Studios Books

Till I saw this book and Bert Monroys website my imagination and creativity for minimally very finite. Its amazing how he shows what can be done using image editors like photoshop. Its just blows you away. My wife thought the pictures in his books are photographs and when I told her bert monroy created them in photoshop, there was no sound from her. She was quite amazed. This book is well recommended. Authors like Bert Monroy truly amazes with their talent and give us additional thoughts and inspiration on how to improve our work.

I found this book very useful, very well illustrated, as Bert Monroy describes his technics. He teaches methods that opened my mind to the power that Photoshop CS has. While he covers many aspects of the program he dos not indulge in the usual rehash of every photoshop feature, focusing on specific projects. His reputation for a graphics artist and teacher are well deserved. Wonderful examples, just enough detail to convey the point without beating you over the head. Included color photos are well laid out, his teaching method couldn't be better. The tone will particular instruct the novice or intermeadiate user, but everyone will find something of use here. If you are looking for blow by blow 'how to' for every feature, look at Photoshop CS Sudio Techniques, or the Adobe Class Room in a Book. I only wish this book had more samples, examples. If you can't buy it, hope your local libray has or will. Do this for its artistic voice.

This book will get your imagination going. Some great tips.

The only reason I don't give it 5 stars is that there could have been more content.

Bert Monroy is probably one of the most talented Photoshop users there is. If you've ever seen him on TechTV, you've seen how effortlessly he uses PS.

This book is full of amazing artwork Bert has done with Photoshop, along with a lot of tips and techniques from the master himself. You'll have a hard time believe that this book isn't just a collection of photos. Bert style is so photo-realistic it's jaw-dropping.

Definitely a must-have book for any PS enthusiast. Even if you don't plan to use PS for Photoreal artwork, there are techniques here that are applicable to other uses for PS but the book itself is worth the price just for the awe factor of Monroy's work.

Bert is a great artist and teacher. I took a class from him, and learned so much, but couldn't absorb it all at once. This book allows you to learn his techniques at your own pace, and will give you the confidence to start creating images from scratch in Photoshop, or add painting techniques to your image manipulation. Highly recommended for intermediate to advanced Photoshop users and all artists.

I can not get enough of Burton Silverman and this book was just what I needed.
I just flip open a page and study how he pulls it off, great painting that is.
I have not read the whole book, just little bits here and there.
But I sure have looked at all the pretty pictures and so should any one who likes B. Silvermans work.
Barry

You will have to admire the works of Burt Silverman presented in this well designed compilation of his work. I have followed his work for years and he's just one of those magical craftsmen that makes me just shake my head in wonder when I see what he can do with a paint brush. He is certainly one of the best artist of our age. If you love art in the realist format, you will be well pleased with this book and with Mr. Silverman's work. This one is a "keeper".

This is the story of a man's quest for truth in art in spite of a country's infatuation with its new found Modern Art. I found the book to be BEAUTIFUL, COMPELLING, ILLUMINATING, and INSPIRING...filled with IMAGES OF the LOVE that Mr Silverman has for his subjects, his kind & curious Humanist "take" on the World, and his incredible volume of awe inspiring work. He has crossed the barriers of "illustration" showing us that Art is Art when "spoken" by the true voice.

Most people who would buy this book are already familiar with Burton Silverman's paintings. The book is no disappointment; the reproductions are large and sensitive to color nuances, on heavy paper, and there are a lot of them. There are short essays by Silverman about each painting which show an honest, contemplative mind at work. It's not a how-to book; there's no pedantic bloviating, just a humble, intelligent man describing the circumstances behind each picture. At first I pegged Silverman as one of those East Coast types who paint their Greenwich Village friends sitting still with expressionless faces and vacant stares. It all seemed too academic, lacking action and vigor, like most modern art. But his understanding of color and composition is undeniable, and the personalities he depicts grow on you. They are of the type of person who can be found in artist's lofts, in front of Folger's coffee cans full of paintbrushes, wearing sweaters and spectacles, New York academics and intellectuals who go to poetry readings, listen to Public Radio, and fret about the fate of the Rosenbergs. He's a world traveller, so he has other types of people, too, but he seems to know all of them personally, and doesn't just paint anonymous models. Though his work is a little tame compared to the kind of entertainment industry stuff I'm interested in, commercial illustrators could learn a lot from Silverman's penetrating eye and calm, balanced judgement.

