Mcfarland: 2486 books
Cerebus the Barbarian Messiah
Essays on the Epic Graphic Satire of Dave Sim and Gerhard
Language: English
Release Date: January 10, 2014
In December 1977, struggling Canadian comic book artist Dave Sim self-published the first issue of Cerebus the Aardvark, a Conan the Barbarian satire featuring a foul-tempered, sword-wielding creature trapped in a human world. Over the next 26 years, Sim, and later collaborator Gerhard, produced an...
The World of Shaft
A Complete Guide to the Novels, Comic Strip, Films and Television Series
Language: English
Release Date: October 5, 2015
Mention Shaft and most people think of Gordon Parks’ seminal 1971 film starring Richard Roundtree in a leather coat, walking the streets of Manhattan to Isaac Hayes’ iconic theme music. But the black private dick who inspired the blaxploitation film genre actually made his debut on the printed...
Marvel's Black Widow from Spy to Superhero
Essays on an Avenger with a Very Specific Skill Set
Language: English
Release Date: March 21, 2017
First appearing in Marvel Comics in the 1960s, Natasha Romanoff, a.k.a. Black Widow, was introduced to movie audiences in Iron Man 2 (2010). Her character has grown in popularity with subsequent Marvel films, and fans have been vocal about wanting to see Black Widow in a titular role. Romanoff has...
The Ages of the Avengers
Essays on the Earth's Mightiest Heroes in Changing Times
Language: English
Release Date: October 1, 2014
Comic book audience expectations have fluctuated dramatically through the years, and comic book creators have had to adapt to shifting reader concerns. One of Marvel Comic’s most popular franchises for five decades, the Avengers have always been reflective of their times, having adapted to an evolving...
Japanese Film and the Floating Mind
Cinematic Contemplations of Being
Language: English
Release Date: June 5, 2016
Japanese film is enduringly fascinating, challenging and rewarding. This book provides a cultural, historical and philosophical study of Japanese film, from the silent era to the present-day, focusing on its expansive consciousness. The author examines masterpieces by Ozu, Mizoguchi, Oshima and many...
First Ladies of Disco
32 Stars Discuss the Era and Their Singing Careers
Language: English
Release Date: July 5, 2013
The female vocalists who pioneered the disco genre in the ’70s and early ’80s were an extraordinarily talented group who dazzled the world with an exciting blend of elegance, soulful passion and gutsy fire. In this book of original interviews, 32 of these women tell their stories, explaining how...
by Lisa Pertillar Brevard
Language: English
Release Date: January 10, 2013
Language: English
Release Date: January 10, 2013
The name Whoopi Goldberg conjures images of laughter, sex, surprise, versatility, African heritage and Jewish identity, to name a few. How did she become such a major player in Hollywood and the larger world? This book provides an overview of some of Goldberg’s most important efforts on Broadway...
Identity in Professional Wrestling
Essays on Nationality, Race and Gender
Language: English
Release Date: March 4, 2018
Part sport, part performance art, professional wrestling’s appeal crosses national, racial and gender boundaries—in large part by playing to national, racial and gender stereotypes that resonate with audiences. Scholars who study competitive sports tend to dismiss wrestling, with its scripted...
Self-Taught, Outsider and Folk Art
A Guide to American Artists, Locations and Resources, 3d ed.
Language: English
Release Date: February 9, 2016
Much has changed in the world of self-taught art since the millennium. Many of the recognized “masters” have died and new artists have emerged. Many galleries have closed but few new ones have opened, as artists and dealers increasingly sell through websites and social media. The growth and popularity...
Reading Henry James
A Critical Perspective on Selected Works
Language: English
Release Date: April 27, 2016
Henry James (1843–1916) has been championed as an historian of social conscience and attacked as a spokesman for social privilege. His Americanness has been questioned by nativists and defended by Brahmins. Critics took issue with his lucidly complex style. “It’s not that he bites off more than...
Spaghetti Westerns--the Good, the Bad and the Violent
A Comprehensive, Illustrated Filmography of 558 Eurowesterns and Their Personnel, 1961-1977
Language: English
Release Date: March 11, 2014
Spaghetti Westerns—mostly produced in Italy or by Italians but made throughout Europe—were bleaker, rougher, grittier imitations of Hollywood Westerns, focusing on heroes only slightly less evil than the villains. After a main filmography covering 558 Spaghetti Westerns, another section provides...
Gwen Verdon
A Life on Stage and Screen
Language: English
Release Date: October 27, 2015
American dancer, singer and actress Gwen Verdon (1925–2000) won four Tony awards for her work on Broadway and also appeared in films and on television. Stricken with rickets as a child, Verdon overcame severe leg deformity through ballet training, making her film debut at 11 as a solo ballerina...
Tonino Valerii
The Films
Language: English
Release Date: August 2, 2016
Tonino Valerii is one of Italy’s best genre film directors. Starting out as Sergio Leone’s assistant on For a Few Dollars More (1965), he went on to direct spaghetti westerns that stand out among the most accomplished in their class—Day of Anger (1967), The Price of Power (1969), A Reason to...
by Roberto Curti
Language: English
Release Date: March 27, 2015
Language: English
Release Date: March 27, 2015
The “Gothic” style was a key trend in Italian cinema of the 1950s and 1960s because of its peculiar, often strikingly original approach to the horror genre. These films portrayed Gothic staples in a stylish and idiosyncratic way, and took a daring approach to the supernatural and to eroticism,...