Arts and Culture Books

This could be a ground-breaking book.

Usually in a book with a subject like this the reader would expect one of two things - either predominantly fawning and uncritical adulation peppered with the occasional swipe at safe targets ala the tomes of Telos that cover the recent seasons of the returned Dr Who - or wholesale emasculation of the works considered and their dissection for comedic purposes, the sort of thing the Medved brothers made their name doing.

Vern does neither, and instead finds an intriguing way of reflecting on a genre that actually, surprisingly, may have much to reveal both about the way cinema and celebrity function in the modern age. Writers to come could learn much from this manner of study, one that is respectful of the film-makers' intentions and the audiences responses - or non-responses - to these and we might learn a few things along the way. It helps that Vern can also write extremely well, has an eye for a decent joke or two and an understanding of the modern age that allows him to draw conclusions that surprise, delight and inform.

What do we learn from this book ?

Well, that there is more to Seagal than just another dumb action movie star. Vern makes a pitch in his opening for ascribing auteur status to the man, an assertion that initially strikes one as either tongue-in-cheek to the point of incomprehension, taking the mickey out of the reader or misplaced adulation. Yet in his quiet, analytical way Vern demonstrates that he has a point - like many an auteur Seagal has themes and memes that carry through from one film to the next, and where they haven't been present has gone to some lengths as writer, director or actor to introduce them. Moreover Seagal appears to have come to the screen already fully formed, no working his way up for him but immediately launched in a vehicle for his talents - Nico -Above the Law - that's suggests that someone, somewhere, must have felt the man had something to say worth hearing. Subsequent success suggests that in the late 80s and early 90s, people wanted to hear it.

We are used to the idea of the action heroes as ubermenschen - arrogant, opinionated, always in, and politically on, the right. Seagal, Vern shows, is that rare thing - a left-wing action star. Repeated themes he finds in the films are the corruption and incompetence of intelligence agencies, the dangers of turning a blind eye to the environment, violence as a tool that when utilized should be deployed quickly, efficiently and without undue flash or adulation and never as a solution in and of itself, and a quiet asceticism that makes his hero something of a Renaissance man. This latter is a particularly strange thought, but Vern shows us the evidence, presents his own conclusions and also allows that we have the intelligence to draw our own. Seagal deliberately set out to impart his philosophies to his audiences - and that is what auteurs do, surely ?

This is no dry, academic tome however. It is also very funny, warm, enlightening and entertaining. It's a book to carry onto the plane - for who knows what the in-flight movie may be ? - or to read in the bath or you'll annoy close friends and relatives by reading the best bits aloud. It is that good.

So come to mock by all means - but stay to learn and enjoy. And since that's the essence of Steven Seagal's own philosophy of cinema, from what I gather here, this is a book that does the man proud.

Damn, damn, damn - Vern wrote my book!! I am your basic NPR junkie, with a video collection heavy on German, French and Japanese classics, and never miss Masterpiece Theatre. Guests are always amazed when they come across my complete set of Seagal films - but I adore these films! They are entertaining, often very funny, and have a unique point of view. I had long planned that my retirement project would be to write THIS BOOK!! Fortunately, it is very well written, and gives great insight without ignoring the smirk factor. Well done, but I still am resentful!

The key to any succesful project is that the creator must have a passion for the project itself. Well, Vern cretainly is passionate about the ouevre of Steven Seagal, but he is also passionate about being the funniest, most observant, and for my money most insightful movie critic out there.
A disclaimer - I've been reading Vern on the web for about four years now, and his self-published volume of "greatest hits" reviews occupies a special place on my bookshelf. Everyone I've sent a link to becomes a Vern follower as well. That said, my experience with Seagal films is limited to when I was 13 and my dad took me to see "Hard to Kill". So I was a bit hesitant about this long rumored "Seagalogy" book.
I needn't have worried. The laugh-out-loud-per-page count on "Seagalogy" is a good 2.5, maybe 2.6 with the footnotes. And I'll be honest, I do have a certain respect for Seagal that I didn't have when I began the book.
I can't stress enough how much I think people will love this book if they give it a chance.

