Graphics Books

I won't lie--Kodachi, Ranma-chan, and Shampoo are my favorite characters. Now, while Shampoo doesn't show up in this volume, the other two do. Seeing Ranma try to be both Romeo and Juliet is hilarious! And Akane and Ranma-kun (as well as Ranma-chan and Kuno) finally kiss, but there is a misconception...Finally, everyone's favorite martial arts rhythmic gymnast comes back, and she has a whole bunch of surprises just waiting for Ranma!

Don't miss this book! The only reason I gave it 4 instead of 5 stars is cause I don't care for the Romeo and Juliet half of the book, but it might be your thing!

Yay!^^ A Romeo and Juliet play happens in Ranma! *thinks those seem to happen in every series*....But it is REALLY GOOD! Also, Gosunkugi is back in it, and so is Kodachi! Yup, this is another great Ranma 1/2 Volume! Ranma 1/2 Volume 7 rocks, and I highly reccomend it!

I think for all manga lovers this is an amazing book and is none stop funny. is a must read.
the story runs something like this.....ranma( the main character) when he gets splashed with water well POOF he's a girl big problem eh(yes i'm CANADIAN)and 2 make matters worse he needs to marry a girl that he absolutly hates.but thats all i'll tell you for now so if you want to find out what happeneds well your gonna need to go buy it .definitly worth it
Probably not recomended for younger childen( when ranma is a girl he runs around topless,and YES it does show)
DEFINITLY worth every penny you spend on it .
it'll keep you laughing throught he whole thing.
"hope this helped"
from a true fan mewme(yes it's my nick-name and yes it's strange.)

Martial-arts comedy "Ranma 1/2" is not something you really associate with Shakespeare. But that is just one of the problems that Rumiko Takahashi's sex-switching hero has to deal with in the seventh volume of "Ranma 1/2" -- there's also girl's locker rooms and some lethal cooking.

Ever since Akane was little, she has wanted to play Juliet in the school play (especially since she was always cast as Romeo). Now at last, she will. Problem is, there are too many Romeos: crazy Kuno, lecherous Happosai, stalkerlike Gosunkugi, and even Ranma himself.... once he learns that the prize is a trip to China. Even worse, Akane's father takes it upon himself to make sure that "Romeo and Juliet" finally kiss....

In the next story, Ranma learns that Ryoga has a map to a Japanese "spring of drowned man" -- which will make both of them normal again. Problem is, it's under the girls' locker room, which has been painstakingly booby-trapped in order to snare Happosai. And Ranma and Ryoga, being male, are not exactly welcome....

Finally, Kodachi decides to depart her exclusive girls' school so she can take some cookies to "darling Ranma." Unfortunately for Ranma, he gets photographed in a rather suggestive position with Kodachi -- and soon she's spreading the photographs far and wide. Now Ranma will have to get the negative, and try to avoid Akane's jealousy over Kodachi.

Poor Ranma has a tough time: he gets poisoned, blackmailed, drenched, drunk, punched and trampled, humiliated in an ultra-tight spandex thong, and (almost) kisses Kuno. In other words, it's more or less an ordinary week for poor Ranma, who seems to have a disproportionate number of nutty people around him.

And these three stories show the surreal scenarios that Takahashi can concoct -- especially the dueling Romeos and the Kuno estate, where Kodachi keeps her pet alligator. The middle story of the three is a bit stretched out, with Ranma's fruitless efforts to get into the locker room, but the first and third are pure gold.

And in this volume, despite their constant fighting, Ranma and Akane do demonstrate how they care for each other. Not only do they (almost) kiss, with Ranma being flustered and disgruntled that it wasn't the real thing, but he voluntarily eats Akane's cookies just to make her feel better. If that isn't true love, I don't know what is.

Romance, cookies and tiny pervs are only a few of the comic sources in the seventh "Ranma 1/2" volume. "You ashked for it, Romeo...."

It is a typical day at school, but Akanes being asked to be Juliet in the school play. Who will get the roll of Romeo? Kuno, Ranma, Happosi the perv, or Gosunkugi. Will any of them ever learn what the play really is about?

Ryoga gets a map of the lost Jusenkyo. Ranma & Ryoga have to work together in order to reach their goal under the girls locker room....

This is a great twisted manga story that left me laughing and gawking for hours 8D

My first experience with zombie cartoons and i am totally blown away. The story is so cute and I can see it actually happening, The artwork is fantastic and I simply must have more.... common Fingerman, write another...

