When Stan Lee first pitched the idea of Spider-Man in 1962, his boss was full of objections: People hate spiders. Teenagers aren’t lead characters; they’re sidekicks. He should be glamorous and successful, not a friendless loser. But Stan persisted and Martin Goodman let him give the unlikely hero a tryout in Amazing Fantasy, which was already slated for cancellation. With Spider-Man on the cover, No. 15 shot to the top of Marvel’s best-seller list for the year, and the rest is history.Amazing Spider-Man, which debuted seven months later, broke the comics mold. Peter Parker lived in uncool Queens, was always broke, continually worried about his Aunt May, was unlucky in love, and was constantly getting yelled at by his boss, Daily Bugle publisher J. Jonah Jameson. Spider-Man had the quips and confidence that Parker lacked, but learning to use his powers wasn’t always easy. He often seemed on the verge of defeat against the rogue’s gallery of classic foes that debuted in the first couple of years: Vulture, Doctor Octopus, Sandman, Lizard, Electro, Kraven the Hunter, Mysterio, and the Green Goblin. Much of the credit for Spider-Man’s greatness goes to cocreator and artist Steve Ditko, who had a knack for portraying teenagers and their problems. His artwork infused Spider-Man with a loose-limbed energy, and, while maybe everyone was scared of spiders, Ditko made swinging through New York seem like the coolest adventure ever.First available as an XXL-sized collector’s dream, close in size to the original artworks, this compact edition features the first 21 stories of the world’s favorite web slinger from 1962–1964. Rather than recolor the original artwork (as has been done in previous decades’ reprints of classic comics), TASCHEN has attempted to create an ideal representation of these books as they were produced at the time of publication. The most pristine pedigreed comics have been cracked open and photographed for reproduction in close collaboration with Marvel and the Certified Guaranty Company. Each page has been photographed as printed more than half a century ago, then digitally remastered using modern retouching techniques to correct problems with the era’s inexpensive, imperfect printing—as if hot off a world-class 1960s printing press.With an in-depth historical essay by Marvel editor Ralph Macchio, an introduction by uber-collector David Mandel, and original art, rare photographs, and other gems, this robust collection of wall-crawling wonder will make anyone’s spider-sense tingle with anticipation.
A Voyage to the Red Planet
Uncover the mysteries of Mars in six decades of NASA photographs
Early astronomers, drawn to Mars's fiery glow in the night sky, named the planet after their god of war. In the centuries since, Mars has captivated humankind as a source of endless speculation and a beacon of hope for its potential habitability. Through six decades of NASA’s pioneering research missions, the mysteries of the red planet have been gradually uncovered, revealing a world not so unlike our own that likely once supported life.
See the earliest close-up images of Mars taken by the Mariner 4 spacecraft in 1965—the first ever captured of another planet—along with historical illustrations from an era when curiosity outpaced scientific progress. Science and art collide as NASA’s later orbiter missions capture aerial views of ancient riverbeds, polar ice caps, dust storms, vast canyons, and towering volcanoes in an endlessly varied landscape. As they traverse Mars’s rugged surface, NASA’s rovers have operated as mechanical extensions of humankind for the past 25 years, drilling holes, searching for traces of water, and marveling at mountain ranges and panoramic sunsets.
Through hundreds of cutting-edge photographs from NASA's extensive archives, we join their scientists in the ongoing quest to better understand Mars. Essays by NASA’s former Chief Scientist James L. Green and JPL Chief Engineer Rob Manning provide an in-depth look at the history of Martian exploration and the challenges of preparing for these groundbreaking missions. Captions by planetary scientist Emily Lakdawalla skillfully illuminate each image's content and technical context, and a foreword by renowned poet Nikki Giovanni and an introduction by curator Margaret A. Weitekamp reflect on Mars’s significance in our cultural imagination.
