Artists Books

This is a charming and humorous book. It recalls humor from another perhaps less complicated era. Worthwhile.

This is by far my favorite collection of Ward's pinup art. From the gorgeous cover art and dust jacket to the high quality, glossy pages, this tops the other books available. Those of us lucky enough to have bought this rather limited release possess one of the best collections of pinup art from an undisputed master available.

I bought this book back in 2003 when it was freshly in print and it was, h'mmmm, $28.95 list (just checked the dust jacket). The $159 I referred to is what Amazon Marketplace dealers are asking for it as of late April 2007 - and that's the _least_ expensive price. Take it from me, though; this book is well worth the cost (and if you keep it in good condition, you'll find it appreciating further!) The first part of the book is given over to a comprehensive overview of Ward's life and career, with many illustrations (mostly in color). The heart of this volume, though, is the 130-some full-page reproductions, in B&W and sepia, of Ward's best cartoons featuring his sexy and elegant beauties from what I consider to be his finest body of work in the 1950's and 1960's. The theme-oriented chapters have headings such as "Phone Girls Part 1", "The Mating Game", "Working Girls", "Husbands and Wives", and all provide a splendid overview of Ward's unique "conte" drawing style and his fascination with the accouterments of feminine dress such as high heels, seamed stockings, figure-hugging dresses and gowns, picture hats and opera-length gloves. Compare and contrast with Taschen's new _The Wonderful World of Bill Ward_, which I will also be reviewing in the near future. Highly recommended, particularly in the hardback version (if you can afford it!!)

I don't think Bill Ward sits easily with what are generally considered pin-up artists like Elvgren, Petty, Vargas and the few dozen others who created the genre over the last seventy years but his huge output from 1950 to 1975 (which is the basis of this handsome book) means his work has to be considered.

Examples of Ward's comic art, shown in several color covers (Love Diary, Love Confessions, Love Scandals, Heart Throbs, Flaming Love and Torchy) clearly show how good a draughtsman he was but the clean-up of the market in the early fifties meant he had to find another publications to work for. Abe Goodman's Humorama titles solved the problem. These were cheaply-printed digest size magazines full of bad jokes, cheesecake photos and girlie cartoons. The author Alex Chun says Ward produced thirty cartoons a month for Humorama titles and over twenty-fives years probably drew an amazing 9,000 pin-ups.

Ward's Humorama art was probably the only reason anyone bought these tacky publications. Because he had to produce so much work quickly he developed his own unique style of using Conte crayon to draw pin-ups. This had the advantage of showing tonal quality almost like an airbrush and when the originals (up to eighteen by twenty-four inches) were reduced to the digest size pages they looked impressively slick.

There are 117 whole page Ward pin-ups, all from his Humorama period, in this book. The majority are printed in four-color sepia with white highlights (the front of the book has an essay and examples of his early comic and color pin-up work) and the sexually suggestive, exaggerated females with their black stockings, filmy negligees, skin-tight dresses, coiffure hair and impossibly high stilettos leap of the page. If you are interested in this little corner of American male pop culture I doubt there will be a better book of Bill Ward's voluptuous art.

***FOR AN INSIDE LOOK click 'customer images' under the cover.

This is a great book for fans of Bill Ward's pin-up art and features numerous full-page illustrations of his distinctive beauties. Most of the pin-ups are black and white Conte crayon drawings done on a beige colored paper. There are a few color pin-ups shown as well. The beginning of the book contains a concise biography of Ward along with samples of his comic-book art. There are several nice romance covers shown here. The book is printed on quality paper and the pin-ups shown at a nice size. This is an A+ effort. The only thing you could have asked for is more art, but at around 100 pin-ups this is a great tribute to Bill Ward.

As an artist with an Master's degree in painting, I was amazed by the stunning reproductions in this "children's" book, and kept looking at it, and looking at it. The reproductions are so vivid, the text so appropriate, and the book so well designed that I could almost imagine I was walking through the chapel myself. It was the first time I'd seen the frescos in an order the artist intended, which made them even more powerful. Eventually the book went to a friend who admires frescos, but there was such a sense of intimacy in it that I've been searching for another copy for well over a year. The text and the images meld beautifully, and I can honestly say it's the first story of Christ's life I've seen where I felt the illustrations or text didn't "get in the way". Even if you're a fesco fan who's more interested in Giotto than in the story, tear up your check for that expensive art book and buy this first.

