I originally read a tattered 1928 edition of The Set-Up
three decades ago. It's a hard-boiled tragedy told in syncopated rhyming
couplets. It is a brute of a novel and a lost literary gem that has left an
indelible mark on me.
The story's enduring power was so great that in 1949, it
was transformed into an award-winning film, a noir classic featuring the
talents of Robert Ryan and Audrey Totter. It is great to see the book is back in print, accompanied by the
striking illustrations of Dutch comic artist Erik Kriek.
Re-reading it, this
boxing tale of perseverance, sacrifice, and the human spirit still packs a
mighty punch.
Written in 1928, The Set-Up is a long narrative poem about the boxing underworld - a hard-boiled tragedy told in syncopated rhyming couplets. When the work was first published it made the bestseller list, and in 1949 it was turned into an award-winning film featuring Robert Ryan and Audrey Totter. This reprinting of the original, unchanged 1928 poem features dynamic, specially commissioned artwork by Erik Kriek that vividly conveys the story of Pansy, an up-and-coming black prize fighter who takes on all comers. When he was in the ring, "It was over before you knew it. He'd carve you up…
Diving headfirst into the enigmatic realm of eromanga and hentai, this book offers a captivating exploration of a genre often relegated to the shadows. Beyond the censorship laws and far from the mainstream gaze, eromanga and hentai have forged their own distinct visual language, a world rich with peculiarities such as the nipple after image, cross-section views and erotic onomatopoeias, not to mention the infamous ahegao expression.
Though somewhat academic in nature, this book is a fascinating journey into the heart of a comic subculture that has thrived beyond the gaze of polite society.
While manga is now a well known entity in the global publishing scene, the medium's international success has its roots in the realm of eros. Japanese media critic Kimi Rito dives into the history of manga's erotic world a genre known internationally simply as - hentai.
What are the origins of hentai? How has it evolved from the days of ukiyo-e to today's modern comics and animation. Who are the people making hentai? And who are the people reading these works? And what is the medium ultimately trying to express beyond sexuality? Rito looks at the content from a number…
This
is pre-St. Custards. It was written during the war and follows Molesworth and
his brother at several very minor private schools. The sardonic and
philosophical curse of St. Custards had a profound impact on my childhood
psyche. I was so happy to see something new from the 'goriller of 3B'.
Nicely
illustrated by Uli Meyer of Roger Rabbit fame. This is the antithesis to the hearty
kind of boarding-school stories that were and still are prevalent, including
those overrated Potter books, as any fule kno.
Nigel Molesworth, the curse of St. Custard’s school, is known to his huge army of fans through Geoffrey Willans' four books Down with Skool!, How to be Topp, Whizz for Atomms and Back in the Jug Agane, first published between 1953 and 1958, and illustrated by Ronald Searle.
Much less famous are the Molesworth diaries that appeared in the magazine Punch between August 1939 and December 1942.
This volume is an opportunity to discover a slightly different Molesworth – less philosophical than the boy portrayed in the books, but equally as sardonic, knowing and cynical. The diaries are an introduction…
A unique treasure chest of vintage advertising full of
tease and prurient silliness. You too could learn to bowl using self-hypnosis
or wear an irresistible necktie.Sick and tired of being
half a man? Fancy some bedside fun? Want to learn meat cutting or need a
pair of bug eyes? This book has it all.
