Graphics Books

I can't believe I've had this book all these years and I've only finally gotten around to writing a quick review of it NOW. Suffice to say, it's a stumper. It was ground-breaking when the original web comic came out almost a decade ago, and remains as fresh-creative-exciting and charming today as it did today.

I would love to see a VOLUME TWO! That seems unlikely, on paper, but you can always see the poor cousin online version. Not the same for bedside reading, tho.

Charly, kiddo, yr still batting 100 or 400 or whatever is a good number for American baseball players to bat. It's not like percentages, is it? 100 doesn't equal everything, does it? I never understood numbers. Heck, I'm a WORD man, not a numbers man.

dig it out, it's worth it,
=link

I read Charley Parker's "Dinosaur Cartoons" and wanted to see what else he did. This book is beautiful. And the website, zark.com is spectacular. A must-read and a must-see.

In most cases, a comic book is done on paper, then converted into a virtual comic book. In this case, a virtual comic goes onto paper! The book contains the entire Book One of Argon Zark, a humorous comic book for those who enjoy and understand humor about the internet and computers. The characters are lovable and the plot is one of the best I've yet to see in a series comic book! Great pictures and very enjoyable. A must read!

ARGON ZARK! is a really well done book. It was originally done to be an all digital on-line comic, but there were so many people saying that it deserves to be something that requires...

No electricity required! No waiting for the server to connect! No download time! No RAM requirements! No software conflicts!

...and something that...

Won't crash or freeze! Is Y2K compliant! Is lightweight, portable, bendable, tactile! Take it on the bus, train, or airship! Read it under the covers with a flashlight!

...so, that is what he did and it turned out great and to be a big success!

Take it from someone who has read it and tried to figure out how he did it so well, you MUST read it! You won't be dissapointed!

-Ovi Demetrian

Argon Zark, The Delux, Portable, Cordless Souvenir Dead-tree Edition (i.e. book) more than makes up for the lack of hyperlinks, JavaScript, and slow downloads with:

1.Instant Gratification (just turn the page and you're there, duh!);

2.a postscript showing how some of the art is assembled, and explaining some of the in-jokes to the non-web-savvy;

3.and the thing we've all been waiting for: RESOLUTION!. These are no baby 50kB jpegs like we've seen on the Web! For this book, Charley Parker has gone back to the original pre-anti-aliasing ultra-high-resolution artwork, re-rendering it in eyepopping detail. Almost all the frames from the web are here (some of the hidden frames that rely upon animation to make their point and aren't really part of the story got cut), but with more detail, more luscious backgrounds, and more in-jokes that you can see clearly. Those of us who remember squinting at the anti-aliased Page 1, for instance, to make out tidbits like "Pretzel Logic" and "Marx and Lennon" can now show it to our friends...and can even see what's on the milk carton behind them!

The book format also facilitates a more restful appreciation of the art as connoiseur's comics art... for instance, the way in which changing style of borders around frames may anticipate a page boundary (e.g. last frame of p.31), activating the reader's semiotic radar. Bottom line: This is artwork to be treasured.

Matthew H. Fields, D.M.A.

17 April 1998

As an artist who uses color in my work, this book has been invaluable. The color wheel has always been my primary reference for color combinations; however, since reading Johannes Itten book, an entirely new world of understanding and enlightenment has evolved. I love this book for how it has enriched my knowledge and passion for color.

This book might be expensive, but what do you expect for such genius. I love this book, and would recommend it to anyone into color theroy. Itten is a color genius, and this book proves it.

This book of Johannes Itten is a good example of the use of colour in the antroposofic way. He connects the different colours with moods and feelings, religious symbols and even gives it a spiritual dimension. For me it was an eye-opener on the aspect of harmony. Itten emphasizes that the eye and mind are always looking for balance, harmony in the sense of a grey-tone. If a work of art does not reflect this kind of harmony, for instance because of a distonality in the use of colours, the eye and mind get restless and agitated. But if used on purpose this aspect of colour gives a work of art a very strong impact and makes it a masterpiece.[...].

