Mcfarland: 2486 books

In January 1966, Alan Napier became a household name on ABC’s hit series Batman (1966–1968) as Alfred Pennyworth, loyal butler to the show’s title character. This “overnight success” came after 16 years of stage work (and the occasional film) in his native England and 26 years of film and...

Today’s animation is much more than kids’ stuff. Increasingly complex subject matter has produced a corresponding increase in artistic interest, and forms once specific to certain cultures have crossed borders to enjoy international popularity. Japanese animation has been particularly successful...

Hayao Miyazaki has gained worldwide recognition as a leading figure in the history of animation, alongside Walt Disney, Milt Kahl, Tex Avery, Chuck Jones, Yuri Norstein and John Lasseter. In both his films and his writings, Miyazaki invites us to reflect on the unexamined beliefs that govern our lives....

Ranging from Chrétien de Troyes to Shakespeare, this study proposes that the chivalric romance is characterized by a centerless structure, self-conscious fictionality and a propensity for irony. The form is tied to historical reality, yet represents the archetype of imaginative literature, declaring...

Once a favorite of mainly art house audiences, Hayao Miyazaki’s films have enjoyed increasing exposure in the West since his Spirited Away won the Oscar for Best Animated Feature in 2003. The award signaled a turning point for Miyazaki’s Studio Ghibli, bringing his films prominence in the media...

English painter John William Waterhouse (1849–1917) communicates his aesthetic vision through his use of color. Throughout his career, he experimented with color as an element with seemingly spatial qualities. His works have an unusual formalism—figures and settings often appear not merely realistic...

This study explores the relationship between synesthesia—the experience of a sensation in one perceptual domain triggering a sensation in another perceptual domain—and the arts (including painting, photography, music and literature). Its aim is twofold: to introduce readers as yet unfamiliar with...

Kyoto Animation, a studio with very humble beginnings, has gained recognition the world over as a uniquely inspired and inventive enterprise. This book examines Kyoto Animation’s philosophy and creative vision with close reference to its anime. It focuses on the studio’s choice of genres, themes...

Austrian symbolist painter Gustav Klimt (1862–1918) expressed in his work a fascination with the liminal worlds that underpin his figures and landscapes. His art echoes different styles and traditions yet he has no obvious predecessors or disciples. Offering a critical reappraisal of Klimt, the...

This is the first overview of cartoon art in this important cultural nexus of Asia. The eight essays provide historical and contemporary examinations of cartoons and comics in Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam, and sociocultural and political analyses of cartooning in Singapore,...

This work offers a critical, colorful and informative examination of different types of monster movies, spanning the silent period to today. Chapter One focuses on dragons, dinosaurs, and other scaly giants from films like 1953’s The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms, an impressive stop-motion production...

One of our most passionate and gifted actors, Al Pacino has been riveting audiences for decades with performances in everything from The Godfather to Angels in America to Danny Collins. He has also appeared on the stage, tackling such difficult roles as Richard III, King Herod and Shylock, along with...

You ain’t nothing but a “Hound Dog” ... with these words shouted into the microphone she will always be remembered: Big Mama Thornton. Who is this woman who sang the megahit “Hound Dog” before Elvis Presley and who wrote “Ball & Chain,” the song that catapulted Janis Joplin to sudden...

A couple of generations ago, the movie industry ran on gut instinct—film schools, audience research departments and seminars on screenwriting were not yet de rigueur. Today the standard is the analytical approach, intended to demystify filmmaking and guarantee success (or at least minimize failure)....