Magic Hour, The: The Convergence of Art and Las Vegas

Book Description

Is Las Vegas, the capital of the Western entertainment complex, also set to become the capital of art? A large number of artists live there or visit often, Venice was partially reconstructed there, and the Bellagio resort and casino house an art collection that includes El Grecos and Picassos promoted as if they were Frank Sinatra or the Beach Boys. At this historic moment, art is losing the visionary power to which it used to lay claim and is instead drawing closer to the forms of the entertainment industry, from lifestyle and game shows to Hollywood cinema and music videos. In a paradoxical turn of events, the society of the spectacle has become a reality and Las Vegas is becoming the capital of the future culture industry. Dave Hickey and art historian Libby Lumpkin moved to Las Vegas in the early 90s. For Hickey, the Strip has served as a platform for his critique of the elitist and purist structure of values within the art world. In 1992, Denise Scott Brown, Robert Venturi, and Steven Izenour published Learning from Las Vegas, providing a seminal and radical reevaluation of the vernacular architecture of what was then one of America's most culturally neglected cities.

Average customer rating:

Bettie Page
a great fan of bettys......
Tawdry Rather Than Celebratory
a must have for amy bettie page fan

Bettie Page: Queen of Hearts
Jim Silke
Manufacturer: Dark Horse
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Portraits | Photography | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

General | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

General | Comics & Graphic Novels | Subjects | Books

General | Graphic Novels | Comics & Graphic Novels | Subjects | Books

Dark Horse | Publishers | Comics & Graphic Novels | Subjects | Books

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Action & Adventure | Genre Fiction | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

jp-unknown3 | Specialty Stores | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 1569711240

Book Description

What a dish! What a doll! What a delinquent! Bettie Page sent the world for a cold shower when her first photo appeared in Flirt magazine in 1951. Bettie ignited a flame that burned through the art community, affecting forever the way women were portrayed by artists and photographers. In this 96-page coffee-table book, historian and artist Jim Silke explores Bettie's influence on popular culture, from dime-store novels to paperbacks, and from painting to advertising. Featured in this volume are fifty new images of Bettie, including never-before-published photographs by Bunny Yeager, as well as artists representations of Bettie. Glamour fans, art fans, and history buffs alike will clamor for Bettie Page: Queen of Hearts!

Customer Reviews:

Bettie Page.......2007-01-11

Excellent book, with good pictures of Bettie. It has a good piece of Bettie's story, too!

a great fan of bettys.............2006-04-24

I love Betty Paige...and adored this book...I read many
true stories and unusual or odd memoirs...I find them
to be the most stimulating because they are not mainstream.
This book was well worth reading....

Tawdry Rather Than Celebratory.......2000-12-05

The most unfortunate thing about Jim Silke's book is that he writes about Bettie Page (and very poorly, at that) as an object rather than as a person--his interest in Bettie doesn't seem to extend beyond his own masturbatory fantasies. It doesn't appear that the author spent much time researching his subject (beyond looking at her pictures). While there are a respectable number photographs and some nice artwork by Dave Stevens and Robert McGinnis, there are far too many pages devoted to Silke's own drawings of Bettie, many of which are based on old movie stills or Olivia paintings.

a must have for amy bettie page fan.......1998-11-25

Let me just say if your a bettie page fan you,ll love all the pic,drawing and hard to find nude of Ms page. Its a short book but well layed out.

Average customer rating:

good book
Excellent story-line; Gath of Baal at his finest

Tooth and Claw (Death Dealer)
Frank Frazetta , and James R. Silke
Manufacturer: Tor Fantasy
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

General | Fantasy | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books

Look Inside Science Fiction & Fantasy Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 0812503309

Customer Reviews:

good book.......2006-06-09

like the previous review, it is a really good book, excellent cover art, great story line, and an incredible ending.

Excellent story-line; Gath of Baal at his finest.......1999-06-25

Gath finds his childhood memories deep inside a jungle; he finds himself; and the characters all fall into place perfectly; James Silke, along with the Death Dealer (Gath character) are great!!!!!!!

