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| The Art of The Princess and the Frog / Jeff Kurtti : 5 of 5 | |
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2.25.2010
6:59 AM | Link0 comments |
 It's been a long time since I've added a Disney art book to my collection, but since The Princess and the Frog is such a milestone in animation history, I knew I needed this one in my library, and my pal Ryan sent it to me for Christmas! Like most art books, this is a beautiful hardback with thick, high-quality pages overflowing with sketches and developmental artwork from the film (with far fewer production film stills than usual, which is a good thing!). Although there are tons more images than text, I was happy to read some wonderful words by John Lasseter (where he mentions the intentional Lady and the Tramp style, as well as the genius of directors Clements and Musker), followed by a nice mini-history of the three Golden Ages of Disney animation. The end of the book also has a great section discussing the current master animators (truly the equivalent of the Nine Old Men, and even taught by them!) and how this film allowed them to begin passing down their artform to new artists. Everyone was so excited to be working on this important movie, and it shows in every beautiful image! Although most of the paintings are produced digitally now (with tools that simulate brushes with amazing results), it's fun to see the animators sketches are almost always still in good ol' pencil. The amount of development work that was done to capture the essence of New Orleans is simply incredible (even with the interesting use of 3D assist to help with architectural perspective), and I loved studying how this contrasts with the feel of the bayou, which was based on the conceptual techniques pioneered in Bambi (everything is a building block in Disney animation, and everything is valuable!). It was fun finding new details I didn't really catch in the movie (such as the steamboat smokestacks on top of Tiana's restaurant), and I absolutely love looking at color scripts with all their vibrant energy. This book shows a true reverence for the art of animation and Disney animated features, and made me even happier and more grateful that this magical style still lives on in The Princess and the Frog!
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| LEGO Star Wars / The Visual Dictionary : 4 of 5 | |
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2.17.2010
7:12 AM | Link0 comments |
 Thanks to that first X-Wing set that I bought myself a few years ago, the majority of my LEGO toys are Star Wars vehicles, so my pal Melinda knew this book would be a great Christmas gift for me! This unique book is history of every Star Wars set that LEGO has produced, as well as a cool overview of the various ships and crafts of the Star Wars universe in general, overflowing with images and detailed information! Each page is a huge photo spread with various parts labeled to cover both Star Wars and LEGO trivia, making this a book that's fun to just study and drool over (since it really makes you want to buy and build more kits!). I loved the long timeline showing the incredible number of sets that LEGO has produced covering all of the movies and The Clone Wars series, and it's interesting to compare old and new models of the same ships (which always seem to get better). Of course, there's also lots of attention given to LEGO minifigs (I can't believe how many have been made!), and the book itself actually includes a limited edition (only available with this book) Luke minifig (wearing his medal from the end of Episode IV) encased in the cover, where mine will safely stay! The book includes a fascinating interview with the LEGO Star Wars team in Denmark who design all these wonderful toys (talk about a dream job!). They mention how they try to create models based on various price points (often determined by weighing the finished toy, something I never knew), and that each design has to be sent to LucasFilm for approval. There's also a photo of an unreleased set of the rebel base on Yavin which looks so awesome! Finally, there's a short section of fan creations, which are just spectacular (and amazingly huge). I wish I could go back in time and build some of the sets I missed, but this book definitely inspires me to keep up to date on all the current LEGO Star Wars releases!
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| Star Trek / The Key Collection Vol 4 : 3 of 5 | |
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2.09.2010
6:56 AM | Link0 comments |
 I love Star Trek and I love old comic books, so this series is just perfect for me, and I've been enjoying reading volume after volume for the past few years! This collection contains eight issues from 1974-75, and although they aren't quite as good as some of the past volumes, I still really enjoyed following the Enterprise crew through crazy adventures that couldn't be produced for TV, yet feel very much like actual episodes if you step back and admire them. Of course, there are lots of outlandish situations, but that's part of the fun (like Scotty getting shrunk down so small that he has to fight a microbe)! It's interesting that several of the plots involve political or moral themes this time (something Star Trek has always dealt with), such as a war between red and blue races on an ice planet, or a cloned Samurai society that keeps the people in the dark about their origins. There's even a story that mimics Romeo and Juliet, right down to the lovers' suicide and memorial statue that brings peace to two feuding factions. But along with these somewhat serious stories, I get a kick out of finding hilarious details that always crop up in these comics. In one episode, Uhura is unmistakably drawn as a Caucasian, and in another Spock gives a lecture on the Big Bang by using an old school movie projector (reels and all)! There are some great lines, too, such as Kirk calling someone a "warp four looney", and once Uhura calls McCoy "Leonard" out of the blue (rather than "Dr. McCoy"). The artwork is pretty much the same as usual, with some nice shuttlecraft renderings and even a pod that looks like it was copied from 2001: A Space Odyssey! I could read these comics all day, so of course I'm getting the next volume (after I finish a huge pile of other books)!
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| Last of the Jedi Vol 10 / Jude Watson : 4 of 5 | |
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2.05.2010
6:34 AM | Link0 comments |
 After reading Volume 9 of this series, I was skeptical that everything could be wrapped up in this last book, but although the events seemed a little rushed, I ended up completely satisfied, surprised, and moved by the finale! Once again, lots of time is spent in the heads of the characters. Ferus now knows Vader is Anakin, and thinks back to their past adventures trying to discover why and how he changed. Vader is filled with rage and sadness while remembering choking Padme (as seen in Revenge of the Sith), and his inner conflict (fueled by the manipulations of the Emperor and the Dark Side) really generates a lot of sympathy in the reader. The big twist in this story (spoiler alert!) is discovering that the fledgling resistance had been infiltrated by a spy, who eventually causes the tragic ending of the last few Jedi that Ferus had rounded up, as well as the hidden asteroid base! There are many memorable moments getting to this point, especially when Ferus visits the destroyed Jedi Temple on Coruscant (where his flashbacks of childhood there are filled with beautiful descriptions) and finally faces Vader himself. Although I still think it's crazy that Ferus would carry around a Sith Holocron for so long, the way it speaks to him during this confrontation is interesting and makes for a really dramatic battle! I appreciated the various conversations between Ferus and Obi-Wan, some even taking place on Tatooine where Obi-Wan must help Ferus deal with his failure (as Ferus sees it). I absolutely never expected Last of the Jedi to end this way (I was even close to tears), but when Ferus ends up on Alderaan watching over the young Leia (just as Obi-Wan is watching over Luke on Tatooine), it definitely felt inspirational as Star Wars should!
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| Essential Godzilla / Marvel Essentials : 4 of 5 | |
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1.23.2010
3:39 PM | Link0 comments |
 One of the strangest incarnations of Godzilla was the 1977 Marvel Comics series that transplanted my favorite Japanese kaiju into the Marvel Universe of characters. I remember buying several issues of this comic back in my childhood, so it's nice to have all 24 issues collected here in one book (although it's a shame not seeing them in color, but that's how the Essentials series stays so cheap). This saga is certainly unique and bizarre because of the American landmarks and superhero guest stars. Godzilla gets to stomp up famous places like the Alaskan Pipeline, Las Vegas (including the Hoover Dam), the Grand Canyon, and even comes close to knocking over the Empire State Building, and must face the Fantastic Four, the Avengers, the Champions, and of course S.H.I.E.L.D., who pursues him throughout the story. Of course, there are a few Japanese scientists along for consultation, and they build a giant samurai mecha called Red Ronin, who knows that Godzilla isn't evil at heart, and helps him defeat another set of giant monsters from space. Obviously, this series is filled with every science fiction and superhero cliche you can imagine, right down to the hilariously melodramatic narration (and there's a lot of it when the main character can only roar!). But the plot sometimes crosses the line into ridiculous territory, especially when Godzilla is shrunk to lizard-size and has to fight an ordinary sewer rat, then later grows to man-size and is disguised in a coat and hat! The artwork is pretty cool, and I like the way Godzilla is drawn, as well as the 70s Jack Kirby-ish look that all of the human characters have. I had so much fun reading a new issue every morning, and now I'm going to miss enjoying these crazy adventures of the King of the Monsters!
