12oz. Prophet has been the undisputed, premiere name in graf for the last 10 years. Their early issues are highly sought after, and were the first to introduce us to Barry McGee, Reas, Os Gemeos, Struggle Inc (who shared layout responsibilities) and...
expand review others. Then they switched the game with The Vapors (not affiliated with the skate magazine), which gave the official indicator that the scene had shifted towards bombing. After a couple years of hibernation, the 12oz. crew is back, this time reinventing the self-published book with this super-deluxe (an understatement) thing. I've never seen so many extra-levels of printing dexterity (budget was obviously not a factor). Almost every page is laced with special 5th color inks, stock changes, or special folds. It's quite ridiculous, the low-budget graf zine has officially been deaded. In addition to all the top notch bombing photography, there is a nice chunk of design and art here like exclusive layouts by longtime 12oz. collaborators Futura, Kaws, and Reas. Extras include a sticker sheet, die-cut stickers, access number for the exclusive site, and more. There's also some of the super-limited silver copies mixed in our shipment (they ship randomly). Highly recommended. -the mgmnt
This books offers a look at the entire career of skater slash designer slash artist Andy Howell. The book is presented in a very personal way, there's a good amount of text and the layout borrows styles of old skate zines...
expand review and skate mags. The story begins with his youth days in Virginia Beach, his early influences, and his rise to pro skater. These stories are illuminated by quotes, vintage photos, old skate products, and skate mag excerpts. If you grew up in the same period, this stuff is quite incredible. For the designers, the book really picks up with the chapter on New Deal skateboard company. Howell provided the visual direction for this super-influential company (recognized as one of the forces that shifted skate graphics to more of an urban direction). The book proceeds into a lengthy section on Howell's paintings. And just when you think it should end, you've only gone halfway through the book. The book gets deeper into Andy's drawings, early urban skating in nyc, starting new companies, and much more. This book is much more than a design book, it's more like an well illustrated manual on the DIY life. And if that's not enough, the book comes with 2 accompanying DVDs. Hardcover, over 300 pages. -the mgmnt
The definitive book on Banksy's work. This guy is now an official art superstar- I went to that show he did in Los Angeles a couple months back and shit was bonkers. 300 yard lines to get in, Brangelina buying up nearly...
expand review everything on the opening night, a painted live elephant, huge newspaper coverage, the whole deal. I mean this guy is MAJOR now. And while he's released three small picture books, this is the only true compendium of his work in print. It chronicles all his major works & mediums, from the beginning monkey stencils up to his full blown "street sculptures", brand burning and political work, peppered with writing, advice, explanations and such. I personally don't get off much on his fame or images, but I'm continually impressed with the scope and impact of his projects. Wherever you stand on his work, this shit is thought provoking, powerful and out there for people to experience- which is the most important thing. 210 pages, full color, soft cover. Recommended. -the mgmnt
This book was made in conjunction with the massive art survey of the same name, currently showing in San Francisco's Yerba Buena center. If you caught Tokion's genre-defining "Disobedients" issue, Beautiful Losers is like a continuation of that thought line, the summation...
expand review of many years of gallery shows, art projects, and publications that have been related in spirit. It features just about every "big" name that is associated with that movement- Barry McGee, Chris Johanson, Mike Mills, Mark Gonzales, Tobin Yelland, Margaret Kilgallen, Spike Jonze, Espo, Geoff McFetridge, Kaws, Ed Templeton, Shepard Fairey, Harmony Korine, Phil Frost, Ryan McGinness, and many others. Yeah, that sounds like they're casting the net a bit wide, but this mass of information and artwork is presented in such a thoughtful manner that it comes together without a hitch. In addition to showcasing the artwork, the book consists of informative articles that give us the background on how this loosely related conglomeration of people and styles came to be. This consists of an impressive collection of images + stories that speak about the social scene, past gallery shows, collectives, and the influences of the preceding generation (things like Dogtown and skate photographer Craig Stacyk, and the early 80s NYC scene); thankfully devoid of art school interpretations of what it all "means." The result is the most comprehensive piece we've seen thus far, and if you're gonna buy one book in this genre all year, this should be it. Softcover, about 275 pages. -the mgmnt
Stop wondering what the work spaces of your favorite producers look like. Behind The Beat provides an exclusive look into the home studios, collections and equipment of some of the top music creators in the game. Checkout Madlib's Loop Digga Hideaway and...