I held off on buying Recess Pieces because the idea of little kids and zombies seemed a bit whacked out. Well, now that I have the book, I can confirm it IS whacked out. And oh, how gloriously whacked out it is!
I cannot highly recommend this graphic novel enough. Bob Fingerman knows how to blend the innocence and agonizing pain of childhood with the grim brutality of the dead coming back to life in a concoction that is wickedly tasty and grim while keeping the laughs coming at a breakneck pace.
To compare this to any of the other zombie graphic novels I have read would not be fair. This is simply different than all the rest. If I was forced to put it side by side with "The Walking Dead" and the like, I could only say that there is definitely room for the likes of this and TWD on the same shelf, while many of the other brooding "adult" tales of undead apocalypse would get honorable mention. This would be one of the first works I would recommend to a newcomer to the realm of zombie fiction.
The basic premise is a grade school taken over by zombies after a science experiment goes bad. The adults all turn, as do the older kids, but most of the younger children are spared, though it is certain that they too can be munched on by the ravenous zombies that now roam the school halls.
This story certainly has motivated me to check out more of Fingerman's works, because if he displays even half of the wit and verve he had for this subject with his other stories, they will be well worth the investment.

Who'd think cute-as-a-button kids and glistening viscera would combine so nicely? A science lab experiment (that will run awry, needless to say) begins the book, as we then are introduced to the young, resourceful, and exceedingly smart-mouthed cast of "Recess Pieces." No detail of existence in the behavioral sink known as "school" goes unsatirized, from the institutional green-hued décor, prisonlike setup, power-struggles among the inmates and their keepers, absurdly out-of-it attempts by the latter to be hip.

The shambling flesh-munchers make their appearance slowly, Fingerman setting the scene, laying out characterizations. There's not a lazy line in this book, even minor background characters carefully individualized, and the painted art - for those more familiar with Fingerman's line drawings in this noted alternative comics creator's other books - is lushly rendered, as the earlier mention of "glistening viscera" hints.

Comedy abounds as well as thrills, the young 'uns attempting to arm themselves against the onslaught of the undead:

"...Safety scissors with rounded blade? Six-inch ruler?..."

"This crayon is pretty sharp..."

The man's got a way with dialogue, words both kid-like and urbanly wisecracking adding much to the goings-on. I'm reminded of the richly rolling dialogue by Paddy ("Marty") Chayefsky, yang to Mamet's spare yin.

Trapped in a room by zombies, the kids speak thus:

Wendy: "I don't know if I can do this."

Lisa: "We're just kids."

Bobby: "Just kids? Just kids? Grownups think we're sweetness and innocence, but we know better, don't we? We're pure id, untamed and unfettered by conscience. We're petty and cruel. Let's use that to our advantage."

Crisp wit, characters you care about, juicy, top-of-the-line art, and zombies...what's not to like?

The answer is, oddly enough, yes. Bob Fingerman captures the dynamic of school yard interactions to great effect. The characterization of the children is in the vein of Peanuts and Calvin & Hobbes... they are ruthlessly witty and innocent at the same time. Insightful commentaries on childhood, genre clichés and the inadequacies of the public school system are peppered throughout the narrative, but never feel forced or preachy. Not to worry, though, there are plenty of gory and horrific scenes of dismembered bodies being devoured by newly minted ghouls to satisfy any zombie fan. If that wasn't enough, it's all drawn in a lush, full color style that is reminiscent of his work on the Minimum Wage covers but with a lighter, more nimble line that indicates further mastery of his craft. It's a great read that I can't recommend highly enough. I hope that there are further adventures in the works...

unbelievable! Bob F. is one of the best draftsmen on earth,and his tale
of adorable kids covered in shiny, spilled guts.... is second to none.

seriously,if you like comics,especially by people who can really draw and paint
their cajones off...you need Recess Pieces! It's funny,nasty,and insanely gorgeous to
gaze at...and! This is a nice ,thin little hardback you can slap into your backpack and take with you on a trip..like I'm(seriously) doing in a few minutes.

peace.

If you are a beginner to Renderman like I WAS go and get this book. ... This book will give you enough confidence and get you hooked to Renderman...big time!!..So you have been warned!!..The title should read "Get hooked to Renderman"...or "Get high on Renderman"...:). It was a little hard when I started reading the Advanced Renderman book sometime ago..Having almost gone through much of the RfB book a lot of things that were "deep" in the advanced Renderman book is very clear now...This book is simple enough to read and yet the topics are covered in great detail and depth...Can't wait to get my hands on the RSL Guide book from the same author.Indispensable if you want to learn Renderman.

i have been reading this book for some time now and frankly the much i have read i am fully satisifed with it. its well written and clears lot of concepts.


