At the office, going over proofs for Shawn Barber's upcoming book, Memoir: The Tattooed Portraits Series. Printers sent a full dummy book.

LAST GASP NEWSLETTER APRIL 6, 2012

Hi! This week's highlights include: a collection from Shanghai-born Danni Shinya Luo, one of the most important female voices in contemporary symbolic art, from our very own Last Gasp Press; a massive collection of vintage tattoo photographs from the collection of Rich Mingins; a unique book by tattoo artist Takahiro Kitamura (Horitaka); discussing the Japanese tattoo in the context of Ukiyo-e; the latest issue of "Hi-Fructose" magazine, with an eclectic mix of underground artists, pop surrealists, and awe inspiring spectacles; a showcase of artist extraordinaire Jeral Tidwell; a chronicle of the art of Michael Hussar, looking at one of his recurring aesthetic themes -- white; a limited-edition deluxe Krazy & Ignatz hardcover, compiling the first nine years of Krazy Kat Sunday strips; and a whimsical and elegant steampunk coloring and activity book, Containing Illustrations, Recipes, Formulas & Other Activities to Entertain & Entice Creativity for the Prevention of Ennui & General Malaise Among the Youth of Today & Their Progenitors.

In our Adult catalog, we have a straight-talking and non-judgmental sex guide from sex expert Diana Cage, showing how confidence, health, and self-knowledge are the keys to a happier sex life, and teaching you how to achieve all three. As always, the adult titles are at the end of this newsletter, so if that's what you're looking for, you can jump ahead there now.

LAST GASP BOOKS

FEATURED ITEM: SOFT CANDY Danni Shinya Luo - $24.95 - ISBN-13: 978-0-86719-762-4 This new collection explores shifting perspectives of beauty, attraction, lust and decency presented through alluring and decandent images of the female figure. Watercolor, ink and graphite give rise to Luo's vision of sexuality , innocence and whimsy. Visions of nymphs in a myriad of suggestive contexts are divided into five distinct chapters, each acknowledging a different aspect of sensuality as expressed through food frailty, fetish, fauna and fantasy. Erotic and always tasteful, Danni Shinya Luo's art is whimsically feminine; her watercolor paintings are meditations on the female figure. The colors are fresh and luscious, her line work fluid and organic, and her composition engaging and impactful.

ART & PHOTOGRAPHY

PAPER WORKS Wang Shaoqiang, editor - $34.95 - ISBN-13: 978-1-58423-432-6 A thorough visual exploration of the multitude of ways in which paper can be transformed and sculpted into abstract or realistic designs. It features everything from sculptural carved book arts and installation art spanning entire rooms to stunning avant-garde paper couture fashion and beautiful all-white animal masks reminiscent of classic Carnival attire.

SKY HIGH Sandy Kim - $20.00 Photogapher Sandy Kim moved to New York in 2009 and has continued to make a name for herself. This catalog contains work from her first solo show, plus rare images not published before. "She really knows how to use natural light, like early morning light, or sunset light in an apartment... Sandy brings her camera everywhere and she's always ready and waiting for the moment." -Ryan McGinley

ART, LOWBROW

FEATURED ITEM: DE NADA Jeral Tidwell - $34.99 - ISBN-13: 978-0-9824047-8-2 DeNada showcases the amazing talent of artist extraordinaire Jeral Tidwell. His work has been featured on everything from skate decks to video games, concert posters to radiators. His unique blend of hot-rod, pop art, tattoo, pin stripe, Kentucky Fried style is unmistakable and on display in this full color tour de force!

FEATURED ITEM: WHITE Michael Hussar - $50.00 - ISBN-13: 978-0-9845210-1-2 Over ten years in the making, the paintings and sketches in this book provide unprecedented insight into Hussar's process while presenting a historic look at one of his recurring aesthetic themes -- white. This book is a chronicle of those efforts. Spectacularly produced with a white cloth cover, embossed outer band, gold-edged pages, vellum inserts, and spot-varnished title treatments.

BEAT GENERATION

BLUE HAND Deborah Baker - $15.00 - ISBN-13: 978-0-14-311483-3 In 1961, Allen Ginsberg and Peter Orlovsky traveled by boat to Bombay to join Gary Snyder and Joanne Kyger, beginning a fifteen-month journey that would take them from the ashrams of the Himalayan foothills to the opium dens of Calcutta and beyond. Drawing on forgotten journals and unearthed letters, the author's own quest adds a thread of mystery to this lost literary chapter.

I CELEBRATE MYSELF Bill Morgan - $18.00 - ISBN-13: 978-0-14-311249-5 In the first biography of Ginsberg since his death in 1997 and the only one to cover the entire span of his life, Ginsberg's archivist Bill Morgan draws on his deep knowledge of Ginsberg's largely unpublished private journals to shed new light on some of the pivotal aspects of Ginsberg's life, and give readers an unparalleled and finely detailed portrait of one of America's most famous poets.

MINOR CHARACTERS Joyce Johnson - $16.00 - ISBN-13: 978-0-14-028357-0 21-year-old Joyce Johnson fell in love with Jack Kerouac on a blind date arranged by Allen Ginsberg, nine months before the publication of On the Road. While Kerouac traveled the world, Johnson roamed the East Village in the midst of the Beat revolution. Minor Characters portrays the turbulent years of her relationship with Kerouac with wit, love, and a cool, critical eye.

OVERTIME Philip Whalen - $20.00 - ISBN-13: 978-0-14-058918-4 An important addition to the Beat canon -- the essential work of a master poet, scholar, and Zen monk. Confidant and ally to Kerouac and Ginsberg, Philip Whalen played a key role in the explosive poetic revolution of the fifties and sixties, and took both poetry and Zen seriously. His writing forms a monumental stream of consciousness of a wild, deeply read, independent American.

PORTABLE BEAT READER Ann Charters, editor - $20.00 - ISBN-13: 978-0-14-243753-7 Beginning in the late 1940s, American literature discovered a four letter word -- "beat." Here is the most significant writing of the Beat Generation, including Neal Cassady, Gregory Corso, Diane di Prima, Bob Dylan, Leroi Jones, and Michael McClure, capturing the triumphant rudeness, energy, and exhiliration of a movement that swept through American letters with hurricane force.