A little expensive, but well laid out and designed. On quality paper. Thoroughly recommended.

I'd studied physiology and neuroscience, later switching careers from a medical path to that of a designer. I've dived into many sources for my self-education/training. Itten is the grand-master of color; no other book I've read compares to those of Itten. His teachings have enlightened me in ways that I'm amazed by, touching on scientific, psychological, behavioral, and the most personal aspects of color as a study and an experience. It's changed the way I look at my environment, and it's changing the way I use color in my work as a designer.

I'm so impressed with the value this book has had to me, that I bought Itten's book on Form and Design, even though I didn't necessarily feel lacking on those aspects of design. It's rather because of the likelihood in the quality and richenss of knowledge I'll gain, as I did from this book.

It has great poster-like images and screen shots, all of high quality. The original art is also superb. If you like Gundam Wing and want some extra art or if you want to draw something from Gundam Wing get this...and the technical manualGundam Technical Manual #1: Gundam Wing cause that thing has ALL the details about the machines and the story leading up to the show.

Hm... I happen to LOVE this book. I own it. Bought it at a different website (animenation.com) with a different cover, but it's the same pictures... And the pictures are great! There were quite a few I hadn't seen before (example 1: the one of Treize and Une's head from the side. example 2: one with both Milliardo and Zechs (Milliardo with his mask on) from the side and a full shot of Noin from the front). The whole thing is layed out very nicely. I give it... *drumroll* Ten out of ten thumbs up! Eh... Right. Anyway...

For all those die-hard Gundam fans who were disappointed with the three-volume manga, this will more than make up for it.

Like the title says, this book displays a collection of pictures -- original ones or screenshots from the anime -- that is, simply, the art of "Gundam Wing." The book does a good job of fairly balancing the pictures of the five pilots as well as other important characters. For those who surf the web a great deal, many of these pictures will be recognized immediately. And many people might also notice that the pictures are a lot crisper, clearer, and cleaner than some found on fansites, which is alone worth the price of the book.

However, there is also a good deal of pictures that have most likely not been found on the internet (although they probably will be soon because of people with scanners and a lot of free time). These pictures heighten the worth of the book, and the fact that they were drawn by the artists who worked on the anime makes it all the more satisfying. After all, where do the original artists take the time to add more of their talent to a collection of already-beautiful artwork?

All in all, there was only once complaint I had, and that was that the book was a little short. The book is only about 96 pages of art, with a brief interview with the artists. Despite this setback, the book is definately a must-have for anyone who's ever enjoyed the artwork and wants to gloss over it for days on end. Try and say something like that about "Pokemon"!

This is a really great thing to buy for any GW fan. The artwork is beautifull.....amazing.....there aren't enough good words to describe it.....I'm very happy that I bought it.....

This is a great book! It's worth the money! If you know Gundam like I do then you'll love this book. It has pictures from the Endless Waltz as well as some from the earlier movies. The pictures are very colorful and quite creative. Each character is given a few pages of pictures. If you are familiar with the pics on the trading cards, they're there too! Also the covers of the movies are included. I highly reccomend this book to anyone seeking help on drawing the Gundam Wing characters or just looking for a peice to add to their collection!

I am a fan of Naruto, which is why i bought this book. I also love to draw, etc. Although this book doesn't really teach to how to draw the characters, it is still a great book to just go through and say, "Wow, that's a really great cover!"

So, If you're a fan, then i recommend this. If not... then... go find something else...

This is a perfect item to be added to your collection if you are a Naruto die-hard fan. I said "die-hard fan", so if your just one Naruto fan, this one is probably not something you should quite consider to buy, since you'd think it'd waste your money later on.

This one is a collection of previously published Naruto arts, whether in Shounen Jump, tankonbon covers, and such. So if you want all those in one book, so this is for you.

All in all, I think this book would make a Naruto die-hard fans and Naruto fans under 13 happy. Period.

I was impressed with both the quality and contents of this book. Mr. Kishimoto not only provides readers with amazing art (colorful and huge!), but also a variety of thoughts and concepts behind each of the 75 drawings (how they relate to the overall Naruto world, technical art details, etc.) There are also bonuses: a detailed description of how the cover art was made, a gallery (small, greyscale) of Shonen Jump covers featuring Naruto, and interview material. Believe it!

