Graphics Books

I think that this a really nice introduction to a career in graphic design field. Mostly it seems to be directed at someone who is in the middle of the road, so to speak, but I think that newbies will also find some nice tips on how to avoid headaches and pitfalls of this specific business.

This is a good guide for those designers who are thinking about going freelance. The book summarizes basics of the business, financial topics and absolutely necessary ethics. ALL freelance web designers without a formal business education should read and learn these fundamentals for being a professional.

I've never bothered to give a review before, but this book is so helpful I had to put it down for a moment and give my two cents. I've been in the industry for four years and am in the process of going freelance. This book gives excellent advice for drumming up business. Not vague at all.

It would also be extremely helpful for people looking for their first job after design school.

Well, here I was, too distracted to write a proper raving review because I was busy absorbing in all of the wonderful, easy to follow and sometimes downright humorous advice from a long awaited book that is refreshingly geared towards design professionals of any level. Novices will definitely appreciate the start-up tips from the perspectives of a virtual plethora of experienced design communicators from all over. More experienced designers will find helpful suggestions on effectively managing and growing their career. And of course, what good resource is complete without detailing some very useful advice about avoiding pitfalls and other related issues along the way.

With an abundance of references and resources that include contracts, networking, self promotion and more importantly, a guide on how to realistically rate your services, The Savvy Designer's Guide To Success delivers on an even more important level; raising one's awareness on the often underrated value of the Creative Communications Designer.

I was browsing the graphic design section of Barnes & Noble the other day looking for a different book on the same topic. I couldn't find the title that I was looking for, so I picked this one up, grabbed a cup of coffee, and started leafing through it. I read a few bits of the beginning chapter, where Fisher details the advantages and disadvantages of different traditional and not-so-traditional educational paths for would-be designers. As a freshman at a liberal arts college majoring in graphic design, I was immediately intrigued. I temporarily forgot about the book I had been looking for and bought this one instead. As a testament to how great this book is- I finished it in just 2 days. In fact this is one of the few books where I can honestly say I "couldn't put it down." Fisher writes in an informal, easy to read style. His approach to giving advice is very open-minded but very no-nonsense and practical at the same time. Most importantly, this book covers it all: everything from the initial education of the designer, to starting out in the industry, to self-promotion, legal issues, and dealing with one's mistakes and screw ups. Throughout the book Fisher draws on the experience of nearly 100 designers and deign firm owners and the pages of this book are dripping with references to other books, magazines, and great online resources for designers and other creative professionals. This book gave me some great insights on getting started as a graphic designer and has me even more excited about my career. Five stars, without question!

I grew up on Daredevil in the 1980's. Miller, Mazzucchelli, Romita Jr. But, being the collector I was, I went back and bought up all the old books as well. Even then, as a young teenager, I was really impressed with the artwork in those old books. I had looked at other old comics and was never pulled in. The artwork always seemed so..."old". Gene's work never did. Sure, it was different than the newer books, but it still had a freshness and energy that most of the other old books lacked. So, yeah I've been a fan of Gene's Daredevil work for a long time.

It wasn't however, until I read this book that I truly had a deep appreciation for the work. Gene is a living legend, and deservedly so. Buy this book. Not only is it a testament to Gene, it give the reader a good look behind the scenes of how hard it was for comic artists before the dawning of "Image Comics".

I also HIGHLY recommend you check out Gene's website ([...]) He's still turning out AMAZING artwork. Many of his recent commissions are far and away nicer than most anything being published today.

I have very little to add to what the other reviewers have already said. If you're a fan of Gene Colan, this book is a must-have. Even if you're not a big Colan fan, you'll learn a lot about the business of comics and how personalities and personal relationships affected the comics we grew up with. It's well written, well documented and contains a tremendous amount of research and (of course) lots of great art. (And if the author happens to read this, that very first New York comic convention was the SCARP Con in 1968 -- I, a geeky 17 year old, attended and met the gracious Mr. Colan who did a sketch of Iron Man for me, and drew dozens of sketches for other fans.) Highly recommended!

A genuine great book,long awaited, about that somehow underated
cool gentleman of the sixties and seventies...but I long for more !
somehing perhaps like "Bernie Wrightson, a look back", or ... "The Gene Colan Collector" ???
And of course good editions of his masterworks.
Aniway, I'm happy for the moment !

