Graphics Books

I really like this book. The ideas work every time, and the kids love them all. I don't think you need any other art idea book if you have this one.

This is a great book for parents and educators alike. The projects well-detailed in this book are very comparable to techniques educators are taught to use with children in elementary and younger classrooms to promote creativity and self esteem.

This is a must have book for both parents and teachers. I keep it handy for those days when I feel like doing a project with my daugher, but I need a little help coming up with a creative idea. This book always gets us started. There's something here for everyone and it can be used with a huge variety of ages. It is truly one of the best art books we own.

All of Mary Ann Kohl's art books are great, but if you have to start with just one, I would get this one. In fact, if you are teaching art to young children or working with your own child artists at home, this would be an ideal book to start with. Why? It covers all the mediums: drawing, painting, assemblage, printmaking, collage, sculpture and crafts. It contains open-ended projects that are suitable for almost any age. The projects allow children to explore materials and techniques and come up with their own ideas. Each page includes one project and is illustrated with line drawings. Each project is coded to show at a glance how much time/preparation is needed, what age/experience level the project is appropriate for, and so forth. My only complaint is that some of the projects call for the use of liquid starch which I have not been able to find (only spray starch and powder starch) - so I substitute watered down glue, which works. I teach art, am an art school graduate and a parent, and I have quite a few books on this subject, but this is the book I turn to most for ideas.

Easy discovery art for everyone, no matter what age. This book has been around for awhile, but the ideas are still classics.

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!

Wow, this was my very first Simpsons Comic Book that I have bought and trust me I was very impressed. I didn't really have high expectations for it but this really took me by suprise. This Comic is amazingly funny! You just have to get this book, trust me you won't regret it with classic strips such as "A Trip to Simpsons Mountain" where Grandpa tells his days when there was no television and "Get Fatty" where the town of Springfield is known as the most overweight town in the country and every food that now sells is nutritional and so the whole town has to lose some weight in order to be awarded a waterpark. I would get this Comic book if I were you because now I have at least a dozen Simpson Comics in my room after buying this one.

This is the first simpsons thing I had ever bought-and once I read it I went and bought a lot more>! This is one of fav. simpsons comics.

Waitresses in the sky is the only bad one in this book.A trip to Simsons mountain is the best.All the others are good too.

All four stories were very funny.You should see the T.V. show first.Lisa's top 40 was also funny.I think number 18 was the funniest.I recommend Simpsons Wing Ding.

More super stories from the great characters of Springfield! Here's what this issue has to offer:

"A Trip to Simpson Mountain": Grandpa tells a story of his childhood days before television that sounds oddly enough like a cross between The Waltons, Beverly Hills 90210, Leave It To Beaver, The Brady Bunch, and the Partridge Family (must be a coincidence).

"Kill-er Up With Regular": A classic Itchy and Scratchy short from the "1930s".

"Waitresses in the Sky": Patty and Selma lose their jobs at the DMV and end up living with the Simpsons. Can they find the job of their dreams at Mr. Burns' airline (you'll love the insignia on the planes) or will they break under the pressure (actually, the "No Smoking" sign)? Would make a hilarious T.V. episode.

"Apu's Incredible 96-Hour Shift (without Getting a Break)": The legend is true, but not so impresive considering Apu didn't have a customer for 95 hours and 54 minutes of the famed shift.

"What's the Frequency Simpson": Similar to the T.V. episode where Lisa and Bart co-anchor a kids' news program. In this comic, Bart and Lisa take over a public access channel to start a new sensation: SimpTV. SimpTV offers such entertaining and informative programs as "Geek Patrol" hosted by Martin Prince, "Bad Boy" starring Nelson Munz, and "In the Kitchen With Wiggum" where Ralph creates many tantalizing dishes involving paste. The television elite of Springfield (aka Krusty the Klown, Troy McClure, Bumblebee Man, Kent Brockman, and Dr. Nick) try to shut the renegade channel down.

"Bumblebee Man in !Ay, Que Lastima!": Short about the trying personal life of the yellow and black striped character we thought we knew.