Short and sweet: If you like the artwork of Naruto, you won't be disappointed with this book. I especially liked Masashi Kishimoto's walkthrough of the cover art and his interpretation of squad 7 as a rock band (although I would have made Sasuke the guitarist as the guitarist and singer are always vying for the camera's attention but that's a personal choice). Several of the pieces would be excellent poster fodder. Highly recommended!

My daughters (pre-teens and teens) likes these types of books. It's not my favotite but it's theirs. And to encourage their love in reading, I do allow them to read some books of their choices in additional to the more academic choices books.

I've been reading Asterix since I was a child, and I've never read a better comic. They're clever, silly and have great twists on words. I've picked up bits of history, Latin and enlarged my vocabulary without meaning to. These comics don't get old, even when read and reread. Now my kids and their friends read my Asterix collection and they're as absorbed as my friends and I were. The "Mansions of the Gods" is one of my top 3 picks, along with "Asterix and the Legionnary" and "Asterix and Cleopatra." Make sure to buy the Asterix written by Goscinny and illustrated by Uderzo. After Goscinny died, Uderzo continued both writing and illustrating these comics and they aren't as clever.

This is one of the best books in the series of Asterix adventures. Finally it has been translated to English so that it can be enjoyed in the US as well. This book is full of reliable historical details. For example, do you know that Caesar in his "De Bello Gallico" (translation: "About the war in Gaul") talks about himself using the third person? Well, Goscinny and Uderzo knew: this is one of the many "cultural" jokes in this beautiful comics book.
The graphic is also wonderful. I personally enjoy looking at the brochure presenting "The mansion of Gods" to possible buyers. Of course the brochure is engraved in marble.
Having read these books as a child in Italy I am looking forward to more translated adventures to enjoy reading together with my kid in the US.

Rene Goscinny, The Mansions of the Gods (Dargaud, 1971)

The seventeenth Asterix adventure, and (at least if you're going through the library system) seemingly the hardest to get hold of-- perhaps because the title doesn't have "Asterix" or "Obelix" in it. Caesar has a new plan for getting the Gaulish village to acquiesce-- develop the forest around it into Roman housing blocks called the Mansions of the Gods. All well and good, except, of course, the Gauls have some tricks up their sleeves for holding construction up, including organizing the workers. Fun stuff, this. ***

Great adventure for a great character as Asterix! Include it in your collection, it will be worth!

Originally done as a comic in a french childrens' magazine, the Adventures of Asterix the Gaul have grown beyond that small framework and can be enjoyed by peoples around the world. the idea is that in the world of 55BC all Gual has been conquored by the Romans, except for one small village which holds out against the invaders. The source of their survival is a magic potion brewed by the village Druid which gives the drinker superhuman strength. The gauls are not waging a war with the romans, they just go about theirl ives and after being thumped a few times, the local Romans are more than happy to let them do it.

in this adventure the Romans decide to try and force the gauls to intergrate with the Roman world by building luxery apartments near them. The thought is that when the guals are surrounded by woodlands, they cannot appreciate roman culture but by building Roman towns on their doorstep, they Gauls will be forced to accept the pax romana.

What follows are a series of adventures based on deforestation, colonization, and good neighbors. And if you ever thought your own building contractors were pirates or bandits...well.

This manga trilogy contained in one volume chronicles relationships between humans and genetically engineered people called Unicorns. In the title story, Regg lost his great love Addy in a tragic avalanche on a distant planet, so when her replacement clone arrives on the research station, he is conflicted because this Addy does not have the memories of the woman he loved, and yet he still loves her. In "4/4 (Quatre-Quarts)", young Mori is flunking out of the ESP training program until he meets the mysterious Unicorn girl called Trill. He's drawn to her, but she affects his powers, making them erratic and dangerous. When Mori discovers the secret Trill's guardian is hiding, he finds himself at a crossroads that could destroy his relationship with Trill. "X + Y" takes place years after "4/4" and finds Mori much older and working as a scientist. He meets another Unicorn named Tacto, and is quickly attracted to the young man, but uncomfortable with the notion of same-sex relationships. As the two young men puzzle out their own relationship and find ways to work together as scientists, they also unravel Tacto's hidden history. "A, A¹" is a fantastic romance manga that explores some intriguing questions about love, gender, and sexuality.

