Toy Instruments: Design, Nostalgia, Music (2010)

Author: Eric Schneider  |  Page Count: 192

'It makes me see angels, drifting through space, touching the stars and bringing the light. Just with one finger.'

You can't put a price on the warm, fuzzy feeling that accompanies nostalgia. It's like an all-singing, all-dancing ferret has crawled inside you (a supernatural ferret, let’s be clear on that). But in publishing you can put a price on a picture book designed to encapsulate and encourage the ferret. In the case of Toy Instruments it's an extortionate one. RRP is £13.95 for a 16.5 x 16.5 cm HB book with content that's ninety-nine percent pictures. I paid 99p in a clearance sale, but for what it's worth I sincerely hope that author Eric Schneider still gets his percentage.

As the titles suggests, its focus is instruments from a bygone era that were targeted at children. If you had a toy that went plink-plink, peep-peep, and maybe even ting-ting, then you might find it displayed within the thick, quality pages. I got lucky at the starting gate, having owned a little wooden piano like the one featured; it was the same colour and even had scuff marks in the same places!

The items aren't the only attraction. Often they pale when next to the treasure for the eyes that is box art. Many of the products are from China and Japan and even back then their box art was the best! But was it really necessary to crop the pictures to fit the square format? Wouldn't it have been better to show, oh, I don,t know, the entire box that each toy came in? A crazy idea, huh?

The change from a traditional wooden styling to bulky electronic to branded plastic tat that made you sound like a voice from beyond the grave or Optimus Prime's weaker brother with a robotic bronchial infection offers a fascinating glimpse into the attitudes of toy makers in each distinctive era.

Brief captions below images give the manufacturer,s name, the item,s full name, date of release and country of origin (if known), but some of the text is difficult to read being white on 70s gray, orange and pink backgrounds.

It's not something that many people will reread, but, like I said at the beginning, it warms the cockles, so it has merit outside of its presentation and those feelings may well encourage some folks to at least revisit its charms from time to time.

2½ battery powered sonic strings out of 5

Dredd: The Illustrated Movie Script and Visuals (2014)

Author: Alex Garland | Illustrator: Jock | Page Count: 240

“You were shit out of luck when you ran into the Ma-Ma clan.”

If there’d been a poll asking what people would like to see in a book titled 'Illustrated Movie Script and Visuals,' everything that’s already included would be on my list.  As someone who enjoys Dredd comics, screenplays and can happily waste an hour studying concept art, it seems almost tailor-made.

On the left hand pages is Garland’s script, laid out in the usual format.  It’s also where you’ll find trivia, concept art depicting various stages of evolution and full colour production stills, not all of which were used in the final version (unused hall of justice, judge badges, etc), with brief passages of text describing what each one is and how it fits into the overall structure.  It’s the ‘Visuals’ half of the book.

The right hand pages display the ‘Illustrated Movie Script’ half.  Jock’s sketches give life to the scene as written on the left.  The monochrome art is somewhere between traditional storyboards (minus the giant arrows) and a regular panelled comic.  It's filled in places with black and white screen tones (repeating dot patterns often seen in manga).  Dialogue is included.  It’s the best of both worlds.

Had it been created after the film I’d have said there’s a vibrancy and urgency to the lines that capture and communicate the gritty, uncompromising and violent aspect well.  But it was made first, so it’s fair to say that the film captured those aspects of Jock’s sketches.  Had a non-comic artist been responsible, someone without a history of Dredd, the film might not have felt so authentic.

I found it more enjoyable to read the comic part in one sitting, and go back afterwards to concentrate on the left hand pages.  Doing that spilt the book into two distinct halves but the alternative was disruptive to the flow of the story.

People who bought Dredd: The Screenplay (2012) as an ebook might be a little sore double-dipping but if any of the additional content mentioned above is to your liking, there’s likely enough to warrant a repurchase.

5 Munce Box Meals out of 5

Ōkami: Official Complete Works Art Book (2008)

Author: Capcom | Illustrator: Various | Page Count: 288

‘As my evangelical work, I do record herein the various events to which I bore witness during my long travels with Ōkami Amaterasu.’

~Issun, Celestial Envoy.

