Mark Batty Publisher

Postal stickers have long been a preferred substrate used by street artists to get up. Of course, because stickers from the US Postal Service, UPS, DHL and FEDEX are so readily available, many of these stickers get lost in the fray. That’s where graffiti photography legend Martha Cooper comes in. Shooting the origins of hip-hop and graffiti cultures since the late 1970s in New York City, and later all over the world, Cooper’s well-trained eyes know how to recognize deft sticker art. Going Postal is a collection of more than 200 photographs of some of Cooper’s favorite handmade postal stickers from around the world, done by both better-known and anonymous artists. Going Postal documents how an old-school method has burgeoned into a rich facet of the world’s graffiti cultures.

His cut and slash mash-ups of subway platform billboards only exist in New York City, but Poster Boy's artful and funny appropriations of advertising have gotten him attention the world over. The New York Times dubbed him an "anti-consumerist Zorro with a razor blade, a sense of humor and a talent for collage", the Guardian UK said of his work, it "is witty, web-savvy and economical . . . and the only materials it requires are chutzpah, imagination and a 50 cent blade."   Poster Boy tweaks corporate copy, replacing it with incisive and playful puns and turns of phrase rich with innuendo and political punch. Beautiful models turn ghastly and iconic spokespeople become the mouthpieces for Poster Boy's ideas. Poster Boy: The War of Art collects his best work yet.

An enlighteningly grotesque illustrated introduction to the omnipresent cockroach. The worlds city dwellers, especially in places like Manhattan, grow accustomed to having several hundred uninvited houseguests in their homes at all times: cockroaches . Slinking in the shadowy hollows between walls, under sinks, and along the floorboards, the ubiquitous urban insects are loathsome to most and frightening to many. But you only fear what you dont know. Ekaterina Smirnovas An Illustrated Guide to Coc kroaches will help everyone terrified of their six-legged roommates: through Smirnovas illustration and explanation, the entire life-cycle of the typical cockroach is laid bare. Part humorous, part disgusting, An Illustrated Guide to Cockroaches is a necessary component of every urban bookshelf.

During broadcast hours, all TVs in Cuba are on, no matter if they are being watch or just serving as background noise. The actual television sets are outdated relics imported from America or Russia close to twenty years ago. Convulsing static pictures in off-color hues, the sets are jury-rigged with computer parts and other discarded technological talismans, they are adorned like religious altars.

In 1929, the first neon sign in Poland went up in Warsaw. Popular from the start, the earliest neon signs were made to orderfree in design, shape, and color, and significantly influencing other forms of advertising like poster design and typography. When the Communist regime gained power after World War II, it took a controlled interest in the medium of neon, going so far as to create Reklama, a state-run company for advertising services that held a monopoly on exterior advertising throughout Poland. Designed and built by prominent architects, graphic designers, and artists and overseen by a chief graphic designer, Polish neon signage was renowned for its outstanding technical and artistic qualities. During its peak, Reklama maintained over 1,000 neon signs, whose playfulness and folly stood out in the otherwise dark and oppressed Poland, ornamenting otherwise drab cities and towns. Today, most of the neon signs are gone, too expensive and fragile to maintain; belonging to no one, all that remains of them are their ghostly weathered shadows. Polish Neon: Cold War Typography and Design tells the fascinating story of neon in Poland by preserving and celebrating the remnants of this rich and influential history. Comprising archival and contemporary photographs of these mesmerizing signs, as well as original designs and interviews with the designers, this book reveals an untold story of Poland and how a communist bureaucracy helped shape the future of graphic design and typography.

"Face Food Recipes" builds on the already successful "Face Food" by giving the public what it has been asking for most: descriptive how-to guides for making "charaben" bentos at home! "Face Food Recipes" pairs each bento with an illustrated guide, in Paint-by-Numbers style, showing the reader how to assemble these adorable little visual lunches. With ingredient lists, cooking and preparation instructions, a how-to glossary covering basic Japanese bento terms and even a fancy ribbon page marker, "Face Food Recipes "will help American moms and dads mimic their favorite "charaben" designs (or have tons of fun trying).

Borne out of the American punk scene of the late 1970s, hardcore music raged through the '80s, spreading to towns and cities across the globe. "Balance" focuses on the current European scene, documenting the lives of musicians who strike a balance between their day jobs and this vital musical force. From tattooists in Portugal to miners in Poland, "Balance" uncovers the twin lives of those working to support their passion. Hardcore has always been more than just music and although the performers and fans across the continent speak different languages and live in different places, they are tied to each other through a culture that transcends borders. Capturing the chaos of the mosh pit, the monotony of the office, and the sheer energy of this music, "Balance" pays homage to the bands, promoters, designers, and supporters who have made the decision to a live a hardcore life. As Ian Glasper writes in the book's foreword, "This music resides in our hearts and minds and colors everything we do, everything we touch, everything we are. Even if you've moved on musically, hardcore punk informs the decisions you make for the rest of your life . . . And that's because at the end of the day, as great as the music is, it's about the relationships you forge with those around you."

Through the power of illustration the Everymans Series illuminates complex bodies of work by some of the 20th centurys most vital thinkers. Picassos assessment of James Joyce as a writer that all the world can understand speaks to how a perspective that favors the visual can see through thickly thicketed texts, allowing meaning to take shape. W. Terrence Gordons examination of the James Joyce canon and its impact on the world, both in terms of literature and culture at large, provides accessible and singular evaluations of why Joyce, no matter how impenetrable his books may seem on the surface, continues to attract readers today. Gordons close readings and biographical insight gel with contemporary visual cues that usher Joyce into the 21st century.

Photographer Mike Schreiber has worked with some of hip hop's biggest names, capturing them for all the world to see. His humanistic approach to life and work is reflected in these mostly black and white photographs. His photos capture the true essence of hip hop cultures and perspectives with an end result that is refined yet undeniably honest in its raw and gritty tone. Because Schreiber's personal approach is so palpable in the photographs, True Hip Hop also features Schreiber's stories about these shoots, revealing everything from anecdotes about the artists to technical details and trade secrets.

Japan has always been a breeding ground for innovative approaches to Western traditions, such as cinema and baseball. Another example includes graffiti, which covers the buildings and walls of Japan's largest cities, as well as the more rural areas. While graffiti in Japan shares many of the same characteristics with examples from other parts of the world, distinct cultural aspects of Japan, from Kanji to popular anime characters, set Japanese graffiti apart. Tokyo-based photographer Remo Camerota has captured these culturally unique aspects of Japanese graffiti, and in doing so has befriended some of the country's major graffiti artists. Colorful spreads and intimate interviews provide a detailed examination of Japanese graffiti, a subject that has yet to dominate the graffiti book market.