From a distant enigma to a tangible frontier whose every grain of sand we can now observe, this volume celebrates the extraordinary progress NASA has made, bringing us closer than ever to understanding our neighboring world.
By early 1963 the foundations of the Marvel Universe had been laid. Following the introduction of the Fantastic Four in 1961 came the amazing (Spider-Man), the astonishing (Ant-Man), the strange (Doctor, that is), the incredible (Hulk), the invincible (Iron Man) and the mighty (Thor). Still, Marvel editor in chief Stan Lee realized something was missing. “I was writing these characters and I thought it would fun to put them together in a team,” he recalled. So Lee and artist Jack Kirby assembled Iron Man, Ant-Man and the Wasp, Thor, and the Hulk to create the Avengers.Right away it was clear this team was different. If the Fantastic Four were family, then the Avengers were the co-workers you didn’t choose. Not everyone got along—the Hulk fought with everyone—but working together they could defeat the baddest of Marvel’s bad guys, like Loki, Kang the Conqueror, the Masters of Evil, and Immortus. The lineup was ever changing: The Hulk departed, Captain America joined, and Ant-Man grew up to become Giant-Man. Then, remarkably, villains Hawkeye, Quicksilver, and the Scarlet Witch became heroes—and Avengers—and the group’s founding members shockingly departed, leaving Captain America to lead the newly minted heroes.Relive the classic early adventures of Avengers Nos. 1–20 now available as a compact trade edition. TASCHEN has attempted to create an ideal representation of these books as they were produced at the time of publication. The most pristine pedigreed comics have been cracked open and photographed for reproduction in close collaboration with Marvel and the Certified Guaranty Company. Each page has then been digitally remastered using modern retouching techniques to correct problems with the era’s inexpensive, imperfect printing—as if hot off a world-class 1960s printing press.Accompanying the stories are an original foreword by Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige and an in-depth history by the Eisner Award-winning writer Kurt Busiek that’s illustrated with original art, little-seen photographs, and rare documents. This mighty collection about Earth’s Mightiest Heroes is worthy of Tony Stark’s library—or yours.
The Star Wars Archives. 1977 - 1983
The definitive exploration of the original trilogy
Star Wars exploded onto our cinema screens in 1977, and the world has not been the same since. After watching depressing and cynical movies throughout the early 1970s, audiences enthusiastically embraced the positive energy of the Star Wars universe as they followed moisture farmer Luke Skywalker on his journey through a galaxy far, far away, meeting extraordinary characters like mysterious hermit Obi-Wan Kenobi, space pirates Han Solo and Chewbacca, loyal droids C-3PO and R2-D2, bold Princess Leia and the horrific Darth Vader, servant of the dark, malevolent Emperor.
Writer, director, and producer George Lucas created the modern monomyth of our time, one that resonates with the child in us all. He formed Industrial Light & Magic to develop cutting-edge special effects technology, which he combined with innovative editing techniques and a heightened sense of sound to give audiences a unique sensory cinematic experience.
In this first volume, made with the full cooperation of Lucasfilm, Lucas narrates his own story, taking us through the making of the original trilogy—Episode IV: A New Hope, Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back, and Episode VI: Return of the Jedi—and bringing fresh insights into the creation of a unique universe. Complete with script pages, production documents, concept art, storyboards, on-set photography, stills, and posters, the XXL-sized tome is an authoritative exploration of the original saga as told by its creator.
Mythologies for the Future
The biomechanical art of HR Giger
“At its essence, Giger’s art digs down into our psyches and touches our very deepest primal instincts and fears. His art stands in a category of its own. The proof of this lies in the intensity of his work and imagination, which I can only compare to Hieronymus Bosch and Francis Bacon in their powers to provoke and disturb.” – Ridley Scott
Swiss artist HR Giger (1940–2014) is most famous for his creation of the space monster in Ridley Scott’s 1979 horror sci-fi film Alien, which earned him an Oscar. In retrospect, this was just one of the most popular expressions of Giger’s biomechanical arsenal of creatures, which consistently merged hybrids of human and machine into images of haunting power and dark psychedelia. The visions drew on demons of the past, as well as evoking mythologies for the future. Above all, they gave expression to the collective fears and fantasies of his age: fear of the atom, of pollution and wasted resources, and of a future in which our bodies depend on machines for survival.
