Graphics Books

A story about a boy who fell into cursed springs, and is now only 1/2 man, the other half...a girl. Which a martial arts theme, a panda for a father, a fiancee that he didn't mean to match up with and loads of characters all seeming to be foe, how can you go wrong?! Althought Ranma 1/2 doesn't have a deep thick plot like anime you might be searching for, its a light read and very enjoying if your just looking for a wacked out anime that will make you laugh. I highly recommend this to anyone who has liked Love Hina, Slayers, Chobits and more! :)

WOW! I think my intro said it all. Ranma 1/2 is awesome, and this book is the best in this series (I have read Volumes 1-5). It is SO GOOD I can't describe it. This book has lots more Ryoga in it (Yea! Yea!), and very interesting events take place. My only question is, where's Gosunkugi??? He's way cool ( :) ). Well, READ THIS BOOK! I RECOMMEND IT AND IT'S SO AWESOME!

I LOVE InuYasha, but could take or leave what I'd seen of the Ranma anime. I still think InuYasha is Rumiko Takahashi's best work, but Ranma's very entertaining. Every volume manages to make me laugh. This one picks up at the end of Ranma's fight with Cologne leaving her so impressed with his skill, she surrenders the prize. Next she tutors Ryoga since her battle has left Ranma vastly improved so that Ryoga has no chance. Of course, Cologne has her reasons. Martial Arts Tea Service vs a monkey follows & the volume ends with a delivery girl race Ranma refuses to lose even though Kuno is the lucky recipient of the meal

Ranma 1/2 is sooo deathly entertaining. I've read both InuYasha and Ranma, and i can't decide between them. For thick plots, InuYasha, for humor, Ranma. But they are both funny, and both have thick plots. Just Ranma is more funny. In this one, Shampoos great grandmother is trying to force Ranma into marrying Shampoo! Aiiiee! lol, gotta read it!

The fourth volume of "Ranma 1/2" ended with Ranma and Akane being menaced by Cologne on a shark's back. And the fifth volume has the old ghoul continuing her efforts to force Ranma to the altar -- along with some interesting new variations on traditional martial arts.

After barely escaping Cologne, Ranma is forced to use his ultimate attack -- cat-fu -- in order to get the Pheonix Pill. Later on, Cologne accidently encounters Ryoga, and offers to train him to defeat Ranma. After Ranma whips Ryoga's butt in front of Akane, Ryoga agrees to be trained by the old woman. Her lesson: the lethal "breaking point" technique, which can shatter a massive boulder with only a touch...

Later, Ranma stops a runaway horse. After accepting some (drugged) tea from the man he rescued, Ranma wakes in a wedding kimono -- turns out that the guy, Sentaro, is the heir of the martial-arts tea-ceremony dynasty. He wants Ranma to defeat his betrothed, so he can get out of marrying her. Ranma isn't sure why Sentaro wants this -- until he finds that "Miss Satsuki" is actually a chimp.

Finally, Akane, Ranma and Shampoo are all signed onto the Miss Martial Arts Takeout Race, with romance or food as the reward. Their goal -- to be the first to take their intact food to the targeted house, and have the occupant eat it. Only it turns out to be Kuno's house. And where better to have a nasty quadruple showdown than in the kendo nut's basement?

The fifth volume of "Ranma 1/2" has solid amounts of what Takahashi does best -- romantic tension, serious fighting, and the weirdest martial arts you can imagine. And plenty of the quirky new character Cologne, who delights in setting up crafty plots to trap Ranma into marriage with her great-granddaughter.

Takahashi also builds on her previous storylines, such as having Ranma newly strong and fast from his endless "chestnuts" training. But it wouldn't be much fun if he didn't have a real challenge -- in this case, the newly dangerous Ryoga. And the scene where the two rivals square off with their newly-acquired skills is wonderfully intense.

