Close on the heels of The Big Book of Urban Legends comes a companion volume of comic-strip biographies of a motley assortment of 67 crackpots, visionaries, despots, prophets, performers, and others whose peculiarities supposedly elevate them above mere eccentricity into the realm of the truly bizarre. It is not as successful as its predecessor, in which the urban legends theme allowed the cartoonists to develop succinct little narratives. It's not as easy to encapsulate the life of, say, Ivan the Terrible, in 35 panels.
The fantastic creatures in this beautiful and colorful collection may exist only in storybooks—but with some paper, simple origami folds, and Duy Nguyen's incredibly detailed illustrations as a guide, they can spring to life right in your hands. Some come from Greek mythology: the mysterious Sphinx; Cerberus, the fierce dog that guards the underworld; and Medusa, with her snaky locks and deadly glance. Others, including Shiva Nataraja, have their origins in Indian legend. Magical fairy tale characters, such as a mermaid, unicorn, and dragon, populate the pages, too.
Mythology: our poems, our novels, and even our daily journals teem with classical allusions; nor can a visit to our art galleries and museums be fully enjoyed without something more than a mere superficial knowledge of a subject which has in all ages inspired painters, sculptors, and poets.
The past may be forgotten, but it never dies. The elements which in the most remote times have entered into a nation's composition endure through all its history, and help to mould that history, and to stamp the character and genius of the people (book with 64 full-page illustrations)
This series explores comedy, science fiction, reality television, and many other genres, offering a fascinating and entertaining look at the shows that have formed America's real favorite pastime.When you first heard it, you couldn't believe it: Jerry Mathers, from "Leave It to Beaver", had been killed in Vietnam; Mikey, who would eat anything as the Life cereal tyke, had eaten too many Pop Rocks and exploded. How did these outrageous TV legends get started? In the course of this compelling work author Bill Brioux exposes the reality behind the stories that circulate in our culture.