This piece covers the life-span career of GENE "THE DEAN" COLAN. From early drawings he did in his boyhood until his recent commissions. Lots of rare never seen before fotos and original art. From the early days at Timely and Atlas (later known as Marvel Comics), DC (Hopalong Cassidy), Marvel again with SUB-MARINER, IRON MAN, CAPTAIN MARVEL, DAREDEVIL, and of course TOMB OF DRACULA and HOWARD THE DUCK. Conversations with Gene and his collegues Tom Palmer, Marv Wolfman, his wife Adrienne and many others. Even Jim Shooter about the conflicts that lead Gene Colan to leave Marvel for DC, where he did BATMAN and some other series starring WONDER WOMAN and SUPERMAN. What else can I say? If you like superhero comics and want to learn more about the persons behind them, buy this book, read and enjoy! This one is unique. Hopefully publisher TwoMorrows and author Tom Field will continue this with other great comic artist...

Two characters come to mind when I think of Gene Colan...Doctor Strange and Dracula. They were two of my favorites when I began reading comics in the mid-1970's. I was fortunate to have two stores close to me that sold old back issues of comic books. I was able to put together quite a collection of silver age comics. Among my favorite comics was Gene's run on the original Doctor Strange series beginning with #169. These atmospheric, psychedelic stories were unlike anything I had ever seen. I had sold my collection in the 1980's but recently picked up that complete run all over again because I was still enchanted by the great Colan work on those books.

Secrets in the Shadows is a combination biography and tribute to one of the all-time great comic artists, Gene Colan. Author Tom Field takes on a guided tour through Gene's life, beginning with his upbringing in New York and his first comic book work for Fiction House. Gene tells a story similar to many of his contemporaries such as John Buscema and John Romita, and their mass dismissal from Timely Comics. Gene would go on to DC and then back to what was now Atlas Comics. Atlas would then implode leaving Gene again out of work in the late 1950's and with a lifelong feeling of insecurity about the comic book business. As Gene explains this was a difficult time in his life as he was not only out of a job, but also had just gone through a divorce with his first wife.

Stan Lee would come beckoning again in the early 1960's as the Marvel Age was off and running. Gene quickly became one of Marvel's top artists and perhaps the only one whose style was so unique that he was not asked to pencil over Jack Kirby's layouts the way many other artists were. Field presents several conversations in the book between Gene and some of the people he worked with at Marvel. The first is a lengthy conversation from 2004 between Gene and Stan Lee. They talk about their first meeting at Timely in the 1940's. Gene mentions that Stan was wearing a beanie cap with a propeller...now that's something I'd love to see! They also discuss their creative process and how books were plotted and finished. Other conversations include Gene talking with his long-time inker Tom Palmer with whom he worked on so many great books over the years, and with Steve Gerber, the writer on Howard the Duck.

Gene worked on numerous titles at Marvel over the years, Daredevil, The Avengers, Captain America...But perhaps the title most associated with him was Dracula which had a remarkable 70 issue run in the 1970's. Colan's Dracula was dark and grim and his incredible use of light and shading gave the book a true horrific feel.

Gene would eventually leave Marvel in the early 1980's after several run-ins with then Editor-in-Chief, Jim Shooter. Shooter's tenure was marred by one controversy after another including his shameful treatment of Jack Kirby. Shooter was highly critical of Gene's work and harassed him with constant demands of changes. Gene would migrate to DC along with many other former Marvel staffers who had grown tired of Shooter including Roy Thomas, Len Wein, and Marv Wolfman. To be fair, Tom Field presents both sides in the Colan/Shooter situation. He allows Shooter to give his side of the story in which he feels he was doing what was right for the company and felt Gene was cutting corners with his work. Unfortunately Shooter's credibility is almost nil due to his run-ins with so many other artists and writers.
At DC Gene would work on Batman, Wonder Woman, Detective, and new projects such as Night Force and Nathaniel Dusk. Gene would find himself under attack again for his art, this time by John Byrne who was highly critical of Gene in a Comics Journal interview in 1982. Byrne would basically call Gene a cheat and say that 90% of the time you could not tell what was happening on the page. I credit Field for including this in the book. I would guess he knew that rather than be any kind of indictment against Gene, that it would make Byrne look like a jerk for making an unwarranted attack on a true legend. Cheat? Byrne is still giving every character that same weird looking, rectangular mouth for twenty-five years!

Gene would leave DC some years later after similar criticisms by then Editor Dick Giordano. Gene would strictly freelance from now on and even go back to work at Marvel (shooter has since been broomed himself). Today, Gene has found many new outlets for his work thanks to the internet. He's busy doing commissions for fans who truly appreciate his work.

Tom Field presents a portrait of a man who fits the nickname of "Gentleman Gene". Colan's volume of work over the last sixty years is awe-inspiring. It's great to see Gene finally getting the tribute he so justly deserves.

Reviewed by Tim Janson

I'd like to point out that the two stories in this book are not all of the Shmoo stories; there were at least a half dozen more.

Pity no one thought to put all of them in a book.

The book does justice to combine two previous books THE LIFE AND TIMES OF THE SHMOO and RETURN OF THE SHMOO. Both have been out of print for decades.

