Monday, September 29, 2008

This Wednesday .. Moomin 3 and plenty more.

Exterminate! Now you too can join the Dalek Forces with your very own Voice Changer Helmet. Can't get cheesier than this one, and if you're a Dr.Who fan like I am - you know that Cheese is Good.

The Wait is over - Tove Janson's original series Moomin (also known as Moomin Trolls) #3 is finally out this week. It's great for all ages. Huge in Japan, with a theme park in its native land of Finland and fans all over the world -its a series really worth checking out. #1 and 2 in stock as well.

New From Drawn and Quarterly : If you want something unique - give Aya a try.

More fun and great art with Kamichama Karin Chu #2.

One of the greatest illustrators of the last century - books on Leyendecker, long out of print command huge prices on the secondary market. This new book is as beautiful as it is massive. If you aren't familiar with his work, try and find some time to look him up. Most of his work was featured in magazines like the 'Saturday Evening Post' -years before Norman Rockwell. He also did a ton of adwork. All of it - really top notch.

Not sure why, but we really cant get enough of Graffiti books in the store. This week we got two new books ( Street Art -not shown). The one below, Street World is by the same guys that put together Graffiti World and Graffiti Women. Thick and juicy.

Stephen King Fans Rejoice as part two in the Dark Tower Saga is finally collected into a book. The Long Road Home leads to Wednesday when it will be on our shelves. If you're missing part 1 - we got a few copies still left at bargain pricing. Stop by and get one before the price goes back up!

Action. Action. Action - Gantz 2 delivers it. #1 also in stock.

Garth Ennis writes really intense stuff. Not for the faint of heart. His other books like Preacher and Hellblazer are perrenial favourites.


This next one is a reprint of the IDW Transformers Guide Book that has been out of print for close to 10 years. Thick and full of awesome drawings, with detailed information on your favourite transformers. Really happy to see its back in stock. The perfect gift for any transformers fan.


The full list:

ALCOHOLIC HC
AMERICAN DREAM TP BEYOND COURAGE
ANGEL DIARY GN VOL 06
AUTHORS PET GN
AYA OF YOP CITY HC
BAD BOY 10TH ANN HC
BLACK HEART BILLY COLOR ED TP
BLEK LE RAT SC
BLUE BEETLE TP VOL 04 ENDGAME
BOGLE GN VOL 02 (OF 3)
BOYS TP VOL 03
CAIRO SC
COUNTDOWN TO FINAL CRISIS TP VOL 03
COVERS OF DUNGEONS & DRAGONS HC
DARK TOWER LONG ROAD HOME HC
GANTZ TP VOL 02
GHOST WHISPERER HAUNTED TP
GHOST WORLD SPECIAL ED HC
GOD OF DOGS GN
GREEN LANTERN REVENGE OF THE GREEN LANTERNS TP
HALO 3 MASTER CHIEF BOBBLE HEAD
HALO SERIES 3 AF ASST
HARVEY COMICS CLASSICS TP VOL 04 BABY HUEY
HISSING GN VOL 04
JUSTICE TP VOL 02
KAGETORA GN VOL 11
KAMICHAMA KARIN-CHU GN VOL 02
LEGEND OF ZELDA ICE ARROWS 18 PC DISP
MARVEL BOY PREM HC DM ED
MARVEL ZOMBIES TP HULK DM COVER
MARVEL ZOMBIES TP IRON MAN DM COVER
MARVEL ZOMBIES TP SPIDER-MAN COVER
MILLENNIUM DARLING 2006 GN
MOOMIN COMPLETE TOVE JANNSON COMIC STRIP HC VOL 03
MY HEAVENLY HOCKEY CLUB GN VOL 06
NIGHT OF YOUR LIFE HC
NUMBER OF THE BEAST TP
ONE NIGHT LESSON GN
ONE NIGHT LESSON GN
PHOENIX WRIGHT ACE ATTORNEY GN VOL 01
PUNISHER MAX TP FROM FIRST TO LAST
S NOVEL VOL 02 (OF 4)
SAVAGE SWORD OF CONAN TP VOL 04
SHONEN JUMP NOV 08
SHY INTENTIONS GN
SILENT HILL OMNIBUS TP
SILENT LEAVES GN VOL 02 EXCEPTIONS TO LIFE
SONIC THE HEDGEHOG ARCHIVES TP VOL 09
SPACE DOUBLES COLLECTION TP VOL 01
STREET ART GRAFFITI REVOLUTION SC
SUGAR SUGAR RUNE GN VOL 08
SUPERMAN THE THIRD KRYPTONIAN TP
SWEET REGARD GN
TEZUKAS BLACK JACK PX HC VOL 01
TRANSFORMERS MORE THAN MEETS THE EYE TP VOL 01
ULTIMATE IRON MAN II PREM HC
ULTIMATE IRON MAN II PREM HC DM ED
WALLFLOWER GN VOL 17
SPIRIT HC VOL 02
BOHDA TE #1
ABSOLUTE RONIN HC
GREEN ARROW BLACK CANARY WEDDING ALBUM HC
SUPERMAN KRYPTONITE HC
DOCTOR WHO DALEK VOICE CHANGER HELMET