This book was begun shortly before the artist’s untimely death and shows the complete story of Giger’s life and art, his sculptures, film work, and iconic album covers as well as the heritage he left us in his own artist’s museum and self-designed bar in the Swiss Alps. In an in-depth essay, Giger scholar Andreas J. Hirsch plunges into the themes of Giger’s oeuvre and world while an extensive artist biography draws on contemporary quotes and Giger’s own writings.
France at the Turn of the Century
A tribute to the colorful joie de vivre of the Belle Époque
The turn of the 20th century was a golden era in France. It was an age of peace, prosperity, and progress after a series of bruising wars and turmoil within the French Republic, culminating in the Franco-Prussian War, which had ended in 1871. From the ruins of conflict, the Belle Époque brought joie de vivre flourish, a boom in art, design, industry, technology, gastronomy, education, travel, entertainment, and nightlife.
Through some 800 vintage photographs, postcards, posters, and photochromes from the extensive archives of Marc Walter and Photovintagefrance, France 1900 follows up on TASCHEN’s best-selling vintage photographic collections Italy 1900, The Grand Tour, and America 1900 to provide a precious record of France in all its turn-of-the-century glory. With the photochrome technique used in many of the images restoring the past to vivid color, we enjoy a bristling close, bittersweet, encounter with this hopeful age: the brave, stony splendor of the Mont Saint-Michel; the icy peaks of Chamonix; and the honey light of the Côte d’Azur.
With an introduction, six essays, and detailed commentary by Sabine Arqué exploring the stories behind the pictures, this is an unrivalled portrait of a nation on the cusp of the century and of its poignant exuberance before the paroxysm of the First World War. While paying tribute to the precious Belle Époque, crushed by the traumas of history, it also celebrates the unwavering allure of La Belle France, its beauty, culture, traditions, and legendary romance.
Pitch Perfect
From Funny Girl to A Star Is Born, the meteoric rise of Barbra Streisand
In 1970 Barbra Streisand published a story in Life magazine titled “Who Am I Anyway?” It was the very question two leading photojournalists of the day—Steve Schapiro and Lawrence Schiller—were also asking as they photographed her during her first five years in Hollywood, working to get beneath the veneer and capture “the real Barbra.”
Brimming with photographs, stories, and behind-the-scenes shots from Schapiro and Schiller, and previously available as a limited edition, this is a must-have collection for any Streisand fan. All the best movies of Streisand’s first Hollywood decade are here: Funny Girl, On a Clear Day You Can See Forever, The Way We Were, The Owl and the Pussycat, Up the Sandbox, Funny Lady, and A Star Is Born. So too are her loves, directors, confidants, and costars: Elliott Gould, William Wyler, Sydney Pollack, Vincente Minnelli, Cis Corman, Omar Sharif, Kris Kristofferson, and, of course, Robert Redford.
Through it all a picture emerges not of a singer who could act, but of an actress who could sing, write, direct, dance, and do just about anything she put her mind to.
Die Schrecken der sieben Weltmeere
Die Welt der Seeräuber und Piraten in Literatur und Illustrationskunst
Piraten, Seeräuber, Korsaren – wer kennt sie nicht, die säbelrasselnden Abenteurer und Schrecken der sieben Weltmeere? Seit Jahrhunderten spuken sie, ob echt oder erfunden, durch die Welt von Literatur und Kunst: Edward Teach, alias Blackbeard, bekannt für seine blutrünstige Grausamkeit, Henry, genannt Bloody Morgan, dessen versunkene Schätze bis heute der Entdeckung harren, und natürlich Long John Silver, ein Antiheld, wie er im Buche steht und wie ihn Robert Louis Stevenson in der Schatzinsel (1885) so packend geschildert hat.