But there's no skimping on humour, from Ranma choking down Akane's terrible food ("I can learn to like this slop! I can!") to Sentaro blubbering when he finds out Ranma's true gender. One of the best scenes has poor Ryoga almost getting boiled alive -- again -- and attacking Cologne, only to have her flip him naked onto the floor.

Romantic rivalry and lethal battles make up the fifth volume of "Ranma 1/2," another delightful collection. And remember -- "it will not be you to whom I pledge my love!"

After half a dozen years as a Mac traitor who got dragged kicking and screaming into the Windows-only world at work, I'm retiring from the work world and switching back to Mac-only at home. I waited for about six months for Robin's update for Leopard to be published and it was well worth the wait. While I'm just getting into the book, I can already see that it's going to be a member of my on-desk library of essential Mac reference books. Way to go Robin and John!

I switched to MAC about one month ago, bought the book the next day and found it very helpful. I went through it page by page and it was easy to read and understand and it was more than helpful. I recommend it highly for the first time MAC users.

Can these people write, or can they write? Thier books are always easy to follow, and presented in an entertaining fashion as well. If Robin Williams had written books about all the subjects I so disliked in school, I would undoubtedly have been very well read in all topics.
In a matter of minutes, I was able to unlock a few mysteries about my Mac...in days, I was using the applications without fear or hesitation. And while I am quite aware of how user friendly Macs are anyway, Ms Williams takes away the fears I still tend to harbor. I'm no computer wiz kid, I am FAR on the opposite end of the spectrum. But this book in particular, opened my eyes....from a place of feeling overwhelmed by all the things I KNEW this little box could do(that I didn't think I could) to a world of fun, and confidence. Cool Mac Apps is quickly becoming my favorite book. I recommend it to anyone who wants to learn anything about the iLife applications.

Book is very informative, easy to understand and use. I bought this book for school (I don't own a mac), but there were many things I learned about iTunes (only non Mac program I use) I wouldn't have known without reading this book. Definitely would recommend for anyone wanting to get the most out of their Mac.

As we have all come to expect from Robin Williams, this book is written in a clear, precise manor. The illustrations are all very helpful. I particularly like the way the windows of each application are illustrated with details about each item within the window.

I have been using OSX for over two years now and thought I knew my way around each of these applications, but I was able to learn a lot of easier ways to do things . I have also learned that there were a lot of the features that I was not even coming close to using to their full potential. I have been using iCal, iTunes, and iPhoto on an almost daily basis, so these new tips and techniques are a real timesaver for me.

I was really surprised at how much new knowledge I gained on using Safari. I am on the internet on a daily basis and just took the browser for granted. The quick Tips section was very helpful. The section on RSS feeds opened up a whole new world of information for me.

Cool Mac Apps is a must have reference book that every MAC user needs in their personal library. I would give this book an excellent rating!

This graphic novel caught me by surprise. It's a fun adventure story with awesome art and a good storyline. Robotika has visual elements of Moebius (Blueberry, Airtight Garage), Frank Miller (Ronin), classic 'Heavy Metal' from the 1970's (the magazine that is), themes from American fantasists like L. Frank Baum & George Lucas, classic westerns, vintage science-fiction, and makes them work together in a comic that is adult in tone, truly imaginative, eye-popping and cool.

Definitely check it out!

Alex Sheikman's neo-cyberpunk/samurai/kung-fu/western is unlike any other comic. The art is superb and the writing is surreal adventure at its best. This collection of his first 4-issue series came out a few years ago, but it is a timeless saga of a distant future that combines and mixes genres to create a flavor unlike any other comic or graphic novel. From the wordless cyborg samurai, Niko, to the bizarre eroticism of the assassin known as Cherokee Geisha, this is a world full of wonders, terrors, and technology gone wild. Techno-organic societies mix with sorcery and wild-west violence in an odyssey of strangeness that must be experienced to be believed. Anybody who enjoys high-quality graphic novels and comic books owes it to him- or herself to buy and read ROBOTIKA. It's the kind of achievement that comics needs more of--a singular vision of one man's creative obsession. It is Alex Sheikman's imagination, poured onto the page in an exquisite ballet of line-art, beautifully-choreographed action, and mind-boggling technologies. Quite simply, ROBOTIKA is a masterpiece. Order it now and thank me later.
--John R. Fultz

