Art monkey Reads

 

How Dogs Love Us: A Neuroscientist and His Adopted Dog Decode the Canine Brain - Gregory Berns  

I just finished reading the Graphic Novel V for Vendetta and I was impressed. The black and white ink style of this comic melds beautiful thriller set in a post-war London where a vigilantly is trying to give the power back to the people whom are being controlled and dictated too by a conservative government.
V for Vendetta was a visual treat seeing this masked trouble maker against London streets. V as a character is larger then life. He refers to himself as an idea and he haunts his foes by saying "you can't kill an idea".

The Princess Bride "Why oh Why"
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 I wanted to enjoy this. I really did. Though for me its a much better movie then novel. Just trying to get through the long descriptive passages made this a very hard read for me. 
In its def-fence I came at this after seeing and loving the film. The jokes are very similar if not exact on as in the film. Seeing how the film came after this novel. The book acts as a earlier draft to the film. 
If you haven't seen the film, please go watch it. The jokes work much better when you see the fantastic cast act them out. 
I do advise you to read the prologue, the author tells a fantastic story about how the book came into being. It was fun to read about how he worked on the story, turning it into a script and getting Andrea the giant to be in the film. For me Goldman is a fantastic screen writer and would be an entertaining one man show. Though in the endless sea of pages in a novel I find myself getting lost. 
 
 

I wanted to enjoy this. I really did. Though for me its a much better movie then novel. Just trying to get through the long descriptive passages made this a very hard read for me.
In its def-fence I came at this after seeing and loving the film. The jokes are very similar if not exact on as in the film. Seeing how the film came after this novel. The book acts as a earlier draft to the film.
If you haven't seen the film, please go watch it. The jokes work much better when you see the fantastic cast act them out.
I do advise you to read the prologue, the author tells a fantastic story about how the book came into being. It was fun to read about how he worked on the story, turning it into a script and getting Andrea the giant to be in the film. For me Goldman is a fantastic screen writer and would be an entertaining one man show. Though in the endless sea of pages in a novel I find myself getting lost.

This collection of short stories is a nice addition to the overall franchise. Being a tie in book it is no surprise these tales of horror try to enhance the reader's connection to the world of Diablo three. Though it was an unexpected surprise to see the writers tackle much larger issues such as religion, mortality, and how humanity deals with a world falling in on its self; the ever present threat of demons ranging havoc. In many of the stories I felt like the main characters had a purpose and you felt bad for the crummy situations they had to face.
The collection has some lovely descriptive passages of rotting corpses and other disgusting things.
Though these descriptions only add poetic descriptions to the stories presented here. I never felt scared or had the need to find a corner of my bed room, rocking myself telling myself it will be alright because what I read was so horrifying.

Instead I enjoyed reading these action adventure stories with horrific elements.
Most of the stories focus on one of the main classes from the game it's based off. An exception to this was Theater Macabre: The Dark Exile by James Waugh. Instead of focusing on a character from the game it presents the overall arching story of Diablo three in an unexpected way.It was a nice change after reading a bunch of stories where I kept on asking myself "so what character classes is this one about."I wish they told more stories in the style presented in Mr. Waugh's addition to the collection.

If you are a fan of Diablo three and need more of that haunting world Heroes rise, Darkness falls might be worth a read.

It's a nice colorful book of layout and storyboard art. I know Good Reads is more about fiction and non-fiction narrative stories with a beginning, middle, and end. A check box waits for you to click it as to say you finished this adventure and your on to the next reading experience.

This is an Art book. I do not phrase it in this context to diminish it's value comparing it to a 'picture book'. I want the potential buyer know the value in this is seeing the documentation and craftsmanship of the pitch men, concept artists and animators as they work to bring some of the most stunning and recognizable animated movies of all time to life.

The book goes in a chronological order, starting with Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. The last film to be represented is Le lo and Stitch.

Note: this is part of a series. I have several books in the series. As a lover and appreciator of Animation the book is fantastic. I love seeing the thought process of these brilliant men and women. Though much of the content is pencil drawings. If you are more interested in colorful concept art I would recommend Design in the Archive series before this one.

I was looking for a fun, lite adventure story set in space. That is what Steven Goldin has presented here. It is a spy story haveing the main protaginists a pair of dancing acrobatic consins into super agents, opperating outside the law to protect and serve their goverment.
If your into space opera and high adventure this might be a book for you.

I got this book when I was around ten. I wanted to be a Disney Animator more then life its self growing up. My aunt bought me this book one Christmas.
Through the years I devoured it. Teaching the fundamentals of traditional animation it is a most have for any one interested in the subject.
Though it doesn't deal with the digital age, lots have changed, I still recommend it. The basics have not changed and the wisdom and history of the animation process is something any animator or animation student needs.