Regards

Renderman is one of the most powerful rendering packages out there, and this book forms a good guide to the self motivated reader. The author assumes little previous graphics knowledge. The basic ideas of matrix algebra and how these can be applied to graphics operations are demonstrated. Aided by numerous clear figures.

More involved operations are also explained. Bezier surfaces, NURBs, anamorphic warping etc. The Renderman language is seen as compact and versatile.

As a grad student in graphics, I've found that creating nicely rendered images is essential for effectively displaying results. I began learning RenderMan with a more advanced book, but found that my overall understanding was lacking. "Rendering for Beginners" has filled in the gaps, giving me a much better foundation for generating images. The book is easy to read and understand, and it is full of images and code snippets (full code is available on the web - which is great!)

The book and companion website has greatly enhanced my understanding, from rendering basic scenes such as wire-frame meshes to writing complex shaders. I highly recommend this book to both those beginning to learn RenderMan and people who want to strengthen their understanding of the basics.

This is a terrific book - and not just for beginners. The author gives a very clear grounding in the concepts that underpin 3D rendering applications, and shows his own deep experience with Pixar's Renderman specification and the implementations built on it by Pixar and others. He also conveys very strongly his own enthusiasm for Renderman and the underlying REYES algorithm, and this is infectious. After a few pages, you will certainly want to access one of the free or trial implementations, and give them a go for yourself.

The book is informed by extremely attractive and colorful images that very clearly illustrate the specific tools and techniques available to Renderman users, and these are fully supported by code snippets (within the text and on the companion website) that make the Renderman structure fully transparent for beginners - just as the title promises!

This is no small accomplishment as the power of Renderman - as exampled in the Pixar and many other movies made with it - arises from the extremely fine degree of control over visual phenomena that it makes accessible to users. First time exposure to the range and precision of these controls can be daunting even for experienced 3d users, but the author's explanations of the RIB and SLIM shader language scripts that drive Renderman are all you need to begin experiments of your own, and to take advantage of more specialized/advanced titles like Advanced Renderman by Apodaca and Gritz.

Renderman is great for photorealistic rendering, but it also excels for non-photorealistic techniques like 'tooning and beyond, and one exceptionally interesting part of the book (again well-supported by the website) provides plenty of illustrations and code for exotic techniques that emulate all sorts of effects from impressionist paintings to woodblock illustrations, and more.

For anyone into 3d, Renderman for Beginners makes clear that rendering packages are not just the back end of a modeling process, but are absolutely central to the practical and artistic effects that define the amazing potential of today's 3d/CG work. To understand the conceptual framework of a high-quality renderer is also to understand, and to be thrilled and amazed by the remarkable workings of our own visual engagement with the world. And, after many years of working in this field, Saty Raghavachary, the author, is obviously still very much under the spell of this excitement. Whether you read Renderman for Beginners as a practical introduction to a prospective career, say as a Technical Director in CG, or whether you read it just for a general understanding of how our contemporary visual culture is evolving, this book will satisfy you fully. Thanks, Saty.

The perfect combination of brilliant drawing and a great sense of humor.
This one surpassed my expectations and will be severely thumbed through on a regular basis.

Richard Thompson's collection of cartoons from the Washington Post are great! It's really first rate cartooning and writing... please check it out.

Thompson's art style has such a fun and spontaneous look, you just can't help but be tickled by it. Combined with his smart and whimsical sense of humor, this book packed full of his cartoons is a real gem. I'd be hard pressed to categorize "Richard's Poor Almanac", but that's what's so great about it. It's such a marvelously idiosyncratic creation, that it's in a class all by itself.

I highly recommend this book.

This has to be Richard Thompson's WORST ALBUM! For one thing, there's no singing! Maybe it's someone else trying to cash in on Thompson's fame, but at least he should sing something, even "It's a Small World" or "Hava Na-Gilah", at least...

At last! A great collection of masterpieces! Richard is a true genius and the artwork shines. A treasured book!

