Authors: Doug Jones, Adam Mock, Eric Curtis & Scott Allen Perry
Paperback: 200 pages
Publisher: Medallion Press
Release Date: February 1, 2012

Our Score: 4 out of 5 stars

Doug Jones is actor that you know better for his roles beyond makeup than his name. I have been a fan of his work since 1993 in “Hocus Pocus” playing the character Billy. Since then he has appeared in the TV series “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” and films like the “Hellboy” franchise, “Pan’s Labyrinth” and “Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer”. Doug Jones has also done work as a mime and it fits really well for this book. This book uses Doug’s talents to the fullest and delivers a very entertaining visual book.

Honestly when I interview Doug earlier this year, read here, we chatted about this book he just make it seem like it was so much fun to do.  It is not your typical photo book but if you are a film and pop culture fan this will definitely spark your interest. The photography in the book is beautifully captured by photographer Eric Curtis and his well known vision.  The photos are produced so well and presented by Medallion Press.  They are so crisp and clear and you can see every little detail in each photo.

Some of the photos featured in this book are featuring artistic and real-world backdrops, for example parodies include “Frank ‘n mime”, “Marilyn Mime-roe”, “Mime-hammad Ali”, “Mime a Llama ding-dong”, and “Mimeageddon”.  There is spoofs on fairy tale favorites called “Once Upon a Mime”, which covers tales like “Little Red Miming Hood” and the “Three Little Pigs”.  Since the book is virtually wordless, it relies on the photo to carry it and it definitely does the job.  I found myself literally laughing at loud as I turned the pages and was left wanting to share the images instantly with others, which is obviously a good sign. Looking for a fun time, be sure to check out this book.

Author: Chris Welch
Hardcover: 256 pages
Publisher: Voyageur Press
Release Date: September 10, 2011

Our Score: 5 out of 5 stars

I am not sure how to start this review with except the fact that the title simply tells it all…this is the “The Ultimate Illustrated History” of Eric Clapton.  It is the perfect book for one of the greatest guitarists ever. The book covers Clapton’s five-decade-long career includes time from the Yardbirds, to Cream to the Plastic Ono Band to his solo career.  This book honestly has everything and it looks “pretty” also.  The layout of the book flows really well with mixing its amazing photos with amazing stories and information about the man himself.

The layout of the book starts with a great note from the author talking about his time that he has spent over the year with Clapton. The first chapter focuses on his childhood and his influence of the blues covering years 1945-1963.  There is coverage of Eric’s time with The Yarbirds from 1963 to 1965.   Of course there is a lot of coverage from the days of Cream from 1966-1969, as this was the real turning point in Clapton’s career.  The years 1969-1974 features quite a bit between his work the Plastic Ono Band through Derek and the Dominoes.  During 1974-1982, the book focuses on Clapton’s amazing solo career, covering everything from his hit record “Layla” to concert appearances at Nassau Coliseum in Long Island, NY.  There is still more as this book also covers 1983-present, with the Cream reunion to his work with the Crossroads Foundation.  Lastly there is a graphic discography included which only expands upon how amazing his body of work truly is.

Speaking of photos, this book is packed with over 400 rare shots, as well as images of his guitars, concert posters, and other memorabilia included.  Honestly I think you can spend hours just looking at the pictures and not even reading anything.   The author/rock journalist Chris Welch is no stranger to Clapton, since he previously authored “Cream: Eric Clapton”.  He really shows his extreme knowledge of Clapton and he does an amazing job of showing it in this book. He has also authored books about other great musicians such as Zepplin and David Bowie. Whether you think you know everything about Clapton’s amazing career or you have never heard of him, this book definitely will provide great knowledge into his life and work.  It is a must purchase for sure!

Author: Joss Whedon
Paperback: 208 pages
Publisher: Titan Books
Release Date: May 8, 2007

Our Score: 5 out of 5 stars

This the second volume to the official companion of the cult classic TV series “Firefly”. Titan Books released Volume One in 2006 and it was a wonderful ode to the fans of this show.  The book follows in the first volumes path and continues to deliver “Firefly” to its fans.  It is jam packed with new unseen photos and great behind the scenes materials.

