Product Description
This book contains the First Draft and Final Draft of the production of Monty Python and the Holy Grail. At end of book there is an acconting statement of costs to produce. ... Read more

Product Description
'Here's how I do it, and why': this is the premise behind John Howe's first practical exploration of his artistic inspirations, approaches and techniques. This title will appeal to practical artists and fans of John Howe's work by providing step-by-step demonstrations, sketches and oustanding finished paintings, some designed specifically for this book. It covers a wide range of subjects essential to any aspiring fantasy artist, including materials and the creative process, and drawing and painting humans, beasts, landscapes and architecture. The final section of the book provides further inspiration and guidance on presenting work in various forms including film work, book covers and advertising, all areas John Howe has vast experience in. It includes foreword written by groundbreaking film director, Terry Gilliam, with an Afterword by Alan Lee, the Oscar winning world-class illustrator. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (15)

Good
The pics are not that good but the reading is interesting.Not a how to draw book.Don't buy it expecting that.

Insightful
Watch Video Here: http://www.amazon.com/review/R3ATDR3205CT92 This book is a collection of tips and insights on creating fantasy art, with material covering the course of his career. There are no step-by-step tutorials so you won't see how he actually paints. That's the only thing lacking in this book that would make it perfect.

Instead, each chapter is filled with his past work and sketches with commentary on how they were created. The lessons are mainly on a conceptual level rather than at a technical level, like mixing colours or how to draw. He talks about his inspiration, research process, working style and includes lots of information on things to look out for when painting certain subjects, like characters, scenery, armour, etc.

Towards the back, he shares some career related tips on how to tackle commissions, promoting yourself, and working on set design for the big screen.

This should be an inspiring book for fantasy artist.

(More pictures are available on my blog. Just visit my Amazon profile for the link.)

A good guide for aspiring fantasy artist
John Howe is one of the best in his field, and this book gives you insight into his working style, preferences and tools of the trade. Many people have based their painting style on his, and with good reason, his atmospheric paintings look like something out of this world. No wonder he was working with the people who made the Lord of the Rings movies, thisguy LIVES in Middle Earth. If you are an aspiring artist get this book, if you enjoy fantasy art, get this book, if you just want to see what kind of stuff cann come out the mind and hands of a master, get this book.

A Walk Through his Workshop
If you are an amateur artist and want to see what a professional artist's workshop is like, want to see how he works, what he draws inspiration from, and dozens of examples of his art, this is your book.

He discusses what materials he uses, how he stores his inspirational material and his finished art, and many examples of his art.Later in the book, he gives examples of how he builds up the painting from background to foreground to finishing touches.

He does not teach a beginner how to create fantasy art.This is not a Lee Hammond or Jerry Yarnell book for fantasy artists.The reader is expected to have a good handle on art, this is more inspiration and examples than a basic how-to.

This is an excellent book for advanced artists, and probably useful for intermediate, though, aside from the stunning art in the book, it is probably not meant for beginners.

A truly beautiful book, but a workshop?
To be clear from the start, I love and admire John Howe's art, and I think 'John Howe. Fantasy art workshop' is a beautiful book, which I don't regret having purchased. It's a real joy going through its pages, but, when compared with 'Mechanika - Creating the art of science fiction with Doug Chiang', which I purchased and read simultaneously, I was slightly disappointed.

After some sections about his materials and instruments of choice, and some general remarks about his habits and preferences, the author jumps to his works. The book is lavishly illustrated, with finished artwork in many techniques, and with a lot of awesome sketches. Some of the art has pointers to little explanatory texts or detailed drawings. These neat analytical additions are very instructive.

But when reading the book you may still have the feeling that at the centre something essential is missing: the methodology with which Howe approaches a work. Doug Chiang in his book gives a series of very clear step-by-step breakdowns of his approach, from concept to finished artwork. Howe's book could have benefited immensely from such an approach, it would have enhanced his mastery and the reader's knowledge.

I agree with other reviewers that the book goes way beyond the general 'how-to', but a little more time with the master in his own kitchen, looking over his shoulder, can only be inspiring and rewarding.

Therefore the term 'workshop' in the title of the book is slightly misleading. This shouldn't be a reason, however, not to buy it, because it's a treasure as it is. ... Read more

Product Description
There has never been another writer quite like Douglas Adams;witty, funny and brilliantly eloquent on a gargantuan number of topics.The Salmon of Doubt brims with the Adams trademarks:thought-provoking, silly and insanely original writings in an all-new never-before-published collection.For the millions of readers who expressed their grief and shock at his untimely death, this is it: his final book and our last chance to see new work from an acknowledged comic genius of our time.

This work includes the title novella, essays on subjects near and dear to his heart, including perception, computers, and Bach's Brandenburg concertos;laugh-out-loud short pieces, and transcripts of Hitchhikers Guide to the future radio scripts.One last glimpse of Douglas Adams before we go. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (137)

Only for collectors
If you're looking to collect all Dug's books, then go for it. But don't expect much.