Just a few lines (as I chose to write below) to be an 'unhelpful' review.

My fingers wiggle when seeing the drawings. My nerve cells tingle trying to process/digest/analyze color combinations in the paintings, and half of me trying to get off the chair and get to the easel to "mix 'em colors".

Some body, catch me! I am falling... in love.

Perfect gift not only for Pug lover but for all dog lovers. This is a sweet tale of pure love...the kind only dogs know and give and the kind we only aspire to share. There is a message in this simple story to implore the heart to cherish innocence and see the world through "dog eyes."

Nancy Levine never ceases to amaze me with her awesome photographs of the pugs (and a new "guest" dog) and her great stories. This book is perfect for any pug or other dog lover, adult and child alike. It is rare that books come out to satisfy both the adult and the child and this is one of those exceptional books.

I highly recommend this book and the other books in the "Wilson the Pug" series.

Wilson and Nancy write wonderful books. Lots of love and time go into each one that they have written. My Little Luci Lu says Puggy paws up for The Ugly Pugling and the other books, too! **Smiles** We are looking forward to reading your next book and thank you for keeping Puggy smiles on our faces.

This book tells a poignant story about unrequited love that is appropriate for both adults and kids alike. I gave this book to several children as a holiday gift and their moms all concur that the kids just adore it and want to have it read to them over and over.
The humor is infectious and the photography superb, as always. We'll be keeping our eyes out for the next adventure!
P.S. Wilson the Pug is the only author my pugs will read....

This reviewer recently adopted a Basset-mix puppy (that's him on my profile page) from a shelter/rescue (and encourages all of you reading this to consider giving a rescue/shelter dog a home, too!) It appears that my puppy is a Basset/Coonhound mix. Which brought to mind the question - how, logistically, could a Basset and Coonhound mix? You will be pleased to know that this fun photo story does NOT answer that question.

Once upon a time, Wilson the Pug, descendant of Pug-tzu, "author" and star of The Tao of Pug, fell in love with Hedy, who was "unlike the other pugs I'd met before. With her big floppy ears, prominent muzzle and huge paws, she was a vision of lovliness." Time passed. And Wilson saw his love no more. He went to her house. And " "a huge dog, the biggest I'd ever seen!" appears at the door. Oh My! A Mastiff! But gazing into her big brown eyes, "I got a whiff of her sweetly biscuited breath." It's Hedy stuff! She isn't a homely pug - but a marvelous mastiff!

Our hero and heroine may be parted by humans - unless the dogs come up with a Taoist plan! The words and photos along the way will charm children and dogs of all ages.

My original quandry remains unanswered after the Afterward by Wilson: "Fortunately, I was a neutered pug, because Hedy and I felt strongly that the world did not need a new breed of mastug or pugstiff."
/TundraVision, Amazon Reviewer

This is not your usual do step 1 do step 2 kind of book, the author goes in to great detail about every feature of photoshop. I'm not a photoshop guru but I'm no newbie either and this book was very helpful. It shows you how to do things in multiple ways which is very helpful. While reading this book, there were plenty of instances when I found out I was actually doing things "The long way." Overall, this book doesn't just instruct, it helps the reader understand Photoshop.

This book helped me learn how to use Curves in a very thorough way. I used to be intimidated with Curves and had preferred to use the Levels command instead.

Mr. Willmore also showed how to find highlights, shadows and gray areas and then adjust the colors by the numbers. You have to average the numbers of the highlights, shadows and the gray from each individual channel within the Curves dialog box.

I practice some images with extreme color casts. I managed to get rid of the color casts to make images more exceptable.

Mr. Willmore took the time to teach people the theory of using Curves.