Most books like this one are slim one-joke affairs that primarily are made up of plot synopisis culled from press releases or IMDB. Vern has put all of those to shame with his SEAGALOGY. He doesn't skimp on content or fills pages with worthless filler. It is also hilariously funny without being obvious. He has a respect for Seagal and it shows through. If I could get my department chair to approve a course looking at the cinematic ouvre of Steven Seagal, SEAGALOGY would be my textbook.

We are witnessing an event, an event which may shake the foundations of film criticism and perhaps even the entire culture.

A book that is genuinely clever, informative, detailed, and incredibly funny has been tossed into a culture of shallow, immature pop culture references. They would have been happy with a cheap collection of tired ponytail jokes and inaccurate blanket statements, but what they got is a real study of a unique body of work.

For the casual reader who couldn't give a crap about Seagal, Seagalogy will nevertheless provide an entertaining peek into a corner of cinema you've probably never given much thought to, and it might very well tempt you into picking up one or two of Seagal's more highly recommended pictures.

For the Seagal fan, this is a must-have. Your favorites are all here, covered in great detail, and those Seagal movies that you can't stand are in here, too, with all their flaws cheerfully pulled apart and mocked.

For those who just like to laugh at Seagal for being ridiculous, you'll find new reasons to make fun of Seagal. And maybe, just maybe, you might just develope a sort of grudging respect for the man's earlier work.

That's not to say that this book is necessarily for everybody. For instance, if you don't like to read, you may be disappointed to find that there are quite a few words printed inside the book. The book is long. Every Seagal film gets a full chapter. So, if you're not willing to read an entire 10-page chapter on a direct-to-DVD film called Shadow Man (which chapter includes the line, "Seagal meanwhile continues to escalate his war on testicles."), you might not be happy to learn that this book includes just such a chapter.

What I'm trying to say here is that I like this book.

Sherlock Holmes was the first pop icon of modern times, and Sherlock Holmes On Screen provides the most comprehensive filmography of his career, analyzing the Holmes movies and television shows, and including 60 photos as well as a guide to Doyle's original stories. An excellent companion for any avid fan.

There are no words which seem to adequately describe just how good SHERLOCK HOLMES ON SCREEN: THE COMPLETE FILM AND TV HISTORY by Alan Barnes is: The word "comprehensive," while accurate, just doesn't seem to go far enough.
A lifelong Sherlockian I purchased this handsome 288 page hardback updated edition with high hopes and I was not disappointed. Barnes decision to take an A to Z organizational approach may not be everyone's ideal, but he does provide a film and television chronology towards the end of the book to appease those of us who prefer that type of listing.
As the title indicates every film and television appearance by the Sherlock Holmes character including a number of which I was previously unaware. Barnes gives more behind the scenes production notes, details of the mysteries and the solutions and in some cases these are quite extensive. For example I found the details behind the Peter Cushing television series of Holmes adventures fascinating and entertaining and his notes on what it took to bring SHERLOCK HOLMES AND THE DEADLY NECKLACE to the screen, entertaining and revealing. Who knew that the movie had been intended to be the start of a franchise - with the script for the second planned movie eventually being filmed as A STUDY IN TERROR with John Neville in the Holmes role.
Barnes even includes movies and television episodes with more questionable ties to Sherlock Holmes. He gives high praise to Disney's animated THE GREAT MOUSE DETECTIVE but the Spielberg produced YOUNG SHERLOCK HOLMES fares less well. In addition there are entries for the two STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION episodes that featured Prof. Moriarty and even THE LEAGUE OF EXTRAORDINARY GENTLEMEN gets a mention for its Holmesian references.
With listings that include not only alternate titles for the movies, but also surprisingly in depth cast listings, running times and some very rare photo's, this volume is a must-own for any self respecting Sherlock Holmes fan, and anyone with even a mild curiosity about the character.

If you are a fan of more than the Basil Rathbone and Jeremy Brett Sherlock Holmes episodes, this is a great item for your bookshelf. Barnes has written the most comprehensive guide to Holmes in film and on television. The amount of information is amazing. Boookend this with David Stuart Davies' graphically gorgeous Starring Sherlock Holmes and you'll have a fantastic reference library on Holmes on screen.