I bought this as a gift for my niece/goddaughter about 11 years ago and have wished I'd got one for myself ever since. It is simply gorgeous with a very moving text. You don't have to be a committed believer to enjoy this lovely book.

I remember reading this book in the store when it first came out, and it has stuck with me since. Madeline L' Engle gives a thoughtful, sensitive twist on a timeless story, and writes iin such a prose that you could easily imagine reading aloud to young children. I have searched for it for years, and am pleased to discover it in print again.

As an art educator, church librarian, and special lecture person who links art with religion at my church, I can highly recommend this gorgeous book to you. Madeleine L'Engle is one of my favorite writers and she presents the life of Christ in flowing prose. I even picked up a few facts I did not know. The book is illustrated using various panels from the Scrovegni Chapel in Padua, Italy which adds sumptuousness to its narrative. As a child I was drawn to picture books like this because of their medieval, almost Oriental appearance, so if you wish to influence your children to appreciate a good story well told and illustrated, select this book. The text is on an 9-13 year old level. The "glorious impossible" is something that cannot be explained but only rejoiced in, and I think that sums up God's gift of Jesus to us in a very satisfying way. Enjoy.

Are you looking for a book to read to your children to share your faith, tell the story of Christ, and inspire your child and yourself to feel the joys of giving, forgiveness, commitment, and love? This is THE book for you. L'Engle's extraodinary and inspiring writing style was never so beautiful as in this faithful retelling of the Gospels. It uses both simple, everyday language and the more complex quotes of the Bible to render a tale that is both easy to read and mystical- a hard task in Children's Bible literature. Her comments on the feelings and activities of both Jesus and others are so spiritually aware that adults will end up thinking about it long after the book is finished. In particular, her thoughts on Judas and his motivation were thoughtful, compassionate, and shed the first positive light I have ever seen given to this character. She brings up points I had never considered--- After Jesus rose He said "Peace be with you" not "Where were you when I needed you" - with such simplicity that one can't help wonder why they didn't consider it before. Along side L'Engle's rich prose is artwork beautiful enough to be awed over by adults, but detailed enough you'll laugh as children comment, "Hey, Lazarus really looks dead!" "The Glorious Impossible" is beautiful, gentle, rich, and assuring- a perfect book to introduce not only Christ but what he taught as well.

Priscilla Wilson's "Gourd Girls" is a rich and honest account of a life lived well.

The parallel stories of her struggle to live life to the fullest, both in her life and her life's work, are portrayed with honesty, humor, and sadness. You travel these twin journeys with her and her life partner Janice Lymburner and find yourself laughing with them as they learn the ropes of hoeing and gourd gathering and running a business as such delightful greenhorns, who are open to the lessons and generousity of their neighbors, friends, and some wacky strangers who all seem to become lifelong partners in the gourd life, as they call it. She also shares the sheer joy of life with her true love and the pain and fear of years in the closet.

I would highly recommend this book to anyone. It inspires and instructs and makes human the whole public debate on gay marriage and rights. It is a beautiful book.

Gourd Girls by Priscilla Wilson is the story of Janice Lymburner and Priscilla Wilson, two young women whose decision to begin a business soon came to be their most favored pastime. Readers will follow the two girls as they are discovering themselves and their knack for the unexpected, giving Gourd Girls a great and powerful intimacy as the community, their families, and their friends join the girls to create an inspiring unity amidst such an unlikely business as the growing and selling of gourds. A remarkable tale in its vividly written in familiar story telling narrative style, Gourd Girls is very strongly recommended reading for anyone who aspires to have a business of their own one day.

Gourd Girls came in the mail from a friend who told me that because it was self-published it is hard to find in mainstream bookstores. It is a lovely book in every way, and I'm delighted to see it is now available on Amazon. The writing style is straightforward and engaging. There's a nice mix of narrative about becoming entrepreneurs, creative and spiritual growth, and dealing with the uncomfortable-ness of an alternative lifestyle in a rural mountain area. There's also a good bit of hilarity and an infectious appreciation of what "foolishness" can do to lighten our burdens. I think you will like this book as much as I did.

