The Pop-Up Studio NYC

Artist Watch: Yayoi Kusama

2012-01-30T10:49:00.003-05:00

I wish I could have gone to Australia to see this exhibition (and maybe even partake in it!). Yayoi Kusama (born 1929) created in installation at the Queensland Art Gallery in Australia that was a couple of "domestic-syle rooms" like a living room and kitchen. But everything was painted white. And once the exhibition opened, the children who visited the museum were given colored dot stickers to decorate the rooms! How amazing is that? Here are a few photos from the 'Obliteration Room' installation:

~Jess

Artist Watch: Vanishing Cultures Project

2012-01-19T09:41:00.000-05:00

The Vanishing Cultures Project is a documentary project that is helping to create awareness of native tribes and preserve their way of life. Taylor Weidman and Nina Wegner team up for half the year and go out to document indigenous tribes. They have already finished their first project about Tibet in the Upper Mustang region. You can purchase prints and a book about Tibet. Right now they are working on documenting the pastoral herders in Mongolia. Check out more about their project here: http://www.vcproject.org

What I really love about the project is not only the preservation aspect, but the photographs. They are truly stunning.

~Jess

Artist Watch: Julie VonDerVellen

2012-01-05T09:54:00.002-05:00

The internet is a brilliant thing, connecting all of visually. I came across Julie VonDerVellen's work last year. It really is amazing what one can do with paper. VonDerVellen creates garments out of handmade paper (which is made out of recycled cotton clothing). She says that "garments evoke memories; memories evoke garments" and she's right. Her pieces are intricately woven and painstakingly put together to re-create garments. The paper also has the story of the specific memory printed on it thus binding the memory and the garment together. Check out more of her work here.

~ Jess

Matthew Featured in PBS's Off Book

2011-12-21T15:08:00.006-05:00

Matthew is featured in the latest episode of "Off Book," a wonderful new PBS web series about non-traditional art forms. We enjoyed having the film crew visit the studio!

play video

Artist Watch: Shawn Sheehy

2011-12-15T17:10:00.005-05:00

We always enjoy seeing what Chicago-based artist Shawn Sheehy is up to. He creates every part of these elegant artist books: the paper, illustrations, text, pop-ups and binding.

Shawn also offers excellent pop-up workshops all over the country. Check here to see if he'll be in your neck of the woods.

What's Popped Up: Sneak Peak at 2012

2011-12-15T15:49:00.012-05:00

We're busy cooking up lots of new pop-up surprises here at the studio. Here's a sneak peak of what's coming in 2012.

Next summer look for these two new titles perfect for young pop-up fans:

Rumble! Roar! Dinosaurs!: A Prehistoric Pop-Up
by Matthew Reinhart
Robin Corey Books

A Princess Like Me: A Royal Pop-Up

by Matthew Reinhart

Robin Corey Books

And -- hold onto your helmet! -- look for our new Star Wars pop-up featuring all your favorite heroes and villains from the prequels. Here's a little teaser:

We hope you'll enjoy these books as much as we've enjoyed making them!

DIY: Pop-Up Wreath

2011-12-15T12:48:00.006-05:00

Happy holidays from The Pop-Up Studio!

We have a pop-up you can share with someone special -- made by you! Just click here to get started on a pop-up wreath.

Need some inspiration? Try decorating with paper, glue, and crayons.

Shiny paper or glitter glue adds an extra holiday touch.

Enjoy!

Artist Watch: Kit Lau's Hong Kong Pop-Up

2011-12-15T10:51:00.005-05:00

The other day we came across this fantastic pop-up book about Hong Kong by artist Kit Lau. His artwork is exciting and fun, and his pop ups capture the changing architecture of the city. He was inspired by his family's own history in the city.

Lau created this incredible pop-up version of the Great Wall of China for another book. Amazing!

You can read about this talented artist in an article published last year in Time Out Hong Kong.

We look forward to seeing more work from Kit Lau!

