Learning Autodesk Maya 8|Foundation +DVD

Learning Autodesk Maya 8|Foundation +DVD
Average customer rating:

Great step by step

Helpful Book

An Excellent Way to Learn Maya

for beginner

Excellent resource

Learning Autodesk Maya 8|Foundation +DVD
Autodesk Maya Press
Manufacturer: Sybex
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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All Titles | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
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ASIN: 189717733X

Book Description

This exceptional, full-colour Autodesk Maya Press title - produced by Autodesk, the software's creators - uses Sony's full-length animated "Open Season" for the book's all-new hands-on tutorials for Maya 8. By following the step-by-step tutorials, readers will learn the Maya interface and the basics of modeling, texturing, animating, and visual effects using real-world production files from a full-length feature film. The DVD provides further reinforcement with instructor-led tutorial videos and other resources for extended learning.

With this book readers will:

Become familiar with the Maya User Interface
Work in 3D space
Model with NURBS (Spline)
Model with Polygons
Set Keyframes and Motion Paths
Learn to use Trax Non-linear animation
Apply Forward and Inverse Kinematics
Deform surfaces
Set cameras and lights
Create Shaders and Textures
Discover rendering techniques
Explore particles and Dynamics
Begin to use MEL (Maya Embedded Language)

Customer Reviews:

Great step by step.......2007-08-31

This book is an amazing beginner book. Within the first few lessons you have an understanding of how to use maya and the Projects are excellent.
I have learnt so much from this book.
Follow it page for page and you will be able to master Maya

Helpful Book.......2007-08-10

This book is well structured and easy to use for reference. It is set at a good level for beginning learning. If you want a book that goes more in depth about more advanced things in Maya, this might not be for you. This book contains a good foundation for learning, but does not go in depth when it comes to critical processes such as skin weights.

An Excellent Way to Learn Maya.......2007-08-07

I purchased this book recently for a 3D animation class I am taking at school, and I have found it to be an excellent way to learn Maya. Although this book is for Maya version 8, I use version 8.5 and have noticed only very minor differences (nothing to worry about).

This book is in full color, which makes the screenshots easy to follow. The introduction starts out with a general overview of all aspects of Maya, which helped me to understand better how things worked together from the very beginning. Each of the five major projects in the book focus on reproducing elements from Sony Picture's CG movie Open Season, as shown on the book cover. These projects are completely new from the Maya 7 version of this book. It was kind of cool to create things that were used in a real movie.

I felt the learning curve was pretty well thought out. The writers of the book realize how complex the Maya software is, and they give you instructions on how to perform certain tasks several times before expecting you to remember on your own. The book also comes with a supplementary DVD which contains lots of extras, including the completed Maya files from every chapter in the book, just in case you get stuck or want to skip ahead.

This book is an excellent learning tool for someone new to Maya, or perhaps an intermediate user who wants to more fully understand how to use the software.

for beginner.......2007-07-23

this book shows very easy way to study maya program.

colorful and thoughful.

Excellent resource.......2007-07-08

Learning Autodesk Maya 8|Foundation +DVD
by Autodesk Maya Press is an excellent guide to the wonderful world of 3D animation using the Maya 8 software. The authors guide you through the complete process involved in working on an animated feature film and the hands-on projects provide you with an excellent opportunity to develop the skills to work at a major studio.

George Leslie Hicks
Hicks Animation Studios

Average customer rating:

Go, Daisy!
Librarian gone wild, sort of
One of my Favs
Cute!
NOT BAD....3.5 STARS!!!!

Open Season
Linda Howard
Manufacturer: Pocket
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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Similar Items:

Mr. Perfect
Kill and Tell: A Novel
All the Queen's Men
Now You See Her
Dream Man

ASIN: 0671027581
Release Date: 2002-05-21

Book Description

Be careful what you wish for....

On her thirty-fourth birthday, Daisy Minor decides to make over her entire life. The small-town librarian has had it with her boring clothes, her ordinary looks, and nearly a decade without so much as a date. It's time to get a life -- and a sex life. The perennial good girl, Daisy transforms herself into a party girl extraordinaire -- dancing the night away at clubs, laughing and flirting with abandon -- and she's declared open season for manhunting. But her free-spirited fun turns to shattering danger when she witnesses something she shouldn't -- and becomes the target of a killer. Now, before she can meet the one man who can share her life, first she may need him to save it.

Seamlessly blending heart-pounding romance and breathless intrigue, Linda Howard delivers a stylish and provocative novel that absolutely defies readers to put it down.