You'll laugh; you'll cry; but mostly you'll LOVE the gourd girls! You'll delight to discover the playful spirit author Priscilla Wilson and her partner, Janice Lymburner, bring to everything they do, even as they struggle with financial, social and political issues. Engrossing, well-written, and straight from the heart, this is a fine memoir.

Whether this book catches your eye because it's about the struggles and romance of making a living as a craft artist in a rural area, or because it's about two women who love each other, you'll find it well worth reading. My strongest impression is of the integrity and spiritual strength of the author and her partner. Sometimes it's a bit sad, reading the book, to see them deliberately turn away from a choice that would probably prove lucrative. (This happens at several points in the story.) Instead, they always choose what keeps their spirit most alive. This--and their deep love for nature and each other--is a great gift from the book. So do I recommend it? Yes, of course!

I have used this book since it's publication and it is a wonderful classroom resource for anyone involved with handbuilding in clay. The examples are authentic--you know they really were made by children. The project ideas are very timely and especially geared to younger children. A must for any visual art library.

This book has been very helpful for myyoung children's clay classes. We successfully completed several projects from this book and everyone was happy: teacher, kids, parents. It was fun seeing the older kids come over from their wheels and be jealous of the little kids' projects. The book has also been a source of joy to me since the animal projects we did in class were so much fun, I continued the projects long after class was over.

The writing is clear, sometimes sparse, but the pictures are good. I also appreciated the associated learning that can accompany the projects (or vice versa).

The past three years I have had the privilege of chairing an exhibition of K-12 student work in clay for the NC Pottery Center located in Seagrove, NC. This year my grant was generous enough for me to present each teacher who participated in our exhibiton a copy of Ellen Kong's book, The Great Clay Adventure. Each receipient was thrilled and eager to begin new clay projects with students.

We at the Pottery Center feel confident that distributing this incredible and inspiring book across our clay rich state of 100 counties will definitely stimulate our next generation of potters!!! Thank you, Ellen Kong!!

The concise, clearly worded directions are easy to follow. No wasted words; no partial explanations. In the photographs accompanying each project, I like the mix of student and mature work. Also commendable are the explanations of how basic handbuilding techniques can be combined to produce lively ceramic art. All in all, The Great Clay Adventure stimulates the imagination. I highly recommend this book for clay artists, art teachers and school libraries.

Barbara McKenzie, Ph.D.
Professional Potter
Instructor, Durham Arts Council

I have been looking for just the right book to help me get started doing workshops with children in my small town. Today I came upon "The Great Clay Adventure" and I am delighted. The pictures are clear and colorful, the instructions easy to follow and 'extensions' given at the end of each chapter will enhance the total clay experience. I will add this book to my library and will use it often.

There is so much information in this book! The price doesn't compare to the knowledge you obtain...not by a long-shot! I felt like a kid in a candy factory. Guerrilla Music Marketing gave me so many choices of ways to do things, I didn't know where to start! All the information is explained in simple terminology and words you can understand. You don't need a dictionary for this one. If you are truly an I.N.D.I.E artist (the author defines the acronym in the book - I'm not giving any details away) you have to own this book! There's 2 books I carry...my bible and Guerrilla Music Marketing!

Easy read and very informative. This book will take you by the hand and help you become a more productive, successful and creative musician.

It provides a better grasp on the marketing aspect in the music industry. i feel less overwhelmed to try and be innovative. With Bob's ideas as a start, the ideas just come flowing after that. His ideas are really helping my business. Ive been able to increase profits in less than a month, and have been able to book several BETTER gigs for the bands I represent. Thanks to him and myspace I just might be the happiest promoter in Los Angeles.

The music business is one of the few industries that truly takes creativity and self-motivation to a whole new level. The Guerrilla Music Marketing Encore Edition is designed to further help us starving musicians and other just-as-hungry industry people set the stage for being the best in areas that our competition is lacking - connecting with our fans and gaining new ones. Read and learn Guerrilla Music Marketing Handbook: 201 Self-Promotion Ideas for Songwriters, Musicians and Bands on a Budget (Revised & Updated) first.