"The Dame and the Clown": Dragnet take-off where Otto is Detective Friday and Moe helps Marge escape an abusive relationship to return to her true love (Homer the Sailor Man).

"Get Fatty": One of the funniest of this book. This comic has a topic similar to the T.V. show where Springfield is named the nation's fattest city. In this comic, President Clinton plans to shape up the country's fattest town with the "worst cholesterol count in modern history." He sends his fitness ambassador Rainier Wolfcastle (aka McBain) to whip Springfield into shape. The worst offenders must lose 10 pounds in two weeks or face the consequences. Can they (or, more to the point, CAN HOMER) do it?

"The Quest for Yaz": This comic continues the storyline started in the T.V. episode "Three Men and a Comic Book." Milhouse's dream is to own a 1973 Carl Yastzremski baseball card when he had big sideburns--but is Milhouse willing to steal to get it?

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.

Nothing can beat the "raw power" of Art Chantry. This book is a must in every graphic designer/student bookshelf!...

i really wasn't too familiar with Art's work before getting this. i've only seen mentionings in random other books about how influencial he is. but after seeing this i can see why. he combines the rough aesthetic of punk and shows that it can be acceptible in mainstream graphic design. it shows that there's hope for punk rock artists like myself.

In a similar manner to Paula Scher and Charles Anderson, one of the main themes of Art Chantry's work is to take old images and give them a twist. While you can see an echo of this look in almost every graphic design award annual today, Chantry has been working in this style since the late 70's. And while many have borrowed his approach, few have been able to imitate it with the same sense of grit, humor, color and power.

True to the title of the book "Some People Can't Surf" there isn't one website design to be found, but that may not be a bad thing as Chantry is a master within his medium. A very large body of work that spans three decades is showcased which includes everything from his very first poster design for a school concert to promotional work for major Hollywood record labels. One pleasant surprise is seeing quite a bit of logo design work which involves the charm and craft of hand lettering. In end Chantry reminds one of a later day Milton Glaser with a punk rock point of view.

At some points the book can become too crammed by trying to jam several posters onto a page by shrinking them down to matchbook size, however the work holds up pretty well under the strain. This volume would be valuable to any graphic designer looking for inspiration or anyone who is a fan of the Seattle music from the 90's.

Thee-anti-cool-subversive-godfather-backroad-bar-b-que shack-genius. If you are in school but this book. If you are over 50 buy this book. If you are successful buy this book. If you are struggling-steal this book.

...is that Art Chantry's groundbreaking artwork (and yes--unlike some snooty traditionalist art-weenies--I DO consider graphic design to be "art"!) is more often than not gobs more compelling than the work of the people who have directly benefitted from his work (i.e. most of the so-called grunge bands from the Pacific Northwest). Yet almost nobody outside of Seattle, Tacoma or underground graphic-design circles knows who the hell he is, even though almost everyone has seen his work in one form or other (The Sub Pop logo is one example that immediately comes to mind).

In early 1991, I discovered and became obsessed with underground garagepunk & instro-surf music, the most exciting of which was coming out of the Pacific Northwest, and specifically Estrus Records, in Bellingham, Washington. It was the Estrus label that started my appreciation, and later, reverence, for Art Chantry's ir-reverent style of graphic design. When Nirvana's "Nevermind" was released later that year, the wall that previously kept mainstream riffraff from crashing "our" underground party came crumbling down, and as a result, grungy Northwest music had become suddenly (and inexplicably) marketable. The sudden onslaught of new bands inspired by this alleged "rebirth" of punkrock quickly caused the quality of Estrus' releases to assume an inversely proportional relationship to the quantity of records they put out (well, that's MY theory, at least...). Simply put, the really good music on Estrus soon became a rare commodity. Thankfully, what didn't change was the brilliant package design that thier slabs o' vinyl and silver frisbees were encased in. Art Chantry was responsible for the bulk of these designs, and is the only reason why a big chunk of my record and CD collection isn't fermenting in some used-record store somewhere. His artwork transcended the actual product it was emblazoned on, and made it worth keeping even if the music it promoted was supremely lame.

