The Art of Fine Gifts: This is a beautifully traditional advent calendar with an intricately illustrated sticker behind each window. Father Christmas heralds his arrival with a blow of his trumpet as he prepares to deliver his sack of presents.

The story of the most inspired comic book promotional campaign of all time, collected here for the first time In 1974, Marvel Comics publisher Stan Lee devised an ingenious promotional campaign—Marvel Value Stamps, which appeared on the letters pages of their monthly comics. Readers could cut out all 100 of these Super Hero and Super Villain stamps and place them in a special mail-order booklet. Once complete, these stamp books could then be redeemed for special discounts and exclusive merchandise. The program was so successful, a second set was released in 1975. And now, for the first time, these original stamp books, stamps, and all of the surrounding ephemera and source material are collected into one must-have volume for collectors and fans, along with text from Marvel Comics former editor in chief and historian Roy Thomas.

The New York Times bestselling author of Wicked presents an inspired visual tribute to the work of legendary writer and illustrator Maurice Sendak

Published in 1963 to great critical acclaim, Maurice Sendak's Caldecott Award-winning Where the Wild Things Are has sold millions of copies worldwide, garnered countless awards, and been translated into nineteen languages. In Making Mischief, Gregory Maguire reconsiders Sendak's oeuvre with the same adroit and idiosyncratic scrutiny that allowed him to see a heroine in the Wicked Witch of the West (Wicked) and add a charming dimension to the story of the Little Match Girl (Matchless).

An accomplished critic with signal reviews published in the New York Times Book Review and lectures on art delivered at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston, and at other locations, Maguire examines Sendak's aesthetic influences from William Blake to Walt Disney, revealing the "conversations"--often unconscious and unspoken--that artists have with one another. A master of literary invention himself, Maguire explores recurring motifs in Sendak's life work--from monsters to mayhem--as well as his profound understanding of children, their creativity, and the breadth of emotions with which they encounter the world.

Making Mischief is a gift of the imagination to Maurice Sendak, one of the master mythmakers of our time.

Feather, Leaf, Bark & Stone is a book of poems and meditations with a difference. More than a hundred short texts have been typed onto small squares of gold leaf, then photographed. These pieces are arranged in a sequence which culminates in a glorious final section made up of texts typed directly onto leaves, bark and feathers. Jackie started to write the pieces shortly after her father died, and for the first time ever she found herself unable to paint. The words grew out of her grief and, guided by her deep intimacy with the natural world, these objects emerged to fill the space her paintings had left behind. This book is full of the light and wind that fills the Pembrokeshire coast where it was crafted, each page anchored to the landscape by the mechanical rhythm of Jackie's antique typewriters. The result is a collection of individual artworks to be both looked at and read. It is poetry re-imagined by a visual artist; words transformed back into their original function as images. Feather, Leaf, Bark & Stone announces a new departure for Jackie Morris and confirms her as an artist and writer at the peak of her power.

The Incredible Hulk is one of the earliest Marvel Comics superheroes. Through the decades, the character and his narrative elements-the causes of Bruce Banner's transformations, the Hulk's strength, intelligence and skin color, the storys' tone, theme and sources of conflict-have been continually reinvented to remain relevant. This collection of new essays explores Marvel's more than five decades of Hulk comics. The contributors analyze the Hulk and his supporting cast in their shifting historical contexts, offering insights into both our popular entertainment and our cultural history. Topics include the Cold War's influence on early Incredible Hulk issues, a feminist reading of She-Hulk and writer Peter David's focus on the AIDS crisis.

Over the last ten years, Australian artist Matthew Revert has gained a cult fanbase in various artistic fields including graphic design, writing, & music. TRY NOT TO THINK BAD THOUGHTS collects over 150 pieces of absurdist collage, watercolor, and ink, imbued with humor, horror, sex, heart, and surreal love.

This collection of scholarly articles traces the history of book illustration from its first notion in cave art to the early 20th century. It is arranged chronologically with the first section covering the beginning of illustration; the second moves from the illuminated manuscript to the advent of printing; the third and fourth takes the reader from the earliest woodcut illustrations to the beginning of the 20th century; and the final part is concerned with children's books. An annotated bibliography follows which will lead the reader to additional delights and discoveries. The contributors are distinguished art historians as well as well known anthropologists, members of Classics and English departments, librarians, historians, and educators. The contributions have been chosen to cover areas, points, or ideas not generally covered in the basic histories of illustration. Other criteria for inclusion have been the readable style of the author, offering of new insights into the subject, and current reporting on the field. All the articles chosen are in English. Black and white illustrations are provided to support the authors' presentations.

Over the last several decades, comic book superheroes have multiplied and, in the process, become more complicated. In this cutting edge anthology an international roster of contributors offer original research and writing on the contemporary comic book superhero, with occasional journeys into the film and television variation. As superheroes and their stories have grown with the audiences that consume them, their formulas, conventions, and narrative worlds have altered to follow suit, injecting new, unpredictable and more challenging characterizations that engage ravenous readers who increasingly demand more.

A showcase of the cutting-edge vanguard of Gothic Lolita and punk drawing, and a valuable how-to guide for aspiring artists.

"Gothic Lolita Punk" profiles top Japanese and Korean Gothic Lolita artists working in this hugely popular area of anime and manga--all of whom eagerly discuss their work and share their thoughts on this incredible and increasingly popular genre.

Each profile includes a biography of the artist, a visual of his or her most engaging representative work, and a pictorial gallery with detailed explanations of their techniques. Also included is information on the materials used by each artist, how-to draw and illustrate guidelines, and a glossary of terms for drawing lifelike Gothic Lolita manga and anime characters.

With more than 14,000 entries of nineteenth- and twentieth-century artists, this book is the most comprehensive international listing of artists as illustrators compiled to date. The entries include illustrators, sculptors, and fine art artists who have done illustrations for books, magazines, records, and posters. Biographical reference keys are provided with each entry. Approximately 4,000 of the listed artists are shown with a signature facsimile.

Drew Struzan has created some of the most iconic movie posters of the last 30 years, including Raiders of the Lost Ark, Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone and Blade Runner.
This sumptuous hardcover edition, with a foreword by George Lucas, features over 250 pieces of artwork, including all of Drew's most iconic movie images, as well as other highlights from his career, including album, book and comic book covers, stamps, trading cards, promotional artwork and very personal original works. The text will be written by his wife Dylan, providing an intimate look at the man and his legacy.
The definitive collection of Struzan's work; this is an absolute must-have for any movie buff and an unrivalled slice of both art and cinema history.

Graphis Poster Annual 2 Throughout history, posters have served as a beacon of hope and change as they've encouraged the world to take the time to consider better outcomes and new ways of thinking. What started as communications to draw attention to newsworthy issues has blossomed into a movement that has shaped the way we share concerns and express ourselves. In the decades since, posters have continued to shape generations, social and political movements, and popular culture.This book presents an extraordinary look through a global lens at key movements in current history that give us pause, a reason to act, and more. With over 250 pages of winning work, this beautiful print book features inspiring creatives that addresses some of the biggest international issues, from global warming to war. Honorees include Alireza Nosrati Studio, Andrew Sloan, Dogan Arslan Design, Katarzyna Zapart, Marlena Buczek Smith, Randy Clark, and Yossi Lemel, among more.

Bring to life legendary creatures from around the world in this manga-inspired adult colouring book. Camilla d'Errico adds her signature, manga-inspired twist to creatures from myth, folklore, and legend-as well as from her own imagination. From European favorites such as gryphons, fauns, and centauresses, to her particular take on the Persian manticore and the Asian kinnaris and kirin, fans and colouring enthusiasts can embolden these fabled creatures with their own palette and turn striking full-page spreads with dramatic details into one-of-a-kind art.

After Dan Dare, the most famous and fondly remembered part of the Eagle comic was the cutaway. Basically, these were beautifully detailed drawings of the inner workings of pretty much anything: from steam trains, jet liners and racing cars, to oil wells, suspension bridges and tube lines beneath Piccadilly Circus. The Eagle had a team of three or four artists, but the king of the cutaway was undoubtedly L. Ashwell Wood, whose forensic attention to detail -- be it a cross section of the Cutty Sark or a grand landscape of how electricity is generated -- enthralled a generation of school boys.

In June 1938, Superman made his debut in Action Comics #1, which also featured his romantic interest and Clark Kent s journalistic rival Lois Lane. In the decades since, the intrepid reporter has become an iconic figure almost as recognizable as the Man of Steel himself. Lois has appeared in multiple adaptations, from her own comic book to various films and television shows, and millions of women have seen and continue to see her as a role model. Examining Lois Lane: The Scoop on Superman s Sweetheart is the first anthology to explore the many incarnations of this empowering American icon. Chapters analyze the character of Lois Lane in various media through the perspectives of feminism, gender studies, cultural studies, and more. In some discussions she is compared to mythological heroines, while others explain her importance in popular culture. This wide-ranging collection looks at previously neglected aspects of Lois and offers new insights into the evolution of her character. Seventy-five years after Lois Lane s first appearance, this book creates a fascinating picture of the obstacles and decisions faced by her character, whose challenges and accomplishments often reflected those of women over the course of the past century. Examining Lois Lane will be of interest to students and scholars as well as those who grew up reading and watching the many manifestations of Superman s girlfriend."

From the mangaka who told his life story in A Drifting Life, and gave you Abandon the Old in Tokyo and The Push Man and Other Stories, comes this collection of gekiga of the 1970s which have never before been translated into English. Personally selected for publication exclusively by Landmark Books by Tatsumi, the stories strip away the gloss of the Japanese Economic Miracle to reveal the stresses, desires and angst of the millions of young people who flocked to the cities where life was not what it was promised to be.Compared to Tatsumi's earlier stories, this collection paints a much more pessimistic world. The stories run on a different beat. The banality of modern life and its values bleed through.Yoshihiro Tatsumi plumbs the depths of the lost Japanese youth of the 1970s. Today, 'youth' of every age group appreciates Yoshihiro Tatsumi. They are attracted to him because they connect with the struggles and the darkness of modern life which he portrays.

Basil Gogos changed the face of classic horror with his film monster portrait art. Like a bizarro-world Norman Rockwell, he created magazine covers of Frankenstein, the Creature from the Black Lagoon. the Phantom of the Opera, and countless others in horrifying yet dazzling images throughout the 1960s and '70s. His intense colour and bold, impressionistic brushwork gave a unique sense of drama and sophistication to these iconic characters. Today, collectors fight over his original art-but, with this book, every fan can own glowing full-colour reproductions of his most famous work as well as many previously unpublished paintings and drawings.

Superheroes have been the major genre to emerge from comics and graphic novels, saturating popular culture with images of muscular men and sexy women. A major aspect of this genre is identity in the roles played by individuals, the development of identities through extended stories and in the ways the characters inspire audiences. This collection analyses stories from popular comics franchises such as Batman, Captain America, Ms Marvel and X-Men, alongside less well known comics such as Kabuki and Flex Mentallo. It explores what superhero narratives can reveal about our attitudes towards femininity, race, maternity, masculinity and queer culture. Using this approach, the volume asks questions such as why there are no black supervillains in mainstream comics, how second wave feminism and feminist film theory may help us to understand female comic book characters, the ways in which Flex Mentallo transcends the boundaries of straightness and gayness and how both fans and industry appropriate the sexual identity of superheroes. The book was originally published in a special issue of the Journal of Graphic Novels and Comics.

Milt Gross (1895-1953), a Bronx-born cartoonist and animator, first found fame in the late 1920s, writing comic strips and newspaper columns in the unmistakable accent of Jewish immigrants. By the end of the 1920s, Gross had become one of the most famous humorists in the United States, his work drawing praise from writers like H. L. Mencken and Constance Roarke, even while some of his Jewish colleagues found Gross' extreme renderings of Jewish accents to be more crass than comical.

Working during the decline of vaudeville and the rise of the newspaper cartoon strip, Gross captured American humor in transition. Gross adapted the sounds of ethnic humor from the stage to the page and developed both a sound and a sensibility that grew out of an intimate knowledge of immigrant life. His parodies of beloved poetry sounded like reading primers set loose on the Lower East Side, while his accounts of Jewish tenement residents echoed with the mistakes and malapropisms born of the immigrant experience.

Introduced by an historical essay, Is Diss a System? presents some of the most outstanding and hilarious examples of Jewish dialect humor drawn from the five books Gross published between 1926 and 1928--"Nize Baby," "De Night in de Front from Chreesmas," "Hiawatta, Dunt Esk," and "Famous Fimmales"--providing a fresh opportunity to look, read, and laugh at this nearly forgotten forefather of American Jewish humor.

Andre Jordan's graphic doodles are drawn from life experiences. Funny but sad, simple but clever, with a dark side, his doodles will appeal to fans of Purple Ronnie, The Bunny Suicides and Edward Monkton. Andre Jordan's popular blog wwww.abeautifulrevolution.com has half a million viewers. Covering all aspects of life experiences, ranging from birth to death, Andre Jordan's doodles have instant and enduring appeal.

Long before flying saucers, robot monsters, and alien menaces invaded our movie screens in the 1950s, there was already a significant but overlooked body of cinematic science fiction. Through analyses of early twentieth-century animations, comic strips, and advertising, Animating the Science Fiction Imagination unearths a significant body of cartoon science fiction from the pre-World War II era that appeared at approximately the same time the genre was itself struggling to find an identity, an audience, and even a name. In this book, author J.P. Telotte argues that these films helped sediment the genre's attitudes and motifs into a popular culture that found many of those ideas unsettling, even threatening. By binding those ideas into funny and entertaining narratives, these cartoons also made them both familiar and non-threatening, clearing a space for visions of the future, of other worlds, and of change that could be readily embraced in the post-war period.

The best of the 1950s Eagle comics in one annual. From Dan Dare, Pilot of the Future, to PC 49, Harris Tweed, Extra Special Agent and Jeff Arnold in Riders of the Range, The Eagle carried numerous strips right from its launch in 1950 through to the sixties. The fourpence-halfpenny weekly also featured plenty of sports coverage and the famous 'cutaway' diagrams of battle ships, steam trains, light aircraft, etc. Taking over the publishing licence from Egmont and Titan, we now have the opportunity to step up the current vogue for 'retro-futurism': rather than simply re-run straight facsimiles of the comics, the Eagle Annuals of the 1950s and 60s will be drawn from the vast Eagle archive and feature the strips as well as individual drawings/artwork, original advertisements and a present-day narrative. The idea is to create a superior object of desire for boys, lads and dads everywhere.