 1902-1982, including dozens of thrillers, exploitation films, psychedelic films, and adventure films. Claws & Saucers offers accurate facts, clear consistent writing, and honest opinions from someone who respects both his subject matter and his readers.

Allison Krumwiede's Prints, Silkscreened Shirts, Zines, Paintings and More!


Occasional contributor and amazing artist, Allison Krumwiede offers a plethora of amazing pop culture art and must haves!  Be sure to also check out her site, www.allisonkrumwiede.com!



Reckless Chants #18


The latest zine from columnist Jessie Lynn features stories about her misspent life (stick and poke tattoos! love affairs! booze!), an essay about punk, some images from her imaginary punk rock tarot deck, and more. $3-5, sliding scale.

Here's what Lily Pepper of Ravenswing Zines has to say about it:
Full of scrappy writing about being tuff and witchy and finding beauty in grimy places, this zine reminded me of the Francesca Lia Block books I loved as a kid.
To read some excerpts, and order it, visit http://rustbeltjessie.tumblr.com/zines



2012 Gift Guide: Video Games, Toys & Games

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Ah, the Seventies…when a television show could have an episode about a robot-parts super dude fighting Bigfoot on network TV and get huge ratings…those were the days.

But why limit yourself to just memories when you can re-enact all the awesome slo-mo fighting techniques of Steve Austin with this amazing action figure set featuring Bigfoot in all his hairy glory.
It’s like the Gods of cheese TV smiled down upon you and presented you with the greatest gift ever!
Let’s hope that next year some will release a Chuck Norris/Grizzly Bear set so your life will be complete.




Remember when we would put a mix tape in our Teddy Ruxpin doll back in the day and laugh and laugh when he would mouth the words to Cum on Feel the Noise by Quiet Riot?

Well, this talking plush Ted bear is very similar, only he says F*ck a lot and quotes various lines from the movie Ted.

I’m not sure if it’s totally appropriate for kids but they have to learn cuss words from someone right?



You gotta hand it to Monopoly, they essentially sell the same game over and over again to nerds like me by releasing it in limited edition Geek-centric sets so that we buy it like addicts (I should know, I have various monopoly games featuring Star Wars, Mario Bros, Futurama and The Simpsons).

And this version is no different.  The 50th Anniversary Doctor Who set features all 11 doctors,  spans the entire Who universe (including 22 iconic episodes) and includes 6 games pieces that are likely to start a fight between Who fans (Dammit, I want to be the frakking bow-tie bitch!).

Well worth it if you are unable to resist the temptation to buy stuff with Doctor Who on it.





There are times in everyone’s life when they have to call into work and play some Pac-Man, and thanks to this sweet little plug n’ play shaped like the iconic yellow muncher, you can.

Just plug it straight into your set (with the included AV cables) and get ready to play all the Pac-Man your little heart desires.

Sweeter still, the pre-programmed game console comes withDig Dug and Galaga (as well as multiple Pac-Man versions and other games) so that you can re-live your youth to the fullest.

Just remember, you’re going to have to go back to work sometime so make your game play count.




Oh my God! Toby’s Dead!

Someone at Dunder Mifflin killed Toby and it’s up to the employees to figure out who killed him, with what and where (I’m guessing Dwight did it with the “World’s Best Boss” coffee mug in the Break Room) in this bizarre and hilarious version of Clue.

And yes, I know that the show has lost some of its pizazz since Michael’s departure, but this game harkens back to its heyday and features weapons and situations straight out of the first 7 seasons.
If you love(d) The Office, you’re gonna enjoy the game…besides, Toby’s dead and I’m sure that makes Michael awfully happy.



I love Portal and Portal 2 with a depth of passion that I usually reserve for beer, so you’ll have to excuse me if I get a little weepy over the fact that I can own my very own Portal device replica.

The only thing that would make this even more amazing is if it actually worked… (sigh)…although, it does include various game sound effects to make it “almost” real so I guess that’ll do.

I can’t think of any gift that would satisfy my or any other fan’s soul more than this “toy” right here.

YOU HEAR THAT MOM?

Limited to just 5000.




If you are dreaming of the day when you can turn your extra room into the ultimate gamer’s fantasy but don’t have the cash necessary for a complete overhaul, try slapping up a Pong wall decal for now and see how awesome the room looks.

These sweet-ass re-stick ‘em graphics are large enough to make a big visual impact on any room (and since they aren’t permanent, they’re perfect for rentals) without making the room seem obnoxious and loud (which can happen if you simply hang up game posters).

So go ahead and put together your game room.

People will think you’re pretty stylin’.




