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Bradbury, an Illustrated Life: A Journey to Far Metaphor

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A wondrous tribute to America's master story teller...
Mars is Heaven!
A biography of Bradbury, told in pictures
A Wonderful Volume
The must have coffee table book

Bradbury, an Illustrated Life: A Journey to Far Metaphor
Jerry Weist
Manufacturer: William Morrow & Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0060011823
Release Date: 2002-10-01

Book Description

In this lavishly illustrated labor of love, Jerry Weist -- Sotheby's fantasy and science fiction collectibles expert and longtime Ray Bradbury friend and collector -- gives us a unique "visual biography," a one-of-a-kind celebration of the life, career, and genius of one of America's most beloved literary giants.

The works of Ray Bradbury have been read and revered for more than half a century. The winner of countless awards and accolades, including a Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters from the National Book Foundation, he has left a deeper, more enduring imprint on our times than most writers of his or any generation. The source of The Martian Chronicles, father of The Illustrated Man, and master brewer of Dandelion Wine, Bradbury has penned stories, novels, stage plays, and screenplays that have long demonstrated the limitlessness of the human imagination and pure power of the word.

Bradbury: An Illustrated Life features magazine illustrations, movie stills and posters, comic book art, letters, scripts, book jackets, and paintings -- all expertly selected and insightfully explained -- that trace an incomparable artist's journey through the twentieth century and into the twenty-first. Here also are rare and illuminating gems from some of his renowned compatriots and collaborators, including excerpts from the journal of legendary director Fran ois Truffaut, written during the making of the motion picture version of Bradbury's classic Fahrenheit 451.

From his groundbreaking involvement with EC Comics -- which would ultimately inspire generations of comic book creators and graphic novel artists -- through his many decades of literary success, as well as his award-winning work in films, theater, and television, to the present day, the world of the incomparable Ray Bradbury comes vibrantly alive in words and pictures, in photo and ink, in conceptual art and bold living color. Bradbury: An Illustrated Life belongs in the collection of anyone who has ever been moved, astounded, elated, terrified, or inspired by the tales, ideas, dreams, and magnificent visions of America's preeminent storyteller.

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A wondrous tribute to America's master story teller..........2006-04-22

Jerry Weist has constructed wondrous tribute to America's master story teller,and one of the world's now iconic fabulists. Unlike biographies which...justly...abound concerning the life and legend of Ray Douglas Bradbury,this multi-format comprise is graphic extravaganza of print;drawings;photos;movie posters; letters;excerpts from movie scripts and dialogue from plays. Copies of original paintings[some by Bradbury himself--including stunning glossy of the black,pthalo blue oil book cover adorning DARK CARNIVAL;the 700 copy signed limited edition of his first collection of short stories recently reprised per GAUNTLET publications now valued at over $3000]abound.Classic "fanta-sci fi"work by Joseph Mugnaini and Al Feldstein abounds and is often astounding.

The unknown tale of Bradbury's battle with censors;snob intelligentsia(& player-hater pseudos)to preserve his relation with genesis publishers(WEIRD TALES men of the pulps; and particularly, his friends at EC publications'MADmen)is fascinating. A letter written by Bradbury to author Weist
(pp.109-110;followed by interview between the two on September 13-14,2001; pp.111-113)details not only the Scylla-Charybdys gorge Bradbury was forced to negotiate preserving his "new" found literary respectibility, but why this GREATEST of AMERICAN STORY TELLERS will probably NEVER EVEN BE NOMINATED for NOBEL PRIZE in LITERATURE he deserves.

BRADBURY:AN ILLUSTRATED LIFE~A Journey to Far Metaphor is a marvel in its own right.It is graphic novel-like biography comprised of media metaphors;photo-histories and collage testimonials to the man who may be...as we enter at warp speed the illiterate world of FAHRENHEIT 451...one of the West's LAST GREAT WRITERS.