It seems like every cash-grabbing, whoring video game developer or publisher these days is producing special editions of their biggest titles that require fans to dig deep into their pockets to acquire.  Most include some kind of plastic figurine with little or no articulation; they’re for display purposes only and that’s fine as long as you know beforehand what you’re getting.

The lazier developers don’t bother with any kind of plastic tat.  They throw in an A5 art book with shiny paper and minimal content and think it'll suffice.  The Ōkami Complete Works is like that except it’s on a bigger, grander and more beautiful scale.  Another difference is that it wasn't part of a game bundle.  It’s a separate release.  But if ever a game needed an art book, it was Ōkami.* It crosses the line from fan-pleasing tie-in into a collection of genuine artwork that justifies itself by being worthy of gallery space.  The Japanese watercolour style that made the game so stunning is returned to its origins on parchment style paper.

You get all the usual stuff, character art, concept sketches, location designs and production notes from the creators of the game (Clover Studios), but you also get some piano arrangements at the back of the book, so if you’re able to read music you can learn how to play the score.  I’m aware this’ll sound like I'm fan-wanking pretty hard but the music of the game is one of the finest video game scores I've ever heard.  Even separate from the imagery, if you play it to someone who likes Japanese instrumentation they’ll likely fall in love.

If you’re a fan of this kind of thing and can afford the asking price, it doesn't get any better than the Official Complete Works.

5 image scrolls out of 5

*There's a review of the game on our sister site, Nut Load.

Sorcery and Religion in Ancient Scandinavia (2011)

Author: Varg Vikernes | Page Count: 128

‘When the woman then gave birth to a child the newborn was given the dead person’s name and regarded as the same person as the one in the grave.’

This short but insightful work is Varg Vikernes’ personal interpretation of the myths and folklore of his homeland.  Its relevance goes beyond just Scandinavia because at heart most creation myths share a common origin, and what’s true for one is very possibly true for another, so even if you're not of Scandinavian origin there's much to interest a student of lore.

The reason the kinds of stories and legends cited have remained in the human consciousness for centuries is because they’ve been adapted and changed to fit the society and the times.  That change keeps them alive but can warp the original intent and bury the ideas within under so much symbolism that it’s impossible for the uneducated mind to see beyond the obvious.  Varg’s theories are the product of many years of research on the subject, comparing the different versions and decoding the hidden meanings piece by piece.  I imagine it was like putting together a jigsaw; once one piece fell into place it made finding the next piece easier until finally the full illuminated picture was revealed.

Because of the archetypal nature of the source material it’s easy to adapt them to fit with any number of theories.  I didn't have sufficient knowledge of the topic to refute anything he said but in all honesty the logic he presents the reader in the first half of the text makes perfect sense.  The associations seem irrefutable and the suppositions are similar to what an archaeologist might make when presented with a more tangible version of the past.

The second half of the book studies the Völuspá, the first and best known work of the Poetic Edda.  The Edda is the story of the creation of the Norse world and of its predicted end. Odin, Loki, Ragnarök etc.  It's perhaps the single most important source for the study of Norse mythology.  Using the theories presented in the first half of the book as a key, Varg attempts to link verses to the Runes hoping to unlock meaning and reveal the story anew.

Happily, the book is unlike the treatise of aggression that was Vargsmål (1997).  His political beliefs were more than likely the motivation for wanting to get to the truth but he shows restraint by keeping the text almost completely free of his hatred for the Judeo-Christian religion; it surfaces only once at the very end, and even then it's mild by comparison.

4 mistletoe keys out of 5

Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex: Official Log 1 (2005)

Authors: Various | Editors: Various | Page Count: 148

The Official Log is a book + dvd combo that offers a deeper insight into the expansive Ghost in the Shell world.  Or does it?

The Book:  It gives a history of the franchise, beginning with Masamune Shirow’s original manga (1989) and ending with Season 1 of the S.A.C TV Series.  It even covers the video games, which was a nice addition.
Then there are some character profiles.  Have you ever wanted to know how tall Motoko was?  Now you can.  The excitement never ends.
Next up are plot summaries of each episode -- watch the series instead.
It then delves into background info, design, and the technology featured in each episode, up to ep 19.  A second log was released that milks your wallet for the remaining 7 episodes.  Within that section are concept drawings that show the evolution from Shirow’s unique style to the style settled on for the TV show.  I found that part fascinating.