Continuing from the first volume, this contains the second half of an extended interview with Joss Whedon, as well as new exclusive interviews with the cast, writers and crewmembers.  In this volume, there are more full, uncut shooting scripts including “Jaynestown” (one of my favorites), “Out of Gas”, “Ariel”, “War Stories”, “Trash”, “The Message”, “Heart of Gold” and “Objects in Space”.  There are also sections on the shows out-of-the-world production design and visual effects. This is where the show really was way advance in its approach and it is great to see it showcased here.

Joss Whedon has really created one hell of a world surrounding this little show and this book manages to complete the circle.  This show is guaranteed to last many years into the future and until it is recreated in some sense.  This book is definitely a great tribute to the fans of the show and will leave them satisfied until then…or at least until the next volume “Firefly: Still Flying” is released.

Author: Joss Whedon
Paperback: 176 pages
Publisher: Titan Books
Release Date: September 1, 2006

Our Score: 5 out of 5 stars

I have been a fan of the “Firefly” show since it originally briefly aired on Fox back in 2002. So you can imagine that the fact that they have an official companion to one of my favorites shows must be a thrill. Well the book definitely satisfies my “Firefly” lust. The book is jam packed with exclusive interviews with Joss Whedon, cast, writers and crewmembers. This book is definitely perfect for the mega fans aka the ‘Browncoats’.

There are full, uncut shooting scripts for the following episodes “Serenity”, “The Train Job”, “Bushwacked”, “Shindig”, “Safe” and “Our Mrs. Reynolds”. Each shooting script is backed with comments from both the cast and crews. This is something that is priceless if you are a fan of this series. Normally you would think…just shooting scripts? But this book takes that and builds on it to cater to the fans and deliver a great tribute to a great show.

There are many rare and previously unpublished photos from the show, as well as many great behind-the-scenes images. Also showcased in the book is the amazing production art from the show. One of the great parts of the series are their original props and costumes and this book has photos of both of them which have been shot specifically for this book. Fans of the show should definitely purchase this book if you don’t own it already.

Author: Joss Whedon
Paperback: 160 pages
Publisher: Titan Books
Release Date: September 1, 2005

Our Score: 4 out of 5 stars

“Serenity” is one hell of visual movie and a great follow-up to the “Firefly” TV series. My favorite part of this book is the beautiful movie stills, storyboards and rare pieces of production art. Most of the book consists of the the full shooting script accompanied by these photos. It really brings you into the development of the film. Either way this it is definitely great for the fans of the series and movies.

If you are unaware of the premise for the film it takes place “five hundred years in the future, Captain Mal Reynolds and his crew of the transport-for-hire ship Serenity take on two new passengers and soon find themselves in a crossfire between an invincible military force and cannibalistic savages”. It is written and directed by Joss Whedon, creator of “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” and “Angel”. in his feature film directorial debut. It wasn’t a success at the box office, which I wish it was, so the future fate of the show was mostly lost, though fans have keep it alive in their own way.

This paperback edition includes full color pictures from the movie and looks really sharp. There is a great introduction by Joss Whedon and it is an ode to his fans. Also included is a very in-depth interview with him about the making of the film. One feature I found very neat was the shooting script that is included in the book also includes scenes cut from the final film. There are production and background memos provided by Whedon, which are great to be able to read. Lastly if you really want to emerge yourself in the film there is a great “A Brief History of the Universe”, circa 2507 A.D. Final word: No-brainer for fans.

Author(s): Joss Whedon, Ben Edlund, Jane Espenson, Brett Matthews and  Jose Molina
Paperback: 160 pages
Publisher: Titan Books
Release Date: May 25, 2010

Our Score: 5 out of 5 stars

If you are fan of “Firefly”, then you don’t even need to read this review. You NEED to own this book. It is a great continuation of this very short-lived series. This is the third companion book release for the show. You can tell that this book is specifically aimed at the fans and made for the fans, though if you are not a fan then this book is definitely not for you.