Customer Reviews:

Go, Daisy!.......2007-06-26

I have been a fan of Linda Howard for a long time, even way back during her Silhouette novel years. Open Season is one of the funniest. I highly recommend all her novels. Suspenseful and very romantic.

Librarian gone wild, sort of.......2007-06-22

Ok, I admit it, although I come off as intellectual and high brow, I read popular fiction and trashy books every once in a while. Just don't tell my peers, ok? Ha ha ha ... I picked this up sometime during my neverending quest for entertainment during the workday, as I had joined the Books On Tape revolution 10 years ago with my first office job. This was a good story, albiet a little unbelievable.

Daisy Minor wakes up on the morning of her 34th birthday in a fit of depression. She's a small town, startchy old maid librarian, who lives with her elderly widowed mother and aunt, and she's not getting any younger. She decides that she wants to find a man, get married and have babies before it's too late. Thanks to her mother, aunt, and sassy gay man friend, she makes herself over and starts hitting the scene looking for a man. Unknown to her, the new chief of police, Jack, who likes coming in and razzing her at every turn, has his eyes on her for more than just a sparring partner. And since their first meeting they can't stand each other, they will inevitably get together and live happily ever after.

Daisy's bumbling antics are along the lines of Bridget Jones and Cathy from the comics, happily attempting new things, sometimes stepping in one disaster after another, and drowning in one neurosis after another. It speaks to all of us, trying to put on a brave face and trying to be one of the crowd when we're really scared to death. So Daisy has mass appeal, we're rooting for the underdog a la Cinderella.

Why not 5 stars? There is a backstory under this one which is a little unbelievable, and they worked a little too hard to interlock her with the seemy underbelly of their small town. Even in small towns, date rape drugs are no doubt a problem. But an underground sex trade railroad? It happens, but I would be more apt to believe something like that would be through the bigger cities. Then again, if they're doing it right they're trafficing them through the smaller towns and law enforcement never finds them. There is a little twist, as the sassy gay man friend is actually a federal agent deep undercover. And Daisy sees something she shouldn't have in the parking lot of a bar and that's how she gets connected to the sex trade ring. It's a little unbelievable, but that's ok. It's light entertainment not heavy epics.

One of my Favs.......2007-06-15

This is one of my favorite books. The story of a librarian frump who makes the choice to change her image and in doing so catches the man mixed with some mystery and adventure plus Howard's sense of humor makes for a great story!!

Cute!.......2007-04-26

I liked this short, easy story by Linda Howard. Thirty-four year old, librarian, Daisy is on the hunt for a husband and has decided that she will make changes in her appearance and personal life to make sure that she accomplishes her goal. With friends and loved ones lending a helping hand, she has decided to start going to clubs to meet people. From the beginning, we see Chief Jack Russo (a big time city cop, who has semi-retired and become the Chief of Police in this small town) bully his way into Daisy's life and heart. And for a minute, Daisy did reminded me a lot of Blair in "Drop Dead Gorgeous", because she seems to be adding up Chief Russo's transgressions on a long list to be used against him at a later date. Anyway, while Daisy attempts to navigate the dating scene she sees something she shouldn't, and although she doesn't realize it, someone else does. However,it is my opinion that romance is secondary to the plot in the story. The other storyline is more interesting and creative. I won't tell you the plot, I will only tell you that for a small town a lot is going on. Corruption, human trafficking, undercover agents, drugs (GHB), and a list of other crimes that make this small town seem like the big city.

The criticisms that I have about this story is simple, some of the storylines were not developed. Although we saw the romance bloom between Daisy and Jack, her fire dies down midway through and is overshadowed by other people. There were also other characters, like Todd or the Mayor's wife, who could have been enhanced. But I guess for a short, fast paced novel (although some considered it from the reviews slow in the beginning)you can't strengthen each storyline, and as long as the integrity of the story remains strong, it is ok.