The DVD: The disc lasts 90 mins.  Content is split into 3 parts.
1. A 37 min overview of the series that offers nothing new.
2. 33 minutes of interviews with staff.  There are some words from Dir. Kenji Kamiyama but mostly it’s drivel from voice actors.  I mean, voice actors?!  They turn up, they read some lines, and they get paid.  What can they tell you about the deeper intricacies of plot development?  Nothing.
3. A 20 minutes look into the work of Production I.G.  This is the only part that didn’t have me nodding off.  It could have the opposite effect on many people.

The packaging is interesting.  The dvd is embedded in a cut-out section of the book (See Here).  It’s exciting until you decide to take it out.  You have to remove the wraparound plastic dust jacket to get near the disc, then carefully pop it out and hope to Jebus you don’t pop out the thing that holds it in place too.  It’s maybe a good thing that it's only worth watching once.

2½ incomplete volumes out of 5

Note: A link to a review of the Stand Alone Complex TV Series is included above but you can also find spoiler-free, mini-reviews of some of the Ghost in the Shell feature films at our sister site, In a Nutshell.

The Legend of Zelda: Hyrule Historia (2013)

Authors: Shigeru Miyamoto, Eiji Aonuma | Page Count: 276

'As the stories and storytellers of Hyrule change, so, too, does its history.'

Zelda fanboys / fangirls are an odd bunch.  I can say that without malice because I’m one of them.  The Hyrule Historia that we waited so long for isn't the Zelda bible like some claim; it’s a Zelda history book like the title implies.  The content is spilt into 4 main parts:

1. An in-depth look at the most recent LoZ game: Skyward Sword.

The book has a heavy bias toward Skyward Sword; it begins and ends with it, and fills a large part of the middle.  It makes sense from a developer point of view to push your most recent game deep into the consciousness of the reader but it makes the book uneven.

2. The official History of Hyrule.

It gives the story of each game in chronological order, so expect major spoilers if you haven’t played them.  It attempts to explain the split in continuity in the timeline that occurred after the events of Ocarina of Time, which is interesting.

3. Production sketches and art from the 25 year history of the series.

There are hundreds of illustrations, from all of the games.  Some people might call that filler but I call it treasure.  Getting to pour over previously unseen concept art and line sketches is something I enjoy.  If you 'meh' at the thought of doing similar, you'll hate this section.

4. A manga prequel to the Skyward Sword game.

A short manga written and illustrated by long time LoZ manga creator(s) Akira Himekawa.  If you're a collector of the manga, you'll know what to expect.

Overall, it's a beautifully presented book with a wealth of information and a shitload of artwork that should keep fans happy for a while.

4 decipherable alphabets out of 5

DC Comics: Year by Year: A Visual Chronicle (2010)

Authors: Various  |  Illustrators: Various  |  Page Count: 352

A giant sized book that attempts to present a history of DC Comics from its beginnings as National Allied Publications in 1934, through its change to Detective Comics in 1937, right up to the year of publication (the last entry is Batman #700, August 2010). It's not just an encyclopaedic list of characters; it also gives an insight into the company and its various imprints, TV and film endeavours alongside real life events that clearly influenced the consciousness of the comics' creators of the era. It's an ambitious undertaking that has no choice but to hurry over certain things, otherwise it'd be bigger than the coffee table it sits on.

It's split into chapters, one for each year, that offer memorable quotes, an overview of events, creator profiles and an extensive timeline of the complicated DC Universe. Each page is awash with colourful illustrations and faithful reproductions of original cover art. It's a treasure trove of information. I admit I skipped over some of the character entries. As with most reference books, not every entry appeals to every reader.

It's an attractive package housed in a very sturdy slip case, with two unique lithographs by Ryan Sook that some folks will likely want to frame and hang to better appreciate their beauty. Unless you're the type of person that buys this kind of thing as an investment, thereby negating its very purpose, to be read, then you’ll maybe find yourself returning to it time and again. I know I have.