Cuba is in turmoil. Cuban immigrants living in the United States have never given up their Bay of Pigs dreams to regain control over that island nation and the people of Cuba continue to suffer under a brutal dictatorship. When the operatives of Room 59, a secret U.N. anti-terrorism agency, get word that a new invasion of Cuba, coupled with assassination of one or both Castros is in the works, at least some of them want to wish it good luck. But the examples of Iraq and other American adventures are clear--simply removing evil dictators is more likely to result in civil war and even more civilian suffering than in some utopian outcome.

Kate Cochran is given the task of heading off disaster and is surprised when one of her senior executives asks to be lead operative. Jonas Schrader was involved in a mission in Cuba during the 1970s and has never forgotten the near-disaster, nor what he left behind. What he doesn't tell Kate is that he just might have to compromise the mission itself for his personal goals. And neither Kate, nor the Room 59 team, allow anything to compromise the mission--ever.

Author Cliff Ryder combines solid action with just a touch of military technology and enough emotional depth to make us buy into the character in an engaging thriller. In Room 59, as in the real world, characters are forced to make choices between grim alternatives--propping up evil dictators vs. allowing anarchy and a destructive civil war--rather than idealistic but unrealistic alternatives. Both of the major operatives find themselves sympathizing with the rebel movement they're sworn to eliminate, and Jonas in particular, has personal reasons to hold his hand. The Cuban Major assigned to assassinate Raul Castro is likewise sympathetic--even though his mission is one Room 59 hopes to stop.

For the most part, Ryder's writing is smooth and engaging. Occasionally, however, Ryder's style struck me as awkward. I found the internal dialogue occasionally obtrusive. Still, THE POWERS THAT BE is an intelligent look at the real questions facing those who would battle against terrorism, where every terrorist is, at least to some, also a freedom fighter battling oppression and dictatorship.

From the opening scene to the end, this is a mad-dash action caper that kept me turning the pages. If you're looking for great escapist reading, pick up this one. I'm anxiously looking forward to the next installment.

Room 59 is a multinational covert ops organization that specializes in doing the things that nations cannot do. The members are culled from various military, police and spy organizations and are trained to be the ultimate in deniable operatives. They are equiped with the very latest in high tech gear and can get support from just about any government organization. To top off all this, there is little interference or micromanagement from the countries involved.
Room 59 takes on the hard jobs that nobody in an official government military or intelligence capacity can do. They use small hard hitting teams that can do anything, including kill, to accomplish the mission. That is their mantra, the mission comes first.
So what happens when a top operative of Room 59 gets involved with an operation where he has a personal agenda? An agenda that nobody else in Room 59 knows about?
Room 59: The Powers That Be places Jonas, a former member of the German GSG9 special operations group into that situation. Jonas is tasked to keep an rogue organization from assassinating Raul Castro, Fidel Castro's brother. A powerful Cuban-American businessman wants Castro dead and the revolution in Cuba finally ended and he is willing to do anything to accomplish this goal. He sets up a mercenary group to invade Cuba and remove the current power structure. But first he must have Raul Castro exterminated.
The powers that be, though, do not want this. It is a common belief that if Castro falls, then the tiny island nation will be thrown into more civil war and chaos that will happen if the Cuban communists fall slowly apart under their own power. Room 59 is tasked with the mission to stop the assassination.
Jonas is placed in charge of the mission. But he has his own reason for getting involved because he has been to Cuba before and has ties to the chosen assassin.
The action is great. I enjoyed the plot and characters immensely. The author has no problem killing off characters, even important ones. He holds true to the mantra, mission first--everybody is expendable. I like this as it is a truism in military circles, people get wounded and killed. Nobody is so good as to be bulletproof. It also pays homage to an old military cliche, "no plan survives contact with the enemy." The plot twists and turns were good. Once I started reading I could not put it down.
I will admit I had a bit of a problem with the Gee-Whiz high tech gear. Some of the gear was too over the top and was not very believable. Kind of like some of the Bond gadgets. But that is my only complaint and a not very big one at that.

THE POWERS THAT BE by Cliff Ryder is an awesome beginning to a new suspense series, ROOM 59, in which a multi-national and clandestine agency meets the challenges of today's world of intelligence and action. Room 59 is a high-tech, action-based agency of the best operatives in espionage and counterterrorism. With multi-national agents, Room 59 accepts the dangerous missions that individual governments cannot touch for reasons of politics or danger. Kate Cochran, the head of Room 59, consults with anonymous representatives from different countries but in the end, it is her job to call the missions that will put her agents at risk of their lives in an attempt to keep the world safe from the new threats in today's global world.