This manga is the best I've read in a while! The stories are unforgettable, and I highly recommend this manga to everyone who loves love stories. This is not a waste of money, and this is coming from someone who is quite careful on what she buys. BUY THIS NOW!! =D!

While most manga, even if you buy a 500 page perfect collection, is read and tossed in about 10 minutes, this is quite different. Of course this doesn't take any longer to read, it's just that the stories within touch a nerve and stay in your head for quite some time. The art and the writing are both equally beautiful. So instead of throwing money away on the next volume of Inu Yasha and forgetting about it 5 minutes later, try this. I think you'll be very pleasantly surprised.

Moto Hagio is one of the "HANA NO NI JUUYO-NEN GUMI", literally, the "Magnificent Twenty-Four-Year Group". "Twenty-Four Year" refers to Showa 24--1949. These women revolutionized shoujo manga in Japan and raised it to the level of a literary genre. As such, it certainly is fair to call Moto Hagio one of the greatest shoujo manga artists of Japan ever to live.

A, A' is the sole work by one of the HANA NO NI JUUYO-NEN GUMI to still be commerically available in English translation. It is a mature, insightful collection of 4 tales all unified by the presence of a member of a genetically-engineered race of variant human beings called "Unicorns", who all possess a sheaf of red hair and an inability to express the emotions that they feel. Even Unicorns can experience the love of another...but can they learn to love themselves...?

Hagio's storytelling is brilliant and beautiful, a masterpiece of rare intensity worthy of any reader's bookshelf. However, the reader should have an open mind. The HANA NO NI JUUYO-NEN GUMI are also renowned for their treatment of sexual ambiguity and male-male romance. This proclivity is clear in A, A'; still, I firmly believe that it is in good taste and treated with appropriate delicacy and understanding. There is nothing graphic in A, A'...only four emotionally powerful and majestic stories that will surely enrich the hearts and minds of any who take the time to partake of them. A, A' will move it's readers to laughter and tears.

I cannot recommend Moto Hagio's work highly enough. Please, if you are a person who likes great literature or good manga, give A, A' a try.

A, A Prime is a trilogy of short stories that are sci-fi and yet shoujo in nature. This is not kiddie fare though as mature themes like homosexuality come into play. In the first story, "A, A Prime", a young woman named Addy is killed on duty as a researcher in outer space. A clone of herself is sent to take her place. Generated from Addy's own cells and implanted with her memories, is this Addy truly Addy? Addy's lover Regg wonders. The second story, "4/4 [Quatre-Quarts]", is about a teenage boy named Mori. Mori can't seem to control his psychic abilities. That is, until he meets a beautiful girl named Trill. With Trill, Mori's powers are not only controllable, but amplified beyond comprehension. But Trill is not even human. The third story, "X+Y", features a young man named Tacto. Tacto has always been a guy, until a medical examination reveals that he has pre-developed female reproductive organs inside his body. But that can't be, can it? After all, medical records from his childhood all say that he's male. Besides, he's already got a girl he's interested in...

Although the three stories are separate, the premises in which they take place are the same. It is the future, and traversing from one planet to another is as simple as going abroad. Ms. Moto Hagio places another common denominator -- the Unicorn race. Unicorns look like humans, but they have a distinctive strip of red hair (their mane) in the middle of their heads. Unicorns were originally developed to handle computers, thus they were created without emotions to prevent errors. But as you'll see in the trilogy, Unicorns aren't as unfeeling as they are widely perceived to be. A, A Prime is a unique manga experience -- a truly seamless union of sci-fi and shoujo elements. A good grasp of scientific principles is evident in the way the stories are written. At the same time, A, A Prime manages to be emotionally charged. Ms. Hagio pulls off quite a feat, and she pushes it to the limit. The art is good, albeit quite different from what most of us are used to. No cutesy stuff here. Be warned that A, A Prime contains some homosexual themes. Not to worry, it's all tackled in a very tasteful manner, which is another positive point.