NOT BAD....3.5 STARS!!!!.......2007-04-07

In this slow-starting mystery/romance, 34-year-old Daisy Minor is the stereotypical small-town librarian. She is plain, boring, and lives with both her aunt and mother. But Daisy wants more for herself; she wants marriage, a family, and a slightly more exciting life. But she also realizes that none of the former happen to 30+, mousy brown-haired librarians with stodgy wardrobes. Suddenly--with thoughts of a makeover--Daisy enlists the help and support of both of the women in her life...who in turn reach out to the gay and fashion-conscious Todd Lawrence. Soon, a gorgeous, blonde-haired bombshell is born. Daisy feels ready to take on the world to find the man of her dreams...and begins by hitting the hottest bar in her Alabama one-horse town solo. But how can she possibly "spread" the word of her availability? At every turn the horribly rude Chief Jack Russo seemed to lurk...thwarting her plans, each and every time. He even turns up at Daisy's nightclub debut....and that was the night that the tide turned. He kissed her, and she realized soon thereafter that perhaps she need not "spread" the word after all.
All seems fine until one evening when the mayor himself calls Chief Russo to run a check on a license plate...and offers a bogus explanation for the request. The plates in question belongs to none other than Daisy herself, and the Chief smells a rat. Surveillance and the mayor's wife soon reveal a much darker plot than even the Chief had ever imagined. And it soon becomes quite clear that the only loose end remaining is Daisy herself.......
With a serviceable plot and steamy sex scenes, if readers can move beyond the slow beginning and the sometimes unbelievably dated verbage of the main character, they are in for a treat. Does this tale send one on a hunt for all Linda Howard novels? Not really...but it does make one curious.

DYB

Average customer rating:

Scrapbook styled artbook
Better 'Art of' book than Pixar's!
Open Season
Amazing artbook!!!
One of the better "Art Of..." books out there!

The Art of Open Season
Linda Sunshine
Manufacturer: Insight Editions
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 1933784040
Release Date: 2006-09-26

Book Description

In the new action-adventure comedy Open Season, the first feature-length CG animated film from Sony Pictures Animation, a happily domesticated grizzly bear (Martin Lawrence) has his perfect world turned upside-down after he meets a scrawny, fast-talking mule deer (Ashton Kutcher). Open Season also features Debra Messing, Gary Sinise, Jon Favreau, and Billy Connolly (as head of a rogue gang of Scottish squirrels).
Open Season is directed by Roger Allers (The Lion King) and Jill Culton (credits include Monsters, Inc., Toy Story 2) and co-directed by Anthony Stacchi (credits include Antz).
The film showcases the Computer Generated (CG) animation created by Sony Pictures Imageworks Inc., an Academy Award®-winning, state-of-the-art visual effects and character animation company, dedicated to the art and artistry of digital production and character creation. Recognized by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, Imageworks has been nominated for its work on Spider-Man, Hollow Man, Stuart Little, and Starship Troopers.
The Art of Open Season gives you an inside look at an explosion of color and talent, documenting every aspect of creating a CG animated film, from scripting and storyboarding to layout, animation, color, lighting, and visual effects with sensational full-color images throughout.

Customer Reviews:

Scrapbook styled artbook.......2007-07-10

Ignore the image of the cover I posted above. You're not going to get the same cover. You're going to get something better. The hardcover book came with a protective cardboard cover box with two holes cut into it. Peeking out of the two holes are Boog and Elliot, of course.

When you pull the book out of it's cover box, you'll notice that there's something different about this book and other art books. There are a lot of goodies packed within the pages. There were post cards, posters, mini booklets and even stickers!

Inside the book, there were tons of original sketches, beat boards and film stills. The captions and write ups were really nice to read. The content was so vibrant and full of life. The book actually feels like a scrapbook. I've several photos taken on Parka Blogs

Better 'Art of' book than Pixar's!.......2007-05-26

Pixar may want to review their delivery of any future art books now that Sony is delivering books like Open Season, chocked with goodies. This book is so packed full of art you would think the film was traditional. I enjoyed Open Season and wondered why since I cant stand most CG films except for Pixar's (excluding Cars). I know why now I see all the pre-production that went into it...for me Im a colour and environment lover and I was so happy to see Sony included colour scripts and beat boards! I really think this one is a great investment! The presentation is a real treat, I am looking forward to the Aardman art of books now that they are partners with Sony...keep it up.

Open Season.......2007-05-12

I have seen the movie and wanted to walk out on it within the fist five minutes. NOT because the animation was bad, or the art direction awful, simply because the pacing and the main character's voices were just getting in the way of the experience I look for in a movie, any movie : The escape.

When I picked up the book, I was almost shocked to see that the exact oposite was happening. I found myself flipping through the pages, being brought in to this magnificent world inspired by the older Disney designers, and really enjoyed the book.
I would recommend it as a standalone Art Book, rather than a complement to the movie. In fact, you might like the movie better if you just go through the book.