I know that there’s a bunch of Arcade docking stations that are out and about, but the iCade Junior is special, it only fits the iPhone or iTouch (unlike the others which are made for the iPad) so it is very reminiscent of those desktop arcade games from the early-to-mid 80s that were miniaturized versions of Pac-Man, Donkey Kong, et cetera.

And, if you are old enough to remember how awesome those little mini arcade games were, then you’ll understand why someone my age would covet this sweet piece of technology.

So grab this sucker and download the Atari Greatest Hits app and start wasting hours…just like you did at the local pizza joint back when acid-wash jeans were cool.




Master Chief returns to do battle with an ancient evil and confront his destiny…by far the most exciting of all the Halo games and sets the stage for a new era of Halo storytelling...which will probably time-suck your life away for about a month.




Go back in time to America circa 1775 and experience the epic battle for our freedom at the battlefields of Concord and Lexington, the cities of Boston and New York or the snowy landscape of the Appalachian wilderness. 

Makes you wish that your 10th grade American History class was this engaging.




If you didn’t grab up the Wii U on launch day, you should probably start hoping that it will end up in a pile of gifts with your name on it because this is one amazing system.

And yes, the hand-held tablet is large but to be honest with you, it’s not unwieldy once you get the hang of it and, when playing with others, it gives you a new perspective on the game play that the others (with the wii remotes) do not have access to, making the experience more intense.

And with the plethora of games released for it (Zombie U, New Super Mario Bros, Batman: Arkham City, Armored Edition, Nintendoland, etc.) you are going to have plenty of ways to enjoy it.

FYI: One of the best reasons to buy the console is that you can play certain games even when someone else is using the TV.  As long as the system is on and the game is in, you can play it on the handheld tablet just like a giant DS.

No more sharing!

Sweet.


2012 Gift Guide: Original Art & Prints

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Film Map


At first glance, this looks like a regular old street map, but upon closer inspection you will notice that the map is not made up of your typical highways, streets and parks but instead of film titles…over 900 of them in fact.

Why there’s Jurassic Park bordered by Arlington Road and, over on the east side, Thunder Road turns into Sunset Boulevard at the crossroads of Wuthering Heights and Mean Streets.
And look! The Cloverfieldneighborhood has lake front property at the Reservoir Dogs…I’ve always wanted a cabin there.

A great gift for any film buff who has secretly harbored a fantasy of living on Nightmare on Elm Street.




If you love you some Holmes, this exquisite print celebrating Sherlock’s classic line from the flick, The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes will certainly add a bit of mystery to your abode (not to mention it can be used as a fancy eye chart during dinner parties to gage how drunk your guests are getting).
Simple, sweet and stylish.

Just like the good detective himself.




Fred Flintstone is one bad Motherfu….(shut your mouth)…I’m just talking about Fred, sheesh.

In this wonderful homage by Josh Latta to Robert Kirkman’s zombirific tale of a group of survivors battling the undead and each other, Fred and Barney take on a group of their own decaying fossils in a heroic fashion, which may or may not end with them getting ripped apart.

I’m pretty sure the Great Gazoo had something to do with this…




So, Nolan’s Batman trilogy is over and now you have nothing to live for.

Can I, perhaps, help you make it through another day by showing you a collection of minimalist Batman prints that you can hang in your home?

See how each print contains the one iconic image associated with a particular film within the trilogy and how that image is delightfully rendered in black and white (and one with a little splash of red) to make it even more powerful.

Batman doesn’t have to be over my friend…It can always live within you…and on your walls.




Deep, philosophical questions can  plague the mind with a level of complexity that has been known to…..oh, who the hell cares about that when you can own a collection of awesome mind-fraking movie prints from The Matrix, Memento andInception all done in a beautifully minimalist style.

I mean, if you want to get all deep and meaningful we can talk about why you never seem to pick up the check when we go out to eat or how I always seem to be the only one who has to make decisions in this relationship…no? 

You want to talk about the ending to Inception again?

Good call.




I’m always on the lookout for kid-friendly art work for friends and family members who have birthed themselves some young ‘uns that isn’t sickly sweet or downright horrific.

And this super-awesome Panda Girl Scout print from Stephanie Buscema fits that to a tee.

Vintage-styled in muted colors and adorable enough to be kept hung on the wall for years to come, this delightful ode to chick-power (girl scouts taught me a thing or two about feminism) will be a definite keepsake for any lucky tyke who gets it.

Come to think of it, I kinda want it.




In season one (episode 18), Captain James T. Kirk battles the Lizard King Gorn (okay, it was a really a pissed off reptile captain who was ticked that Kirk brought a bunch of crazy savage hostility to his solar system) but it was the show that I remember the most from the Original Star Trek and the one where Shatner made a freaking cannon out of bamboo and diamonds (the cannon was later debunked on Mythbusters…am I getting too nerdy for you?).