This book celebrated the continued longevity that this show has endured over the years. It features many rare and never before seen images, as well as storyboards, production design art and behind the scenes photos of the cast and crew. If you are one of the “Browncoats”, then this book also has a great tribute to them. If all that isn’t enough for you there is more…there is NEW “Firefly” fiction from the original writers of the TV series. Included is “Fun with Dick and Jayne” written and drawn by Ben Edlund, “What Holds Us Down” by Jane Espenson, “Crystal” by Brett Matthews and “Take The Sky” by Jose Molina. These are super cool and worth it for the price of the book alone.

There is still more included in this book, with each character having their own section. Included are photos from the show accompanied by quotes about their own character. The photos in the book are very clear and extremely detailed. Like I said this is a great companion to the series but it is specifically for big fans or as we are known “Browncoats”.

Authors: Joss Whedon, Maurissa Tancharoen, Jed Whedon, Zack Whedon
Paperback: 160 pages
Publisher: Titan Books
Release Date: March 29, 2011

Our Score: 5 out of 5 stars

Any fan of “Dr. Horrible” needs to pick up this book ASAP. It is made for true fans and made with love from its authors. The pages are very colorful and packed with great pictures and illustrations. There are great behind the scenes shots during production. It still surprises me how this little web-series went on to become an Emmy award-winning pop-culture phenomenon. Either way it is one of my favorite series and soundtracks of the last decade easily.

Now let’s get to the goodies, this book comes with exclusive new material from Joss and the “Horrible” team. There are great new photos, which are really sharp and also very crisp. The book plays like the read-a-long with the series, including the full shooting scripts. Also If you are a musically inclined there is also sheet music included for every song. Also mega fans, will enjoy full lyrics for “Commentary: The Musical”.

The further and further I go on this book it just feels like the ultimate fan official book for the ultimate web-series. The book also covers the expansion of the series into pop-culture with toys, fandom and even the awards ceremonies. Also fans are going to love the character bios included even for the minor characters in the series. Although the book doesn’t close with hints about a follow-up series, I know we all still have our hopes set out for that and this book will surely hold you over till then.

Author: Marcus Hearn
Hardcover: 176 pages
Publisher: Titan Books
Release Date: December 20, 2011

Our Score: 5 out of 5 stars

If you enjoyed Marcus Hearn’s last book “The Art of Hammer”, then you will like this one even more…as it is a great improvement.  Each page on this book is laid out SO well.  I found myself rushing to the next page just to see what was on it, so excited.  There is little to no white space on each page, since it is totally full with either props, script pages, unused poster artwork, production designs, rare promotional material or personal letters.   There are honestly hundreds of rare and previously unseen stills, which range from classics of the 1950s to the studio’s latest productions.

Some f the films covered in this book range from “The Quatermass Xperiment” to “Maniac” to “She” to recent films like “Let Me In”.  Of course it isn’t Hammer without Christopher Lee/Peter Cushing and the Dracula films, which are showcased beautifully. Also included are the “Frankenstein” series like “The Curse of Frankenstein”, “The Revenge of Frankenstein” and “The Horror of Frankenstein”.  I mean I just named some of the greats and there are still about 80 other films covered in this book….that’s right 80 more.  I found myself even learning new things about these films that I have never known

Don’t think that this book is just posters though…if you want that then pick up Hearn’s last book “The Art of Hammer”.  This includes rare letters from the film’s stars, pages from Peter Cushing and managing director Michael Carreras scrapbooks and also rare photos and posters that have never been published. The photos in the book are such high quality and looks beyond amazing.  The color is so vibrant and despite the age of the film it looks brand new.  Just a heads up though, the book is not for kids as there is a little bit of nudity included but if you are familiar with Hammer then this is nothing new. Honestly if you are a fan of horror at all this book is a MUST-BUY for sure!