When I was 11 years old (that was three years ago) I was first introduced to B.B. Explosion and I fell in love with it! I waited and waited for a new book in the series to come out and it seemed time would never stop. Now that it is over and now that I am 14 I still believe that this series is very cute but it is no longer for my age range. I'd say this manga is made for people 7-12. I still have this series and I'm so GLAD to have. It's about a young girl that's 12 who is trying to follow and make her dreams of becoming a star and sharing her music to the whole world!

I wish they had decided to publish the sequel, it's such a cute series and I would have liked to see what happened officially between Takaya and Airi!

This book is one of the best childrens mangas written. It shines truth on the music buisness without saying it is pretty harsh. Most of the charactars in the book can be found in the real word. The school that the main character (Airi) goes to really exists! This book keeps reality in check while whisking you away on the dream of a girl. Anyway, will Airi sky rocket to fame? Or fall down? You can only find out if you read...

Ok, I was in borders yesterday and looked in the manga books. i found a book that had bad words in every page! ugh.. so I kept looking and saw this book. I flipped through it and looked on the back cover it said "all ages" for the reading level. I picked it up and ran to my dad to pay for it. during lunch I relized that hey, I chose a good book! the front cover may look a little odd but don't judge a manga by it's cover! it's good for girls age 10-13 and there's NO bad words! Trust someone who read the whole thing!! and I bought 2-5 with it. I defintaly spent my money on a treasure! so like, GO TO BORDERS AND SEARCH FOR B. B. EXPLOSION! YOU WON'T BE DISSAPONITED!

B.B. Explosion is my favorite graphic novel I own. Once you read it you will totally flip! Did you know most of the people in the book are real? Airi is real. Yu Yamanda is real and so is 'Da Pump'. Haven't seen anything about Yumi though! Read the others. Each english version comes out every three months!

As someone whom has seen many fascets to the entertainment industry, it is nice to see a fresh and innocent, yet VERY honest portrayal of the entertainment industry.

Airi is a young 12yr girl whom is obsessed with an entertainment show that broadcast in her homtown Okinawa. She obsesses over the hip and hot boy band on the show, and when an opne audition is announced to go to the Elite "Actors School" in Okinawa she goes in hopes of meeting her teen idol. :) Little does she know is that she in for far much more than she EVER expected.

She is mentored by a gaurdian statue named Caeser that comes to life and follows he around, he claims that ONLY people whom have what it takes to make it can see him. This adds a cuteness and somewhat fantastical character to it, that COULD undermine the story by making it see to fluffy, but it doesn't. It works with the story overall, and it is interesting to see how he's used throughout the series. :)

The great thing about this, is that it teaches you that, although the industry want someone to convey their own ideas and images, that need someone whom is comfortable in their skin, and not jsut a carbon copy of someone else. And it shows the hard work that goes on behind the scenes and the tears, without seeming soap-operish and trite, like some stories I've read. Because of its cast of young and well fleshe dout characters, it is a fresh portrayal of one girls climb to the top. :)

I would recomend this manga highly to anyone!!! I devoured the first 3 volumes in one sitting!!! It is worth every penny, and is worth re-reading, and is oppropriate for ALL ages. :D So if you're looking for something to read that is fun and fresh, and that has an overall positive message without being trite, pick up B.B. Explosion!!! :D

God Bless ~Amy

I loved this comic from start to finish. The story is brilliant the artwork unbelievable. It is amazing how well drawn it is. The artwork tells the story almost completely without words. The reviews are right on! All 5's!

This is the FIRST graphic novel to be published for the Kindle, and if BIRTH is any indication of what's to come in portable e-comics, then great things await!!!

This story of two alien societies is the prequel that sets the stage for the Novo: The Birth of Novo, from what I've read. I'll be buying Novo: The Birth of Novo in the very near future.