The rest of the book is great too.

I see a lot of complaints from advanced users saying the books is just a re-write of the previous. Well for one thing, there usually are not that many changes from one version of photoshop to the next, and two, they obviously haven't been to Ben Willmore's website since he constantly adds new techniques and tutorials for the experienced user. If you want the best "how to" book for photoshop then look no further. Instead of telling you how he did some complex picture with techno babble, he explains the purpose, history, and the use of all the tools, and this is the most important part, in plain English. Only after he explains how to use the tools does you give some examples of their use. The only thing he assumes is that you have no clue about any of the features and goes into great detail. Ben Willmore is the equivalent to those teachers we all have had now and then that make the process of learning fun and nearly painless.

If you are already an advanced user you'll find very little that is new to you, but if you are a brand new or intermediate then you are missing out on a great resource if you pass this book by.

This has a very thorough (so far--I haven't finished the book) intro to production work with Photoshop. My design program does not address technology and I've found it a very practical and cheap solution to learning production basics for my own classwork and as I prepare for the job market. So far it has demystified resolution, levels, curves, and I'm reading about color management now. MUCH better than the introductory classroom titles, and a required supplement to the manual if you ever expect to do extensive work with Photoshop.

I am a second year graphic design student at a tech-college and i must say this book has taught me more about Photoshop than any class I've taken or could take. This book has not only given me a priceless understanding of the application, but it has also given me the skills necessary to take my design to a whole new level. The time saving tips as well as the newly discovered tool capabilities has allowed me to get more done on my school projects. I hope you don't buy the book simply because if we ever compete for the same job my skills will prevail. Thanks Ben !!!!!!!!

There are a million expensive plugins out there, and each does only one thing. You can buy each of them, or you can invest in your ability to learn Max's subtleties. This guy has apparently been doing great work since before there was a big plugin market, so buy his book, and you'll save all kinds of money. Plus you'll have a FAR better understanding of the various methods that can be used to perform relatively complex and difficult tasks. It's an exciting read for the right kind of 3D geek. You will probably find yourself thinking "I didn't know you could do THAT with THIS!"

Pete Draper knows his stuff! The tutorials are in color and quite easy to follow, except for the complex materials, but Pete explains what each one does in detail.

The author makes use of the Particles Systems a lot which you will be very good at by the end of the book. I own a bunch of books on Max, and this is by far, hands down, bar none the best book currently available.

Be warned this book does not cover everything in Max(such as Mental Ray), but after you finish this book you will have an arsenal of things you can do.

I recommend this book to beginners and experts alike, both will walk away with a lot of new ideas and knowledge about 3DS Max.

If you want to learn particle flow this is the book for you. Pete does things I never thought 3DS Max was capable of. The tuts in the book are great and there are a couple of bonus video tuts on the accompanying DVD. Buy this book!

This book has EXCELLENT tutorials, very descriptive and in-depth, the only complaint I have is it needs more tutorials on water, such as a running faucet tutorial, would've been helpful for my 3d animation class.

If you want to know how to use 3ds Max's Particle Flow...this is the book you should buy. One word of caution...make sure you brush up on your PFlow basics before digging in. The book definitely assumes that you know what you're doing when wiring up PFlow's Operators and Tests. There's screen shots to help you along, start and completed scene files, and a real nice handful of cool effects covered. More for the Intermediate and Advanced user.

I'm not easily impressed, either. Homicide My Own sucked me right in and held me right to the end. It is wonderfully well-written with a catchy voice which provides just the counter-balance to the weird nature of the story. I loved it so much I read it twice through in one sitting. It is hard to believe that this is a debut novel. Argula writes with a deftness and confidence one would expect from a well-seasoned author.

Argula's debut novel features really great writing and extremely realistic, quirky characters. I'm reminded of poetic authors like Richard Hugo. The author has a gift for evoking physical environment and getting inside the skin of her heroine. We can feel the weight of her clothes and at times more physical detail than we need. She's a little young for hot flashes but that could happen. Her marriage seems puzzling but totally realistic. If this book begins a series, these developments should unfold in interesting ways.