Anyway, this supremely geeky print pays tribute to that fierce battle and is done in a classic style that will look mighty fine on your wall (without it making you look like too huge of a dork).

Although, having Star Trek art work does kinda scream HUGE NERD…oh well, it’s still pretty damn cool.





You know, I’m not going to get super deep about this particular print because art, like Star Wars, is something that has to affect you on a visceral level. And for some reason a hand-printed Darth Vader carrying a big red spoon on a vintage dictionary page just does it for me.

It probably means that I have some kind of mental disorder or something but hell, I dig it.

And, if you find it oddly soothing like I do, then perhaps I’ll see you in the common room at the mental hospital soon.





When you think of Wolverine, you think of “claws” so why not get a beautifully illustrated set of them to hang on your wall at home.

Personally, I would choose to bookend these prints between a shelf holding various “Wolverine” figures, comics and movies just to make the point that he’s simply the best damn thing to ever come out of the comic universe.

But that might be destroying the artistic integrity of their quiet simplicity, so perhaps just hang them up and leave them alone.




Oh Godzilla, why so angry all the time?

You just stamp, stomp and smoosh all those innocent Japanese civilians without any thought at all.
Do you need a big hug?

It’s gonna be okay, I promise.

(Actual dialog said to my nephew when he was pretending to be Godzilla once…has nothing to do with this really snazzy Godzilla silhouette poster but I thought it was a lovely tribute to the internal life of a cranky lizard…by the way, this is probably my favorite Godzilla print ever.)




Bill Murray is a God and therefore should have his likeness placed upon a wall where candles are lit in his honor every Friday evening at sundown (like Sabbath).

Then you could have a big dinner with a lot of sweet wine followed by an evening of watching Bill Murray movies.  This painting by Rich Pellegrino would hang just above the television.

Now that’s a religion I could get behind.




Celebrate the rebirth of a television classic with this “There’s a Little Tobias in All of Us” Silhouette poster featuring the entire cast of Arrested Development (it’ll take you a minute to see them all).

Beautifully designed and perfect for anyone who dumped a load in their pants after hearing that they were making new episodes…which includes me.


John Waters has managed to create a career out of pushing boundaries through both his cinematic and artistic work for close to 40 years, and for that I adore him.

Which is why this sublimely elegant portrait of the Master of Filth by photographer Seth Kushner is worth owning if you happen to be in love with the man (who was once quoted as saying of his eclectic tastes “…I love Bergman and I Dismember Momma”) and his outstanding dedication to making sickeningly fun films

Limited to just 20, this is a real must have for any true fan.




Looking for an original art piece that best represents a classic sense of nerdiness?

Then look no further than Sandy MacDonald’s hauntingly stark Lone Robot oil painting that marries the iconic childhood toy with a desperate feeling of isolation (kind of like adulthood).

Reminds one of both eating in a bathroom stall in Junior High in order to avoid a beating and how your former significant other forced you to give up all your neato toys for the sake of being a responsible adult…or maybe, that’s just my life…whatever.


If the Sex Pistols had a Saturday morning cartoon back in the 70s would I have grown-up any different? This is one of those questions that will keep you at night.

The other question is: “How many of these prints can I buy before my credit goes bad?”

Luckily, they only cost $10 so I have a ways to go before I need to start worrying.




Two STAR TREK INTO DARKNESS Teaser Trailers Beams Down!

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After the jump check out the first teaser from Star Trek Into Darkness which arrives in theaters on May 17th, 2013, as well as the Japanese teaser, which features a little bit more footage.

Both of them have more lots of explosions.

Read more »

Comic News: IDW Launches TRANSFORMERSst Collections To Hurt Your Wallet

CHLOE + ZOE: A Snark-Filled Web-Series About Making Life Plans and Then Breaking Them Out of Boredom

SHOWRUNNERS: A Documentary Film That's All About The Creator/Producers Behind the Shows You Love

Smallville: Random, Awesome and WTF?! - S9E10: Disciple

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Ollie may have first learned how to use a bow on a deserted island, but he didn’t learn everything on his own and like any good teacher, his old mentor is back to test him once more…by trying to destroy everyone closest to him. 

I had some teachers like that in high school…

And while that learning experience is going on, Clark forms an uneasy alliance with Zod.  Because that’s a fantastic idea.

The Random:
1. At some point, Clark’s going to have to stop leaving Lois alone because she just can’t stay out of trouble for like five minutes.  She’s like a toddler that way.  At least Zod pays her a visit in the hospital and brings flowers.  That’s just classy.

2. Well, Mia’s back and still cute as a button, and apparently still training with Ollie.  Of course Vordigan the Dark Archer is going to have a problem with that.

