Art director Paul Buckley's excellent Penguin 75 is a commemoration of the 75th anniversary of Penguin Books—a collection of essays and art examples bArt director Paul Buckley's excellent Penguin 75 is a commemoration of the 75th anniversary of Penguin Books—a collection of essays and art examples by designers and authors concerning the craft of creating book covers. The art reproductions are striking, but what makes Penguin 75 special is the insight and perspective of the designers about the process of creating a cover. It's far trickier than it seems.
In the design of a book, there are a variety of goals in play, any one of which a potential land mine that can blow the project to smithereens. First, the design has to effectively sell the book's central idea, especially when the idea is esoteric at best. The cover also has "internal" clients, namely, the author and publisher. It's rare that all the goals are satisfied in equal proportion.
Some of my favorite parts of Penguin 75 are the times when the authors are surprised and delighted by the designer's solution, or, on the flip side, appalled by it. It's in these moments that a view into the whims and obsessions of the publishing process is most apparent. As Buckley writes, "An author who dislikes his or her cover is often very not polite, and sometimes understandably so."
Gregg Kulick's cover for 100 Facts About Pandas (a humor book by David O'Doherty, Claudia O'Doherty and Mike Ahern) is a case in point. The cover was offered to a designer who turned it down because she found it "ridiculous." Kulick, the replacement designer, liked the book and created a cover he loved, an image of a panda dressed as Napoleon. The authors (all three of them) hated it. After a few minor cosmetic changes, the art director passed the cover along to the marketing department, who liked it and said it would sell well, saying the cover was better than the book. Case closed. The cover stayed as is.
Some of the most interesting projects—of which there are many—are re-packagings of classic books such as Brian Cronin's elegant illustrations for a series of Graham Greene novels, Richie Fahey's pulp-fiction take of Ian Fleming's James Bond novels, or Neil Powell's low-tech sketch cover for William S. Burroughs' Junkie. A number of artists whose work is more familiar in graphic novels are represented with startling, captivating results: Chris Ware's covers for Candide, Yoshihiro Tatsumi's Rashomon, Julie Doucet's Little Women, and many others.
This is a fun read for book lovers, especally ones that appreciate good design....more
With Mr. Wonderful, Daniel Clowes covers much of the same dour territory as his books Ice Haven, Wilson and The Death Ray, with one notablWith Mr. Wonderful, Daniel Clowes covers much of the same dour territory as his books Ice Haven, Wilson and The Death Ray, with one notable exception: a happy ending. Well, let's say it's as close to a happy ending as Clowes ever ventures.
Marshall and Natalie, a couple approaching middle age, meet on a blind date and stumble through an awkward, embarrassing, stressful evening together. Secrets are revealed, past relationships snap at their heels, strained affections are formed, and despite the shrapnel of forced companionship flying through the story, the couple manages to find common ground, and—dare I say it?—a chance at love.
Clowes' typically exquisite art and book production, his unique sensibility and approach to story are as strong as ever. He has an uncanny, expert use of the comic medium as a vehicle for disarming personal stories. His characters are still self-centered as always. Marshall's internal monologue word balloons often overlay and hide Natalie's words like discount stickers in a clearance sale, cleverly illustrating how Marshall seldom pays full attention to what his date—or anyone else—is saying. The effect reveals his desperation and self-doubt, unlike previous Clowes "heroes" who seem oblivious to their sins.
I came away from Mr. Wonderfull feeling positive and sympathetic, unlike Clowes' last novella, Wilson, which left a scummy ring around the tub. Even if I'm fooling myself, I'm sticking to it....more
There's a scene in Phil Callaway's latest book where he speaks to a group in Hong Kong. He dusts off some moldy opening jokes which are met with vacanThere's a scene in Phil Callaway's latest book where he speaks to a group in Hong Kong. He dusts off some moldy opening jokes which are met with vacant stares. After a few false starts, he begins telling stories of what a bonehead he has been in his travels (buying a knock-off Rolex in a public market, for example) and suddenly he's the Elvis of comedy.
I won To Be Perfectly Honest: One Man's Year of Almost Living Truthfully Could Change Your Life, No Lie in a Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ "First-Reads" Giveaway, and was looking forward to it, especially for free. To be perfectly honest, this book is less than the sum of its parts.
The premise is simple and full of potential. An editor challenged humorist Phil Callaway to live an entire year without telling a lie. The structural concept—put yourself in an awkward or ridiculously demanding situation and fight your way out of it—is a well-worn path. Julie Powell's Julie & Julia: My Year of Cooking Dangerously and A.J. Jacobs' books The Year of Living Biblically: One Man's Humble Quest to Follow the Bible as Literally as Possible and The Know-It-All: One Man's Humble Quest to Become the Smartest Person in the World are recent examples of the form, but the lineage can be traced to George Plimpton's 1964 book Paper Lion and beyond.