As all the past reviewers have said this is visually amazing with a capital "A". But I just can't let the writing slip. This could be my favorite comic ever. But instead it's more like a beautiful ming dynasty vase sitting on my shelf. If Sheikman could get together with someone who writes amazing stories but who wouldn't overpower his (Sheikman's) originality this is the book I would be taking with me to a deserted island.

On another note does any of this remind you Aeon Flux? I'm in no way saying he stole ideas only that they are both so original and out there that they remind me of each other.

This is an excellent book. It has some amazing art and the author tries (and succeeds) with lots of different visual effects. The story is top notch too.

Some cool extras in the back, such as a sketch book, make this a collection worth having.

How good is this book? Honestly, it's one of the most gorgeous comics I've ever seen. I put it up next to my copy of PRIDE OF BAGHDAD and fit right it. The ROBOTIKA hardcover looks THAT good. And reviewers have noticed. Every single review I've seen for this series notes that Alex is a special talent who could easily make it at any of the bigger comic companies. But Alex wants to make it one his own terms, and with ROBOTIKA, I think he has. It's hard to argue that you've not yet arrived when your work is showcased in a major hardcover from one of today's hottest second-tier publishers.

Where critics have occasionally come down against Robotika is in its writing. There are some valid criticisms there, but the story is still weird, violent, and visionary enough for even the most discerning steampunk sci fi fans. ROBOTIKA reads a little more like a pair of related short stories more than it does a single four-issue story, but so what? That's hardly a killer, especially in this format where the whole story is collected in one gorgeous volume.

Unfortunately, the odds are pretty good that your local comic shop didn't order this book. That's too bad. This book is well worth your time and as well illustrated as anything on the market.

This series started in a very auspicious fashion, and in this second volume it already reaches an excellent level. When we left the story last time, Kenshin has just started his confrontation with Zanza, and now comes the time to see the conclusion. Those that like action will not be disappointed by the fight, but once again we get to see how Kenshin's past affects his current way of living and fighting. Later in the volume though, our hero will have to face a tough decision in this respect.

One of the things I like about the series is the time it spends going back and informing us about the history of important characters. In this volume we find out more about Zanza's past, and thus, understand the reasons behind his hatred for imperialists. Regarding other important characters, in the last chapter of this volume we meet Meugmi, a female doctor that is surrounded by a suspicious aura and who will be a key part of the story in the next volume.

This installment already shows the progression in terms of the skills of Kenshin's opponents, which will continue in volumes to come. Kenshin and his friends come across the deadly killer Kurogasa (means black rain hat), who is looking for a challenge, and therefore, wants Kenshin to become his old self and partake in a fight to death. You already know about Kenshin's promise regarding not killing again, so Kurogasa has to resort to messing with Kenshin's friends to enrage the Battousai. The question is: will Kenshin break his vow and kill again? You cannot afford to miss this! It is a delight to be able to read a series with such a compelling plot, great character development, effective humor and proficient graphics.

This is about a legendary swordsman named Kenshin. He killed men like an ogre as a hitokiri, but disappeared and reappeared again as a rurouni, a wanderer. I was hooked after the first two volumes. This novel also shows in particular Kenshins friendship with Kaoru, despite the fact its definitely not romantic...heh...