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| Pure Drivel / Steve Martin : 3 of 5 | |
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12.12.2009
12:08 PM | Link0 comments |
 Since I've enjoyed everything I've read by Steve Martin lately, I looked around on PaperBack Swap and found a few more short books to get. Pure Drivel is a collection of short essays, many of which appeared in The New Yorker magazine, and most of these are much more in line with Steve's usual off-the-wall humor, but with a definite literary flair. Some of the essays are only a couple pages, so this book reads very quickly, but I enjoyed every bit of it. Every now and then an essay will cross over from the comedy world and become a moving, beautiful piece, which is the case with Hissy Fit, by far my favorite of the collection. The way Steve writes so lovingly about the city of Los Angeles is incredible - he finds meaning in the simplest details and weaves it into poetry. I also really enjoyed Bad Dog, which is told from the dog's point of view as it struggles to resist the urge to bark at the FedEx man, and the lengthy description of how the bark begins to rise in the dog's throat is just amazing! Of course, there are several essays that are just sheer nonsense, but clever and funny at the same time. One of these is Schrodinger's Cat, which begins by explaining the famous quantum mechanics paradox, and then goes on with a bunch of hilarious "similar" situations with names like "Chef Boyardee's Bungee Cord"! While I would recommend Steve Martin's novels over this collection any day, Pure Drivel is still great for a quick, intelligent laugh.Labels: books |
| JLA / New World Order : 2 of 5 | |
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12.11.2009
6:23 AM | Link0 comments |
 I probably wouldn't have picked up this book at a comic book shop, but I couldn't resist getting it from PaperBack Swap, especially since I've read so little of the recent adventures of the Justice League. This is a four-issue collection with a pretty standard alien invasion plot (although there's a nice twist involving the Martian Manhunter). I thought the first half was pretty lame, since I wasn't enjoying the overly-busy artwork, and even the dialogue was a little boring. Some of the drawing is really crazy, too - a few faces look particularly sloppy! But somehow the book really turned around for the second half, with a better pace and great one-liners from the heroes. Maybe I was just happy that Batman ends up solving the mystery, since he's the only plain ol' human in the bunch! I enjoyed how some portions of the book focus on a particular character, which was even more interesting to me since heroes like the Flash and Green Lantern are actually different guys than when I was growing up. For essentially free, this was a really fun book, but I'm definitely not on the search for more books in this series.
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| Last of the Jedi Vol 9 / Jude Watson : 4 of 5 | |
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12.02.2009
11:37 AM | Link0 comments |
 Usually a lot more time passes by before I read the next book in this series, but since I lucked into a copy from PaperBack Swap I could continue the story right away. This next-to-last volume was particularly great because it has lots of connection with classic Star Wars characters, including a toddler Princess Leia! Several kinds of plots are going on at once. Ferus (still undercover working for the Empire) is on Alderaan to throw off the Empire from researching Leia (who has shown Force-sensitivity by saving the life of a nanny), but he's also stupidly carrying around a Sith Holocron that the Emperor gave him! His internal dialogue is interesting, since he keeps hearing voices to tempt him to give in to his anger, but it seems a little crazy to me that he would even carry around something so dangerous. The next plot involves digging into Vader's past, and Ferus' friends discover the connection to Mustafar through some detective work, while at the same time Vader himself is still pushing Empire scientists to develop a selective memory wipe drug so he can stop his tormenting thoughts of Padme (how sad). There are some really cool conversations and details, such as Obi-Wan talking with Bail Organa (whom he last saw at the end of Episode III), and even some mentions of Captain Antilles and the Tantive IV, which every fan knows will set the scene for the beginning of Episode IV! The ending of this volume felt pretty rushed, and there's so much happening that it's hard to believe it can get wrapped up in the next volume, but I'm enjoying every chapter until then!
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| Ultimate Fantastic Four Vol 1 / The Fantastic : 3 of 5 | |
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11.28.2009
6:23 PM | Link0 comments |
 Since I recently enjoyed reading Ultimate Spider-Man, I thought it would be fun to check-out this alternate, updated origin of the Fantastic Four, especially since I've heard this series is the best of Marvel's Ultimate line. Of course, I kept my eyes open on PaperBack Swap and got a copy in great condition, and although I'm not going to make this series a priority, I certainly was intrigued by both the artwork and the story! Starting with the birth of baby Reed Richards, there's a series of scenes that highlight the awkward childhood of brainy Reed (and how he's protected from bullies by Ben Grimm), and how he's eventually discovered at a science fair and asked to join a genius think tank at the Baxter Building (which looks spectacular), where he meets Susan and Johnny Storm (as well as the future Doctor Doom). The rocket launch and cosmic rays have been thrown out this time, and instead it's Reed's experiment in dimensional travel that backfires and causes their mutation, which is pretty intense since each one is teleported to a random spot in the process! As they discover their powers, the story does a nice job of making it an emotional experience (seeing poor Reed wake up as a pile of rubber was kind of sad). The artwork is wonderful, with particularly interesting angles (featuring lots of "crane shots" looking down into large scenes), great colors and crisp lines. The Mole Man is the villain of the story, but while he definitely looks disgusting, the final battle with his minions is a bit weak, especially since the rest of the book is so good. It's always fun to read re-imaginings of great characters, especially when they're as cool as Ultimate Fantastic Four!
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| Last of the Jedi Vol 8 / Jude Watson : 4 of 5 | |
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11.19.2009
12:21 PM | Link0 comments |
 I'm still enjoying these fantastic Star Wars children's books (with totally non-childish quality!), and while the plot of this volume wasn't exactly spectacular, there were still a few elements that made it stand out among the other books in this series. In true Lucas style, there are several simultaneous stories going on with quick transitions from one chapter to the next, which really gives things a Star Wars feel. Ferus is still undercover with the Empire, Trever is also undercover at the Imperial military academy, and the rest of the resistance is working behind the scenes. The narrative also switches the point of view very well, contrasting the conflict going on in Ferus' head with Vader's tormented memories of Padme. There are some great insights into Ferus' character as he is tempted by the dark side of the Force (even accepting lessons from the Emperor), and tears apart a room with Force powers as he rages over the death of his friend Roan (killed by Vader in the previous volume). It's also interesting that Vader is pushing forward with medical experiments to selectively erase memories as a way of forgetting his loss of Padme! The real action of the story heats up with the rescue of Lune (a Force-adept boy) that connects the Ferus and Trever storylines, which also involves an interesting defection by a teacher who doesn't want to work for the Empire. The end of the book finally has a glimpse of Obi-Wan (aging into Alec Guinness on Tatooine) who orders Ferus to check out a report involving a certain little girl on Alderaan! Sounds like a fantastic tie-in to me, and I'm ready to get into the next volume soon.
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| The Return of Superman : 3 of 5 | |
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11.13.2009
12:24 PM | Link0 comments |
 I started reading the classic Death of Superman saga just about a year ago (finishing The Death of Superman and World Without a Superman pretty quickly), but when I received The Return of Superman and saw it was 480 pages long, it ended up on my shelf for a long time while I read shorter books! Once I started reading it, though, the time just flew by, and I really enjoyed working though this collection of 21 different issues (from several Superman titles and even an issue of Green Lantern). Most of this book covers four different "replacement" heroes who take up the mantle of Superman after his death, so there are several side stories about each one. There's Superboy, a young version of Clark who is a clone from Kryptonian DNA, and Steel (or the Man of Steel), who is an ordinary weapons expert who creates a supersuit to fight crime (and atone for the terrible weapons he has created). Next is the visored Superman, who is all about justice to the point of being cruel (actually he's the Eradicator from Krypton), and finally the Cyborg Superman, who turns out to be the big villain after all (along with Mongul, who wants to recreate Warworld). There are lots of sub-plots about public reaction (some cults spring up to claim allegiance to the "true" Superman) and even copyright battles as different news networks chose which Superman to back, but pretty much all Lois does is worry. The story gets a little out of hand at times, such as when the DC equivalent of Los Angeles, Coast City, is totally destroyed - I guess they figured a huge event like the death and return of Superman warranted a giant catastrophe! The artwork and writing styles vary drastically over these 21 issues (as you would expect), which is both good and bad, since it's fun to enjoy the differences, but a shame when a particular issue's artwork is less than stunning. Overall, there's no way this third story arc could be as amazing as the original death battle itself, but I still had a great time reading this massive saga, and I feel like my comic book cultural literacy score just jumped up a few points!
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| Walt Disney's Imagineering Legends and the Genesis of the Disney Theme Park / Jeff Kurtti : 5 of 5 | |
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11.11.2009
12:14 PM | Link0 comments |
 Believe it or not, this book was actually part of last year's Christmas haul, so I figured I better get down to business and read it before the new onslaught of books arrives on Santa's sleigh! Right away I need to say that this is one of the most entertaining books on Disney Imagineering that I've read (and I have a lot on my bookshelf), mainly because of its unique way of focusing on the Imagineers themselves as real people with real lives, rather than only looking at their Disney career accomplishments. Each chapter looks at a set of Imagineers organized by artistic discipline (such as mechanical, musical, or even executive management), and each person is introduced with comments about their childhood, schools they attended, and other biographical notes. By reading about each person, you really get to know their particular strengths that made them succeed in such innovative work, as well as their personalities (even when they aren't so rosy, such as Marc Davis' semi-famous attitude toward Claude Coats, both of which made the Haunted Mansion the incredible attraction it is today). I loved reading about lesser known artists such as Bill Martin, who designed the complex layouts of so many Fantasyland dark rides, or Harriet Burns, the first female Imagineer who paved her own way in this emerging world (and now I'm extra happy that I have her autograph on one of my Disney prints!). With each chapter I was more amazed at how hard these people worked during their long careers, several right up until just a few weeks before they passed away, showing their dedication to Disney entertainment as a positive force in the world. This book is deceptively long, absolutely packed with fascinating, detailed text that kept me constantly mesmerized. I could easily start reading it again the moment I finished, and I'm sure I would find something new! Walt Disney's Imagineering Legends is definitely required reading for Disney theme park fans like me.