Death Dealer #01: Prisoner of the Horned Helmet (Death Dealer)

Average customer rating:

Super Reader
Great sweeping fantasy
excellent book
i am glad they made another
Great cover art, but trite formulaic writing

Death Dealer #01: Prisoner of the Horned Helmet (Death Dealer)
James Silke , and Frank Frazetta
Manufacturer: Tor Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

General | Fantasy | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books

Look Inside Science Fiction & Fantasy Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 0812538234

Customer Reviews:

Super Reader.......2007-08-31

This book has all the elements, a hero of sorts all muscly and armored, and a sneaky gorgeous sorceress that he must initially make a deal with her to enable him to overcome in a coming conflict.

The Horned Helmet that she gives him does make him superpowered, hard to hurt, and all that, but very much has a touch of the Stormbringer about it, which he learns and has to struggle against.

The writing just isn't too good, though.

Great sweeping fantasy.......2007-05-04

I come to write this review because after almost 15 years since I first read the book, I tried to find it again and came on the Amazon page. I read all the reviews and I agree with most of them. This (and the rest of the series) is a great fantasy read, far and above most of the junk that's out there now.

One word to describe Silke's writing style is, "florid." Undoubtedly, Silke is great at conveying with words the varied and colorful world that exists in his mind. In a way, however, he makes the reader a less involved in that the reader only passively consumes the rich tapestry of Silke's words. But it does make for an incredibly absorbing read, aided tremendously by Frazetta's drawings. A nice trick in each of his Gath books is that Silke makes an effort to fit the cover art into the narrative, a single scene that segues neatly into the plot where the cover art is described in perfect detail. A transmutation of a picture into a thousand (or a few less, actually) words!

I highly recommend this series. I would love to see this turned into a movie series. I feel that "look & feel" design has already been done by Silke.

Interesting, I tried Silke's other writings and was less than enthused. It's the same with my other favorite fantasy series "Seventh Sword" by Dave Duncan, and to a lesser degree, "Deeds of Paksanarrion" by Elizabeth Moon. While I found most of Duncan's writings other than the "Seventh Sword" to range from average to unreadable, I am enjoying Moon's "Vatta War" series.

excellent book.......2006-06-09

this is the first book of series, obviously. it is really detailed. the pic on the front cover is the good guy. i dont want to really tell u the story line, but sufficeth to say, it catches you on the very first page.

i am glad they made another.......2005-07-24

hey i have read the first 4 numerous times and i am glad they made a fifth i cant wait to read it

Great cover art, but trite formulaic writing.......2004-07-22

Series review: Death Dealer

There are 4 books in this series:

1. Prisoner of the Horned Helmet
2. Lords of Destruction
3. Tooth and Claw
4. Plague of Knives

I was disappointed with this series.

I made the classic mistake of novice book buyers ... I foolishly bought the books because they had really cool baroque-fantasy cover art. Take my word for it - you money would be better spent buying a Frank Frazetta artwork calendar than buying this series, because it's all downhill once you open the cover.

The writing is remarkably mediocre and packed with trite cliches. It reads like bad Conan. And it's not even "bad" in the sort of way that's sometimes still pretty good, if you're not too discerning (like bad pizza, or even bad sex). No. These books are honestly, truly, and genuinely BAD. Bad as in did-someone-forget-to-take-out-the-garbage-for-2-weeks kinda bad. The I-havent-showered-in-7-days-and-the-sheets-are-sticking-to-me kinda bad. Not quite bad enough to make one of Douglas Adams's infamously odious Vogon poets wince, but still plenty bad.

I can sum things up nicely with this observation - these books were apparently written AFTER THE FACT, strictly to cash in on the cult popularity of Frazetta's "Death Dealer" artwork. Yes, you read that correctly - the books were spawned by the artwork, rather than the reverse.

The story is basically a takeoff on the Elric/Stormbringer 'cursed artifact' motif, except in this case the central character is a big barbarian who gets taken over by a cursed enchanted helmet inhabited by a powerful demon (plot device alert: thin excuse for mindless hack & slash action).

A potentially cool premise, but very poorly executed by the authors.