Bob Byrne
Sherlock Holmes on Oxford Lane

Being a Sherlock Holmes fanatic induced me into purchasing this for my collection in the hopes of obtaining some new images of Rathbone, Richardson, and other Holmes actors. I also had an interest in learning the up-to-date status of each Holmes film ever produced. In that, this is a wonderful book, filled with pages upon pages of information, cast listing, and comments, as well as some rare images of aforementioned actors.

The personal bias of the writer is the only thing that dampens a wonderful experience... namely because I tend to disagree with his assessments of certain Holmes films, particularly those of Basil Rathbone in his later career. I wished there were more images of Ian Richardson and Nicholas Rowe, but all together it's a wonderul purchase to add to any true Sherlockian collection.

This book has yet to leave my bedside table since I purchased it a few months ago. It's not only an extremely well researched book but a very entertaining read as well, packed with information that is revealing (eg, how Jeremy Brett's personal problems impacted upon the Granada tv series) and sometimes surprising (eg, Peter O'Toole and Peter Sellers were the original choices for Holmes and Watson for Billy Wilder's 'The Private Life Of Sherlock Holmes').

Alan Barnes and his fellow contributors go into great detail about the films and television shows they cover, and give their personal opinions about each entry. You may not agree with all of the views expressed, but they are well written and certainly give the reader food for thought.

The book is well illustrated with black and white photographs. This is important as it's likely that many people will never get to see the films they are taken from, particularly some of the early silent films that are lost or older and more obscure films and television shows that have yet to get a video or DVD release.

This book has proven invaluable to me as it has introduced me to tv series and films that I previously knew little or nothing about like the Arthur Wontner films and the Douglas Wilmer and Peter Cushing BBC tv series. I also gained an insight into the little known Ronald Howard tv series from the 1950s. It was also great to read of the BBC 4-part presentation of The Hound Of The Baskervilles starring former Doctor Who star Tom Baker as Sherlock Holmes. I saw this when it was first shown on tv in Australia and it hasn't been screened again, so it was quite nostalgic to read about it and see a photo of Baker in his Holmes costume.

This book is an essential addition to the library of any Sherlock Holmes fan or film buff. You won't find another book that covers Sherlock Holmes history in film and television so thoroughly.

This book is a must read for students contemplating the change to the real world of television employment. Concise, compassionate and clear, I recommend this volume to all the students who come my way.

This book has inspired me to achieve my dream to become a working actor in Hollywood. At times, it's a challenging path, but this book offers practical and thoughtful tips that will help me to advance my career to the next level. Thank you for giving us this gem of a book, Mary Lou Belli and Phil Ramuno!

There's nothing better than learning and laughing put together. Mary Lou Belli has created a sitcom textbook that everyone in the television industry (not just the actor), should have in their library. From the costume designer & script superviser to the writer & technical coordinator, everyone who plays a part in making a sitcom successful is discussed. You'll learn sitcom terminology and have fun reading comments and stories from legends. There are even quizzes! But all fun! No pulling teeth with this one. Thank you Mary Lou and Phil for this informative book. I'm now ready to go get my sitcom!

This is a must have for actors and writers interested in making a career in sitcoms. Mary Lou Belli and Phil Ramuno thoroughly explain the specifics of each day on a sitcom set. They illustrate the different types of jokes and define what makes each of them funny. And, they pepper the book with fun, informative anecdotes. I will read this book again and again! Mostly, because I can never remember anything... But still, the book is that good!

The authors leave no stone unturned as they walk you through every aspect of sitcoms. Required reading for anyone looking to break in.

I have read the book. I do not know for sure but I would bet that Mr. Stratton had nothing to do with this book.
Why?
Because I knew him in prison and he never ever had an original thought in his life..ever.

How powerful. It re-questions me how to be myself as a human being in reality. What is freedom, what is a life, what is "the time"? It keeps questioning me without elicit answer that I must have been seeking by myself.

I read this screenplay, and interviews with the author, and learned that this wasn't written solely by Richard Stratton. Instead the story was formed in a collaborative way in a ninemonth workshop and then during filming, by the movies stars, Sonja Sohn, Bonz Malone and others. I think this is what helps to make this such a powerful screenplay, the fact that many people, some who had experienced events similiar to those portrayed in the movie, were all putting their collective energies together. I really enjoyed this screenplay and was inspired by it. It made me feel like art and artistic endeavor really do matter and can make a difference in the world. I'm grateful to all the authors for that.