Barneys and Lady Gaga Pop-Up Invite

2011-12-08T10:19:00.001-05:00

Recently Barneys New York and Lady Gaga collaborated and created Gaga's version of a holiday workshop within the Barney's store in NYC. VIPs were invited to the opening of the holiday workshop with none other than pop-up invitations! The pop-up invitations were created by Creative Director of Design Packaging, Evelio Mattos. It's very exciting to see that people are pushing the envelope with pop-ups and using it outside of the usual book format. To read more about the project and to see development sketches, click here.

~Jess

Pratt's Newest Engineers!

2011-12-07T12:38:00.000-05:00

I would love to show off the final projects from the paper engineering course I'm currently teaching at Pratt Institute! My students learned so much in their short time in the class and I'm really happy to say the I'm very proud of all of them!

Here we have a great take on postmodern collage artwork re-created as 3-D pop ups!

Grrrrowl! A very hungry pop tarts monster comes out to take what is rightfully his out of the toaster.

These are a collection of masks for the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

This is an album for Florence + The Machine. The CD pops right up when you open the 2nd spread!

A very recognizable pop-up, this is for Apple and it's products. Check out the iPod on the left-- you can turn the wheel and choose what music to listen too!

A golden ticket and a lot of Wonka madness in this pop-up for Willy Wonka's factory.

Another pop-up with collage art work, this one we went deep sea diving!

A great educational pop-up on saving water and waste reduction!

Here we see the NYC skyline where you can set the sun and turn the lights off of the Empire State Building!

Congrats to all of my students! You all did a fantastic job!
~Jess

* We've been so busy in the studio these last few months that posting has fallen by the wayside. Thank you all for being patient with us!

What's Popped Up: Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Award

2011-10-05T12:07:00.005-04:00

We're thrilled to announce that Matthew Reinhart's Encyclopedia Mythologica: Gods and Heroes Pop-up has been given a Gold Seal Best Book Award by the Oppenheim Toy Portfolio. The testers at Oppenheim are parents, kids and educators, and we're honored by their praise: "It's just this type of book that can get a reluctant reader engaged!"

Thank you to the folks at Oppenheim!

You can pick up a copy of Matthew's book at your local bookstore or at amazon.com. Enjoy!

What’s Popped Up: Sam Ita's The Odyssey

2011-09-26T16:53:00.004-04:00

Check out this amazing new pop-up book by our good friend and fellow paper engineer, Sam Ita. It’s the classic tale The Odyssey, presented in Sam’s unique, graphic-novel-meets-pop-up style. We especially enjoyed seeing Circe transform one of Odysseus’s men into a pig right in front of our eyes.

Look for it at your local bookstore and check out more of Sam's work at www.samita.us.

Word of the Day: Perfidy

2011-08-24T09:53:00.000-04:00

Perfidy \PUR-fuh-dee\ noun

1. The act of violating faith or allegiance; violation of a promise or vow; faithlessness; treachery.

Origin: Perfidy comes from from Latin perfidia, from perfidus, faithless, treacherous, false, from per-, through (perhaps connoting deviation or infringement, or perhaps explicable by qui per fidem decipit, "who through faith or trust deceives") + fides, faith.

Artist Watch: Alli Coate

2011-08-23T09:53:00.000-04:00

Within the studio, we are always looking towards other art for inspiration. I found Alli Coate through one of these searches. Coates is a Rhode Island based illustrator, and her art work is a combination of illustration and applique/sewing techniques. I really love the playfulness of her style-- it's so tactile and she uses the fabric patterns to set the mood for the pieces. Check out more of her work at her website.

~Jess

Word of the Day: Animalcule

2011-08-23T09:39:00.000-04:00

Animalcule \an-uh-MAL-kyool\ noun

1. A minute or microscopic animal, nearly or quite invisible to the naked eye.

Origin:
Animalcule stems from the Latin animiculum, "little animal."

Whats Popped Up: Rescue and Pets are released

2011-08-22T10:15:00.005-04:00

Tomorrow is a big day here at the studio. Matthew Reinhart’s newest pop-up books will be released to bookstores across the world!