Amazing artbook!!!.......2007-03-15

Great artbook. really relly great!!! with lot of little details, postcards and beautiful sketches, backgrounds and3D modellings, etc and a really beaituful and perfect edition, with a "2nd cover" (I don't know how it's called in english)

One of the better "Art Of..." books out there!.......2007-01-22

If you are a serious student or professional of the animation field and/or a fan of the movie, "The Art of Open Season" is a must-have in your library. This book contains TONS of great early conceptual art and designs from the film. Additionally, the artworks are large and fills up all of the negative spaces of the pages, as opposed to small thumbnailed images that are often found in other "Art Of.." books. The presentation of the book is also of very high quality and neatly put together. Inspiring and informative, I believe this book sets a new standard for future "Art Of..." books (and I own quite a few myself). Highly Recommended!

Average customer rating:

Joe Pickett novel- Outstanding!
Great story
Open Season
Fun, Well Paced Mystery without the dark smoky Office or Trench Coat
Game Warden...

Open Season (Joe Pickett Novels)
C. J. Box
Manufacturer: Berkley
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 042518546X
Release Date: 2002-05-07

Amazon.com

Penzler Pick, July 2001: Mystery debuts are both exciting and problematic. Exciting, because one may always be about to discover the next Hammett or Chandler (or so the copywriters and publicists would have us believe), and problematic because originality in such a well-grooved genre is becoming more and more at a premium.

In advance reviews, Open Season has been pronounced "something special," (Booklist), and it lives up to the billing. It is not C.J. Box's skill at plotting (the story of greedy business interests and local corruption is fine, but familiar), but rather the character of hero Joe Pickett, a Wyoming game warden, that makes this a series kickoff to remember. Like all the best mystery protagonists, Pickett is stubbornly ready to risk everything when his own personal sense of morality is at stake. But Joe is also a guy who sometimes gets things wrong, and this characteristic of messing up adds a dimension of humanity to the book.

C.J. Box makes the town of Twelve Sleep, Wyoming (where Joe and his pregnant wife and his daughters have come to live in a tiny house that could be a lot nicer if Joe only had a job that paid better), come alive to the extent that one can almost smell the crisp mountain air and pine needles. The locals display an impressive array of grudge holding and "don't mess with us" attitudes, but Joe is unwilling to forget he's sworn to uphold and enforce a full battery of laws that many of these neighbors have no intention of obeying.

When a well-known poacher, with whom he has humiliatingly tangled, suddenly turns up dead in his own backyard, Joe finds himself at the top of a downward path that, first, will lead to more bodies and then will put his entire family into peril. Open Season doesn't pull its punches, and Box does allow bad things to happen to good people. Read it and find out how skillfully he handles both his hero's complexities and also the ambiguities inherent in a life dedicated to law enforcement. --Otto Penzler

Book Description

Joe Pickett is a Wyoming game warden who, with the shot of a rifle, is thrust into a race to save not only an endangered species, but to unravel a mystery that threatens the life and the family he loves.

Customer Reviews:

Joe Pickett novel- Outstanding!.......2007-09-24

I had the chance to read the first Joe Pickett novel by CJ Box while on an RV trip out west traveling through the very country side depicted in the novel. Open Season, the first one in the series was great. My brother and I both finished it in two days. We then bought all the others in the series as well. Mr. Box has a very good series going here and we hope there are more Joe Pickett novels to come.

Great story.......2007-09-18

What a great story! If you enjoy the outdoor activities like hunting & fishing, you will really enjoy this story. I can't wait to read his other books. I like to read them in the order written.

Open Season.......2007-08-28

C. J. Box has made an outstanding thriller series with the Joe Pickett Novels. I have all of them, and am on Amazon's list to get notice of new ones. These books have good action, sensitivity, and warmth. If you like Jack Reacher by Lee Child and Antonio Burns by Clinton McKinzie, you will be refreshed by the unlikely hero, Joe Pickett.

Fun, Well Paced Mystery without the dark smoky Office or Trench Coat.......2007-01-18

I am not a fan of Mystery novels; I am not saying that I don't like them, but just that they have never appealed to me. I like a good mystery on film, but reading one has never been something I was interested in. Open Season caught my attention in a used bookstore in Portland on a front display. When I picked it up I didn't know it was mystery until I read the synopsis. But, instead of putting it down, I was intrigued by a mystery set in the great outdoors with a game warden as the hero. This book hasn't turned me into a mystery aficionado, but I have become a fan of C.J. Box; and, I intend to read the rest of the books in this series (6 as of this review).

Joe Pickett is a game warden in Wyoming who has just taking over the area of his mentor. Balancing a family, a meager paycheck, and his own boneheaded mistakes, Joe gets drawn into the investigation of some local murders - including that of a poacher that had recently stolen Joe's gun...the poacher ends up dead and bloody in Joe's wood pile. Add to this, Joe's boss is a self-serving bureaucrat and Joe's daughter discovering an endangered species thought to be long gone in the area.