Rurouni Kenshin is great a series that really grows over time and becomes incredible in a few more volumes. I've read all 28 of the fan translated volumes and can't wait to buy the rest of the volumes as they're released by Viz. I have to wait for so long!! Vol 1-6 = Tokyo Arc, this is where the introductions of main characters are made. It sets the stage for a much bigger picture. Vol 7-17 = Kyoto Arc, the arc that made the anime series so popular. It's a great arc with an amazing story and great fights, and you just can't put it down. It also has much character development, and you love Kenshin and his group all the better. The saga is so well planned out that it's perfect. Vol 18-28 (end) = Jinchu(Revenge arc, human judgement) arc, just when you think Kenshin will settle down, the story gets better! We finally learn about Kenshin's famous scar and his past. People from Kenshin's past are back to haunt him and carry out their long-awaited revenge. This saga is the best of the series and was unfortunately never animated except in an OVA, which only showed how Kenshin got his scar. In the manga this is the end of vol. 19, all of 20, and the first few chapters of 21. Kenshin's past is a true tragedy, but he finally finds his answers in this arc. I can't believe that they left this incredible story unanimated. The TV series had nothing to do with the manga story after episode 62, and the OVA is dramatically different from the manga also.
Anyway, Kenshin really grows in art and storytelling throughout the series and never gets weak nor drags like the TV series after the legend of Kyoto.
It's the best series ever! You have to read it to experience all the humor, drama, fighting, and romance. It just grows on you!

I really enjoyed reading this novel. It finishes off the battle between Kenshin and Sanosuke, moves on to the creepy arrival of the assasin Jine Kurogasa, and ends with the introduction of Takane Megumi. Nobuhiro Watsuki pulls off more good script and illustations that include intense bloody battles, moving scenes, and comical antics that make it so popular. No other graphic novel really interested me as much until I read "Rorouni Kenshin", number one, because the show rocks, and two, I was familiar with the characters and plot. Now I've moved on to buying the other volumes, which are just as good.

I love this book!I want all of them I just wish I hadn't lost this one!It's funny really because I thaught they didn't have volume two here in parkersburg and so I waited until I went to charleston with my friends. Well they had volume 1-13 their. Well a month later I lose the book and they canceled Rurouni Kenshin on Toonami sniff sniff waaaah!So I go to the Waldenbooks here and they had all the Rurouni Kenshin books but couldn't see them!So I got volume3 and now I need $10.00 more dollars so I can buy volume2 again!
Your Friend,
New Rurouni Kenshin Fan

First off, this is the BEST shounen ai manga I've ever read and it surpasses the yaoi titles too (and I've read a lot of yaoi-BL manga) it has everything anyone can ask for: beautiful art, wonderful stories and great characters, well except yaoi but this is better off without it because the love each character feels for one another makes up for the lack of sex.

#1 on my yaoi top list.

It was like poetry through art! It was such a beautiful collection of short stories. I fell in love with it on page 1. If you're expecting a long in depth sex-fest, you're going to be dissapointed; however, this book is by no means shallow, pointless, or without depth. Truely a work of art.

my best friend lent it to me and i was aghast at how beautiful the stories were, i'm really picky when it comes to yaoi or shonen ai and this, i must say is one of my favorites.

Same Cell Organism surpassed my expectations. The stories in this manga were sweet and charming. Starting with the first story of Nakagawa and Yokota. The emotion expressed through the breathtaking and clean artwork to the story lines enraptured me from the start. Very good and highly reccommended to Yaoi fans!!

I had never heard of this author before (whom, it seems, writes under several names) but I fell in love with this anthology of short stories and am now a huge fan. The artwork is gorgeous and the storytelling wonderful.
This manga is not, as the cover implies, yaoi. It is Shounen-ai, with only a few kisses,but shounen-ai at it's best. The first story is about two friends who fall in love and it's incredibly heart-warming.
The next story is very bittersweet, but great and there are several more stories.
Overall, this book won't change your life, but it will make it a little bit brighter.

"A Search for Meaning" is very cute. The little fox is so well drawn, and he moves through a world so wonderfully strange. The art may be reminiscent of Disney (editorial review), but the story and setting is a clear heir of Dr. Seuss (without rhymes though). Fans of Rex can follow his further adventures in the "Flight" comics collections. This one is sitting on my shelf until I find a child to give it to.