Pity about Harlan Ellison's over blown introduction. He can't stick to the subject.

It's good to see this great part of the Li'l Abner comic strip is once again available. I takes me back to when I was 14 and in High School.Not only did Al Capp give us the wonderful Shmoos;but also Sadie Hawkins Day and all the fun we had with that.
This story of the Shmoo came out in the daily Comic Strips but it also was published in Paperbook form in 1948 and 1949.I still have my copy from those days and wrote a review on it on November 27,2007.
It has the title,"The Life and Times of the Shmoo",by Al Capp.
One thing worth mentioning is the high level of artwork that the cartoonists like Al Capp,Walt Kelley and Chester Gould gave us,and it was so good that it still remains the standard for cartoon art to aspire even today.

Grew up reading this series. Now I have a permanent copy of my own. Good price and great product for comics junkies.

When I was 5 I would love to have my father read Pogo, Dagwood and Blondie, and Li'l Abner to me from the daily and Sunday newspapers. When I was 7 years old, I loved reading them by myself and about this time, 1958, the Shmoo became a major theme in the Li'l Abner series. I could not wait for the paper to arrive so I could read the latest adventures of these Shmmos that were so accommodating to meet almost all human needs. Yet even then, at age 7, I began to "get" the message behind the series. This is wonderful social commentary on the limits of capitalism and the limits government will go to ensure that capitalism remains our economic model. However for captitalism to work, there has to be need or the threat of need which creates demand which stimulates supply, and I am sure you know the rest of this formula. If the basic needs of labor are met, they won't work, and thus the costs of labor goes up and the profits go down. Al Capp was brilliant to bring this message into America's homes soon after the McCarthy Anti-American hearings in Washington. Capp, like the Shmoo, is subversive in such a clever endearing entertaining way that when I saw this book I had to re-read the scripts to see what I may have remembered from so many years ago.

The book contains the original Shmoo characters and script from 1948-49 and the return of the Shmoo in 1958. If I was ever to teach High School Seniors in an Economics class, I would have them read this book along with their text, maybe not to strengthen the neurons but to lighten them.

Capp's other Dogpatch hillbilly characters and story lines are also delightful. Li'l Abner, Daisy Mae, Ma and Pa Yokum, and Sadie Hawkings are all here!

This was more amusing that I expected. I hadn't read much of "Li'l Abner" and was surprised. However, I have two objections to this book. First, the original strips seem a bit truncated. Surely, they could have gotten more of the dailies in this book than they did. And second, the awful introduction by Harlan Ellison. He seems to be in love with the sound of his voice and not necessarily a Li'l Abner fan. The Schmoo seems to have been a craze like the "Pet Rock." More information about that and less about Ellison's advertures in New York City would have been welcomed.

The Silver Surfer was one of Marvel's most under-used cosmic superdudes... He was also one of the most difficult to frame dramatically, and had a history of disappointing storylines, which may help to explain the motivation behind this Death-Of-The-Silver-Surfer mini-series.

Part of it may have been that he had a bit of a "Superman problem," since he was so super-ultra powerful compared to the rest of the characters in the Marvel universe -- indestructible, able to alter reality, faster and mightier than nearly any foe he could encounter. Initially, writers dealt with this by focusing on the soap opera-tinged alien-in-exile theme (after Galactus banished him from space and forced him to stay on the planet Earth) and later, when his banishment was broken, by sending him out into the stars where he could encounter all kinds of trippy, cosmic stuff. In between, there was his run as a more or less conventional super-hero in "The Defenders," and many random cameos in various space sagas. But for whatever reason, the Surfer never really clicked and the folks at Marvel decided to have him go out with a big bang in the four-part series, "Requiem."

Although I've considered myself a Silver Surfer fan, I have to admit I wasn't really wowed by this book. It felt rushed and there was just too much crammed into its pages, too many plot-points and too many marks to hit. (Perhaps a fifth issue would have helped?) Also, the tone was too melodramatic and too monochromatic -- reverence and awe for the Surfer; maudlin sorrow at his inevitable demise.

What was missing, more than anything else, was a sense of the cosmic majesty that the Surfer could experience. We are given this sense of wonder by proxy, when the Surfer zaps Spider-Man's wife and gives her cosmic consciousness and lets her trip out on the universe for a while, but the Surfer himself never basks in the beauty of the stars, which is something I imagine he might do, were he flying off to his own death. When he returns to his home planet to die, he simply goes from Point A to Point B (with a detour to end a pointless space war on the way). Personally, I would have enjoyed an entire issue just devoted to having him cruise through the cosmos, glorying in and saying goodbye to the unimaginable beauty that only he had the opportunity (and soulfulness) to appreciate. It would have been a nice artistic note to strike, but, alas, the moment has passed. As it was, this series felt functional, but little more, not unlike the late-1960s stories in his own short-lived series. And, I suppose, that is as fitting a tribute to this character as any. This book is worth checking out, but I wish it could have been more. (Joe Sixpack, ReadThatAgain book reviews)

If you had a short time to live what would you do? This book has Silver Surfer answering this question in an introspective yet melancholy story. Taking place on Earth, crossing the universe and ending back in his home planet, this book raises questions about mortality, responsibility, and facing ones' limitations.
Too many times people say comics are for kids and there is no substance in the medium; but with this book not only are the nay-sayers proven wrong but it can sometimes show that comics can surpass visuals shown in movie and emotions expressed in books.