However, To Be Perfectly Honest: One Man's Year of Almost Living Truthfully Could Change Your Life, No Lie is as labored and plodding as the title. I was expecting a slap-you-silly story of how honesty can be a dangerous thing, wrapped around a few nuggets of spiritual insight. What I got was a book that really isn't all that funny nor insightful.
Phil Callaway isn't totally without skill. Many of the anecdotes are fine, but should have been in some other book. Passages about an ailing parent are genuine and moving. Callaway is intermittently amusing, tells a good clear story, and when he describes family situations (especially with his wife), the book snaps to life. But the humor has all the bite of pabulum, and is just about as tasty.
The book sinks into the mud in its willingness to easily abandon the original provocative idea. Callaway chases rabbits so often the "honesty" theme gets hung up in the briars. I suspect the day-by-day "diary" format has something to do with this—the entries fade in and out of the promised theme like road signs in a fog. After a while, one gets the feeling that the title was expected to sell the book all by itself, with little help from the book's actual content.
I'll admit it may be my own fault. The premise aimed my expectations for the moon, but they never made it off the launch pad. After reading humorists like David Sedaris, Simon Rich, John Hodgman and Sarah Vowell, witty, sharp, each with a wicked sense of humor and an original point of view, I pictured a much better book than Callaway delivered. Most of the time, TBPH:OMYOALTCCYLNL acts like its prime directive is to be inoffensive—a plague often the downfall of Christian humor. Christian or not, uncomfortable, toothless restraint is the kiss of death for laugh-out-loud hilarity.
The Elvis of comedy hasn't just left the building; sorry to say, he never showed up. ...more
Readers that spot Katsuhiro Otomo's name may immediately think of his more complex works like the sprawling Akira or Domu: A Child's Dream.HiReaders that spot Katsuhiro Otomo's name may immediately think of his more complex works like the sprawling Akira or Domu: A Child's Dream.Hipira, a picture-book for children, is something else altogether.
I actually enjoyed the art (by animation designer Shinji Kimura) more than the story, which was aiming for Alice-in-Wonderland whimsy but falls short.
Hipira is a messy hodgepodge of quirky characters and situations without a coherent story hold it all together. The characters provide the building blocks for a fun ride—Hipira, a tiny vampire; Soul, a legless, lightbulb-headed sprite; pixies; giant toads; Jack-and-the-Beanstalk style sprouts; one-eyed vampire professors, and more. But the raw materials don't really build a satisfying tale. I tried to give this a chance, but I'm afraid all of the points go to the artist, not Otomo....more
A Scanner Darkly fits all the mind-shredding tropes Philip K. Dick is known for. It's paranoid, surreal, and plays with the idea of identity as a fluiA Scanner Darkly fits all the mind-shredding tropes Philip K. Dick is known for. It's paranoid, surreal, and plays with the idea of identity as a fluid thing. Many of Dick's ideas have been siphoned into film like The Matrix, Waking Life, Stranger Than Fiction, and Adaptation. His stories have been adapted directly in Blade Runner, Paycheck and Total Recall.
This book is made even more layered than the original story due to the fact it is a "graphic novel" using frames from the animated Richard Linklatter film. Put on your scramble suit and enjoy it....more
Graph Out Loud is an entertainment, easy to read but tricky and occasionally mind-bending. It's essentially a collection of Venn diagrams and charts (Graph Out Loud is an entertainment, easy to read but tricky and occasionally mind-bending. It's essentially a collection of Venn diagrams and charts (many based on song lyrics) that track and measure such esoterica as whether the Clash should stay or go, whether Prince is ever satisfied, a Spaceballs-inspired chart of the speeds of a spaceship: light speed, warp speed and ludicrous speed; and so on. It makes more sense when you actually see it than to read a synopsis of it. It's a trifle, but a funny one...more
Jeff Lemire is an acquired taste, especially his drawings. His visual work reminds me of a more rural Ted McKeever, and it complements his storytellinJeff Lemire is an acquired taste, especially his drawings. His visual work reminds me of a more rural Ted McKeever, and it complements his storytelling perfectly. His Vertigo comic series Sweet Tooth is one of the most bizarre and original books around, and his Essex County stories have a Flannery O'Connor skeleton, or even a little William Faulkner, hiding under their skins.
At its core, The Nobody is an original take on H.G. Wells' The Invisible Man, but to think of it as a mere adaptation would be misleading. A strange, withdrawn man wrapped in bandages appears in a small town and befriends a girl who is a bit of an outcast herself. The relationship is the heart and soul of what makes the story tick, and the invisibility becomes a footnote, a metaphor. Reading Lemire's work takes a shift in the conventional comic art point-of-view, but it's well worth the effort....more
Artist/writer David Mazzucchelli has had one of the more twisted career paths of any artist I know. He began in conventional comics, becoming well-knoArtist/writer David Mazzucchelli has had one of the more twisted career paths of any artist I know. He began in conventional comics, becoming well-known illustrating Frank Miller's Daredevil, then he disappeared for awhile, emerging with an entirely new style. His new, fluid line was perfect for Miller's DC hit, Batman: Year One. Then Mazzucchelli dropped off the radar again. This time, he showed up illustrating a graphic novelization of Paul Auster's City of Glass: The Graphic Novel, a metaphysical detective story. This was a major step away from the comic books for which he was known, and a step up in quality and sophistication. His drawings took on an otherworldy presence, part abstraction, part gritty realism, perfect for Auster's text. He followed that with a few issues of self-published avant garde art magazine, Rubber Blanket, which became even more esoteric and exploratory. His output in the last few years has been sparse, and I missed his influence in the world of comic art.
