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	<title>Complex Blog &#187; Books</title>
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	<link>http://www.complex.com/blogs</link>
	<description>Buy.  Collect.  Obsess.  The original buyer's guide for men.</description>
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		<title>VIDEO: Inside &#8220;Lego Star Wars: The Visual Dictionary&#8221;</title>
		<link>http://www.complex.com/blogs/2009/10/09/video-inside-lego-star-wars-the-visual-dictionary/</link>
		<comments>http://www.complex.com/blogs/2009/10/09/video-inside-lego-star-wars-the-visual-dictionary/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 09 Oct 2009 17:20:41 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>bfred</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Books]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Featured]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Comic-Con]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Lego]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Lego Star Wars The Visual Dictionary]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Star Wars]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.complex.com/blogs/?p=65560</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The book's author takes you through the pages of this awesomely geeky reference source.]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img src="http://cdn.complex.com/blogs/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/starwarsvisualbook_blog.jpg"/><br />
Looking to indulge your geek tendencies? Let us introduce you to the season&#8217;s must-have coffee table book, a little double-shot of nostalgia known as <em><strong>Lego Star Wars: The Visual Dictionary</strong></em>, which hit stores this week.</p>
<p>Acting as a comprehensive catalog of all LEGO Star Wars sets (and spin-offs) from the last decade, the book breaks down the facts and features behind every single ship and minifigure ever released. We recently caught up with the book&#8217;s author, Simon Beecroft, who was kind enough to speak to us about the various features. For a look inside the pages of the Visual Dictionary, watch the video below&#8230;</p>
<p><span id="more-65560"></span><script language="javascript">var VideoID = "4856"; var Width = 625; var Height = 400;</script><script src="http://complexvideo.com/newPlayer/einterface.php" language="javascript"></script></p>
<p><font size="3"><strong>&bull; <SPAN style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #ffff00"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0756655293?ie=UTF8&#038;tag=complmagaz-20&#038;linkCode=as2&#038;camp=1789&#038;creative=390957&#038;creativeASIN=0756655293" target="_blank">CLICK HERE TO BUY THE LEGO STAR WARS BOOK FOR $12.86</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=complmagaz-20&#038;l=as2&#038;o=1&#038;a=0756655293" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" /></strong></font></span></p>
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		<title>Style &amp; Design 2009: &#8220;Lowboy&#8221; Author John Wray Interview</title>
		<link>http://www.complex.com/blogs/2009/08/18/style-design-2009-lowboy-author-john-wray-interview/</link>
		<comments>http://www.complex.com/blogs/2009/08/18/style-design-2009-lowboy-author-john-wray-interview/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 18 Aug 2009 20:29:33 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>dscott</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Books]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Featured]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[2009 Style & Design]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[John Wray]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[LowBoy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Style & Design 2009 Entertainment]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.complex.com/blogs/?p=54695</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Check out our extended Q&#038;A with the man behind one of the best novels of the year.]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="http://cdn.complex.com/blogs/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/sd_johnwray_interview_lead.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://cdn.complex.com/blogs/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/sd_johnwray_interview_lead.jpg" alt="sd_johnwray_interview_lead" title="sd_johnwray_interview_lead" width="625" height="434" class="alignright size-full wp-image-54737" /></a><br />
Never let it be said that Brooklyn author <strong>John Wray</strong> doesn’t know the value of a good book. “Girls like it when they see you bring a novel out of your messenger bag,” he says. And if only one book makes its way to your bag this year, Wray’s heady footrace of a novel, <em><strong>Lowboy</strong></em>, deserves the look (<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0374194165?ie=UTF8&#038;tag=complmagaz-20&#038;linkCode=as2&#038;camp=1789&#038;creative=9325&#038;creativeASIN=0374194165" target="_blank">click here to buy it on Amazon</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=complmagaz-20&#038;l=as2&#038;o=1&#038;a=0374194165" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" />).</p>
<p>Before we included<em> Lowboy</em> in our <a href="http://www.complex.com/StyleDesign2009">2009 Style and Design package</a>, we hopped on the phone with the half-Austrian, half-American writer as he was working on his next book at an European writer&#8217;s colony. He spoke to us about his nomadic childhood, his writing process and why being an author won&#8217;t get you more girls. Read the Q&#038;A below&#8230;</p>
<p><span id="more-54695"></span><em>Interview by Damien Scott</em></p>
<p><strong>Complex: Your past is a bit shrouded, where exactly are you from? </strong></p>
<p><strong>John Wray:</strong> It’s a little complicated. My mother’s Austrian, my dad is from California and I was born in Washington D.C. but I only lived there for about a year. Then I moved to sunny, glamorous Buffalo, New York. And also Austria depending on where my mother wanted to be. It was weird to grow up in a rustbelt city and spend time in this little town in Southern Austria. It gave me a split personality. But I grew up pretty much in Buffalo. </p>
<p><strong>Complex: How did it give you a split personality? </strong></p>
<p><strong>John Wray:</strong> Because the two places were so different from one another and there were these very different social contexts that encourage slightly different sides of my personality. I just realized not too long ago that a lot of contradictions I see in myself, fall into two camps. The two contradicting camps would be the Austrian side and the American side. Hopefully as I get old and become a grown up, which hopefully will happen at some point, those two sides will reconcile. I would say the American side of me is more out going and down to Earth while the Austrian side of me knows about wine and cheese. </p>
<p><strong>Complex: When did you start writing? </strong></p>
<p><strong>John Wray:</strong> I started writing when I was fairly young,  I was in grade school. I decided I wanted to write a thriller that was going to be a spy thriller. Then I realized at some point none of the grown ups took my project seriously. And they were certainly right not to take it seriously. It was a pretty ridiculous project, but when I saw no one was paying attention I stopped completely and I didn’t write for almost ten years. When I was pretty much finished with college I realized that grown-ups might take me seriously [<em>laughs</em>]. </p>
<p><strong>Complex: Where did you go to college?  </strong></p>
<p><strong>John Wray:</strong> Oberlin College in Ohio. It has a good music scene. A lot of great indie rock bands came out of there like the Yeah Yeah Yeah’s, Tortuous, Trans AM, and Liz Fair. When I was there I spent a lot more time playing music in bands than I did writing because I was still in that phase where I didn’t think I would be taken seriously. Then I lived in a bunch of different places. I lived in Alaska for a while, I lived in Texas for a while. And then I finally moved to New York to attend a writing workshop at NYU but I didn’t like it so I dropped out. I played in some bands around New York. Then I decided to go back to writing school because I had started a novel at that point, I was 25 I think, actually living in a band practice space in Dumbo, that is now the practice space of this band called Animal Collective.  </p>
<p><strong>Complex: Why were you living out there? </strong></p>
<p><strong>John Wray</strong> I was living there because it was rent free, this was around 1998. I didn’t know what to do with this novel, I didn’t know anyone who wrote fiction in New York. Then I thought, maybe if I send this novel in as an application to Columbia, I wont go to the school but at least if I get in, I will know I have a workable idea. When I sent it in to Columbia and got in, they called my bluff because I didn’t have the guts to not go after all that. So I went and then I dropped out again [<em>laughs]</em> </p>
<p><strong>Complex:  Why’d you drop out again? </strong></p>
<p><strong>John Wray:</strong> I dropped out of NYU because I didn’t like the program, I dropped out of Columbia because I couldn’t afford it. I learned a lot in the semester and a half that I was there but it just didn’t make sense to me. So I dropped out again but a teacher there took pity on me and hooked me up with her agent. So right before I left New York, because I couldn’t afford it anymore, I gave the manuscript to an agent. Then I spent the next year in Santiago in Chile, a cousin of mine was living down there. You can live there on very little money, that’s where I was when my book sold it all went a little faster than I expected. It’s basically been down hill from there. </p>
<p><strong>Complex: You said you wrote <em>LowBoy</em> in a more direct way to make it more accessible. I’m guessing this was done to get a wider audience? </strong></p>
<p><strong>John Wray:</strong> When I’m getting towards to end of writing a book I’m so sick of the process I start having daydreams about another book I would rather be writing. Usually I have two or three potential book ideas, this time I had some complex ideas and they would have lead to some long difficult books. Then I had other ideas of other projects I was equally interested in. My second book was very difficult to write so I wanted a book that was like other books I really enjoyed which were both ambitious in their way but also accessible. Maybe a book like “The Sun Also Rises” by Ernest Hemingway or “The Great Gatsby”, books that were written in a straightforward style but still have style. And that still take you to some pretty strange places. </p>
<p><strong>Complex: Was the process of writing this book completely different from your other books? </strong></p>