4 history lessons from men in tights out of 5

The Analects (2010)

Author: Confucius (and friends) | Editor: John Baldock | Page Count: 128

Confucius was a Chinese philosopher, teacher and politician that lived from 551-479 BC (by the western calendar). He taught morality, piety, justice and sincerity by example, both for the individual and for society. People listened, and governments (eventually) conceded he'd something interesting to say about their methods and their madness. He endured great hardships in his life by officials opposed to his teachings; fear of truth and change is not just a modern concern.

What has become known as 'The Analects' is a collection of teachings and transcribed words attributed to Confucius and his contemporaries, collected together by many disciples over a number of years. People have pointed out that in that respect it's similar in construction to the Christian Bible. However, unlike the religion that sprang up around the Jesus figure, Confucius is revered by his followers, not deified.

A library-full of criticisms and critiques of the text already exist online so I’ll limit my observations to the book itself, to the presentation and the care taken to present the work.

It's a small hardcover, almost pocket sized, with a quality paper stock that's crisp and white. It's an edited text, based upon the accepted translation carried out by W. E. Soothill first published in 1910. It distils the work into an accessible size and includes an essential introduction to principles that would become the basis of modern day Confucianism. One-colour illustrations are included at the beginning of each chapter and reflect the topic; they aren't intrusive and are really quite beautiful. There are more elaborate, in-depth editions available for more willing students, but as a starting block this one is certainly worthy of your attentions.

4 sage beards out of 5

Ancient Pagan and Modern Christian Symbolism: With an Essay on Baal Worship, on the Assyrian Sacred Grove and Other Allied Symbols by John Newton (1875)

Author: Thomas Inman / John Newton | Page Count: 242

"Letters and words mark the ordinary current of man's thought, whilst religious symbols show the nature of his aspirations."

If you’re not blinded by any one specific religion, a quick study of the many others available will throw up some obvious similarities: virgin births, death and resurrection, esoteric symbolism, etc. Let’s not beat around the burning bush, they’re basically the same shit in a different form. Christian, early Pagan, Assyrian, Egyptian, etc, share more than just a few vowels. Thomas Inman explores the similarities and gives examples through text and illustrations.

The illustrations also help him highlight another of his passions: the hidden sexual connotations of religious iconography. He loves his penile pillars and vaginal archways. It was penned in the late 19th Century so he had to conform to the standards of the day; he apologises for being unable to detail the "vulgar" but still manages to be explicit in his meanings. He gets excited over Egyptian women sleeping with goats for good luck, Indian women paying priests for sex to bring them closer to the god Vishnu, and equates what seems to be a shamrock with a pair of bollocks - three pairs to be exact. He’d make Freud blush.

His text repeatedly directs the reader to other sources that I didn't have, and for all I know may well be hard or even impossible to obtain in any form today. The second half of the book is a lot lighter on word count but is packed with pictures.

Sometimes he seems to be reaching for allusions that are far beyond believable. Still, I give him points for trying. Besides that, it’s an interesting read if you want some ammunition to fend off an attack by a fundamentalist the next time he/she tries to force a tract down your throat in a public place. Don’t swallow that shit. Give them some of the Inman "vulgar" that’s hidden in their religion and its architecture to shut them up.

2 religious goat-fuckers out of 5

VideoHound's Horror Show: 999 Hair Raising, Hellish, and Humorous Movies (1998)

Author: Mike Mayo | Page Count: 525

“We’ve gone from the darkened movie house to the darkened den … but our expectations of horror have not changed.”

Before the popularity of DVD, and the advent of the availability of any movie on the internet, came VideoHound, a series of tomes each dedicated to a specific film genre, in an effort to aid the collector of hard-to-find video titles.  VideoHound's Horror Show focuses on the frightening, the macabre and the weird, even including such fringe titles as The Wizard of Oz, Taxi Driver, Deliverance, and Apocalypse Now as they fit the criteria for being scary and traumatizing to many.