I must say I was pleasantly surprised after viewing this film. It truly captured the power of presence, how the power of words can change ideals and touch emotions. This is one of the best products of poetry in movies I've seen in a while not to mention the demonstration of strength in creativity. If you like the artistic feel of Loves Jones with the power of Soul On Ice, this is the film for you. I only wish we could get more of these films out to a broader audience.

I had searched and searched for movies that would expand my imagination and give me some sort of hope for tomorrow that there are people that still strive to make quality movies and write quality books. Thsi is definitely one of them. I read the book and then I saw the movie that went far beyond my expectations. What a sensory pleasure.

this review book is unlike others out there, while it admittedly has a british bias, i found it to be easily readable and refreshing. it offers a lot of information not found in other buffy books- such as fashion critiques, pop culture references, etc.

There are a few problems like lack of pictures, not covering the full 7 seasons of Buffy and no coverage of Angel the series. But these few problems do not detract from how great fans will find this book.

while this may be too much for a casual viewer, i'm sure all buffy fans would want to add this to there collection!

It gives Pop Culture References, such as "Authority Sucks!" and "It's a Designer Label." This book a "must" for all fans of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. It covers season 1 through 5 in great detail. Its a good read for everyone.

Note that there's a new edition coming out in March, 2002, and if I were you I'd wait for it.

But otherwise, it's great. This is my favorite guide to BtVS, and I've looked at all of them.

A refreshing change to stuffy old Guides to T.V show. I especially loved the fashion reports on each episode listed. It was well written, and achieved a funny, interesting, information packed guide to the worlds greatest T.V. shows! (Except for Angel)The only thing I could fault(and I am very, very picky) was the lack of pictures.

This is a really good guide to Buffy. I just started watching the show at the end of last season and this book helped me catch up with the seasons I missed plus explained the episodes I saw. It also gives descriptions of the novels, the movie, and the unaired pilot episode that was used to bring advertisers to the show. I highly recommend this book to any and all Buffy fans.

I've checked this book out from the library at least five times. It always helps to inspire me and either remind me of old ideas or give me fresh ones. This book doesn't actually teach you how to draw. For that, I'd suggest "How to Draw Comics the Marvel Way." This book teaches you how to develop plot ideas, create your own studio, do drawing exercises, create characters, etc... It has interviews with famous comic artists and kid artists. It has drawing book suggestions and ways to promote your work. It's a really helpful book that I would definately recommend.

I recommend the book simply because I'm one of the "young artists" featured (names David Barnes). They even let me do a booksigning...a really great experience!

This is a fun book to read. In addition to being well written and informative, this book opened up to me the wonderful world of comics/graphic novels (MAGIC KNIGHTS RAYEARTH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)I think it is a really good book for if you want to start on drawing comics but you just don't know if you have the patience to fit all those little drawings into little boxes. That's kinda how I felt at first but now I love drawing comics.

This book is very helpful. I can now draw comics very well!!!

Comic book fans of all ages who want to create some memorable works of their own receive basic tips on everything from starting a cartoon studio and choosing characters and plots to honing drawing skills and submitting work to comics companies. A kid-friendly, chatty tone makes it easy for younger artists to become involved.

Being female, it's difficult for me to appreciate the full context of why the Soprano's series is so appealing to men; but it surely is. To the extent that the series reflects the lives they lead, and hence, is the art by which they are most likely to identify with the dynamics, it must be successful due to its popularity. To the extent that it doesn't, it offers the opportunity to prevent lives from having to. Either way, it's a win-win situation since the positive and negative effects can be visualized and measured on the screen rather than through the high risk performance that people must try to live through to survive. Perhaps that is the series' peculiar appeal: safety and entertainment through scrutiny of what people could construe as dangerous territory involving dangerous people. To the extent that it measures a code of justice not often available to people on the outside, it serves to make the world a safer place because of its portrayals.

It's a book that contains five scripts of the best show on TV. It's more than just a TV show, it's a cultural event. It captures the modern day mafia in a brilliant, clever, dramatic, and often times funny way. If You are an inspiring writer, wishing to find a good book for form, or seeking a great work to emulate, then this is the book for You...

