"The book traces comics’ evolution up to the emergence of today's global, digital scene and the medium’s likely future. Robert Crumb and Gabrielle Bell, Jack Kirby and Alan Moore, Moebius, Yumiko Oshima and Osamu Tezuka are just a few of the hundreds of artists and writers included – making it ... unprecedented in its global reach. The broad reach of Comics extends to artists, styles and movements, spanning Marvel and DC superheroes; the Underground movement and manga powerhouse Osamu Tezuka; politically charged Italian fumetti and sexually charged ladies’ manga; the Francophone technique of ligne claire; sci-fi; Métal Hurlant; the pioneering Japanese alternative journal Garo; the graphic memoir and the graphic novel; and, finally, the moment comics made the jump from page to web page. Featuring the best-known artists and writers – from Jack Kirby, Hergé and Moebius to Katsuhiro Otomo, Neil Gaiman and Alan Moore – Comics also introduces readers to some creators they may not yet have encountered, such as Andrea Pazienza, the Fort Thunder collective and Fabrice Neaud." (Publisher description) more

"Eileen Blumenthal provides a comprehensive overview of the history and technique of puppetry and examines in depth and detail the unique nature and abilities of puppets and the countless roles they have played in human societies across the globe for thousands of years. Blumenthal draws examples fro ... m an astonishing array of puppeteers and performances, as well as works of art and historical artifacts to provide readers with a comprehensive view of the world of constructed actors and the eclectic, and often eccentric, artists who created them. From bunraku to Miss Piggy, from the shadow puppets of Java to Howdy Doody, from African marionettes with outsize genitalia to sweet and loveable Lamb Chop, from Senor Wences's famous hand (literally) puppet to the minimalism of Russian puppet master Sergei Obraztsov, whose puppets consisted of nothing more than two small balls, each stuck on the end of a finger - the spectacular range and variety of the world's puppets is explored through more than 300 illustrations and Blumenthal's lively, accessible prose." (Publsher) more