This is a piece of Literature that breaks down all assumptions of what a "super-hero" is. I am not at all ashamed to say that I cried a little at the end of this book. It is an amazingly powerful story told in amazingly vivid and arresting artwork. When I was a child, i loved the "idea" of Silver Surfer, but now that I am older and can presumably deal with more a more mature telling of a story, I have a newfound admiration for what Stan Lee started with Norrin Radd, and what is continued here in "Requiem." Surfer comics continue to be some of the bravest and most moving pieces of art in main stream comics.

The Silver Surfer is my favorite comic book character and this is my favorite story featuring him. Requiem has a lot of emotion. You really feel what the Surfer is going through. The writing is amazing. The art is amazing. This book is amazing. Stop what you're doing and READ THIS BOOK!

I really enjoyded the art of this book, and the story is the best way to say goodbye to a great, tormented and interesting character.

Anyone reading the Unity Trilogy SC for the very first time will be amazed at just how incredibly fantastic it all is. But for those who are more familiar with her writings there should be no real surprise. Anything by Jacqueline Lichtenberg is always ranked among the very best in fantasy and science fiction.

Jacqueline has been a professional author and member of the Science Fiction Writers of America for many years. Her vivid imagination has taken readers to places well beyond wherever most other sci fi can only pretend to. Her Sime~Gen works are just such wonderous reading.

There are always curious twists and turns along the plotlines, as well as a wide array of interesting characters. Even for those who are not fanatical sci fi enthusiasts, the Unity Trilogy will still hold interest. Jacqueline always includes a wide scenereo of sub-plots, highly believable relationships, and endless difficulties to overcome.

The reader finishes the book always wanting more, but nevertheless having enjoyed it thoroughly. And, perhaps best of all, actually having learned much. But don't just stop with this work, by all means go on to any and all other Lichtenberg books. There's many more surprises in store. And the educational adventure, combined with the entertainment value, never fails.

You definitely won't be disappointed.

{:-) Jeff Redmond
redmondjeff@hotmail.com
www.erdabooks.net

When you open the cover, you first "see" (visualize) two army professionals nervously awaiting a meeting with some type of spy. As yet, there is little hint that you have entered a world where emotions become real flaring beacons, where actually destroying the people you love the best is a literal possibility, and where philosophical questions take on a new depth of tangibility and beauty. The characterization brought me to these books the first time, and kept me reading as I struggled through the trick of reasoning within an alien world (a mental challenge that is incredibly attractive to science fiction readers). House of Zeor (the first book in the trilogy) has a point of view character who is also unfamiliar with the key concepts, so it makes a good starting place, and I caught on just by reading. There is a world of incredible beauty and fascination between these covers. They remain some of my favorite books (over five years after my first introduction to House of Zeor), and I am very pleased that they are finally republished. Keep on reading even through the alien words like "zlin" and "field gradient" --trust me, it's worth it. You meet people like Klyd Farris, who has a "brittle strength" and more courage than I can fathom; Risa Tigue, who says the funniest things; Muryin and Virena, two girls who come from almost opposite interpretations--and you unveil philosophical questions that seem so simple at first glance, but continue to develop and deepen, and finally remain unresolved--but tantalizing and invigorating. I would highly recommend this trilogy--probably because I still read it!

I just finished House of Zeor from Sime~Gen and loved it! I look forward to finishing the other two stories. I have actually spent my entire night reading - it's now 5:36am and I have had no sleep. Shame on Jacqueline Lichtenberg for writing such a captivating story! What a brilliant feat to create the Sime~Gen world. It is hard to believe this is her first novel published in 1974. It is not dated at all. I look forward to loosing more sleep.

The Unity Trilogy is a book that landed in my lap -- nearly literally! I swear, I showed up one night for the writers' group I'm in and my friend Alan was there with a white box. "Hey, remember how I mentioned we could maybe use you as a proofreader?" he asked, before handing over the box. Inside were three manuscripts, since it was a trilogy being republished as an omnibus by Meisha Merlin. A couple of weeks later, I went to start proofing and boom, I was totally hooked by the first page!

So what is Sime~Gen about?