I bought this for my son because he is a huge Sopranos fan. However, I snatched it away from him and had a great time reviewing the scripts.
When you watch the show, the dialogue is often lost or ignored because the viewer tends to be caught up in the action. By having a script handy, you get a chance to analyze the writing style. While the plots have a great deal to do with the show's ultimate popularity, the crisp and effective dialogue which remains true to each character's development is equally important.
If you are interested in learning how to write for tv or movies, the scripts are great to analyze.

I've been waiting for the screen plays to be released ever since seeing the first season of THE SOPRANOS. The only draw back is the print doesn't seem dark enough. I hope it won't fade quickly. That said, it's still a great book and would make a wonderful gift to any hardcore fan of the show. Keep your fingers crossed that other scripts will soon follow.

The big irony is that when you read "The Sopranos: Selected Scripts from Three Seasons" expecting to have increased respect for the writers, what you come away with is even greater respect for the actors. I like to look over scripts of favorite television shows, not just to see what was changed, deleted or added to what eventually aired, but to enjoy the stage directions, where the writers work in all sorts of fun and telling details. However, compared to most other television scripts David Chase and company do not provide a lot of extra tips (neither did Shakespeare, come to think of it). Consequently, the chief attraction here for fans of the shows ends up being the dialogue that never made it to the screen along with the introduction by Chase.

Of course the introduction is insightful, albeit relatively short, as Chase talks about the creative and casting process. I particularly liked the part when he explains the multiple strands that comprise each episode (a rule clearly violated by the "College" script, which only has two) and the process by which "Soprano" scripts are written. The results are the "final" (i.e., shooting) scripts, and why the title page of each episode lists the various revisions (blue for 1st, pink for 2nd, yellow for 3rd, etc.). Unfortunately, unlike some other script collections, there are not any notations on the pages to indicate what color they are; I admit, I am curious as to what pages make it from the first draft all the way through production.

For selecting only five scripts from the first three seasons of "The Sopranos," this collection does a nice job. You have to have the "Pilot" episode and "College" is clearly the most memorable show from the first season. "The Happy Wanderer" is another pivotal episode in the show's history and "The Knight in White Satin Armor" contains one of the biggest surprises. "Pine Barrens" represents a prime example of the comic extremes of which the show is capable. So I have no complaints given the collective results. The final comment would be that it is interesting to read hour-long television scripts without teasers and four acts; just another reason to applaud HBO's efforts in this area. So, where is the script collection for "Six Feet Under"?

great stuff if you love Mad magazine. i enjoyed reading the history of the comic and it's Cuban creator.

Something somehow was richer in character about Prohias's many Black Spy vs. White Spy cartoons in Mad Magazine and this make me think he was really the best of the Mad artists to tackle this subject (maybe times were just better in the 60's than in the late 80's-2007, the period this book covers) still I much like the many original ideas the later generations of Mad artists came up (like the two page in-color caveman one in this book).

I purchased the Spy vs Spy2 book as an Xmas gift for my 12 year old son. He receives Mad magazine. He always loves to show me the Spy pages. He loved the book so much, he just ordered the first Spy vs Spy book. His best friend also spent a good deal of time pouring over the pages at his last sleepover. We hope you continue to keep these products available.

Watson-Guptill Publications and MAD Magazine presented the first SPY VS. SPY: THE COMPETE CASEBOOK to much acclaim, and fans of the first will want its sequel, SPY VS. SPY 2. It packs in observations from a political cartoonist and includes over 200 color and black and whit cartoons, including the original Sunday newspaper comic strip written by Edwing and Manak - the complete run of which appears here for the first time under one cover. It's a `must' for any Spy Vs. Spy fan.

If you are a fan of Mad Magazine then there's simply no way you cannot be a fan of Spy Vs. Spy. Created by Cuban cartoonist Antonio Prohias, the strip has been a fixture in Mad Magazine since 1961. The political cartoonist fled his homeland in 1960, just before Dictator Fidel Castro took over the Cuban papers. Prohias retired from the strip in 1988 and passed away ten years later, but his creation has lived on in the capable hands of new cartoonist who have even brought the strip to greater heights be producing it in color Sunday newspaper strips, video games, as well as getting their own animated commercials for Mountain Dew.