3. Do you think Ollie and Vordigan go to the same tailor?  Because they’ve got the same “unique” outfits just in different colors, so it’s either that or they give them out in secret archer assassin school and Ollie got stuck with green and said, “Screw it, I’ll be Green Arrow.”  But, man, it’s gotta suck for the dude who drew pink.

“Seriously, dude, take it off!  I was wearing it first, the least
you could’ve done was coordinate so we could avoid this faux pas.”


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EVEL KNIEVEL'S HELMET AND JUMPSUIT Go Up For Auction December 16-17

Reviews of Films I Have Never Seen: THE HOBBIT: AN UNEXPECTED JOURNEY – ‘Found Footage’ Falls Flat

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With a press blackout in place, New Line and MGM would normally chide me for publishing a review.

However my aversion to actually watching any movie not already on TCM frees me up for this week’s insight into a long awaited prequel.

But first a word on HFR or high frame rate format (48-frames-per-second).

Director Peter Jackson is said to have employed this revolutionary new method providing superior depth and quality.

However, be warned. This technique was only used to shoot footage for the trailer. The movie itself appears poorly lit—with inappropriate shadows or bright and washed out.

This is precisely the look craved by studio executives.

Though Jackson fought against it, in the end he was compelled to mimic the success of features such as Paranormal Activity I – XV.


As a result, we’re presented with a high adventure set in a mythical world and told via “found footage.”


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THE CAST OF FREAKS AND GEEKS Reunite For the Vanity Fair Comedy Issue

Funny, You Don't Sound Black...

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Hi, my name is Marvin, and I'm a black guy with a white-sounding voice.

At least that's what people have told me for so many years. So many, many years.

It's OK. I'm aware of this. And hey, by now I have to agree that, no, I don't have what would be considered a typically black voice.

Different folks sound different ways, but there's nothing particular about my voice most times to illustrate my race.

It falls into a combination of grammar, diction and tone that the general public doesn't associate with black men. Which is OK to discuss smartly. But there's a thin line between frank discussions about race in our lives, and expressing bigotry.

The non-bigoted bit is about the tones of speech and generalities among specific people. The bigoted bit comes in when someone affixes value to one group over another based on that voice. Or when one voice is deemed more authentic than another.

A lot of comments I've heard about my voice fall on bigoted side. I've heard “You don't sound black” from white people, as if I'm supposed to sound like 50 Cent or something. (No one ever thinks Paul Robeson, Don Cheadle or Neil deGrasse Tyson, right?) Even if the comment is good-natured, saying “He's so well spoken!” and “He's so articulate!” sound as if I'm supposed to be incapable of doing so. As if I'm lacking some amount of blackness based on grammar and diction choices.

What stung more, however, were comments from other black kids growing up who said I was “talking white.” It's different hearing it from your own people, even if we were just a bunch of inexperienced kids. It was sadder because I was hearing prejudice and bigotry turned inwards. I heard people buying into a lie that was built to hurt them.


And that pressure doesn't really go away, competing in this authenticity contest. Keegan Michael Key and Jordan Peele, blerds and white-sounding black guys themselves, joke about ratcheting up a more black-sounding voice around other black people.

Despite its satirical point of view, Spike Lee's film Bamboozled has its race-dodging black male protagonist speaking in this cartoonish voice that's meant to say from the get-go that he's not comfortable being black.

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Contest! Win THE SCIENCE FICTION UNIVERSE... AND BEYOND: Syfy Channel Book of Sci-Fi

Madison Avenue Is Afraid Of The Dark

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As the holidays overtake the sights and sounds of our culture in a seemingly endless loop, there are those aspects of it that have been expected and, more or less, iconic.

The Christmas songs as sung by Nat King Cole are one of those things.


Maybe you don’t play it in your home or your car, but it’s there.

It’s in the background of your favorite TV show’s holiday episode, it’s in the red, green and silver mazes that make up the malls of America. Like Bing Crosby, Nat King Cole’s voice lends itself to help evoking a charming, sentimental and harmonious feeling during the holidays.


Because of this, one might assume that Nat King Cole has always been part of the pop culture holiday iconography, like Rudolph and Yukon Cornelius or Charlie Brown and his pathetic tree. It’s beloved because it’s always been around and it’s always been around because it’s been so beloved.

Cole earned and fought to be in that soft spot of America’s heart.

Nat King Cole was more than just a great voice or piano player; he was more than just a handsome man who looked good in a suit; he was a ground-breaker and, ultimately, someone that got buried because of it.


Read more »

WTF ANIMATION EDITION: Monkey and The Rabbit, A Disturbing Look Into a Murderous Poo-Filled Primate

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