<p><strong>John Wray:</strong> It wasn’t all that different except it was more focused and more enjoyable. People think sometimes that because a book is dark or deals with some pretty unpleasant issues that it’s necessarily unpleasant to write,  as though you the author are going through all the horrible and the frightening experiences that the  characters are in your novel. To some degree that is true but a really frightening, harrowing book can be fun to write. A person like Steven King seems to have a lot of fun writing about horrifying things, so in a strange way I would say it was more fun writing this book than the other two. </p>
<p><strong>Complex: The main character was based on a childhood friend of yours? </strong></p>
<p><strong>John Wray:</strong> My understanding of what it&#8217;s like to develop a mental illness as a teenager is based on a couple people that I knew. But the character of Will Heller, the voice, is mostly based on me when I was that age. Things that he’s afraid of and things he’s worried about are the same things that I worried about, and things I hoped for and things I was excited about are also the same. He just encounters them more without the emotional suspension system that most non-mentally ill people have, everything hits them harder. When I was 16 years old I pretty much thought the world was going to end if I didn’t get laid <em>[laughs]</em>. Low Boy’s preoccupations aren’t fundamentally different from most teenagers he just takes it to a level that most well adjusted kids might not.</p>
<p><strong>Complex: With this book are you happy with how people are responding to it? </strong></p>
<p><strong>John Wray:</strong> Yes, I’m very happy with it. I feel any book of mine people are actually reading is a book whose reception I’m happy with. No author can ever have control over how people interpret his or her writing, and its very rare that you come across a view that really nails it or captures what you were hoping to achieve, but if the reviewer enjoyed the book they’re free to interpret it however they want. I really believe strongly in not spoon-feeding the reader and to some degree, an author should let them make up their own mind on what the story means. </p>
<p><strong>Complex: I saw that you have a <a href="http://twitter.com/john_wray" target="_blank">LowBoy Twitter </a>page. </strong></p>
<p>John Wray: I’m still doing a thing on twitter that’s about a character who was in an early draft of <em>LowBoy</em> but didn’t end up in the book. Not because I didn’t think he had potential, but the part he was in was just becoming its own thing. It wasn’t quite enough of a thing to write a novel about so it just seemed like a fun way to explore it and not just shelve it away. </p>
<p><strong>Complex: That’s cool. Are you on any other social networking sites? </strong></p>
<p><strong>John Wray:</strong> When <em>LowBoy</em> was coming out my publicist told me, first thing you need to do is open a Facebook account and a Twitter account. He was just thinking I would do tweets like most people do, like talking about what I had for breakfast. Not saying that I’m not interested in what Miley Cryus had for breakfast, I just thought it might be interesting to do something different from that. Not only to promote your book but to hear what people have to say about your book.</p>
<p><strong>Complex: They’ve certainly changed the game in regards to the way artists and fans communicate&#8230; </strong></p>
<p><strong>John Wray:</strong> Ten years ago with my first book, other than a couple of letters, I don’t think I got too much contact with anyone who ever read my book. It use to feel like you sent it out into space for some alien race to respond to 500 years later. With <em>LowBoy</em> I’ve gotten so much feed back on Facebook or Twitter, from people who have read the book, or just coming across people tweeting on the book, it&#8217;s been really cool to see. It’s like this new thing to see there’s some kind of evidence that people are actually reading it. </p>
<p><strong>Complex: Speaking of tech, the big story in terms of books is the Amazon Kindle. What do you feel about people consuming books this way? </strong></p>
<p><strong>John Wray:</strong> To me it’s no more dramatic than vinyl going to MP3. I think what’s fundamental is the text. When I write a novel I’m not thinking about what the jacket of the book is going to look like or if it’s going to be hard cover. I happen to really like books and will probably never own a kindle, but anyway that someone wants to read a book of mine is fine with me. As long as they read the words I put down I could care less how they get it. I personally like books as an object. I like the smell of books and the feel of paper, but none of that stuff is inherent to the text in itself, and obviously the Kindle is portable so it has that advantage.</p>
<p><strong>Complex: What do you do for fun or a normal day? </strong></p>
<p><strong>John Wray:</strong> I do a lot of really nerdy shit. I’ll go to a lecture at the New School or bird watching at Central Park, then on another day I will go see a band or go to a party. As far as I can tell the authors I know don’t really conform to any particular type, they are all over the map. Some of them are hardcore geeks and some of them are like ridiculously hip and hanging out with the guys from Radiohead. I like to play poker and it&#8217;s embarrassing, but I’m into karaoke. I’m a David Bowie specialist, and I do a pretty good Al Green. I got an intense falsetto. It’s scary to see that in action. I play tennis, I like to go out and eat, I like to eat good food, and I spend entirely way too much money on that. I have been living in Brooklyn for almost ten years now. When people find out what I do they are generally surprised and I think it’s because I’m such a regular and such an unpretentious guy, or I don’t seem nearly smart enough to write. I can never figure out which one it is. I go to the movies a lot. The year I was writing &#8220;LowBoy&#8221; I was watching a movie almost everyday in a theater.</p>
<p><strong>Complex: What was the last really good movie you last saw? </strong></p>
<p>John Wray: The last really good movie I saw was&#8230; I would have to say <em>The Hangover</em>. It  was hilarious. I tend to like stupid movies like that.</p>
<p><strong>Complex: Do you ever see yourself writing a movie? </strong></p>
<p><strong>John Wray:</strong> It&#8217;s funny you ask that because I think &#8220;LowBoy&#8221; is about to get optioned. I was talking to one of the people involved and he was wondering if it was something I would be interested in writing a screenplay for. I would want to write a screenplay but not for one of my books because I think I would totally mess it all up. It&#8217;s totally a different kind of process, it doesn’t matter how you describe things in a screenplay, it just matters what you’re describing and the structure of the action, and that’s all stuff I would have to learn how to do. The novelist Richard Price, I went to a dinner with him once, and he was complaining about how much of a pain in the ass it was to write the remake of <em>Shaft</em>, the one staring Samuel L. Jackson, and at the end of it he told me how much he was getting paid for a month or two’s worth of work and I couldn’t fucking believe it. So I’m definitely not saying no to writing a screenplay. </p>
<p><strong>Complex: Do you find it easy to pick up girls being a well-known author? </strong></p>
<p><strong>John Wray:</strong> It depends on the girl. At first I think it works against me because they assume I’m a pathetic loser who has sixteen eight hundred-page novels at his desk, and who is a deeply neurotic absinthe drinker. When they find out my books have actually been published it depends on the girl, some of them could care less. Most girls still want you to be a fun guy to hang around with. </p>
<p><strong>Complex: Have you ever seen that show &#8220;Californication?&#8221; </strong> </p>
<p><strong>John Wray:</strong> I saw like one episode online once. I enjoyed it. I think maybe if you’re an author and you’re David Duchovny it will go that way for you. Obviously there is a certain type of girl who I&#8217;m  into. I don’t think it has worked against me, not for a while. I’ve never met girls at literally functions, usually the girls that I’ve met, I meet at a party or a bar or whatever. It’s hard to work &#8220;I’m a published author, these are my books, they have been well received&#8221; in a flirtatious conversation. </p>
<p><strong>Complex: Why should the youth of America continue to read novels? </strong></p>
<p><strong>John Wray:</strong> I think they should read novels because there are things a novel can do that no movie, video game, or a comic book can do. There are great things about movies and video games, and I’m a big fan of both, but you&#8217;re short changing yourself if you don’t check out all the options you have out there. Girls like it when they see you bring out a novel out of your bright messenger bag. </p>
<p><strong>Complex: What authors are you excited about beside yourself? </strong></p>
<p><strong>John Wray:</strong> I’m really excited about myself, besides that I just read a really hilarious book named &#8220;Then We Came To Then End&#8221; by Joshua Farris. I’m looking forward to the new Haruki Murakami novel coming out in a couple months. I really enjoyed Colson Whitehead’s novel &#8220;Sag Harbor.&#8221; People act as though there’s nothing to that novel or it&#8217;s not weighty, but I feel like he relaxed when working into this book, it’s a side of him no one has really seen too much. It’s breezy in a good way. It’s a thinking man’s beach book. </p>
<p><strong>Complex: Now that &#8220;LowBoy&#8221; is doing well, what are you gonna do next? </strong></p>
<p><strong>John Wray:</strong> Now I’m working on the big crazy mind fuck of a book that I decided I didn’t feel like writing last time around. Maybe now people can handle it, maybe I can handle it. I’m trying to do something crazy next time around and see if it sticks to the wall. </p>
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		<title>Wake N&#8217; Watch: Louis Vuitton&#8217;s &#8220;Art, Fashion and Architecture&#8221; Book Commercial</title>
		<link>http://www.complex.com/blogs/2009/08/12/wake-n-watch-louis-vuittons-art-fashion-and-architecture-book-commercial/</link>