Thursday, September 18, 2008

DRAW 16, ABE SAPIEN AND TEZUKAS BLACK JACK AMONG OTHERS..

coming wednesday september 24:


Attention Hellboy fans: New Abe Sapien #1

Draw #16 is out. Yay! The best magazine on the subject on the planet is landing in a couple of days and I for one can't wait. I mean wait that much more. It's taking so long between issues. But its so good.

Fairy Tail #4 -from the creator of Rave Master. A real hit. If you like manga, you got to check it out.

Forgot to mention this one last week:


New Cover (international edition) same great book by the one and only Alan Moore! and Dave Gibbons Too.

New Spawn #6 collection is out.


New cover for a new edition of Kingdom Come by Alex Ross. So pretty.


coming Wednesday Sept 17

100 BULLETS TP VOL 12 DIRTY
ABE SAPIEN TP VOL 01 THE DROWNING
ARCHIE DOUBLE DIGEST #192
BATMAN BLACK AND WHITE TP VOL 03
BERSERK TP VOL 25
BLACK PANTHER TP BACK TO AFRICA
BLACK SUMMER TP
CABLE PREM HC VOL 01 MESSIAH WAR
CONAN HC VOL 06 HAND OF NERGAL
CONAN TP VOL 06 THE HAND OF NERGAL
CY BELIEVERS GN VOL 03 (OF 3)
DEAD AT 17 TP VOL 04 13TH BROTHER
DOMO FACE BELT BUCKLE
DRAW #16
FAIRY TAIL GN VOL 04
GEARS OF WAR 7-IN AF SER 2 ASST
IRON MAN PREM HC LEGACY OF DOOM
JLA SALVATION RUN TP
JUXTAPOZ VOL 15 #10 OCT 2008
KINGDOM COME TP NEW EDITION
LUCKY LUKE TP VOL 12 RIVALS OF PAINFUL GULCH
MADAME MIRAGE TP VOL 01
MARVEL ILLUSTRATED PREM HC MOBY DICK
ONE THOUSAND AND ONE NIGHTS GN VOL 05
PUGLEE UGLYDOLL 12IN PLUSH
PUGLEE UGLYDOLL 7IN PLUSH
SCORPION GN VOL 01 DEVILS MARK
SHOWCASE PRESENTS METAL MEN TP VOL 02
SPAWN COLLECTION TP VOL 06
SPIDER-MAN FAMILY TP ITSY BITSY BATTLES DIGEST
STAR WARS CLONE WARS TP VOL 01 SHIPYARDS OF DOOM
SUNDOME GN VOL 03
TEZUKAS BLACK JACK PX HC VOL 01
UBU BUBU #3
ULTIMATE VENUS GN VOL 02
UNCANNY X-MEN TP DIVIDED WE STAND
VAMPRESS GIRLS GN VOL 02 WITCHES OF CAZADOR
WITH THE LIGHT RAISING AUTISTIC CHILD GN VOL 03
WOLVERINE FIRST CLASS TP ROOKIE
X-FACTOR PREM HC ONLY GAME IN TOWN
YGGDRASIL GN VOL 02 (OF 3)
YOURE SO COOL GN VOL 02