This 320 page, oversized trade paperback features the work of the men who took over for Prohias, first the team of writer Don "Duck" Edwing and artists Bob Clark and Dave Manak, followed by artist/writer Peter Kuper, the current force behind the strip. In addition to presenting hundreds of Spy Vs. Spy strips, the book featured a short biography of Prohias, and interview with Kuper, and several other short features.

While Edwing and his partners continued to produce the strip in much the way that it had been for nearly 30 years, Kuper came in with an entirely new look. Contrary to what many may think, Kuper doesn't achieve his look through airbrushing. In fact, he actually explains his creative process in the book. While the grainy look may not have been immediately accepted by longtime fans, no one can deny the incredible influence that he's had on the characters and how the black& white spies have continued to flourish under his watch. In 2001, Kuper began doing his Mad strips in color, giving it a complete different look. Perhaps it was Kuper saying that the world of spies simply is no longer black & white...or maybe he just wanted to do them in color.

In 2002, Spy Vs. Spy became syndicated in Sunday newspapers, with story and art by Edwing and Manak. The strip ran for only 39 weeks, in part because some editors deemed it inappropriate in the case of Mid-East violence. Thankfully, Watson-Guptill has seen fit to reprint all 39 of those strips in this edition. It's a wonderful book and one of the most legendary strips ever.

reviewed by Tim Janson

SO i picked up this book to compliment my ever growing coffe table collection and I have to say... its alright. Now this one is strictly from Austrauila. there are other artist who have visited the country... but mainly home town heroes. You can't really go wrong with a stencil art book, but this one has nice pictures and a good, over-all look to the book. Just pick it up... you'll like it.

And by the INFAMY DVD, awesome graff video.

Very good book, very good text copy. Reevo from [...] has already wrote a full review down below, I just want to add to his words, that if there would be a time, when you won't find any street art around you, no "voices" of the people, it's probably a good time to reread Orwell's 1984.

and this book does a pretty good job of covering the city's heavy-hitters, as well as documenting plenty of smaller and anonymous works. if you've followed stencil art in the past few years at all, you'll recognize some pieces, as well as some artists' names (meggs, meek, and sixten to name a few).
there are bios and interviews, and the artwork is divided up into themed sections. all of the photos are color, too, which is a nice bonus many other books on this subject seem to be lacking.
at nearly 160 pages, and being hardcover, it's well worth the money.

I've been a little obsessed with Melbourne's street art scene for quite a while; actually, since the day I discovered Melbourne Mark's (that's how I think of him!) State Of Flux; a great site dedicated to the art in and around Melbourne (in case you hadn't guessed that already!). From then on I've been glued to that site and always enjoyed seeing all the new art as it was documented. I'm waffling...when I saw a while back that Stencil Graffiti Capital: Melbourne, by Jake Smallman & Carl Nyman, and published by Mark Batty, was coming out in the UK I was pretty excited and it's been well worth the wait.

Just like the other Mark Batty books I own, Stencil Graffiti Capital: Melbourne is quality from the start. It's nicely bound and instantly demands your attention from the second you lift over the front cover. Before you even get to the actual stencil documentation you're pounced on by a couple of incredible night-time photography of city streets and their painters. These are not in-your-face trophy photos of writers and painter posing next to their pieces but beautifully artistic long-exposure shots where the city is the star and the writer is part of the environment. It's a great way to make you realise that this book isn't just about the art but more to do with how the art and Melbourne interact with one another. The introduction follows and tells us more about Melbourne's unique stencil history.

Stencil Graffiti Capital: Melbourne is packed with themed chapters and artist profiles as well as being interspersed with the same high standard photography. That's not to say that the other photography in the book isn't worth mentioning though; it is. While many of the photos are documentary style (just showing the actual piece of art) there's a whole lot more that are just oozing class. Actually, it has some of the best street art photos I've seen. I digress.

