¦ The Art of Punk by Russ
Bestley & Alex Ogg,
Voyeur Press, 224 pages, $61.
The arrival of punk was not like a train that could be seen from a long way off slowly building up speed. It was more like rock'n'roll's bastard son leaping out of a speeding car to tear into town with its own anarchy-fueled vision of what was coming next. With the laid back pop music of the late Seventies and the surge of disco it is no wonder that something was going to come along and shake things up.
This collection of art encompasses all of what punk meant in that era. It was more than just loud, aggressive music. It was bold, jarring artwork that demanded your attention, it was do it yourself fashion, it was political, it was a lifestyle.
From cover to cover there is a fantastic representation of the art of that time. Viewing this retrospective offers some appreciation the influences that came out of this movement both immediately afterward and still today.
¦ Grumpy Cat, Chronicle Books, 96 pages, $14.95.
From online sensation to author, Grumpy Cat is moving from the digital world to print in order to better spread her messages of grumpiness. The celebrity cat has taken a break from her appearances on Good Morning America, Anderson Live and YouTube to regale the world with snubs and put downs.
Grumpy Cat, whose real name is Tardar Sauce, shows of her non-smiling face in photos throughout the book. The photos are mostly accompanied by appropriately grumpy comments like "I got you a present ... check the litter box" or "I'd have the last laugh ... but my face doesn't make that shape".
As well as the photographs and sayings there are Grumpy Cat games, like word search, connect the dots, and crosswords that all lead to various sourpuss messages. Grumpy Cat wants to make the world a grumpier place and teach you how to turn your smile upside down.