Puppies, Kittens and Other Pop-up Pets pairs fun rhymes with big bold pop-ups and pull tabs. Young readers will get to learn about six different pets that you would find at home.

Rescue: Pop-up Emergency Vehicles shows you five different rescue vehicles and the heroes that operate them to help save the day.

This new pop-up series features Reinhart’s colorful cut-paper collage across five spreads. The 8-inch square softcover books are made from thicker glossy paper and were designed specifically for curious little hands. For many years, we have wanted to create simpler books for a younger reader and we are excited that the day has finally come when we can offer that you for under $7. So get to your favorite booksellers to order your copies today!

~Kyle

Word of the Day: Rusticate

2011-08-22T09:33:00.000-04:00

Rusticate \RUHS-tih-kayt\ intransitive verb

1. To go into or reside in the country; to pursue a rustic life.

transitive verb:
1. To require or compel to reside in the country; to banish or send away temporarily.
2. (Chiefly British) To suspend from school or college.
3. To build with usually rough-surfaced masonry blocks having beveled or rebated edges producing pronounced joints.
4. To lend a rustic character to; to cause to become rustic.

Origin: Rusticate comes from the past participle of Latin rusticari, "to live in the country," from rusticus, "rural, rustic, from rus, "the country."

Artist Watch: Dan McCarthy

2011-08-17T09:49:00.000-04:00

I somehow stumbled across Dan McCarthy's work months ago. It was probably through Illustration Mundo (which is a great way to find new artists!). McCarthy seems to do it all-- paintings, drawings, silk screens, t shirts, and posters!

His work reminds me a lot of Eyvind Earle's work-- graphic, bright colors, and nature based images. But McCarthy also does these amazing gradients in his prints that add atmosphere and mood to the pieces. The bright colors against stark black images really pull you in. Sometimes he's subtle with the color, other times he's full on rainbow!

Check out more of Dan McCarthy's work here and his most recent show here!

~Jess

Word of the Day: Risible

2011-08-17T09:32:00.000-04:00

Risible \RIZ-uh-buhl\ adjective

1. Capable of laughing; disposed to laugh.
2. Exciting or provoking laughter; worthy of laughter; laughable; amusing.
3. Relating to, connected with, or used in laughter; as, "risible muscles."

Origin: Risible comes from Late Latin risibilis, from the past participle of Latin ridere, "to laugh, to laugh at." The noun is risibility.

What's Popped Up: Story Time with Matthew!

2011-08-16T09:21:00.000-04:00

Matthew will be appearing at Greenlight Bookstore Saturday, August 20 for story time! He will be reading from his newest books 'Puppies, Kittens, and Other Pop-Up Pets' and 'Rescue: Pop-Up Emergency Vehicles' that will come out August 23rd! Come join the fun at Greenlight Bookstore to say 'Hello' to Matthew and see these great new pop ups!

Greenlight Bookstore
August 20, 2011 at 11:00 am
686 Fulton Street (at South Portland)
Brooklyn, NY 11217

Weekly Beast: Short-Horned Lizard

2011-08-11T16:18:00.008-04:00

The short-horned lizard wins our prize for most disgusting personal habit. Some species of this lizard defend themselves from predators by squirting blood from their eyes -- for up to five feet! The lizards make the blood vessels burst by restricting blood flow from their heads. Gross.

Want to learn more? Check out the book Bloody Horned Lizards (Gross-Out Defenses) by Lori Haskins Houran.

What's Popped Up: Matthew in DC

2011-08-09T09:53:00.000-04:00

Matthew will be participating at the Family Storytelling Stage in Washington DC on September 24th, 10:40am-11:00am! Family Storytelling Stage is apart of the Library of Congress 11th annual National Book Festival, and not only will Matthew be there, but many other illustrators and authors too! So come out and read with us!

Library of Congress National Book Festival
September 24 10:00am-5:30pm

September 25 1:00pm-5:30pm

Word of the Day: Nervure

2011-08-08T09:28:00.000-04:00

Nervure \NUR-vyoor\ noun

1. A vein, as of a leaf or the wing of an insect.

Origin: Nervure is French for "rib".