Though Joe has his operational issues, he is very capable and very upstanding. Having to navigate the intrigue of the murders, the local sheriff's office (and their lack competence), the bureaucracy of his own job, and his young and growing family tests Joe Pickett to the end.

I can highly recommend this book to anyone, not just hardcore mystery fans. This book is well paced, ably written, and following the exploits of Joe Pickett is was a non-stop ride.

Game Warden..........2006-11-08

.....Joe Pickett,the kind of guy,my dad would tell me,when we ran into a game warden,out hunting(when I was a young man)..."He seems like he'd always try to do the right thing". My dad would have hit it right on the head,about Joe. A dedicated family man,who also loves his job.....except,when he finds a body, in his woodpile out back. And the mystery begins. Being that Box is a "neighbor" (WY),to the north of me (CO),and that I still hunt big game.....This just made it that much more enjoyable. His first novel and my first Pickett novel.....definetly,won't be my last.

Open Season: A Survival Guide for Natural Childbirth and VBAC in the 90s

Average customer rating:

Oh my god!
Very Thoughtful
Wonderful Book, Wonderful Woman
C-sections Rise to 22 percent in the States
Should be titled a collection of true stories

Open Season: A Survival Guide for Natural Childbirth and VBAC in the 90s
Nancy Wainer Cohen
Manufacturer: Bergin & Garvey Trade
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books

Family Health | Parenting & Families | Subjects | Books

Health Care Delivery | Administration & Policy | Medicine | Subjects | Books

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Obstetrics & Gynecology | Specialties | Medicine | Subjects | Books

Birth After Cesarean: The Medical Facts
Ina May's Guide to Childbirth
The Thinking Woman's Guide to a Better Birth
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Birthing from Within: An Extra-Ordinary Guide to Childbirth Preparation

Accessories:

Health o Meter HDC100-01 "Grow with Me" Teddy Bear Scale for Babies and Toddlers
Braun IRT 4020 ThermoScan Ear Thermometer

ASIN: 0897892526

Book Description

For counselor Nancy Wainer Cohen, this book is the "sibling" to Silent Knife: Cesarean Prevention and Vaginal Birth after Cesarean (Bergin & Garvey, 1983) her critically-acclaimed expose on America's growing reliance on cesarean sections. Open Season provides fresh insights and new information on the subject, offering guidance to childbearing couples, educators, health professionals, and scholars who value the natural path of childbirth. Readers will find this book timely, informative, shocking, irreverent, and extremely readable. Cohen's intimate writing style presents a compendium of knowledge on childbirth in the fashion of a "personal letter". Her aim is to lower America's alarming reliance on cesarean section, which is currently at 25 percent of all births, and to return the responsibility for childbirth to women by encouraging them to choose the kind of birthing experience they wish to have. In addition to cesarean section, Cohen discusses many other generally unnecessary interventions performed on women during pregnancy and childbirth--such as fetal monitoring and routinized hospital procedures.

Customer Reviews:

Oh my god!.......2003-04-04

I didn't even have a cesarean and still this book made me laugh, cry and shake with rage. If I have another baby I will require my midwife, doula or whatever to read this book! The first question on my list of midwife interview questions is "Have you read Open Season?" Yes, Nancy is angry, and I think it is completely justified. This book made me realize that everything I had suspected about American childbirth was true, and that a lot of the horror stories such as women being tied to the bed are still happening today.

Very Thoughtful.......2003-03-03

I know Nancy, and this is an example of how seriously she takes her support of women through the birthing process. She is wise, bright, clever, strong, and tells the truth, just as this book does. She will give you that same support if you are one of the lucky people she "midwives" through labor, delivery, and the life that comes after.

Wonderful Book, Wonderful Woman.......2002-11-14

Nancy Wainer Cohen is THE pioneer of VBAC in the United States. Thanks to her activism in this area, Once a c-section, always a c-section no longer applies.

This book is a marvelous collection of thoughts, insights, experiences, and tools for helping women avoid cesarean, either primary or secondary, and is well worth the reading.

