pushpaka
Edmonton Public Library
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pushpaka's rating:
Added Jan 14, 2024
pushpaka's rating:
Added Mar 29, 2023
We Were DreamersWe Were Dreamers, BookAn Immigrant Superhero Origin Story
by Liu, SimuBook - 2022 | First Canadian edition.Book, 2022. First Canadian edition.
Added Feb 11, 2023
Buckaroo Banzai Against the World Crime League, Et AlBuckaroo Banzai Against the World Crime League, Et Al, BookA Compendium of Evils
by Rauch, Earl MacBook - 2021 | First edition.Book, 2021. First edition.
All copies in useView location availabilityView location availability for Buckaroo Banzai Against the World Crime League, Et Al, Book, All copies in use
Holds: 0 on 3 copies
Holds: 0 on 3 copies
Added Feb 11, 2023
Invisible BeastsInvisible Beasts, BookTales of the Animals That Go Unseen Among Us
by Muir, SharonaBook - 2014 | First edition.Book, 2014. First edition.
pushpaka's rating:
Added Nov 05, 2022
Comment:
Highly imaginative collection of short episodes involving an amateur naturalist who can see invisible beasts (including some human offshoots).
MythrasMythras, Book
by Nash, PeteBook - 2018 | Lulu edition, Revision 3.Book, 2018. Lulu edition, Revision 3.
pushpaka's rating:
Added Jul 18, 2022
Monster Hunter WorldMonster Hunter World, BookThe Official Complete Works
Book - 2020 | VIZ Media edition.Book, 2020. VIZ Media edition.
pushpaka's rating:
Added Apr 09, 2022
Comment:
This is a massive book featuring the newly discovered country in Monster Hunter World. The book acts as a treatise of the ecology and journalistic account from the researchers exploring this new world. Besides treating its subject with seriousness and respect, the book has fantastic artwork including some material that didn't make it to the game.This is a massive book featuring the newly discovered country in Monster Hunter World. The book acts as a treatise of the ecology and journalistic account from the researchers exploring this new world. Besides treating its subject with seriousness…
The Art of Robert E. McGinnisThe Art of Robert E. McGinnis, Book
by McGinnis, Robert E.Book - 2014 | First edition.Book, 2014. First edition.
All copies in useView location availabilityView location availability for The Art of Robert E. McGinnis, Book, All copies in use
Holds: 1 on 1 copy
Holds: 1 on 1 copy
pushpaka's rating:
Added Apr 14, 2021
Comment:
A really nice book that's a snapshot into '60s and '70s that was McGinnis heyday
of illustration that went from pulp detective fiction to cover art for Good Housekeeping.
McGinnis is still active as an artist and this book contains contemporary pieces as well.
McGinnis's art has a bold "in your face" energy to it and while his cover art off wasn't too
different from pin-up girl art from the decade before his, the women depicted could range from being like Twiggy to Sophia Loren.A really nice book that's a snapshot into '60s and '70s that was McGinnis heyday
of illustration that went from pulp detective fiction to cover art for Good Housekeeping.
McGinnis is still active as an artist and this book contains contemporary…
Dragon's CrownDragon's Crown, Graphic NovelOfficial Artworks
Graphic Novel - 2019Graphic Novel, 2019
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Holds: 0 on 1 copy
Holds: 0 on 1 copy
pushpaka's rating:
Added Jan 02, 2021
Border Break Artworks 2006-2012Border Break Artworks 2006-2012, Book
Book - 2014 | English edition.Book, 2014. English edition.
pushpaka's rating:
Added Nov 23, 2020
Comment:
For drawing mecha that's believable in appearance, this book is great perhaps one of the best in the EPL system. Border Break was a SEGA networked arcade game that was limited to the East Asian market, the biggest selling points of the game was the large arsenal that player can discover and piloting giant robotic frames that ranged from the swift and sleek lightweights to lumbering armoured colossuses. This book has designers of the game recollect why they chose to design something the way they did, and there are drawings of various iterations of a mech or weapon before the final design was chosen. As well there are a number of deconstructed drawings where the complex interior of a particular machine is revealed from under the far simpler exterior casing.For drawing mecha that's believable in appearance, this book is great perhaps one of the best in the EPL system. Border Break was a SEGA networked arcade game that was limited to the East Asian market, the biggest selling points of the game was the…
Warhammer Fantasy Role-playWarhammer Fantasy Role-play, BookA Grim World of Perilous Adventure
by Allen, DaveBook - 2018Book, 2018
pushpaka's rating:
Added Aug 30, 2019
Comment:
Much of the charm of the previous Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay core books are retained for this 4th edition version. It moves the system forward a bit more towards the final version of the Warhammer Fantasy Battle system (before it destroyed its world to make way for the Age of Sigmar), so creatures from that system show up here (Jabberslynthe takes place of Jabberwock for example), yet retains much of the information from the acclaimed 2nd edition system. But here's where the book takes a bit of a hit in two places, careers have been simplified perhaps too much so and creature descriptions were gutted (appears to be making way for a monster manual type of book in the future).Much of the charm of the previous Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay core books are retained for this 4th edition version. It moves the system forward a bit more towards the final version of the Warhammer Fantasy Battle system (before it destroyed its…
The BarrowThe Barrow, Book
by Smylie, MarkBook - 2014Book, 2014
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Holds: 0 on 1 copy
Holds: 0 on 1 copy
Added Mar 03, 2019
Comment:
A decent door-stopper of a novel by Mark Smylie. Smylie's a first time novelist, but he's been around a while and was the creator of the comic book series Artesia and started his own publishing company Markovia (??? I can't remember the company's name). In fact, the main character of this novel is the brother of the titular Artesia. A mix of Celtic, Germanic and Mediterranean/Middle-East motifs make this a rather exotic hodge-podge fantasy that doesn't feel contrived. Religion and historical events have resonance and the author captures the desperation of a group of rag-tag thugs doing a bit of grave-robbery. The scope of the story isn't epic, but it brings a nice "close to the ground" feel to the book. Warning to some, this novel does fall in the so-called "grimdark" side of fantasy.A decent door-stopper of a novel by Mark Smylie. Smylie's a first time novelist, but he's been around a while and was the creator of the comic book series Artesia and started his own publishing company Markovia (??? I can't remember the company's…
pushpaka's rating:
Added Jan 02, 2019
Comment:
For the time they were written in and the rather invincible nature of Jules de Grandin, quite a number of the stories are effective horror/thriller tales even by contemporary standards.
