Graphics Books

This was a great comic book, It shows you Yoh when he was 4, he was so cute! I say, if you like shaman king, buy it!

I love Shaman King and everything but this book was just one long fight, even though the fight was really kool and everything it got boring after a while so if you like loooooonnnnngggg battles then this is a good book

Ok, here in the latino paradise I live in, there are no comics or books or nothing of Shaman King, only T.V series. Are there T.V series os SK in the states? Anyways, the names are somewhat different too, what you all call Asakura Yoh is "Io Asakura", his spirit that's with him, which in spanish is called "espiritu acompa?ante", is named "amidamaru". Then what's his face, no idea what his english name is, the dude with the the one-spike on his head, his name is "Len Tao", spirit? "Baz-n". Blue haired guy, "Horo Horo" (dont know what name his spirit holds but she keeps saying: cucurucu!), the gay guy, "Ryu". 'Lizer", the green haired guy, fairy's name is "Morfin". "Ana", "Io"'s girlfriend. "Manta", "Io"'s best friend, the little guy. And the cheetah kid, the one that tells jokes, "Chocolo" is his name, and he wants to bring: "la brisa de la risa". 'Jun Tao", "Len"'s siter. "Horo Horo"'s sister? no idea. And anyways, there weren't anymore series after Io finished with Hao (twin brother). So! not really sure what the other characters are! except for "Los soldados X", the group Lizer joined ages ago, with the leader princess character, "La Doncella"!

I am the frickn biggest fan of shaman king i have read every single shonen jump until i forgot about the 2nd volume when i read this i thought that it was awsome pretty long fight but interesting this volume has yoh,len.bai long,and a couple of more people but it is awsome it also tells you about bai longs kung fu master shalin (joto one).

If you haven't experienced the power of Shaman King yet, this second volume may or may not be a good place to start, but for all you action-buffs out there, Volume Two is right up your ally.

Starting after Yoh's fight with Ren, the reader is treated to a flashback to when Yoh was a young child and how he becomes obbsessed with his goal to becoming the Shaman King. We also get two new characters added to the already likeable cast: Anna, Yoh's strict and bossy fiancee and Jun, Ren's older sister who controls the corpse of famed action star Lee Bailong. Again, we are treated to another impressive battle with lots of hard punches, kicks and ghostly matches.

While this volume is basicly one big action-packed fight, a lesson is taught and learned (a common theme, no?). Still, one cannot admire and praise the art, story and characters that has put Shaman King on the map. More of the main character's personalities are revealed and Manta truly outshines Yoh in this department. While in the first volume he is shown as a wet blanket, he proves that this wet blanket has a strong backbone and will do anything for his friends! He proves this by risking his own safety while requiring a replacement sord for Yoh by getting into a fight with Ryu. Hey, what are friends for?

For anyone who became a fan through the anime, give the manga a go and see what you have been missing. For those who are already a fan of the manga, sit back and relax and take in all the action of this volume!

My son loves the Simpsons and wasn't too into reading. I thought what better way to get him into reading than buying him books about his beloved Simpsons. Sure enough he sat down with it and read it cover to cover without getting off the couch.

this is better than a lot of the newer simpsons episodes. it is a good fast read when you are bored.

This book literally left me speechless.
Once you start you literally can't stop.
I picked up the book and until i read
every last word of this amazing
"extravaganza of laughs" couldn't put it down.

This thrilling tale just gave and gave
and didn't ask for anything in return.

I absolutely,positively enjoyed every aspect of this book because it was full of jokes,laughs and skits.

IF YOU HAVE ANY SENSE OF HUMOUR YOU WILL LOVE THIS BOOK!

PS: I GIVE A STANDING OVATION TO THE CREATORS OF THIS "EXTRAVAGANZA OF LAUGHS".

This book is so funny! As I read it, I had a hard time not laughing my head off, while rolling on the floor. Yes, its that FUNNY! Its big too, 7 or so comic strips, and each strip is like 20 big pages, its like reading a book, but better. If you want a good laugh, get this book NOW! The one thing bad about this book is: NOTHING!!!

This book is jam-packed with Simpsons Comics! It is 174 pages; 30% bigger than most Simpsons Comics books! And the quality of the comics has not gone down one iota. Here's what you get in this book:

"The Geek Shall Inherit the Earth": Springfield's top three nerds, Doug, Gary, and Benjamin (Homer hung out with them in the TV episode "Homer Goes to College") are finally forced to leave the secure confines of college to venture into the real world. They end up in Homer's garage. Soon, they become millionaires after creating a violent computer game. While pursuing investment ideas, which includes a sci-fi motion picture that may be too scientifically correct, they leave their business in the hands of Homer. Good idea? What do you think?

"The Absent-Minded Protester": Grandpa is tired of being ignored, so he tries a new way to express his ideas that makes Bart proud.

"Dullards to Donuts": Mr. Burns' research lab produces a donut with powerful addictive qualities. When Burns cuts off the donut supply to his employees, they will make any concession to get them back. The proceeding trial includes appearances from conservative talk show host Birch Barlow (his followers are called "Echo Drones"), Lard Lad, and the mob.