The story moves at a steady, even pace, not rushed or slow, and the artwork is stunning. I've written two ebooks on the subject of Kindle graphics (Graphics on the Kindle (Book 1 of the "Graphics on the Kindle" Series) and Formatting Comics for the Kindle (Book 2 of the "Graphics on the Kindle" Series). I've worked with MANY different artists in the past few months helping them improve their images on the Kindle, and I have to stay that this is the BEST artwork I've ever seen on this device.

ALTERNA COMICS should take a bow for taking the chance to be the FIRST graphic novel available on the Kindle, and for releasing such a well-done publication as the first of their many future Kindle ebooks. Their example should inspire and motivate other indie comic creators to follow suit and explore this emerging method of publication and delivery.

M Burgos,
Author
Graphics on the Kindle (Book 1 of the "Graphics on the Kindle" Series)
Formatting Comics for the Kindle (Book 2 of the "Graphics on the Kindle" Series)

I ordered this book based on the author's artwork he had done in another book. This book sat on my shelf for a couple of weeks before I finally go to it... this should have been at the top of my to read list.

This book doesn't contain a lot of dialogue and relies heavily on the artwork to tell the story, and it does so beautifully. A hint of sci-fi element but a definite parallel to the human race and how we treat each other. Blaming one another for our own faults and never taking responsibility.

I cannot recommend this book enough.

I'm ordering the sequel, 'Novo', today and I'll write a review for that one later.

The ultimate cautionary anti-war fable, blending fantasy and sci-fi elements into something wholly its own. Bracco's art is jaw-dropping eye-candy, and the story is a fantastic mesh of text and visuals. This is a tale made to be a comic - it'd be extraordinarily expensive as a film, and perhaps overly didactic as pure text, but as the graphic novel BIRTH, it's pitch-perfect. It's got style, atmosphere and ambiance to spare. And it's very intelligent and imaginatively executed. A book worth your time and money, no doubt whatsoever.

FYI - while BIRTH is entirely stand-alone, it also serves as the prequel/prologue to the new ongoing grpahic novel series Novo Volume 1: The Birth of Novo, which is also one incredibly conceived comic. Bracco's the next Frank Miller, Erik Larsen, Doug TenNapel, etc. Mark those words.

I love the story, which relates to us all in some period of our lives. I love the artwork which details strong, confident lines, I look foward to the continuation which has endless possibilities. I thoroughly recommend this to everyone who can truly stomach real life, ok maybe real life in another dimension or world, but real life indeed. This is not your ordinary comic. Check it out!

This book is great for the self taught person with significant insignificant questions. In completing this book, all those questions answer themselves. None of that "cutsie" just great tutorial. Instruction is easily to understand and follow. I've gone through the book a couple of times and discovered something new each time. When I finished with this book, I knew what I was doing and why.

Money well spent on this book.

Straigh-forward writing with no pretension. Some knowledge of 3D graphics vocabulary is helpful but not necessary.

Book is one example from beginning to end; presumably the author. Starts with some pictures and, step-by-detailed-step, ends with an avatar.

The only fault I found is that he doesn't mention Poser in the list of 3D modeling programs for human figures.

If you want to learn how to model a detailed digital human,this is THE book for you! You start out with totally empty viewports,and if you follow the book you'll end up having created a model with an incredible amount of detail.

The author explains in great detail the process of modelling every body part (head,neck,arms,hands,legs,feet and torso) with anatomical references where they're most important.

I wanted a book which I could use as a definitive guide to model a detailed and anatomically correct human body or body part,and I'll look no further when I have to do so. It's also got a clever chapter about modifying the same model to create very different ones, and a good chapter about texturing and UVW unwrapping. Finally, it refers to cloth and hair (somewhat briefly) and,no,it DOESN'T cover rigging. But it does cover, extremely well, human modelling, which is what mr.Brilliant had set out to do,I assume. Very very good!