Which brings us to his latest work, Asterios Polyp. Asterios Polyp is a stylistic masterpiece, a perfect blend of visuals and text. Each tell the story in a way that neither could on their own.
Asterios Polyp is the story of a snobbish, apparently emotionless know-it-all architect, whose theories about life and art enclose him in a hermetically sealed existence. On the opposite side is his wife who is caring and emotional, artistically organic, and seeks to find a form for her art in the world around her. The two come to a collision, then a resolution that enhances both points of view.
A couple of quick notes: I was put off a little at first in the severe change in style (yet again) that Mazzucchelli displays, but I got over that quickly. The book is impeccably produced--the printing is extraordinary. The writing gets a bit "precious" at times, but that is also a minor quibble. Graphic novels are seldom "art." This one is the real deal. ...more
"I have a picture of Hearst's San Simeon castle. He and I had the same idea except that he had more money." This is a quote from Weird Rooms, by a man"I have a picture of Hearst's San Simeon castle. He and I had the same idea except that he had more money." This is a quote from Weird Rooms, by a man with the improbable name of Joe Formica. He lives in a house of his own creation, festooned with ancient furniture, stuffed fish, farm implements, crystal chandeliers, and a seven-foot cut out of Marilyn Monroe in the living room.
Weird Rooms is a book of stunning photos of bizarre residential homes, replete with unusual collections, illustrated walls, ceilings and floors, and the people who make them. The names of the rooms give you a taste of what you'll find: the Monster Room, the Valentino Room, the Room of Burning Souls, the Bird Cage, Milton's House of Toys, Ken's Spaceship, and more. This is Hoarders with a purpose--individuals trying to re-invent the world in their own image. It's a marvel to explore....more
I suspect that C.S. Lewis would have hated this book. Not because it's a bad book (it isn't), but because it tends to venerate him as a person, somethI suspect that C.S. Lewis would have hated this book. Not because it's a bad book (it isn't), but because it tends to venerate him as a person, something he would probably abhor.
It's a compilation of personal remembrances and essays about Lewis from some that knew him well and others that never met him, but were influenced by his work. There are revealing anecdotes about "Jack's" disorderly life--surprising for such an "ordered" mind--and his relationships with friends and literary figures such as J.R.R. Tolkien, Charles Williams and Dorothy Sayers.
As with most anthologies, the essays cover a wide landscape both in subject and quality. Even though Lewis might bristle at the thought of such a tribute in print, I was grateful to see some of the "mundane" details of his daily life from behind the curtain of an influential literary giant....more
Daniel Clowes has a misanthrope's spirit trapped in a young man's brain. His books are difficult to attach "stars" to, only pros and cons. Pros: exquiDaniel Clowes has a misanthrope's spirit trapped in a young man's brain. His books are difficult to attach "stars" to, only pros and cons. Pros: exquisite art and book production; unique sensibility and approach; expert use of the comic medium. Cons: sour, nihilistic characters self-deluded that they are truth-seekers; the occasional obvious, smart-aleck, gross-out punch-line; a sad, morbid view of relationships bordering on the pathological.
Wilson is a sorry, wandering soul, deaf to the music of the world around him. He carries on a relentless internal monologue about the utter uselessness of modern life, and feels he is above such things. His only relationships are accidental; a man at a coffee shop, a woman who watches his dog occasionally; even a child he's never met that becomes more vital to Wilson as his life runs dry.
So there you are. A beautiful book about an ugly, pointless man. Well worth reading, especially to explore the utter purposeless that some people feel, but take a shower when you're done....more
Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips' Criminal series is a shotgun blast of comic noir. Each story is teeming with seedy grifters, doomed romantics, hard-boiEd Brubaker and Sean Phillips' Criminal series is a shotgun blast of comic noir. Each story is teeming with seedy grifters, doomed romantics, hard-boiled cops and women of dubious character, all forced on a collision course worthy of MapQuest. The most recent collection, The Sinners, continues the tradition. Lawless, an AWOL soldier who first appeared in the book Lawless, tries to do the right thing in a messy situation, and winds up a pawn in the game. Despite the odds against him, he crashes like a bull through a series of dangerous events, surviving by sheer force of will. His determination--and even a touch of sweetness--makes Lawless an unlikely, but true, hero.
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