Mars is Heaven!.......2005-04-13

Now that Sam Weller's "The Bradbury Chronicles:the Life of Ray Bradbury" is selling like water at the bookshops,we'll see the importance of Jerry Weist's "BRADBURY,AN ILLUSTRATED LIFE,A JOURNEY TO METAPHOR".I didn't read yet Weller's book,but I know that Frederik Pohl didn't like it.I own a copy of "Bradbury,an illustrated life...", since it appeared.And I loved it.What a gorgeous "objet d'art"!The ailing Bradbury must be proud to have inspired a book as beautiful-and good-as this one.The text by Jerry Weist is well written,professional,competent.The Foreword,by Bradbury's archivist ,collector and friend,Donn Albright,is very informative about a few of Bradbury's illustrators.The Introduction,penned by Bradbury himself,is enlightening.
As an admirer of Science-Fiction illustration and collector of SF Memorabilia ,this work was a visual feast to my eyes ,taste and, sensibility.
Called my attention:firstly,the reproductions of book and magazine(AMAZING STORIES,WONDER STORIES QUARTERLY)covers,interior illustrations,movie stills and posters(the famous one-sheet poster for the silent "THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA" and the glorious six-sheet poster designed for William Cameron Menzies's/H.G.Wells's "THINGS TO COME")and the Sunday comic strips(TARZAN,BUCK ROGERS),that influenced Bradbury's visual taste and literary preferences.Secondly,the reproductions of publications(fanzines)like IMAGINATION and FUTURIA FANTASIA(with Bradbury as editor)that enriched his beginnings as a science-fiction fan ,nurturing his creative juices and his friendship with the future great illustrator Hannes Bok,plus the moving photos made when Ray was visiting New York City during the (First)1939 WORLD SCIENCE FICTION CONVENTION financed by his buddy Forrest J. Ackerman, or made in Los Angeles ,like the amazing photo showing a youthful Ray at a meeting of the Los Angeles Science Fiction Society(LASFS) in 1940,when nineteen-year-old Bradbury was just beginning his writing career.This photo is sensational because it shows us other famous(now)members of the LASFS:FORREST J. ACKERMAN,MOROJO,RAY HARRYHAUSEN,ARTHUR K. BARNES,EDWARD E. "DOC" SMITH,CHARLES HORNIG,ROBERT HEINLEIN(seated at the table,only his face showing).Also appearing in the photo :JACK WILLIAMSON and EDMOND HAMILTON(standing near the wall in the background).The other photograph that moved me was taken(circa 1946/47)probably in Los Angeles, too. In this one , Ray appears side by side with the couple EDMOND HAMILTON/LEIGH BRACKETT and with Hamilton's sister.Thirdly,I was enraptured by the exquisite beauty of the interior B&W drawings(Oh,the marvelous B&W drawings by HANNES BOK,LEE BROWN COYE,BORIS DELGOV, VIRGIL FINLAY&LAWRENCE STERN STEVENS) illustrating Bradbury's stories in pulp magazines ;the outstanding colour paintings printed as illustrations for Bradbury's stories in the 'slicks'(ESQUIRE,THE SATURDAY EVENING POST,COLLIER'S,and so on).His stories(for instance,"A Sound of Thunder","The Beast from 20000 Fathoms","The Illustrated Man" and "Mars is Heaven")were,then, interpreted by great artists like STANLEY MELTZOFF,REN WICKS,JAMES R. BINGHAM&JAMES BAMA;the futuristic cover designs for Hardcovers ,like GEORGE BARROWS'S Arkham House(American edition) and MICHAEL AYRTON'S Hamish Hamilton(British edition) cover designs for "DARK CARNIVAL",ARTHUR LIDOV'S cover illustration for "THE MARTIAN CHRONICLES"(1950)and JOSEPH MUGNAINI'S cover painting for the british edition(1963)of "SOMETHING WICKED THIS WAY COMES" ;the catching paperback's covers for the BANTAM edition of "THE MARTIAN CHRONICLES"(1951)and the BALLANTINE editions of "FARENHEIT 451" &"THE OCTOBER COUNTRY"(1953&1956 respectively,both JOSEPH MUGNAINI'S covers).Deserve special mention the series of JOSEPH MUGNAINI'S(1912-1992) litographs,preliminary watercolor sketches,original B&W drawings and paintings inspired by Bradbury's stories and books.The italian-born MUGNAINI was considered the best interpreter of Ray's dreams.
Finally,the chapter dealing with 'EC COMICS and Ray Bradbury:The Untold Story' is precious.Jerry Weist is in his terrain here.As he says in the opening of the chapter:"The story of how Ray Bradbury came to have his writing adapted by a small,energetic company named Entertaining Comics in the 1950's is now a legendary chapter of comics history".How very true this is.I was enchanted by fantastic reproductions of originals by FRANK FRAZETTA,AL WILLIAMSON,AL FELDSTEIN(his recreations are amazing).And it is always rewarding for me to admire the fabulous adaptations&splash-page arwork by the great WALLACE(WALLY)WOOD,a real genius of the comics.'Last,but not least' I was thrilled reading and seeing the archive of photos and Film Memorabilia reproduced.My favorites:the promotional photographs of Ray with the lovely Barbara Rush during the production of "IT CAME FROM OUTER SPACE"(Universal,1953);the Half-sheet &Insert posters & Window lobby card for the same film and the known(signed) One-sheet poster for "THE BEAST FROM 20.000 FATHOMS" .
Many years ago I saw "THE BEAST FROM 20.000 FATHOMS" at an old movie theatre in my home town.It was an unforgettable experience for me.A few years later ,I read the famous Bradbury's terrifying short story "MARS IS HEAVEN",the first yarn by this great writer that I read.I was definitely hooked.From then on I've been reading almost all his SF&Horror stories and a good number of his novels(novels?).
So,I love this book and I warmly recommend it.