I used this as a class textbook and it worked fairly well. This is not a single program book so this will work well with whatever program you model with. Although, depending on what you model with, depends on if you need to go out and find plug-ins that will do what he does. The book is really good going through step by step. Although there are some occasions where he leaps forwards ahead with really telling you what to do. Also, sometimes when he gives instructions, there aren't any images to go along with them, so you have to end up guessing what to do.
This is modeling for realism/cinematics and if you want to use this book to model in-game characters, you are out of luck. The was he teaches you to model is extremely high poly (especially in the head). The CD doesn't do much for you, it mainly just has naked pictures of the guy he models on it so you can copy exactly what he does. The book does give good information on the differences between modeling men and women, although it is fairly brief. He does go into UV mapping pretty good as well as modeling hair. The book doesn't, however, go into modeling clothing fairly well, just a short chapter. The book also doesn't even mention rigging, which I think is a crucial part in character modeling.

Given that you are already familiar with some type of modeling software, this book is the best resource you could have! The non-software specific approach of the book keeps it focused on the concepts of creating a good model rather than the user interface. Every detail of the body is covered with step-by-step diagrams, and a lot of it focuses on creating a topology that is animatable and will subdivide correctly (ie the mesh is mostly in quads). It also covers texturing, rigging, facial animation, both modeled and simulated hair, and simple clothing. The book discusses anatomy to the extent that it is needed to create a realistic model, and uses those concepts to demonstrate how the male model you create can be changed into a female, or into a fantasy character that looks completely different.

One thing that did make it a little difficult to use was that in the screenshots, the mesh was transparent and therefore you couldn't tell whether vertices were at the front or the back of the model. More screenshots with an opaque mesh would have made it easier to see the topology.

Overall, the explanations are concise and makes the task seem efficient, easy, and fun.

- The authors of the early chapters talk to you as if you're in highschool.
- Since most chapters are written by different authors, most material is redundant.
- Instead of getting to the point, they try to soften the material with anecdotes and jokes that are mostly immaterial and detract from the information I seek.
- Lists a whole bunch of contracts that are apparently required for a startup, then suggest talking to a lawyer, such as Buy/Sell char Contact. Then why did I buy this book?

+ Great reference for taxing, IP, and some contracts.

Skip all the other chapters and just look at taxing, Intellectual Property stuff, and contracts. That's where the value of the book is.

For anyone interested in understanding the business of video game development this book should be on the top of your list of things to read first. Written for the person trying to get into game development or the person in game development looking to start out on their own. It combines both the business and the legal fundamentals that you need to know to get started in video game development. Includes analysis of publishing agreements and EULA's that are extremely helpful to any game developer. Also includes things you need to know to protect your intellectual property rights and what kinds of things in video games can be protected. The book is not overly complicated and in fact it is written to be easy and fun to read. The authors are all experts in the fields of business and law of video games and you can tell they had a good time writing this book. One of the most interesting chapters includes helpful suggestions from leaders in the video game industry on things that they wish they would have known starting out as game developers. Overall this book is a must for game developers and fun reading for anyone that is interested in understanding the business of games.

This book was invaluable to me in learning about doing business in the video game industry and the concerns that a game development team will face.

While many books which discuss the video game industry will waver in their accuracy on any given subtopic due to the limited expertise of the speaker, this volume avoids that problem by having each chapter written by a different author, each with particular knowledge and experience with their chapter's subject. The Primer is written by more than a dozen experts, including game developers, business persons and law professors, each talking in plain English about the problems and solutions to difficulties and issues that will arise over the course of developing a game and starting a development company.

As a student, I have read a lot of textbooks in the last few years and being interested in the game industry I regularly read magazines and articles on game development. This book is neither of those. It is informative and helpful without being long-winded or wordy, serious in its expertise and insight but fun in its approach and writing. In short, it is the type of reading you will enjoy doing while learning the things you want and need to know about business and legal issues which arise in game development.

This is an enormously helpful book. It is one of the best intellectual property law and game development book on the market that I've read. It is an enjoyable as well as practical text.

Superb book. Enormously Practical text. The best intellectual property law and game development book on the market. A very healthy read. may change your whole perspective on business, games and life.