New Releases by Chip Kidd

The two hottest genres in comics gleefully collide head-on, as the most beloved American superhero gets the coolest Japanese manga makeover ever. In 1966, during the height of the first Batman craze, a weekly Japanese manga anthology for boys, Shonen King, licensed the rights to commission its own Batman and Robin stories. A year later, the stories stopped. They were never collected in Japan, and never translated into English. Now, in this gorgeously produced book, hundreds of pages of Batman-manga comics more than four decades old are translated for the first time, appearing alongside stunning photographs of the world’s most comprehensive collection of vintage Japanese Batman toys. This is The Dynamic Duo as you’ve never seen them: with a distinctly Japanese, atomic-age twist as they battle aliens, mutated dinosaurs, and villains who won’t stay dead. And as a bonus: Jiro Kuwata, the manga master who originally wrote and drew this material, has given an exclusive interview for our book. The deluxe, expanded, and limited hardcover edition has a distinctly different cover, full-color printed endpapers, and an amazing extra adventure written by Jiro Kuwata (not included in the paperback), about a band of rogue alien robot art thieves at large in Gotham City. Guess who gets called in to save the day.... More than just a dazzling novelty, Bat-Manga! is an invaluable, long-lost chapter in the history of one of the most beloved and timeless figures in comics.

Fresh out of college in the summer of 1961, Happy lands his first job as a graphic designer (okay, art assistant) at a small Connecticut advertising agency populated by a cast of endearing eccentrics. Life for Happy seems to be -- well, happy. But when he''s assigned to design a newspaper ad recruiting participants for an experiment in the Yale Psychology Department, Happy can''t resist responding to the ad himself. Little does he know that the experience will devastate him, forcing a reexamination of his past, his soul, and the nature of human cruelty -- chiefly, his own. Written in sharp, witty prose and peppered with absorbing ruminations on graphic design, The Learners again shows that Chip Kidd''s writing is every bit as original, stunning, and memorable as his celebrated book jackets.

Enjoy the ultimate companion to a comics masterpiece, as award-winning artist Gibbons gives his own account of the genesis of "Watchmen" and opens his vast personal archives to reveal never-published pages, original character designs, page thumbnails, sketches, and more.

Affiliated with Alfred A. Knopf Publishers for two decades, book designer/novelist Chip Kidd has created covers for many hundreds of books. This collection offers a generous sampling of his work in approximately 900 color and b & w illustrations, along with Kidd''s anecdotal and exuberant commentary about how the designs came together. Also included are an introduction by John Updike, quotes and comments from 40 writers, and an introductory section devoted to biographical info and pictures of Kidd''s family. The book''s binding is unusual (and cumbersome for readers): only half of the 12-inch width is supported with a hard cover.

"At the forefront of a revolution in publishing, Kidd''s iconic covers, in large part inspired by memorabilia and comics, have influenced an entire generation of designers, artists, and the book world...Throughout this ten-year retrospective, Kidd leads readers through each step of his design journey culminating in a section on how to write and art-direct a graphic novel, using as an example his New York Times-bestselling Batman: Death by Design. Displaying the master''s passion for unconventional and forward-thinking book covers, film work, and graphic novel projects, this volume is sure to bring fresh inspirations to design aficionados, book lovers, pop-culture fanatics, comics fans, and design students." -- Publisher''s description

An illustrated volume features original comic book artwork that depicts DC Comics'' most significant characters and artists, in a tribute that showcases both pop culture favorites and lesser-known classics.

"For years Jack Cole labored dutifully as a cartoonist, comic book illustrator, and Playboy''s premier artist. He was, on the outside, a mild-mannered and easygoing guy. One look at his most famous creation--the manic, surreal Plastic Man--and there is no question that much more lurked in the mind of this tragic artist than anyone suspected. Pulitzer Prize-winning writer and cartoonist Art Spiegelman and renowned graphic designer Chip Kidd pay homage to Plastic Man and his creator, Jack Cole."--Jacket.

Perfect for the comic lover, this is a wealth of rare Batman treasures drawn from the author''s own collection, and such fans as Andy Warhol and the DC Comics archives. 400 illustrations. of color photos. 5 gatefolds.

The classic boxed set captures the golden age of the Caped Crusader with an exclusive, fully articulated action figure of the early Batman; the first-ever facsimile reprint of the first Batman comic book; and a lavishly illustrated, full-color hardcover book detailing Batman''s early years. Color images.

A tribute to Batman: the Animated Series which premiered on TV in 1992. This deluxe coffee table edition features many rare and previously unseen pre-production sketches, storyboards, character designs and finished paintings. It also includes details of the celebrity voice-artistes involved.

Chip Kidd and Michael Cho, Neal Adams, Joe Quinones and Maris Wicks, John Arcudi and Sean Murphy, and Howard Mackie and Chris Samnee all lend their unique styles to stories centering on the world of the Dark Knight Detective, Batman, in this debut issue!