"Sense and Censorability": As punishment for doing a lousy job on his oral biographical report, Bart has to present an historical research project with Homer! When they find their sources from the "Adults Only" section of the comic book store, Watch Out!

"Sideshow Simpsons": With Krusty's sidekicks on strike, Krusty shoots his prime time network special from the Simpsons' house.

"In Search of the Lost Donut Holes": Cute and clever short that has advertising icon and donut connoisseur Lard Lad and friends traveling to "dimensional gateways" through the universe in search of the missing donut holes. Comic includes slogans, editor's notes, and "Brain Glazer" puzzles.

"Bart Simpson and the Krusty Brand Fun Factory": Bart, Ralph, Barney, Nelson and their choices of "legal guardians or parole officers" win a tour of Krusty's new cherry soda factory. Bart chooses to take grandpa so Homer goes with Barney posing as Barney's mother. But, wait. Someone tries to hack into the computerized factory with his prison laptop! Why, it's Sideshow Bob!

"The Homer Show": Taken from the Jim Carey movie, a group of TV execs find Homer the subject of a plethora of videos sent to the Funniest Home Movies program. They plan on creating a 24 hour a day TV show around him, but must get the entire town to cooperate.

"Slobberwacky": Old fashioned style poem featuring many Simpsons characters.

This is a great general resource for learning to use and program Director MX. I beleive the title is misleading, however, because it is not the only book you will ever need and because it is not just about using Director MX, it is about programming with Lingo as well.

Two things I like about this book are the coverage of Multiuser programming and networking. One thing I did not like that much was the slim coverage of 3D programming; nevertheless, for a general Director book, it is great and pretty easy to understand and follow.

The book covers all the software functions and almost all the lingo functions exists.
The code sources are good and clear, and the language the book written is clear to read and understand for none English native.

Thanks for this book!

I hope adobe will not kill director...

This is a great book on your way to understanding Director. Its a well designed and not too hard to follow book.

This is a great reference book - the author says it is not really meant to be read all the way through and it is described as not for beginners, but I think any Director user except perhaps the most advanced could benefit from this book either as a reference or complete read or both. I especially like all of the side notes scattered throughout the book, plus the troubleshooting and Did You Know? sections at the end of each chapter. His descriptions of some components of Lingo were the first I've read that I really understood. He also includes 7 bonus chapters and a Lingo reference on the CD! This book is packed with info, and even though it is now one version of Director behind the current one, I still recommend having it on your reference shelf. If you really use Director for either work or play, you won't regret it!

I really don't have to get into detail. This is the book you want to have when you need something to go back on and read. This is the 1st book that helped me the most i only used 4 books but this one was the one that made me go back and read up again and me as a person that hates to read, I learn a ton of stuff from this very book. I'm telling you right now no one here can tell you all the details this one book has but if you pick it up and read it you will see for your self that this book is worth more then it cost. He even has a mixure of games inside the cd its crazy. This book chills in my back pack when i need some lingo codes and which im back in director for the 3d field im just useing it to bring back the old codes which this book holds. All i can tell you is that this is a great book for director and perhaps one of the best i have encounter you won't regrate it trust me on that.

Wow what a book, if you are planning in just buying one thing get this, it's well worth your time, what a wonderful read!

Once upon a time there was a Marvel Comic about a creature called "Spider-Woman" that was pretty bad ("How bad?" I hear you ask; it made Krypto the Superdog look like a prize-winner). In this trade paperback we are introduced to "Spider-Girl," which is supposed to constitute "the next generation of Spidey excitement" because this time around the female web-spinner is the daughter of the original Spider-Man ("How can this be?" I hear you ask; keep reading and stop interrupting me). The phrase "this time around" is key because this storyline, which collects issues #0-8 of "Spider-Girl," is set in the future. This is a future in which a lot has happened and not everything we know still holds true. Case in point: In the battle in which Green Goblin/Norman Osborn was killed, Spider-Man was seriously injured and while Reed Richards was able to save his life, Peter Parker lost a leg. Of course the head of the Fantastic Four came up with a pretty good replacement, but Spider-Man retired and now he has a high school aged daughter (named May, naturally), who suddenly has the ability to do a backboard-shattering dunk on the basketball court. Could the fact that her father is Spider-Man have anything to do with it? You think?

Tom DeFalco authored these first nine adventures and the chief attraction of "Spider-Girl" is nicely summed up on the back cover with the declaration that Peter Parker did not know what it meant to climb walls until his daughter put on his Spider-Man costume. So we have a retired superhero repeatedly trying to ground his daughter so she will not go out and fight crime, a nice twist on the old parental dictum, "do what I say and not what I did." "Mayday," as she is known, must have already been a source of aggrevation to her father Peter already has a streak of white in his hair, and a goatee, when the story begins. Of course, this leaves Mary Jane in the middle and one of the nice things about this collection is that it ends at what will clearly be considered the end of the opening act of Spider-Girl's career.