In THE POWERS THAT BE, the disappearance of a double agent in Cuba turns ominous as political events in Cuba heat up. Rumors of rebel forces, action in Cuba and Miami, and the secret past of an operative all combine in this fast-paced thriller to heighten the intrigue. As the mission unfolds and lives are at stake, Cliff Ryder allows the reader a glimpse into the conflicting loyalties of governments and within individuals. International politics are not quite so black and white, and undercurrents of practicality, personal history and emotion enter into each mission. Cliff Ryder is excellent in creating a truly thrilling espionage suspense read with multi-dimensional characters in the agents and also the underlying politics. In THE POWERS THAT BE, danger is truly danger and lives are on the line with no guarantee. Cliff Ryder keeps the readers guessing with exciting twists until the very end when tough choices must be made in the heat of action. Forced with an excruciating heart-stopping choice, will the agents choose mission over their own personal loyalties?

Although the publisher labels this book as men's adventure, this book and this series will appeal to anyone, men and women, who like heart-stopping action, intriguing characters from director head to individual agents and political intrigue. In THE POWERS THAT BE both the women and men are multi-dimensional characters, highly trained and capable, dedicated to the mission and sometimes torn by the tough choices to be made when mission strategies come face to face with the enemy.

THE POWERS THAT BE has all the very best of the genre from the early classics to modern films and creates something entirely unique. THE POWERS THAT BE has all the intriguing high tech tools of the loved classics of Mission Impossible and James Bond but in Room 59, the danger is real and ever-present and the enemy not simplistic. Lovers of MI-5, Jean Le Carre and the Sandbaggers will relish the reflections on the nature of espionage and the concept of who watches the watchers. While Room 59 recalls all the great traditions of espionage thrillers, this novel also adds a new dimension --- in-the-trenches action and a look into some of the political hot spots from both a ground-level and long-term view. THE POWERS THAT BE is a must read for espionage enthusiasts craving variety in the genre!

Sometimes there are problems, international problems, that require intervention but no government is willing to openly sanction any actions. This is where Room 59 steps in. Room 59 is a top secret black ops unit and Kate Cochrane is the director. At her disposal are a vast array of agents well trained to meet the dangers that face them.

The mission is Cuba. Colonel Jonas Schrader and Marcus Ruiz are the primary operatives on a mission that will take them into the heart of Cuba. The story isn't one dimensional however, as there is action in Florida as well as glimpses into the past. Will the mission be jeopardized by this secret past? Who will live and who will die in this first exciting Room 59 book?

THE POWERS THAT BE is one of those thrill rides that leaves you guessing till the final end. I did figure out some of the secrets, but that didn't stop Cliff Ryder from having other surprises in store for me! Without spoiling the plot, the ending is a shocker and truly sets the stage for making the Room 59 series a hit due to the author's willingness to take chances.

THE POWERS THAT BE is populated with a large number of unique and interesting characters. We get glimpses into the minds of the handlers, such as the director, Kate, and the liaison, Judy Burges, who have to make tough decisions. Will they sacrifice the one for the good of the many? And then we have the field operatives, such as Marcus and Jonas. These are not one dimensional characters as they have thoughts, feelings, and even lives outside the job that sometimes conflict with the mission at hand. What choices will they make when everything is on the line?

Cliff Ryder writes a very credible and entertaining thriller. The fast pace keeps the reader rapidly turning the pages but even more importantly, the facts are clearly articulated so that someone unfamiliar with the terminology will feel drawn into the storyline. Perhaps one of the most fascinating things about THE POWERS THAT BE is the thought provoking questions Cliff Ryder raises about international politics. Excellent start to what appears to be a promising new series!

COURTESY OF CK2 KWIPS AND KRITIQUES

Wonderful for children, awesome art, and a charming story that I think is appropiate for the youngest of children who are able to follow it. The story is about a little girl named Hannah Marie about to go on her first trick or treat outing with older children instead of her parents. An older cousin, displeased at having been made to take Hannah, carries out a dirty trick to scare her bad enough for her to beg to go home so he can get rid of her. Only Hannah is saved by her Scary Godmother and the tables eventually get turned! In addition, it was even educational (such as explaining the different kinds of bats and why they're good creatures in a way that I think a 5-year-old could appreciate).