The novel takes a sharp, bizarre turn with no warning. That's why I awarded 4 stars instead of 5. There's no reason for these characters to have some of these off-beat experiences (to say the least).

I read this book last December and liked it enough to pre-order the second book, "Walla Walla Suite," which is just as good. The slightly supernatural twists in both books set them somwhat apart from the run-of-the-mill PI stories. And Quinn, a menopausal cop, is a unique creation, especially in her insights into the male mind and psyche. A woman who understands (although she may not like it) that sometimes men think (NOT!)with the wrong parts of their anatomy. A fascinating character in so many ways. So, yeah, like li'l Oliver once said, "Please, may I have some more?" - Tim Bazzett

This little book is very different from the run-of-the-mill mystery (which I also love) The characters are quirky and interesting. There is a bit of "woo-woo" so if you don't like that, don't read this. Give it a try.

Homicide My Own has just been nominated for an Edgar as Best Paperback Original Novel. The Edgar Award is the Oscar for mystery writers. It's presented by the Mystery Writers of America, a prestigious group of writers, reviewers, and publishers. This is a wonderful and well-deserved honor for Anne Argula.

The Hunting of the Snark is a whacky piece of poetical silliness by Lewis Caroll. Complete nonsense, no-one knows what a Snark is, or why Snark hunters hunt it, or why anyone would want to become a Snark hunter to start with. Anyway, the poem is definitely amusing at times with some of the humour he slips in.

The Hunting of the Snark seems to be a very, very short imitation of The Canterbury Tales. The first chapter (titled a fit) introduces all of the occupations of all the different people going on a journey. However, instead of going on a general pilgrimage and telling tales along the way, their trip is very specific to hunting.

The Baker actually attempts to tell a story, but the Bellman (who leads the group) says there's no time for storytelling. They have to catch the Snark before nightfall.

Along with the Bellman and Baker, a Banker, a Bonnet-maker, a Butcher, a Boots, a Billiard-maker, a Barrister, a Broker, and a Beaver tag along to hunt for the Snark. The Beaver is afraid of getting cut by the Butcher, so he puts on a dagger-proof coat and talks to the Banker about buying an insurance policy.

The Beaver is involved in a hilarious scene with the Butcher later, when the two attempt to compute sums. But perhaps the funniest scene of the entire book is in the Barrister's dream when the Snark declares sentence on a pig, only to find out the pig has been dead long before the trial even began.

I'd highly recommend this short poem for Carroll fans, even though it's not big enough to contain but a small portion of what's to be found in the Alice books.

I have read a great deal of nonsense in the past, but this was by far the best nonsense that I have ever read. There is no point, no meaning, no sense, and no boringness. It is a delightful poem (which is well written and very fun to read aloud) about a crew on a ship hunting a snark. The crew includes a captain who only rings a bell, a beaver, a cook who only cooks beavers (the beaver and the cook did not get along well), a man afraid that the snark would turn into a boojum and make him disappear, etc. As you can tell, this makes for an insanely silly poem. The subtitle is rather fitting, as my sides were definitely hurting from laughter when I was done. Well done Mr. Carroll.

Overall grade: A+

Nonsense poems can easily miss the mark
Yet, this masterpiece has that spark.

"How do you kill a _____?", you ask
To find the answer was the hunters' task.

"What was their fate?", you wonder
Did they ever catch their elusive plunder?

A paragon of haunting Carollian lore
Be in no doubt that you'll finish wanting more.

This poem is just great!

First, this one of the most delightful pieces of writing that ever appeared in (more or less) English. It succeeds as a sustained exercise in illogic. I am sure that only a mathematical logician like Dodgson could possibly have pulled it off - only someone with such deep understanding of reason could master unreason so completely.

Second, Martin Gardner's commentary adds depth and background to the reading. Gardner explains terms that are now obsolete, but also adds his own analysis and a rich history of the Snark phenomenon. It should be no surprise that Gardner is still best known as the long-time editor of Scientific American's column on Mathematical Games, a mathematician himself.