An Amazingly beautiful illustrated book! I went through cover to cover looking at only the illustrations, then I've read it through a couple of times. What a great story! Truly an inspiration! This is a book that you need to get and put on your shelf next to "Where The Wild Things Are." A great book that can be appreciated by all ages.

The one thing that stood out most to me in reading this book is its beautiful sense of design. Each page is amazingly different from the next but yet it all holds together. I bought this book for many reasons but the main reason is to study the design. I would highly recomend this book to anyone who is remotely interested in any field of art. You will learn something. I even felt that the author was more interested in telling the story through design that through simple imagery. If you took out the words to this book, you could still understand the story. I hope the author continues with more books like these.

Today, when childrens entertainment is dedsigned to quiet the kids rather the teach, and the few educational books and programs out there are inane and booring, a beautiful exception has appeared. Michel Gagne's book breaks the trend of steril and formulated stories that have been force fed to children for years now. The book deals with the subject of meaning, a topic just as profound and complexed to adults as it is to children. As a result it teaches by provoking thought rather then simply recycling the same old messages about right and wrong. The artwork is surreal, beautiful and as good as anything out there. I would recomend this book to anyone and look forward to more from the author.

Buy this book! Why? Because it's good and the author drew me a pretty picture in my copy!!

But seriously. I had the opportunity to meet this author when he came as a visiting artist to my college (the day I'm writing this, actually). This book is simply amazing. The art is EXCELLENT and the story is a good lesson for us all.
You may think the book is a bit pricey, but trust me, it's worth every penny.

Gary has done an excellent job with this book. I came to Director with a programming background, and basically this book and Gary's Advanced Lingo for Games books have allowed me to do whatever I can imagine with Director. Doesn't treat you like an idiot. Clear. Understandable. Practical. Highly recommended, and I'm going to buy the MX version when it comes out.
David Downie

Great book ! ( I just received my copy of Using Director 8.5 "Specialedition") It is really great for me since I haven't been using Director since version 5, and so much as changed !

I have been browsing through the book to get the missing or forgotten info I need to get our project up, and I have found almost every answer I need in the first 15 minutes !

I am confident this book will get me back up and running in no time, If you want to learn Director Fast, Buy this book !

Great book ! ( I just received my copy of Using Director 8.5 "Specialedition") It is really great for me since I haven't been using Director since version 5, and so much as changed !
I have been browsing through the book to get the missing or forgotten info I need to get our project up, and I have found almost every answer I need in the first 15 minutes !

I am confident this book will get me back up and running in no time, If you want to learn Director Fast, Buy this book !

Weighing in at about one-thousands pages, this book has some of the best information for practical production techniques and getting things done in Director. Having compared it to a half dozen or so other books before purchasing, it was the only one to truly address Lingo in a serious way. There seems to be a hole in the market since a few Lingo specific books that had been available at one time (from O'Reilly and another from the defunct Hayden Press) are either out of date or out of print.

Though its a heavy application, most of director is not that hard to learn (being proficient and artistic is another matter). But taking it to the next level requires an understanding of Lingo and integrating it into the rest of the programs features for practical use. Mr. Rosenzweig has done this, and with great enthusiasm and love of subject. It is an excellent book and the most advanced one that I could find on the shelves last year.

The beginner should take heed that this may be overwhelming, for all others I highly recommend it.

This book is probably the best book you will ever find on how to use Director. I read it without knowing anything about programming and i am pretty advanced now. If you feel that you are a really slow learner and/or you have no experience using a computer, don't try to learn anything about director. If, however, you are a motivated student, Gary Rozensweig will teach you from the ground up about this ultra-powerful program. For 36 dollars, it's almost a must. This book will also be great for advanced director users as a reference. get it quickly. The only drawback of this book is the fact that one of the most important appendices is almost totally missing(publishing error). There is a downloadable version of the appendix on QUE's site (HTML & PDF). Don't let this tiny glitch stop you from owning the best book on director out there!!!

so you want to go freelance... you really, REALLY want to go freelance? Tired of working for a boss? Want your own hours? Sleep late? Get this book, read it and then decide. It'll give you a well-rounded education of what they don't tell you in art school because what your professors were really interested in at that time wasn't your education, but getting a piece of co-ed you-know-what while they collected their paycheck.