Author: Alan Barnes
Paperback: 320 pages
Publisher: Titan Books; Updated edition
Release Date: January 31, 2012

Our Score: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Right now with the rebirth of the character Sherlock Holmes due to Guy Ritchie and Robert Downey Jr., the world’s top detective is back in the spotlight. This book covers the complete film and TV history of Sherlock Holmes. The book is softcover and is packed with rare archive pictures throughout and they are presented in black and white. Honestly I was aware of how much Sherlock Holmes exists in pop culture but I had no idea how in depth and how much in fact. This book really gives great insight into the most famous detective in our time.

The foreword is given from the co-creator of BBC’s “Sherlock” with Benedit Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman. It is clever and a great intro to this book. The books approach is an A-Z format listing episodes and films by title. It covers every single portrayals of Holmes, including Basil Rathbone, Jeremy Brett, Peter Cushing, John Cleese, Roger Moore, Larry Hagman and of course the latest Robert Downey Jr. In each adaption, it covers “The Mystery”, “The Investigation” and “The Solution”. It covers overall a century of depictions ranging from the silent era to the present day.

Just because you think of the classic Basil Rathbone playing Sherlock, this book also shows the other side of the role in animated shows like Batman, Scooby-Doo and the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. If you are also wondering what is the new addition to this version, it is new research into the Sherlock’s silent film series. It is really interesting and especially with the new film “The Artist”, silent films are hot now and this definitely fits the appetite. Of course there is also new material for Guy Ritchie’s reboot of “Sherlock Holmes”.  If you are a fan of Sherlock Holmes than you will not want to miss this fantastic collection of every Sherlock Holmes work.

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Author: Tara Bennett
Hardcover: 256 pages
Publisher: Titan Books
Release Date: April 28, 2009

Our Score: 2.5 out of 5 stars

In 2009, McG directed the much anticipated fourth installment of the “Terminator” series, “Terminator Salvation”, starring Christian Bale who was red hot off of “Batman Begins”.  The film was overall disappointing.  This book features hundreds of color illustrations, storyboards and production art. The stills used from the film itself are not that exciting and in fact are blurry.  Overall it is not that exciting of a book…just like the movie.

The book is pretty much a visual companion to the film following it from the beginning to the end.  What I was looking for in this book honestly is a bunch of designs for the Terminators.   There is definitely no shortage of that in this book including T-1, T-600, Aerostats, Hunter-Killers, Hydrobots, Transports, Harvesters, Moto-Terminators and even the T-70 ,which is only seen in the video game. Also includes is a bunch of vechiles both resistance and Skynet.  There is some weapons but not a lot and also lacking in character designs.  Like I mentioned earlier, due to the low-res of the production still, if you want to see clearer production photos, go pick up the book “Terminator Salvation: The Movie Companion”.

Overall I call this book a one-timer, flip through it once and that is it.  The only chapter that stands out for me is “Terminator Factory”, since it covers a lot of well…terminators and it also has the best and clearest photos.  Don’t get me wrong though I love staring in the eyes of the terminator robots, but overall this book just doesn’t jump off the page like  other “The Art of” books usually do.

Author: Gallery 1988
Hardcover: 176 pages
Publisher: Titan Books
Release Date: June 21, 2011

Our Score: 5 out of 5 stars

I am going to start this review, very simply, if you’re a film nerd…this is required for you to purchase. If you are unaware of the annual LA, Crazy 4 Cult art show, you are probably not a good film nerd. This event caters to thousands of visitors, including high profile buyers like Kevin Smith and Edgar Wright. This is jam backed with various of our favorite pop culture films and character re-imagined in various forms are art. Honestly this book contains some of the coolest movie based artwork I have ever seen.