		<comments>http://www.complex.com/blogs/2009/08/12/wake-n-watch-louis-vuittons-art-fashion-and-architecture-book-commercial/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 12 Aug 2009 12:00:09 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>bfred</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Featured]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Wake N' Watch]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Books]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Louis Vuitton]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Louis Vuitton Book]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[LV]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.complex.com/blogs/?p=53119</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The French powerhouse's new book about collaborations comes to life thanks to...a collaboration! ]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="http://cdn.complex.com/blogs/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/wake_lvbook_thumb.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://cdn.complex.com/blogs/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/wake_lvbook_thumb-150x150.jpg" alt="wake_lvbook_thumb" title="wake_lvbook_thumb" width="150" height="150" class="alignnone size-thumbnail wp-image-39720 videoscreen" style="display:none;" /></a><object width="625" height="400"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/TyRW6vyvquQ&#038;hl=en&#038;fs=1&#038;rel=0"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/TyRW6vyvquQ&#038;hl=en&#038;fs=1&#038;rel=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="625" height="400"></embed></object><br />
It&#8217;s hard to make a commercial for a book that&#8217;s actually entertaining (okay, <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GvS1xOhnn1k" target="_blank">this one</a> is pretty awesome), but we should have known Louis Vuitton would figure out a way. To breathe life into their new book <em><strong>Louis Vuitton: Art, Fashion and Architecture</strong> </em>, the French masters hired artist <strong>Camille Scherrer</strong> (<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Onr8d4Wfo6I" target="_blank">who created this amazing &#8220;Magic Book&#8221; video last year</a>) to animate an ad. The book, which is a retrospective of the brand&#8217;s history of artist/designer/photographer/architect collaborations, drops in September and features the likes of Takashi Murakami, Miss.Tic, Stephen Sprouse, Annie Leibovitz, Marc Jacobs, and over 70 others. [<a href="http://slamxhype.com/art-design/louis-vuitton-art-fashion-and-architecture-video/" target="_blank">SlamxHype</a> via <a href="http://www.highsnobiety.com/news/2009/08/11/louis-vuitton-art-fashion-and-architecture-video/" target="_blank">High Snobiety</a>]</p>
<p><SPAN style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #ffff00"><em>Tune in to Complex.com every morning at 8 AM for your daily <strong><a href="http://www.complex.com/blogs/tag/wake-n-watch/">&#8220;Wake N&#8217; Watch&#8221;</a></strong> video.</em></span></p>
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		<title>Complex&#8217;s 10 Must-Read Summer Books</title>
		<link>http://www.complex.com/blogs/2009/07/27/complexs-10-must-read-summer-books/</link>
		<comments>http://www.complex.com/blogs/2009/07/27/complexs-10-must-read-summer-books/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 27 Jul 2009 21:43:08 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>prubin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Books]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Featured]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[graphic novel]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Junot Diaz]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[summer reading]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.complex.com/blogs/?p=49245</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Looking for the perfect book for those lazy August weekends? We've got some recommendations you'll love.]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img src="http://cdn.complex.com/blogs/wp-content/uploads/2009/07/books.jpg" alt="books" title="books" width="625" height="422" class="alignright size-full wp-image-49247" /><br />
People can assume what they want, but there&#8217;s more to us at Complex than <a href="http://www.complex.com/blogs/category/kicks-of-the-day/">kicks</a>, <a href="http://www.complex.com/blogs/category/girls/">women</a> and <a href="http://www.complex.com/blogs/2009/01/06/twitter-fight-jim-jones-vs-ne-yo/">Twitter fights</a>. It takes brains to be this fly, and we&#8217;re well-read like whoa, despite how this entire sentence is written. Not only do we have impeccable taste in literature, but we&#8217;re passionately devoted to making you a better person (or at least helping you pretend to be one), so we rounded up our favorite reads in recent memory in hopes that we can convince you to take a few books with you to the beach, on vacation, or wherever else you&#8217;re spending the last month of summer. </p>
<p>All are paperback, which means easy transport, and all have the official Complex co-sign. $150 for a pair of shoes that&#8217;ll be out in three months vs. $15 for a book that just might change your life? Get your paper up!</p>
<p><span id="more-49245"></span><img src="http://cdn.complex.com/blogs/wp-content/uploads/2009/07/oscarwao.jpg" width="110" align="right"><br />
<strong><SPAN style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #ffff00"><em>THE BRIEF WONDROUS LIFE OF OSCAR WAO</em> (Riverhead Trade)</strong></span></p>
<p><strong>AUTHOR: <strong>Junot Diaz</strong></strong></p>
<p>A comic-book geek, hot Dominican girls, and magical realism? We think that maybe&#8230;yes, yes, it&#8217;s official, this book might just have it all!</p>
<p><strong><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1594483299?ie=UTF8&#038;tag=complmagaz-20&#038;linkCode=as2&#038;camp=1789&#038;creative=9325&#038;creativeASIN=1594483299" target="_blank">BUY IT NOW!</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=complmagaz-20&#038;l=as2&#038;o=1&#038;a=1594483299" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" /></strong><br />
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<img src="http://cdn.complex.com/blogs/wp-content/uploads/2009/07/thieves.jpg" width="110" align="right"><br />
<strong><SPAN style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #ffff00"><em>CITY OF THIEVES</em> (Plume)</strong></span></p>
<p><strong>AUTHOR: <strong>David Benioff</strong></strong></p>
<p>The writer of <em>The 25th Hour</em> (which Spike then turned into a decent movie) goes back in time to the Siege of Leningrad in World War II to tell a story of two young men looking for eggs, sex, and Nazis. Sound boring? <em>Wrong</em>. One of the best reads of the year, trust.</p>
<p><strong><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0452295297?ie=UTF8&#038;tag=complmagaz-20&#038;linkCode=as2&#038;camp=1789&#038;creative=9325&#038;creativeASIN=0452295297" target="_blank">BUY IT NOW!</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=complmagaz-20&#038;l=as2&#038;o=1&#038;a=0452295297" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" /></strong><br />
&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;-<br />
<img src="http://cdn.complex.com/blogs/wp-content/uploads/2009/07/devil1.jpg" width="110" align="right"><br />
<strong><SPAN style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #ffff00"><em>DEVIL IN THE WHITE CITY</em> (Vintage)</strong></span></p>
<p><strong>AUTHOR: <strong>Erik Larson</strong></strong></p>
<p>Nonfiction that reads like a crime novel. Old-timey Chicago and a serial killer who took out more people than Jack the Ripper? Yes, please. </p>
<p><strong><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0375725601?ie=UTF8&#038;tag=complmagaz-20&#038;linkCode=as2&#038;camp=1789&#038;creative=9325&#038;creativeASIN=0375725601" target="_blank">BUY IT NOW!</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=complmagaz-20&#038;l=as2&#038;o=1&#038;a=0375725601" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" /></strong><br />
&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;-<br />
<img src="http://cdn.complex.com/blogs/wp-content/uploads/2009/07/hunter.jpg" width="110" align="right"><br />
<strong><SPAN style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #ffff00"><em>THE HUNTER</em> (University Chicago Press)</strong></span></p>
<p><strong>AUTHOR: <strong>Richard Stark</strong></strong></p>
<p>Originally written in 1962, this is the first installment of an incredible noir series, The Parker Novels, by mystery O.G. Donald Westlake (writing under a pseudonym). It was turned into <em>Payback</em>, that Mel Gibson joint from the ’90s, but don&#8217;t let that sway you. No frills, just taut sadistic revenge. </p>
<p><strong><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0226770990?ie=UTF8&#038;tag=complmagaz-20&#038;linkCode=as2&#038;camp=1789&#038;creative=9325&#038;creativeASIN=0226770990" target="_blank">BUT IT NOW!</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=complmagaz-20&#038;l=as2&#038;o=1&#038;a=0226770990" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" /></strong><br />
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<img src="http://cdn.complex.com/blogs/wp-content/uploads/2009/07/poitier.jpg" width="110" align="right"><br />
<strong><SPAN style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #ffff00"><em>I AM NOT SIDNEY POITIER</em> (Graywolf)</strong></span></p>
<p><strong>AUTHOR: <strong>Percival Everett</strong></strong></p>
<p>Post-racial utopia our behind.  Just because our president is black doesn&#8217;t mean there&#8217;s not room for a white-hot satire in the vein of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Flight-Canada-Ishmael-Reed/dp/0684847507/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&#038;s=books&#038;qid=1248721834&#038;sr=1-5" target="_blank">Ishmael Reed</a> and <a href="http://www.amazon.com/White-Boy-Shuffle-Novel/dp/031228019X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&#038;s=books&#038;qid=1248721866&#038;sr=1-1" target="_blank">Paul Beatty</a> (blaow, two more recommendations for that ass!).</p>
<p><strong><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1555975275?ie=UTF8&#038;tag=complmagaz-20&#038;linkCode=as2&#038;camp=1789&#038;creative=9325&#038;creativeASIN=1555975275" target="_blank">BUY IT NOW!</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=complmagaz-20&#038;l=as2&#038;o=1&#038;a=1555975275" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" /></strong><br />
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<img src="http://cdn.complex.com/blogs/wp-content/uploads/2009/07/lushlife.jpg" width="110" align="right"><br />
<strong><SPAN style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #ffff00"><em>LUSH LIFE</em> (Picador)</strong></span></p>
<p><strong>AUTHOR: <strong>Richard Price</strong></strong></p>
<p>The author of <em>Clockers</em> and <em>Freedomland</em> went off to write for <em>The Wire</em>, then came back to books to tell a tale of L.E.S. hipsters, cops, and Tru-Life&#8217;s crew. Well, not exactly, but the book reads like a Field Guide to Ludlow Street, except with way more guns.  </p>
<p><strong><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0312428227?ie=UTF8&#038;tag=complmagaz-20&#038;linkCode=as2&#038;camp=1789&#038;creative=9325&#038;creativeASIN=0312428227" target="_blank">BUY IT NOW!</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=complmagaz-20&#038;l=as2&#038;o=1&#038;a=0312428227" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" /></strong><br />
