Protein^®

Several blogs I read, have been writing about books and as I'm terrified on missing out on current blogging trends I thought I would have a mini show and tell. It should perhaps also be pointed out that I've gone a bit book nuts in the last few weeks.

1) Joe Mora exhibition retrospective from the Monterey museum of modern art. I love Jo  Mora. Most people will know his work from The Byrds Sweetheart of the Rodeo album cover.

2) Amazing new book on surf culture. More coming very soon on that one.

3) Kenneth Allsop - Hard Traveling. I love hobo culture. I also love Kenneth Allsop who wrote a great book on prohibition I read a few years back. This should be good.

4) Barry McGee - Things Are Getting Better - basically a big picture book of his work. Pretty good if you like him...

5) Best American Comics 2007. This was was edited by Chris Ware, who has to be one of the best Americans alive today.  I meant to buy it last year but didn't and found it cheap on eBay, hurrah.

6) The latest edition of McSweeney. What can you say about McSweeneys that I didn't say here. It's always amazing. This issue looks particularly stunning with three mini books that come out of a die cut sleeve. All for £15!

7) Trail Dust and Saddle Leather by Jo Mora (again). I had been after this for some time. 1st editions go for a bomb but I managed to find a slightly chewed ex library copy. Best title of a book ever? It's all about Mora's documentation of the old American west which he was obsessed with. I'm pretty partial to it too.

8 Os Gemeos - a great book. They are twin street artists from Brazil. Os Gemeos actually means the twins in Portuguese. They starting painting in 1987 and Barry McGee happened upon them in 1993 while on an art fellowship in Brazil. They shared techniques and knowledge. They're pretty damn good.