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| Final Cut Express 4 / Apple Pro Training Series : 4 of 5 | |
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11.04.2009
12:36 PM | Link0 comments |
 I've done a lot of video editing (mostly fun projects for friends and family, but some of it pretty advanced) in the past (from way back in my iBook days!), all with Apple's iMovie, and although it can be a lot of work, I really enjoy the art and process of editing. So a couple years ago I decided I needed to make the switch to Final Cut Express (the less expensive version of Apple's Final Cut Pro, which is actually used on Hollywood films), just to experience how the "big boys" do it, but it took me a while to find the time. This year I finally took the plunge, and since I'm always more comfortable with a goal in front of me, I bought this excellent book, which I followed to the letter as a full-fledged course. I can see why this particular book is sanctioned by Apple, since it has a beautiful layout with loads of screen shots, and comes complete with a disc of all the files needed (video, music, and projects) to work with each lesson. The lessons are extremely detailed, and always demonstrate multiple ways to do the same thing (such as completing a command via menu, command key shortcut, or contextual menu). They are so thorough that the actual editing doesn't even begin until after the sixth lesson! Everything before that emphasizes project organization, which might have been a little heavy, but definitely useful (and so incredible compared to iMovie). As I followed each lesson I constantly found myself totally amazed at what Final Cut Express can do, and I could see how each technique would dramatically help an editor based on my previous experience. I was thankful for the coverage of the slip, roll and slide tools, as well as simple keyframe animation. There are also excellent advanced lessons (and I did them all) that expand on the physical book, but these are only provided as PDF files on the disc (actually, it was so convenient to open the PDF on my second monitor that I wish the entire book had been included in PDF format as well). I know when I start working on my first Final Cut Express project I will forget some of the techniques I have learned, but I will definitely remember "I've seen that done before" so I can refer to this book. I can't imagine a better way to discover the power of this excellent editing software!
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| Born Standing Up / Steve Martin : 5 of 5 | |
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10.05.2009
12:01 PM | Link0 comments |
 Back in my school days, I remember listening to Steve Martin's comedy albums over and over on cassette, and I can still recite a few routines by heart. So since I enjoy his comedy as well as his writing style, I've been wanting to read his biography Born Standing Up for quite a while, and thanks to PaperBack Swap (once again!), I finally own a copy! This book has been a huge bestseller, and it's easy to understand why, since Steve's words are thoughtful and friendly, as though he were telling you about his life or discussing the evolution of his comedy act over lunch. Unlike the average biography, Born Standing Up really is as much about Steve's comedy "philosophy" as it is about himself, and it's fascinating to read how his talents in music and magic developed into what he calls a "parody of comedy". There's a full chapter on his childhood days at Disneyland, where he worked for years selling guidebooks and demonstrating tricks in the magic shop, and I loved reading about his experiences at the Golden Horseshoe and his overall love of the park. Almost as wonderful is his description of performing at Knotts Berry Farm (which really makes me want to visit to see the Birdcage stage!), full of nostalgia not only for the shows but also for his early love life there. Most of the chapters are comedy-focused, but Steve also adds some really touching and personal moments regarding his relationship with his parents (such a wonderful way to end the book). There's so much more to mention, such as descriptions of his early shows where he took the audience outside of the club, or his experiences writing for TV, or finally becoming appreciated by Johnny Carson, or anecdotes about writing and filming The Jerk. He also reproduces quite a few short bits, which are fun to read, and even drops hints at their origins in a wonderful foreshadowing way. Steve Martin's incredible comedy career was a one-of-a-kind phenomenon, so it's nice to be able to enjoy such sensitive, descriptive, and of course, downright funny memories from the man himself!Labels: books |
| Logan's Run / William F. Nolan : 4 of 5 | |
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9.29.2009
12:00 PM | Link0 comments |
 Logan's Run has always been one of my favorite geeky movies (I have no idea how many times I've watched it!), so I've wanted to check out the original 1967 novel for quite a while, which unfortunately is nearly completely out of print. PaperBack Swap came to the rescue yet again, and I received a cool movie tie-in version that even included a nice color photo section as a bonus! Of course, the novel is tremendously different than the movie, but I totally enjoyed reading it and gaining new appreciation both for the source material and the way the story was adapted for film (which is pretty amazing, when you compare the two). The basic premise of a society so overpopulated that everyone must die (or accept "sleep") at a young age remains intact, but the novel provides some excellent background information on the "Little War" that started it all, in which the exploding youth population invented this radical and chilling solution. While the film takes place in one massive complex of domed cities, the book has Logan and Jessica traveling all over the country via mazecar, visiting an underwater city and even Dakota caves on their way to Washington, DC for the finale. In one city, there's a huge celebration with a robotic Civil War historic reenactment (Logan steals a costume to become part of the mock battle to escape), and there are also great scenes in a giant nursery complex as well as a chase from some seedy characters on something like Star Wars speeder-bikes! The writing style is a bit choppy, but this definitely works to speed up the action, although some scenes are overflowing with cool detail (such as the attention paid to the different types of bullets in a Sandman's gun, which have great names like Ripper, Tangler, and the deadly Homer!). The ending of the story contains a huge twist that completely shocked me, and although I think it was written too briskly, I liked the way things turned out. The plot of the film is much more concise and will always be my preference due to sheer geek nostalgia, but I'm so glad that I finally got to read the original book.Labels: books |
| Star Trek / Mirror Images : 3 of 5 | |
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9.22.2009
7:15 PM | Link0 comments |
 I've been reading a lot of Star Trek comics this year, especially anything set in the era of the Original Series, and I'm pretty impressed with the great stories out there! Star Trek comics are great because they can include scenes that would have been impossible to film or too expensive back in the Shatner/Nimoy days, and they can also tell obscure tales that only fans would adore. This comic collection is set in the alternate universe of the episode Mirror, Mirror (which everyone knows as the "Spock with a beard" episode), where the Federation is known as the Empire and all the characters are ruthless cutthroats! The plot takes place prior to the TV episode, while evil Kirk is only second-in-command under evil Captain Pike. The story is full of backstabbing and deceit, even from evil Spock (who is cruel in the name of logic, of course), and beautifully rendered with fantastic, moody artwork with great use of shadows and dramatic lighting. Most of the story involves the building of Kirk's spying device in his quarters (which he uses in Mirror, Mirror), which Scotty has to secretly build from parts smuggled in by green Orion slave girls wearing the components as their sexy outfits! The book also includes a short interlude story set in the Next Generation timeline (but still in the alternate evil universe), in which a young Picard kills a Vulcan captain to rise in rank. There are several fight scenes and lots of brief dialogue, which makes this book a quick read overall, but I still totally enjoyed this tribute to one of the most popular and unique episodes of the Original Series. I'm looking forward to buying more Star Trek graphic novels soon!
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| Ultimate Spider-Man Vol 1 / Power & Responsibility : 3 of 5 | |
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9.09.2009
11:54 AM | Link0 comments |
 Although my comic book tastes seem to lean to the DC side, I still love Marvel characters, too. I've been wanting to take a look at the Ultimate Marvel series, where classic heroes are "updated" into today's world, and finding this seven issue collection of the rebooted Spider-Man on PaperBack Swap was the perfect opportunity! The original Spider-Man origin story that everyone knows was only a single issue, so it's nice to see this re-telling spread out with much more detail. Truthfully, I was expecting this new version to be much more different, but all of the significant plot elements remain intact. The small changes are still interesting, though - Peter Parker is only 15 years old, Mary Jane is brainy like Peter, and Uncle Ben has a ponytail (I guess that one wasn't too significant!). The biggest change is that Norman Osborn and the origin of the Green Goblin (who is much more of a monster in this universe) is directly linked to Peter's spider bite, since the spider is from an experiment with a drug called "Oz" that also becomes the agent to create the Green Goblin. The artwork is all excellent, especially during a long aerial fight with the Goblin, and I thought the storytelling was well done (Uncle Ben's power and responsibility speech was delivered with excellent subtlety). I liked the extra time spent on Peter's short wrestling career, as well as his interaction with the high school jocks, but in general the story still feels like classic Spider-Man, retold with better pacing and care. After reading this, I don't really have the urge to keep digging into this alternate reality, although I definitely won't hesitate to pick up more Ultimate Marvel titles on PaperBack Swap if I run across them!