It's a cut-throat world. What are you doing to better your odds? I highly suggest not only reading this book, but also applying everything between the front and back covers of this book to how you do music business. Become the success story. Buy this book.

Guerrilla Music Marketing, Encore Edition: 201 More Self-promotion Ideas, Tips and Tactics for Do-it-yourself Artists

and this one too:

Guerrilla Music Marketing Handbook: 201 Self-Promotion Ideas for Songwriters, Musicians and Bands on a Budget (Revised & Updated)

I got the original GMM book about ten years ago and it's still on my shelf to reference when working on a promotion. This one is going right next to it. This series is great for bands, musicians, and songwriters who are on a budget and looking for results-oriented marketing tactics that will help you sell more stuff and make more money. You'll get techniques that work in ANY marketing medium, including live shows, postal mail, fax, email, or web. If you're willing to do just a little bit of work in an organized way, or willing to teach others how to do that work for you, you'll see results. This book (and the 1st one) are real bargains. When it comes to your bottom line, most musicians will benefit more from the Guerrilla Music Marketing series than "classic" music business books such as This Business of Music. Why? This game is about marketing... It doesn't matter how good your music is, who your attorney is, or if you know what the difference between performance and mechanical royalty are, if you can't get the word out about what you're doing. Get this book!

Brian Kane has a lot going for him to begin with; the cooperation of Hal Fosters grandchildren and extraordinary access to the Foster family and private papers; but without a sensible recognition of the importance of the sequence of events which lead to the assignment of Hal Foster onto the TARZAN strip, and the eventual culmination of Fosters aspiration to produce his own strip, the storytelling and illustration masterwork PRINCE VALIANT, this pedigree could have been lost or mislaid.
However the pedigree is not lost; this books remains a standard for anyone attempting to pay due homage to a historic artist, a master of his media, and a disciplined Professional who won awards within and outside of his field as a matter of course.
And one doesn't necessarily need to be a firm fan of Popular Culture to see, on the page, the initial artworks provided through family archives, but watch the commercial illustrator become the accomplished storyteller cartoonist/illustrator to the craftsman who transcends his adopted field.
A power read, yet eyefuls of narrative,illustrative, and evocative draughtsmanship which will allow anyone owning it to want to revisit this book as anyone reading the Sunday Funnies has revisited the two classics which Foster brought to pinnacles of powerful evocation : TARZAN and PRINCE VALIANT.
An affectionate and heartful reccommendation by a long time and familiar fan of Hal Foster; impossible to imagine anyone could have completed the task with more vigor and commitment and completedness.

The Golden Age of American Illustration ran from the 1880's to the years immediately following the First World War. It was a highly creative period that produced such notable artists as N.C. Wyeth, Howard Pyle and Frank Schnoover. This was the skilled artistic millieu in which Hal Foster began his career as a commercial illustrator.

Foster would have probably remained a talented but obscure illustrator if the Great Depression had not begun. In need of work, Foster began as illustrator for the Tarzan adventure strip. The comic strip became very successful but Foster did not receive the monetary compensation that he believed he deserved. In 1937, Hal Foster launched his own adventure strip, "Prince Valiant in the Days of King Arthur". Within a few years of the birth of Prince Valiant, Superman, Batman, and Flash Gordon were all created and the Golden Age of Comics books moved into full swing.

Although Prince Valiant never became as iconic as Batman or Superman, there can be little doubt that Hal Foster was the greatest technical artist of that period. For the nearly forty years that he produced Prince Valiant, Hal Foster was the master of composition, perspective and figurative detail.

Brian Kane's biography is filled with many unpublished sketches and color paintings. Having received the full cooperation of the Foster family, Kane also received access to unpublished letters which give many insights into Foster's character and creative process. I hesitate in giving this work five stars because this book is more of fan appreciation than it is a serious biography. Nevertheless, if you are a fan of Prince Valiant or the Golden Age of Comics, this book is a must purchase.

I hope today's fans of comics and sequential art familiarize themselves with Foster's work. He is quite simply the greatest illustrator of the second half of the 20th century. Some fans of Frank Frazetta may disagree, and I love Frazetta's work too. But Foster's innate storytelling sense and incredible draftsmanship leaves the reader in awe. And what a body of work.......it's truly amazing he could maintain such a high level of craft on Prince Valiant decade after decade. Do not miss this book!