SOMETIMES A GREAT NOTION Ken Kesey - $18.00 - ISBN-13: 978-0-14-303986-0 The magnificant second novel from the legendary author of One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest is a wild-spirited and hugely powerful tale of an Oregon logging clan. A bitter strike is raging in a small lumber town along the Oregon coast. Out of the Stamper family's rivalries and betrayals, Ken Kesey has crafted a novel with the mythic impact of Greek tragedy.

VANITY OF DULUOZ Jack Kerouac - $16.00 - ISBN-13: 978-0-14-023639-2 Written in 1967 from the vantage point ot the psychedelic sixties, Vanity of Duluoz gives a fascinating portrait of the young Kerouac, dedicated and disciplined in his determination from an early age to be an important American writer.

DRUG & ALCOHOL INFO

MARIJUANA: LET'S GROW A POUND SeeMoreBuds - $19.95 - ISBN-13: 978-1-936807-01-7 Designed in a journal entry format, Let's Grow a Pound is an easy to follow day-by-day guide for growing a bigger, more potent crop in a small space with little financial investment. SeeMoreBuds has taken all the guesswork out of growing indoors and harvesting more than a pound of marijuana in under three months. For complete beginners or longtime growers looking to switch up grow methods.

FICTION - GENERAL

CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY Roald Dahl - $15.00 - ISBN-13: 978-0-14-3106-3-3 Twice turned into a feature film, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is a delectable classic about the eccentric chocolate- maker who makes a child's dreams come true. Willy Wonka's hallowed chocolate factory holds a worldwide contest awarding tours to the lucky -- but only Charlie, the earnest hero, stands to win Wonka's empire. Cover art (front, back, and inside flaps) by Ivan Brunetti.

DEMON BOX Ken Kesey - $18.00 - ISBN-13: 978-0-14-008530-3 In these short stories, Ken Kesey challenges public and private demons with a wrestler's brave and deceptive embrace, making it clear that the energy of madness must live on. Kesey begins with his release from prison and his return to an unusual domestic life; recounts foreign excursions; looks at the hard lessons to be found in the deaths of Neal Cassady and John Lennon; and more.

FILM & TEEVEE

DARK SHADOWS Kathryn Leigh Scott, Jim Pierson - $24.95 - ISBN-13: 978-0-938817-66-6 A look back at five decades of the classic ABC-TV Gothic horror soap opera that made sympathetic vampire Barnabas Collins a pop culture phenomenon and prompted the big screenn revival starring Johnny Depp, directed by Tim Burton. Includes hundreds of rare photographs and behind-the-scenes anecdotes from original actors, who appear in cameo roles in the new Gothic Epic.

FILM NOIR (TASCHEN 25TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION) Alain Silver, James Ursini, Paul Duncan, editor - $16.99 - ISBN-13: 978-3-8365-3462-8 Shadows and smoke. Classic noir flicks of the 1940s-50s, illustrated and examined in eleven parts; what is 'Noir'; the Perfect Crime; the Fatalistic Nightmare; the Caper film; Women in film Noir...plus a chronology of the genre and a filmography including color photos of the movie release posters... plus director biographies throughout.

HORROR CINEMA (TASCHEN 25TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION) Jonathan Penner, Steven Jay Schneider, Paul Duncan, editor - $16.99 - ISBN-13: 978-3-8365-3457-4 Film frights. The best scary movies of all time. With an introductio -- What is 'Horror' plus ten parts from Slashers and Serial Killers; the Living Dead; Possession, Demons, & Tricksters, Vampires & Werewolves and more. With a chronology of the genre and a filmography, photo stills and behind the scenes. If you dare.

GRAPHIC NOVELS

FIB CHRONICLE Nemo Balkanski - $29.95 - ISBN-13: 978-0-9868440-0-3 An astonishing variety of versed drawing styles combined with a revolutionary way of storytelling. With its tempting visuals, this comic engages readers and absorbs them into a net of diverse, irrational sensations and unique, powerful impressions: disregarding the structure of comic book series, through short and striking forms, using disposable super-anti-heroes made of ordinary beings.

FEATURED ITEM: KRAZY & IGNATZ 1916-1924 George Herriman - $95.00 Final limited-edition deluxe Krazy hardcover collects the three Krazy & Ignatz softcover books which comprehensively compile the first nine years (1916 through 1924) of Krazy Kat Sunday strips. Not a slipcase, a single hardcover book. The covers to the original books are NOT included, but literally everything else is, including all the bonuses (other rare strips, the entire Us Husbands).

KRAZY & IGNATZ 1922-1924 George Herriman - $24.99 - ISBN-13: 978-1-60699-477-1 Krazy Kat, with its eternally beguiling love triangle of kat/dog/mouse, its fantastically inventive language, and its haunting, minimalist desert decor, has consistently been rated the best comic strip ever created. With the 13th volume, Krazy & Ignatz 1922-1924, the decades-in-the-making project of publishing every single Krazy Kat Sunday created by Herriman comes to a close.

LIFE WITH MR. DANGEROUS Paul Hornschemeier - $22.00 - ISBN-13: 978-0-345-49441-2 Somewhere in the Midwest, Amy Breis is going nowhere. Amy has a job she hates, a creep boyfriend she's just dumped, and a best friend she can't reach on the phone. But at least her mother bought her a pink unicorn sweatshirt for her birthday. Pink. Unicorn. For her 27th birthday. Hornschemeier shows his gift for insight and deadpan humor in an unlikely but welcome marriage of bleak and hopeful.

SILENCE OF OUR FRIENDS Mark Long, Jim Demonakos, Nate Powell - $16.99 - ISBN-13: 978-1-59643-618-3 This semi-autobiographical graphic novel is set in 1967 Texas, against the backdrop of the fight for civil rights. A white family from a notoriously racist neighborhood in the suburbs and a black family from its poorest ward cross Houston's color line, overcoming humiliation, degradation, and violence to win the freedom of five black college students unjustly charged with the murder of a policeman.