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| Last of the Jedi Vol 7 / Jude Watson : 3 of 5 | |
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9.04.2009
12:03 PM | Link0 comments |
 I'm still enjoying this incredible Star Wars series since I'm fascinated with these imaginative events that take place between Revenge of the Sith and A New Hope. I always end up waiting a little too long between reading each volume (since I have to keep up with manga and other books!), but thankfully there is a new Guide to Characters that covers everyone in the story (which really helped me out!). In this part of the saga, Ferus Olin is operating as a double-agent, officially working with the Empire right under the nose of Darth Vader. This is especially dramatic since Ferus was friends with Anakin at the Jedi Academy (as seen in Jude Watson's previous Star Wars books), and there's a scene where Ferus almost begins to figure out who Vader could be after studying his fighting moves! The setting this time is the planet Belassa (where Ferus is from, which makes him look like a traitor to his people), and the Empire is stepping up factory production for a huge project (which I am guessing could be the Death Star, since Grand Moff Tarkin is involved!). There are also scenes on Coruscant involving the kidnapping of a Force-sensitive boy, including other familiar characters such as Dexter Jettster. The end of this volume has a really sad and dramatic scene that I can't reveal, but it leads to the Emperor talking to Ferus and offering him the same kind of "training" he gave to Vader! Hopefully I'll read the next volume before I forget what's going on. Things are getting exciting and chilling - I almost wish there was a movie of this series!
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| Sailor Moon Scout Guides / Sailor Moon & Sailor Mercury : 3 of 5 | |
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9.02.2009
12:27 PM | Link0 comments |
 I'm not ashamed to say I'll always be a Sailor Moon fan, but I would never have gone searching for these books if they hadn't shown up on PaperBack Swap, where they were impossible to resist! These Scout Guides came out a few years ago (now out of print), and there was a book for each main Sailor Moon character, but there were only two available to swap. Each book is crammed with full color artwork and tons of frames from the anime, with first-person writing to reveal the "secrets" of the character (you know, important things like their favorite ice cream and stuff like that!). It's kind of fun to see all the frames of their transformation scenes and attacks (easier than freeze-framing a DVD), and I enjoyed reading summaries of some great episodes that I remember watching a few years ago. There's a ton of text about nearly every bit character and enemy in the show, but lots of it is written sideways (to be stylish, I guess), so it's totally annoying to read. Strangely, the text sometimes uses the original Japanese names, but sometimes throws in the lame English dub names (I will never refer to Usagi as Serena!). Each book ends with a section of poetry, which is actually the lyrics to some of the sappy romance songs from the show, such as Tuxedo Mirage (I actually like that stuff!). Overall these are pretty fun books, and I wouldn't mind getting the rest of the series if I stumble upon them. These books kind of make me feel like watching some of the anime series again - maybe I can find time to see at least one of the Sailor Moon movies!Labels: books, sailor moon |
| Star Wars / Darth Maul : 3 of 5 | |
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8.27.2009
12:25 PM | Link0 comments |
 Even though I’ve pretty much ignored the huge amount of Star Wars comics that have been published in recent years, I couldn’t resist getting this graphic novel (which collects an original four-issue series) when I noticed it was available on PaperBack Swap! I’ve always thought Darth Maul was pretty cool, even though he’s far more menacing than most characters I get into, and like other fans I’ve always wanted more than his few awesome fights (and sparse lines) in The Phantom Menace. This story takes place just before Episode I while Darth Sidious is preparing to start the blockade that opens the movie, but first Darth Maul needs to take out a mafia-style crime organization called Black Sun, just in case they get in Sidious’ way. I enjoyed the moment when Sidious gives Maul the Sith Interceptor (I’ve always liked that ship), along with his speeder bike and probe droids that we’ve seen him use. Most of the book is filled with extended fight scenes, with all the hands and heads (as well as bodies being cut in half) that you would expect from Darth Maul! The artwork is exceptional (Maul really looks like Ray Park, who played him in the film), and I was impressed with the use of so many cool Star Wars species (I spotted lots of cantina aliens and even an Ugnaught). Unfortunately, this story reads rather quickly, and by the time it’s over I hadn’t learned anything new about Darth Maul. More insight into his character (vile as it may be!) would have been nice, and I recommend the interesting Star Wars Journals: Darth Maul as an example. But putting that complaint aside, this was still a fun way to get into some recent Star Wars comics, and I really enjoyed all the Sith action!
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| The Disney Villain / Frank Thomas & Ollie Johnston : 3 of 5 | |
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8.24.2009
12:00 PM | Link0 comments |
 This is one of those giant hardback books that I've owned for years, but never actually got around to reading until now! Frank & Ollie were two of Disney's top animators (known as the Nine Old Men) who wrote The Illusion of Life (the best book on Disney animation ever), but in this book the focus is less on animation itself and more on the motivations and philosophy of a true villain. At times Frank & Ollie even try to make a distinction between malicious intent and simple nature (is the rampaging bear in The Fox and the Hound really a villain, since it's only acting from natural impulses?). The book begins with extremely early villains like Peg Leg Pete and then methodically looks at every animated feature, accompanied by huge pages of movie stills and illustrations (the sketches are beautiful, but there's nothing new or earth-shattering to see). I was most interested in their honest discussion of the Disney "dark years" when animation was truly floundering, and they frankly discuss the total failure of The Black Cauldron (without insulting the animators who worked so hard on it). There's lots of Katzenburg quotes that make me cringe, but I can't complain since he did help bring masterpieces like Beauty and the Beast to the big screen! I also enjoyed the comments from great modern animators such as Glen Keane and Andreas Deja (especially his design comparison of Jafar to Malificent!). The Disney Villain is a beautiful book (with a great hologram of the Queen from Snow White on the cover), but definitely not essential to anyone's animation library. But I still really enjoyed reading the thoughts of Frank & Ollie, some of the best animators who ever lived!
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| Options: The Secret Life of Steve Jobs / Fake Steve Jobs : 3 of 5 | |
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8.12.2009
12:11 PM | Link0 comments |
 In addition to being a fan of Apple in general, I also really admire Steve Jobs for the amazing things he's accomplished and how he's lived his life. Of course, his somewhat legendary persona is always ripe for parody, so it's no wonder that the mysterious blog The Secret Diary of Steve Jobs has been popular for so many years! For a long time the author (identified only as "Fake Steve Jobs") was completely unknown, and then later revealed to be Daniel Lyons, but I think Steve fans still like to think of the unreserved rants and hilarious anecdotes as coming from the real Steve (it's totally a kind of flattery, really!). Since I only read the blog occasionally, I wanted to read this book for quite a while, so I was happy to find the hardback edition on PaperBack Swap (which arrived in great condition, essentially free!). Options is a collection of some of the best blog posts which have been woven into a cohesive narrative about the famous Apple backdated stock options scandal. The first-person style was a lot like a Douglas Coupland novel, while the detailed descriptions of Steve's various possessions reminded me of Bret Easton Ellis. I can't count the number of times I laughed out loud! The book is full of great stories about hanging out with Larry Ellison (Oracle) and Bono (with some awesome accented dialogue), thoughts about MacWorld worshippers, meditations over the iPhone's circuit board, being vegetarian, and of course firing people for almost no reason. There's even scenes with Hilary Clinton and Yoko Ono that are incredibly funny, but I really enjoyed the reflective moments when Steve actually feels kind of bad for mean things that he "must" do in order to fulfill his purpose of creating incredible products. The stock options plot is pretty interesting, although the end of the story gets a little crazy and seemed like an easy way out (even though it's pretty creative). Options might not be so interesting to a non-Apple fan, but I had a great time reading it, and now I want to check out the blog more often!
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| Star Trek / Alien Spotlight Vol 1 : 3 of 5 | |
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8.05.2009
12:35 PM | Link0 comments |
 I've really been getting into Star Trek comics lately, focusing mainly on the Original Series characters. Thankfully, there seems to have been a lot of great graphic novels produced recently that fit the bill (possibly anticipating the success of the Star Trek movie), and there are so many that I want to buy and read! I decided to check out Alien Spotlight mainly because it was from the same publisher as the excellent Star Trek Year Four books, and even though it includes stories from all over the Star Trek timeline (all the way back to Captain Pike and forward to Picard and Janeway), I really enjoyed each of the six stories that focus on a different alien race and culture. The best one by far is about the Romulans, which is actually an insightful prequel to Balance of Terror (the best Original Series episode), providing an amazing look into life on Romulus, the unveiling of the first Bird of Prey with a cloaking device, and even revealing Klingon involvement in the Romulan/Federation war! As a bonus, this story is illustrated by the incredible John Byrne, who was one of my favorite artists back when I was a serious comic collector. The story on Vulcans is wonderful as well, since it's about Spock's early days on the Enterprise under Captain Pike, and shows the various conflicts among the crew when dealing with an emotionless officer. The other stories are all interesting (but definitely not as good as the Romulan and Vulcan tales), and I enjoyed the various styles of artwork and use of color. The chapter on the Gorn was fun since they try to assist after a shuttlecraft accident (in reverence to Kirk's sparring the Gorn's life in Arena), but of course things don't go exactly as planned. The Borg story is well-executed, but I'm not really a Borg fan, and the complex time-travel plot was more confusing than interesting. The final chapters covering Andorians and Orions (green girls!) were both fun, especially since they are set in interesting places, such as Babel from the Original Series. Overall this is a really cool series that I'm glad I picked up, and I'm looking forward to Volume 2. Until then, I'm going to scratch my Star Trek itch with the other graphic novels available!