I believe this is a treat for all ages. I'm 24 and I've already read it all the way through twice, loving it the second time even more than the first (as I caught more details). And if that's not enough, I LOVE the smell of it! :-)

Though just a note: I ordered this in November and despite Amazon claiming to have it in stock, I didn't get it until a week ago. But I'm glad I'm waited for it instead of trying to get something else!

This is a great book, it is worth the price. The art is fantastic, my 3 year old daughter loves it, and so do I. Good clean spooky fun!

...a beautiful and entertaining book. What adult or child would not find this book enthralling?

Jill Thompson is easily one of the most gifted artists I have ever seen. Her work is truly beautiful, and every illustration leaps off the page. This book, as well as the others in the Scary Godmother series, are perfect for Halloween lovers of any age. I'm 28 and I just love sharing these stories with my young nieces and nephews. Thank you, Jill, for giving us such a wonderful world filled with loveable characters!

...with any of the Scary Godmother Books. They are all instant classics. The illustrations are some of the best I have ever seen. My daughter loves this book.

As a lover of Mad Men, this was a REAL trip through the advertising jungle. Well written and a rapid read, I highly recommend it!

This is a really fun and insightful look into the inner sanctum of Madison Ave. Mr. Mosconi does an excellent job of leading the reader on a path not often visited. It's a great Summer read!

Mr. Mosconi let's it all out in this book. A great tell all that makes me look forward to his next. Congratulations. Extremely well done.

Really fast paced novel-
You begin to take the journey- and feel as if you are actually in an ad execs shoes- so much fun- I recomend the book - the pages fly by. Get a sneak peak into a world we all really want to know about.

"Hey Paul, are you happy to see me or is that a can of Pepsi in your pocket?"

So speaketh Madonna, during the filming of a certain doomed Pepsi commercial, to our novel's protaganist.

"Sex Sells" takes the reader on a wild ride spanning from the streets of midtown Manhattan to the coastal highways of California. A very entertaining, witty roman a clef that delves deeply into the mad, mad world that is the Advertising Industry through the eyes of a creative type from New Jersey. Well paced and peppered with colorful ancedotes, this book is a must read for anyone who has ever worked in the Ad Industry and for anyone who aspires to it.

Looking back on Shadow Star's first volume after I've read up to its eleventh, it really is amazing how misleading this series is. It's wonderful, deep, and unique--but misleading. It seems to start off as a shojo or magical girl tale, with some hints of Pokémon here and there. But once a few more characters are introduced, it plunges straight into the abyss and never really leaves.

Despite the fact that from a lighthearted beginning blooms an impossibly creepy and disturbing alien horror, the first volume of this wonderful series is great nonetheless. It tells the story of the energetic sixth grader Shiina Tamai, who discovers an otherworldly star creature while swimming off the shore of a small island during summer vacation. She names the flying, shape-shifting alien Hoshimaru and takes him home with her. On the flight home after an encounter with a sword beast that almost destroys her plane, and once she gets back to the city, Shiina quickly learns that Hoshimaru is only one of the dozens of psychic critters that have come to Earth. Her new, painfully shy friend Akira Sakura is also linked with one of these beings (called shadow dragons), and that not all shadow dragon owners are so kind... and many will not rest until they wipe out the laws of the world and rebuild the planet to their own liking.

From start to finish, it's a fantastic journey through the human psyche; every single one of the people with a shadow dragon is a fraught teenager with deep secrets and twisted desires. This shows exactly what kids would do with the power to kill, crush, slice, and blast their way through all of their problems.

Setting up the complex plot to come, in volume 1 Shiina is saved from drowning by a mysterious girl, she and Akira learn of each other's young shadow dragons, and a single boy begins devising a plot to bring down a nearby aviation company. Coupled with smart dialogue and a thin, sharp art style, here Shadow Star begins outlining some basic points while catching readers off-guard by its happy nature. As a satisfying opening that keeps you interested and exposes more key points than the manga, kicking off very complicated and mature stories rarely gets this good.

Shadowstar combines the cute with the disturbing. Kitoh's character designs are different from most other manga artists in a positive way. He employs views and perspectives that raise him a cut above other artists.
Take Tsuda's Karekano as an example. While I enjoyed the storyline, ideas, and character designs, the artist employs many still shots and head on or side views. Kitoh shows a wider repetoire techniques.
Through the series, I found the main characters realized and the mysteries compelling. If you like volume 1, 2-5 do not disappoint.