&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;-<br />
<img src="http://cdn.complex.com/blogs/wp-content/uploads/2009/07/road.jpg" width="110" align="right"><br />
<strong><SPAN style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #ffff00"><em>THE ROAD</em> (Vintage)</strong></span></p>
<p><strong>AUTHOR: <strong>Cormac McCarthy</strong></strong></p>
<p>A father and son scrabble across the wasteland that used to be our planet. Bleak post-apocalpytic settings were never so compelling, so read up now before the Viggo Mortensen movie finally comes to theaters and you&#8217;re exposed for the poorly-read poser you are.</p>
<p><strong><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0307472124?ie=UTF8&#038;tag=complmagaz-20&#038;linkCode=as2&#038;camp=1789&#038;creative=9325&#038;creativeASIN=0307472124" target="_blank">BUY IT NOW!</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=complmagaz-20&#038;l=as2&#038;o=1&#038;a=0307472124" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" /></strong><br />
&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;-<br />
<img src="http://cdn.complex.com/blogs/wp-content/uploads/2009/07/superspy.jpg" width="110" align="right"><br />
<strong><SPAN style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #ffff00"><em>SUPER SPY</em> (Top Shelf)</strong></span></p>
<p><strong>AUTHOR: <strong>Matt Kindt</strong></strong></p>
<p>If you&#8217;re looking for a graphic novel, stop here. Espionage + awesome meta-fiction + pretty pictures = JJ Abrams&#8217; wet dream.</p>
<p><strong><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1891830961?ie=UTF8&#038;tag=complmagaz-20&#038;linkCode=as2&#038;camp=1789&#038;creative=9325&#038;creativeASIN=1891830961" target="_blank">BUY IT NOW!</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=complmagaz-20&#038;l=as2&#038;o=1&#038;a=1891830961" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" /></strong><br />
&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;-<br />
<img src="http://cdn.complex.com/blogs/wp-content/uploads/2009/07/tiger.jpg" width="110" align="right"><br />
<strong><SPAN style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #ffff00"><em>WHITE TIGER</em> (Free Press)</strong></span></p>
<p><strong>AUTHOR: <strong>Aravind Adiga</strong></strong></p>
<p>A dirt-poor village kid rises through the class divides of India. Coarse, hilarious, and a far fucking cry from the gauzy &#8220;Indian fiction&#8221; your girl&#8217;s into. </p>
<p><strong><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1416562605?ie=UTF8&#038;tag=complmagaz-20&#038;linkCode=as2&#038;camp=1789&#038;creative=9325&#038;creativeASIN=1416562605" target="_blank">BUY IT NOW!</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=complmagaz-20&#038;l=as2&#038;o=1&#038;a=1416562605" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" /></strong><br />
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<img src="http://cdn.complex.com/blogs/wp-content/uploads/2009/07/zeroville.jpg" width="110" align="right"><br />
<strong><SPAN style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #ffff00"><em>ZEROVILLE</em> (Europa)</strong></span></p>
<p><strong>AUTHOR: <strong>Steve Erickson</strong></strong></p>
<p>A freak show with an obsessive love of movies moves to 1960s LA, then falls in with some weirdos and descends into madness. Seriously, seriously unlike anything you&#8217;ve ever read.</p>
<p><strong><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1933372397?ie=UTF8&#038;tag=complmagaz-20&#038;linkCode=as2&#038;camp=1789&#038;creative=9325&#038;creativeASIN=1933372397" target="_blank">BUY IT NOW!</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=complmagaz-20&#038;l=as2&#038;o=1&#038;a=1933372397" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" /></strong></p>
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		<slash:comments>7</slash:comments>
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		<title>Book of the Week: Vans Off The Wall: Stories of Sole from Vans Originals</title>
		<link>http://www.complex.com/blogs/2009/07/02/book-of-the-week-vans-off-the-wall-stories-of-sole-from-vans-originals/</link>
		<comments>http://www.complex.com/blogs/2009/07/02/book-of-the-week-vans-off-the-wall-stories-of-sole-from-vans-originals/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 02 Jul 2009 20:23:11 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Bradley</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Books]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Featured]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Book of the Week]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Doug Palladini]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Sneakers]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Steve Caballero]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Vans]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.complex.com/blogs/?p=44217</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[You might rock their shoes, but this new book will really school you on the history of the Cali-based skate company.]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="http://cdn.complex.com/blogs/wp-content/uploads/2009/07/vansbookbetter.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://cdn.complex.com/blogs/wp-content/uploads/2009/07/vansbookbetter.jpg" alt="vansbookbetter" title="vansbookbetter" width="313" height="328" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-44245" align="right"/></a></a><SPAN style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #ffff00"><strong>BOOK:</strong></SPAN> <em>Vans Book</em> (published 6/09)</p>
<p><strong><SPAN style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #ffff00">AUTHOR:</strong></SPAN> Doug Palladini</p>
<p><strong><SPAN style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #ffff00">FUN FACT:</strong></SPAN> Vans has been holding it down for over 40 years and started making special customizaions in the early days of the company (when iD was still something that Freud talked about). Shoppers could bring their favorite fabric by the factory, and the Van Dorens would put together a pair of shoes for them that week. You can design your own Vans through the company site today. </p>
<p><strong><SPAN style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #ffff00">WHY COMPLEX IS CO-SIGNING IT:</strong></SPAN> While the kids are going nuts because Vans is O.G. skate, affordable, and there are about a billion colorways to choose from, this book breaks down a history of the company. History is boring, right? Author/curator Doug Palladini pre-empts your study hall whining by giving you the tales from the super heroes&#8217; mouths. Chapters with skaters <strong>Tony Alva</strong>, <strong>Steve Caballero</strong> and <strong>John Cardiel</strong>; surfer <strong>Joel Tudo</strong>r; music legends&#8217; tales from the Warped Tour; and a photo essay on Frenchman <strong>Dimitri Coste&#8217;</strong>s crazy collection each show a facet of the company that you wouldn&#8217;t know otherwise. When it comes to reading we need a lot of pictures to look at, and this does the trick with 208 pages that include photographs by champions of the lens <strong>CR Stecyk</strong>, <strong>R. Grant Brittain</strong>, <strong>Art Brewer</strong>, and <strong>Trevor Graves</strong>. </p>
<p><span id="more-44217"></span><SPAN style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #ffff00"><strong><a href="http://shop.vans.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product2_10001_51608_10101_608470_-1" target="_blank">CLICK HERE TO BUY &#8220;Vans Off The Wall: Stories of Sole from Vans Originals&#8221; FOR $25</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=complmagaz-20&#038;l=as2&#038;o=1&#038;a=0143115863" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" /></strong></span></p>
<p><img src="http://cdn.complex.com/blogs/wp-content/uploads/2009/07/vansalvaspread.jpg" alt="vansalvaspread" title="vansalvaspread" width="625" height="289" class="alignright size-full wp-image-44237" /><img src="http://cdn.complex.com/blogs/wp-content/uploads/2009/07/vanssliponspread.jpg" alt="vanssliponspread" title="vanssliponspread" width="625" height="290" class="alignright size-full wp-image-44238" /><img src="http://cdn.complex.com/blogs/wp-content/uploads/2009/07/vanstudorspread.jpg" alt="vanstudorspread" title="vanstudorspread" width="625" height="289" class="alignright size-full wp-image-44240" /><img src="http://cdn.complex.com/blogs/wp-content/uploads/2009/07/vanstudorwave.jpg" alt="family" title="family" width="625" height="417" class="alignright size-full wp-image-44241" /><img src="http://cdn.complex.com/blogs/wp-content/uploads/2009/07/vanswarped.jpg" alt="vanswarped" title="vanswarped" width="625" height="377" class="alignright size-full wp-image-44242" /></p>
]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://www.complex.com/blogs/2009/07/02/book-of-the-week-vans-off-the-wall-stories-of-sole-from-vans-originals/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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		<item>
		<title>J. Crew Book Tells You &#8216;What A Man Should Know&#8217;</title>
		<link>http://www.complex.com/blogs/2008/10/17/j-crew-book-tells-you-what-a-man-should-know/</link>
		<comments>http://www.complex.com/blogs/2008/10/17/j-crew-book-tells-you-what-a-man-should-know/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 17 Oct 2008 20:08:31 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Joe</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Style]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Books]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[J.Crew]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Wasps]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[What A Man Should Know book]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.complex.com/blogs/2008/10/17/j-crew-book-tells-you-what-a-man-should-know/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The store known for its preppy offerings just released a guide to 50 pieces of knowledge a gentleman should have. Check out our favorite tips.]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img src='http://www.complex.com/blogs/wp-content/uploads/2008/10/what-a-main-should-know_lead.jpg' alt='what-a-main-should-know_lead.jpg' /><br />
Although we consider ourselves fairly well rounded individuals, we&#39;re always looking for ways to better ourselves. At first when this new book <em><strong>What A Man Should Know, Vol. 1</strong></em>&#39;J.Crew&#39;s first foray into a men&#39;s guide&#39;fell into our laps, we were worried that it was a long-winded outline on how to correctly crease our khakis. But it turns out the book offers principals about the basic knowledge a man should have, in fashion and everywhere else.</p>