Let see... Set some centuries in the future, Sime~Gen has the human race divided (through either evolution or genetic manipulation, nobody knows) into two groups: Simes and Gens. Both groups basically look the same, but there is one big difference which dominates all goings-on between them: Simes have tentacles on their arms and need selyn to survive, while Gens don't have tentacles and produce selyn. Selyn isn't any type of bodily fluid but an invisible life force almost like chi, which builds up naturally in Gens but whose absence in Simes will kill them if they go more than a month.

Ever since the mutation divided the species, Simes and Gens have understandably been at war. In Sime-controlled territories, Gens are raised in pens like animals and bought and sold like they're food - stripped of their selyn and tossed away. In Gen-dominated territories, by contrast, there is a saying that "The only good Sime is a dead Sime." And what makes it scary is that Gens can have Sime children and vice versa - nobody knows until they hit puberty. If Gens have Sime children, they kill them, and when Simes have them, they can of course kill them or sell them to Gen dealers.

This is the basic set up of the trilogy and the plot, as it develop, involves efforts on part of Simes and Gens to overcome all the prejudice and enmity and achieve unity. After all, if Simes kill all the Gens, they'll die, and it's already a given than Gens can't kill all the Simes.

None of this is explained in boring history lessons, but laid out in the stories of individuals. In House of Zeor the story centers of a Gen named Hugh Valleroy, who goes on a dangerous, secret assignment into Sime territory in order to rescue an important Gen official who also happens to be his girlfriend. (Yes, this sounds cheesy and it sort of is.) Hugh doesn't infiltrate Sime territory on his own, however, but instead is paired up with Klyd Farris, head of the titular House of Zeor. Even though Hugh has actually grown up as a Sime sympathizer (who expected he'd "changeover" at puberty), he's never been to Sime territory and arrives completely unprepared for what he finds.

House of Zeor is a "householding" which, running again most prevailing laws and attitudes, is a community where Simes and Gens live in harmony. Harmony is achieved by a special kind of Sime called a Channel. Unlike regular Simes, Channels don't need to kill Gens to get the selyn they need. Channels have two "selyn transport systems" and can collect selyn from dozens of Gens, just like milking cows almost, and then go to Simes, who then take the selyn - instead of killing Gens. Channels also have selyn needs of their own, of course, and for that reason, and because they're just so important to householdings, each Channel has a Companion. Companions, Hugh learns, are Gens who produce an extraordinarily large quantity of selyn and are able to give their selyn freely to serve the appetite of the Channel. Little does Hugh know that he's natural Companion material - for Klyd, the head channel of House of Zeor!

There's an awful lot of plot over the course of these three books. House of Zeor is a dive into the world of Simes and Gens and follows the story of Hugh and Klyd, while the middle book, Ambrov Keon, takes place in another part of the world. It centers on another householding, Keon, starting with the arrival of Risa Tigue, a "junct" (killing) Sime who stumbles upon a householding and learns she is a Channel. Risa has a lot to learn and although she fights it, she ends up being a big part of bringing her corner of the world towards unity. The final book, Zelerod's Doom, brings Hugh and Klyd together with the cast of of Ambrov Keon for a battle that eventually achieves the beginning of what gets to be called Unity - the day Simes and Gens begin to forge a truce. This story gets deeper into some of the relationships, in particular Hugh and Klyd's, and reveals a race struggling to figure out what they are about and how they can survive.

One thing I'll say about these books is that although I did enjoy them quite a lot, the writing style, plotting and other bits of it can get to sounding cheesy. It certainly isn't the sort of rich descriptive narrative I'm used to reading (Storm Constantine, Ursula Le Guin). Instead, it's more the kind of writing you'd find in a Star Trek book, which makes a lot of sense since the authors are huge Star Trek fans and have, in fact, written Star Trek novels. This doesn't stop the books from being enjoyable, but I think it is something that needs to be noted, in case a reader is expecting great literature.

Since reading Sime~Gen I have found myself wanting to read more and luckily, there is more to read, not only more books, which Meisha Merlin will be publishing over the next few years, but whole novels already online and a huge load of fan fiction, which the authors are OK with and even host on their own web site. I am so glad Alan handed me that white box!

Background. Humanity evolved into two species following the cataclysm. On the surface the only obvious physical difference is the arms of the Sime. However, in reality, the Simes were much bigger, faster, and deadlier than the Gens. The Sime need selyn to survive while the Gens contain that energy source within their bodies. Over time the Sime began drugging and herding the Gen into pens so that they could suck dry selyn from its source leaving the Gen dead.