SIMPSONS COMICS CONFIDENTIAL Matt Groening - $15.99 - ISBN-13: 978-0-06-211532-4 The Simpsons notoriety will be hard to keep under wraps with a collection of comic stories that will catapult them onto the world stage. Bart and Lisa write to their new pen pals, but their humanitarian efforts lead to an international incident. Homer's secret vacation plans leave the family overexposed. The Olmec Indian head in the Simpsons' basement reveals mysteries of its own. And more!

HOW-TO GUIDES

CUSTOM ROAD BIKE Guy Andrews - $29.95 - ISBN-13: 978-1-85669-813-9 This book shows you how to put together your dream road bike, whether it's for weekend racing or a stage of the Tour de France. Featuring chapters on each of the key components, from the frame to the accesories, there is also advice on topics such as frame geometry and weight saving, and professional mechanics share their trade secrets, showing you how to make your bike run like clockwork.

ESSENTIAL URBAN FARMER Novella Carpenter, Willow Carpenter - $25.00 - ISBN-13: 978-0-14-311871-8 Farm City author Novella Carpenter and leading urban farming educator Willow Rosenthal share practical blueprints -- with rich visual material -- for novice and experienced farmers working within city limits. They guide potential urban farmers from day one to market day, advising on how to find the perfect site, design a landscape, cultivate crops and raise livestock.

KIDS, 12 AND UNDER

ODDFELLOW'S ORPHANAGE Emily Winfield Martin - $14.99 - ISBN-13: 978-0-375-86995-2 Emily Martin brings a very strange place to life with her unique style of art and writing. What do an onion-headed boy, a child-sized hedgehog, and a tattooed girl have in common? They are all orphans at Oddfellow's Orphanage! Author/illustrator Martin has fleshed out this world with an episodic story that follows a new orphan, Delia, as she discovers the delights of her new home.

FEATURED ITEM: STEAMPUNK COLORING & ACTIVITY BOOK Phoebe Longhi - $11.95 - ISBN-13: 978-1-933149-63-9 See POP CULTURE below.

MAGAZINES & ZINES

DICE MAGAZINE #43 Matt Davis, Dean Micetich, editors - $6.95 Cycles, cars, girls. Many color photos of all three. In this issue: Tammi, Eddie, Max, Matt, Scotty, WWNWW Part 3, Milo, Jon, Cycle Headz, Lance, JD, Rabbit Hole, Caleb, Tiz, Jessie, more.

FEATURED ITEM: HI-FRUCTOSE MAGAZINE #23 Attaboy, Annie Owens, editors - $6.95 From Attaboy, Annie Owens, and Yumfactory, an eclectic mix of underground artists, pop surrealists, emerging and rediscovered counter cultures, and awe inspiring spectacles. In this issue: Hi Fructose travels the globe! VHILS, Chilean painter Victor Castillo, Dirk Staschke, Joyce Ho, the glass pane paintings of Xia Xiaowan, Joao Ruas, Mark Dean Veca, Junko Mizuno, Casey Riordan, Skinner, more.

HIGH TIMES MAGAZINE #437 (JUNE 2012) Dan Skye, editor - $5.99 Marijuana activism, pictures of marijuana, rock and roll, etc. In this issue: inside the automatic growroom; grow this, not that; Rush guitarist Alex Lifeson; fast flowering seeds; L.A.'s top rated strains; brew your own natural nutrients; cannabis cookbooks recipes; more.

PINSTRIPING & KUSTOM GRAPHICS MAGAZINE #31 (MAR/APR 2012) Lynda Johnson - $9.95 The first dedicated pinstriping and airbrushing magazine for the UK and EU. Pinstripe, airbrush, tattoo, lifestyle, more. In this issue: Pro Pinstripe Techniques, Part 1 of 3; Beth Kearney; Dionne Clarke; Dawn Woodhouse; Alley Cat; Linda Tolind; Rachel McCarthy; Jesica Gough; Yrr Baldursdottir; Fern Gadd; Foz; JNS Studios; Gail Hendricks; Lorena Straffi; Henriette Murdoch; Marissa Oosterlee; more.

STEAMPUNK MAGAZINE #8 Margaret Killjoy - $8.00 - ISBN-13: 978-0-9834971-8-9 The term "Steampunk" was coined to refer to a branch of cyberpunk fiction cinvolving Victorian-era technology. It is now a burgeoning subculture that pays respect to the visceral nature of antiquated technology. In this issue: Seven fiction stories, Screaming Mathilda, Professor Calamity, Michael Ivan Eriksson, Katherine Casey, Larry Amyett, Jr., Miriam Rosenberg Rocek, DIY, interviews, more.

POLITICS & SOCIETY

EVIL AXIS OF FINANCE Richard Westra - $24.95 - ISBN-13: 978-0-932863-90-4 The Evil Axis of Finance fills in pages left blank in the flurry of meltdown writings with a highly accessible account of the insidious forces at work in the global economy. From its Wall Street command centre, and funded by Japan and China, the United States ensnares the world's states and people in a sinister, rigged, zero-sum game. We ignore the arguments of this book at our peril.

POP CULTURE

FEATURED ITEM: STEAMPUNK COLORING & ACTIVITY BOOK Phoebe Longhi - $11.95 - ISBN-13: 978-1-933149-63-9 Containing Illustrations, Recipes, Formulas & Other Activities to Entertain & Entice Creativity for the Prevention of Ennui & General Malaise Among the Youth of Today & Their Progenitors. In a whimsical and elegant world powered by steam, where odd flying machines rule the skies and submersibles from Captain Nemo's wildest dreams explore the deep, this future that never was is ready for some color.

TATTOO/PIERCING/BODY MOD.

FEATURED ITEM: MINGINS PHOTO COLLECTION Henk Schiffmacher, Arlette Kouwenhoven - $89.00 - ISBN-13: 978-949139-401-0 A massive collection of vintage tattoo photographs from the collection of Rich Mingins. Minigins' scrapbooks convey a beautiful overview of the world of tattoos and attitudes towards them during the first half of the twentieth century. Tattoo artist George Bone is one of the few surviving people with tattoos by Mingins, who was an enigmatic man about whom very little is known.