This is an excellent book. Best known for Prince Valiant, Hal Foster brought his creativity to many other areas. He not only developed his illustrative skills but understood story flow and had a great command of writing. The work he produced only confirms the mastery and artistry he wielded . His paintings, cover work, personal sketches, and Tarzan work will bring you pleasure even if you aren't a Prince Valiant reader. The writing is informative and clean, providing a very enjoyable read. Remembrances by other artists are a nice bonus. I highly recommend this retrospective of one of the classics.

Hal Foster is the Master of Cartoon Art, without peer, without equal, he is simply extraordinary. Little is known of his life--until now. Thanks so much for bringing us this book! Many terrific anecdotes, in depth stories of his life and influences and work habits. I have never seen many of the illustrations included here. A truly terrific book! Very handsome in every respect. I was delighted by this purchase.

The book was for my son and he truly enjoyed it. He wants to get other books in the series

I bought this for my daughter and she just tore thru it in about 3 days and loved it. She just finished the 4th book and is looking forward to reading more of them.

My nine year old son loves this series. He says "It is great for Christian families and kids. It is great as a read-aloud and a read-alone."

This book was great! I usually don't like mysteries but this was real cool. It's not scary or anything..and it's not all mystery, mystery, mystery. It has touching bits too. I love Bryce and Ashley! You can't just read one book though-you have to read them all becuase they continue on from each other. Cool book!

This series of books has something for the entire family - the kids will love the pages chocked full of action and the parents will love the faith and values that the authors manage to mingle in. The action is so fast-paced that the kids won't put the book down until the very end; even then, they'll be ready to immediately read the next book. And somewhere along that road, they get exposed to Christian behavior and ideals. These authors have proven themselves time and time again to deliver good books. Don't miss out on this series!

While his younger Brother Medgar gets more attention. This man is a Mississippi legend as well. He is not afraid to admit his vices, his faults, and his triumphs. He is a college grad, fighter, ladies man, pimp, Civil rights Leader, Politician, a man who although he follows non-violence, is not afraid to confront White Racists or African-Americans he disagrees with. It is a interesting life story.

I first met Charles Evers in June of 1999, at my first Medger Evers/B.B. Homecoming Event. Charles Evers is a no frills, hardworking individual, who knows how to get things done! I finally picked up this book after my third homecoming. This year's homecoming took place on the 41st Anniversary of Medger's death. I, hereby salute Mr. Evers for everything he's ever done, for every risk he ever took, for all the successes he has made, and for writing this book. If you want to better understand what it was like for the negro people of Mississippi, in the 60's, 70's, and 80's READ THIS BOOK! If you want to know how a man can be riddled with hate and then go on to do the right things for his people, in a non-violent, yet persistant way, READ THIS BOOK! And then plan a trip to Jackson next June and pay homage to the Ever's brothers, attend the Medger's Memorial Service and meet many of the people who helped create the Mississippi we know today; then and have a great time mingling with the great people of Mississippi at the two, all-day music events, which are headlined by none other than Mr. B.B. King.

Gives a real sense of what it's like to grow up hated, and to learn to hate, and then to painstakingly give up hate. A loving ode to Medgar Evers, and an unflinching look at Charles Evers. Humor, too.

Written by Medgar Evers' lesser known brother, this is a powerful account of the civil rights movement in the south by someone who lived it. Order it. Buy it.

while I didn't agree with everything he said in the book I thought he was very honest in writing about his life and about his brother. it's defintley worth reading.

Henry Darger (1892-1973) spent most of his life working as a dishwasher, janitor, and bandage roller at a hospital in Chicago. Darger's mother died in childbirth with his sister when Darger was 3 years old, and his father died when Darger was 15. The family was economically destitute, and the young Darger ended up in boys homes, orphanages, and such unsavory institutions as the "Asylum for Feeble-Minded Children" in Lincoln, Illinois. Darger lived most of his adult life in the same apartment, and when he died in 1973 his landlord found a number of homemade books containing three large manuscripts written and illustrated by Darger, each more than 5000 pages long.