Chantry's work led me to notice and gain an appreciation for artists such as Stealworks' John Yates, Frank Kozik and even Roy Lichtenstein. But as great as those artists are, Chantry's work is the perfect amalgam of irony, humor, subversion, obnoxiousness and kitsch, and no one that I'm aware of has yet to outshadow him in this regard, even though he is without a doubt a man with many imitators. In fact, many people directly point the finger at him for popularizing the now passè movement in "grunge" design and layout. Whether this is actually true or not is debatable (although it certainly makes sense), but "Some People Can't Surf" is interesting in that it showcases a non-"grunge" (god, I hate that term) side of Chantry that most people would be very surprised to see. The same man responsible for some of the most outrageous and iconoclastic posters and album covers in music history was at the same time designing nondescript logos and brochures for boring, faceless corporations--biotech companies, architectural firms, airlines, etc.--and it's extremely interesting to see this real-world dichotomy brought to light in this book.

Another notable section of the book recalls the time when Art creatively attempted to get around a draconian 1994 Seattle anti-postering ordinance by posting up 'zine-like tabloids to telephone poles instead, ostensibly daring the city to attempt to fine him for what is fundamentally a First Amendment issue. As someone who firmly believes that graphic design and traditional "art" are not mutually exclusive, I found it refreshing to read this shining example of how designers can use their talent to actively influence and challenge the cultural status quo, instead of simply generating pretty pictures for passive consumer consumption.

When I first saw Art years ago in the documentary film, "Hype!" (which I also HIGHLY recommend), talking about the early Northwest music scene, and then proceeding to chop up his super-rare (and super-expensive) posters with a paper cutter, it completely validated what I always thought--this man is an ironic and wonderfully irreverent genius. "Some People Can't Surf" bolsters this fact even further, and I enjoyed reading this book's narrative at /least/ as much as looking at all the cool, full-color images of his brilliant work. I highly recommend this to any graphic designer who is tired of all the c.r.a.p. that tries to pass itself off as "cool", "grungy" or "retro" nowadays.

This was a great collection of strips. You can see the natural and humorous growth of Zoe, Hammie and baby Wren, who keep Wanda and Darryl constanstly on their toes and in the grocery store. I have always loved Baby Blues and will be sad to see them "grow up"....like the kids in For Better Or For Worse. That's when you know a strip is darn great...when you think of the characters as real and you can really relate to their daily "lives". Enjoy, enjoy, enjoy!

I bought this book for my wife, because she loves chocolate and we have raised two kids. It is a very funny book. It should be read while eating chocolate too.
Gordon H.

I loved this new Baby Blues collection. It simply had me in tears. I liked it when Wren bumped her chin, the Hammie got greenstick fracture, then Zoe got bruised knuckles, and Darryl sprang his ankle. It was a hilarious Baby Blues story. I recommend this collection to anyone who wants to laugh.

Great reading! Good for parents who have very small amounts of personal space! Be prepared for lots of laughter coming from the closed bathroom door!

I can't believe the longevity of this strip and how it has stayed consistantly funny. When it first came out I found it really amusing as it dealt with the pitfalls of being a parent with a baby/children. Now all these years later, they are on their third child and the jokes are fresh and still very amusing. Baby Blues is an excellent series for the young and older fans.

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!

This was such a delightful read. Each of these (mostly short) essays extols a particular object which might, at first glance, seem like a piece of junk. But it turns out that junk is in the eye of beholder. The uplifting moral of the book is that the best "things" aren't the most expensive or shiniest or rarest. They are the ones with the most personal significance. Highly recommended.

If you are somebody that enjoys things or objects, or even if you don't, this book is great fun to read. If you know somebody that tends to find interest in life - you should buy this book for them. If you know somebody that does not tend to find interest in life - you should buy this book for them, maybe it will help.

A beautifully presented collection of bite-sized insights into objects and the minds of their owners. A coffee table without this book is a naked coffee table.

This book is a real original. It's great to pick up and enjoy, then pick it up again later and enjoy some more.
It encompasses something everyone does and hardly anyone really thinks about...hoarding/collecting stuff that is really important only to you. It puts a perspective on people's emotional ties to sometimes useless things. I had a lot fun reading it and sharing it.
Pat D.