FEATURED ITEM: TATTOOS OF THE FLOATING WORLD Takahiro Kitamura - $49.95 - ISBN-13: 978-90-74822-45-9 This unique book by tattoo artist Takahiro Kitamura (Horitaka, a pupil of Horiyoshi III) discusses the art of the Japanese tattoo in the context of Ukiyo-e, concentrating on the parallel histories of the woodblock print and the tattoo. Through high quality illustrations it shows that Japanese tattoo is highly linked to the woodblock print and that it deserves a position among other art forms.

TINTIN & HERGE

CRAB WITH THE GOLDEN CLAWS Herge - $8.99 - ISBN-13: 978-0-316-19876-9 This new format, crafted for younger readers, features the original Tintin graphic novel plus brand-new content. Fun facts about people, places and antiquities that Herge drew from, lots of pictures, easy-to-read text! A can of crab meat turns out to be a small clue to a big mystery! Tintin meets Captain Haddock in his escape and his plan to track down the crooks takes him to an exotic desert city.

SHOOTING STAR Herge - $8.99 - ISBN-13: 978-0-316-19875-2 This new format, crafted for younger readers, features the original Tintin graphic novel plus brand-new content. Fun facts about people, places and antiquities that Herge drew from, lots of pictures, easy-to-read text! A meteorite collides with Earth! Tintin is part of the expedition to the Arctic Ocean to locate the fallen star. But someone is trying to sabotage Tintin and his team!

VARIOUS ODDS & ENDS

CRAPHOUND GIFT WRAP Sean Tejaratchi - $14.00 When you need to wrap that special something for that special someone that means something...or if you are tired of gift wrapping with paper bags and newspaper. Bats, ghosts, black cats, skulls, moths...moths???

ADULT CATALOG

ADULT NONFICTION

FEATURED ITEM: MIND BLOWING SEX Diana Cage - $16.00 - ISBN-13: 978-1-58005-389-1 Confidence, health, and self-knowledge are the keys to a happier sex life, and sex expert Diana Cage is here to teach you how to achieve all three. Straight-talking and non-judgmental, this inclusive, hands-on guide to making sex more enjoyable will help women -- straight and queer -- open their minds, reject stereotypes, educate themselves and their lovers, and learn how to enjoy sex more than ever.

“A classic in the subterranean world” - Time

“The best loved zine ever.” - San Francisco Bay Guardian

“Aaron crafts evocative essays and concise vignettes that read almost like prose poems.” - The New York Press

Aaron Cometbus has been publishing his highly revered magazine, Cometbus, for thirty years. He is the author of several novels, and the editor of Despite Everything: Cometbus Omnibus. He lives in New York City.

(download)

Click here to download:

Add_Toner_A_Cometbus_Collectio.zip (1.67 MB)

Hi! This week's highlights include: the first monograph on the art of award-winning comics artist Daniel Clowes; a beautiful, grotesque, witty book on the collection of the National Library of Medicine; a postcard book of miniature scenes with naughty little people; all 206 rare images from Garbage Pail Kids, Series 1 through 5, combining spectacular artwork and over-the-top satire; a collection of typographic sketchbooks from over 90 of world's leading designers; a Steampunk Tarot deck, offering a glimpse of the future through a lens to the past; a Drinky Crow party light set from Tony Millionaire; and a "make your own robot" kit, with interchangeable robot template parts from 12 first-rate designers.

In our Adult catalog, we have a cute, sweet, naughty gallery of erotic and pin-up art from one-time 3D animator and games designer Joe Pekar; and a sex guide on using the differences between the sexes to create more pleasure and intimacy, in bed and elsewhere. As always, the adult books are at the end of the newsletter, so if that's what you're here for, go ahead and scroll down now.

ART & PHOTOGRAPHY

FEATURED ITEM: HIDDEN TREASURE: THE NATIONAL LIBRARY OF MEDICINE Michael Sappol - $50.00 - ISBN-13: 978-0-922233-42-7 See HEALTH/MEDICINE/BODIES below.

HOLY CARDS Barbara Calamari, Sandra DiPasqua - $19.95 - ISBN-13: 978-1-4197-0227-3 Softcover - Color Holy cards offer comfort, consolation, and encouragement to Catholics, and are a widely popular -- and highly collectible -- form of folk art. This handsome volume is both a richly illustrated survey of this devotional art and a gallery of saints with brief bios, attributes, and powers, in exquisite depictions that are at times dramatic and disturbing, at times moving and comforting.

HUMAN DEVELOPMENT Mark Whalen - $45.00 - ISBN-13: 978-1-937222-00-0 Hardcover - Color Using a tightly controlled painting technique, Mark Whalen (AKA Kill Pixie) expresses satirical social narratives through universal situations. Strange hooded characters caught in ambiguous action, shimmering trees, geometric patterns, and intricate textural beads of color collide in kaleidoscopic intensity, at once immaculately composed and careening out of control.

ART, DESIGN/GRAPHICS

EAT ME: APPETITE FOR DESIGN Viction:ary - $39.95 - ISBN-13: 978-988-19-4385-9 Hardcover in “Chocolate” or “Vanilla” - Color Product. Packaging. Art. Branding. Interiors. The packaging of food and its implements has takes many forms throughout the ages. New trends and materials have led to a unique opportunity for the packagers of today -- to enhance and elevate one's culinary experience by speaking to our minds as well as our stomachs. Explore the latest trends through numerous up to the minute case studies.

TYPO LATINO: 30 TYPES AND MANY MORE FONTS Jordi Villafranca - $34.95 - ISBN-13: 978-84-92643-77-6 Hardcover - Color Typo Latino showcases the work of emerging typographers as well as established type designers from across the globe. It features typefaces, outlines the process of constructing them, and provides short explanations from the authors on the formal characteristics or applications of each typeface. It shows the working process, the final result and the end uses where they exist.

FEATURED ITEM: TYPOGRAPHY SKETCHBOOKS Steven Heller, Lita Talarico, editors - $40.00 - ISBN-13: 978-1-61689-042-1 Softcover - Color and b&w Typography, the design of letters, is at the heart of visual communication and graphic design. Where do the best contemporary fonts come from, and who designed them? This collection of typographic explorations gets into the minds of over 90 of world's leading designers who create typefaces, word-images and logos through their private sketchbooks.