Long time readers of Marvel comics will find some interesting glimpses of the future in DeFalco's stories, as Peter and his daughter cross paths with the Fantastic Five headed by the Human Torch and Darkdevil, who is apparently no relation to the late Daredevil. Meanwhile, the Kingpin might be in prison but by no means is out of the picture, and Flash Thompson is Mayday's basketball coach. The first issue is co-plotted by penciler Ron Frenz (with finished art by Bill Sienkiewicz), while the rest of the issues are drawn by Pat Olliffe and inked by Al Williamson (competent, but nothing special). Overall, these first issues establish the foundation for the rest of the series by figuring out the relationship between father and daughter. The supporting case of characters is being fleshed out (May has a crush on Franklin Richards), and the one thing the series is clearly missing at this point are some defining villains. But DeFalco should be able to come up with those in due time.

This trade collects the first 8 issues (and origin story) of Marvel Comics highly contagious Spider-Girl comic book series. Why they don't publish more of her adventures is beyond me. These stories of a very likable young superheroine are thrilling to this middle-aged comic reader and should be to very youngest of readers. Forget about finding a bad review of this one - every one who reads it loves it! The stories are done in Tom Defalco's "one and done" style. This means they don't drag on and on like most of today's comic book yarns.

The stories are very reader friendly, done in a very lighthearted style. You won't find grim and gritty adult stories here, only fun stories that are apporpriate for the whole family. Highest recommendation. Makes a great present, too.

Hi, there! I'm Frank, and I'll be fillin' in for Zaggy while he catches all the arenaball action at the local pizza parlor. My review for this week is one of my all-time fave comic books: Spider-Girl! Y'know, there's only two kinds of girls I really dig: chicks who look kinda like John Denver, and chicks who look kinda like Spider-Girl™! Yep, I sure enjoy readin' the adventures of May "Mayday" Parker™ and her Spandex™-clad, crime-fightin' alter-ego! Boy, does she-- uh, what's that you say? You say you're kinda gagged out by my romantic thoughts about some fictional comic-book character? Sorry `bout that, it was the Pepto-Bismol talkin'...

Anyway, I really like this here trade paperback collection of the series' first eight issues (& issue #0). Now I can read the stories without messin' up my near-mint original single issues! And what neat stories they are: there's plenty of family strife as young May tries to carry on the legacy of her dad (Peter Parker, the original Web-Head) over her parents' adamant protests! Throw in her duties of trying to keep the peace between two of her high school buds, the return of the Green Goblin (3rd generation) and Venom, the high-school janitor turning into a big ol' dragon-thingy that proceeds to trash most of the campus, and a few new faces on both sides of the super-powered fence, and you've got... uh... a lotta stuff to read. And a lotta really colorful drawings to go with the words, too... can't forget to mention that. But then again, it is a comic book, right? At least I remember Spider-Girl bein' a comic book. Just to make sure, I'd better take another look at the trade paperback that I've got with me. OK, let's see now... there's pictures, word balloons, big ol' fights between costumed superbeings... yep, it's a comic book all right! Won't Zaggy be proud when I tell him I figured that out all by myself!

Oops, gotta go-- my break's up, and Ro'y's got a few more tasks for me to complete. He says if I do a really good job, he'll spring for my Mickey D's value meal-- super-sized, no less! It doesn't get much better than that...

G'Bye

I'm not a huge comic book geek, but I know great writing when I see it. Tom DeFalco is a highly skilled but highly underrated writer. The stories are fun and wonderful--like comic books used to be before everything went "Ultimate" or "Mature" or "Anime". More than that, though, there's a lot of depth to these stories that, while not neccessary to its enjoyment, is rewarding to anyone who digs beneath the surface. Little kids and grey-haired adults are reading this--a firm testament to the simple complexity of the stories and the skill of the writer. It's a continuation of the Spider-Man story with a new generation in May "Mayday" Parker, Peter Parker's daughter. The universe isn't mainstream Marvel--which turns away a lot of comic book traditionalists, but they're losing out. The characters are real, and their emotions move the reader. The themes are timeless. The fun is contagious. EVERYBODY can read this, and get something out of it. What are you waiting for? Buy it now!

It's 300+ pages of excellent Street Fighter art & material- a must-have item.

Highlights here for me...
*Character art & info- Especially great work by Kinu, Akiman, and Bengus, but many artists contribute great material.
*Black & White drawings- I love the limited amount of black & white material here, as well as the extensive full color art.
*All main SF video game versions- Including the original SF, Street Fighter II and its many versions, SF Alpha I-III, and SF III.
*Video game screen shots & endings- Near perfect text & screen shots of these great & memorable classic video games.

This 15th Anniversary Street Fighter Eternal Challenge needs to stay in print! It's an excellent book worthy of multiple printings. I highly recommend searching everywhere for a decent price. 5 stars!