So, back to the themes...roughly half of the chapters are theme based. The themes include faces, politics, war, robots, music, horror (a great couple of pages), guns and lots more. One of the most impressive themed chapters concerns itself with public galleries; lanes where, although illegal, artists are constantly putting up new pieces. By the look of the photos these streets are not just painted with the odd stencil here and there but quite densely populated with work, making them truly like gallery spaces. Many of the pieces are single layered hits but there are also some multi-layered beauties. A great collection.
Of the many artists that have there own chapters I have to mention Meggs. His art makes perhaps the best chapter in the book with his cute, skyward looking, kids with devils horns. Fantastic imagery. He also has some cracking pieces that depict people throwing up some kind of crazy paisley pattern...nuts. Vexta also gets a mention here for not only having a great collection of pieces on show but also for having the second best photo in the book; an action shot of her hanging half way down a wall, in mountain climbing kit, painting the amazing police piece. Sixten's chapter is also great, especially his work in progress, and his finalised Call It Popart One More Time And I'll... piece. Sync also needs a mention as his screaming pieces had a real impact on me when I saw a couple of his pieces in NYC last year. Banksy also gets an honorary mention for hitting the place during a detour visit in 2003. Apparently he made such an impact with the pure quantity of pieces that he deserved the chapter that's dedicated to him. Last mention has to go to Rone, who gets the title for greatest photo in the book! It's a four-layer stencil of a guy high up in the air, maybe four of five metres high. It's perfectly placed and traverses different types of textures across the wall. Just like all the great street art photos that have been taken, this one becomes complete with some personal interaction. This time it's with the addition of someone throwing a skate deck in the air and making it look like the character in the stencil has been caught mid-trick. Fantastico! It's a shame not to mention all the other great artists included in the book but I've probably already said too much...this is the kind of thing you should discover yourself.

I can't really claim to know much about Melbourne but Stencil Graffiti Capital: Melbourne gives me the impression of it having a rich, and dense, tapestry of street art...perhaps more so than anywhere else I can think of (I'm willing to be put right on this one but that's the impression I get from the book). I remember writing that Melbourne looks like a colourful place to live. Seeing this book has made my image of Melbourne much more intensely saturated with colour and dynamic imagery, I just hope I can get over there to visit some day. Like all great books, Stencil Graffiti Capital: Melbourne has made me want to know more about both Melbourne and it's rich streetart scene. I'll definitely be going back over all the photos at State Of Flux now that I have some solid reference material...I need to see more from these artists.

What has happened to turn Melbourne into a stencilled graffiti capital? When did this happen and who is responsible? Furthermore, why stencils? Isn't the use of stencils a bit of a cheat? Stencil Graffiti Capital answers all these questions and more with a visual celebration for several artists and the themes which dominate their work. Interviews with the likes of Civilian, Dlux, and Ha-Ha illustrate how and why these artists live in, moved to, or visit Melbourne to practice their street art. Full-page and double-spread visual treatments within the book illustrate the artists' basic themes, which focus on politics, symbols, love/sex and war/death.

According to the authors, Jake Smallman and Carl Nyman, the new trend toward stencilled work in Melbourne began in 1999 when graffiti artist Psalm tickled Melbourne's walls with "intricately detailed, vibrantly colored and visually arresting" work. His work was followed by Ha Ha's roughly cut, one-layer stencils which usually were painted in black. Syn and Dlux moved their graffiti skills to Melbourne from Adelaide in 2002, and they brought with them an influence which bonded the disparate talents already in residence.

Commercialism of street art, especially stencilled work, is contentious and Stencil Graffiti Capital addresses these issues. The use of stencils instead of free-form spraying, in my opinion, is no worse than the fact that Norman Rockwell used slides projected onto his canvases to help render his realistic paintings. His practice - once discovered by the art world - evolved into a debate over the difference between commercial work and fine art during the mid-twentieth century; however, this debate fizzled once technology altered how artists rendered their work...it's difficult for a fine artist to criticize commercial work when he uses computers to render his digital images.

The debates over legality/commercialism of stencilled street art might fizzle or continue to build, which is one of the interesting aspects to this movement. The other highlight includes the fact that these stencilled works aren't amateurish. Not surprisingly, the majority of street artists included in this book have graphic design or fine art backgrounds, an aspect that lends sophistication to the work. This background also supplies an understanding to the transition from the street to galleries. If this debate boils down to the fact that the "medium is the message," then street art is, perhaps, a marketing ploy for what is considered a new art form.