It starts out looking a bit like Totoro, begins to look magical girl, then takes a left and heads straight for the twilight zone. This is great manga with real characters. Shiina is lighthearted but determined but very unlike Sailor Moon. Akira is disturbing, she makes this series definitely not for kids! There are secrets behind secrets in this story and I can't wait to see more.

i really like this manga, its about Shiina a normal girl who gets rescued by Hoshimaru, a strange starfish thing. this manga can be dark at times, and a little grusome, but its also very light in parts, and cute. i really enjoyed reading this, and the next book, and i recommend it.

A young girl named Shiina vacations in the summer with her grandparents and discovers a strange, star-shaped creature under the water just offshore. Swimming in an unsafe area, she nearly drowns, but the creature saves her and she secretly adopts it. Meanwhile, shape-changing "dragons" are making their presence known, causing chaos in the skies. And an older, disturbed girl Shiina meets in her kendo class may have a connection to her unearthly companion.

What does it all mean? "Starflight" provides the setup and introduces the characters, but answers will come later. SHADOW STAR begins like a lighthearted girl's adventure, but soon takes a darker turn. I am looking forward to seeing the mystery unfold in future volumes.

For those who have been following the serial in Dark Horse's SUPER MANGA BLAST, this collection reprints material from the first six issues.

This is a remarkable oportunity to rediscover the work of the underestimate John Buscema. Great storylines , in a luxous volume.But I missed more Jack kirby works with the surfer

I haven't read a Surfer story since I was a kid... I loved this book! I read it in one sitting (rainy Sunday afternoon) and was transported back to 1968...still a "carefree kid". The stories have held up well and managed to hold my interest. I you read comics as a kid, or still read them, I would recommend this book...Enjoy!

This book contains the first 18 issues and Bonus material of the Silver Surfer written by Stan Lee. While the modern Silver Surfer is sometimes a bad character in these first issues he is something like a saint and he is suffering human prejudice but never giving up to help. He examines the human race in order to understand human behaviour. The Silver Surfer therefore is not a character you can easily identify with but the moral and message of the stories and the way the Surfer views the humans is absolutely interesting and very thrilling. Issue 1-17 was drawn by John Buscema. I know his work on the Avengers which is great but these Silver Surfer stories are by far his best work. Buying this book means buying the very best of John Buscema. In addition the printing quality is superb and the book is oversized.

I ordered this from amazon several months ago. About one month ago they informed me it would not ship until some time in 2008. I am not sure why they are still selling it if they are having that much trouble shipping it out. Just go get one from your local comic book shop. It's worth it.

This huge book reprints all 18 issues of the original Silver Surfer comic book series from the Silver Age of comics (including the letter pages), plus a Surfer back up story from Fantastic Four Annual #5 and a Surfer parody from Not Brand Echh #13. The Silver Surfer happens to be writer Stan Lee's personal favorite character. To quote Stan from the book's intro: "Perhaps the Silver Surfer comes closest to being the ultimate, quintessential superhero. The virtue of his character, the purity of his soul and the nobility of his actions, coupled with the altruism of his motives, are virtually without parallel--unless one returns to the root of all goodness, for perhaps only in the Holy Bible itself does such morality exist." Stan used the Surfer to articulate his own beliefs and convictions, as the Surfer soared around the Earth soliloquizing about mankind's faults (particularly prejudice and bigotry). Pretty heavy stuff for a superhero comic book. The Surfer was a tragic figure, as he regularly faced fear and hatred wherever he went, despite the purity of his motives. Another tragic aspect of the comic was the forced separation of the Surfer and his ladylove, Shalla Bal, who still lived on their home planet of Zenn-La. But I don't want to give the impression that this comic book is all talk and no action. There is plenty of action, as the Surfer battles villains like the Stranger, the Abomination and his archenemy Mephisto. Through the typical Marvel Comics misunderstanding, he also battles heroes like Thor, Spider-Man and the Human Torch. All this is beautifully illustrated by John Buscema, with the exception of the last issue, which was drawn by Jack Kirby. This review ran longer than I intended, so I will wrap it up by recommending this book to all fans of Marvel Comics.

ok, ill admit, ive yet to purchase this...im ashamed or myself for not owning it yet.
i dont have an intimate knowledge of Arts collection of works, but the man is a goddamn genius.
i know this personally, since i was privileged enough to experience a several hour long presentation by the man himself, about a year ago.
my idea of design will never be the same, hell my life will never be the same.
whatever anyone else here says, BUY IT.

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.

...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.