"House of Zeor". Gen intelligence operative Hugh Valleroy is considerably distraught over his beloved Aisha being apparently abducted by the Sime. He plans to risk his life to bring her home, but to do so he must meet with Klyd, a Sime. Klyd is a new type of Sime. He serves as a channel between the species, killing no one but providing nutrients for his race. Both are little regarded amongst their respective people. Hugh is considered a Sime lover because he speaks the language, which he learned from his Sime expatriate mother. Klyd and his House of Zeor are considered lunatics because the Gens are a source of food and death is a by-product of that feeding frenzy. Neither trusts the other. Yet if they fail to cooperate, they not only will falter on their quest to save Aisha, but they will also destroy any hope of peaceful coexistence as dreamed of by both men.

"Ambrov Keon". Simes Morgan Tigue and his daughter Risa were sailing home on the Mizipi River when the storm suddenly hit killing the father. Risa barely survives, but to do so drains much of her internal supply of life energy selyn. She must find herself a Gen so that she can replenish her source of life-energy. Risa meets Gen Sergi ambrov Keon, who has the uncanny ability to provide selyn yet control the Sime so as to give enough for the feeder to live yet not die in the process. Sergi offers shelter and selyn to Risa. Having just failed to keep alive a channel, he hopes she is the one that along with him will prove they can live in harmony. Sergi believes she has that ability, but can he persuade her to stop the killing.

"Zelerod's Doom". The end times have arrived for both species of the human race. To survive the life giving Gens and the feeder Simes must find a way to cooperate with channels being the obvious avenue. Failure to do so means the end of the Gens, which mathematically implies the termination of the Simes. Most Gens never heard of channels while most Simes think these renegades are depraved lunatics. Humanity is on the brink of extinction unless the two species stop the animosity and prejudice to reunite the human race into one people. Together in harmony all live, but divided in discord all die.

The Sime-Gen novels are some of the best post apocalypse books written and to see this reprinting in one volume will bring plenty of pleasure to genre fans. The tales focus on the Gen-Sime relationship, but the key to these three books is that the two species seem real regardless of whether Jacqueline Lichtenberg or Jean Lorrah or both wrote the tale. Readers will be caught up in the action, but will appreciate the depth to the prime cast members such as Hugh and Risa. Whether the player is a Sime or a Gen they seem genuine and stay true to their people. Fans of vampire tales in a different setting than Transylvania or London will clearly want to read the great Unity Trilogy novels rolled together in one superb collection.

Harriet Klausner

I enjoyed this very much. It was very cute and funny. Lots of pictures.

The Simpson's are one of those families that you gotta love and this picture album is tops when it comes to learning things about the Simpson's that you didn't know or refreshing the things that you do know. It's funny and is a great gift idea for any Simpson's fan!

I CAN"T BELIEVE THIS BOOK!!! HOMER IS DISTANTLY RELATED TO BURNS! AND TO THINK THAT BURNS CAN'T REMEMBER HOMER'S NAME!!!!

Ok,this book RULES!!!:)It has soooo many funny things.Anyone who
likes the Simpsons needs this book.:)

I still am a huge Simpson fan,
And this book certainly is a WONDERFUL, detailed, edited
family photo album.
In order, starting from the first to the end, here it is...
The first part is The Simpsons Family Tree.
Then Simpson pictures, etc.
Then Marge as baby, (Patty and Selma as 3 year olds),
and Marge as a kid.
The next page is Homer as a baby, then the next as a kid.
After words, we are in Homer and Marge's high-school years about
4 pages worth.
Then when Homer and Marge get Married.
Then when Bart, Lisa and Maggie were born!
Finnaly, regular pictures of them today.
At the end, it's The Bouviers family tree!

THIS BOOK IS WONDERFUL!!! :)

I read tons of manga. This has to be one of the all time best stories. The emotions that the characters experience are spot on. There has yet to be one page where you think that a character has done something that does not ring true. I have read all of the volumes in print so far, and can not get enough. Several of the volumes have be re-read more than others. This series will make you laugh, smile, and cry. There is a good mix of different aged people in this series which I think goes to make a more realistic "world". If you are looking for a great series, with several "bishie" boys, give this one a try. I unlike one of the other reviews think that the men in this series are very sexy. One of the villains in this series is so super cute, that it makes it hard to hate this twisted character.

when a great art join a funny characters the story always be good.