Glenn and Hayes' book offers some wonderful little pieces of others' memorabilia that makes you look at all of your ephemera in a different way: the story behind each object puts a poetic narrative blanket over the world. Yard sales become soap operas, trash dumps become family trees. A book you can't put down, it's so engaging. Highly recommended. Esp. good for a gift.

Tarzan like you've never seen him is expanded upon and portrayed in living color by dynamic graphic artist Joe Kubert, who produces a vivid set of tales and provides archived drawings with color restoration based off of Tatjana Wood's original colors. This collection reprints the first eight issues of Joe Kubert's classic Tarzan comic series: works done at the height of his career. Two audiences will relish this collection and must own it: Kubert fans, and Tarzan fans. Each will find the full-color presentation provides high-quality reproduction and an uninterrupted set of adventures. Very highly recommended: a classic keepsake.

This is a book for which I've waited decades, having grown up on the Kubert DC books. Very well made and edited, this collection of DC Tarzan issues would go along quite well on the shelf with DC's Archive books. Whether you are a Tarzan fan or an afficianado of DC's Silver Age, you would do well to check out this book. Of course, if you are a fan of both, I'm sure I'm preaching to the choir, and you have already acquired this wonderful edition Dark Horse has offered us. Buying this was a no brainer, and my only question was why it took so long to get published, when the Manning stuff had already been reprinted years ago. If only those had been released in a volume as beautiful as this! Perhaps it's not too late to get the Horse to release the Hal Foster strips in a similar fashion to this Kubert collection. Are you listening, DH?

This wonderful collection of legendary artist and storyteller, Joe Kubert is a must have for hardcore Tarzan fans. I cut my teeth on these comics way back in the early 70's as a young boy.(I still have all of the original editions!)

There are only a few number of artists that could truly capture the primitive and primordal great Tarzan. Only Neal Adams, Russ Manning and the late great Conan artist, John Buscema could actually draw the apeman.

But Joe Kubert had a style all of his own. With backgrounds and rough-like sketches that made Tarzan and the jungle around him actually permeate right through the comic pages, Kubert could totally transport you to Africa and high adventure of yesteryear. Classic in every sense of the word.

Thank God for Joe Kubert. And his sons have also become fantastic artists all their own.

Now, if only ONE Hollywood movie could finally capture the true essence of Tarzan the Apeman, then the Tarzan phenomenon would begin all over again. Perhaps someday...

The four part adaptation of the first Tarzan novel was well written and well drawn and Kubert's love of the source material is evident.
The writing and art are so fluid and vibrant that these stories seem as though they were published last year and not more than thirty years ago. The adaptations are strong and detailed, and hold up much better than the more abreviated adaptations of Robert E. Howard's Conan story adaptations for Marvel, done around the same time.

I would point out that the four part adaptation is something rare for a comic book from the 1970's, which generally kept to a two part story at the longest, so Joe was allowed plenty of breathing space to do justice to the original book.

I don't understand the $50 price tag on DC's (and now Darkhore's) archive editions. THe price seems so exesssive for such a small offering of 200+ pages. One wishes Darkhorse could have added a few more issues into this volume, but worth the cover price regardless.

Way back in 1929 Edgar Rice Burroughs' "Tarzan of the Apes" was adapted in newspaper comic strip form by illustrator Hal Foster. A full-page Sunday strip began in 1931 drawn by Rex Mason, and since then Burne Hogarth, Russ Manning, and Mike Grell have been some of the big names that have drawn the Lord of the Jungle. The only problem is that I never lived anywhere that had Tarzan in the Sunday comics, so for me Joe Kubert is THE artist that I associate with Tarzan. By the time Kubert's took over the book with issue #207 of "Tarzan of the Apes" (April 1972), I had read all of Edgar Rice Burroughs' Tarzan novels, so even though I was only buying Marvel comics at that time when I saw the 1st DC issue with its 52 BIG pages ("Don't take less! Only 25c), I picked it up and Kubert's faithful four-part adaptation of the first ERB novel sold me on the comic. After all, not only did you have the first 26-page part of the adaptation, but an introduction to ERB in "The Dum-Dum" (written by "Marvin Wolfman"), which would be the book's letters page, an adaptation of "Tarzan's First Christmas" from Hall Foster's December 27, 1931 Sunday strip, and the first chapter of an adaptation of ERB's "A Princess of Mars" starring John Carter by Murray Anderson. What more could an ERB fan possibly hope for in one comic book?

What we have in "Tarzan: The Joe Kubert Years, Volume 1" are the Kubert's first eight issues, #207-14. Prior to this time I had associated Kubert with his work on "Sgt. Rock," but his distinctive style was perfect for Tarzan. The story begins with a safari being attacked by a panther and Tarzan showing up out of nowhere to save a pretty young blond woman in a pith helmet. Her guide then tells the story of "The Origin of Tarzan of the Apes," starting in 1888 when a ship left Dover, England, with John Clayton, Lord Greystoke, and his wife Lady Alice. The first chapter covers the birth of Tarzan, the death of his parents, how he came to be raised by Kala of the great apes, and his battle to the death with Bolgani, his rival in the tribe. "A Son's Vengeance" (#208) is where Tarzan learns to read and that he is not an ape but a "man," and avenges the death of Kala when she is killed by a "hairless ape." "A Mate for the Ape-Man" (#209) begins with Tarzan defeating Kerchak and Terkoz, before leaving the tribe to find his destiny as a man. This is where we pick up the story with Jane Porter, her father Professor Porter, her fiance William Clayton (Tarzan's cousin), and the rest of their abandoned expedition, up to the point where Tarzan rescues Jane from Terkoz. "Civilization" (#210) finds Tarzan spending some quality time with Jane, but then rescuing D'Arnot from the natives and finally learning how to speak French (he already reads and writes in English). In the end he tracks down in America, learns she is about to be married to William and his own true identity as the real Lord Greystoke, and refuses to ruin her future.

Kubert is faithful to the action and the dialogue, such as Tarzan's final line, and does not have a problem drawing the young Tarzan as running around naked (drawn strategically, of course) until the point in the story where he gets his first loin cloth. The pace of the story really picks up in the final part: the first three sections covered the first 156 pages of my paperback edition of "Tarzan of the Apes," while the fourth chapter covers 89 pages (I have the page numbers written on the back covers of my original comic books). But since the whole last section is about Tarzan NOT getting Jane, while getting educated so that he finally speaks English too, there is not a lot of real action after the opening pages. The framing device of the guide and the blonde is finally resolved (no, she is not Jane, just another white woman who has lost her father in the jungles of Africa), and allows Tarzan to make the point that the jungle is more civilized than the real world. So the set up for the comic book is not Tarzan and Jane, but the time before our hero gets domesticated. This makes sense since ERB regretted the relationship between Tarzan and Jane (he thought La, High Priestess of Opar was a better match), and even killed Jane off at one point in the series.

The other four issues contained here suffer by comparison, but then anything would. "Land of the Giants" (#211) involves an evil little man named Kalban and the Kolosans, a race of giants. The little guy drinks their forbidden water and grows to be a giant as well, but by the time you get to the end of this one, where Tarzan battles a monster giant gorilla on top of a flying airplane, you are praying Kubert will get back to ERB's original stories. That happens with "The Captive" (#212) and the next two issues after that, all of which are taken from the "Jungle Tales of Tarzan," which happens in the same time frame as the first half of the first novel. This one features a great cover of Tarzan taking down a rhinoceros, and the story is about how the natives capture Tarzan and he calls Tantor on them. "Balu of the Great Apes" (#213) is a nice little story about Tarzan protecting a balu (baby) of his tribe and finding his place as their leader. "The Nightmare" (#214) is the story of what happens the first time Tarzan eats cooked meat and it disagrees with his stomach. So, except for that non-ERB inspired story in #211, this is a solid collection of Kubert doing Burroughs. I would not say that it is downhill from here, but rather than things are never as geaat as this awesome start.