ART, LOWBROW

CRAZY PHOTOGRAPHY Diane Routex - $24.95 - ISBN-13: 978-1-908126-41-2 Softcover - Color In art as in life, things aren't always what they appear to be. Crazy Photography presents the work of over 50 contemporary photographers from all over the world demonstrating how the way we capture and look at images has been revolutionised in recent years. By skilfully manipulating and playing with images, the artists induce an altered view of what seems to be familiar or ordinary.

BEAT GENERATION

THE SEA IS MY BROTHER: THE LOST NOVEL Jack Kerouac - $23.00 - ISBN-13: 978-0-306-82125-7 Hardcover - In the spring of 1943, during a stint in the Merchant Marine, twenty-one-year old Jack Kerouac set out to write his first novel. Working diligently day and night to complete it by hand, he titled it>The Sea Is My Brother. Now, nearly seventy years later, its long-awaited publication provides fascinating details and insight into the early life and development of an American literary icon.

COMIC THEORY/HISTORY/BIOS

FEATURED ITEM: THE ART OF DANIEL CLOWES: MODERN CARTOONIST Alvin Buenaventura - $40.00 - ISBN-13: 978-1-4197-0208-2 Hardcover - Color Throughout his 25-year career, Daniel Clowes has always been ahead of artistic and cultural movements. This is the first monograph on this award-winning, New York Times–bestselling creator, compiled with his complete cooperation. Includes all his best-known illustrations plus rare, previously unpublished work, all reproduced from original art, and essays by Chip Kidd, Chris Ware and more.

DRUG & ALCOHOL INFO

THE OFFICIAL HIGH TIMES CANNABIS COOKBOOK: MORE THAN 50 IRRESISTIBLE RECIPES THAT WILL GET YOU HIGH Elise McDonough, Sara Remington - $18.95 - ISBN-13: 978-1-4521-0133-0 Softcover - Color This first cookbook from High Times magazine -- the world's most trusted name when it comes to getting stoned -- is the deliciously definitive guide to cannabis-infused cooking. Easy, accessible recipes and advice demystify cooking with grass and offer a cornucopia of irie appetizers and entrees, stoner sweets, cannabis cocktails, and high-holiday feasts for any occasion.

EATING & DRINKING

EAT ME: APPETITE FOR DESIGN Viction:ary - $39.95 - ISBN-13: 978-988-19-4385-9 See ART, DESIGN/GRAPHICS above.

THE OFFICIAL HIGH TIMES CANNABIS COOKBOOK: MORE THAN 50 IRRESISTIBLE RECIPES THAT WILL GET YOU HIGH Elise McDonough, Sara Remington - $18.95 - ISBN-13: 978-1-4521-0133-0 See DRUG & ALCOHOL INFO above.

GRAPHIC NOVELS

BILLY FOG VOL. 1: THE GIFT OF TROUBLE SIGHT Guillaume Bianco - $24.95 - ISBN-13: 978-1-936393-39-8 See TEENAGERS below.

BLUE Pat Grant - $14.95 - ISBN-13: 978-1-60309-153-4 Hardcover - Two-color Blue is the debut graphic novel of Australian cartoonist Pat Grant. It's a fascinating blend of autobiography and fiction with a sci-fi twist: in a seaside Australian town struggling with alien tentacle-creature immigration, a trio of aimless teenagers skip school to go surfing, chase rumors of a dead body, and avoid dealing with their own fears.

CINEMA PANOPTICUM Thomas Ott - $16.99 - ISBN-13: 978-1-60699-485-6 Softcover - Black and white T. Ott plunges into the darkness with five graphic horror novelettes, executed in his hallucinatory and hyper-detailed scratchboard style. Ott's plot twists will delight fans of classic horror like The Twilight Zone and Tales From the Crypt, or modern efforts like M. Night Shyamalan's films (well, the good ones); his artwork will haunt you long after you've put the book down.

EXPLORER: THE MYSTERY BOXES Kazu Kibuishi, editor - $10.95 - ISBN-13: 978-1-4197-0009-5 Softcover - Color Seven clever stories answer one simple question: what's in the box? Funny, fantastic, spooky, and suspenseful, each of these unique and beautifully illustrated short graphic works revolves around a central theme: a mysterious box and the marvels -- or mayhem -- inside. Artists include Kazu Kibuishi, Raina Telgemeier (Smile), Dave Roman (Astronaut Academy), and more. Ages 9 and up.

FUTURAMA CONQUERS THE UNIVERSE Matt Groening - $14.95 - ISBN-13: 978-0-06-143069-5 Softcover - Color The Planet Express crew delivers big-time laughs in this newest anthology of comic adventures. First, Fry, Leela, and Bender find themselves in over their heads when they join an intergalactic competitive swurling team. Plus a trip to the circus where the crew is abducted and displayed as sideshow freaks, a deal with the Robot Devil that makes Bender ruler of Robot Hell, and more!

GONZO: A GRAPHIC BIOGRAPHY OF HUNTER S. THOMPSON Will Bingley, Anthony Hope-Smith - $17.95 - ISBN-13: 978-1-4197-0242-6 Softcover - Black and white Over the course of Hunter S. Thompson's extraordinary life he was publicly branded a bum, a vandal, a thief, a liar, an addict, a freak, and a psychopath. Some of which were true. Yet even when compared to the most significant figures of the 20th century, his legacy retains a brilliantly vital force. This graphic novel tells the story of a troubled kid who became an international icon.