C-sections Rise to 22 percent in the States.......2001-06-26

In the May, 2001 issue of "Parent" magazine, an article states that the c-section rate has risen to 22 percent. Why do ob's prefer to do sections? This is an alarming rate that cannot be ignored. This book helped me. I had a cesarean my first birth and this book helped give me courage to birth my next 3 children as VBAC's in my home, along with a good midwife. I've met the author when she visited our city on a speaking engagement and she is the salt of the earth. Although she may come across angry at times, she comes from her heart. AND for gosh sakes...these women are being cut up and having their God given rights stripped from them! By the current statistics, we still have a problem here people!! I had hoped this book would be out of date by now, but in reference again to the May article, not much has changed. Read the book. Be informed.

Should be titled a collection of true stories.......2000-08-30

I agree there is an alarming increase in cesarian delivery and birth interventions. However, I found the tone of this publication very angry and confrontational. Although truthful, the theme seemed to be stay away from hospitals because they will cesarian section you. I have been sectioned and feel a lot like many of the stories contained in the book. I also have had VBAC's with a mid-wife and birthing center afterwards. I read it as a refresher for another upcoming delivery, but I must say that I did not find many coping skills here.

I do see a value in every page of the first hand stories. Women in general need to take a firmer hand in the managing of all their medical care, not just childbirth and I think that comes across very well.

It also has many names of physicians you may want to avoid if you are seeking to not have an unnecessary cesarian section in quote form that could be important to patients not knowing their position on natural childbirth, VBAC's etc.

I do see the link it is suggesting that cesarian section can/is being used as a tool for staff time managment, patient time control management, physician convenience, income increasing for the medical profession and not always giving complete "informed consent" to the patient.

Book Description

He was born a poor farm boy on a forgotten planet in the galaxy's Outer Rim. Taken under the wing of a wise mentor after the violent death of his family, he would rise up to lead a band of fighters struggling for survival against a dark force that threatens to wipe them out completely. His name would become known throughout the systems, and his legacy would change the galaxy forever. But his name isn't Skywalker it's Jango Fett! The Sith have begun the final maneuvering in their quest to take over the galaxy and are looking for the perfect specimen to take part in their secret experiments. Lord Tyranus may've just found a prime candidate in Jango. Recounting Jango's story from his early days on the Fett farm, through the annihilation of the once proud Mandalorian warriors, to his transformation into the galaxy's most feared bounty hunter, Tyranus outlines why Fett's the right man to help bring the Galactic Senate to its knees, whether Jango knows it or not. Open Seasons offers an in-depth look at the most exciting new character from Attack of the Clones, and details the beginning of the infamous Fett legacy — one that would come back to plague the Rebellion a generation later.

Customer Reviews:

I'm just a simple man, trying to make my way in the universe.- Jango Fett.......2005-12-04

Possibly one of the best graphic novels I've ever read. Shows the story of how Jango's family is killed and how he joined the Mandalorians. Excellent story (but it felt a little short) that explains alot about why Jango is who he is. Great pictures, dialogue, everything. A great read for Fett fans.

A must purchase.......2003-10-20

Open Seasons is one of those comics that is highly recommended reading. This is where you'll find Jango Fett's backstory, which seamlessly ties into what little is known of his cloned son Boba Fett, and his Jaster Mereel alto ego. The comic derives its name from the four issues subtitled after the four seasons of winter, spring, summer, fall, and provides reason for Montross's animosity in the Bounty Hunter console game.

The artwork here is just superb. Colours shine off the page, illustrations are depthful, more 3Dish than the standard fare you get, what more could you want? I strongly believe that comics, being the visual material they are, must have the best artwork possible, to show what a standard novel can only express in words. If that's the case, Open Seasons is gold.

The dialogue is up to par. Could have benefited with more humour, but the cast worked well for given characters. Then again, given the nature of the plot, too much would have detracted from the persona of Jango Fett.

The storyline is your typical coming of age: peaceful youth avenging the death of parents and a shattered childhood, forged into one of the galaxy's finest bounty hunters. The setting is soon after Phantom Menace, Dooku recounting to his master Sidious why Fett makes the ideal prime clone for their clandestine operations. It even provides some explanation for why Dooku himself--if you can believe the old man--broke from the Jedi Order.

You see what Jango is made of here in the Galidraan debacle, where the Jedi and Mandalorians have it out. You'd get the impression the Jedi really are dependant on their saber sticks to be dangerous, as though that made any difference to the Fett. Does leaving you wondering in AOTC if script limitations hadn't necessitated Mace Windu to survive Fett.

Just a few trivialties here. Jango looks more lighter complexioned than he did on the screen. Without enough names in dialogue, it does make it challenging to identify your Mandalorian in near-identical uniforms. Most annoying, why do these people always have to be farmboys (Luke, Baron Fel, Jango, etc)? And the biggest one of all: at the end, when Jango flies across space to crash through a ship's bridge viewports, in a vacuum without breathing or decompression?!