Michael Moorcock (Elric/Stormbrinner) and Poul Anderson (The Broken Sword) have done similar plots, and done them far better.

Plague of Knives (Frank Frazetta's Death Dealer, Book 4)

Average customer rating:

good book
The best since Conan.
Tale of the Barbarian
the best series i have ever read
You put it up and its stays there, this book is magnificent

Plague of Knives (Frank Frazetta's Death Dealer, Book 4)
Frank Frazetta , and James R. Silke
Manufacturer: Tor Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

General | Fantasy | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books

Look Inside Science Fiction & Fantasy Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 0812503325

Customer Reviews:

good book.......2006-06-09

i've read all the death dealer books, own all them for several years. they have a special place in my mini-library of roughly 50-75 books. they are one of the series that i continuously reread. like the previous reviews, they are hard to find, but once you acquire them, they (to me) become more precious than gold. i've found all of them in a book store, or have had to order them through this website and barnes and noble. read the books, then you'll look at the new books differently.

The best since Conan........2005-04-24

This is by far the best epic fantasy I have read since reading Conan thirty years ago. It has everything: It's full of what you'd expect from the old style sword and sorcery novels. It is written well enough to be up there with the best of them, and kept me hooked from beginning to end. After finishing Prisoner of the Horned Helmet, I bought the rest of the books in the series and have never looked back. I envy people with the talent that James Silke has.

Tale of the Barbarian.......2002-05-03

I wouldn't say I am person to read fantasy books nor a ficton reader to begin with. My father has a huge collection of books. I was looking through his books one time I saw four books with really cool covers. I was looking at the books to read one for a High School Book Report. So I picked up the first one because of its awesome cover. Read the book in one day! Couldn't put it down. Then I read the 2nd one the next day and so forth till all four were done. It's a shame the books are not easy to come by any more. I was fortunate my dad had already had all four. This is by far the best series I have ever read or will read!

the best series i have ever read.......1999-11-20

i am a fantasy buff to the max and have read literally thousands of books in the fantasy sci fi genre. i own quite a bit of money and spend the majority of it on books. but one day while looking in a used book store in san antonio texas i purchesed the death dealer series and have not bought another book since. i feel now that no book will ever compare in shear brillance of imagery and wording. James Silke is a true artist and genius. i would do anything to read more books from him. i have tried to purchase the mint condition set of these books but to no avail. and to this day my original set are my most prized possesions. if Mr Silke is reading this please publish more on the tale of Gath of Baal and Robin Lakehair and Brown John. i would seriously do anything to read more stories. i had thought at one time you may write an off branch of the years Gath left Robin between book 2 and 3. but i am afraid not. to anyone looking for the perfect book this whole series is it

thank you, kyle whiting

You put it up and its stays there, this book is magnificent.......1999-07-23

I am not an avid reader who spends time reading books. I like to do other things with my time. Then one day i was at the library and saw the cover. I said,"I'll get this one." Before you know it I had finished the book in 2 days, no other fantasy books have ever kept me readin like this except for the dragonlance books and so i looked for the 1st and 3rd books in the series to complete my readin but to no avail. All in all this book is fantastic, so if you are looking for a great fantasy novel this is the one to get. Dont take my word for it, read the other reveiws(and the book)and you'll see what i mean.

Average customer rating:

The Flower Ball
Sigrid Laube
Manufacturer: Pumpkin House, Ltd.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Picture Books | Ages 4-8 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

General | Ages 4-8 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

General | Literature | Children's Books | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 0964601028

Book Description

With charming and colorful illustrations, this lively story delivers an important message of acceptance to young readers. When Cauliflower and Carrot decide to go to the Flower Ball, the other vegetables are scandalized—since vegetables and flowers don't look and smell alike, they think they should stick to their own kinds. At the ball, the flowers are indignant over this strange brushwood attending their fragrant party, but Cauliflower and Carrot are self-confident and don't hesitate to dance a Snap-Bean Rumba, a Cucumber Tango, and a Chili-Pepper Cha-Cha-Cha. The two of them make a beautiful sight, and despite themselves, the flowers applaud. Soon the flowers open up their buds, and a vegetable–flower friendship grows.