If you have any interest in the artwork of Street Fighter, game character design, or game design artbooks, I think you will love this book. The artwork is amazing! I have been drawing and collecting Street Fighter artwork since I first played the game as a kid in the 90's. I have since stopped playing video and computer games completely, but I never completely stopped drawing these characters. This book was well worth the $18 I paid for it and I especially recommend it to artists (of any level) with an interest for game character design.

it's mos def a must-have for any street fighter nut. there's concept art, character profiles, interviews with the creators and artists, all on silky glossy paper. however, it seems kinda rushed, there are SO many typos and errors and crap, but it isn't really that big a deal
recommended

This is a MUST for any hardcore Street Fighter fan. Tons of amazing art, which chronicles the entire series and loads of fun interviews just busting with behind the scenes info and reasons why characters were changed from version to version.

As for the book itself, it is of HIGH quality paper and is book bound. I have not seen the other version of this book also available on Amazon.com, but I can honestly say that this version is printed on nice thick paper (not sure just how thick, or what true diehard art fans consider nice paper) and makes all the art look really great.

Buy this now!! You will NOT be disappointed! ^_^

this book is sick, no complaints whatsoever. it has everything you need to know about street fighter, yea there are some spelling errors and sum corny translations but its a small price to pay for such a good book, cop it and be happy u did.

Tales From the Dark Tower is not a book.

Tales From the Dark Tower is a work of art.

Wow... I never thought I'd start a book review like that. But then again, I never quite expected to read something like Tales From the Dark Tower, either. Because it was truly a sweet experience; one of the best ones I've had so far in my career as a book reviewer.

Well, then, what's so great about it? Let me put it this way: it's hard something that is NOT great about it. Everything, from the beautiful artwork on the cover and throughout the book (all done by genius Joseph Vargo) to the quality of the paper to the stories themselves; it's all top quality and I cannot think of a single thing that I don't like about the whole thing. Not one.

And that makes writing a review quite difficult. Why? Because there's simply not very much to say about the piece except that it's a definite must-buy. I don't usually say that; in fact I rarely say that at all, but this time I have no choice but to face the pleasant facts: I loved it. From the first page to the very last. Several different authors contribute with stories, and they're all masters of their craft.

Sure, some people might think the stories are goth-cliché. After all, they are all very much alike, both in setting (in or around the Dark Tower) or in the way the different authors present their ideas (haunted cemeteries, pale and beautiful gothic beauties, forbidden love that forever haunts the unfortunate ones, dark and sinister clouds that blocks out the sun, scary gargoyles staring down at the mortals, and so on). But then again, Tales From the Dark Tower IS a gothic collection, the authors are goths, the readers are goths, it's all a big gothic get-together and thus the stories should and could not be written any other way.

As I write this I have the book next to me on the desk. It looks beautiful. And I'm jealous on all the people out there who have still to discover it. I usually don't read a book twice, but this time I think I have to reconsider.

And I hope a sequel one day will see the light of day. Or rather, the darkness of the night

Tales From the Dark Tower is not a book.

Tales From the Dark Tower is a work of art.

Wow... I never thought I'd start a book review like that. But then again, I never quite expected to read something like Tales From the Dark Tower, either. Because it was truly a sweet experience; one of the best ones I've had so far in my career as a book reviewer.

Well, then, what's so great about it? Let me put it this way: it's hard something that is NOT great about it. Everything, from the beautiful artwork on the cover and throughout the book (all done by genius Joseph Vargo) to the quality of the paper to the stories themselves; it's all top quality and I cannot think of a single thing that I don't like about the whole thing. Not one.

And that makes writing a review quite difficult. Why? Because there's simply not very much to say about the piece except that it's a definite must-buy. I don't usually say that; in fact I rarely say that at all, but this time I have no choice but to face the pleasant facts: I loved it. From the first page to the very last. Several different authors contribute with stories, and they're all masters of their craft.

Sure, some people might think the stories are goth-cliché. After all, they are all very much alike, both in setting (in or around the Dark Tower) or in the way the different authors present their ideas (haunted cemeteries, pale and beautiful gothic beauties, forbidden love that forever haunts the unfortunate ones, dark and sinister clouds that blocks out the sun, scary gargoyles staring down at the mortals, and so on). But then again, Tales From the Dark Tower IS a gothic collection, the authors are goths, the readers are goths, it's all a big gothic get-together and thus the stories should and could not be written any other way.

As I write this I have the book next to me on the desk. It looks beautiful. And I'm jealous on all the people out there who have still to discover it. I usually don't read a book twice, but this time I think I have to reconsider.

And I hope a sequel one day will see the light of day. Or rather, the darkness of the night.

I have to start by saying that I have wanted this book forever. I am a big fan of Joseph Vargos, who amoung us has not seen his art at places like Hot Topic? A friend and I even exchanged postcards done by Vargo as our primary means of communication. His art is beautiful and most of his well known works are contained in this anthology in plate form. The quality of the paper lends itself well to the art prints and those are stunning. Had the volume been slim and only contained his art, I would have given it 5 stars.