Overall, with art quality and storyline this good, Open Seasons is one fine gift to get, and definitely worth getting.

Fett is in the House!.......2003-06-16

This book really delivers on the mysterious and wonderful character Jango Fett. He is a legendary Mandalorian warrior who witnessed his whole mercenary army being wiped out by the Jedi. Beautiful illistrations. The best illustrator who could draw "Mandalorian armor" to date. A great story line, and really stresses the fact that Jango is a neutral, fearless warrior.

Best Ink and Coloring Award.......2003-05-25

I do know what to say about the art work. I own every Darkhorse TPB comic and this one has the best inks and coloring of them all, getting a 6 on a 5 scale. The drawing itself is a 4 on a 5 scale, and the story is also a 4.

the story missed some oportunity here, but it does address what you are probably curious about with regard to jango.

Darkhorse be warned, I'll expect this kind of quality in the future. I have suffered through lazy editioning from you guys, most disappointingly in UNION and others.

wow........2003-03-16

I've read most of the Star Wars comics, and this one is among the best. Open Seasons interweaves the story of Jaster and Concord Dawn (known to Fett fans) with the events prior to Geonosis.

The story is very involving, although I wish it had been longer. A few things were glossed over pretty quickly. But it was a refreshing change from Kevin Anderson's usual soulless SW tales. I had a few "goose-bump" moments.

What can I say about the art? Like Jedi vs. Sith, some will think that it is too cartoony. I disagree. The artist captured action and emotion, and that's what this is about...telling a story through art. Personally, I adored it. I hope Dark Horse uses this guy, and fires the Sith Empire folks. Kudos also for the colors. (The lightsabers really seemed to glow!)

Customer Reviews:

Open Season .......2007-01-04

The Open Season (Look and Find) Book is a good addition to others of the find and seek type such as the 'Can You See What I See? The Night Before Christmas' book. We enjoy them over and over again. You will enjoy this one in any season. ~ The Boss

The HARDY BOYS CASEFILES COLLECTOR'S EDITION: (BEYOND THE LAW/SPIKED!/OPEN SEASON) (Hardy Boys Casefiles, No 55, 58 & 59)

Average customer rating:

all hardy boys books
Hardy's Rock!
This is GOOD!
Pure Action!!!
One of The Best by Franklin W. Dixon!

The HARDY BOYS CASEFILES COLLECTOR'S EDITION: (BEYOND THE LAW/SPIKED!/OPEN SEASON) (Hardy Boys Casefiles, No 55, 58 & 59)
Franklin W. Dixon
Manufacturer: Simon Pulse
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Similar Items:

Illegal Procedure (The Hardy Boys Casefiles #95)

ASIN: 0671020358

Book Description

THE HARDY BOYS ARE BACK -- IN A TRIPLE PACK OF ACTION AND ADVENTURE!

They're tough, they're smart, they're cool under fire. And here they are at their all-time crime-fighting best...

BEYOND THE LAW
Is the Bayport police chief a dirty cop? Following a trail of deceit into the heart of the department, the Hardys discover that power, politics, and police payoffs make an explosive mix!

SPIKED!
Frank and Joe are on the line in a big-time beach volleyball tournament that's suddenly taken a deadly turn. It's the game of their life -- and the competition is murder.

OPEN SEASON
On a Colorado Rockies cross-country ski trip, the boys face the greatest challenge of all: a test of survival. They're hot on the trail of a shooter who has vowed to make them the next target!

Customer Reviews:

all hardy boys books.......2004-01-03

Even if I didn't read every single "Hardy Boys" book there awesome. I just know because they fight and do boys stuff. I even read more "Hardy Boys" books than school work. I just wish they had a holiday where you read "Hardy Boys", for just one whole entire month (no school no nothing except reading "Hardy Boys").

Hardy's Rock!.......1999-12-31

Holy, man! I've read almost every single Casefile there is and I can list them all in order off the top of my head. I love their books and I think that they're great! The Casefiles are so much more interesting than the blue books. You know that there's always going to be danger and excitment in each book, but you also know that Frank is going to be teasing Joe and Joe is going to do something funny too. That's why I like all of their books.

This is GOOD!.......1999-07-04

I just started reading The Hardy Boys--before, I read Nancy Drew and The Hardy Boys--but I think this was really good since Nancy Drew got kinda annoying after a while. It was interesting and it kept me reading--in fact, I pretty much read it in one sitting! Good characters and good plot.