A biography of Bradbury, told in pictures.......2004-05-14

There's a point in this book where the author says "You have to be an amazing writer to inspire so many illustrations and paintings." And that's why Bradbury is so great. After reading a book like The Martian Chronicles, you can easily imagine what he was describing. And if you can draw or paint, you'll want to create those images on canvas.

That's why almost every piece of artwork in this book is so beautiful. Just take the Illustrated Man as an example. Each artist who was commissioned to create a cover for the book had the task of showing an almost-naked man covered in tattoos. But the tattoos had to show scenes from dozens of short stories. One artist made the Illustrated Man an obese, shirtless guy in a carnival sideshow. Another gave him technicolor cartoons across his back and shoulders, depicting roaring lions and men in spacesuits. The third image is the most famous --- a nude man with his back to the viewer, sitting, with all of the skin below his neck covered in images.

This approach is repeated throughout the book --- different artists interpret the most vivid images from Bradbury's best books and stories. Over a hundred paperback book covers are reproduced (including a few that I was obsessed with when I was ten years old), along with movie posters, paintings, movie stills, and comic book pages.

The text is just as good. This book serves as a biography of Ray Bradbury, tracing the arc of his career from science fiction author to short story writer for 'the slicks' to comic book writer, novelist, playwright, and screenwriter. Bradbury's relationship with EC comics is recounted through the correspondence between Bradbury and William Gaines. It's very interesting, especially when Bradbury catches Gaines stealing his stories and offers to write more for EC instead of suing.

If you're a Bradbury fan, you'll love this. It's the kind of book you'll pull off the shelf every month and flip through, just to marvel at all of the strange and beautiful images. If you don't know Bradbury's work, you'll still enjoy all of the artwork. Maybe the images will inspire you to read his books..

A Wonderful Volume.......2003-04-16

This treat of a book is unique in that it is not merely a collection of illustrations from Bradbury publications over the years, but seeks to document the whole spectrum of "visualizing" the rich prose of Mr. Bradbury, an almost impossible task! This includes films, stage productions, marginal doodles by Bradbury himself, books and films that inspired Bradbury in his early years, and much more - a rewardingly broad approach to crafting the book.
In addition wholeheartedly agreeing with the wonderful points noted by other reviewers, I would like to point out that the book features much rare material by Joseph Mugnaini, the definitive Bradbury artist, in the form of concept sketches for covers, stage backdrops, and some of the original paintings that inspired the Bradbury-Mugnaini partnership in the first place. The contribution of Mugnaini's works to Bradbury's success, as a visual carnival barker beckoning readers into Bradbury's world is tough to underestimate.
The book is beautifully printed, with one absolutely tragic exception - the reproduction of Charles Addams' original illustration for the story "Homecoming" is horrible! It is terribly blurry and there are some kind of liquid stains on the original work, which hung in the Bradbury home for many years. For comparison, look at the (reversed) reproduction used as the dust jacket for Bradbury's recent "From the Dust Returned" novel/collection. Just unfortunate that the one illustration botched - was the lone collaboration between two magnificent twentieth-century masters of the macabre. Still OVERWHELMINGLY worth owning however.

The must have coffee table book.......2003-01-23

This coffee table book is a must have for Bradbury fans. Full of pictures and illustrations of his various stories and books are interweaved with text written by friends and associates of Bradbury's throughout his professional carreer. The book spends a great deal of time on his personal correspondance with William Gaines (comic book publisher and later MAD magazine). The correspondance shows a literary master who was truly fond of comics,then considered a trash medium during the 1950's. The book also spends a good deal of time on notes by Francois Truffaut, the french cinema genious who filmed farhenheit 451. Bradbury is also shown as a man who loved Hollywood from the time he was a small boy. This book is a great addition to have, both for the written word and the beautiful artwork.

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Bradbury, an Illustrated Life: A Journey to Far Metaphor
Jerry & Ray Bradbury (introduction) Weist
Manufacturer: William Morrow & Co
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000NY1M4G

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