Now, a book published in 1998 which aids in tracking down obscure videos may not be as pertinent today, with such websites as IMDB and Wikipedia detailing all things movie and otherwise but it's still a replete reference, and a fine read for anyone interested in the origins and history of the horror film.  The movies are alphabetized, each including a small plot synopsis, review and rating from author Mike Mayo, and a small amount of credits including the release date, actors, director, writer, etc.  The opinions of Mayo will undoubtedly clash with yours as they did with mine but that doesn't defeat the fact that he has an intelligent grasp of how a film is made, and the story devices and underlying themes which pervade a script.

As you flip through the pages you will come upon stark B&W photos of horror icons as a blood-drenced prom queen, a Pazuzu-possessed little girl, a poised yet grotesque Erik and a furry-faced lycanthrope stare back at you.  Besides the reviews, another main attraction is the detailed history of horror films throughout the years.  Each era has an assigned essay describing the origins of trends and a list of standout features.  Other stops among the assemblage are 'Hound Salutes' which include directors, actors, and writers among other important roles that defined and refined genres and paved the way for future horror film-making.

I will say now that I have not read every word in this book. I've only read through the essays, Salutes, and select reviews, as I still hold it as a future reference and guide to more obscure titles I wish to unearth.  From reading what I have, I came to notice an appreciation the author had for certain ground breaking titles such as Fritz Lang's M, Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho, Tobe Hooper's The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Brian De Palma's Carrie, and John Carpenter's Halloween.  Now while these titles obviously have held a major influence on later films, Mayo holds them in too high a regard, labeling most other films that came after as derivations or even rip-offs of their general formulas and themes.  Though dated, there are many great titles within waiting to be discovered and a flood of information and knowledge that can still gorge the ravenous horror fan.

3 Woofs! out of 5

Nutted by Borderline

The Deeper Meaning of Liff (1990)

Author: Douglas Adams & John Lloyd | Page Count: 146

A revised and expanded version of the previous edition, which was called simply The Meaning of Liff (1983). It’s a dictionary of things there aren't any words for yet. All those little hells that torment us each day and the simple pleasures that make life bearable are accounted for. It’s impossible to describe properly, so a few examples will have to suffice. (There should be a word to describe writing a review about a book that is impossible to describe properly.)

• Gulberwick (n.): The small particle that you always think you've got stuck at the back of your throat after you've been sick.
• Acklins (pl. n.): The odd twinges you get in parts of your body when you scratch other parts.

If you know Douglas Adams' work you'll know that he labours over every word, sometimes for days. If you're new to his brand of humour, this is a good place to start. If you happen to be Scottish (that's not an insult) you'll find even more to laugh about than the rest of us.

• Skibbereen (n.): The noise made by a sunburned thigh leaving a plastic chair.
• Keele (n.): The horrible smell caused by washing ashtrays.

You can read half a page with a minor titter or maybe a half-smile, and then without warning you'll piss yourself royally at a particularity poignant and wry observation. It’s perfect for leaving in the shitter for those times when you expect to be two minutes but end up twiddling your thumbs for twenty minutes with nary a toot from your anus. Curses!

5 doses of best medicine out of 5

Total Kabbalah (2007)

Author: Maggy Whitehouse | Page Count: 224

If you’ve ever wanted to explore what the tree of life is all about you could trawl the internet for free or you could cough up some cash and start here, get it from someone who lectures in it and has studied it for many years.  The book gives background, general principles and a guide to practical applications.  It’s fully illustrated throughout which helps with visualisations and the repetition helps your mind keep placements and associations; on the flip side some of the illustrations are there for no real purpose and are tenuously linked to the text.
Elsewhere it glosses over a lot of things, both the Tarot and Numerology is mentioned but as each could easily fill a book by themselves they are shuffled to the side and it suffers for that.
The author is a Christian and while she attempts to keep the text relevant to all faiths, or no faith, there are a number of times the Christian perspective takes over completely, particularly at the beginning and the end.  The middle section is mostly non-biased and it’s there that we find the interesting parts; it’s where you feel like a student studying a textbook and not just a casual reader.
Half the book justifies the cost and the other half is interesting but will have no further interest after reading once.  It will have little use to someone already versed in the Kabbalah but for newcomers or those with just a cursory interest it is easily assimilated and easy to understand.

3 large format with pages as thick as backing boards out of 5