Pure Action!!!.......1999-02-22

I really love these new "Casefiles collector's editions" I've bought them all, and I think that this one is the best so far. In "Beyond The Law," Frank and Joe must help their old friend/enemy Ezra Collig, and clear him of extortion. In "Spiked!" they get involved in a case of murder in Southern Callifornia, and in "Open Season," the boys fight for their lives while on a cross country ski trip in the Colorado Rockies. I really enjoyed all three stories, and would recommend them to anyone.

One of The Best by Franklin W. Dixon!.......1999-02-13

This is a great series of books together! I espscially love Uncivil War(since the civil war i just love!) Choke hold is very suspenseful. Dixon stops the chapter right when something is happening to Frank or Joe. I just love it!

Average customer rating:

Archer! I think this is the beginning of a beautiful series!
3 1/2 Stars - Enjoyable but not Memorable
A Master Artist With Words
I am now hooked on another series!
An incredible mystery and definitely worth reading

Open Season (Joe Gunther Mysteries)
Archer Mayor
Manufacturer: Mysterious Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

General | Mystery | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books

Series | Mystery | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books

Police Procedurals | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books

General | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

Borderlines (Joe Gunther Mysteries)
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ASIN: 0446404144

Customer Reviews:

Archer! I think this is the beginning of a beautiful series!.......2006-11-07

Lt. Joe Gunther is a Korean War Vet and 18year veteran of the Brattleboro police department. Joe's wife (of eight years) died twelve years ago and he lives quietly by himself. Brattleboro is a quiet New England town where not much happens from year to year and murders less frequently than that. When a man looking for his dog is shotgunned by an old woman, a stolen car with a sawed off shotgun is found in a man's driveway, and a young woman is sexually assaulted Joe finds a disturbing pattern of familiarity. They all served on the same capital murder jury three years ago.

So begins Archer Mayor's first book in this series about murder and mayhem in rural Vermont. Mayor does a good job at filling out his characters so that they seem like real people, with real jobs and real problems. The late 1980's was a tough time in this region and Mayor does a good job at giving it the right melodramatic flare (or sputter).

The story itself is a great tangle of circumstances that lead to a credible ending without the use of any cheap tricks or side characters who come out of nowhere to produce the antagonist.

3 1/2 Stars - Enjoyable but not Memorable.......2002-01-13

This is the first in the series about Joe Guther, a police lieutenant in Brattleboro, Vermont. The story does very well in portraying life in Vermont and the politics in a small city in which everyone has to answer to someone.

The character development is well done and the love interest aspect is satisfying. There are a plenty of subplots, maybe too many, but the overall story is inventive without being too complicated. However the various successful developments of solving the mystery do seem to be very conveniently available.

The solution is more of following the dots than putting the pieces of the puzzle together to get the big picture, the way most police solve crimes.

Better than the average crime novel but if you read 1-3 a week, you might have trouble remembering much about the book 2 weeks after finishing it.

A Master Artist With Words.......2001-05-24

All of Archer Mayor's books have a gripping story line. Although the stories are first class, the pictures drawn with words as the story unfolds are the best that I have ever encountered. The magnificent metaphors can create, in less than one sentence, images that may take other authors pages. Although each book is independent in and of itself, I enjoy reading the stories in sequence. There is a steady progression in character development and interpersonal relationships as we go from story to story.

If you are a mystery fan, I am sure that you will enjoy the entire series as much as I have. If you are a student taking a course in creative writing, I don't think that you will find a better word artist than Archer Mayor.

I am now hooked on another series!.......2000-10-31

I read this book because one of the characters is modeled after someone I know. Although the part pertaining to that person spans a few pages, I am glad I read the story. Obviously, it takes a stretch of the imagination to make Vermont that exciting, but it is credible and enjoyable. I have read all of Ridley Pearson, Patricia Cornwell, John Sandford, and several others. I will now begin the task of completing Mayor's series. His research is thorough, and it is easy to visualize the story as you read along.

An incredible mystery and definitely worth reading.......2000-06-05

I read this book for a class in school and thought it was an incredible book. It made me want to keep reading to find out what happened. The chase at the end does not seem confusing and is quite enjoyable. Detail this great makes for a wonderful book, and Open Season is just that: a wonderful book. This book would be great for any mystery lover, and will be a great addition to your collection.

Open Season: The Reusable Sticker Book (Open Season)

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Open Season: The Reusable Sticker Book (Open Season)
Lana Jacobs
Manufacturer: HarperEntertainment
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0060846100
Release Date: 2006-08-15

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