This beautiful hardcover coffee table book showcases the best of the first four years of the show. It features art inspired by movies like “Jaws”, “The Big Lebowski”, “Edward Scissorhands”, “The Wizard of Oz”, “The Shining”, “Tron”, “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory”, “Office Space” and “The Evil Dead” series. Those are just some of my favorites, but honestly if I would list every single one of my favorites this review would be ten pages long. Plus I really enjoyed just flipped through this book and discovering all these great images. I encourage

What I really like most about this book is that the images are not limited to just paintings, there are dolls and even matches dressed and turned into crazy cult art. I really want to commend each and every artist who contributed to these pieces of art because they are so creative and imaginative. It honestly gives a new and fresh perspective on our favorite cult films. I really look forward to the next release of art from Gallery 1988, in fact they have a yearly calender that is also released if you need more cult movie art.

Authors: Mark Millar, John Romita Jr, Jane Goldman, Matthew Vaughn
Paperback: 176 pages
Publisher: Titan Books
Release Date: February 23, 2010

Our Score: 4.5 out of 5 stars

The movie “Kick-Ass” is easily one of the best comic book adaptions in the last few years. It is an originally idea with the recent remake Hollywood craze. The film is based on the bestselling comic book by Mark Millar and John Romita Jr.
The book plays like a giant comic book and really gives great details into the characters and the making of the film. It is very colorful and is a real page turner. My only major complaint is that is not hardcover, this would have made an awesome coffee table book.

The book starts with a great introduction from its creator Mark Millar.  It is split into three main parts: “The Beginning”, “The Movie” and The Future”.  “The Beginning” focuses on the film’s fast track from the comic page to the theater screen.  “The Movie” focuses on each of the character from the film individually including Dave Lizewksi, Marty & Todd, Kick-Ass, Hit-Girl, Big Daddy, Marcus, Frank D’Amico and Red Mist.  Also included in this section is focus on the production, the origin of Big Daddy & Hit Girl, and the films big ‘kick-ass’ finale.  The content in the book is so detailed and jam-packed that you almost need to go back and re-read it multiple times to make sure that you get everything.  Also there are so many pictures I found myself flipped through the book just to scroll through the art work.  Of course “The Future” section, talks about the second film as well as the follow comic to “Kick-Ass”.  I know the comic already was released following the book but I have a feeling we will be holding our breaths for a long time for a second film…(insert sad face).

“Kick-Ass: Creating the Comic, Making the Movie” goes into major details of this comic book superhero phenomenon went from the page to huge Hollywood movie.  The book showcases Mark Millar’s early comic book script pages.  Amazing artwork from John Romita Jr. are included throughout the book and even new pages drawn especially for the movie.  There are also a bunch of exclusive contributions from the cast and crew and that is what makes this book definitely than the normal making of/art book.  This feels really hands on and personal from the cast/crew.  Lastly there are also hundreds of movie photos, sketches, storyboards and pieces of production art.  If you are fan of this series it is a MUST to piece of this book.  If you no familiar, it is a great introduction to “Kick-Ass” and is guaranteed to turn you into an instant fan.

Author: Drew Struzan & David J. Schow
Hardcover: 160 pages
Publisher: Titan Books
Release Date: September 14, 2010

Our Score: 5 out of 5 stars

If you are reading this review, you shouldn’t be…simply go out and buy this book. This is one of the best “The Art of” book that I have ever read. He is the artist behind some of the most iconic posters of our time. He is also well known for his classic work with both George Lucas and Steven Spielberg. Just to name a few of the amazing posters he has done before we go into it more below, “Back to the Future”, “Jurassic Park” and “Indiana Jones” are just a few. We had the privilege of interviewing Drew Struzan in person for this book and he is just such an amazing guy and a legend of his time. You can check out the interview here.