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| Beginning iPhone Development: Exploring the iPhone SDK / Dave Mark & Jeff LaMarche : 3 of 5 | |
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7.31.2009
11:40 AM | Link0 comments |
 Since I stare at code all day at work, usually the last thing I want to do during my free time is look at more code, but since I’m such an iPhone fan, of course I’m interested in how things work beneath the surface. Although I’ve only actually got my hands dirty with iPhone development for a few hours, I’ve been studying via various websites and the excellent Stanford University iPhone Development course via iTunes. I noticed several mentions of this book, so I figured it wouldn’t hurt to check it out. Since my office work has been a little light lately, I had some time to really read this book and walk through the code samples in my head, and I feel like I really learned quite a bit (which I will soon forget if I don’t do some development soon!). Each chapter does a nice job of explaining what you are going to learn and what kind of sample application you will be building (with plenty of screenshots), so you never have to go into any concept blind. All of the basic facets of development seem to be covered (at least to a novice like me), including more “exotic” things like using the iPhone’s camera and GPS capabilities. There’s a nice progression as the author begins by detailing every single step of using a tool like Interface Builder, and then later changes to quickly summarizing tasks you already know how to do. I really only have one complaint – in several cases the book takes great pains to walk through a task that in real life is something you will almost never do, thanks to the various Xcode application templates. I realize the importance of learning the foundation of things, but I think they could have found better methods than by demonstrating something that is essentially done for the developer by Xcode itself. Of course, this is the only iPhone book I’ve read (and it's already been revised for iPhone OS 3.0), but I’ve definitely read my share of programming books in general, so I can recommend it as an excellent beginner’s overview, which should provide enough information to help someone build tons of apps (if they aren’t lazy like me!).
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| Planet of the Apes Chronicles / Paul Woods : 3 of 5 | |
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7.30.2009
11:34 AM | Link0 comments |
 I guess I won't ever get tired of Planet of the Apes stuff (I just watched all the sequels again recently on Netflix), so I was really happy to discover this book on PaperBack Swap while I was just browsing through thousands of titles at random! The Planet of the Apes Chronicles was published in 2001 around the time of the Tim Burton re-imagined release, but 95% of this book focuses on the classic movies that I know and love. It's actually a collection of short essays and interviews by a variety of authors, combined into nice sections on each of the five films. This format made for perfect reading in short bursts, and I really enjoyed the interview snippets with various directors, authors, actors, and even Pierre Boulle himself (author of Monkey Planet, the original inspiration for the film). In fact, there is a fantastic overview of Boulle's own attempt at a sequel called Planet of the Men, which sounds like an awesome story (involving Taylor educating the savage humans so they can rise up against their ape oppressors), but of course, the story for Beneath the Planet of the Apes won out in the end. Other great sections of this book include episode guides for both the live action and animated apes series, as well as an incredible timeline that attempts to make sense out of all five films, both TV shows, and even comic book storylines! Unfortunately, there isn't a single photo or illustration in the entire book (which makes Planet of the Apes Revisited a much better overview book), but I still had a wonderful time reading this collection. It even made me want to check out the Tim Burton film again, which is saying a lot!
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| Secret Origins Featuring the JLA : 3 of 5 | |
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7.14.2009
12:09 PM | Link0 comments |
 I love finding graphic novels on PaperBack Swap, since I know I'll enjoy just about any DC Comics edition I can find, and it feels like I'm getting them for free! This particular book isn't quite as slick as other comic collections (the pages are basic newsprint rather than glossy paper), but it's still a nice long set of seven stories that I found pretty interesting. The first story features the entire Justice League facing yet another alien invasion, but the rest of the chapters all focus on the origin tale of each hero. Of course, some of these have been told a million times - it must have been really rough to figure out yet another way to relate the Batman story, but I think they did a nice job with Batman himself somewhat narrating at a crime scene similar to one that took the lives of his parents. A few of the origins are extremely complex and complete, covering the full history of the character (including previous Golden and Silver Age versions!). Things move a little too quick just to fit everything into the book, but I still was totally fascinated to read classic facts I never knew before, such as the final end of Hal Jordan as the Green Lantern, all the different versions of the Flash, and especially the sweeping tale of Aquaman, which is definitely long enough to be it's own book (and it probably is!). Since Superman's story is so well known, the angle this time involves Bruce Wayne going undercover to talk with the Kents, which was pretty cool. Some fans might be disappointed in the "rush job" these stories get (admittedly, a few are so compact they read like an encyclopedia entry), but I had a great time reading this book!
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| Superman/Batman Vol 1 / Public Enemies : 4 of 5 | |
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6.29.2009
5:21 PM | Link0 comments |
 Every now and then you can find a nice DC Comics graphic novel available on PaperBack Swap, and since I already own Volume 2 of this series (which I got as a side-effect of my crazy scavenger hunt video project), I snatched this first volume up the moment I saw it. I'm glad I did, since I was really impressed with the story and artwork, and now I want to check out the rest of the saga! Although there have been many stories featuring Superman and Batman together, I love the way this one is written using parallel narratives. The inner dialogue of both Clark Kent and Bruce Wayne is presented in different color text blocks, and it's fascinating to constantly read what they are thinking (which is often contradictory, but always respectful of the other hero). In this story, Lex Luthor has become president, and blames a huge Kryptonite meteor headed for Earth on Superman, putting a billion dollar price on his head. Of course, this attracts tons of villains (and even heroes, too, since Luthor represents the US Government), so this book is filled with guest stars! I really enjoyed the battles with Hawkman and Captain Marvel, as well as the climax with Luthor in his mechanized armor, but unfortunately the final solution to destroy the meteor was a little dumb. However, the way this story is told more than makes up for that fault, and it's worth it just for the opening segment of Superman and Batman's origin flashbacks, presented from the exact point of view of baby Kal-El and young Bruce (brilliant!). I guess I'll have to re-read Volume 2 now that I've decided to keep going with this series!
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| The Pleasure of My Company / Steve Martin : 4 of 5 | |
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6.27.2009
7:59 PM | Link0 comments |
 Since I enjoyed reading Shopgirl so much a few years ago, I've had this more recent Steve Martin novel on my Amazon Wish List for a long time. But after I signed up for PaperBack Swap, I quickly found this book was available, and so The Pleasure of My Company became my first "free" book! Lately I've been reading so much manga and other comics, so it had actually been awhile since reading an actual novel, so I planned on starting out slow, but soon I had to sit down and keep reading all the way to the back cover. I knew right away I would enjoy and relate to the main character, Daniel Pecan Cambridge, who lives alone in Santa Monica and enjoys his simple life, even though he is plagued by some of the craziest mental issues you can imagine (his biggest phobia is stepping off a sidewalk curb, so he finds routes that let him cross opposite driveways, and he constantly keeps the total light wattage in his apartment to a fixed number!). Of course, he's also a genius who can construct gigantic mathematical magic squares, and he has a healthy fantasy life that involves possible relationships with Elizabeth the realtor (who he observes from his window), Clarissa the student psychologist (who visits him weekly), or Zandy the pharmacy clerk (who he visits during his regular treks to Rite Aid). Steve Martin is a fantastic author (his skill definitely outshines his acting career), and when he writes in the first person as Daniel, every thought and emotion feels real. I love how he understands that solitude can enhance the senses, making every small detail a symphony of beauty or sadness, and the plot truly explores if there are many "takers for the quiet heart" in the world. Of course, the story is full of hilarious moments as well, but I appreciated much more the moments that brought an unexpected tear!Labels: books |
| Star Trek Year Four: Enterprise Experiment / DC Fontana : 4 of 5 | |
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6.12.2009
12:50 PM | Link0 comments |
 Since I really enjoyed reading the previous Star Trek Year Four graphic novel, I was excited to discover this new five-part saga, actually written by DC Fontana, one of the most popular screenwriters for the original series! She does an incredible job of weaving together an incredible tale that works as a kind of sequel to no less than three original series episodes: The Enterprise Incident (where they steal the Romulan cloaking device), Errand of Mercy (where the Organians halt the Klingon/Federation war), and even The Paradise Syndrome (where Kirk loses his memory and becomes an Indian). DC Fontana really knows her stuff, making sure all the parts of the plot fit together nicely, and including classic characters such as the Klingons Kor and Koloth, as well as animated series characters like Mr. Arex (who plays an important role). I loved the character insight (especially in McCoy's flashback memory of his daughter's graduation), as well as the small details like the old space suits they wore in The Tholian Web. The awesome story is the real star of this book, but the artwork is also spectacular (even better than the previous collection)! All of the main characters really look like the actors (even the Klingons), and the use of colors really has the feel of the original series. As a bonus, the text of Fontana's story proposal is also included, which is really interesting to read to see how she developed the plot. More than any other Star Trek comic book, the Enterprise Experiment really captured every aspect of the original series perfectly. I only wish there were more books in this series for me to enjoy!