Sho Fuwa decided to go to Tokyo to be a "Celebrity" and he asked his childhood friend whom often stays at his family house Kyoko Mogami to come with him, and she accepted since he chosed her among all people, after moving to Tokyo Sho is getting "famous" slowly and he is getting more sullen everyday, Kyoko trying to support him and to understand him since the road to be a star is hard, but once she heard sho talking to other celeb girl and she heard him says that he just sees her as maid and thinks she is ugly and booring and of course she will move her butt to support him since he is the famous Sho Fuwa, she decided to stop beeing with him and otherwise she wanted to beat sho and be a greater star than him, so he beg for mercy someday, she changed her look (its amazing how do girls change their look!) and she started her way to get revange from sho.

its very good story but the guys has very long faces which I hate, otherwise everything is cool, Kyokos revange will need too much work and its seems very hopless, and another character appears Ren is a famous actress that is even sho cant be more cool than him, that Ren works at the same place where Kyoko went to so she got another long face guy to beat

I have been reading this serie way before it was licensed here. I begun reading the Japanese version when volume 7 was just released in Japan, and now there are 14 volumes out so far! I bought them all! So happy. The English version is not, but there are a few error here and there, but still worth purchasing. If you like this work, you might like her other work : Tokyo Crazy Paradise where there are 19 volumes in total. Hopefully that serie gets licensed. While waiting, I am planning to buy the Japanese version.

Also you might like "The Wallflower" (A.k.A Shichi Henge or Perfect Girl Evolution) by Yamato Nadeshiko.

Where to even start? How about with THIS MANGA IS AWESOME! Skip Beat! Volume 1 kicks off a great start to what promises to be an addictive series.

At first, I wasn't sure on buying this manga because of the whole "girl followed childhood friend turned star--childhood friend turned star just using girl--girl finds out and wants to now make it into show biz just to extract her revenge on him." It sounded like a typical and predictable manga plot of revenge that I really had to toy with the idea of buying it on a whim.

But boy, am I glad that I did! It may have the used and reused revenge plot line, but Yoskihi Nakamura makes this plot idea completly atypical!

This manga grabs you with its off beat style and humor, the only complaint I have about it is the way the two lead males are drawn. It's either their faces are too narrow, or that their necks are just too thick. It takes a little getting used to, but Skip Beat! is worth it!

I bought "Skip Beat" after reading a preview chapter in Shojo Beat magazine. I liked the plot and the humor, so I bought it when it came out.

I was expecting plenty of humor, but I got a lot more than that. Kyoko's quest for vengence is hilarious indeed, but the best thing about it is how easy it is to relate. In fact, this is probably why the humor is so good in the first place. It's great to watch Kyoko obsess over getting even because we've all been there. Who hasn't ever wanted to prove her worth to some stupid jerk? And Kyoko's moments of glory are extrememly satisfying. It's like when you argue with someone and can't think of anything brilliant to say until much later. Well, Kyoko gets some really killer lines in at just the right moment. I often find myself laughing maniacally right along with her while I'm reading (which earns me some curious glances from my roommate).

The characters make this manga, especially Kyoko. You can admire her devotion to Sho in the beginning, misguided though it is, and you really sympathize with her anger after she finds out she's been duped. She's strong-willed. She's not perfect and forgiving, and she doesn't go around feeling sorry for herself either. And I also like Ren Tsugara, the biggest celebrity around who has a secret mean streak.

The art is nothing special, but it's appropriate somehow. Kyoko's not especially glamorous, and the guys, though not pretty like in most shojo manga, are tall and dark. I thought the characters' designs all fit their personalities very well.

"Skip Beat" has become one of my favorite manga. A must-read for anyone who has ever been put down, made a fool of, or just wanted to get even.

The illustrations here are nicely done, but the story is a bit thin, even for 3-4 year olds. Another problem is that the paper stock used for the book's pages is very thin, and not very sturdy. This is a big problem for younger readers, since the book has one page that has a lift-up flap (a door that Loris is behind), and another page that folds out to reveal a larger scene. Because the paper is so lightweight, it is VERY EASY for kids to accidentally tear the door or the foldout page. (I have the paperback edition, so perhaps this is not the case with the hardback edition.)

I took a chance on ordering this in part because it was so inexpensive through Amazon (around $7 when I ordered it). After seeing how thin the book and the pages are, though, I don't think it's worth the money.

I recommend Deacon's other book, Beegu, which our children love very much. Beegu has better illustrations, and the book itself is of much sturdier construction. (I have the hardback version, but it only cost about $3 more than the softcover of Slow Loris.)

We purchased this book to read to our daughter(s) and found it to be an instant success. Sometimes, the book reading requests from the youngsters get a little bit repetitive. This book, however, we were happy to read over and over again. The story is just long enough to engage the mind, but not too long to be tedious at bedtime. The illustrations are great, too. With all the animals of the zoo represented at various times, it's a fun way to start reinforcing the names of the animals by identifying them at the Slow Loris' nightly gatherings.

I fell in love with a slow loris at the zoo as it fell in love with the wide-eyed glassy stare of my almighty cutest stuffed raver elephant pet Akookie... I immediately had to learn all I could about the adorable lor-able, and as a present for dearest Akookie (and Ak's doting human parents) bought Slow Loris... So beautiful and funny and somehow reminiscent of my deranged circle of friends and their amassed collection of hats. *blink blink* The Loris loves you. Prepared to be Awwwwwww-ed.