The most important manuscript is the first, a 14 volume work titled "The Realms of the Unreal, or the Glandeco-Angelinian War Storm, Caused by the Child Slave Rebellion," which Darger spent two decades writing and illustrating. This epic is the chronicled history of a 4-year war on an imaginary world. On this world, children have been enslaved and a war breaks out to free them. Spearheading the rebellion are the seven Vivian sisters, little girl heroes--figures which seem to have been based, at least partly, on Joan of Arc. Among the story's other main influences are Frank L. Baum's Oz books, the works of Charles Dickens, and the history of the American Civil War.

Darger's artwork is both imaginatively vivid and disturbing. Most of the art involves little girls as the heroes and the victims, with men and supernatural creatures called "the Blegiglomenean Serpents" (or, "the Blengins") as their oppressors. The little girls are often depicted in idyllic portraits; however, they are also often shown being strangled or killed in battle. Also, they are often nude, and sometimes portrayed as hermaphrodites with male genitals. Much of Darger's work is composed of individual figures traced from magazines or comics. Artistically, Darger is compared with figures as diverse as Blake and Andy Warhol.

I've waited for a collection of Darger's work ever since I first saw a handful of originals on exhibit at the County Museum. This volume has a lot (over 100?) of high quality color reproductions of the Vivian Girls leading the sometimes bloody, cosmic child slavery rebellion against the invading Glandelinians, along with source material, and some interesting shots of Darger's studio/apartment.

There are also some pretty interesting writing excerpts from Darger's mammoth source material, REALMS OF THE UNREAL (which dwarfs the notebook writing of David Fincher's antagonists in SEVEN and FIGHT CLUB). It's pretty genuine, and the editors contend to've kept the editing to a crucial minimum.

Tim Burton, et al., can claim to be as weird or on the fringe as much as they want, but they don't hold a candle to someone with a real chemical imbalance.

It's pricey, but well worth it if you're a collector of this sort of stuff. Now, if only someone would make a comparable collection for Adolfo Wolfi...

This isn't concerning the book but I thought I would inform everyone that there is a film on Henry Darger that will be at the Sundance Film Fest (Park City, Utah) The title of the documentary is called "Henry Darger: Realms of the Unreal." It looks to be a great film. The filmakers have also animated parts of his paintings. Hopefully the film will make to near your home in the future. I just picked up my tickets so if you can I would recommend it. Good Luck.

Henry Darger, the janitor who spent a lifetime writing and illustrating a loving paedophile epic of staggering proportions never seen until his death, has not yet found his time but it will come. His frenzied Blake-like illustrations have had some exposure in museums which feature outsider and folk art (like the recent exhibit at P.S.1 in NYC) but this collection of his work exhibits a glimpse of the novel they were designed to support. With no training his obsessive masterpiece includes prose, poetry, songs and maps. Infectious in a raw undeniable way it is a spelendid, brilliant, disturbing and awesome.

There have been several things written about Henry Darger and his art but this book is the definitive work. If you want to understand Henry Darger and get a full appreciation of his genius,, read this book and enjoy the beautiful illustrations.

My 5 year old loved this book from the library. I really enjoyed it too! She kept saying that the house was her home and the man was her husband, and the children were her children. What a wonderful sense of family.

The pictures and the flow of the book are wonderful! It leads itself to a great many discussions and learning of terms as well as thinking about other places and cultures. Because of this book we are going to find additional books about types of houses and construction. My 3yr old and my 10 yr old have really enjoied it!

Wonderful! A treat for children, and fun for adults to admire as well. The illustrations are superb, and the concept of touring a house and figuring out what comprises a house a house will make kids remember this work every time they enter a new house.

A friend of mine showed me this book, and the first thing I thought was, I wish I had read this when I was a child. How exciting to see a house from this viewpoint! An imaginative child could fall into these illustrations and easily imagine walking around in the houses. And he or she could imagine doing different things with the house, and think about living different ways. The houses are full of clever and colorful details and seem like the kind of warm, loving place a child would want to be in, and maybe want to create. This kind of book just could be the beginning of a career in architecture in a young person's mind.

This wonderful, original book should be a fabulous asset to any child's library. A must have. Visually stunning.