I can't add much to the scholarship or praise that already surrounds this incredible poem. I would like to point out, however, that most non-native English speakers are unfamiliar with this poem. Many of them have only ever seen the serious side of the English language, and have never seen English at play. I consider this short work to be the ideal introduction to the very best of English-language nonsense.

//wiredweird

Penney Peirce has written a thoughtful, grounded, and well put together book on how to access an innate capacity in the human brain. Intuition is our natural heritage and this is one of the best books on the market that dispels the woo-woo and focuses on the matter of fact ways to utilize it to one's advantage. In my opinion, we are all intuitives, while others are psychic and capable of seeing realms of creation in multiple dimensions. Nevertheless, this is a fabulous and organized way to consciousness and discipline to achieve practical application of one's inner knowing. When intuition and intellect combine forces in harmony ... much more awareness is at your disposal to create the life you truly want.

Ms. Peirce has written a thoughtful and well-organized guide to developing our relationship with the intuitive mind. Her premise is that each person has an intuitive faculty, which is our birthright as human beings. However, some people are more in touch with this faculty than others. Thus her strategy is to show us what blocks intuition, then how to work to unblock it. The exercises she provides to help us do this take up a large part of the book. In that sense, it is more of a workbook than just a book to read.

Part 1, entitled "Creating a Clear Lens," walks the reader through a series of exercises to clean out habits of thought, fears, and unhelpful beliefs which most of us carry around until we do our interior housekeeping. Many exercises resemble the work that so many people do in therapy, that is, uncovering painful issues from the past and clearing them out. This clearing opens up the channel from the "Big Mind," that is, the intuitive mind, so that we can receive guidance.

In Part 2, "Accessing Subtle Information," the focus turns to specific exercises for developing more sensitive perception and awareness. You will find here an emphasis on using your body awareness to tap into your intuitive mind. This makes perfect sense, as being grounded in the physical realm gives us a stable base from which to extend outward into the unknown.

Finally, in Part 3, "Making Intuition Useful," Ms. Peirce leads us through exercises on applying intuition to everyday life. She includes very good information on dream work, working with the creative process, self-healing, and accessing super-conscious guidance, among other topics.

This is really a lovely book. It is down-to-earth and practical, but also leads the reader gently into the spiritual realm. Ms. Peirce does not promote using ESP or telepathy in order to control the future, manipulate others, or otherwise get one's way in life. Rather, she encourages us to open up to a higher consciousness, and live our lives by creating in tandem with this consciousness. Through this work we become more at peace, more loving, more creative, and just plain happier.

Now in a new expanded edition, The Intuitive Way: The Definitive Guide To Increasing Your Awareness is a straightforward guide to tapping into one's inner knowledge. In the Information Age, where every avenue is packed with more knowledge than any one human being could possibly learn, being able to stay aligned with one's inner wisdom is more critical than ever to survive amid environmental demands of lightning-fast reaction and judgment. Chapters address how to unlock the secrets of one's subconscious mind, become aware of the invisible, harness the power of dreams and imagination, apply the power of intuition to everyday life, and much more. A valuable and insightful self-help resource, especially for those who put too little faith in their own natural wisdom.

Penney Peirce is a workshop leader and creative consultant and her book "The Intuitive Way" is one of the most practical to choose from on the market. It is organized like a 10-week course and is packed with reflections and exercises. After having it read once, I had success just picking up a chapter again and doing a few exercises. The exercises are fun and inspiring. It's a book you keep and go back to for that reason.

She starts by what she calls "The cleaning of the lens of perception" which is about tuning to your own intuition and preparing to open up to it. The second part of the book is devoted to using many tools of intuitive development to recognize and then interpret the messages of intuition. She gives us a good chapter on body-based intuition. The last part of the book focuses on day-to-day messages of intuition such as dreams and how to regularly follow your insights.