My family got a big giggle out of the "slow" loris having a wild time after dark, wearing crazy hats and carrying on. It puts a new slant on why the animals you see in zoos are always asleep.

This illustration style doesn't always work for me, but it does here.

cute and funny story about 'slow' loris who is slow during the day for good reason. the drawings are dark and sleepy, a perfect accompaniment for the story which is written in text that makes you feel as slow as loris is.

as the story unravels, the mystery of slow loris is revealed. when she comes out of the nighttime blackness wearing a fiesta hat i had to laugh out loud. truly a delightful children's story. highly recommended. plenty of other zoo animals are involved in the story as well.

I was at first drawn to this book by the high energy illustrations that kept me wanting to turn the page to see what my eyes would be dazzled by next. Upon finishing the book I realized that there was more to this book than a pretty face, in my opinion brian gage had done a masterful job of weaving a tale that flows with purpose and delivers a strong message in the tradition of Aesops great fables.

I saw Brian Gage speak at an author panel in Santa Monica, and thought he was an interesting character. A couple months later, I broke down and bought Snark, Inc.

It's now officially one of my favorite books. It takes the guise of a kids book, only to then turn the entire format on its head and deliver the reader a completely unexpected message. It's funny, dark, and painfully true. It's a very well thought out commentary on modern society - right down to its appearance of a kids book. I recommend it highly. Check out the Web site too! It's hilarious.

Dark and forboding, Snark Inc. is a brilliant satire on corporate America. Disguised as a children's book, Snark seduces you into it's world before you are aware that what you are reading is a sharp, dead-on attack at many of the misguided values we collectively share. Brian Gage's words are clever and powerful. Tom Ellsworth's illustrations are thoughtful. His depiction of the 'boss' as a snake-like dollar sign is simply brilliant. I highly recommend this book and eagerly await future work from these two artists.

I was at first drawn to this book by the high energy illustrations that kept me wanting to turn the page to see what my eyes would be dazzled by next. Upon finishing the book I realized that there was more to this book than a pretty face, in my opinion brian gage had done a masterful job of weaving a tale that flows with purpose and delivers a strong message in the tradition of Aesops great fables.

I agree with the reviews below. Snark Inc. is a great book and does a fantastic job of poking fun of Corporate America. The verse is really charming and the pictures are great.

I do have to disagree with the reviewer from Germany. Snark Inc. is a great book, but it's no masterpiece. Lolita is a masterpiece, For Whom the Bell Tolls is a masterpiece. Snark Inc is just a fun book with a sharp slant on consumerism.

This book is a work of obscene art, naughty and brilliant. And though straight, I'd almost instantly fall in love with Shaalis.

Many of my favorite comix share the quality of appearing to be self-contained artifacts dropped in from a different world, like the encyclopedia volume in Borges' "Tlon, Uqbar, Orbis Tertius." They create little worlds with a totally persuasive ecology and aesthetic. Some examples of this have been THB #1 by Paul Pope, Louis by Metaphrog, New Hat by Tom Hart, and Cave-In by Brian Ralph (only the last of those is available through Amazon, unfortunately).

The Spider Garden and its sequel, Hydrophidian, overflow with this quality. Drawing on Japanese woodblock prints and Cyberpunk science fiction, Manning creates an engrossing world of intrigue and decadence.

It's worth emphasizing that Spider Garden is also extremely kinky and explicit fetish porn. It's rare that someone creates a work of artistically ambitions erotica where the sexual heat is not stifled by the author's pretentions, but here the intricate and subtle plot and the extensive sex scenes achieve a symbiotic relationship that increases the power of both.

Manning has only begun to explore the world he suggests in these books, and his output is notoriously slow. I hope to see many more volumes of this story before he ends the series.

Note: Unfortunately, like so many NBM books, the binding is lousy. The content bears repeated re-readings, but the spine does not.

Not as strong as his later book Transeptor, but Spider Garden is a cool dream world of bondage and domination. Buy it for the art...and you'll be taken to places that will fill your dreams for years to come.

There are only three graphic artists that I will collect every single thing they draw - Erich von Gotha, Xavier Duvet, and Michael Manning.

His art has a style like no other. Hard lines, and soft curves. Beautiful figures, voluptuous and enticing. Clad in leather and latex, corsets and boots. A cross between traditional Japanese woodcut style with a post modern gothic flair. It's wicked and decadent, and at the same time a little tragic. Even in the most depraved acts, you have to marvel at the simple beauty of the work.

There is a little something to entice the darkdreams in us all. A must for any collector.

the fetishism isn't cheesy. the sex isn't cheesy. the storyline is engaging and artwork is absolutely beautiful. it left me wanting more . . . and within two minutes of me showing my copies to various friends they were shoving money into my hands, begging me to order them their own books.