+SOME OF THE HUNDREDS OF ITEMS BACK IN STOCK:'
BATMAN THE BLACK GLOVE HC
BATMAN THE SPIRIT
DEVIL MAY CRY 3 DANTE ARTFX STATUE
DEVIL MAY CRY 3 VERGIL ARTFX STATUE
DEVIL MAY CRY 4 DANTE VER 2 ARTFX STATUE
DOCTOR WHO DALEK VOICE CHANGER HELMET
ESCAPISTS HC
GOTHAM CENTRAL HC VOL 01 IN THE LINE OF DUTY
HISTORY OF VIOLENCE TP
KINGDOM HEARTS 2 AXEL AF
PANTHEON TP VOL 01 WELCOME TO THE MACHINE
TOP COWS BEST OF MICHAEL TURNER TP
WATCHMEN TP INTERNATIONAL EDITION

NEW James Jean XOXO (Hugs and Kisses)

For those who don't know yet, I am a very big fan of the artist James Jean. So as you might imagine, I was quite excited when I learned there was a new book by him. It was released at Comic-Con in San Diego in limited quantities but is finally out in store. Yes -its in the store right now. It's a 60 page postcard book and its beautiful. Small. Inexpensive and very, very pretty.


Oh - and if that's not enough for you JJ fans - the Fables Artbook is coming next month.

XOXO

Saturday, September 13, 2008

WHAT ARE ALL THE PICTURE BOOKS FOR?


For those of you who have visited the Labyrinth store in Toronto, you are no doubt aware that we are not a comic book shop. We are also not a typical bookstore or a toy store. Usually, this blog is used to talk about new product, but today I was thinking about the store as it relates to our blend of customers and our unique mix of books.

The best way I can think of to describe what The Labyrinth is, is that it's a Graphic Arts Bookstore. Everything in the store has a graphic component. That includes, the thousands of Mangas and Graphic novels. It also explains why we carry Children's books, Anime Artbooks, French Bandes Dessinee, Sketchbooks, Graffiti Books, books on life drawing and so many other neat books.

Now, we have a ton of customers that shop with us that are primarily interested in stories. Stories in Graphic Novels, Mangas, etc.. In fact, we truly value these readers. You can see this in our store by looking at our expanded selection of author based displays. When we first opened the store front just over a year ago -we had 24 shelves of graphic novels. All the titles were alphabetically organized. Everything from Acme Novelty Library to X-men..all mixed together.

Today we have more than 50 shelves of unique titles and the fastest growing section is the author based section. Good writing, we believe is the backbone of a successful graphic novel and without it, there's almost no point collecting a title. Still, this doesn't diminish the importance of the artist or art on a book.

In fact, as we have pointed out at the top, we are a graphic arts bookstore and one of the appeals of our store to those who do art is the wide array of art styles you will find in our selection of books.

On more than one occassion I have been asked the question by non-artists -what are these picture books for (refering all the art books we sell. Many of them, like the sketchbooks have no or little words in them.) As an artist myself, the question seemed strange, but totally legitimate.

As an artist, looking at books full of pictures gives me endless amounts of pleasure. I like to analyze: line and form, and colour and shape. I also love studying composition, design and artistic techniques. I also look at books to be inspired.

Being both an artist and acting as the book buyer for the store, I often try and figure out why are some books more popular than others? What makes certain artists more successful, or some books more successful than others. Just as often I get questions from artists that aspire to publish their own books as to what they should do. Art is so personal, so subjective that this is a hard question to answer.

They say that success is 98% perspiration and 2% inspiration, but I don't believe this is the case when it comes to being an artist. As an artist it's probably more like 50/50. You've got to have strong technical knowledge, but also be full of great ideas. To artists, the great thing about our books is, that they can learn practical skills and find inspiration in them at the same time.

It's been said that there are no new ideas, but that you can be original in the way you combine elements of existing ideas. That's why its so important to analyze and examine the work of other artists. Not to copy or plagiarize, but to help give artists a point of reference to start from rather than working from a blank canvas or piece of paper. That's why picture books are important, and that's why The Labyrinth is around.

Thursday, September 11, 2008

MARY BLAIR JON SCIEZKA ALICE IN WONDERLAND


Following the Cinderella childrens book -using Mary Blair's fine concept art paintings, comes Alice in Wonderland. This time its using concept art she created for the movie back in the day. The story is retorld by Jon Scieszka. You may know him from books like Stinky Cheese Man and Math Curse.

Both Alice and Cindy are in stock now.

NEW: BRIAN WOOD, LOVELESS 8, GOTHIC LOLITA 3 ENGLISH, MORE..