MY FRIEND DAHMER Derf Backderf - $17.95 - ISBN-13: 978-1-4197-0217-4 Softcover - Black and white In 1991, Jeffrey Dahmer seared himself into the American consciousness. To Derf Backderf, "Jeff" was a much more complex figure: a high school friend with whom he had shared classrooms, hallways, and car rides. In this haunting and original graphic novel, Backderf creates a surprisingly sympathetic portrait of a disturbed young man. "A well-told, powerful story." -R. Crumb

NANCY IS HAPPY: COMPLETE DAILIES 1943-1945 Ernie Bushmiller - $24.99 - ISBN-13: 978-1-60699-360-6 Softcover - Black and white The latest in Fantagraphics' award- winning classic comic strip reprint series. Ernie Bushmiller's Nancy was long seen as the stodgiest, squarest comic strip in the world. But connoisseurs began to realize that the art approached its own perfection, often achieving a striking zen quality. This first volume in the series collects every daily strip from 1943 to 1945. Intro by Daniel Clowes.

NATURE OF THE BEAST Adam Mansbach, Douglas McGowan, Owen Brozman - $18.95 - ISBN-13: 978-1-59376-245-2 Softcover - Color From the #1 bestselling author of Go the F*ck To Sleep. An alien race of religious extremists plan to honor their deity through the ritualistic annihilation of our planet. The only man who knows this is an unstoppable media baron who sees opportunity everywhere. Enter Bruno Bolo -- single father, blues belter, and alligator wrestler from the swamps of Florida, who emerges as our final hope.

THE SINCEREST FORM OF PARODY: THE BEST 1950S MAD INSPIRED SATIRICAL COMICS John Benson, editor - $24.99 - ISBN-13: 978-1-60699-511-2 Softcover - Color When MAD became a surprise hit as a comic book in 1953, other comics publishers were quick to jump onto the bandwagon. Here is the best and the funniest material from the bandwagon-jumping MAD imitators, including parodies of movies, TV shows, comic strips, novels, plays, ads, and more. Work by Jack Davis, Will Elder, Dick Ayers, Bill Everett, Jack Kirby and many more, plus expert commentary.

HEALTH/MEDICINE/BODIES

FEATURED ITEM: HIDDEN TREASURE: THE NATIONAL LIBRARY OF MEDICINE Michael Sappol - $50.00 - ISBN-13: 978-0-922233-42-7 Hardcover - Color Founded 175 years ago, the National Library of Medicine is home to a rich worldwide heritage of objects, from the rarest early medical books to delightful 20th-century ephemera, artifacts, and documentary and animated films. Buried in its sheer mass are wondrous items largely unseen. The individual objects brought to light in this book glow with beauty, grotesquery, wit, or calamitous tragedy.

HOW-TO GUIDES

ON BICYCLES: 50 WAYS THE NEW BIKE CULTURE CAN CHANGE YOUR LIFE Amy Walker, editor - $16.95 - ISBN-13: 978-1-60868-022-1 Softcover - Black and white Momentum magazine cofounder Amy Walker gathers a wide-ranging group of cycling writers to explore how biking can change, and is changing, people's lives. Cargo bikes; bike parties; a history of bike advocacy; the bike-craft boom; folding bikes; recumbents; biking with kids; handmade bikes; car-free streets; relocalizing; bike style; collective bike shops; women and bikes; more.

THE ENLIGHTENED CYCLIST: COMMUTER ANGST, DANGEROUS DRIVERS, AND OTHER OBSTACLES ON THE PATH TO TWO-WHEELE BikeSnobNYC, a.k.a., Eben Weiss - $16.95 - ISBN-13: 978-1-4521-0500-0 See POP CULTURE below.

HUMOR

ZOMBIES HATE STUFF Greg Stones - $9.95 - ISBN-13: 978-1-4521-0740-0 Hardcover - Color Zombies hate clowns. They also hate hippies, not to mention zip lines, penguins, moon penguins, nudists, weddings, sharing, and kittens. Each of Greg Stones's ghoulishly colorful paintings reveal funny and unexpected scenes of zombie disgruntlement with wit, humor, and, of course, brains. An unexpected and irresistible perspective on the pop culture phenomenon that will not die.

KIDS, 12 AND UNDER

ALICE IN WONDERLAND GIANT POSTER AND COLORING BOOK Sir John Tenniel, Lewis Carroll - $12.95 - ISBN-13: 978-1-4197-0089-7 Softcover - Color and b&w Be creative, be adventurous. You don't have to fall down the rabbit hole to enter the magical world of Alice in Wonderland. Just open this giant book and read, color, and remember when you first encountered Lewis Carroll's sublime nonsense and Sir John Tenniel's elegant engravings. 12 prints to frame, 12 prints to color.

DONALD BOXED SET: DONALD AND THE... & DONALD HAS A DIFFICULTY Edward Gorey, Peter F. Neumeyer - $17.95 - ISBN-13: 978-0-7649-6130-4 Two hardcover books in box - Black and white Two books, published as a boxed set for the first time. In Donald and the..., Donald finds a crawly creature. His mother lets him keep it in a jar, but soon it disappears. He looks in the jar and discovers a fine surprise. In Donald Has a Difficulty, when Donald hurts his leg, his mother knows just what to do. And Donald learns what hurts and what doesn't -- and that surprises him, too.

EXPLORER: THE MYSTERY BOXES Kazu Kibuishi, editor - $10.95 - ISBN-13: 978-1-4197-0009-5 See GRAPHIC NOVELS above.

MAGAZINES & ZINES

BEST OF HIGH TIMES MAGAZINE #64 (JUNE 2012) Dan Skye, editor - $6.99 Saddle-stitched - Color Marijuana activism, pictures of marijuana, rock and roll, etc. This "Best Of" issue is their Easy Grow Guide. In this issue: beginner to expert in no time; top cannabis strains; best grow gear; 21 tips & tricks; harvest a non-stop crop; more.

LUCKY PEACH MAGAZINE VOL. 1 #3 (SPRING 2012) David Chang, Peter Meehan, Chris Ying, editors - $12.00 - ISBN-13: 978-1-936365-48-7 Perfect bound - Color A journal of food writing published by McSweeney's. Travelogue, essays, art, photography, interviews, rants, and recipes, appealing to diehard foodies as well as fans of good writing and art. In this Chefs and Cooks issue, Mario Batali recalls the early days of Food Network; Naomi Duguid visits street vendors in Chiang Mai; cooks from Fort Bragg to Paris to the South Pole; more.