pushpaka's rating:
Added Jan 02, 2019
Comment:
After a misfire with ''The Devil's Bride'' taking up so much space and dragging down the whole 3rd book, this 4th volume returns to form with the short, punchy stories that worked best for de Grandin.
Crazy rich AsiansCrazy rich Asians, Music CDoriginal motion picture score
Music CD - 2018Music CD, 2018
Added Dec 27, 2018
Comment:
It's a nice CD music score-wise, but the particular CD I had taken out had its music order mixed up. It's especially glaring as Brian Tyler has many of the Crazy Rich Asians scores put up on his YouTube channel.
pushpaka's rating:
Added Jun 18, 2018
Comment:
The de Grandin stories read like Sherlock Holmes and Watson if they were occult investigators with the occasional dash of Indiana Jones and often they were as fun and spooky as that sounds. True they were a reflection of their time and very dated, Quinn tended to be much better about racist portrayals than his peers, and his stories did trend upwards as years went on.
Besides being entertaining short stories, are also important for a number of reasons. They were the most popular stories for Weird Tales in their heydays and it was money generated from the de Grandin stories that helped to keep Weird Tales afloat. Without this - H.P. Lovecraft, Robert E. Howard, Robert Bloch and Clark Ashton Smith might not have been able to have the careers that they did have and fantasy subgenres like the New Weird, Urban Fantasy and Dark Fantasy would have been poorer for this.
The de Grandin stories may have been the first to bring the concept of fighting the supernatural with a sufficiently big gun. True a lot of his supernatural foes (such as ghosts) would be immune to bullets, but for many of the monsters he faced a couple of pistol rounds did the job. Prior to, many stories featuring the supernatural would require supernatural means to defeat. This idea would be influential to the Urban Fantasy Detective genre that would rise up decades later.The de Grandin stories read like Sherlock Holmes and Watson if they were occult investigators with the occasional dash of Indiana Jones and often they were as fun and spooky as that sounds. True they were a reflection of their time and very dated,…
pushpaka's rating:
Added Jun 17, 2018
Comment:
This particular omnibus isn't as entertaining as the first two, mainly for one reason. This book features "The Devil's Bride" which is the only Jules de Grandin full length novel. The de Grandin stories work best in the short story format and the weaknesses of Seabury Quinn's writing is magnified in "The Devil's Bride". Because of that story's length, it occupies the majority of the book and reduces the number of the stories in it to a handful. That said, the remaining books in the collection will likely be a lot better.This particular omnibus isn't as entertaining as the first two, mainly for one reason. This book features "The Devil's Bride" which is the only Jules de Grandin full length novel. The de Grandin stories work best in the short story format and the…
Hercules, Wrath of the HeavensHercules, Wrath of the Heavens, Graphic Novel
by Morvan, Jean DavidGraphic Novel - 2018 | First edition.Graphic Novel, 2018. First edition.