However, since the work is also an anthology I feel I have to be fair and review it as a book, too, and I have to be honest, I have read better. There is a wide range of stories in this volume. Let me start by listing all the works with their authors so if you are looking for a specific author, you'll know if they are here. There is **The Dark Tower by James Pipik and Joseph Vargo **Born of the Night by Eric Muss-Barnes **Vampire's Kiss by Christine Filipak and Joseph Vargo **Masque of Sorrow by Christina Filipak **Shadows by Joseph Iorillo and James Pipik **Sentinels by James Pipik and Joseph Vargo **Sorrow's End by Jalone J. Haessig **Noctem Aeternus by Robert Michaels **Nightwatcher by James Pipik **Vesper Tolls by Joseph Iorillo **Sanctuary by Russell Norotny **Lilith by Joseph Vargo and **Watcher at the Gate by Joseph Vargo.

The stories are connected together by a single thread, which is the history and occupants of the Dark Tower. Some are undead, some are alive (though usually not for long) and all have tales of sorrow and morality to tell. Most of the stories are good, though I felt that many could have stood on their own without being connected to the Dark Tower. I even thought that once or twice the authors wrote the stories as stand-alones and then added elements to make it connect to the anthology. I think most interesting were the stories by Joseph Vargo. It's interesting to see what went through his mind, the stories behind his paintings as hold by him. Ultimately, I think my only complaint is I wanted the quality of the writing and stories to match Vargo's art, and that is nearly impossible. His art is so beautiful that it is very difficult to reach that level with another art form -writing.

I would recommend this book just for the Vargo plates alone, especially since Amazon now has the paperback for $16.99. The art is worth it.

So buy it, curl up on a dark and stormy night, and enjoy.

It's got great tales, awsome art work, and sexy scenes. You can't get any better than this.

I am not actually Mike, I'm his 14 year old daughter, just so ya know.... I found the book at Hot Topic and i just HAD to buy it. (It was only 15 dollars at the time, so go to hottopic.com to buy it, it is still like 4 dollars cheaper!) This book is absolutely AMAZING! If you are into gothic "fantasy" this is definitely the book for you! It is full of lavish illustrations bu Joseph Vargo of Monolith Graphics...I couldnt put the book down once i opened it! The various authors -including Joseph Vargo- do a wonderful job of painting a mental picture for you with their words. I would recomend this story to anyone looking for an extremely well put together book, but the squeamish should probably stay away, because of excess blood spillage. ... I would read it a thousand times, maybe more..if only i had the time.. Anyway, its a great read!

You may also be interested in The Gothic Tarot. Joseph Vargo came up with and illustrated it all by himself! His talents are unbelieveable! ...You can get the Gothic Tarot from Hot Topic or hottopic.com, when i purchased the deck it was only $16!!

A Pleasure. Very smart - wonderful writer/artist. A very minor comment, I wish the pages were a bit thicker so the text from the under side of the page wouldn't show through the drawings. Of course though then the book would be very thick. Enjoyable still.

I think the book is beautiful and very well done.
Thurber was a great writer and his works are worth reading.
I have a bit of personal interest in this, though since he was
my father's 2nd cousin. Looking at Thurber's photo in the book
is like looking at my brother's face when he was a young man.

James Thurber's brand of humor often went under the radar -- he didn't have scintillating wordplay, goofy puns or juvenile humor. (No offense to you, Mr. Barry -- I love your work too). But, as "James Thurber: Writings and Drawings" demonstrates, the subtle approach worked just as well.

Thurber wrote and drew so much during his lifetime that this book is actually not a full collection, but a sort of "Best of" collection. Thurber turns a satirical eye at sex, marriage, men who bark like dogs, old ladies who foretell doom, some rather dry little fables and spoofs, and a look at how the Civil War might have ended if Grant had been recovering from a bender. Not to mention the entire text of Thurber's children's novel, "The 13 Clocks," a slightly twisted fantasy about a young prince who must rescue the Princess, with the help of the nonsense-spouting Golux (who is not a mere device).

Admittedly, not all of them are strictly meant for humor -- "My Life and Hard Times" is a short, entertaining autobiography, without the excuses and ego trips that many autobiographies have. There are also bittersweet memories, such as the story of a faithful dog that Thurber had when he was very small.

There are also quite a few pictures -- Thurber had a cute, rounded kind of style, without a lot of details. One example is "The Last Flower," an anti-war parable in which after a devastating war, civilization falls and people forget everything, even love. Not all the cartoons are as quietly grim, however -- one is a man, woman and child romping through various obstacles together, as well as several standalone cartoons.

"James Thurber: Writings and Drawings" shows Thurber off to best advantage. It's a great collection not only because Thurber was a wonderful humorist, but also because the pieces in here show the full range of what he could do. Included are humorous anecdotes, personal reflections, tributes, sad stories, fables fiction, and funny little cartoons -- it shows what a versatile writer he was. Not just a humorist, but a writer.

And a cartoonist as well -- Thurber was able to draw entire picture books that had no set story, but could be interpreted as the reader wished. Most of his cartoons were more relaxed, with a sort of rounded, simplistic style that looks like he doodled them while he was thinking.

"James Thurber: Writings and Drawings" is not only a good collection of this now-legendary writer's work, but a good introduction to Thurber as well. Definitely worth checking out.