The book starts of with of course one of my favorite “Raiders of the Lost Ark”. What I also have mentioned yet is that this isn’t just poster book. Drew has included personal recollections from each poster and its creation process. There is no empty space on these pages. “John Carpenter’s The Thing” is one of my favorite posters ever and Drew gives some really great background on the poster. “Back to the Future” series gets some serious attention in this book as well provided dozens of variant posters at different stages of completion. Honestly a dream for movie fans to see this work. “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone” and “Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets” also gets an amazing send off from Drew. One of my recent favorites of his posters though has to be “Hellboy”. It is such an amazing poster that Drew has even done a step-by-step DVD showcasing his work on this poster. Obviously I only scratched the surface on this book and I didn’t cover everything, it will just have to make you go and find out for yourself what other greats are included in here.

I have seen many poster books before but this is definitely something more than that for sure. It takes a look into Struzan’s poster artwork upfront but then goes down in depth into his process. Each poster that is included also with alternate and/or partial finished pieces of the same art. The foreword alone is worth the purchase of the book by Frank Darabont. It is a great send off to Drew Struzan and their collaboration. Drew worked on the following of Darabont’s films including “The Mist”, “The Green Mile” and “The Shawshank Redemption”. Poster and movie fans a lot this is a MUST purchase. If you own it already go out and buy one for your friends.

Author: Marcus Hearn
Hardcover: 192 pages
Publisher: Titan Books
Release Date: November 23, 2010

Our Score: 3.5 out of 5 stars

“The Art of Hammer” is a fantastic celebration of the Hammer legacy. If you are not aware of Hammer posters, this collection includes various art ranging from 1950’s through the 1970’s. Hammer’s greatest posters from the “Frankenstein” and of course the “Dracula” series. This is such a visual collection of how amazing posters used to be. If you are fan of horror from that era and in general, this is a must purchase book.

The first section of the book focuses on 1950-1959, golden era for starting with posters for “The Curse of Frankenstein” and “Dracula” and “The Mummy”. Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee were featured quite a bit by Hammer’s posters. The second section takes us into 1960-1969 continues the “Frankenstein” and “Mummy” series as well as classics like “She”, “The Reptile” and one of my personal favorites “One Million Years B.C.”. The next section and last is 1970-1979, starts right off with the great “Taste the Blood of Dracula”, “Blood from the Mummy’s Tomb” and “Dr. Jekyll and Sister Hyde”.

What I liked most about this book is that these are posters like you will never see again. They were risque and started a chain reaction with their unique look. This book also doesn’t include one poster from each film, instead it includes multiple variants from different countries. It is great to get a chance to view all these different designs for our favorite films. Lastly I would like to say that this book comes with quality, it is a solid hardcover with finely printed and restored posters.

Author: Roman Dirge
Hardcover: 112 pages
Publisher: Titan Books
Release Date: September 20, 2011

Our Score: 2.5 out of 5 stars

Roman Dirge is known best for his creation of “Lenore”, the cute little dead girl. I have never been a big fan of his work overall. This book features some really weird shit, but that is expected for sure. Some might say that this book is visually stunning, I beg to differ. There are some interesting shots but overall, I was not interested in turning to the next page. I would say that this book is only really for hardcore fans of Roman Dirge, anyone else should steer clear.

The first section of the book focuses on sketches of Dirge’s work that has never been seen before. They are the least gross thing in the book. The second section is called artwork and it includes and nothing is safe in this section. It features bizarre depictions of animals and of course mostly little girls or woman in various states…mostly dead. The next section was the saving grace for me with this book, it is called “Scarytales”. I think this section is great and includes creepy deceptions of classics like Snow White to Alice in Wonderland. I wish this section was longer or if the whole book was based on it. The next section is called “Monster” and just features various gross creations but nothing amazing. So not to end on a downer, there is a section called “Funny Bone” which takes a lighter side of his art. Still gross but includes dialogue and add some humor.

The introduction to the book from Roman himself sets the pace for the whole book. Basically it is him expressing his love for taxidermy and thanks Titans Books for allowing him to be be weird. I have nothing wrong with weird, just to add. I love Tim Burton’s work and similar artists like Neil Gaiman. All in all, I really couldn’t wait to finish looking at this book, though like I said I would have loved to see a larger scale version of the “Scarytales” section though.