The fact that the street artists sign their work, that they are willing to be photographed in the process of building their work, that there is a Web site devoted to the who, what, when, where, how, and why of stencilled street art all lend credence to the fact that Melbourne's streets have become visual marketing for these artists. While this fact might leave a bitter taste in the mouth of some artists and officials, the mere idea that a metropolis could be influenced by street artists to the point that illegal activities are basically overlooked - at least for the moment - seems to be the real revolution.

While Stencil Graffiti Capital: Melbourne could be seen as part and parcel of this trend in commercialization of graffiti art and artists, the book is needed to explain this trend and Melbourne's part in an artistic evolution. Additionally, the book becomes a visual record of a trend which waxes and wanes with politics and artistic whims. The writing is succinct, clear, and sticks to the facts. The writers and editors forged categories for the artwork, an idea that refuses to glorify any one artist and which offers the reader a banquet of styles and canvases used by the artists. The only missing information in this book is the actual dimensions of the artwork, although the photographs at times reveal the size in proportion to buildings and individuals.

This book will appeal not only to artists, art lovers, and political guerrillas; it could add a significant contribution to any anthropologist's or historian's bookshelf as it addresses issues about the intent, talent, time, and politics which continue to influence every aspect of what is often considered illegal public property defacement.

This book was a great help in writing an essay for college, I would recommend this book to anyone who is interested in the history of tattoos.

While I can not even come close to the great review that the previous reviewer wrote, I can in fact tell you that this is one of the most interesting books that I have read on the history of tattoos. I myself have 3 tattoos and since I got them, I have been enthralled with the history that surrounds them as well as trying to figure out where the stigma that is currently attached to them came from. I sat down to just leaf through this book and I had to read the entire thing, it was so completely interesting. If you have any interest in tattooing at all, this is a must read!

Not just a compendium of illustrations, this collection of essays, interviews, historical accounts and yes, some nice pictures, pulls together a great deal of the cultural history and tradition associated with tattooing. Well written, very wide-reaching and very entertaining. Gilbert is careful to detail where all his information comes from, adding to the work's authority and allowing interested readers to look more deeply into specific topics. This is a winner.

Were you a fan of tattoing who had been stranded on that proverbial desert isle and allowed only half dozen favorite musical discs and but one or two books, it's a good bet that you would want Steve Gilbert's "Tattoo History: A Source Book" to keep you company.

A somewhat uneven quality of writing and of academic documentation mark this book. Even so, "Tattoo History: A Source Book" is an impressive work that reflects serious research, and it is a tour de force in comfortably handling material that ranges widely over time and space. On a subject that is so often dominated by photographs and essays that emphasize above all Japanese-style tattooing, it is a delight to learn as well of the long tradition of tattooing in the Pacific Isles, of the role tattoos played in the ancient Middle East, and of early 20th-century tattooing in the West. Gilbert's extensive use of source material--efectively translated from many languages--lends the book its gravitas and contributes significantly to his success in instilling in the reader an increased sense of respect for the tattoo arts.

Finally I should note that even if this book did not open new vistas for the reader, the essays which bookend "Tattoo History" would alone be worth the price of admission. Gilbert's opener, "Confessions of a Tattoo Addict," although but two pages in length, is an evocative essay that relates a fascination with tattoos to his coming of age in the 1940s. Meanwhile, the lengthier closing essay by Don Ed Hardy documents the resurgence of tattooing over the past several decades, the cultural cross-fertilization that has occurred, and the slow but growing acceptance of tattooing as a legitimate art form by the more conventional arts world.

As an archaeologist and a tattoo enthusiast, this is one of my all time favorite books on tattoos. I had been a fan of the web site version for some time and was glad to see that the book was so beautifully designed. But design aside, this is a "history book" that is unique in that it is NOT a narrative description of tattoos through the ages. Instead, it is exactly what it says on the cover -- a source book. Original source material, invaluable to researchers, is presented undiluted, in long quotations, with original illustrations. If you're looking for a plethora of modern tattoo designs that you can take to the shop on your next visit, look elsewhere. If you want to know about early tattooing all around the globe, then look no further.