I really liked this book a lot. It was a very good first-hand book written by a small business owner about his experiences starting, managing, and prospering as a freelance illustrator and/or graphic designer. His writing style was not exactly stellar. But it certainly was clear. The 20 chapters included in the book fell into the following 4 topics:

1. STARTING THE FIRM
>>Where Do You Start?
>>Off on the Right Foot
>>Creating a Plan for Your Business
>>Developing Your Financial Plans
>>Forms, Charts & Templates
>>Pricing Your Work and Getting Paid

2. MANAGING THE FIRM
>>Why Should You Freelance?
>>Setting Up Shop
>>Managing Your New Studio

3. RAINMAKING FOR THE FIRM
>>Bring in Clients
>>How to Get Noticed
>>What Goes in the Portfolio
>>Marketing on the Web

4. POSSIBLE MARKETS
>>The Magazine Market
>>Selling to the Newspapers
>>Working with Advertising Agencies
>>Selling to Book Publishers
>>The Greeting Card Market
>>Working with Art and Design Studios
>>Selling to Small Business

Since I am not an illustrator or a graphic designer I did not have much use for the fourth topic. But it was interesting to read about. I regularly counsel wanta-be entrepreneurs about how to start a small business; I'm a volunteer SCORE counselor. And the material covered in the first three topics above are exactly what I talk about with my SCORE clients. I highly recommend this book to anybody wanting to start their own small consulting practice. It does a wonderful job discussing the topics.

My biggest complaint with the book is the tendency of the author to recommend outsourcing so many functions: accounting, taxes, and Web site design and construction. I think these things should be fully understood by the small business owner and probably done by the owner herself. When the business grows to have a few employees, then the employees can do those tasks if the owner wants to do that.

I would have written the section on choice of business structure differently. Keep in mind that LLCs can be either single member or multi member. An LLC can elect to be taxed as a sole proprietorship (single member), a partnership (multi member), or a C Corporation. Also, a multi member LLC will have to file a partnership tax return. A good book on the subject that I recommend you read to supplement this book is Structuring Your Business (ISBN: 1593371772). I highly recommend forming an LLC and electing to have it taxed as a C Corporation. Just give yourself a bonus at year-end so the corporation retains no earnings. If your business is a corporation it is less likely to be audited by the IRS. 5 stars!

I love this book! It's great for those just starting up and has covered each aspect of becoming a freelancer. Each time something has come up, I referenced this book and found the answers! Highly recommended!

At first, I had heard that this author talks "down" to the illustrator when he is explaining things, but this book I actually found very helpful, true to life and there weren't any sugar coatings. I enjoyed how he wrote and he put things into perspective, he didn't talk down.

This is simply one of the best books for starting a freelance art career that I've ever read. This book gives you very practical information about almost every detail of freelance illustration and graphic design. You'll find information on creating business and financial plans, setting up and managing a studio, billing procedures, creating a portfolio and marketing yourself to potential clients. I find a lot of books of this nature don't talk about the raw mechanics of business so much as they offer token inspiration and motivation. If you're interested in a book that will actually give you useful information about the business side of freelancing this is the one to buy.

The only areas where it seemed to be a little on the thin side were dealing with taxes and the legal issues concerned with working for youself. Other than that it was wonderful.

Street Smart Advertising is a great book. I used it for one of my classes and it really helped me to improve my creative thinking and execution. This book includes many visual and real-life examples, which makes it really easy to understand. Such as the changing ads that are placed atop NYC taxi cabs. This book covers everything, from A-Z, that one needs to know in the creative field. Berman also included a handy advertising glossary. I recommend this book to anyone who is in the creative field or longs to tap into their creative potential.