Please note: this review is not a complete assessment of the work. I only read half of the book. I do plan on going back and reading the rest. Frankly I’m too excited not too. Though I want to give my impressions on are still fresh in my memory.
I’m not expert on the genre. I’m just a guy that found this book and is enjoying his time with it.
As the title suggests you’re introduced to different Teddy Roosevelts. In this collection of short stories the author Mike Resnick asks questions like what if Roosevelt stop jack the ripper, or battled aliens found in HG Wells war the world’s. At this time I’m in the middle of the story where Roosevelt, after leaving the responsibilities of being the president United States and looking at a life as an Ex-president, decides to ‘civilize the Congo’ and make it into democracy.
To be honest, before I started reading the stories I was unsure how I would take a bunch of stories with no merit to the historical significance or facts surrounding Roosevelt’s life. I was surprised how much these stories leaned on events in Roosevelt’s life. The characters constantly remind you of Roosevelt being the Harvard champion at boxing and that he wrote countless best Sellers on natural subjects such as birds.
I must admit this gets a little daunting after some time. Though it is a great way to remind yourself of what the man actually did. I could see if I was a high Schooler writing a paper on Roosevelt this book would help me remember his real accomplishments.
The imaginative elements are somewhat farfetched. Though, this is a little bit to be expected. We know Teddy Roosevelt did not do these things that the book claims he did. The author is in the writing a biography of the man. He’s just asking simple questions and playing out in the fiction what that might look like and what events might follow.
The writing style reminds me of an action adventure story or pulp novel. There are things happening all the time. It’s a bit cheesy. Luckily for me I like cheese. All in all it adds to the fun. As I stated in the paragraph above, the author is in making some big statement about Roosevelt he’s just interjecting the wonderful character of the man into some of the most beloved an interesting set things he can think of.
If you’re looking for a group of stories that don’t take themselves too serious and you have a sense of humor and I really enjoy this. If you’re young person, whom is interested in science fiction and fantasy or history you might want to give this book a try. I wish I discovered it when I was 15.

UPDATE: I Have finished the book.

From reading the rest of it I still have the same impression of the book that I did when I wrote the review I labeled as my reading observations. The book is a fun read and one I would recommend people picking up if they are into alternative histories or and American history.

This was one of those books that I had to read in high school. We all have those books that unless we don't want to pass 9th grade English we most bare. That is true for Public USA schools, at lest.
I was pleasantly surprised, once I discovered it was about a group of kids stuck on an island and had to find their way off.
The two factions between Ralph and Jack. A practical and caring group, headed by Ralph, and a wild tyrannical group caught in their own fantasy, headed by Jack.
(A little bit of a spoiler in this paragraph)At the heart of the story it is about the depraved lengths humanity will spiral into when left to their own devises. Ralph, whom is on his own as the story ends, symbolizes hope. He stands firm on his conviction that help will arrive.
I would recommend this book to anyone interested in great writing. The way Mr. Golding introduces us to the characters and describes the tropical setting is something I turn to, when trying to write descriptions in my own stories. It's use of metaphor and theme will give anyone years of theory to think about.
If you enjoy, Star Trek, Star Wars, Twilight Zone, Dr. Who, or any other Science fiction titles that focuses strongly on how people deal with stress full situations this is a great read.

The Art Spirit was one of those books I discovered around my last year in highschool. I was about to go off to art school.

From what I rember this book introduced a new way of seeing the world around me. I'm afraid this review is written from a place of nostalga.

I did not take a lot of techinical knowledge from it. It focases more on theory and over all approuch. Its a great pick me up book.

Understanding Comics: the Invisible Art is a book by Scott McCloud that gives an interesting perspective on the art form of comics. I read this book a few years ago in college. It was a rainy day in the library and I was waiting for a ride. A teacher at mine was a big advocate for McCloud and recommended his book to his illustration class. I was going for graphic design; I was not in that particular class. I’ve always been interested in comics. That was a good opportunity to find out what a comic could say about creating comics.

At first, I thought it was in niche idea. I can see if it a kid’s book. Though that was one of the stereotypes the author wanted to get people over. This book shows Comics as a storytelling medium. The examples and theory associated with this book is a bout Helen author of the comic or graphic novel can use sequential art, one panel next to another, to tell a meaningful story. McCloud uses this medium to great effect. You soon do not realize or even care that you are reading a comic. The way he uses the pages through layout illustrates his points beautifully.

I’d recommend this book to anyone interested in creating comics or creative storytelling techniques. It is a fun ride and the heavy theoretical things are delivered in an upbeat manner. You’ll never get bored with this book.