Author |
Topic: Random Goo Mention & Cool John Illustration (Read 336 times) |
|
Triest
Dizzy
Gender: 
Posts: 202
|
 |
Random Goo Mention & Cool John Illustration
« on: Aug 10th, 2006, 10:36am » |
 Quote  Modify
|
Offbeat activity book re-illustrates 'Must-See Moments' from the last decade
Illustration by Eric Toffey
Sometimes, to paraphrase The A-Team, you have to love it when a plan comes together. So when we first heard about this Friday's Counting Crows/Goo Goo Dolls show at Montage, and were letting our minds drift back the halcyon 1990s, a strange new book arrived on our desks in the ec/dc offices, called Let's Paint the '90s!. It's an activity book that comes with a paint set and brush so you can literally color in pop-culture moments from last decade.
So as we celebrate the bands that brought you the hits "Mr. Jones" and "Name" respectively, let's also celebrate '90s "icons" such as Kris Kross, Dennis Rodman, and the Spice Girls. We tracked down the book's author, Jason Rekulak of Philadelphia-based Quirk Books(www.quirkbooks.com), to talk about his new tome, of which he has no literary misconceptions. "Who's gonna do this stuff?" Rekulak wondered. "Someone with a pint of Jack Daniels and nothing to do." Translation: Drunk college students.
In fact, four years ago, when the now-35-year-old Rekulak pitched the activity book idea to his bosses at Quirk, he intended to focus on the 1980s. "But some of the interns asked questions like 'Who's Huey Lewis?'" he said. "I thought, 'Maybe this isn't going to work.' ... So we bumped it up to the '90s."
Quirk publishes an array of "strange, unconventional books and book-plus items, things with strange materials and strange production features," he said. So when he saw children's activity books with paint sets selling for just $3 at the drug store, he knew there was money to be made. (Let's Paint the '90s! retails for $12.95).
"We do all different kinds of books for a younger audience - the Urban Outfitters crowd," Rekulak said. "We do books on cocktails, pop history - a sort of 'Daily Show' approach to history. We do travel books, books about magic, music, pets, comedy, porn. It really runs the gamut.
"But we're here to make money," he continued. "We don't do fiction. We don't do children's books. We're in the entertainment business."
Rekulak handled the small snippets of text in the book, but the illustrations are by Brie Spangler and it was designed by his Quirk colleague, Bryn Ashburn. There are simple illustrations to be colored in, but there also are activities such as an "Elian Gonzalez Ocean Adventure Maze" and a "Y2K Codebreaker Challenge."
And who are his favorite 1990s characters? "Well, Bill Clinton and Al Gore are looking pretty good right now," he said, "but I guess it depends on how you definite favorite." (Or how you define "sexual relations" for that matter.)
In the end, "the book is not about trashing people, it's about celebrating all the stuff that was really fun. And if we ever did the (current decade), we'd have Mel Gibson mouthing off and Dick Cheney shooting someone in the face."
http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=17033619&BRD=2228&PAG= 461&dept_id=447983&rfi=6
©Electric City 2006
Stay True & Rock On!
Triest
|
| « Last Edit: Aug 10th, 2006, 10:46am by Triest » |
 IP Logged |
|
|
|
d.e.n.i.s.e.
Goo God
aka "the orange o"
Gender: 
Posts: 1086
|
|
Re: Random Goo Mention & Cool John Illustratio
« Reply #1 on: Aug 10th, 2006, 2:38pm » |
Quote Modify
|
Cool. I love books like this...But I'd color the pics rather than paint them...Some may think I'm crazy but, I find coloring very relaxing...lol..
|
|
IP Logged |
[img][/img]
|
|
|
nmf016
Thread Killer
Goo God
Slashephant
Posts: 3680
|
|
Re: Random Goo Mention & Cool John Illustratio
« Reply #3 on: Aug 10th, 2006, 9:10pm » |
Quote Modify
|
They don't have pupils. That weirds me out.
(But they have big irises. Ha!)
|
|
IP Logged |
|
|
|
|
Home
Help
Search
Members
Login![[MFC]](http://www.musicfanclubs.org/googoodolls/images3/tag_mfc.gif)
Reply
Notify of replies
Send Topic
Print