This book has all the bases covered. From mind exercises to amazing campaigns, Street Smart Advertising gives creatives the tools needed to take their ideas to the next level. When sitting stumped and uninspired this is the book to turn to in order to get those juices flowing. It may sound like I'm really talking it up, but it has prevented me from throwing my laptop, quiting my job, or basically giving up thinking all together. Perhaps I've gone to far, but trust me...this is a good one.

Margo Berman's enthusiasm and expertise for creativity and advertising really shine through on every page of this book. As someone who is very knowedgable about marketing but not so much about advertising, this book really added to my knowledge. It has served as a great resource over and over again. If you are interested in reading it front cover to back page, you can and you will learn much from the real-life "street smart" examples. The exercises help you apply the information. However what I find most useful about the book is that each chapter stands up by itself. I read the material and do the exercises and really feel I understand the material. It is like a mini-course in each chapter. Thanks again Margo for providing so much of you in this book!

Street-Smart Advertising features great tips and fun pointers which can be applied first-hand to the real world, or more specifically, the world of Advertising. It makes one believe the unthinkable is thinkable. The hands-on exercises lets you apply it to real life in the most creative and unimaginable way. Berman's book is an informative pocket guide that is straight-forward, easy to read, understand and most importantly, apply to the real world. I highly recommend this book to anyone feeling a lack of creativity; this book will let all the ideas your brain never knew you had shine through in the most creative and entertaining ways possible.

Street-Smart Advertising offers invaluable insight and expertise into the world of creative advertising. An interesting read from beginning to end, it expresses the ins and outs of advertising through understandable diction and useful tips on how to get the most out of the industry. From creative and interesting advertising examples to helpful exercises, Street-Smart Advertising is a must for anybody interested in learning more about the creative, fun side of advertising. One of the most fun and perceptive books I've read on the subject to date.

If you love tattoos and piercings you'll love this book. Beautifully drawn women covered in tribal tattoos that become part of their skin. Piercings that are too cool to be real, no really, I don't think that some of those could be done. But, they look totally cool on paper.

I never tire of looking at Royo's work. I go back again and again, and I always see something I had not seen before. I love this style of erotic fantasy art, and I feel that he inspires me on so many levels.

I wasn't sure whether this book was meant to be read or ogled at (or both) but I chose to read it (after some ogling). One of the first things that comes to mind is that Luis Royo is a *MUCH* better artist than writer. I could barely understand what the mythical gibberish associated with some of the drawings were about. I might have enjoyed the writing in my younger days when I was "dreamier" but now, it's just annoying. Being a man however, I just can't say the same for the art. The drawings, mostly of women of unearthly beauty, are spellbinding. I'd much rather the book left their interpretations to the reader. Some of the pieces also include strange monsters that might scare young children but the monsters would probably be the lesser of two evils here. The book itself is printed on high quality paper but you could easily find ten times as many of Royo's artworks on the Net. I would not recommend this book to intellectuals because honestly, it lacks substance. However, if you are looking to diversify your book collection, this would make a nice, provocative addition to your library. At less than half an inch thick, it would probably fit in the space left on one of your full shelves. Don't expect to be taken seriously by your peers if you're caught "reading" it, though.

Definitely one of Royo's best collections. The stories and comments with the artwork are exquisite as well! I would recommend this not only to Royo fans, but, also people who appreciate art.
6 out of 5!

I bought this book for my boyfriend, because he is a big fan of Royo. I knew the man made lovely art, but this book truly displayed how breathtaking and intricate his artwork was.
The book is a nice hardback, with nice matte, sturdy pages full of voluptuous, ethereal women. The quality of the art prints are vibrant, focused and intricate, plus there is a little story of the character provided with most pieces on a parallel page. The book is well comprised and layout!

It's all pretty big x by x wise, but not too thick. Nevertheless, it has a bit of substance, and worth more than what you pay. I was very satisfied and my boyfriend enjoys it.

Beautiful.