COMING SEPTEMBER 17SMURF PLUSH + SMURFETTE AND PAPA SMURF!

LOVELESS #8

CASTLEVANIA 1.

GOTHIC LOLITA BIBLE 03 IN ENGLISH
FROM THAT AWESOME CANADIAN CARTOONIST BEHIND PYONGYANG AND SHENZEN - THE BURMA CHRONICLES. I WAS EXCITED WHEN I FOUND THIS BOOK IN FRENCH A FEW MONTHS AGO. GLAD ITS FINALLY MADE IT INTO ENGLISH!

BRIAN WOOD FANS - THE 12 ISSUE MINI IS FINALLY 1 TOME.

2 BOOKS OUT THIS WEEK BY THE ARTIST OF VAGABOND. SUMI AND WATER. ABOVE IS THE COVER TO SUMI. ABSOLUTELY GORGEOUS WATERCOLOUR AND PEN WORK.
VAGABOND BIG EDITION #1 IS ALSO IN THIS WEEK.


THE COMPLETE LIST:
SHOJO BEAT OCT 08
SPIKE AFTER THE FALL #3 (OF 4)
YEN PLUS MAGAZINE #3 OCT 2008
ANIMA GN VOL 09 (OF 10)
ART OF VAGABOND HC SUMI
ART OF VAGABOND HC WATER
ASTRO BOY TP VOL 1 & 2 COLLECTED VOLUME
BURMA CHRONICLES HC
CAPTAIN AMERICA TP VOL 02 DEATH OF CAPTAIN AMERICA
CASE CLOSED GN VOL 25
CASTLEVANIA CURSE OF DARKNESS GN VOL 01 (OF 2)
CHIBI VAMPIRE GN VOL 10 (OF 13)
DEATH NOTE COLLECTORS ED HC VOL 01
DRAGON BALL VIZBIG ED GN VOL 02
FUTURE LOVERS GN
GAKUEN ALICE GN VOL 04 (OF 14)
GOTHIC AND LOLITA BIBLE VOL 03 (OF 6)
HER MAJESTYS DOG GN VOL 10
I SHALL NEVER RETURN GN VOL 04 (OF 5)
INCREDIBLE HERCULES AGAINST THE WORLD TP
JANES IN LOVE
JSA PRESENTS GREEN LANTERN TP
JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA TP VOL 01 TORNADOS PATH
KAMISAMA KAZOKU GN VOL 02
LOCAL HC
LOVELESS GN VOL 08 (OF 8)
LOVELESS TP VOL 03 BLACKWATER FALLS
MAGIC LOVERS TOWER GN VOL 01
MAGIC LOVERS TOWER GN VOL 02
MAGICIAN APPRENTICE TP VOL 02
MAKE LOVE & PEACE GN VOL 01 (OF 2)
ME & MY BROTHERS GN VOL 05 (OF 8)
PATH OF THE ASSASSIN TP VOL 13 HATEFUL BURDEN
POWER PACK TP DAY ONE DIGEST
PRINCESS AI ENCOUNTERS GN
RAVE MASTER GN VOL 30 (OF 35)
SPIDER-MAN PREM HC VOL 03 BRAND NEW DAY
SWITCH GN VOL 04
TOGARI TP VOL 08
TRANSFORMERS SPOTLIGHT TP VOL 03
VAGABOND VIZBIG ED GN VOL 01
WELCOME TO NHK GN 08 (OF 8)
YAKITATE JAPAN TP VOL 13
YAKUZA IN LOVE GN VOL 03 (OF 3)
JARO FABRY ART FASHION STYLE HOLLYWOOD 1930S 40S
TOLERANCE HC
PEZ DISNEY FAIRIES 12 CT DISPLAY
DOMO FACE BELT BUCKLE
SMURFS 12-IN PLUSH ASST

Sunday, September 7, 2008

BEN BALISTRERI WINS AN EMMY FOR FOSTERS

A bit behind on my blog reading -but just learned that Ben won an Emmy for his work on Fosters Home for imaginary children. Way to go Ben! Ben's new book Seaweed is completely awesome. Below is a blue pencil page from the upcoming issue 2. According to his blog -this is the unfinished stage before colouring. If it were up to us -we would totally reproduce the book in this raw stage. It's just that good!




Read more about Ben here:
http://benbalistreri.blogspot.com/