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| Eiji Tsuburaya: Master of Monsters / August Ragone : 5 of 5 | |
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6.01.2009
11:58 AM | Link0 comments |
 Although I'm pretty close to finishing all my Christmas DVDs, it takes me longer to get through my Christmas books! I've been reading this incredible biography sporadically for several weeks, and I finally finished it since I've been so fascinated by Godzilla movies lately. Eiji Tsuburaya is the father of Japanese special effects, who pioneered all of the filming techniques that we associate with kaiju movies today. His life was really interesting, and made me think of Walt Disney in many ways, since he always took risks (financial and otherwise) to continually improve his methods. Not only was he technically brilliant, but his studio was also responsible for creating many Japanese hero icons, such as Ultraman! After covering his childhood and early interest in miniatures and film, the book quickly starts covering each of Tsuburaya's movies with interesting anecdotes about their development and shooting - there are so many incredible films mentioned that I want to watch them all! I enjoyed learning more about the philosophy of Japanese special effects, embodied by a great quote that mentions how many shots would have been cheaper to film with actual tanks, cars, and so on, but miniatures were used to convey a sense of wonder. The quality of this hardcover book is simply amazing - its graphic design is bold and artistic, right down to the quality of the paper. I could go on and on about the photos, which are truly a delight for any kaiju fan. There's just something awesome about seeing Eiji standing in the middle of a miniature city, smoking a cigarette and talking to Godzilla! I can't imagine a better book on this subject ever being produced, so I definitely recommend this fantastic work to any fan of Japanese film (Godzilla or otherwise).
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| Manga Mentions 5/09 | |
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5.13.2009
6:27 PM | Link0 comments |
 Kaze Hikaru Vol 11: This series continues to be one of my favorites, since it always does an amazing job of combining factual (and researched) history and culture with Shojou emotion! This volume has the story of Mabo, a boy who finally learns to speak by using the Iroha poem (awesome cultural reference!), and also contains the baffling seppuku of Yamanami (leaving behind poor Akesato), which left me in tears. Bushido seems so complex at times, but watching it lived through these characters is fascinating!Hikaru no Go Vol 14: I'm getting a little tired of this story, but the artwork is so spectacular that I've got to keep reading it. Toya Meijin (Akira's father) gets to play Sai online (to keep Hikaru's involvement secret), and there's also an interesting game where Hikaru is challenged to "one color Go" (they have to memorize which stones are their own!). I feel like they really need to move the plot along, rather than spending page after page showing people holding stones, but I'm still enjoying it! Appleseed Vol 2: Since I'm getting close to finishing a few series, it's fun to continue this one for a great change of pace! This volume has some great action, and there's so much detail on every page that I have to stop and study it awhile, especially since I love futuristic cities so much. Strangely, this volume kind of ends the main story (and "appleseed" has a somewhat different meaning from the movie version), so I'm interested in finding out what Deunan and Briareos do in the next volume. Video Girl Ai Vol 12: This manga is a great example of a story that went on for too long, so I decided to just knock out the last few volumes and get it over with. The Gokuraku bad guy completely turns into a Wizard of Oz kind of character, and Moemi cuts her hair to be more like Ai, even though she doesn't have a chance at this point. The only touching scene is Yota's celebration for Ai's imaginary 17th birthday. Video Girl Ai Vol 13: This final volume has a bunch of crazy conflict between the Gokuraku bad guy and the kind old clerk, which really seems out of left field this late in the story. The ending isn't too bad, although the brief wrap up of all the other characters is a little forced, but it took so long to get here that the finale was disappointing. Video Girl Ai is a good story overall with some excellent moments, but it would have been much better as an 8-10 volume series! |
| Last of the Jedi Vol 6 / Jude Watson : 3 of 5 | |
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5.07.2009
6:59 AM | Link0 comments |
 I'm still enjoying this series of Star Wars books, and I'm definitely not ashamed to be reading these Scholastic big-print mini-novels (except in public)! Our hero Ferus Olin is now fairly established as a double agent, so there's lots of creepy interaction with the Emperor and Darth Vader, which is the best part of the story, since Anakin and Ferus grew up together in the Jedi Temple. Ferus doesn't know who Vader really is, but of course the opposite isn't true (and Vader even says "I know you" to Ferus in a particularly tense scene!). The plot is a seamless transition from the previous book, and is kind of overflowing with planetary political intrigue that gets a little tedious at times, but there are still some good action-packed moments to break up the monotony. It's interesting to read about pockets of resistance forming and their various plots, but the main theme of this book is the danger of Ferus being so close to the evil of the Empire and his worries about the dark side, which Ferus counters with memories of his Jedi training and his old master in some poignant flashbacks. I love how Jude Watson constantly switches the point of view character in each chapter, so the reader gets to see things through the eyes of Ferus, Trever, and even Vader at times - internal dialogue and characterization has always been a strongpoint of these books that keeps me coming back for more. Overall, this volume wasn't spectacular, but of course it was good enough to make me want to keep reading the series!
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| Character Animation Crash Course! / Eric Goldberg : 5 of 5 | |
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4.16.2009
12:42 PM | Link0 comments |
 I have lots of animation books in my collection, but very few that actually discuss the nuts and bolts of how an animator actually works. But thanks to this gift from my pal Dae, now I have one of the best books on the subject! Eric Goldberg (Disney animator best known for the Genie in Aladdin) is one of my modern animation idols, since he's always so interesting in DVD interviews, and this book is obviously his labor of love to keep the true craft of animation alive. As he states in the introduction, this is more like a collection of "class notes" than anything, since it's only loosely structured into chapters, but each and every one is completely fascinating! Because this book is mostly written for animators, I felt like I was learning a new secret code, since there's detailed information about reading exposure sheets, walk cycles, lip sync, and even gimmicks such as smear drawings. I had to keep referring to the handy glossary, but it was worth it (and now I know what cushioning is!). Reading this book as an animation fan requires some concentration and study, but if you love animation like I do, it's so much fun to figure out. Of course, there are hundreds of illustrations by Eric to help explain the concepts, but even more exciting is the included CD that contains animation files (with a brilliant Flash interface that allows for cycling and stop-frame examination, along with the exposure sheet!). This book really opened my eyes to the challenges of CG animation as well, since Eric explains how some of the freedom that hand-drawn animation allows can be difficult to achieve with CG models. I had a fantastic time devouring this book, and if I had another life to live, I would definitely be tempted to use this knowledge and spend it animating!
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| Star Trek / The Key Collection Vol 3 : 3 of 5 | |
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4.03.2009
6:44 AM | Link0 comments |
 I took a little break from this series (since I read Volume 2 last summer!), but once I started this volume I finished it pretty quickly! There's just something about the original Star Trek characters that none of the other series can capture, so I love reading these cheesy comic book adventures. This volume includes eight stories from 1972-1974, but comic books were fairly long back then, so the entire book is over 200 pages thick! Each story includes the amazing cover art (and it's cool to see the original 15 cents price), and the overall look of the characters is much better than the earlier volumes. The Enterprise and the shuttle Galileo look especially good (but they manage to get a Romulan cruiser all wrong), and there are plenty of alien monsters with interesting designs (although most of the other cultures are humanoid in this collection). I'm always impressed by how these crazy plots actually feel like real Star Trek episodes, except for a few bizarre scenes that seem a little out of place (like the crew playing baseball in space suits floating outside of the ship, or transferring brain waves into robots!). The dialogue isn't as silly as it was back in Volume 1, but there are some choice phrases, such as Spock saying, "Have you ever heard of a black hole, Captain?" to which Kirk replies, "I'm afraid not, Mr. Spock. Please explain!" You would think starship captains would know about such things! A similar situation happens when Spock has to explain to McCoy what a cyborg is. But don't get me wrong - all of these humorous situations are fun to point out, but didn't stop me from totally enjoying these stories. I'm really looking forward to continuing with the next volume - anything to keep enjoying the Star Trek universe!