<p>The WASPY shop tapped author <strong>Max Blagg</strong> to lay out 50 fundamentals for dudes to follow if they want to &#8220;raise cocktail conversation to a whole new level.&#8221; You&#39;ll be able to get the handy step-up guide at J.Crew&#39;s new <a href="http://www.complex.com/blogs/2008/08/28/retail-spotlight-j-crew-tribeca-mens-shop/">Tribeca Men&#8217;s Shop</a> or <a href="http://www.jcrew.com/AST/Browse/MensBrowse/Men_Shop_By_Category/accessories/necessaryluxuries/PRDOVR~14731/99101724539/14731.jsp" target="_blank">online</a> for $20. If you buy one at the Men&#8217;s Shop, you&#39;ll also get your choice of a <strong>limited edition necktie</strong>. See the ties and our <strong>5 favorite tips</strong> from the book below&#8230;<br />
<span id="more-18225"></span><br />
<img src='http://www.complex.com/blogs/wp-content/uploads/2008/10/j_crew-tie.jpg' alt='j_crew-tie.jpg' /></p>
<p><em>Our favorite principals from &#8220;What A Man Should Know.&#8221; </em></p>
<p><strong> <u>#9 A MAN SHOULD KNOW HOW TO READ A MAP</strong></u><br />
<em>But if he does get lost, he should also be capable of asking for directions without the least hint of embarrassment.</em></p>
<p><strong><u>#14 A MAN SHOULD KNOW HIS CAPACITY FOR A SINGLE MALT SCOTCH </u> </strong><br />
 <em>Choose one brand (we prefer Laphroaig) and order it each time you drink. About the remote island where it is made you can casually say, &#8220;Population 35, of whom 20 are employed by the distillery.&#8221; It sounds so factual, it&#8217;s not liable to be checked. Never operate heavy machinery or drive a car after two or more single malts.</em></p>
<p><strong><u> #19 A MAN SHOULD KNOW HOW TO PROGRAM THE REMOTE </u></strong><br />
<em>And how to find it without pitching a fit when it gets lost. General practice of household skills is an admirable trait in a man.</em></p>
<p><strong><u> #33 A MAN SHOULD KNOW CERTAIN FACTS ABOUT ALCOHOL </u></strong><br />
<em>Like how much it took to put the bibulous poet Dylan Thomas under. Tolerance to alcohol varies from oner person to another, but in Thomas&#8217;s case 18 blended whiskeys proved too many. He collapsed at the White Horse Tavern in New York and expired four days later in Saint Vincent&#8217;s Hospital. His last words were supposedly: &#8220;It&#8217;s not my round!&#8221;</em></p>
<p><strong><u>#46 A MAN SHOULD KNOW HIS CELLPHONE IS ONLY INCIDENTALLY A TIMEPIECE </u></strong><br />
<em>A good watch is something a man should always have on hand. On the left wrist.</em></p>
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		<title>5 Book Adaptations That Shouldn&#8217;t Become Musicals</title>
		<link>http://www.complex.com/blogs/2008/09/24/5-book-adaptations-that-shouldnt-become-musicals/</link>
		<comments>http://www.complex.com/blogs/2008/09/24/5-book-adaptations-that-shouldnt-become-musicals/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 24 Sep 2008 22:25:26 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>prubin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Featured]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Movies]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[American Psycho]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[bad ideas]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Books]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.complex.com/blogs/2008/09/24/5-book-adaptations-that-shouldnt-become-musicals/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Beware: 'American Psycho: The Musical' is coming to Broadway. Making movies into musicals is one thing, but serious novels should be off-limits.]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img src='http://www.complex.com/blogs/wp-content/uploads/2008/09/bale.jpg' alt='bale' /><br />
Okay, so for some reason a company has bought the stage rights to <em>American Psycho</em> and is <a href="http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117992702.html?categoryId=15&#038;cs=1" target="_blank">planning</a> to turn it into an &#8217;80s musical. And we&#8217;ll be frank: we don&#8217;t understand this AT ALL. </p>
<p>Sure, some movies have worked on Broadway&#8211;<em>Legally Blond</em>, <em>Shrek</em>, <em>The Producers</em>&#8211;but those are all broad comedies. We&#8217;re talking about a movie that was adapted from an actual, no-pictures, BOOK. Two severed thumbs down, <em><strong>American Psycho: The Musical</strong></em>. And in case any of you would-be impresarios are considering adapting other books-that-became-movies into musicals, take our advice and don&#8217;t do it. Especially not <em>these</em> five book/movies&#8230;<br />
<span id="more-17289"></span></p>
<p><img src='http://www.complex.com/blogs/wp-content/uploads/2008/09/fight.jpg' alt='fight' /><br />
<strong>BOOK/MOVIE:</strong> <em>Fight Club</em><br />
<strong>ORIGINAL AUTHOR:</strong> Chuck Palahniuk<br />
<strong>POTENTIAL SONG TITLE:</strong> &#8220;The White Man&#8217;s Durden&#8221;<br />
<strong>SAMPLE LYRIC:</strong> &#8220;I&#8217;m a bare-knuckle brawler, a pit bull, no lipstick/Inspiring the likes of Ed Norton and Bitch Tits!&#8221;</p>
<p><img src='http://www.complex.com/blogs/wp-content/uploads/2008/09/blood.jpg' alt='blood' /><br />
<strong>BOOK/MOVIE:</strong> <em>There Will Be Blood</em> (from the book <em>Oil!</em>)<br />
<strong>ORIGINAL AUTHOR:</strong> Upton Sinclair<br />
<strong>POTENTIAL SONG TITLE:</strong> &#8220;Milkshake Jubilee&#8221;<br />
<strong>SAMPLE LYRIC:</strong> &#8220;The derricks are gushin&#8217; with that sweet black delight/I&#8217;m gonna drink your milkshake from your manly milkshake piiiiiiipe!&#8221;</p>
<p><img src='http://www.complex.com/blogs/wp-content/uploads/2008/09/carlito.jpg' alt='carlito' /><br />
<strong>BOOK/MOVIE:</strong> <em>Carlito&#8217;s Way</em><br />
<strong>ORIGINAL AUTHOR:</strong> Edwin Torres<br />
<strong>POTENTIAL SONG TITLE:</strong> &#8220;All the Stitches in the World (Reprise)&#8221;<br />
<strong>SAMPLE LYRIC:</strong> &#8220;I did it myyyy way/No, I&#8217;m kidding, now I&#8217;m done/&#8217;Cause Benny Blanco from the Bronx caught me out there with no guuuuun!&#8221;</p>
<p><img src='http://www.complex.com/blogs/wp-content/uploads/2008/09/requiem.jpg' alt='requiem' /><br />
<strong>BOOK/MOVIE:</strong> <em>Requiem for a Dream</em><br />
<strong>ORIGINAL AUTHOR:</strong> Hubert Selby, Jr.<br />
<strong>POTENTIAL SONG TITLE:</strong> &#8220;Super Heroin&#8221;<br />
<strong>SAMPLE LYRIC:</strong> &#8220;Crackheads suck dick for a hit, there&#8217;s no harm/Why not tag-team a dildo for a needle in my arm?&#8221;</p>
<p><img src='http://www.complex.com/blogs/wp-content/uploads/2008/09/lunch.jpg' alt='lunch' /><br />
<strong>BOOK/MOVIE:</strong> <em>Naked Lunch</em><br />
<strong>ORIGINAL AUTHOR:</strong> William Burroughs<br />
<strong>POTENTIAL SONG TITLE:</strong>&#8220;Everything&#8217;s An Anus&#8221;<br />
<strong>SAMPLE LYRIC:</strong> &#8220;Maybe it&#8217;s the heroin, or just my own fixation/But everything I see looks like it&#8217;s meant for defecation!/My typewriter talks and there&#8217;s freaks everywhere/Perhaps I should never have made this musical&#8211;but who caaaaaares?&#8221;</p>
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		<title>A Bathing Ape Book Chronicles 15 Year History</title>
		<link>http://www.complex.com/blogs/2008/07/15/a-bathing-ape-book-chronicles-15-year-history/</link>
		<comments>http://www.complex.com/blogs/2008/07/15/a-bathing-ape-book-chronicles-15-year-history/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 15 Jul 2008 22:32:23 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Joe</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Style]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[A Bathing Ape]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Bape]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Books]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Japan]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Nigo]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Sneakers]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.complex.com/blogs/2008/07/15/a-bathing-ape-book-chronicles-15-year-history/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Think you know about Nigo's global street-wear brand? This 368-page tome follows their long journey, from Biggie to Kanye.]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img src='http://www.complex.com/blogs/wp-content/uploads/2008/07/abathingapebook_main.jpg' alt='abathingapebook_main.jpg' /><br />
It&#39;s been 15 years since Japanese street fashion label <strong>A Bathing Ape</strong> chin-checked cool guys who thought they&#39;d seen and worn everything. The brand still generates unmatched blog buzz with everything from key chains to varsity jackets, but now the first official chronicle of the company is coming to bookstores.</p>
<p>Aptly titled <em>A Bathing Ape</em>,  the 368-page book takes a look back at Bape&#39;s design history, through pictures of products like G-Shocks, all over printed hoodies, and sneakers, along with the celebrities like <strong>Kanye West, </strong><strong>Pharrell</strong> and <strong>T.I</strong> who wear them. The book will be distributed by Rizzoli International Publications and will retail for <strong>$60.00</strong> in November. Check some preview pages after the jump.<br />
<span id="more-14483"></span><br />
<a href='http://www.complex.com/blogs/wp-content/uploads/2008/07/bape-layout-20080615-17.jpg' title='bape-layout-20080615-17.jpg'class="shutterset"><img src='http://www.complex.com/blogs/wp-content/uploads/2008/07/bape-layout-20080615-17.thumbnail.jpg' alt='bape-layout-20080615-17.jpg' /></a><a href='http://www.complex.com/blogs/wp-content/uploads/2008/07/bape-layout-20080615-5.jpg' title='bape-layout-20080615-5.jpg'class="shutterset"><img src='http://www.complex.com/blogs/wp-content/uploads/2008/07/bape-layout-20080615-5.thumbnail.jpg' alt='bape-layout-20080615-5.jpg' /></a><br />
<a href='http://www.complex.com/blogs/wp-content/uploads/2008/07/bape-layout-20080615-7.jpg' title='bape-layout-20080615-7.jpg'class="shutterset"><img src='http://www.complex.com/blogs/wp-content/uploads/2008/07/bape-layout-20080615-7.thumbnail.jpg' alt='bape-layout-20080615-7.jpg' /></a><a href='http://www.complex.com/blogs/wp-content/uploads/2008/07/bape-layout-20080615-11.jpg' title='bape-layout-20080615-11.jpg'class="shutterset"><img src='http://www.complex.com/blogs/wp-content/uploads/2008/07/bape-layout-20080615-11.thumbnail.jpg' alt='bape-layout-20080615-11.jpg' /></a></p>
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		<title>See Jeremy Fish&#8217;s Story In &#8216;Once Upon A Time&#8217;</title>
		<link>http://www.complex.com/blogs/2008/07/03/see-jeremy-fishs-story-in-once-upon-a-time/</link>