Good reads going with this most hands-on guide would be Julia Cameron's books, Natalie Goldberg's books and Ray Bradbury's "The Zen of Writing" (for those into writing) and Hal Zina Bennett's.

This very readable book is packed with encouragement and inspiration for those who want to learn how to tune into their own intuitive wisdom. I led a 13-week class based on the book, and every one of my ten students felt it raised their awareness and abilities. Some of them have told me that they periodically review the book for fresh inspiration and guidance. There are certain sections I, myself, like to review when I don't understand why something is happening to me. The book helps me reframe how I'm seeing things -- an invaluable ability!

these cards are so much fun. they are astrology cards - the signs, planets and houses of the astrlogical chart. i find them more enlightening than tarot, but then again, i'm an astroger. but you don't have to be one to use these illustrated cards. messages are written right on the cards, and the book that comes with it is easy to read. you can even make up your own way to use them. it's a great gift for anyone, and a perfect gift for astrologers who want to try a lttle ESP along with their craft.

You will be amazed and astonished at the accuracy of the information given you on many levels. These cards will feel like a whack upside your head --or-- a much needed wake-up call. They are well worth the price...I have worn out one set so have purchased another. If you are like me you may find your mouth hanging open when you get some much needed clarification and information....stunningly accurate and amazing cards. Add then to your library you will be well pleased.

These cards are fun! Karma Cards are divided into three categories: Planets, signs and houses. They are beautifully illlustrated and come in a nice storage box. I enjoyed reading the guide book which explains how to use the cards and gives information on meanings. For example, in the planets section, it describes the symbol for the planet, what it represents and has Keywords, the planet's message, and warning. The really nice thing is that you don't have to be an expert in astrology to use these cards!

Here's what you do: Divide the cards into the three categories (planets,signs,houses)then shuffle each stack and turn them over and read the sentence that is formed by the words on each card. The cards can be used to determine 'outcome' or 'action'. Blue side is for outcome and red/orange is for action. There are 3 levels of answer that you can obtain, they are: Spiritual, Mental and Physical.

These are great cards. Fun and informative and really easy to use!

"As The Celestial Mechanic, I devised a way to combine the wisdom of Astrology with a quick and easy technique for putting us in touch with our Higher Selves, and the result was Karma Cards." - From the companion book

With his characteristic Aquarian inventiveness, author Monte Farber marries the ancient art of Astrology with the accessibility of an oracle deck in Karma Cards. Designed so anyone can use them quickly and easily, Karma Cards are an unusual blend of oracle phrases with the Planets, Signs, and Houses of Astrology--36 cards in all.

Whether you seek to an answer an action question such as "What should I do about this job offer?" or an outcome question such as "What will be the outcome of this date?" Karma Cards are designed to answer both types of questions with clarity and accuracy. These reversible cards feature three words or phrases in blue to answer outcome-based questions with three words/phrases in red to answer action-oriented queries.

In addition, the six words/phrases on each card is divided in three realms: spiritual, mental and physical. Truly, Karma Cards covers all the bases!

Here's an example: let's say I want to inquire about a book I'm writing. I'd separate the Karma Cards into three decks: Planets, Houses, and Signs, shuffle and draw a card from each pile. (What's great about this deck is that the card backings display the category.)

So say I drew Saturn in Aquarius in the 7th House. I'd look at the blue section on each card, read the three sentences generated by the cards, and determine which sentence best applied to the situation according to my intuitive impression.

The Spiritual advice says "The maturity that brings genius to experiment with balance". The Mental advice says "Caution regarding the discoveries of cooperation". And lastly, the Physical advice says "Limits imposed resulting from the eccentricity of your partners."

Personally, I find it helpful to play around with both the red and blue sections because, in this case, I found the RED advice much more clear and appropriate. You could always experiment with Karma Cards to see which methods work best for you.

Along with the highly original construction of this particular oracle deck, I am also impressed with the 96-page guidebook to Karma Cards. The companion book is so rich with detailed yet practical information that those new to Astrology would get a solid introduction to this art just by reading it! Monte explains the nuts and bolts of an astrological chart, including house polarities, as well as the nature of each sign and planet--including the North and South Nodes.