pushpaka's rating:
Added Jun 13, 2018
Comment:
The 12 Labours of Hercules and hoplite imagery mixed with a gritty Ridley Scott-style sci-fi. This is a sci-fantasy that re-imagines the events of the 12 Labours as elements of advanced technology (for example, the Nemean Lion is a lion-shaped robot built using materials from the hull of a crashed starship). Beautifully drawn with some nice action sequences.The 12 Labours of Hercules and hoplite imagery mixed with a gritty Ridley Scott-style sci-fi. This is a sci-fantasy that re-imagines the events of the 12 Labours as elements of advanced technology (for example, the Nemean Lion is a lion-shaped…
Belladonna of sadnessBelladonna of sadness, Blu-ray Disc
Blu-ray Disc - 2016 | JapaneseBlu-ray Disc, 2016. Language: Japanese
pushpaka's rating:
Added Jun 02, 2018
Comment:
Not for everyone, Belladonna of Sadness is a movie from the 1970s that has been beautifully remastered for the 2010s. What limits its audience appeal is the extremely limited animation that is used, many scenes use a scrolling shot to indicate movement with full animation only being used to punctuate a scene. Highly expressive and gorgeously drawn, Belladonna uses artwork far more reminiscent of French artists like Druillet than contemporary Japanese anime. The movie is complemented by a driving music score and was a Yellow Submarine-inspired counter-piece to the commercial animation that was was prevalent in Japan at the time (the makers of the film came from the commercial world including Astro Boy's Tezuka and they felt a need for at least a few experimental projects). Like a psychedelic slap to the head, this movie doesn't look dated despite its '70s roots and about the only flaws are a few points where nothing happened for surprisingly long time (just some recycling of animated sequences). If you are into something that's animated and off mainstream, this may be a good choice for you.Not for everyone, Belladonna of Sadness is a movie from the 1970s that has been beautifully remastered for the 2010s. What limits its audience appeal is the extremely limited animation that is used, many scenes use a scrolling shot to indicate…
pushpaka's rating:
Added Mar 14, 2018
Comment:
The artist's work has a very elaborate, semi-sketchy style. Posuka never forgets that he's working with cartoon imagery and so he applies a certain squish and squash to his pictures. The pictures range from highly detailed to a step-up from rough sketching, but they all are energetic and often playful in a whimsical way. His art is organic in feel and makes a nice contrast to many artists that use paint programs to make highly polished drawings. If you see the animated series, 'Tweeny Witches', then you'll see what Posuka's art is reminiscent of.The artist's work has a very elaborate, semi-sketchy style. Posuka never forgets that he's working with cartoon imagery and so he applies a certain squish and squash to his pictures. The pictures range from highly detailed to a step-up from rough…
Bug HuntsBug Hunts, BookSurviving and Combating the Alien Menace
by Latham, MarkBook - 2015Book, 2015
pushpaka's rating:
Added Feb 14, 2018
Comment:
A rather nice if somewhat generic sci-fi background where humanity has expanded to the stars and now face push back from 3 insectoid races. To combat this menace, a fast reaction private military corporation has formed. Essentially a mix of Aliens, Starship Troopers (the movie, not the novel) and one other SF franchise that I can't remember off-hand, it does offer a fairly well-thought off manual on doctrine and equipment of the PMC as well as the biology of the aliens.A rather nice if somewhat generic sci-fi background where humanity has expanded to the stars and now face push back from 3 insectoid races. To combat this menace, a fast reaction private military corporation has formed. Essentially a mix of…
Konflikt '47Konflikt '47, BookWeird World War II Wargames Rules
Book - 2016Book, 2016
pushpaka's rating:
Added Feb 04, 2018
Comment:
While Weird World War games/stories have been done before, this is offering from Osprey has its own spin on alternate history. The Manhattan Project had opened a rift to another world where signals began emanating in. When deciphered, they turned out to be about technical information. Germany had also successfully had their own nuclear detonation and corresponding rift, and were the first to take advantage of this technological uplift. This would lead to World War 2 extending to 1947 and beyond. So now we have a gamebook where power armour, mechs and jetpack soldiers exist alongside what actually existed in WW2. The book is complete on its own and has enough background to feel substantial (some books of this nature are bare-bones and really just a rules outline).While Weird World War games/stories have been done before, this is offering from Osprey has its own spin on alternate history. The Manhattan Project had opened a rift to another world where signals began emanating in. When deciphered, they turned…
pushpaka's rating:
Added Jan 19, 2018
Comment:
This is an all-in-one game manual for a post-nuclear apocalypse skirmish campaign. If you're a fan of Gamma World and Mutant Epoch, this game runs as a more serious and far more barebones version (by necessity as its a table-top skirmish game), for what it is though there's a fair bit of consideration to world design and has the heavy sci-fi elements of the previous games.This is an all-in-one game manual for a post-nuclear apocalypse skirmish campaign. If you're a fan of Gamma World and Mutant Epoch, this game runs as a more serious and far more barebones version (by necessity as its a table-top skirmish game), for…
pushpaka's rating:
Added Jan 09, 2018
Comment:
Like many other books in the Osprey Adventure line, this book mixes obscure fact and real-world history with fictitious events. The trick is knowing which is which, the topic is justifiably controversial but certainly interesting and told in a matter of fact account. The book mentions the various paraphysical organizations and the neo-pagan groups that sprouted around the Nazis that tried everything from looking for electrical demi-gods in far north Europe, to searching for the Spear of Destiny, creating werewolves and attempting to ally with Tibetan monks in attempt to contact Yetis.
Just remember much of the book is fiction, after all the follow-up book to this is about Nazis in outer space and having a base on the moon.Like many other books in the Osprey Adventure line, this book mixes obscure fact and real-world history with fictitious events. The trick is knowing which is which, the topic is justifiably controversial but certainly interesting and told in a…
Added May 23, 2017
Comment: