The Mighty Elvis is a commemoration of his life and times in the form of an art book, told through the unique vision of legendary designer and illustrator Seymour Chwast. Beautifully illustrated throughout, it presents an enhanced portrait of one of America's greatest celebrities. With text by author Steven Brower (Satchmo: The Life and Art of Louis Armstrong), The Mighty Elvis reminds us of the continuing stardom of one of the most popular American singers of all time. Through Chwast's illustrations, cartoons and comics we get to relive his early life, his meteoric rise to fame and how he was affected by, and in turn, affected the world of music in the many genres he mastered. The book covers his first appearances on television, Graceland, his meeting with President Nixon and his wedding to Priscilla, and much more. Millions of fans loved him, purchased his records, attended his sold out shows and went to his thirtythree films. Death, forty years ago, has not diminished his fame. "Elvis Lives!" The Mighty Elvis is a celebration, in art and design, of the life of a great icon of the American Scene!

Honorable Mention in the Foreword Indie Awards 2016 For many design students, the expectation is that they will one day reach the top of the ladder within a design studio or corporation and become an art director. But what does this mean and how does a design student get there? What does an art director do? How is it different from being a designer? How does one lead and inspire a team, work with freelance designers, illustrators and photographers? Inside Art Direction answers all these questions for design students and professionals alike. Through interviews with 18 art directors working in a range of different industries from books and magazines to music and film to web and app design, students learn about how they got to where they are, what the art director's job really entails, and receive advice about the future of art direction. In the 28 case studies, illustrators, art directors and editors discuss specific assignments that they worked on, how they came up with ideas and the process of getting to the final result. With practical, hands-on advice, tips and art direction assignments that students can try out, Inside Art Direction provides insights about this fascinating field.

Duke Ellington was the undisputed father of the American songbook. A prolific writer and consummate performer, Ellington was the author of such standards as Solitude, Prelude to a Kiss, and It Don't Mean a Thing (If It Ain't Got that Swing). With a career that spanned five decades, he is one of the defining composers of the Jazz Age. With unprecedented access to the Ellington family archives, this long overdue book illuminates the life and work of an icon of twentieth-century music from his humble beginnings to his long-lasting success. Every stage of Ellington's career is brought to life, from sepia photographs of his early days in Washington, DC, to colorful playbills from the Harlem Renaissance of the 1920s, his triumphant tours of Europe in the 1930s, and his pioneering explosion of form and genre in the 1940s and beyond. Alongside more than two hundred stunning images, contributions from peers such as Dave Brubeck, Cornel West, Quincy Jones, and Tony Bennett shed light on Ellington's musical legacy, while the voice of his granddaughter Mercedes reveals the character behind the charisma, and the man behind the piano.