Tuesday, December 6, 2011

Gifts galore just through our door!

Don't worry readers despite the closeness of Christmas I shan't be laying any rhymes on you beyond those announcing today's arrivals.


OK, I say Today's arrivals but I recognize I've been amiss in overlooking some books which arrived during my vacation and I'll be giving them a billing as well as the brand spanking new.


ART OF SPIDER-MAN CLASSIC
HC 240pp Color
Marvel Comics
Arguably the most popular character in the pantheon of US super heroes, Peter Parker aka the Amazing and Spectacular Spider-man has never wanted for great artists to bring his escapades to life.
This lavishly illustrated artbook showcases the great artists, the great moments and the great characters gracing his adventures down the years, from his debut courtesy of the peerless Steve Ditko to the equally unique style of today's custodian of the Spidey pencil Humberto Ramos.


DEFINITIVE FLASH GORDON & JUNGLE JIM
HC 176pp Color
IDW
The first in a four volume series faithfully reprinting all of Alex Raymond's Sunday Comic Strip Pages from the 1930's featuring Flash Gordon and the lesser known companion piece also by Raymond, Jungle Jim.
It's inspiring to see the refining of Raymond's draftsmanship as it occurred during the creation of these classic strips.


GRAFF WARS
HC 192pp Color, Black + White
Kontur Forlag
Joy, a book about the marriage of Star Wars and Graffiti and not about angry tennis champions from beyond the Rhine. OK I'm perhaps not the man to positively review a book of this sort however I will concede that Graffiti does occasionally have merit and George Lucas has certainly changed the face of cinema and the genres of science fiction and fantasy.
Anyway, this is a visual feast for those who like the antics of creative urban tykes and intergalactic types - er what was that about rhymes again?


THE FUTURE OF EROTIC FANTASY ART
HC 192pp Color, Black + White
Harper Design
I'd hazard a guess that the future of erotic fantasy art is smuttier sirens, naughtier nymphs, more graphic goblins, etc.. and this cheeky compilation would appear to back me up, filled as it is with all of the above and more erotic twists on fantasy themes.


 SHIGENORI SOEJIMA ARTWORKS
SC 160pp Color, Black + White
Udon Entertainment
A gorgeous book celebrating the artistic talent of Shigenori Soejima by collecting his best work from the Persona games as well as art from Stella Deus and Momorio Taisen Pairon.


MONSTERS & DAMES 2011
HC 64pp Color
Brandstudio Press
Each year the fabulous artists attending Seattle's Emerald City Comic Convention enter a piece into this annual collection and based on the theme of girls and monsters.
Artists featured include Geoff Darrow, Eric Canete, Bruce Timm, Frank Cho so do check it out.

BLACK SMOKE WHITE LIES
HC 48pp Color Balck + White
Brandstudio Press
Bad boy Tyson McAdoo presents a selection of images featuring the kind of tattooed temptresses who would intimidate lesser men than your intrepid reviewer, me I'm intrigued too see as much as these vixens wish to reveal of their true natures.


ECHO NOUVEAU
HC 100pp Color
Echo Chernik
This handsome tome collects 15 year's work by Echo Chernik, and we mean work, not just her finished pieces but she discusses honestly and humorously just what it takes to be a leading commercial artist.
As well as featuring her Art Nouveau influenced finished art, there's development pieces and a few nice shots of her perfectly formed models, as well as all sorts of tips and advice to the seasoned pro and the debutante.


LIMAN SKETCHBOOK SIGNED & NUMBERED
SC 48pp Color, Black + White
Comix Buro
Here's a  collection of artwork from another lady artist heavily influenced by the artists of the Belle Epoch and the Art Nouveau movement.
Ingrid Liman is a mistress of the elegant and erotic, loose yourself for a few precious moments in her seductive stylish art.


VALP SKETCHBOOK SIGNED & NUMBERED
SC 48pp Color, Black + White
Comix Buro
Take a peek at the fabulous and till now unpublished art of the young Swiss miss behind Delcourt's hit fantasy series Ashrel, as she let's us in on her sketchbook studies.


FAVOLE INTEGRAL
HC with Slipcase 272pp Color
Milady
In one book you have all the hugely successful illustrations of sultry Vampires and Goths - all dripping mascara, pin prick teeth, cascading hair entwined with red roses, standing around ruins and grave yards yes - by the Queen of the genre, Victoria Francés, accompanied by the sad stories which inspired them.
Certain to delight the many fans of the Gothic Romance/Horror sub genre popularized by Twilight and the work's of Anne Rice. 


Aurore
HC 56pp Color
Soleil
We simply love the books coming from Soleil's imprint Métamorphose, just consider they've dropped the sumptuous Daisies by the incomparable Claire Wendling on us and followed it up with the sublime Yaxin Le Faune by Vey and the supremely talented Arenas and now they're laying on us another tour de force and again by a Spanish artist and on occasion an animator, like Arenas, we're delighted to announce, Aurore by Enrique Fernandez!
A fabulous story set among the aboriginal people of a fantasy far North, perhaps Siberia, a heroine with her lupine companion defies demons in this enchanting tale.


LA MARCHE DU CRABE TOME 2
HC 240pp Color
Soleil
Another Soleil imprint publishing fantastic books is Noctamble and their latest is the second book in the amusing trilogy in which the dynamics of aquatic life mirror our own.
By the amazingly talented and hard working - and we suspect hard partying -animator and comic artist Arthur de Pins, Le Marche Du Crabe is derived from an award winning animated short.


CIXI DE TROY TOME 3
HC 48pp Color
Soleil
The latest adventure of the seductive Pirate and thief, Cixi, set in the fantasy realm of Troy, story boarded by Vatine, finishes by Floch.


We also have the deluxe black and white version which is larger, runs to 64pp and includes Vatine's original story boards.

As tempting as it is I won't be making any gift suggestions for the holiday season.
I believe the nature of illustrated books is that just about anyone with the gift of sight can find a book on our shelves from among the thousand plus we stock which would appeal to them, which they'd be grateful to receive or content to offer as a gift.

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