Following in the successful paw and hoof prints of The Daily Zoo: Volume One comes another exotic menagerie of creative fauna from Hollywood artist Chris Ayers. The Daily Zoo 2 offers more furry and feathered friends along with continuing reflections on his life as an artist and cancer survivor. And, as with Volume 1 and perhaps more so, regardless of your artistic experience, this book will leave you inspired to grab the nearest pencil, pen, brush or crayon and start drawing ... for fun and perhaps as a way to bring healing!

In the spring of 2005 Chris Ayers was busy working as a concept artist in the Hollywood film industry. That came to a crashing halt when he was diagnosed with leukemia on April first. After a year-long period of treatment and recovery he started a sketchbook called The Daily Zoo on the anniversary of his diagnosis. Over the next 365 days he would draw one animal each day, challenging both his self-discipline and imagination. Most importantly it would allow him the focused opportunity to celebrate the gift of each healthy day. The pages of The Daily Zoo: Volume One are chock-filled with 365 distinct critters, ranging from curious pandas to sinister hyenas, athletic aardvarks to zealous zebras, and his choice of artistic styles are as diverse as his subject matter. Alongside the images Ayers, whose big screen credits include Men in Black II, X-Men 3, and the Alien vs. Predator films, ties in commentary about his cancer experience, the sources of his artistic inspiration and his creative methods. Whether you're a beginning artist or a seasoned pro, this book will leave you inspired to grab the nearest pencil, pen, brush or crayon and start drawing!

The highly anticipated follow-up to Framed Ink from Marcos Mateu-Mestre, Framed Ink 2 provides insight into another compositional tool that Marcos uses every day to create his amazing artwork—the energy within the working frame. In each piece of art, regardless of its format, one must consider essential factors such as the push-pull, tension-relaxation, pressure-release, balance and imbalance that happen inside the working area to support our storytelling. All of these factors apply in any aspect ratio, whether it be horizontal, vertical or square, each a format to consider when working in the movie, gaming, animation and graphic novel industries, which in our day and age can be presented through a variety of outlets such as a movie theater, home theater, social media and a number of personal devices. Marcos encourages and educates us on how not to be limited by the format but to embrace and rise to the challenge of designing for each format. A perfect accompaniment to his prior releases Framed Ink, Framed Perspective Vol. 1 and Vol. 2 and Framed Drawing Techniques, this book will take a reader’s knowledge base to the next level and allow them to build on their expertise as an effective visual storyteller.

Weingart Lieutenant Richard Mertzbow (aka “Mertz”) has been stuck on the mysterious Abakan Base in solitude for decades, while war raged on his home planet, Terra, between the ruling Weingart power, which put him on Abakan, and those rebelling against their oppressive rule. One day a young woman suddenly appears at his door, revealing secrets that threaten to unravel his already fragile state of mind. Abakan 2301 picks up where 2011’s Abakan 2288, by renowned mecha artist Kallamity, left off. The sequel is an exciting exploration of mecha, narrated by the compelling, but strained voice of Mertz as he navigates a world he does not recognize, alongside Kallamity’s, which shares his own complicated adventures in executing his mecha designs. Just as with the first installment, Abakan 2301 features Kallamity’s original story illustrations and images of his remarkable mech creations—the Kastor, the Watchel, and Briegel II, to name a few—in all their intricate and colorful glory, with detailed information about their builds, as well a section featuring prominent artists reimagining Kallamity’s remarkable designs.

Boston, 1926. Francis Thurston goes through documents left behind by his grandfather’s brother, recently deceased under mysterious circumstances. He soon discovers the existence of a cult that worships ancient and unspeakable horrors. Mysterious murders, blood rituals in the depths of the Louisiana swamps, artists who descend into insanity after nightmarish visions, and a Cyclopean city that rises from the sea. Step by step, Thurston realizes that his relative’s research got too close to the truth. In the shadows, there are those who want to wake the sleeping god Cthulhu in order to spread madness and destruction over the entire world. The stars are right. Is the end near? H.P. Lovecraft’s The Call of Cthulhu , first published in 1928, is one of the greatest classics of American horror literature. Cthulhu himself, dreaming and waiting at the bottom of the sea, became a symbol for the entire mythology that Lovecraft created. François Baranger, an illustrator who has previously worked in film and games, was fascinated early on by Lovecraft’s creatures and visions which populated the darkest recesses of fantasy. In this book, he has taken on the work of illustrating Lovecraft’s most iconic novel.

The Silver Way: Techniques, Tips and Tutorials for Effective Character Design by Stephen Silver offers invaluable instruction from one of best teachers in the industry. Whether you’re a professional artist interested in improving your drawing skills, or an aspiring designer fresh out of high school looking to add to your portfolio, The Silver Way will help you build your confidence and strengthen your work in order to successfully design characters for any project, in any style. Chockfull of helpful—and entertaining!—drawing techniques and easy-to-follow tutorials developed through his decades of experience as an artist on popular animated shows (Kim Possible, Danny Phantom, The Fairly OddParents) and as the owner of Silver Drawing Academy, The Silver Way is the kind of educational art book you’ll revisit again and again for guidance, encouragement, and inspiration.

