BOOKS

THE BENTO BESTIARY (2010) New Edition

By Ben Newman and Scott James Donaldson
38 page hardback book. Litho printed in 4 spot colours.
Published by Nobrow LTD
Price: £12
Available from WWW.NOBROW.NET

"Fourteen spirits and demons from Japanese folklore are lovingly rendered by Ben Newman in the bold and colourful illustration style we have come to expect from him. Newman draws heavily on early and mid-20th century design in his work, incorporating worldwide themes from European deco to Japanese film posters and 50's American cartoons, never losing his strong sense of a most English deadpan humour. Each image is complimented with words from Scott James Donaldson. Whether detailing the love letters of Nure-onna (a gigantic snake-headed woman), or a poetic treatise on the child-eating desires of the Kappa (a sort of strange, perverted turtle), the writer always has one foot in the carnival tent, one on the streets of noir, and the other inside a restaurant; a sort of freakish, hungry, Raymond Chandler."