MAXIMUM ROCKNROLL MAGAZINE #347 (APRIL 2012) Various - $4.00 Saddle-stitched - Black and white Hardcore, punk rock, scene reports, straight edge, radical politics. This is their Ron Paul special. In this issue: Carburetor Dung; Dark Times; Neon Piss; Kruel; Lapinpolthajat; Criminal Code; Slice Harvester; Iron Hand; Indigesti; Damnable Excite Zombies; Hawaii scene report; more.

POP CULTURE

CRAZY GIFTS Chantal Alles, Anne Kerloch - $24.95 - ISBN-13: 978-1-908126-04-7 Softcover - Color It gets harder every year; finding gifts that are new and unusual. Crazy Gifts is an inspirational sourcebook for present givers, designers and style-conscious consumers, packed with fantastic gift ideas, from the practical (think self-heating baby's bottle) to the cutely quirky (pop art toaster anyone?) and downright clever (how about a swimming mask that shoots video?).

ENERGY FLASH: A JOURNEY THROUGH RAVE MUSIC AND DANCE CULTURE Simon Reynolds - $21.95 - ISBN-13: 978-1-59376-407-4 Softcover - The story of rave culture and techno music from an insider and journalist who dosed up and blissed out. Ecstasy did for house music what LSD did for psychedelic rock. Now, journalist Simon Reynolds offers a revved-up and passionate inside chronicle of how MDMA ("ecstasy") and MIDI (the basis for electronica) together spawned the unique rave culture of the 1990s.

FEATURED ITEM: GARBAGE PAIL KIDS Topps Company - $19.95 - ISBN-13: 978-1-4197-0270-9 Hardcover with bonus stickers - Color The Garbage Pail Kids collectible stickers combined spectacular artwork and over-the-top satire, in an inspired collaboration between avant-garde cartoonists and humorists including Art Spiegelman, Mark Newgarden, John Pound, Tom Bunk, and Jay Lynch. Here, for the first time, are all 206 rare images from Series 1 through 5, plus four previously unreleased bonus stickers. Intro by Art Spiegelman.

SOMEONE HAS TO SET A BAD EXAMPLE: AN ANNE TAINTOR COLLECTION Anne Taintor - $16.95 - ISBN-13: 978-1-4521-0309-9 Softcover - Color We can't be good all the time, and no one knows it better than Anne Taintor. This generous collection of her most popular artwork includes more than 150 images in categories such as friendship (a real friend will help you hide the body), motherhood (WOW! I get to give birth AND change diapers!), attitude (let a smirk be your umbrella), and more. Intro by Taintor.

THE ENLIGHTENED CYCLIST: COMMUTER ANGST, DANGEROUS DRIVERS, AND OTHER OBSTACLES ON THE PATH TO TWO-WHEELE BikeSnobNYC, a.k.a., Eben Weiss - $16.95 - ISBN-13: 978-1-4521-0500-0 Hardcover - Two-color The joys of commuting by bike attract scores of new converts every year. But as fresh-faced cyclists fill the roads, they also encounter their share of frustrations careless drivers, wide-flung car doors, zoned-out pedestrians, and aggressive fellow cyclists, to name a few. BikeSnobNYC takes on the trials and triumphs of bike commuting with snark, humor, and enthusiasm.

POSTCARDS

FEATURED ITEM: NAUGHTY LITTLE PEOPLE POSTCARDS Lisa Swerling, Vincent Bousserez, Jonah Samson, The Rainbowmonkey - $9.95 - ISBN-13: 978-1-85669-912-9 Softcover book of 21 postcards - Color 21 detachable postcards of miniature scenes in which naughty little people engage in surprising, funny, titillating or simply obscene behaviour, this book gives readers a humorous look beneath the veneer of polite society. The artists make stunning use of miniature scenes to create startling situations and amusing, memorable images, playing with the notions of surprise and hidden drama.

PUNK

COMMANDO: THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF JOHNNY RAMONE Johnny Ramone - $24.95 - ISBN-13: 978-0-8109-9660-1 Hardcover - Color Raised in Queens, Johnny Ramone founded one of the most influential rock bands of all time, but he never strayed from his blue-collar roots. Revealing, inspiring, and told on his own terms, this highly designed memoir also features Johnny's assessment of the Ramones' albums; eccentric Top Ten lists; rare artifacts; and scores of personal and professional photos, many never before published.

RESISTANCE & REBELLION

MAKING THE FUTURE: OCCUPATIONS, INTERVENTIONS, EMPIRE AND RESISTANCE Noam Chomsky - $16.95 - ISBN-13: 978-0-87286-537-2 Softcover - "Unwavering political contrarian Noam Chomsky smart-bombs the U.S. military's global Interventions. Shock and awe!" -Vanity Fair. Making the Future presents more than fifty concise and persuasively argued commentaries on U.S. politics and policies, written between 2007 and 2011. A powerful counter-narrative to official accounts of the major political events of the past four years.

TEENAGERS

BILLY FOG VOL. 1: THE GIFT OF TROUBLE SIGHT Guillaume Bianco - $24.95 - ISBN-13: 978-1-936393-39-8 Hardcover - Color and b&w When Billy Fog takes his glasses off, he sees things other kids can't: ghosts and ghouls, vampires and monsters, darkness and danger and above all the thing that kids aren't supposed to see: death. A new kind of graphic novel: part storybook, part fable, part gazetteer and bestiary of the horrible and fantastic, inspired by the likes of Tim Burton and Lemony Snicket. Ages 12 and up.

VARIOUS ODDS & ENDS

ANIMAL KISSES: 20 NOTECARDS Wolf Erlbruch - $14.95 - ISBN-13: 978-0-8118-6275-2 20 notecards in box - Color Forget about the princess kissing the toad, what about the moose kissing the frog? Or the squirrel kissing the owl? This delightful collection of notecards by artist Wolf Erlbruch is a perfect way to send a cheerful hello to all the special people in your life. 20 blank folded cards (5 images repeating 4 times), 20 envelopes, in box with Velcro closure.