		<comments>http://www.complex.com/blogs/2008/07/03/see-jeremy-fishs-story-in-once-upon-a-time/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 03 Jul 2008 17:10:21 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>jerwin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Art]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Books]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Jeremy Fish]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[photography]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Skate]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.complex.com/blogs/2008/07/03/see-jeremy-fishs-story-in-once-upon-a-time/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[In this new collection of drawings, photos, paintings and tattoos, the Cali artist proves that picture books make the best summer "reading."]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img src='http://www.complex.com/blogs/wp-content/uploads/2008/07/jeremyfish_cover.jpg' alt='jeremyfish_cover.jpg' /></p>
<p>The Fourth of July weekend is supposed to be about cookouts, fireworks, and <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zEMmbtcxbpc" target="_blank">sharking</a>, but if you&#8217;ve had enough outdoor fun and want to post up at the crib with a good book, you could do worse than <strong>Jeremy Fish</strong>&#8217;s latest, <strong><em>Once Upon A Time&#8230;</em></strong> </p>
<p>The SF-based artist/skate mogul/<strong>Aesop Rock</strong> pal has compiled some of his favorite drawings, photographs, and paintings in a leather-bound tome that retails for $50. Highlights include a foreword by the aforementioned <strong>Def Juxer</strong> and a section devoted to photos of people who&#8217;ve gotten tatted up with Fish&#8217;s work. Pick it up at Upper Playground stores or <a href="https://www.upperplaygroundstore.com/catalog/item/once_upon_a_time_1904" target="_blank">online</a> and check a few pages from the book after the jump.<br />
<span id="more-14177"></span></p>
<p><img src='http://www.complex.com/blogs/wp-content/uploads/2008/07/jeremyfish_1.jpg' alt='jeremyfish_1.jpg' /><img src='http://www.complex.com/blogs/wp-content/uploads/2008/07/jeremyfish_2.jpg' alt='jeremyfish_2.jpg' /><img src='http://www.complex.com/blogs/wp-content/uploads/2008/07/jeremyfish_3.jpg' alt='jeremyfish_3.jpg' /><img src='http://www.complex.com/blogs/wp-content/uploads/2008/07/jeremyfish_4.jpg' alt='jeremyfish_4.jpg' /><img src='http://www.complex.com/blogs/wp-content/uploads/2008/07/jeremyfish_back.jpg' alt='jeremyfish_back.jpg' /></p>
<p>[<a href="http://www.juxtapoz.com/index.php?option=com_content&#038;task=view&#038;id=3725" target="_blank">Juxtapoz</a>]</p>
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		<title>Erotic Comics Book Puts The &#8216;Lust&#8217; In &#8216;Illustration&#8217;</title>
		<link>http://www.complex.com/blogs/2008/07/02/erotic-comics-book-puts-the-lust-in-illustration/</link>
		<comments>http://www.complex.com/blogs/2008/07/02/erotic-comics-book-puts-the-lust-in-illustration/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 02 Jul 2008 17:43:48 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>prubin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Art]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Books]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Comics]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Sex]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.complex.com/blogs/2008/07/02/erotic-comics-book-puts-the-lust-in-illustration/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[This new coffee table compilation looks at the history of sexy art, from Tijuana Bibles to the pages of Playboy.]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img src="http://www.complex.com/blogs/wp-content/uploads/2008/07/eroticcomics.jpg" alt="eroticart" /><br />
As longtime comic book heads, we&#8217;ve always had a place in our heart for a well-rendered female form, whether <strong>She-Hulk</strong>, <strong>Jean Grey</strong>, or <strong>Witchblade</strong> (big up to our dude <strong><a href="http://www.complex.com/CELEBRITIES/Complex-Men/Leaders-of-the-New/Mike-Choi">Mike Choi</a></strong>!). Of course, mainstream comic art has its limits&#39;limits that have long been crossed in erotic art from the Kama Sutra to <strong>R. Crumb</strong> and <em>Playboy</em>&#8217;s <strong>Little Annie Fanny</strong>. And now those transgressions have been lovingly cataloged by Tim Pilcher, whose <em>Erotic Comics: <span id="detailsubtitle">A Graphic History from Tijuana Bibles to Underground Comix</span></em><span id="detailsubtitle"> comes out this month.</span></p>
<p>More than just a visual history, the book reads like a labor of love; images from pre-Depression nudie comics to modern-day Mexican <em>sensacionales</em> are presented along with insightful essays that make the book perfectly suitable for a coffee-table centerpiece (albeit an intesnsely NSFW one). After the jump, check out some relatively tame images from inside the book.<br />
<span id="more-14116"></span></p>
<p><img src="http://www.complex.com/blogs/wp-content/uploads/2008/07/art1.jpg" alt="art1" /></p>
<p><small>(A postcard from 1902)</small></p>
<p><img src="http://www.complex.com/blogs/wp-content/uploads/2008/07/art3.jpg" alt="art3" /></p>
<p><small>(A 2007 Mexican <em>sensacionale</em> cover) </small></p>
<p><img src="http://www.complex.com/blogs/wp-content/uploads/2008/07/art2.jpg" alt="art2" /></p>
<p><small>(An Eric Stanton cartoon from the 1960s magazine <em>Satana</em>)</small></p>
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		<title>Photo Book Exposes Phone Sex Operators</title>
		<link>http://www.complex.com/blogs/2008/06/12/photo-book-exposes-phone-sex-operators/</link>
		<comments>http://www.complex.com/blogs/2008/06/12/photo-book-exposes-phone-sex-operators/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 12 Jun 2008 23:18:02 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>treats</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Art]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Books]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[photography]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.complex.com/blogs/2008/06/12/photo-book-exposes-phone-sex-operators/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Ever wondered what the person on the that 976 line really looks like? A new book from photographer Phillip Toledano reveals the truth.]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img src='http://www.complex.com/blogs/wp-content/uploads/2008/06/phonesex_biglady.jpg' alt='phonesex_biglady.jpg' /><br />
The age-old problem with any kind of virtual sex&#39;phone, cyber, telegraph&#39;is that you can&#8217;t actually see who you&#8217;re talking to. But would you really want to? Behind those sexy voices are real people, who are now being revealed in the new photography book by <strong>Phillip Toledano</strong> called <em><strong>Phone Sex</strong></em>. In the coffee-table book, all of the operators divulge some anecdote or philosophy they&#8217;ve gained while on the job. Read the thick lady above&#8217;s confessional after the jump, and see more eye-opening photos from the book that drops in July.<br />
<span id="more-13529"></span></p>
<blockquote><p>&#8220;I never thought I would work in the phone sex industry. All those years doing customer service, my customers would comment on my sexy voice. I thought I was being professional, not sexy. This work is customer service. It&#39;s just your customers leave with more than a smile.&#8221;
</p></blockquote>
<p><img src='http://www.complex.com/blogs/wp-content/uploads/2008/06/phonesex_doggie.jpg' alt='phonesex_doggie.jpg' /><br />
&#8220;I am a straight male who speaks to women. They want me. They want me to talk to them, and to take them to another world. I&#39;m good at it. I&#39;m a pro. A ladies man. I speak to younger women. I speak to older women. I speak both Spanish and English. I have been thrown offers left and right. They want me to meet up and have my way with them, but I keep it only to phone conversations.&#8221;</p>
<p><img src='http://www.complex.com/blogs/wp-content/uploads/2008/06/phonesex_devil.jpg' alt='phonesex_devil.jpg' /><br />
&#8220;My ï¬rst night was on a Saturday at midnight. It was a gentleman who I believe called himself Bob. He told me about his ï¬rst experience with a glory hole. He explained that he had no one he felt comfortable telling this to, and I felt a strange intimacy between us, though it was rooted in a fantasy. I think it&#39;s easier to release repressed desires to a non-judgmental, ï¬ctional person, because there are no consequences in the outside world.&#8221;</p>
<p><img src='http://www.complex.com/blogs/wp-content/uploads/2008/06/phonesex_jellyroll.jpg' alt='phonesex_jellyroll.jpg' /><br />
&#8220;I got into phone sex because I thought: &#39;Why not get paid for talking dirty, instead of doing it for free?&#39; It brings up my self-esteem so much, knowing guys are looking at my pics and wanting to talk with me. Wanting me to take them to a whole other place, filling their fantasies&#8230; painting that picture in their mind for them.&#8221;</p>
<p><img src='http://www.complex.com/blogs/wp-content/uploads/2008/06/phonesex_oldbag.jpg' alt='phonesex_oldbag.jpg' /><br />
&#8220;I&#39;m 60 years old, have a B.A. in Cultural Anthropology from Columbia University, and married for 25 years. I have a son in his last years of college who lives at home. He&#39;s a 4.0 with a double major in English Literature and Religion. Men call me for an inï¬nity of reasons. Of course, they call to masturbate. I call it &#8220;Executive Stress Relief.&#8221; It&#39;s not sex; it&#39;s a cocktail of testosterone, fueled by addiction to pornography, loneliness, and the need to hear a woman&#39;s voice. I make twice the money I made in the corporate world. I work from home, the money transfers into my bank account daily. I&#39;m Scheherezade: If I don&#39;t tell stories that fascinate the Pasha, he will kill me in the morning.&#8221;</p>
<p><img src='http://www.complex.com/blogs/wp-content/uploads/2008/06/phonesex_hipster.jpg' alt='phonesex_hipster.jpg' /><br />
&#8220;To the caller, when I first answer, I am the inanimate Barbie. They do not know what I look like, who I am or how I feel. They can only imagine. It is my job to indulge their fantasies, to convince them that I am not a doll. I am their dream turned real. I view every question the caller asks me as a command for me to transform. If they ask if I am blonde, I become a blonde. If they ask how wet I am, I tell them that my panties are drenched. I respond to every sound the caller makes with an affirmation, I encourage them, I breathe life into their fantasy, I carve the doll out of flesh. I do not view myself as this doll, as the commodity. I am the manufacturer who creates her from the blueprint that the caller provides me. When the caller comes, it is positive feedback. Like an architect patting his contractor on the back.&#8221;</p>
<p>[<a href="http://www.themorningnews.org/archives/galleries/phone_sex_operators/07pso.php" target="_blank">The Morning News</a>]</p>
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		<title>Hunter S. Thompson Explained In Gonzo Movie</title>