If you had your astrological chart, you could get a good interpretation of the placements just by reading the card combinations and companion book. For example, looking at the chart of both my husband and son, I recognize that they both have their Moon in the 7th House. However, my son's Moon is in the sign of Sagittarius while my husband's Moon is in Aquarius.

To get some insight into those placements, I'd remove the Moon and 7th House cards from the deck, as well as the Aquarius and Sagittarius cards. Put them in a row, read what they say, and ouila!--I now have an overview of these particular placements.

If you're fascinated by Astrology or would like to know more, Karma Cards would make a great introduction to this art! If you love quick, easy, and clear divination tools, this deck makes a GREAT oracle. I've used it several times and found it be very accurate and highly insightful!

(To see 9 images from this deck, visit the Reviews--Decks section at JanetBoyer.com)

Janet Boyer, author of The Back in Time Tarot Book: Picture the Past, Experience the Cards, Understand the Present (coming Fall 2008 from Hampton Roads Publishing)

I have owned these cards since they first came out. I have many decks of cards and these are not only one of most favorites - they are easy to use and accurate.

Ever wonder how the top-ranked reviewers force their way to the top?

They vote for their own reviews over and over.

So brilliant. So clever. But not "well-done"!

Talk about the triumph of noise over signal, chaos over order, and quantity over quality!

If you were a college student, a frat brother, a trouble maker, a drinker or just had odd looking animals walking around talking to you....then this book is probably about you! Experiance college with an alcoholic pig, a short tempered circus bear, and a lima bean ( don't ask). And let's not forget the duck and Brandi, for without them....well, the book would still rock! This book is a must to all those who love comics. Every strip should be put on billboards. Uncle Frank is the man.....( from one of the Monkey Boys )

I was at the University of Maryland when Frank Cho's comic strip was running in The Diamondback. It was the only thing worth reading in the paper. This is a very, very funny comic strip. The characters, who are animals are hilarious. Dean, the pig, is a great send up on Frats and male chauvinism. You also get a lima bean, a gerbil, and the main character, Frank, is a duck. The best character, of course, is the very human Brandy.

If you've ever seen Liberty Meadows and enjoyed it in your newspaper, The Angry Years is even better.

With "Liberty Meadows" making a permament transition from comic strip to comic book at the end of 2001, folks who want to aquaint themselves with the new version could do worse than to pick up this collection of the strip that spawned it. "University Squared," Cho's first strip, is "Liberty Meadows" in a raw, unrefined and uncensored state -- a state the comic book may take a few steps towards once freed from the rigours of newspaper censors.

Even in its young form, though, Cho's strip shows again and again why he is held in such high regard. His characters are funny, his situations are original and he doesn't blanch from tackling weighty topics or rauncy issues whenever he wants. Get this, get "Liberty Meadows: The Big Book of Love" and then start getting the comic book.

I've been a fan of Liberty Meadows, the comic book that collects Frank Cho's syndicated comic strip of the same name, for years now, so when University Squared became available again, I pounced on it. It's kind of a weird companion piece to Liberty Meadows; not quite a prequel (these stories were from Cho's College newspaper), and although the characters have the same names in both books, there are weird differences: one character is a duck in this book, and a man in Liberty Meadows; another a lima Bean (!) here, a frog in Liberty Meadows. (It's really weird...)

There isn't a story, per se. The book follows the characters (Animals, attending school with Humans....)as they drink and carouse their way through campus life. The cartoons are much raunchier than the later Liberty Meadows strips; without the anal retentive syndicate to hamstring him, Cho can go all out with the gags. (Even the raunchiest of the strips never gets beyond a PG-13 level, though. So it is safe for older kids.) Cho manages to deliver some really good belly-laughs, and slips in a touching ending as well. Comic strip fans who find the daily funnies too whitebread are well advised to enroll in this University.

GOOD JOB, MONKEY BOY!!!!