The Salmon of Doubt
not a story by Adams, but a compendium of his speeches, short bits for magazines, and other things he has written or said, that give the reader a sense of the man.It is enjoyable reading.

Entertaining and thoughtful
The world lost a unique thinker when Douglas Adams passed away. "The Salmon of Doubt," which is made up of essays, unfinished musings and pieces of his final novel, is a mixed bag -- the novel, in particular, has some brilliant portions but obviously would have been extensively rewritten -- but what comes through is both Adams' humor and his rigorous, exciting intellect. One wonders what he would have made of the last decade. Jovially perplexed, is my guess.

Adams Last Gasp
Sadly for his fans Douglas is dead. No time machines to escape to the RATEOTU either. Bugger. This collection of random items from his Mac is great humour and while he might have said not ready - too many placeholders, I have enjoyed it immensely.

A Brief Introduction to the Introduction to the Introduction to the New Edition
The Salmon of Doubt begins with one of the funniest pieces of writing I have ever come across. Preceding The Introduction to the New Edition, The Introduction to the Introduction to the New Edition (I2I2NE), written by comedian, actor, author, Monty Python troupe member and long time Adams friend and collaborator Terry Jones, sets the tone for what is to follow: comedy at its best; pages filled with that quintessential Monty Python-esque British wit that so characterizes the writing of Douglas Adams who, afterall, has been referred to as The Monty Python of Science Fiction. And so without further ado, I would like to begin this review with the aforementionedly preceding and said I2I2NE that was previously referred to in the above reference wherin I mentioned it:

"This Introduction to the Introduction to the New Edition is a highly significant one in the history of Introductions. Its presence on these pages means that this book has achieved the World Record for the Number of Introductions in a Book of This Nature. With the addition of this Introduction to the Introduction to the New Edition, The Salmon of Doubt can claim to have no less than three Introductions, one Prologue, and one Editor's Note. That is two Introductions more than Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness and one Introduction, One Prologue, and one Editor's Note more than The Cambridge History of Medieval English Literature. Even the Oxford English Dictionary can only boast one Preface, one Historical Introduction, one General Explanations, and a List of Abbreviations - that's two Introductions short of The Salmon of Doubt.

You are, without a doubt, holding in your hands one of the best-introduced books in the English language. We hope you enjoy the Introduction to the New Edition that follows this introduction to it and continue to read on even into the book itself."

-- Terry Jones, February 2, 2003


Following the world record number of introductions, the book is divided into three parts - Life, The Universe, And Everything, borrowed from the structure of [...], the site that Adams helped to create in 1999 (whose name was based on the third book in the Hitchhiker series, entitled, curiously enough: Life, the Universe and Everything).

The first two sections are a compilation of Adams interviews, articles, and essays, with the first section ("Life") focusing on his life: his personal obsessions (Procol Harum, The Beatles, and rhinoceri, to name a few), hangover cures, his favorite author (P.G.Wodehouse), and his nose. The second section ("The Universe") focuses on his technological obsessions (the Macintosh computer, the future, time and space travel, and his religious views (from an interview with American Atheist: "What message would you like to send to your atheist fans?" Adams: "Hello! How are you?").

The third part ("Everything") contains, among other elements, the first eleven chapters of Adams' unfinished Dirk Gently novel, The Salmon of Doubt, as recovered in various forms from his four computers by his friend Chris Ogle following Adams' untimely death in 2001 at the age of 49, and compiled and edited with the help of Peter Guzzardi. The chapters create the great beginnings of a story, brimming with Adams' unique observational wit ("Follow that cab!" exclaimed Dirk, climbing into the back. "I been a cabbie over twenty years now," said the cabbie as he slid back into traffic. "Never had anybody actually say that to me.") We can only imagine where the story would have wound up, but we can say for certain that whatever our best imaginings of the rest of the story could be, they would surely fall short of the ride that Adams' vibrant imagination would have taken us on.

The Salmon of Doubt is a must read for any Hitchhiker's Guide/Dirk Gently fans and all others who enjoy great comedy.
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Product Description
Monty Python. Monty Python's Flying Circus, Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Terry Gilliam, Eric Idle, Terry Jones, Michael Palin, Monty Python's Life of Brian, And Now for Something Completely Different, Monty Python and the Holy Grail, Monty Python Live at the Hollywood Bowl, Monty Python's Contractual Obligation Album, Monty Python's The Meaning of Life, Parrot Sketch Not Included - 20 Years of Monty Python, Monty Python Mediagraphy ... Read more

Product Description
The complete scrpts from the four Monty Python series, first shown on BBC television between 1969 and 1974, have been collected in two companion volumes, the first 23 episodes in volume one and the second 22 episodes in volume two.Characters' names--often not spoken--are gien as in the original camera scripts, with the name of the actual performer added on their first appearance (usually on the first line of dialogue). Small parts taken by walk-ons have not always been identified.A deliberate decision was made not to include omost f the cartoon animations, and in most cases the presence of the cartoon has been simply noted, with occasional reference to the subject matter. The photographs hae been taken from video tapes of the series. --from the Editor's Note/Roger Wilmut ... Read more