		<link>http://www.complex.com/blogs/2008/06/10/hunter-s-thompson-explained-in-gonzo-movie/</link>
		<comments>http://www.complex.com/blogs/2008/06/10/hunter-s-thompson-explained-in-gonzo-movie/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 10 Jun 2008 16:17:02 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>bfred</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Movies]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Books]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[documentary]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.complex.com/blogs/2008/06/10/hunter-s-thompson-explained-in-gonzo-documentary/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Who was the real man behind the Fear &#038; Loathing? Watch the trailer for this in-depth documentary about the eccentric writer.]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img src="http://www.complex.com/blogs/wp-content/uploads/2008/06/gonzomovie_main.jpg" alt="gonzomovie_main.jpg" /><br />
If you&#8217;ve read or watched <em>Fear &amp; Loathing in Las Vegas</em>, then you know the legend of <strong>Dr. Hunter S. Thompson</strong>, the innovative journalist whose wild drug-fueled adventures became just as famous as his manic, &#8220;gonzo&#8221;-style observations. But who was the real man behind the ether? Academy Award-winning director Alex Gibney&#8217;s new documentary <em><strong>Gonzo: The Life and Work of Dr. Hunter S. Thompson</strong></em> strives to profile the late writer like never before.</p>
<p>Narrated by HST&#8217;s close friend <strong>Johnny Depp</strong>, the film uses reenactments of his life, scenes from his movies and interviews with friends like <strong>President Jimmy Carter</strong> and Hell&#8217;s Angels bigwig Sonny Barger to unravel his outrageous life. The film hits theaters on <strong>July 4</strong>, so get familiar with the trailer below.<br />
<span id="more-13445"></span></p>
<p><object width="480" height="318"><param name="movie" value="http://www.huntersthompsonmovie.com/trailer.swf"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param></object></p>
<p>[<a href="http://www.huntersthompsonmovie.com/" target="_blank">Gonzo</a> via <a href="http://www.joblo.com/index.php?id=21492" target="_blank">JoBlo</a>]</p>
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		<title>Charles Burns&#8217; Art Gets Collected In Permagel</title>
		<link>http://www.complex.com/blogs/2008/05/21/charles-burns-art-gets-collected-in-permagel/</link>
		<comments>http://www.complex.com/blogs/2008/05/21/charles-burns-art-gets-collected-in-permagel/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 21 May 2008 21:22:06 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>bfred</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Art]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Books]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Comics]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.complex.com/blogs/2008/05/21/charles-burns-art-gets-collected-in-permagel/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[A French publisher has reprinted the surreal comic artist's best frames in a new anthology.]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img src='http://www.complex.com/blogs/wp-content/uploads/2008/05/permagel_main.jpg' alt='permagel_main.jpg' /><br />
Whether or not you read <strong>Charles Burns</strong>&#8216; critically-acclaimed comic series <em><strong>Black Hole</strong></em>, you might have seen his surreal artwork. He did the cover for Iggy Pop&#8217;s 1990 album <em>Brick By Brick</em> and created the classic art for Coke&#8217;s short-lived OK! soda, along with a slew of other books and commercial work.</p>
<p>Now, French publisher United Dead Artists has collected some of his best frames for a new book called <em><strong>Permagel</strong></em>. The anthology includes 32 large-format printings of art from <em>Black Hole</em>, <em>Big Baby</em> and the rest of Burns&#8217; work thorugh the years. Right now it&#8217;s only available in Europe, but a U.S. printing can&#8217;t be far behind. View more frames from the book below.<br />
<span id="more-12960"></span></p>
<p>[<em>Click on an image to view full size</em>]<br />
<a href='http://www.complex.com/blogs/wp-content/uploads/2008/05/permagel_1.jpg' title='permagel_1.jpg'class="shutter"><img src='http://www.complex.com/blogs/wp-content/uploads/2008/05/permagel_1.thumbnail.jpg' alt='permagel_1.jpg' /></a><a href='http://www.complex.com/blogs/wp-content/uploads/2008/05/permagel_2.jpg' title='permagel_2.jpg'class="shutter"><img src='http://www.complex.com/blogs/wp-content/uploads/2008/05/permagel_2.thumbnail.jpg' alt='permagel_2.jpg' /></a><a href='http://www.complex.com/blogs/wp-content/uploads/2008/05/permagel_3.jpg' title='permagel_3.jpg'class="shutter"><img src='http://www.complex.com/blogs/wp-content/uploads/2008/05/permagel_3.thumbnail.jpg' alt='permagel_3.jpg' /></a><a href='http://www.complex.com/blogs/wp-content/uploads/2008/05/permagel_4.jpg' title='permagel_4.jpg'class="shutter"><img src='http://www.complex.com/blogs/wp-content/uploads/2008/05/permagel_4.thumbnail.jpg' alt='permagel_4.jpg' /></a><a href='http://www.complex.com/blogs/wp-content/uploads/2008/05/permagel_5.jpg' title='permagel_5.jpg'class="shutter"><img src='http://www.complex.com/blogs/wp-content/uploads/2008/05/permagel_5.thumbnail.jpg' alt='permagel_5.jpg' /></a></p>
<p>[<a href="http://pwbeat.publishersweekly.com/blog/2008/05/21/charles-burns-permagel/" target="_blank">THE BEAT</a>]</p>
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		<title>How To Lose Friends And Alienate People Is A Movie</title>
		<link>http://www.complex.com/blogs/2008/05/20/how-to-lose-friends-and-alienate-people-is-a-movie/</link>
		<comments>http://www.complex.com/blogs/2008/05/20/how-to-lose-friends-and-alienate-people-is-a-movie/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 20 May 2008 22:41:07 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>bfred</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Movies]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Books]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.complex.com/blogs/2008/05/20/how-to-lose-friends-and-alienate-people-is-a-movie/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[See the trailer for the adaptation of Toby Young's hilarious 2003 memoir about the magazine world.]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img src='http://www.complex.com/blogs/wp-content/uploads/2008/05/howtolosefriends_main.jpg' alt='howtolosefriends_main.jpg' /><br />
Regardless of how the movie adaptation turns out, <strong>Toby Young</strong>&#8217;s 2003 memoir <em><strong>How To Lose Friends And Alienate People</strong></em> is one of the most hilarious accounts of the publishing world ever written. The story follows freewheeling British journalist Young, who moves to New York and spends five years at <em><strong>Vanity Fair</strong></em> magazine, where he tries to make it in high-pressure Conde Nast culture. As you probably gathered from the title, it doesn&#8217;t go so well.</p>
<p>The movie&#8217;s first trailer just leaked, and it seems to be lacking the subtle, snarky sense of humor that made the book such a success (although Jeff Bridges&#8217; <strong>Graydon Carter</strong> impression looks solid). Still, it was directed by <em><strong>Curb Your Enthusiasm</strong></em> vet Robert Weide, so we&#8217;re willing to reserve judgement until we see more. The movie comes out on October 3, so watch the preview below.<br />
<span id="more-12935"></span></p>
<p><object width="425" height="355"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/A1AufN8KUKY&#038;hl=en"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/A1AufN8KUKY&#038;hl=en" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="355"></embed></object></p>
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		<title>Chuck Palahniuk&#8217;s &#8220;Snuff&#8221; Pushes Porn Trailers</title>
		<link>http://www.complex.com/blogs/2008/05/14/chuck-palahniuks-snuff-pushes-porn-trailers/</link>
		<comments>http://www.complex.com/blogs/2008/05/14/chuck-palahniuks-snuff-pushes-porn-trailers/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 14 May 2008 20:57:16 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>bfred</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Sex]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Books]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Chuck Palahniuk]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[porn]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.complex.com/blogs/2008/05/14/chuck-palahniuks-snuff-pushes-porn-trailers/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The adult film actress from the <em>Fight Club</em> author's new novel comes to life in "The Wizard Of Ass."]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img src='http://www.complex.com/blogs/wp-content/uploads/2008/05/snuffchuck_main.jpg' alt='snuffchuck_main.jpg' /><br />
From gruesome masterbation accidents to airplane-hijacking suicide cults, <strong>Chuck Palahniuk</strong>&#8217;s novels are always centered around some crazy shit. Most famous for writing <em><strong>Fight Club</strong></em>, Chuckie P. is gearing up to release his new book <em><strong>Snuff</strong></em>, which focuses in on the adult film industry. </p>
<p>The story follows fictional porn star Cassie Wright as she films a record-breaking sex scene with 600 men. As a promo for the book (which comes out on May 20), they&#8217;ve filmed fake trailers for a few of Cassie&#8217;s supposed movies, including <em>The Wizard Of Ass</em> and <em>Chitty Chitty Gang Bang</em>. Watch the hilarious results after the jump.<br />
<span id="more-12773"></span></p>
<p>The Wizard Of Ass:<br />
<object width="425" height="355"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/gzY3r76Ax48&#038;hl=en"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/gzY3r76Ax48&#038;hl=en" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="355"></embed></object></p>
<p>Chity Chity Gang Bang:<br />
<object width="425" height="355"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/1uBR6dDcXSg&#038;hl=en"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/1uBR6dDcXSg&#038;hl=en" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="355"></embed></object></p>
<p>[<a href="http://www.joblo.com/index.php?id=21092" target="_blank">JoBlo</a>]</p>
<p>Related:<br />
-<a href="http://www.complex.com/blogs/2008/04/24/porn-for-the-blind-talks-like-sex/">Porn For The Blind Talks Like Sex</a><br />
-<a href="http://www.complex.com/blogs/2008/04/21/invasion-of-the-brazilian-porn-posters/">Invasion Of The &#39;70s Brazilian Porn Posters</a><br />
-<a href="http://www.complex.com/blogs/2008/03/25/internet-porn-outlawed-in-indonesia/">Internet Porn Outlawed In Indonesia</a></p>
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		<title>Herschel Walker Has Personalities To Spare</title>
