Book Review: Eternal Flame

From their first meeting in 1981, the Bangles were ambitious, focused, and intentional; their hard-work and determination resulted in millions of records sold across the globe, before becoming the first all-girl band to have five “Top 10” hits. Not long after coming together, they toured the world, released #1 records, and collaborated with the biggest artists of the day. They seemed unstoppable—until tensions within the band, artistic differences, and the pressures of sudden celebrity tore them apart less than a decade later.

This is the story of those eight years: of a diverse and vibrant Los Angeles music scene, unfettered work ethics and self-belief, the dawn of MTV, the unpredictable consequences of fame, life as a touring band, and their rapid rise to global domination--then imploding at the height of success. But it’s also a story of the very real challenges faced by women attempting to follow their artistic dreams in a media and music industry ecosystem which seemed set up for their failure from the start.

Book Review: Thorn: The Complete Proto-Bone College Strips

The secret origin of Jeff Smith’s Bone comes to light! New York Times bestselling author Smith returns to his roots with a new collection of his Thorn college strips, reprinting the entire run of his earliest rendering of the world-famous Bone characters for the first time. The strip appeared five days a week in the pages of The Ohio State University’s student newspaper The Lantern from 1982 to 1986. A few were reprinted in a self-published 1983 book called Tales from The Lantern. Another small selection was published in 2008’s limited edition Before Bone, a fundraiser for OSU’s Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum. Both books are long out of print and sell at collector’s prices. There has never been an official, complete run published until now.

This beautiful edition includes plenty of bonus material such as recently discovered early drawings of the BONE characters, essays and interviews.

Book Review: The Pictorial Key to the Tarot

As an acclaimed occultist and scholar of the Kabbalah, Waite collaborated with artist Pamela Colman Smith to create what has become possibly the world’s most famous tarot deck. The pictoral key offers a rich introduction to the history and symbology of the modern tarot in addition to providing a detailed explanation of the 78 cards found in the original Smith-Waite deck. Readers will enjoy an in-depth exploration of the tarot’s secrets while gaining insight to the conventional meanings and reversed readings associated with each card.

Repeater’s re-release of this classic text contains a forward by Sereptie (Craig Laubach), creator of The Philosopher’s Tarot, celebrating the importance of the tarot to artists, activists, and others seeking to transform a world fraught with material and psychic oppressions. This expanded edition also includes an appendix featuring a quick reference guide to common keywords and interpretations.

Book Review: It Seemed Like a Bad Idea at the Time

Bruce Vilanch is known as a go-to comedy writer for award shows, sitcoms, and top-heavy variety specials, but he has also been responsible for quite a few of the worst shows ever put on television—legendarily bad productions. Some of his work lives in infamy: The Star Wars Holiday Special, The Paul Lynde Halloween Special, Rob Lowe dancing with Snow White at the Oscars, and The Brady Bunch Variety Hour. How did these ever seem like a good idea?

Well, everyone has screwed up a few times, or had their work screwed up by others. It Seemed Like a Bad Idea at the Time is a lifetime reflection of what Vilanch has experienced, learned, forgotten, dismissed, and embraced in decades of working in show business, specifically the south forty acres known as comedy. It involves very famous people and people who were not very famous but should have been.

And it explains to the person in the audience who says to himself, once he has gotten his jaw off the floor, “’How did this ever get made?” Don’t we all want to know?

Book Review: The Gate of the Feral Gods

Surviving in a multilevel dungeon that also happens to be the set of the galaxy’s most watched game show has taught Coast Guard vet Carl and his ex-girlfriend’s cat, Princess Donut, that there’s only one thing they can count on apart from each other: they never know what’s coming next. And this floor is no exception.

A floating fortress occupied by warrior gnomes. A castle made of sand. A derelict submarine guarded by malfunctioning machines. A haunted crypt surrounded by lethal traps.

It was supposed to be easy. One bubble. Four castles. Fifteen days. Capture each one, and the stairwell is unlocked. Here's the thing. It's never easy. Going it alone is not an option this time, so Carl and his team must rely on the help of the low-level, I-can't-believe-these-idiots-are-still-alive crawlers trapped in the bubble with them. But can they be trusted?

Book Review: After Disney

Walt Disney left behind big dreams when he died in 1966. Perhaps none was greater than the hope that his son-in-law, Ron Miller, would someday run his studio. Under Miller’s leadership, Disney expanded into new frontiers: global theme parks, computer animation, cable television, home video, and video games. Despite these innovations, Ron struggled to expand the Disney brand beyond its midcentury image of wholesome family entertainment, even as times and tastes evolved. Tensions between Miller and Walt’s nephew, Roy E. Disney, threatened to destroy the company, leading Wall Street “Gordon Gekko” types to come after Mickey Mouse.

Book Review: Harley Quinn's Bud and Lou - Trouble Times Two

When Harley's hyenas, Bud and Lou, are framed with stealing the lasso of truth they’re forced to team up with two members of the Super-pets, Ace and Jumpa, to find the culprits. The unlikely team sets off on an adventure that leads them from Oswald Cobblepot's penguins to Mr. Freeze's polar bears. At the chance of being reunited with their beloved Harley, will Bud and Lou save the day and be the good guys for a change? If they aren’t careful, the lasso of truth might reveal how they really feel about being heroes!

Harley Quinn's Bud and Lou: Trouble Times Two written and drawn by Ben Hed with colors by Kendall Goode will be published on March 4, 2025. DC Comics provided an early galley for review.