Der Band Pirate Tales ist eine wahre Schatzkiste von Auszügen aus Romanen und Erzählungen, die von der großen Zeit der Seeräuberei im 16. und 17. Jahrhundert berichten. Den Anfang macht Daniel Defoes Robinson Crusoe (1719), das alles bereit hält, was die Geschichte der Kaperei zu bieten hat: Schiffbruch, Meuterei, verborgene Inseln und sprechende Papageien. Defoes Meisterwerk wurde zum Vorbild für viele Abenteuerromane, nicht zuletzt für Jules Vernes Die geheimnisvolle Insel (1871), das ebenfalls vertreten ist. Dritter im Bunde ist Robert Louis Stevenson mit der Schatzinsel (1885), einem Piraten-Epos, das in keiner Seeräubersammlung fehlen darf, denn hier begegnen wir Billy Bones, der blinde Pew, der holzbeinige Long John Silver und der Schwarze Fleck. Auszüge aus Howard Pyles posthum publizierten Buch der Piraten (1921) runden den Band ab.
Spannend und anschaulich bebildert sind all diese Geschichten aus der Welt der Piraterie mit Werken aus der Schule von Brandywine, die als Wiege der modernen amerikanischen Illustrationskunst gilt, angefangen bei dem Piratenspezialisten Howard Pyle, gefolgt von dessen Schülern Newell Convers Wyeth und Frank Schoonover. Der Band enthält neben Originalwerken aus Privatsammlungen Werke aus der Goldenen Zeit der Illustrationskunst an der Wende vom 19. zum 20. Jahrhundert. Die Auftaktillustrationen zu den einzelnen Geschichten wurden eigens für diesen Band von dem kanadischen Illustrationskünstler Michael Custode gezeichnet.
Eine ausführliche Einleitung aus der Feder des Historikerpaars Robert und Jill May stellt historische Freibeuterpersönlichkeiten und ihren Einfluss auf die im Band enthaltenen Erzählungen vor. Die einzelnen Geschichten werden fachkundig kommentiert, das Leben und Werk der Autoren und Illustratoren im Kontext ihrer Kunst vorgestellt. Mit seiner Mischung aus Geschichte und Geschichten, literarischer Fiktion und Illustrationskunst lässt Das Buch der Piraten uns eintauchen in eine Welt der Abenteuer auf sturmgepeitschter See an der Seite verwegener Seeleute und jeder Gefahr spottender Outlaws.
In her vibrant works, the Brazilian painter Beatriz Milhazes fuses two very different worldviews. Her abstract compositions, which can be seen in a line with modernist masters from Henri Matisse to Bridget Riley, are saturated with the colors and light of her native country. Her paintings are strewn with symbols of everyday life in Brazil, invoking carnival, traditional craftsmanship, and motifs from baroque to pop, all choreographed in an exuberant visual rhythm. The colorful atmosphere has an irresistible exotic allure, but as in the works of Paul Gauguin, we find a broken paradise in which darker, more melancholic tones resonate, both in the promises of tropical life and those of modernist abstraction.
In seeking this balance, Milhazes developed a special transfer technique in the late eighties, painting her motifs onto plastic sheets, gluing these to the canvas and letting them dry, and then peeling away the plastic once dry so that the paint remains on the canvas. This method allows the artist to layer surface upon surface and to achieve an iridescence somewhere between radiant aura and shimmering melancholy. Since her breakthrough in the early 1990s, Milhazes has extended the scope of her work to other media, producing screen prints, collages made of chocolate and candy wrappers, sculptures such as giant mobiles made of carnival decorations, site-specific projects that transform building façades into stained glass windows, and experiments with body and rhythm in collaboration with her sister Marcia’s ballet ensemble.
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