Building on the foundation established with the first book in the series, Framed Perspective 2 guides artists through the challenging tasks of projecting shadows in proper perspective on a variety of environments and working with characters in perspective set in particular situation or setting. Author and artist Marcos Mateu-Mestre reveals the many techniques and mechanics he has used to become proficient in such endeavors, including using anatomy, shadows, and clothing folds to define the shape and volume of characters within an environment. He also shares how to effectively observe a model or object to extract the right amount of information to then translate it into an impactful graphic and visual image, the goal of every visual storyteller.

Perspective is a discipline often set aside when it comes to general art study, though it is essential to master in order to produce any piece of art that is and feels realistic. Framed Perspective 1 equips artists with the technical knowledge needed to produce successful visual storytelling-related drawings: from understanding the basics of the space around us and how we perceive it, all the way to more sophisticated endeavors, like creating entire locations that will become the believable set ups our characters and stories will happen within. As intimidating as perspective may seem, best-selling author and artist Marcos Mateu-Mestre delivers each lesson in an accessible and informative way that takes the mystery out of achieving successful scenes. The book includes extensive step-by-step practical explanations of how to build objects and environments of all sorts, taking that first sketch to a fully rendered artwork with many of his finished illustrations as examples. Sure to be the most popular book in your art library, it will train you to see the world in a way that allows you to enjoy every curve and slope you see in it and, more importantly, translate that vision into art with accuracy and a great sense and understanding of depth and proportion. Your perspective will never be the same!

This book will be the official catalogue for the exhibition. It will be the first publication to explore the relationship between Tim Burton’s cinematic creations and the world of design. The reader will be invited into an examination of what is now broadly referred to as the ‘Burtonesque’, intersecting his iconic films with the impact of these unique design aesthetics on broader visual culture. The catalogue will unpack Tim Burton’s distinctive visual language, exploring the intersection of gothic, carnivalesque and fantastical elements that define his cinematic masterpieces. Insightful essays by design experts and film critics will offer a deeper understanding of the director’s creative process, making this catalogue a homage to role that design practice plays in the hauntingly beautiful worlds he creates.

Deprog is a new detective thriller from Tina Horn (SfSx) and Lisa Sterle (Witchblood) that's John Constantine meets Jessica Jones with a kinky Midsommar twist. Meet Tate Debs, a hardboiled hard drinking leather loving dyke detective with an office in the back of Los Angeles's last video store. Tate specializes in rescuing and deprogramming people from abusive groups with extreme beliefs -- like the one Tate herself escaped, that believed in inter-dimensional travel and taboo ritual sex. When a femme named Vera, who may just be fatale, hires Tate to infiltrate a group of mystical hippies out in the desert, she must decide if Vera's charms are worth being re-traumatized. Soon, Tate must face her past out of devotion to the femme she may be falling for... and a single minded drive to avenge her family.

" ... horrific and hilarious all at once... " -- Gatecrashers"Champion Mojo Storyteller" Joe R. Lansdale (Hap & Leonard, Bubba Ho Tep) and his daughter, author/country singer Kasey Lansdale (Creepshow, Impossible Monsters), join forces with award-winning artist Daniele Serra (Hellraiser, The Crow) and colorist Tom Napolitano (Batman/Spawn, We Have Demons) to bring you Dana and Jana-the new dynamic duo of supernatural-- er, supernormal sleuthing! Dana Roberts, seasoned investigator of the supernormal, is called to Italy by an ex-lover to investigate a strange phenomenon-- the mystery of a bleeding wall. Due to an odd experience of her own, Jana Davis attends a book signing event focused on strange occurrences. The twosome meet, team up and together head to Italy in search of answers.Are they dealing with a haunted house? A demon perhaps? Or a vengeful specter from the other side? Dana has battled angry jinns, malevolent shadows, ancient travelers, and soul-sucking shapeshifters, but in The Case of the Bleeding Wall, she and her new sidekick, Jana, will face their most dangerous challenge yet.Collects issues 1-4." Atmosphere, intrigue and an inherent looming danger The Case of the Bleeding Wall has it all... " -- Jonathan Chance, Cover The Dead With Lime

Mucho Mojo is the basis for the second season of the new Sundance TV series Hap and Leonard and has been adapted into a full color graphic novel by Finnish illustrator Jussi Piironen. Hap and Leonard return in this incredible, mad-dash thriller, loaded with crack addicts, a serial killer, and a body count. Leonard is still nursing the injuries he sustained in the duo''s last wild undertaking when he learns that his Uncle Chester has passed. Hap is of course going to be there for his best friend, and when the two are cleaning up Uncle Chester''s dilapidated house, they uncover a dark little secret beneath the house''s rotting floor boards—a small skeleton buried in a trunk. Hap wants to call the police. Leonard, being a black man in east Texas, persuades him this is not a good idea, and together they set out to clear Chester''s name on their own. The only things standing in their way is a houseful of felons, a vicious killer, and possibly themselves.