BIRDS: 20 NOTECARDS Jeffrey Fisher - $14.95 - ISBN-13: 978-0-8118-4988-3 20 notecards in box - Color Each of Jeffrey Fisher's exquisitely illustrated designs depicts a delightfully renderd bird, complemented by lovely hand-drawn lettering. Whether it's a quick note to a friend or a letter for a special occasion, these whimsical, colorful burds will suit all your correspondence. 20 blank folded cards (5 images repeating 4 times), 20 envelopes, in box with Velcro closure.

FEATURED ITEM: DRINKY CROW PARTY LIGHTS Tony Millionaire - $14.99 - ISBN-13: 978-1-61659-193-9 12-foot strand with 10 party lights - Tony Millionaire's sobriety-challenged feathered friend, Drinky Crow, is coming forward as a decorative string of electrical illuminations that put the "party" into party lights and a limited line of t-shirts! The lights come in both sober and drunk versions, alternating with a simulated (or is that stimulated?) bottle of adult beverage.

JESUS DRESS-UP FRIDGE MAGNETS, HALLOWEEN Normal Bob Smith - $15.00 Set of refrigerator magnets - Color Happy Halloween to all of you ghosts and goblins! Now you can dress up Jesus in an exciting variety of spooky costumes! Then you can proudly display your magentic Trick-or-treaing Jesus on your coffin, hearse, or steel door! One magnetic Jesus, with 43 pieces of magnetic clothing and accessories.

FEATURED ITEM: MAKE YOUR OWN ROBOT Various - $24.95 - ISBN-13: 978-1-85669-903-7 Box of 15 robot templates - Color Have you ever dreamt of building your own robot? This box-set includes 15 robot templates, 12 illustrated by influential artists, plus three blank DIY sheets to customize with your own designs. Parts are interchangeable so you can take them apart and rebuild them. Templates by eBoy, David Shrigley, Donna Wilson, Shin Tanaka, more. Contains small parts; not for children under three.

PARKING TICKETS: FOR THOSE WHO'VE CROSSED THE LINE Shinebox Print - $6.95 - ISBN-13: 978-1-61243-068-3 Softcover - Color A hilarious collection of snarky cards designed to be torn off and left for drivers of badly parked cars. There are simple messages -- "You're a space hog" -- angry cards -- "It was either this or a crowbar through your window" -- and sarcastic tickets -- "Hope you're better between the sheets than you are between the lines." Wallet-sized to fit in a pocket, purse, or glove box.

ROYO DARK TAROT Luis Royo - $22.95 - ISBN-13: 978-0-7387-3361-6 78 card deck with instruction booklet - Color Luis Royo, one of the most popular fantasy artists of our time, invites us into a vivid world of haunting beauty, where justice is swift and transformation is inevitable. Shimmering nightscapes are dominated by deadly female warriors, noble armored knights, and luminescent nature creatures, both wild and wise. Loosely based on the Rider-Waite-Smith tradition.

FEATURED ITEM: THE STEAMPUNK TAROT Barbara Moore, Aly Fell - $28.95 - ISBN-13: 978-0-7387-2638-0 78 card deck with 312 page book - Color Created by award-winning tarot expert Barbara Moore and brilliantly brought to life by artist Aly Fell, The Steampunk Tarot deck offers a glimpse of the future through a lens to the past. Retooling the gears of the Rider-Waite tradition, each card's intricate artwork depicts a scintillating fusion of man and machine, nature and technology, romance and fashion. Includes manual.

WONDER MINI ECO-JOURNAL SET Nikki McClure - $9.95 - ISBN-13: 978-1-4521-0627-4 Four notebooks - One-color Nikki McClure is known for her intricate and beautiful paper cuts. Spring, Summer, Winter, and Fall! Celebrate the beauty of the seasons with this quartet of eco-friendly, pocket-sized journals. 4 notebooks (2 lined and 2 blank), each notebook 48 pages, paperback with stitched spine, 100% FSC-certified paper, soy-based inks, full-color cover, 1-color illustrations.

ZOMBIE: 30 TEMPORARY TATTOOS Mitch O'Connell - $9.95 - ISBN-13: 978-0-8118-7677-3 Matchbook-style book - Color Mitch O'Connell is a prolific artist who has illustrated tattoo designs, skateboard decks, books, comics, posters, black light paintings, and more. Zombify yourself with style! This matchbook folder includes 30 all-time classic tattoos by Mitch O'Connell, with a zombie twist -- featuring hearts, anchors, and, of course, brains! 8 sheets, 30 tattoos (15 designs repeating twice).

VIDEOS & DVDS

WHOLPHIN 15: MCSWEENEY'S DVD MAGAZINE Brent Hoff, editor - $19.95 - ISBN-13: 978-1-936365-57-9 DVD - Released by McSweeney's, Wholphin is a quarterly DVD magazine of short films, documentaries, animation, and instructional videos that have not found wide release. #15 features the Duplass Brothers celebrating friendship, Selma Blair and Jeremy Davies celebrating an awkward romance, the haunting prequel to the indie-hit Martha Marcy May Marlene, a couple who eat each other's pain, more!

ADULT CATALOG

ADULT ART & PHOTOGRAPHY

FEATURED ITEM: THE ART OF JOE PEKAR VOL. 1: NAUGHTY GIRLS! Joe Pekar - $14.95 - ISBN-13: 978-0-86562-139-8 Softcover - Color Adorably cute, sweet, and just a little on the naughty side. This is the hallmark of Joe Pekar's illustrations. A one-time 3D animator and games designer, Joe decided to go with his first passion -- drawing girls! Here is a gallery of his best, showing off his ability to create portraits of pillowfights and pouty teens with expert ease! Erotic, some partial nudity, a little full nudity.

ADULT NONFICTION

FEATURED ITEM: TO BED OR NOT TO BED: WHAT MEN WANT, WHAT WOMEN WANT, HOW GREAT SEX HAPPENS Vera Bodanksy, Steve Bodanksy - $14.95 - ISBN-13: 978-0-89793-461-9 Softcover - A few b&w photos The differences between the sexes create both fun and tension. Most men want sex, either with a new or current partner. Women want sex, too, but are trained to put up obstacles so as not to seem "easy." This book presents specific information on how to use these differences to create more pleasure and intimacy in bed and elsewhere, with proven methods used successfully with the authors' clients.