MATT’S PICK :: HELLO KITTY: DELICIOUS: I believe I have a ten-year-old-girl living inside my brain! That is the only explanation I have for my recent comic reading preferences. With that out of the way, I suggest you pick up a copy of  Hello Kitty: Delicious featuring art by Jacob Chabot, Jorge Monlongo, Ian McGinty, and Stephanie Buscema. I agree the stories featured within my not be the most Earth-shattering, senses-reeling prose ever written, but the art may be the most heart-warming, sincere work you see all winter, at least that is my hope. I don’t even like food, but I’m willing to read a book about a kawaii kitty and her just desserts, so there! When you are done with the book, you can pass it on to your niece. Your secret will be safe with me.

MATT’S PICK :: ALIEN ILLUSTRATED STORY TP: Ohmanohmanohman! What an AWESOME week the comic shops have in store for us fan-boys AND girls!  Its not every week we get hit with TWO Frederator Studio comic books. Boom Studios produces the finest all-ages books on the shelves. (The Mouse should have maintained his relationship with them.) The Adventure Time: Fiona and Cake mini-series is produced by the the same people who came up with the concept for the original F&C episode. Excellent reading. The other title, Bravest Warriors adds a lot of depth to this web-based Frederator cartoon. You can enjoy the comic or cartoon on their own, or get the full effect by enjoying them in tandem!

The two books I mentioned above are nice and all, but I had to save this week’s best title for last. Sorry if I’m hoggin’ the bloggin’ – I did say it was an AWESOME week! Anyway, you need to buy yourself a copy of Alien: Illustrated Story TP Facsimile Edition. Don’t even think twice. There is no excuse for any self-respecting comic book fan missing this book in their collection. Alien is the type of film that has near-universal appeal to comic book and sci-fi fans. Archie Goodwin and Walt Simonson deliver the goods. Walt restored the artwork and added extra art to this edition. I’ll be the guy at the register clutching his copy tighter than a face-hugger!

MATT’S PICK :: ADVENTURE TIME #12: I am not a big fan of retailer incentive variant covers. I will admit, I have purchased many of the Adventure Time retailer incentive variant covers offered by Boom! Studios. What does that say about me? I dunno. But I do know the people who create this comic and the people behind the property ARE AWESOME! The eye-catching art and the inventive writing in this book always engages the reader. I look forward to this book every month. I’m a sucker for traditional animation and “adolescent fluff”. You can keep your guns and knives for the newspaper, I want my comics to be happy escape literature. This comic delivers the goods like none other! Adventure Time with Finn and Jake is Totally Math!

MATT’S PICK :: REVIVAL #2: “Creepy” Seeley and “Unnerving” Norton are raising the (un)dead to new levels.  I’d buy the book just for the Frison cover art alone!

Today’s gift giving suggestions cater to the fans of comic book art.  The following art books would be a welcome addition to many collectors libraries.

1.) The Art of Brian Bolland

Fans of Mr. Bolland are treated to an incredibly in depth career retrospective. This weighty, decades spanning volume is loaded with informative essays and gorgeous fantasy and superhero art brought to life by one of Britain’s top illustrators.

2.) The Art of P. Craig Russell

P. Craig Russell’s illustrations have a very unique, dreamlike quality to them. Fans will enjoy pouring over Russell’s lush, intricately detailed illustrations in a nice, large format. Readers are treated to samples of artwork from such varied sources as sketchbook pages, album covers/compact disc inserts and independent published work.

3.) Telling Stories: The Comic Art of Frank Frazetta

Not quite an art book, but worthy of mentioning among them. Legions of fans and artistic-followers will tell you Fritz was THE TRUTH! There truly was nothing this man could not do when it came to illustration. This handsome, slip cased volume contains a wide sampling of work realized during the lone decade he spent drafting comics. Anyone who possesses the gift of sight will delight in being gifted such a wonderful book!

4.) Centifolia – Sketchbook Illustrations of Stuart Immonen

When is an art book not an art book? When its a published sketchbook! Stuart gives fans an intimate look at one of the most important pieces of artistic exercise equipment – the sketchbook. Remarkably, he only recently began keeping one of his own. This compact volume is a neat way to see what a mainstream superhero illustrator works on for fun.

5.) The Art of Hellboy – Mike Mignola

How can so much black ink on a page look so incredibly interesting and so full of depth? It’s not always what is seen that is so scary but what is sensed. Mignola is a master creature creator with a delightfully twisted sense of humor. Its not an easy task to repulse and entrance a viewer within the same image. See how he does it on every page of this nice, over sized volume.