One should never confuse writing with a light touch for comic writing. Thurber expressed dislike for the word "humorist" and I can understand why. When I read his writing, it is clear that the effect is intended to talk about serious things, not weighty things, but with a light touch. He makes his point by putting on the coat and hat of someone and wearing it in a way that points out how ridiculous it is, after all.

For example, our age has been obsessed with sex for, well, the obsession sort of defines our age, right? Thurber's first published work was with E. B. White on "Is Sex Necessary?" and basically mocks the discussions of sex by supposedly serious analysts. He refers to the problems between men a women as a product of pedastalism and that there were diversions created by women and men to distract them from their desire to get together. Men developed hobbies and became devoted to sports, and women distracted men by making fudge. There are also early Thurber drawings that became such an effective part of his work and his fame.

This collection was put together by a very appropriate editor, Garrison Keillor. He has a wonderful ear for the kind of thing Thurber was after and has selected well. Most of the book contains selections, but there are four complete works. And there is a rich sampling of Thurbers drawings. We get examples of Thurber's writing over the 1920s through the 1950s. The collection has a great sampling of his writing about the struggles between men and women, which was a wonderful topic for the times in which he wrote. But we also get his wonderful fables for our time and the popular writings he wrote for children. However, unlike the jelly filled sweet pastries our time provides for children, these have more pain and harshness. While they are not fairy tales such as the brothers Grimm, they do have similar bite.

If you don't know James Thurber, you owe it to yourself to get to know his writing. First of all, it is fun to read and the cartoons a style unique to him. Second, while he is not as famous now as he was, his work remains strong and an important contribution to American letters. This is a fine collection and very much worth having.

The Chronology of Thurber's life and the notes about sources and texts also make a solid contribution to our enjoyment of the text and help us understand some of the names and events that were quite topical at the time the piece was published, but have faded into the mists of time since then.

Enjoy!

Reviewed by Craig Matteson, Ann Arbor, MI

I've often thought that Thurber doesn't get the credit today that he deserves as a writer. This is probably because his works are not "deep" in terms of meaning or content. His mastery of language, though,is superb, and his stories are some of the most hilarious and best written I have ever read. I can read many of them over and over and still laugh out loud! His cartoons are clever as well. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone interested in humor and 20th century American literature.

I purchased this book and its two sequels for my ten-year-old nephew, who can read fairly well but is not enthusiastic about reading. He liked the books well enough, but I wondered if they would get him to read. Well, today I got his thank-you note, and he is already on the second book of the series! I think the format is what draws in reluctant readers: he likes the text, but the comic part really turns him on. I look forward to the next book in the series.

Excellent book and series for the younger reader. An adult could read the entire book about an hour plus.

One of the things I like most is the lack of fantasy. Sure much of the story is fantastic and the science is minimal, but nobody is pulling out a spell and whipping up some magic.

Many of this current generation is superstitious and believes in horoscopes, aliens, good luck charms, witches, magic, and what have you. It's just nice to enjoy a book that wasn't influenced by Harry Potter and the many fantasy writers and movie makers.

The series, in a way, reminds me of a Carl Barks Uncle Scrooge adventure. It has the charm and style of something written 40 years ago. The art is reminiscent of the late great American artist, Basil Wolverton.

Since it is part-comic and part-book, it is a gateway book for young readers. Hopefully they will love the adventure and develop a love for reading.

It is a refreshing, far-fetched adventure that readers of all ages will enjoy.

Just as a recommendation, buy the hardback. It doesn't cost much more and will be more durable over the years. But, factor in that after this first book, your young reader will be asking for the next books.

We discovered this book today at the library and read it in one full swoop, and it is fantastic and sweet and exciting. The graphics added to his enjoyment enormously. He is just starting to read, but I read 98% of the book out loud with him in one hour and forty-five minutes, and we will read it again and again. This is a book we will actually purchase along with the new one (volume two). And we will wait anxiously for volume three to hurry up and arrive. We have already loved and read all of Capt Underpants and all of the Magic Tree House books. We are thrilled to discover this brilliant adventure.

Remember the scene in 12 Monkeys when Bruce Willis went up into the "real" world and took samples from what used to be modern day New York City - remember that the planet was seemingly taken over by animals, and that was the ultimate root of concern for our human existence? Do you remember? It was a wild concept that has only been briefly touched in a handful of other films, but finally, the envelope is opened in a cross-over graphic novel/young adult story that bends the mirror of existence while leaving you licking your lips for more. By mere chance I picked up this opening volume excited about the end of humankind, but also about flipping the page to both illustrations and story. This book reminded me of a cross between those "Illustrated Classics" and the most recent young adult story (which should sweep the nation), "The Inventions of Hugo Cabaret" by Brian Selznick. While it is not as developed as Selznick's work is, what makes this story work is the unique combination of graphic novel form and modern storytelling. It allows you to see the work, as well as read into the character's minds and emotions. As graphic novels become a stronger medium in our culture, I believe these books are going to become more common place, so open your eyes, and begin your journey with the small, yet vibrant, Thelonious Squirrel.