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| The Imagineering Field Guide to Disneyland : 3 of 5 | |
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3.18.2009
6:12 AM | Link0 comments |
 Sometimes being a Disneyland fanatic can be tough, especially when new books about the park are released. My initial reaction is to buy them all, but it's becoming more and more difficult to read anything with park facts that I haven't heard a hundred times before! But since I've already collected the other cool books in the Imagineering Field Guide series, I decided I had to have the Disneyland edition as well. As I expected, almost all of it was stuff I've already read, but of course it's still fun to get a refresher course. But I was still able to dig out a few trivia gems to add to my collection, such as the Notre Dame cathedral spire on Sleeping Beauty Castle (I always wondered why that one looked different!), and the reason Christopher Robin doesn't appear in the Winnie the Pooh ride is because it's located in Critter Country! I also didn't really know that the outside track on the Alice in Wonderland attraction wasn't added until the 1983 Fantasyland makeover, or that the ship masts on the roofs of buildings in New Orleans Square are meant to imply a port in the distance (cool stuff!). I really appreciated the up-to-date material, too, which covers the recent changes in Pirates of the Caribbean and the Haunted Mansion, and even mentions the brand new Mark VII Monorail. Like the other books in this series, the artwork is nice, but way too small to really enjoy (there were some great Tiki Room concepts that I would love to see close-up!). If your brain isn't already stuffed with a million Disneyland facts like mine, then I would definitely buy this book right away and soak it up! But even if you're already an expert, I'd still consider the Imagineering Field Guide to Disneyland just to support this nice series of books.
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| Speed Racer: Mach Go Go Go : 4 of 5 | |
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3.10.2009
11:09 AM | Link0 comments |
 Although I've been a Speed Racer fan for as long as I can remember, I had never read the original manga version of the series, so when I saw this box set was available, it went on my Christmas list right away! This really is a beautiful edition, including two hardcover books (over 600 pages together!) in a fantastic slipcase, making this the most extravagant manga I own. Most of the pages are black and white (thankfully in their original left to right order), although there are a few color covers of the early 60s issues (in Japanese) that look really cool. There's a fairly interesting introduction by Peter Fernandez, famous for voicing Speed and helping to bring anime to the US, but unfortunately no other background material about the manga itself. However, the stories are a total blast to read, with some covering classic episodes of the show almost exactly, and some completely new adventures to enjoy. The Mach 5 has several more features that were new to me, such as hydrofoil mode, jets, wings, radar, and even automatic spare tires! Some of the original Japanese dialogue is interesting in this translation, with dramatic lines for Speed like "Let me die in the Mach 5!", and he even chews out some striking auto workers with "You call yourselves Japanese acting like this?" My favorite story was Secret of the Golden Arrow, one of the longest plots with lots of action and interesting scenes with Racer X. And speaking of Racer X, the manga actually ends with the touching reunion of Rex Racer with his family! I was totally shocked when it happened, but it was great to see those tears rolling down Speed's cheeks as he hugs his long lost big brother. I had so much fun reading this manga set, and I definitely recommend it to fans of the anime and all the nostalgia that goes along with it!
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| Scott Pilgrim Vol 5 : 4 of 5 | |
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3.01.2009
12:43 PM | Link0 comments |
 After I finished the previous volumes of Scott Pilgrim, it seemed to take forever for this one to come out, but the wait was totally worth it! I still love this quirky little series, and I read this volume cover to cover on my recent flight home from Los Angeles, laughing my head off all the way. It took no time at all to get reacquainted with all the characters, and soon I was rooting for Scott to defeat the next set of Ramona's evil ex-boyfriends. There were tons of little jokes this time that really cracked me up, like Scott's gay ex-roommate Wallace's text messages, and of course Scott's battles with the twins' robots were all funny. The tequila scene with Scott, Ramona and Kim is great, but the story actually gets semi-serious when the plot turns to Ramona's secret past with Gideon, which ends up leaving this volume with a massive cliff-hanger (and I have no idea how many months I'll have to wait for the next volume!). It would have been nice to have a little more Knives Chau in the story (but she still plays an important part), but I have to say that this volume is one of the best yet, since it's totally hilarious and touching at the same time. It's amazing to me how Bryan lee O'Malley can stretch this cartoonish (yet totally artistic) style to produce something like a wordless love scene that's just as romantic and awesome as anything you could see in a movie. By the way, the metallic glowing cover on this volume is totally cool, too. Hurry up, Volume 6 - I don't know how long I can wait!Labels: books |
| The Alchemy of Animation: Making an Animated Film in the Modern Age / Don Hahn : 3 of 5 | |
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2.11.2009
7:42 AM | Link0 comments |
 Just like every animation fan, I have tons of books about the overall process of animation in my library (many of which describe the same thing over and over), but I really wanted The Alchemy of Animation (which I got for Christmas) for a couple reasons. First, the author is Don Hahn, my favorite Disney producer and all-around interesting guy (I really enjoyed his book Dancing Corndogs in the Night), and second, this is the first book I've read to cover traditional 2D animation, CGI animation, and even stop-motion animation in one volume. Actually, this book is quite similar to his previous work Animation Magic (which I also own), but much more extensive. Don's writing is a joy to read (as expected), and he nicely weaves together the entire process from pre-production (which is often identical for all three film methods) to marketing. I really enjoyed the way he describes scheduling problems (such as figuring out how many animators are needed based on their output and time available), and he does a great job of covering the many interesting aspects of CGI animation, such as modeling, rigging, and even virtual lighting. Nothing is totally glossed over, since he even mentions the intricate scoring and other sound processes, as well as the computer guys who keep the render farm going! He also includes some nice advice for future animators (interesting to read for my fantasy life), plus a great recommended reading list and an extensive glossary that includes many terms and definitions that provide more information that isn't even in the main text. All in all, The Alchemy of Animation is a quick read, but its content (not to mention the pages of glorious artwork) is exactly what I wanted for my library. If anyone asks me to recommend a general "how to they do it" animation book, I'll definitely mention this one!
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| The New Frontier Vol 2 : 5 of 5 | |
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2.09.2009
8:04 AM | Link0 comments |
 I promise I didn't wait this long to read the second volume of The New Frontier after I enjoyed the first volume so much, I'm just late with my review! In fact, although I usually read in small segments over time, I read this graphic novel in one glorious session - I absolutely couldn't stop until I reached the end (even though I already knew the storyline from the animated DVD). It's tough to express just how great this comic is, from the truly cinematic artwork with beautiful two-page spreads, to the way so many cool heroes are covered, yet somehow the story managed to stir my emotions for each and every one. Actually, I can't remember the last time I cried from reading a comic book, and I completely broke down when Superman (who is assumed dead) returns with Aquaman, even though I knew it was coming! (Although I enjoyed the famous Death of Superman storyline, it didn't cause an emotional reaction in me half as much as The New Frontier did!) The focus on Flash, Green Lantern, and Martian Manhunter is so fascinating to read, and I also enjoyed the brief scenes of Wonder Woman back on Paradise Island (and the images of the invisible plane defined by her bleeding wounds is unbelievable!). The final scenes of the story, where Kennedy's famous New Frontier speech is presented and illustrated by various historic scenes from the DC continuity, is some of the most majestic artwork imaginable (I cried through these pages, too!). What else can I say? I know I will enjoy hundreds more graphic novels that I will read in the future, but right now I doubt I will ever read one as moving as The New Frontier!
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| The New Frontier Vol 1 : 5 of 5 | |
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1.16.2009
7:40 AM | Link2 comments |
 After thoroughly enjoying Justice League: The New Frontier animated movie on DVD, I simply had to read the source comic books, so I got The New Frontier (collected into a two volume series) for Christmas! It's been fantastic to experience scenes from the DVD in their original form (demonstrating how closely the animation follows the story), as well as entirely new segments that are completely fascinating (such as scenes featuring the Challengers of the Unknown and John Henry, or the included faux magazine article that reminded me of the same technique used in Watchmen). I also enjoyed how an identical scene can have different nuances depending on the medium - for example, the Martian Manhunter's internal dialogue while he watches TV to learn human culture is unique to the reading experience, but in both the DVD and the comic book this scene still works beautifully. The artwork is stunning with an incredible retro style (I love seeing the 40s and 50s fashion and hairstyles, and all of the women are drawn so cool!), and the panel layout is extremely effective, with almost every page presented as three horizontal panels, giving the artist lots of room and a cinematic widescreen look! The great artwork also extends to the covers gallery, each of which would look great hanging on the wall. Finally, the epic story is so creative, and beautifully blends together lots of subplots, locations, and enough hero name-dropping to make you want to read every story of the DC universe. I'm not going to waste any time getting into Volume 2!