		<link>http://www.complex.com/blogs/2008/04/14/herschel-walker-has-personalities-to-spare/</link>
		<comments>http://www.complex.com/blogs/2008/04/14/herschel-walker-has-personalities-to-spare/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 14 Apr 2008 21:04:00 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>bfred</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Sports]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Books]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Football]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Herschel Walker]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.complex.com/blogs/2008/04/14/herschel-walker-has-personalities-to-spare/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The football legend's new book <em>Breaking Free</em> explains living with Dissociative Identity Disorder.]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img align="right" src='http://www.complex.com/blogs/wp-content/uploads/2008/04/herschelwalker.jpg' alt='herschelwalker.jpg' />NFL nerds know that <strong>Herschel Walker</strong> helped jumpstart the Dallas Cowboys mid-&#39;90s dynasty when he was traded for damn near half the Minnesota Vikings&#8217; draft picks in 1989. It turns out maybe that trade wasn&#8217;t so one-sided after all. Today, Walker releases his memoir <em><strong>Breaking Free</strong></em>, where he talks about coping with multiple-personality disorder (politically correct terminology: <strong>&#8220;dissociative identity disorder&#8221;</strong>). Check a sample passage of Walker talking about the members of his &#8220;team&#8221;:<br />
<blockquote>&#8220;I had a coachlike alter who would recognize what was going on&#8230;and he would point to one of the other alters on the bench&#8230;Not all of the alters knew of the existence of the others, but some did. For example, the Hero alter knew that the Consoler existed and was aware as well of the presence of the Fightened/Wounded alter. He didn&#8217;t much care for the weakness the Frightened/Wounded alter exhibited.&#8221;</p></blockquote>
<p>After the jump, watch a video of a man struggling to live with D.I.D.:<br />
<span id="more-11533"></span></p>
<p><object width="425" height="355"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/7iHJfIH20TY&#038;hl=en"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/7iHJfIH20TY&#038;hl=en" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="355"></embed></object></p>
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		<title>Phil Frost Book Is Out</title>
		<link>http://www.complex.com/blogs/2008/03/14/phil-frost-book-is-out/</link>
		<comments>http://www.complex.com/blogs/2008/03/14/phil-frost-book-is-out/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 14 Mar 2008 16:04:21 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>complex</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Books]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Phil Frost]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.complex.com/blogs/2008/03/14/phil-frost-book-is-out/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Vandal turned gallery artist Phil Frost has a new book out. ]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img src='http://www.complex.com/blogs/wp-content/uploads/2008/03/philfrostbook.jpg' alt='philfrostbook.jpg' /><br />
Eccentric vandal turned contemporary artist <strong>Phil Frost</strong> has a new art book out. He&#8217;s one of the few artists who&#8217;s been able to successfully parlay his &#8220;high evolved form of tagging&#8221; and transform it into a signature style of art that&#8217;s highly recognizable and all his own. Frost describes his work as thus: &#8220;I believe [my work] is indigenous to myself. I believe that within every person there is an indigenous expression of themselves.&#8221; Sure, whatever you say Phil. The 162 page book features numerous full color images of the artist&#8217;s work and of course, the obligatory essay by <strong>Carlo McCormick</strong> as well as some words by artistic mystery man<strong> Pushead</strong>. $29.70, <em><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Phil-Frost-Pushead/dp/8862080247/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&#038;s=books&#038;qid=1205440196&#038;sr=1-1" target="_blank">www.amazon.com</a></em></p>
<p>[<a href="http://www.supertouchblog.com/2008/03/13/words-picturesphil-frosts-new-book-is-here/" target="_blank">Supertouch</a> via <a href="http://c-monster.net/blog1/2008/03/14/the-digest-031408/" target="_blank">C-Monster</a>]</p>
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		<title>Stan Lee&#8217;s &#8220;Election Daze&#8221;</title>
		<link>http://www.complex.com/blogs/2008/03/06/stan-lees-election-daze/</link>
		<comments>http://www.complex.com/blogs/2008/03/06/stan-lees-election-daze/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 06 Mar 2008 16:30:20 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>complex</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Books]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Silly Season]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Stan Lee]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.complex.com/blogs/2008/03/06/stan-lees-election-daze/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Stan Lee takes his love of writing captions to the political arena with new book. ]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img src='http://www.complex.com/blogs/wp-content/uploads/2008/03/electiondazefinalcover.jpg' alt='electiondazefinalcover.jpg' /><br />
Superhero <strike>sellout</strike> creator <strong>Stan Lee</strong>, who&#8217;s ruined countless comic icons by taking them onto the silver screen has a whole new cast of characters to slay, this time setting his aim on politicians like <strong>Hillary Clinton</strong>, <strong>Barack Obama</strong>, <strong>John McCain</strong>, <strong>President Bush</strong>, among other newfound political celebrities like <strong>George Clooney</strong>,<br />
<strong>Chuck Norris</strong>, and <strong>Stephen Colbert</strong> in his new book <a href="http://www.myspace.com/electiondaze" target="_blank">&#8220;Election Daze.&#8221;</a> Lee, who&#8217;s most often associated with superhuman idols like Spider-Man, Iron Man, Hulk, the Fantastic Four, and the X-Men, took his famed comic book format and transposed it to political humor. His new book features funny dialogue balloons accompanied by eye-catching photos from Capitol Hill shutterbug, <strong>Lauren Victoria Burke</strong>. According to Lee, the political arena sometimes offers more unbelievable material than his best fiction, &#8220;It&#39;s a great change of pace from writing fantasy tales, although sometimes politics seems more like fantasy than my own stories.&#8221; The caption-filled easy read will be available at the end of March and is available for pre-order online now. $9.95, <em><a href="http://www.atlasbooks.com " target="_blank">www.atlasbooks.com</a></em> </p>
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		<title>Living Proof</title>
		<link>http://www.complex.com/blogs/2006/10/19/living-proof/</link>
		<comments>http://www.complex.com/blogs/2006/10/19/living-proof/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 19 Oct 2006 17:04:57 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>treats</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Art]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Boogie]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Books]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[New York City]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[photography]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.complex.com/blogs/?p=608</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Go inside the dark underbelly of New York. ]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img id="image607" src="http://www.complex.com/blogs/wp-content/uploads/2006/10/ItsAllGoodCVR.jpg" alt="ItsAllGoodCVR.jpg" /></p>
<p>The rampant drugs and violence that deemed New York shitty in the &#39;80s, reigns today in the tongue-in-cheek titled, <i>It&#39;s All Good</i>. Shot in some of the city&#39;s most notorious &#39;hoods, Serbian-born photographer Boogie admits in his new book, &#8220;This is the only reality I see.&#8221; And it bites.</p>
<p><i>Photo by Boogie</i><br />
It&#8217;s All Good <i>is now available through <a target="_blank" href="http://www.powerhousebooks.com/titlesf06/itsallgood.html">Powerhouse Books</a></i></p>
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		<title>Sweet Child o&#8217; Mine</title>
		<link>http://www.complex.com/blogs/2006/07/28/sweet-child-o-mine/</link>
		<comments>http://www.complex.com/blogs/2006/07/28/sweet-child-o-mine/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 28 Jul 2006 20:23:18 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>treats</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Art]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Books]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[cameras]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Dalek]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Design]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Events]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Technology]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.complex.com/blogs/?p=367</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Dalek &#038; Lomography give us their prototype for a modern fountain of youth.]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img id="image363" alt="display.jpg" src="http://www.complex.com/blogs/wp-content/uploads/2006/07/display.jpg" /><br />
Even though originally intended for kids, YoyaMart opened its doors this week to <em>Complex</em>&#39;s inner child for the unveiling of the limited edition <a href="http://www.dalekart.com/" target="_blank">Dalek</a> Supersampler camera. The collaboration between Dalek and Lomography birthed a slick, candy-coated monster featuring Dalek&#39;s trademark &#8220;Space Monkey&#8221; that takes four pictures in sequential order on one film slide. The result: an animation effect on each picture. So start saving up your &#8220;summer job&#8221; pennies, &#39;cause this shit ain&#39;t gonna buy itself.</p>
<p><img id="image366" alt="leslie_2.jpg" src="http://www.complex.com/blogs/wp-content/uploads/2006/07/leslie_2.jpg" /><br />
Iowa&#39;s Leslie and the Lys get lifted from a natural performance high.</p>
<p><img id="image364" alt="dalek_party2.jpg" src="http://www.complex.com/blogs/wp-content/uploads/2006/07/dalek_party2.jpg" /><br />
Not only wowed by sick gift bags and free beer, the crowd actually enjoys this quirky band&#39;s music.</p>
<p><img id="image365" alt="dalek_leslie.jpg" src="http://www.complex.com/blogs/wp-content/uploads/2006/07/dalek_leslie.jpg" /><br />
Dalek poses for a paparazzi shot with lead singer Leslie.</p>
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