"The Fog Mound" does pull from common storybook clichés from the moment it opens, but still is successful with pulling the reader deep into the unknown. With our unknown heroine attempting to lay the foundation of the story by describing his excitement behind learning the legends of why humans no longer exist on planet Earth provides us with a creepy feeling of a post-apocalyptic world. What we would take for granted, our hero, Thelonious believes to be nothing more than honest "fairy tales". As he tries to convince others, a storm comes through which washes him to a neighboring town that was once a huge infrastructure of modern civility. Thelonious is lost, bewildered by the sights, scared beyond his wildest dreams, and nearly becomes a slave to the Lizard Queen, until he meets up with a fellow friend named Fitzgerald. Fitzgerald is a porcupine that welcomes Thelonious into his home, a warm bed, and some canned food. Thelonious is grateful, and begins to read some of the books in Fitzgerald's home out of sheer curiousness. He learns of a bear with a flying machine that may get him closer to being home. That bear is Olive, a native of the Fog Mound that is attempting to return home. The three decide to make the pilgrimage together, and with the clueing eye of Thelonious, they discover a map that will make them all happy.

Alas, disaster strikes, the map goes up in flames, and all these displaced mammals have to show for is the kindness from a peculiar stranger named Brown. Brown is a lizard that has just happened to show up at the most opportune times. With a destroyed human city behind them, the band of motley heroes continue their journey back home - which leads to some suspenseful surprises and a cliff-hanger that will keep you guessing in waiting until the author decides to release the next chapter. Arg - this is where a time machine would be helpful.

Through a stumbled mess I found this book and I couldn't be happier. It is very juvenile story with events happening with massive doses of coincidence and convenience, while the threat of actual danger seems to be candy coated more-so than in other stories of this nature, but this reader loved every turning page. For an adult, this story should only take about an hour to finish, but it is because the story consumes every part of you. I found myself turning the pages faster near the end as I attempted to put whatever pieces of the puzzle may be found. What makes this story stand out is the simplistic nature of both our heroines and their plight. It has the potential to evolve, a major struggle most books of this nature cannot seem to grasp, and it is a bleak story. Something has happened to the human race, and it hints towards several possibilities that are relevant in today's society, and without a direct answer it is frightening. The last couple of chapters will further confuse you on possibilities and theories, but it is that second-guessing that makes you enjoy this book from front to back.

Overall, I cannot give this book enough praise. While I can see where most of the pitfalls are for this story (i.e. the lack of depth surrounding our central story), for me it was more than just that. The cross between graphic novel and story was brilliant. The illustrations weren't gorgeous, but they did the job. In fact, I looked forward to the graphic novel elements the most because it helped solidify my thoughts of what was happening to our characters, as well as seeing their environment. I strongly suggest this book to parents that want to read to their kids, to those experimenting with the idea of "good" graphic novels, and to a wide range of children/young adults. This is a crossover series that I believe has the potential for greatness. I look forward to Thelonious, Fitzgerald, and Olive in their next adventure, oh, and also Brown!

Grade: ***** out of *****

They say the book is for Ages: 8 - 12 and Grades: 3 - 7 . But when I spotted this book in the bookstore I immediately wanted to pick it up and read it for myself ! For one, the illustrations (especially the cover) were beautiful! It reminded of the retro children's books of my day (well Im 24) I think this book is colorful and adventurous and humorous for even adults to enjoy (especially if you're a child @ heart) and we all can learn something from these talking animals ! The cliffhanger at the end was nice .. I cant wait to read book 2 ! I didnt know this book just came out this month. So Im now a fan in anticipation ! lol
My boyfriend couldnt wait til finished the book to him so he went and got his own copy too lol.

A very broad book on design, the content is insightful and thorough. The best part of this book is the timeline. I was especially inspired by the last entry. Why is the letter "i" upside down on the cover?

quite possibly the finest book i have ever been in the preface of

TYPE IN USE by Alex White transcends the trendy DTP "how-to" bookshelf with the real story on how to craft truly fine pages of typography! The first edition was the top selection for publication designers in The Designers' Bookshelf of The Design Center, but has been out of print for more than two years. Now this important work is back, and the editors at graphic-design.com agree -- Type In Use is the essential book for anyone who wants to really understand how to make typography do what it's supposed to do! . . . Alex writes: "Our job [as designers] is to compose elements to make them maximally interesting and comprehensible. 'Maximally interesting' does NOT mean 'Hey, Wow! Pop! Zoom!' It means revealing the content of the story instantly and efficiently." . . . Type In Use will train you how to accomplish that goal. You'll know where to put type on the page, and how to put it there. But unlike any other book in the past 25 years... Type In Use will tell you WHY! If your goal is persuasive, successful publishing, don't wait for this one to go out of print too... just click up there and buy it NOW. You will be very glad you did.

As a newbie to typography, I found "Type in Use" to be an excellent introduction to the field. It's written in a clear and concise manner; though it's straightforward and easy to understand, I didn't feel as though the information was watered down, either.

