Book Review: 'Mondo: The Art Of Soundtracks' from Insight Editions

'Mondo: The Art Of Soundtracks', written by Mo Shafeek and Spencer Hickman (Co-Creative Directors for Mondo Music and Death Waltz Recording Co), and published by Insight Editions, is the latest coffee-table artbook that showcases the original artwork produced by Austin, TX based Mondo.

This impressive 216 page hardcover artbook begins with a short foreword by Academy Award winning composer Michael Giacchino (Pixar, Star Trek, Rogue One, Spider-Man), followed by a preface and introduction by the authors, as well as a piece written by Los Angeles-based film critic and entertainment journalist, Todd Gilchrist, that goes into the details of how Mondo Music and Death Waltz Recordings began building a legacy of releasing vinyl pressings for soundtracks to films, TV, and video games, accompanied by the Mondo trademark of eye-catching original artwork.

The book is jam packed with stunning and original artwork, making full use of each thick and glossy page. Featuring over 90 pieces of art, some of the pieces being limited editions and now no longer in print, from the striking original album cover art of soundtracks for films, TV and video games like; Aliens, Halloween, Back To The Future, Adventure Time, Twin Peaks, Castlevania, and The Last Of Us and much more, to the unique designs of the coloured vinyl pressings, as well as the occasional double page spreads of the interior artwork from the gatefold album cover releases, there is plenty of eye candy to gorge over and delve into the details of each of the artworks!

The book itself is a large sized (11.75" x 11.75") hardcover edition with a hefty feel to it, with a spot varnish effect on the front and back covers, giving the feel of actual vinyl grooves, which was pretty cool! There is also an art index at the back of the book, should a particular piece stand out and you want to find out more about the what and the who about the soundtrack album.

From the well known blockbusters, to the underground cult classics, it's a great artbook that I can highly recommend for your collection if you love alternative movie art, soundtracks and album covers. Thanks to Insight Editions for providing a copy for review.

The book is released June 1 2021, and available for pre-order through Mondo, Waterstones, Forbidden Planet and all good book stores.

'Exploring Gotham City: An Illustrated Guide' Coming Soon From Insight Editions

'Exploring Gotham City: An Illustrated Guide' by Matthew K Manning and illustrated by Studio Muti, combines striking full-colour illustrations of Gotham City with interactive elements that reveal the secrets of the most fascinating locations from the birthplace of the Dark Knight.

Explore famous landmarks like the Batcave, Arkham Asylum, and Wayne Manor and uncover the mysteries of Gotham City.

The first in a series of large-scale interactive books from Insight Editions that explore the iconic locations from the world of DC, 'Exploring Gotham City' is the perfect book for readers of all ages who want to investigate the tumultuous city Batman calls home.

'Exploring Gotham City: An Illustrated Guide' will be available from March 16 2021.

 

Book Review: 'Ghostbusters: Artbook' from Printed In Blood & Insight Editions

cover art by Bill McConkey

'Ghostbusters: Artbook', from Printed In Blood in collaboration with Insight Editions, is the latest in a series of officially licensed artbooks based upon classic, cult and popular sci-fi, horror and action films.

This impressive volume features over 170 international artists and illustrators, many of which have also graced the pages of this blog, all brought together to celebrate (in my humble opinion) one of the best films from the 1980's; Ivan Reitman's 'Ghostbusters'.

The 208 page hardcover book begins with a short introduction from Jason Reitman, son of Ivan and the director of the upcoming 'Ghostbusters: Afterlife' movie, and perfectly encapsulates the lightning in a bottle experience that 'Ghostbusters' was when it was released back in 1984. A perfect storm of a movie, that after the end credits roll, lives beyond the silver screen and in our hearts. As Jason puts it; "The art in these pages is an expression of that existence. A tribute to the outcasts who zip up the flight suits and become heroes."

The book is then broken down into ten chapters, with each glossy page capturing an essence of what made the movie so good - the characters, the ghosts, the monsters, the iconic Ectomobile and more. A myriad of brand new and exclusive ideas and designs give the book a variety of individual artistic styles showcasing the sublime talents of the artists that created them, so that there will be something that should catch the eye for everybody, which I'm sure made curating the artwork for this book a difficult job! Comments from the artists are also spread sporadically throughout, giving an interesting insight into the film's influences on their artwork as well as what the film means to them. There is also an artist index at the back of the book, with their social media accounts (Instagram unless noted otherwise), should a particular piece stand out and you want to find out more about the artists.

The book itself is a large sized (9¼" x 12¾") hardcover edition, with the pages having a thick and glossy deluxe feel to them, ideal for pouring over the ghostly eye candy that is printed on them in fine detail. I thought it a nice touch that the book is also dedicated to Harold Ramis, who played Egon Spengler in the movie.

Highly recommended and a great artbook for your collection if you love the movie or are into alternative movie art. Thanks to Insight Editions for providing a copy for review.

The book is released May 19 2020 - go here to pre-order.

'Ghostbusters: Artbook' Coming Soon from Insight Editions / Printed In Blood

'Ghostbusters: Artbook' is an original, fully illustrated celebration of the iconic film franchise.

Inside the deluxe, 208-page hardcover art book, from Insight Editions and packaged by Printed In Blood, is a treasure trove of original artwork inspired by the ever-popular and much loved Ghostbusters films, bringing together over 170 brilliant artists from the worlds of animation, comics, fine art, graphic design and other disciplines, as well as an introduction from the director of the highly anticipated 'Ghostbusters: Afterlife', Jason Reitman, son of Ivan Reitman, director of the original 1984 movie.

Summer 2020’s highly anticipated film 'Ghostbusters: Afterlife', from Sony Pictures in association with Bron Studios, makes this the perfect time for fans of the supernatural saga to add this must-have art book to their collection.

'Ghostbusters: Artbook' will be available from May 5 2020.

by Bill McConkey