expand review record collection; Shadow's records, equipment and favorite arcade machine; Automator's vintage gear collection, Premier's personal D&D studio, Numark's log cabin, and much, much more. RECOMMENDED. -the mgmnt
Finally got a hold of this very in-demand designer's book (this isn't the DPM book). This Japanese book isn't really about the book itself, but rather the CD-ROM that comes with it. The CD features 100 royalty-free camouflage patterns in EPS and...
expand review JPG formats. You'll be hard pressed to find a similar camo resource. The book serves as a look book for the files with full page examples. Includes variations on traditional camo, digital camo, and experimental camo. CD-ROM is Mac and Windows compatible. -the mgmnt
These BNN Petit Pattern books from Japan are an essential resource for graphic designers, pattern makers, anyone else visually obsessive. Each book is filled with high quality prints of each pattern, a cd with EPS(Illustrator) and JPEG(Photoshop) files that can be manipulated,...
expand review and instructions for use in the field. This book focuses on frames and lines and covers over a 155 pages of different styles that range from extremely detailed to simple and everything in between. The possibilities are truly endless. Recommended. -C'mish
These BNN Petit Pattern books from Japan are an essential resource for graphic designers, pattern makers, anyone else visually obsessive. Each book is filled with high quality prints of each pattern, a cd with EPS(Illustrator) and JPEG(Photoshop) files that can be manipulated,...
expand review and instructions for use in the field. This book focuses on Check and Knit patterns and covers over a 155 pages that range from mild to loud and everything in between. The possibilities are truly endless. Recommended. -C'mish
These BNN Petit Pattern books from Japan are an essential resource for graphic designers, pattern makers, anyone else visually obsessive. Each book is filled with high quality prints of each pattern, a cd with EPS(Illustrator) and JPEG(Photoshop) files that can be manipulated,...
expand review and instructions for use in the field. This book focuses on dots and stripe patterns and covers over a 155 pages of different styles that range from subtle to brilliant and everything in between. The possibilities are truly endless. Recommended. -C'mish
Deadstock find, first printing hardcover edition now out of print.
It seems like this book has been in the making forever. It's been at least 6 or 7 years since we first started hearing the rumors that Bobbito was working on a...
expand review book about sneakers. At the time, nobody had done anything like that, there were no "specialty" sneaker spots downtown and ebay hadn't even come into realization yet. Every once in a while, you'd hear another something about it (grumbling about the UK sneaker book, etc), but weather it was actually going to happen always seemed up in the air. And now here, in the thick of sneaker mania and reissue fever, comes Bob's book, landing like a brick on an expectant culture that has grown since his idea started. And it's oh so official. 265 pages covering the years of 1960 to 1987, with a particular focus on basketball shoes and an incredible attention to detail. Brands, colorways, editions, boxes, advertisements, history, customization, legends and personal stories- each shoe from each year is broken down with incredible accuracy by the people who were there to see and wear them. This crack team is made up of about 20 sneaker nuts including old school court legends like Pee Wee Kirkland and Joe "The Hammer" Hammond, connoisseurs and fiends like MC Serch, Kurious, Pete Nice, Jorge Pabon aka Fabel, Schott Free, Dante Ross and others. It's everything you'd want it to be- informative, entertaining, funny, designed by Brent Rollins, the whole bit. Couldn't be more recommended. -mgmnt
You've probably heard of much-lauded photographer Boogie and his amazing black & white snapshots of Brooklyn life at ArtCoup.com, but Brooklyn-based publisher Powerhouse books has done the art(sy) world a great favor by issuing the first proper collection of his work. It's...
expand review All Good is assembled from pictures that Boogie took in some of NYC's grimiest hoods (Bed-Stuy, Bushwick, Queens) - pictures that capture a side of life that a lot of us will hear about but never truly know: dudes with hoods pulled over they eyes and two glocks drawn, crackheads and junkies living in squalor that would kill most, little kids having fun in the midst of it all because they don't know any better. The candid and incredible B&W snaps are interspersed with graphic anecdotes from some of the subjects that Boogie has photographed. To say this collection is "entertaining" would be an insult to the people who had to keep living after these pictures were taken; to say that it's sobering and endlessly fascinating would be more on point. The book is designed proper, too, with fully printed front and back covers on heavy hardcover stock, and the photographs are reproduced on 12" x 8" pages. 136 pages. Highly recommended. -mgmnt
Boogie's photography has given us a fascinating and unfiltered (and often times unsettling) look into some of the roughest and most turbulent areas of the world. From his native home of Belgrade, Serbia, to the grimy, crack-infested projects of New York City,...
expand review and the hardest parts of Cuba and South America, Boogie's lens has been there to capture life as it happens to be. This book from Upper Playground collects his work from one week in Sao Paolo, Brazil. It is far from the postcard image of Brazil that comes to mind (no beaches, babes, or parties here). These incredible candid B&W shots show a side of the city that is seldom seen by tourists - a world of extreme poverty and struggle. But amidst the shots of prostitutes, homeless people and drug addicts are some shots (a bum smiling or the kids that play in the ghetto) that give a feeling of hope to the situation. Very powerful stuff indeed. 96 pages, hardcover. Recommended. -snackmaster
Cody Hudson's first book focuses on his personal art with images from his studio, gallery shows, and lots of Strugglism doodles. Around 50 pages, measures 7" x 7". If you have a store and would like to carry this book, please email...
expand review struggle@turntablelab.com. -mgmnt
This is straight up crack for anyone born in the 80's or just loves videogames and throwback stuff. Billy Galaxy does an exceptional job of compiling and presenting these artifacts of early electronic gaming history (pre-Nintendo). From the classic systems (Atari joints...
expand review to Colecovision and Intellivision), to the mega obscure and rare games and memorablilia, this book has got it covered. Obvious classics like Ms. Pac-Man and Space Invaders are in here as well - but with every alternative cover possible. But the real shit is in the obscurities like the world's first adult series of games by Play-Around (really though... Philly Flasher? Gigolo? Beat 'Em & Eat 'Em?), horror games like Texas Chainsaw Massacre and Halloween, and board games based on video games. Other weird finds include Pac-Men ramen noodles, Q-bert memorabilia, and the Pac-Kong cartridge, which i was hoping would be a cross between Donkey Kong and Pac-Man, but the cover shows some Robotech-esque robots. You can get stuck on the design of everything in here too - styles that are often mimicked and imitated in today's design world, but are presented here in their original context. Really, there's just too much shit to geek out on in here. 160 pages, including full price guide. Recommended. -snackmaster
The music graphics book was born in the mid-nineties and died in early 2000 with over-saturation and lowered standards as a cause of death. Enough water has passed and people have learned from their mistakes. This is an excellent reintroduction to...
expand review the modern music graphics book. It's executed near perfectly with relevent examples (many records we've had at the Lab, but even more that we haven't), clean design, and Japanese-style attention to mega-detail (it's organized by designer, painstakingly documented, and each designer has an interview). It is so effective that the book creates an illusion that these are classic record covers from 10 years ago, when they really are from yesterday. Softcover, 318 pages, 7.5" x 9.5" x .75". Recommended.
-the mgmnt
It's a visual overload! Panic Room is one of those art books that keeps on giving (I've looked through it several times and keep finding something new). With over 90 contemporary artists (whose work primarily consists of drawing), this Deitch Projects book...
expand review is a great way to see the scope of cutting-edge hand styles from all over the world. Trip out on an eclectic mish mash of comic culture, graffiti, fantasy, and psychedelia from the likes of Marc Bell, Paper Rad, Barry McGee, assume astro vivid focus, Tauba Auerbach, Bjorn Copeland, Verne Dawson, Jo Jackson, Chris Johanson, Margaret Kilgallen, Ted Mineo, Ben Peterson, Cameron Jamie, Clare Rojas, David Shrigley, Kelley Walker and many more. Just take a look at the inside shots and you'll see how inspiring and entertaining this compilation of work is. 11" x 11", 160 pages, softcover. Recommended. -snackmaster
According to the publisher: "Jazz was originally published in 1959, and since then it has become one of the most collectible photography books of the mid-twentieth century, ranking alongside the more widely known work of Christer Strömholm and Robert Frank." Wow, that's...
expand review pretty serious. They go on further to say: "It is perhaps the most successful of the era's many photographic attempts to capture the essence of jazz, because it is more than just a succession of musicians' portraits or even a documentary record of performance, but a book that visually echoes the music itself." Once again, pretty serious, but you know what? I think they're right. These pictures are stunning, each one of them is like an incredible painting with its time-stamped graininess and incredible black and white contrast. The captured subjects take this book to the godly level, whether it's the musicians in deep concentration or the audience in levels of mental rapture. Features: Lionel Hampton, Sarah Vaughn, Count Basie, Dizzy Gillespie, Duke Ellington, Louis Armstrong, Chet Baker, Gerry Mulligan, Art Blakey, Lee Morgan, and many others. 79 pages, 7" x 7.25", in German and English. Recommended. -the mgmnt
The folks at Ego Trip have really outdone themselves this time. Setting out on an unprecedented course to tackle the racial makeup (and subsequent racism) that is America. They've created a monster that is extremely offensive, illuminating, deeply researched, and funny as...
expand review hell. They use the same format that made the Book of Rap Lists so great- the massive amount of info, articles and topics are divided into digestible sections, then further broken down into their genius lists. A sampling: 10 racial rumors worth talking about, the sports racism hall of fame, Chin check: a US phone book suvey, the true race adventures of the Rolling Stones, top 10 whites (according to blacks) + top 10 blacks (according to whites) and so so much more. Design is handled by Brent Rollins of course, with an extra help-out of hilarity from Reas. Just buy it, mongrel. -the mgmnt
Incredible. Freddy Fresh already had me with the first edition of "The Rap Records" thinking he was the ultimate database for hip-hop records, but with volume 2 he's really taken it to the limit. This revised 2nd edition is more than double...
expand review the size of the original (266 pages now 743 pages!) and features a shit ton more records (now expanded to include the mid-90's, British and foreign records) listed by label and way more full color label scans (at least 3 or 4 per page - over 2,500 total). Each release includes matrix numbers, year of release, and sometimes notes to tell different pressings apart. Freddy has even instituted a five star rating system of rarity for records that are particularly rare, and prices for records that catch loot. This is an invaluable resource for Djs, collectors, or anyone who has a passion for hip-hop. I don't care how much you think you know about rap records from '79-'9X, Freddy's gonna take you to school with this one. 743 pages, full color. Highly Recommended. -snackmaster
In my first days as a jr. designer with no typography skills, my boss told me to read a book called Stop Counting Sheep And Find Out How Type Works. It was a simple book that seemed obvious, but by the end,...
expand review I had a lightbulb moment that opened me up to the beautiful world of typography. Stop Counting Sheep was an unusual book in that it didn't read like a textbook, more like a self-help book. It was cool back then, but these days of quick-strike knowledge, Getting It Right is like a super soaker of typographic theories and rules. It's visually powerful work. The book's strength is it shows several examples of the same text, set in different type styles, right next to each other. With these examples the lessons become crystal clear, revealing both by mistakes and corrections. Lastly, in addition to all the typographic lessons, the book offers up practical, real-world advice for print and screen (this is the first typographic book that I've encountered that addresses typographic screen issues). Softcover, 174 pages. Recommended. -the mgmnt
This is my bestest magazine evah!!! The Hamburger Eyes phenomenon is finally back with issue number 11. This is themed the music issue, and let me tell you that this is quite possibly the most powerful set of photos you'll ever...
expand review see. Don't be a sucker, buy this and be amazed. 90 pages, black and white, softcover. Highest recommendation. -the mgmnt
Hallelujah! After years of slanging zines (and creating the awesome Photo Epicenter), the Hamburger Eyes crew has finally come around to putting out an official book! We've been praising with these guys for a while, carrying their early xeroxed issues and doing...
expand review a show at our LA store. When will people finally get the message: Hamburger Eyes destroys monotony! If you're not aware of the movement, just think about every time you saw some cool, inexplicable, or completely random that gave you a jolt of brain juices. Seconds later you say to yourself: "Damn, I wish I had a camera..." Well, Hamburger people always have their cameras with them, shoot old school film rolls, and capture the most beautifully random moments evah. Hardcover, approximately 200 pages, black and white. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. -the mgmnt
What's left to say about the almighty Hamburger Eyes? Every issue is packed with some of the most raw, beautiful and straight "wtf" inducing b&w photography you'll see in this day and age. In addition to the usual random shots from around...
expand review the globe, this issue includes the short features "Hello New York" by Tobin Yelland and "All The Punks Think You're Dumb" by Ricky Adam. So what are you waiting for? 90 pages. Highly recommended. -Chris Lemon-Red
Henri Cartier-Bresson... Wikipedia calls him "the father of modern photojournalism, an early adopter of the 35 mm format, and the master of candid photography." Spend 30 minutes with this book and you'll FULLY understand the hype. This massive book is 11" x...
expand review 12.75", over 1 inch thick, and comes wrapped in a embossed faux-leather cover. Inside, you'll find a dense collection of HCB's black and white photographs from the period of 1932-1956. At first glance, you'll be like "old black and white photos... nice," but spend some time examining the photos, and the genius just screams at you. I'm being serious, you've never seen this particular time period like this. Every picture scream of originality, as HCB constantly flips composition and subject matter (dude must have a serious wanderer). Jesus, I could fill a page just on the subjects... 262 pages, highly recommended. -the mgmnt
Huge score for the cut and paste designer. Using in 19th century / late 20th century illustrations and ornamentation has been a design staple for the last couple years. Nobody has those type of illustration skills these days, and it adds an...
expand review instant touch of class to your designs. This book is filled with the stuff (flags, animal drawings, banners, crests, shields, tons of fillagree) and it's as easy as scan-bitmap-use. The work here is top-shelf stuff taken from original books from 1913 and 1894, and super-tasteful. Another secret design weapon uncovered by the Lab. 128 pages, measures 9" x 6". -the mgmnt
Parallel Strokes is a collection of interviews with twenty-plus contemporary typeface designers, graffiti writers, and lettering artists around the world. The book is introduced with a comprehensive essay charting the history of graffiti, its relation to type design, and how the two...
expand review practices relate in the wider context of lettering. Interviews within include conversations with pan-European type design collective Underware, Japanese type designer Akira Kobayashi, American graffiti writer and fine artist Barry McGee/Twist, German graffiti writers Daim and Seak, American lettering artist, and graphic designer and design educator Ed Fella. Additional subjects include: Delta, Joker, Giant, Pink, She One, Eklips AWR/MSK, and others. Softcover, 1 color printing, photos and examples throughout. Recommended. -the mgmnt
Design book kings Die Verlag Gestalten drop their second compendium of today's finest illustrations. If you haven't noticed, the illustration game has progressed immensely in the last several years with designers successfully merging hand-styles and computer-styles (vector illustrations are so 1990s). This...
expand review densely packed, chunked-out book features 340, full color, oversized pages. It's divided by themes including Naive & Basic, Fashion & Style, Pattern & Surface, Typography & Illustrated Letterform, Deconstructive & Collage, Vector, and Pencileers & Ink. Stay up in the game. Hardcover. Recommended. -the mgmnt
indepth