At least half of the book consists of pictorial examples, which serve to illustrate the principles laid forth in the text. There's also a good deal of "white space," which demonstrates White's ability to practice what he preaches. As a result, the book isn't too heavy on actual text. Nonetheless, White has an envious ability to express himself succinctly, efficiently, and in as few words as possible - so the lack of actual reading doesn't pose a problem.

The book's divided into twelve chapters, with one each focusing on the following topics: text; headlines; subheads; breakouts; captions; department headings; covers; contents; bylines and bios; folios and font lines; web typography; and the history of type. White begins each chapter with a discussion of the fundamentals, and then turns to real-life examples to help illustrate his points. A short paragraph accompanies each picture, and all are arranged in an organized, pleasing manner.

I only have two issues with "Type in Use." The text which sits alongside the examples is printed in red as opposed to black (black is the color of the introductory text). I'm not sure if my copy of the book was flawed, or if this is a universal problem, but the red type on some pages appeared to be smudged and smeared, making it difficult to read. Even on those pages without blemishes, I found that the red type strained my eyes; there's just so much red that it becomes distracting.

Also, I was happy to see that White included a chapter on Web typography, but I would have been happier had the discussion been more in-depth. The final chapter, "The History of Type in Use," was wholly unnecessary and didn't contribute much to the overall discourse; White's readers would have been better served had be omitted chapter 12 and extended his discussion of the Internet. I realize that the book was written in 1992 and revised in 1999 - and six years may as well be six eons in "tech time" - but the Web chapter struck me as very out-of-date. For example, I had to smirk when he announced that Photoshop 5.0 had recently introduced "significant improvements" in the area of type; I don't think I even know anyone who's using a version earlier than 7.0! He also appeared to be agreeable to Flash animation, which today is so overused and abused that it has become the bane of web design.

Nonetheless, I would most definitely recommend "Type in Use" to both novices and experienced typographers alike.

- Kelly Garbato

Author, ePublisher, Web Mistress
Peedee Publishing / Hot Dog!, LLC

As a web designer, I always found adding typographical elements to my layout to be the hardest part. I would create a great looking page only to ruin it with a weak looking headline or inappropriately selected font settings.

I've looked for a good book to teach me typographical basics and decided to try Type In Use, even though it is geared toward print.

I have to say I've been extremely satisfied with my choice and have noticed a great improvement in my designs. The greatest proof of the change in me is how I began to look at the design of the book itself differently, analyzing it and seeing how Alex White practices what he preaches.

In each chapter, Alex begins by explaining a different part of the printed page and then showing and analyzing real world examples. There are chapters about text, headlines, subheads, breakouts, captions, department headings and more. This may sound a bit boring (devoting an entire chapter to captions?) but Alex manages to keep it all very readable with plenty of inspiring examples.

I've found this book to also be a great source of inspiration to my work after I finished reading it and I come back to it whenever working with any kind of type, online or offline.

The only weak point I found in this book is the chapter about Web Typography. I don't know if Alex aimed this chapter at people with no web experience at all or at web designers who want to learn typography on the web but he failed either way. The entire chapter in nothing more then a series of facts (some of them plain wrong) about writing HTML, designing sites, file formats, etc. Feel free to skip this chapter, the rest is gold.

I Thought I know how to work with Photoshop, but after I read this book I discovered that I didn't. This book was extermely helpful to me in building web site graphics, and has introudced me to many different techniques that I used in to build the effects that I need in short time; Everyone was amazed, and so was I. Most of the Books has very boring and useless Intrduction, this book doesn't. It was very useful to me ( I confess I was about to skip the first two chapters , but the writer urged the readers not to).

Although this book is useful, I was able to get all the techniques it offered in less that three days !

If you know your way well in Photoshop, don't buy this book. If you are a confused designer; you see these amazing designs and wonder How did they do it ?, then buy this book, and the best of luck.

I've been using Photoshop for years, but only recently for web graphics. This book totally opened my eyes to things I never knew it could do! I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to get more out of Photoshop. It's written clearly, even though it has too many typos, and gets right to the point.

This book is simply great for an amateur photoshop 5 user. I know what I'm doing, but I wouldn't consider my a pro. However, with the aid of this book, I can create graphics for my web site just like a professional. This book is invaluable as a learning tool and as a reference.

I have only scratched the surface of Photoshop. The directions in this book are very clear, and easy to follow. Even for me who jumped right into the middle of the book. It's set up in a logical learning sequence and covers EVERYTHING for someone wanting to use Photoshop for their webpages. I admit, it was an impulse buy for me, but it has been worth every cent.

I Thought I know how to work with Photoshop, but after I read this book I discovered that I didn't. This book was extermely helpful to me in building web site graphics, and has introudced me to many different techniques that I used in to build the effects that I need in short time; Everyone was amazed, and so was I.

Most of the Books has very boring and useless Intrduction, this book doesn't. It was very useful to me ( I confess I was about to skip the first two chapters , but the writer urged the readers not to).

Although this book is useful, I was able to get all the techniques it offered in less that three days !

If you know your way well in Photoshop, don't buy this book. If you are a confused designer; you see these amazing designs and wonder How did they do it ?, then buy this book, and the best of luck.