Lords of Destruction (Death Dealer, Book 2)

Average customer rating:

another good book
The Lords of Destruction
C'mon, if you read the others, this is a must have..
Good entertainment (no more, no less)
One of the best books I've read

Lords of Destruction (Death Dealer, Book 2)
Frank Frazetta , and James Silke
Manufacturer: Tor Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

General | Fantasy | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 0812534220

Customer Reviews:

another good book.......2006-06-09

this is the second in the series, drawn by frank frazetta. the pic on the cover is the good guy. there're 4 books in the series. i dont think they're still being printed out. considering book 1 was published in the early 80's. i own all 4 though. they look thoroughly read. they are all really good reads.

The Lords of Destruction.......2003-12-09

This one was my favorite of the four books. It picks up immediately after Prisoner of the Horned Helmet. Gath of Baal is on a quest to find and destroy the Master of Darkness and tame the power of the Horned Helmet once and for all. Towards that end, he has taken the beautiful sorceress Cobra captive, intending to use her as a guide. Cobra, through her dark ties with the Master of Darkness, is able to remove the helmet, enabling Gath to wear the helmet without the threat of its imprisonment. But Cobra soon discovers that she has lost her power, and once again Gath is a prisoner of the helmet, which both makes him nearly invincible and yet feeds upon his great strength at the same time.

Meanwhile, The Nymph Queen of Pyram, Tiyy, a high priestess to the Master of Death emerges in the wake of Cobra's fall from power. The enchantments that have maintained her unnatural youth and beauty for so many years have weakened, and Tiyy senses the existence of a girl whose spirit might sustain her forever. This girl is Robin Lakehair, the girl that Gath loves, and now the only one capable of removing the helmet. Tiyy enlists the aid of the Lord of Destruction, Baskt, a primordial shark transformed into a manlike demon by the sacred black wine of the Master of Death. Tiyy charges Baskt with task of finding Robin Lakehair so that Tiyy might feed upon the girl's spirit, finally regaining her petulant evil beauty and unholy power.

All four of the books were flawless in my opinion, but this one respresented the high water mark for me. Like the others, the battles are violent, well orchestrated, savage but not mindless. Passions are rampant and destructive, lust, envy, rage. At this stage in the series, Gath is still dark and sometimes ambiguous, not yet quite equal with Conan's drving sense of honor, but more precisely measured with the destroying appetities of Kane. I have to say I fell in love with Cobra, who abandoned most of her evil ways at the end, becoming complicated and vulnerable. Tiyy was a consummate source of malevolence, a poisoned, corrupt beauty. Robin Lakehair tended to be the least developed of the characters, because she was simpler, more benevolent character with far fewer flaws and textures. The fight between Gath and Baskt was one of the best fights I've ever read, with Baskt far and away being one of my favorite villains ever.

I could not begin to recommend this book enough, if you enjoy this type of fantasy. It's a simpler, more elemental tale that hits you like a hammer. The primary experience is the writing, the journey, and their tribute to Frazetta. I don't know what ever happened to James Silke, But I mourn the fact that there were only the four books. Based upon the background I've read, the books came along at a time in which fantasy had lost some of its allure, and though there were originally plans to do more books, it just never happened. So treasure these four, and if you get your hands on them, do not give them up.

C'mon, if you read the others, this is a must have.........2002-07-16

Great sequel, just like the others. He, in the mask of destruction, her, qwelling the beast within him. His axe, drinking the deformed enemies. Great, fun, Conan like adventure.

Good entertainment (no more, no less).......2000-11-08

I had been a long time away from reading fantasy when I picked this one. It brought me back into fantasy stuff. The books strong points are it's agile storytelling and it's bizarre concepts. The author isn't excessively wordy, doesn't describe the settings and actions neither more nor less than he should. Concise writing. Good. He is also a little on the twisted side, as far as his villains are concerned. The evil on them is not comic book evil, or James Bond films evil - which are "light" villains. Silke's bad guys are "heavy"; really insane and mean. They don't need to boast to be cruel. There's a lot of sexuality in the book, which, added to the violence, would make me label it dark fantasy. And good one at that. For fans of the genre (who aren't disturbed by strong violence), I recommend it.