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| Superman Chronicles / Vol 2 : 3 of 5 | |
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1.05.2009
6:04 PM | Link0 comments |
 Even though I was really into reading these DC Chronicles series recently, lately I've been craving more up-to-date stories. But since I had already bought this followup volume to the first Superman Chronicles book, I took it with me on my flight home for Christmas, and I ended up reading most of it at the hotel bar while I was stuck in Dallas! I think my captive situation made me really enjoy this collection of Superman stories from 1939, back when Clark Kent worked for the Daily Star and Lois hardly showed up in the plot (except to tell Clark how much she hates him). Since Superman couldn't fly at this point, it was really interesting to see something as simple as being pushed out a window presented as a tense scene - he even hitches a ride on an airplane during one story! It's also hilarious to see Superman use Batman-style fear tactics, saying things like "You saw me crush steel - shall I now give you a demonstration of what I can do to your arm?" Besides wrecking shady casinos, crooked orphanages, and helping out a has-been boxer, the only real recurring villain is the Ultra Humanite, a mad scientist who looks pretty Luthor-ish to me (although his baldness keeps changing with the inconsistent artwork). The Humanite has a way of coming back from "certain death" in each story, even to the point of having his brain implanted in a woman's body! I'm sure I'll have the urge to continue reading the Superman Chronicles in the future, but for now I've got lots of great Christmas gifts to read, so it's going to be a long hiatus.
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| Last of the Jedi Vol 5 / Jude Watson : 3 of 5 | |
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12.17.2008
12:37 PM | Link0 comments |
 Even though I keep hoping this series will focus more on Obi-Wan, it's becoming obvious that the Last of the Jedi is really about Feris Olin and his band of Jedi remnants that are slowly forming into an Alliance of their own. I love it when these stories have solid connections into characters and worlds in the Star Wars movie universe, but this volume is particularly cool since it also directly ties in with plotlines from the Jedi Quest series! The major bad guy this time is Bog Divnian, who went up against Feris and Anakin both in another story, and the plot also involves Astri, who was actually kind of a love interest for young Obi-Wan! Darth Vader also plays a part in this story, and there is an amazing moment where he has to meet Feris (who is blackmailed into working for the Empire). Of course, he recognizes his childhood friend, but can't say anything since his identity as Anakin is lost to the personna of Darth Vader. Jude Watson really writes Vader well, always getting into his head and revealing his inner thoughts to the reader, which really expands on the character, since he's the true center of the Star Wars saga after all! Although the Emperor also has scenes in this story, he certainly never lets loose with Force lightening, so I have no idea why the cover of this book is so scary! As usual, this is a great story (even a little better than usual) and a quick read, and it makes me want to get into the next book really soon!
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| World Without a Superman : 3 of 5 | |
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12.12.2008
7:11 AM | Link0 comments |
 After reading The Death of Superman, it's simply impossible not to continue the story with this next collection! World Without a Superman is a really thick volume that collects the Funeral for a Friend series that was published in various DC titles after Superman's big battle with Doomsday. The best parts of these stories focus on individual character emotions, which are dramatic as you would expect. Of course, Lois is in bad shape, Jonathan and Martha Kent are in the terrible situation where they can't even publicly mourn their son's death because of his secret identity, and even Lex Luthor is bent out of shape since his entire life has been devoted to destroying the Man of Steel! There's a wild storyline where scientists from Cadmus actually steal Superman's body to try to create a clone, and the rest of the book is filled with plots about other heroes who try to take over Superman's role as protector of Metropolis. Some of these tales are fantastic, but there are some that are a little too cheesy for my taste. Unfortunately, the end of the book has this really weird out of body sequence after Jonathan Kent's heart attack, and somehow Jonathan converses with Clark/Kal-El in an etherial afterlife and starts to convince him to come back (which we all know will happen somehow!). But even with the mystical ending, this collection was really interesting to read, and I'll definitely be checking out the next volume eventually!
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| The Death of Superman : 3 of 5 | |
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11.06.2008
9:31 PM | Link0 comments |
 After enjoying the DC Universe DVD movie Doomsday, I decided I needed to check out the original story from the Superman comics, and this book collects the seven issues (all from different titles) that tell the tragic story. It was really interesting to read this epic tale (which was published in the early 1990s while I was kind of out of the comic book scene) because of its incredible presentation style, and because it introduced me to several developments and characters that I had no idea about (such as Lex Luthor's son!). The way the battle between Superman and the destructive beast Doomsday builds is really handled well, in the almost imperceptible way of reducing the number of panels on each page issue by issue. It was cool to see the number of panels go from four to three to two and finally to one, each page a full image! So this book definitely delivers on an incredible battle full of dramatic scenes, but it would have been nice to have a little more plot. I'm sure that questions like where the heck did Doomsday come from get answered later, and some of my puzzlement is my own fault for not being up to date with the DC timeline, but this book still amounts to only punch after punch. The artwork is really well-done, although I didn't really like they way Superman looked in the next to last issue. But the best thing is that now I've begun experiencing a huge important moment in comic book history, and I'm looking forward to continuing with the sequel (and eventual return of the Man of Steel) soon!
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| Watchmen / Alan Moore : 5 of 5 | |
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10.15.2008
7:52 AM | Link0 comments |
 Even though I was aware of the premise and significance of Watchmen, undoubtedly the best graphic novel ever produced, until recently I had never actually read it. But after seeing the movie trailer and all the bookstores stocking up on copies, I decided it was time, and now I can join everyone else in praising this incredible work! There's so much to say about this comic masterpiece, originally published as a twelve issue mini-series, that I don't really know where to begin, except by saying it's every bit as riveting as any contemporary, mature, best-selling, traditional novel. It's full of intense themes, shocking scenes, and some really disturbing circumstances, but every single page makes you want to keep reading and go further and further into its world! The plot revolves around a group of masked heroes, now retired after being disbanded by law, who are being murdered, and some of the group decides to investigate. Through each of the chapters you really get into the psyche of each character, not only through the story itself, but also through "additional material" (such as fake book excepts and magazine articles), all of which are amazing. This is also set against world tensions leading to a possible world war, making the whole thing even more dramatic! The artwork and page layout are really beautiful, but not so artsy that they overshadow or take away from the incredible story, which is really the star - Watchmen has some of the most fully-developed characters and detailed backstory I've ever read. Now that I've read it, I know the movie doesn't have a chance of fitting even half of this story into the plot, but of course I'm still excited to see it!
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| Walt Disney's Mickey and the Gang / Classic Stories in Verse : 3 of 5 | |
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10.10.2008
7:47 AM | Link0 comments |
 With Christmas coming soon, I figured I should finally finish the last book of last year's presents! It took me so long to read this book because it's just so giant and heavy that you almost have to sit at a table and fully devote yourself to enjoying it. Mickey and the Gang reprints the beautiful Disney pages that were a popular part of Good Housekeeping magazine from 1934-44, originally started to promote the Silly Symphonies, and later the animated features and other cartoon shorts. Each reprinted page has wonderful artwork, often fully painted, along with a short version of the story in rhyming verse (which are fun and clever). I would have been happy with a book of just the Good Housekeeping pages, but this book provides so much more that it's almost overkill! Along with the artwork, each cartoon includes a full written synopsis (which I don't really need since I have all these shorts on DVD!), then a commentary on the differences (which is interesting since the magazine pages were often produced way before the cartoon was finished), and then if the same story happened to appear in a Disney comic strip, all of those newspaper reproductions are included as well! In the case of the promotion of the animated features, they have even printed the entire text of storybooks that were published at the same time. It's nice to see all of this material, and the collection is impressive, but I would rather not read a several page retelling of Snow White in the middle of a book about Disney magazine artwork. That's my only complaint, however - Mickey and the Gang is an absolutely beautiful book packed with art that can't be found anywhere else. I really enjoyed stepping back in time with these classic Disney rhymes!
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| Batman Chronicles / Vol 3 : 3 of 5 | |
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9.26.2008
7:57 AM | Link0 comments |
 I'm still enjoying the Batman Chronicles series, although this volume lost a little of the charm of the previous books (maybe I'm just getting used to the old 1940s style, or maybe I was in the mood for something more modern). There are a couple good Joker stories, and I like how he always seems to die at the end (and then they show how he survives at the start of the next story). All of the other villains are just normal crooks, except for Clayface (although he's still just an actor with make-up at this point), but there are a few crazy stories with plots like fighting pirates at sea or teleporting into a fairy tale book to rescue a scientist's daughter (that one was particularly goofy). At first the Batmobile is still a red car, but finally gets a new paint job and bat head towards the end, and we also get to see the Batplane (which actually transforms into the Batboat at one point). In one story, Batman surprisingly uses a gun to disarm a villain, but they are careful to note that Batman would never carry a gun. Speaking of the narration, I still like the melodramatic stuff, but sometimes it gets a little annoying, since they describe every detail of each fight. This volume is pretty thick at 200 pages, but it barely covers a year of publication (ending in the middle of 1941). I'm not sure how long this series will go - I don't think I have the stamina to read it all, but I'm sure I'll hang on for a few more, especially since I want to see more super-villains emerge!
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