One of the best books I've read.......1999-09-11

This book is one of the best books I've ever read. The whole series is just killer. If you like in your face and no-holds barred fantasy this is the series for you. I own the series once and lost it. I'm dying to get it again. the books have everything you could ask for in a series. Action, magic, suspense, and the good guys aren't always the nicest people nor do they always survive. For any SciFi/Fantasy buff this is the series to get. Have a nice day!!!!!!!!

Average customer rating:

Pinup Review
Not as Smooth as Silke
a glorious book...

Pinup: The Illegitimate Art
Jim Silke
Manufacturer: Dark Horse
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Museums & Collections | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

General | Photography | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

Photo Essays | Photography | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

Portraits | Photography | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

General | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

Criticism | History & Criticism | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

Erotic | Other Media | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

Cartooning | Comics & Graphic Novels | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 1595820051

Book Description

Finally, a second book on glamour art by the author/artist of Bettie Page: Queen of Hearts. Now, for the first time, Jim Silke shares his hilarious first-person account of life as a "pinup" artist - from the comic-strip vixens that influenced his youth, to his real-life adventures photographing Hollywood's most beautiful starlets and models, to his slaving over magical images of Bettie Page, Brigitte Bardot and a host of other beauties. Lavishly illustrated - with over 100 new images by Silke and classic "girl artists" George Petty, Coby Whitmore, Enoch Bolles, Al Parker, Rolf Armstrong and others. Pin-Up: The Illegitimate Art is a delightful, sharp, insightful look at the "bedtime babies," "devil women" and "bare-naked ladies" that graced the walls-and hearts-of red-blooded lady lovers the world over. Silke is one of the few artists who could write this story. From his Grammy Award-winning stint as a music industry art director to his years as a magazine publisher, glamour photographer, screenwriter and comic book artist, Silke's sensual artistic vision has made a distinct and lasting impact on contemporary culture.

Customer Reviews:

Pinup Review.......2006-03-20

The book had excellent drawings and pictures. I am really into pinup art and this made a great addition to my collection of books.

Not as Smooth as Silke.......2005-09-08

This book tells the story of Jim Silke and is very informative, but the quality of the art was less than expected. I have always enjoyed Jim's art and the book is a welcome addition to my collection of fantasy and pinup artists, but I think the publisher does not do the Art due justice.

a glorious book..........2005-06-07

Silkie is a rarity, as good a writer as he is an artist and photographer. A long-time devotee of the field, he was unabashedly pinup-centric before that was cool. His art in this volume is ample and beautiful. For example, for the past few years Silkie has been THE Vampirella artist, infusing new glamour and danger into a frequently-overdone character. The best part of the book to me is Silkie's text, where he "tells it like it is" as a veteran of the scene for many years. Kudos to him for this wonderful, fun book.

Magic and the Supernatural in Fourth Century Syria

Average customer rating:

Magic and the Supernatural in Fourth Century Syria
Silke Trzcionka
Manufacturer: Routledge
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Ancient | History | Subjects | Books

General | Asia | History | Subjects | Books

Syria | Middle East | History | Subjects | Books

General | New Age | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

Magic | Occult | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

Tribal & Ethnic | Other Practices | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

Angels | Spirituality | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

All Titles | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
ASIN: 041539242X

Book Description

Magic and the Supernatural in Fourth Century Syria provides a general survey of magical practices in late antique Syria and Palestine, blending classical, Christian and Jewish traditions. It offers original research into an area that attracts much interest at present, examining both archaeological and literary sources, including: curse-tablets, amulets, historical texts, saints' lives, sermons and speeches. The book surveys a wide range of supernatural beliefs and magical practices, discussed with an aim for understanding their place within their social context.

Average customer rating:

Flower Fairy Tales
Ernst Kreidolf , Elaine Emesette Boney , and Silke Agnes Reavis
Manufacturer: Little Simon
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Ages 4-8 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0914676091

Books:

Books Index

Books Home

Recommended Books