Word of the Day: Jocund

2011-08-05T10:11:00.000-04:00

Jocund \JOCK-uhnd; JOH-kuhnd\ adjective

1. Full of or expressing high-spirited merriment; light-hearted; mirthful.

Origin: Jocund is from Old French jocond, from Latin jucundus, "pleasant, agreeable, delightful," from juvare, "to please, to delight."

Vintage Moveable Review: There is no escape

2011-08-04T10:25:00.003-04:00

Love is in the air around the studio so I thought I would feature another antique valentine. Like most mass-market valentine cards, this little guy speaks for itself. Which is a good thing, since I have no information on this piece. Measuring 3” wide by 5” tall this Valentine is a typical of the cards constructed in the early 1900’s. It is diecut out of one piece of stiff card and appears to be chromolithography. The mechanic is the standard single box layer, in this case of a creepy kid with a flower wreath bearing the label “Love’s Joy”. The child with the pageboy haircut and piercing eyes is kneeling before the viewer in front of what appears to be an arch or upside down horseshoe of hearts. Below the text reads, “There’s no escape my Valentine. I have your Heart and you have mine.”

A little spooky right? On the reverse we find that the pop-up has been patched but can still read the inscription: “To Margaret Munden. From Pearl Ganes.” Looks like Pearl practiced in pencil before moving to the blue fountain pen. I was excited to receive this card, but I always wondered how Margaret felt about the sentiment in this love token.

~Kyle

Word of the Day: Rara Avis

2011-08-04T09:20:00.000-04:00

Rara Avis \RAIR-uh-AY-vis\ noun

1. A rare or unique person or thing.

Origin:
Rara avis is Latin for "rare bird".

(The Asian Crested Ibis)

Weekly History Lesson: Nautilus Travels Under North Pole

2011-08-03T09:58:00.000-04:00

On August 3rd, 1958 the U.S. nuclear submarine Nautilus accomplished the first undersea voyage to the geographic North Pole. It was also the world's first nuclear submarine. The USS Nautilus was constructed and designed by U.S. Navy Captain Hyman G. Rickover who was a brilliant Russian-born engineer. Rickover had joined the U.S. atomic program in 1946, and in 1947 was put in charge of the Navy's nuclear propulsion program. Rickover succeeded in creating a nuclear submarine years ahead of schedule, the submarine was launched in January of 1954.

USS Nautilus departed Pearl Harbor, Hawaii on July 23, 1958 to embark on "Operation Northwest Passage" which would be the first crossing of the North Pole by submarine. The 111 man crew and 4 civilian scientists accomplished this on August 3, 1958.

~Jess

Word of the Day: Panacea

2011-08-03T09:35:00.000-04:00

Panacea \pan-uh-SEE-uh\ noun

1. A remedy for all diseases, problems, or evils; a universal medicine; a cure-all.

Origin: Panacea derives from Greek panakeia, from panakes, "all-healing," from pan-, "all" + akos, "cure."

Weekly Beast: Pancake Batfish

2011-08-02T10:09:00.000-04:00

Halieutichthys intermedius is also known as the Louisiana Pancake Batfish. This species was discovered in the Gulf of Mexico just before the oil spill in 2010. This animal is flat like a pancake and hops on its fins and has huge bulging eyes. They are found roughly 1,300 feet below the water's surface. Scientists are not sure as to how many of the fish are in existence, especially after the oil spill.

I'm not sure this is a pancake I'd look forward to eating!

Artist Watch: Katherine Baxter

2011-08-02T09:58:00.000-04:00

Katherine Baxter is an artist who is fascinated with seeing the world from above. Be it from the top of the Empire State Building or from a plane, the vistas inspire her maps and other pieces. Check out more of Baxter's work on her website.

~ Jess

Word of the Day: Piebald

2011-08-02T09:50:00.000-04:00

Piebald \PY-bald\ adjective

1. Having spots and patches of black and white, or other colors; mottled.
2. Mixed; composed of incongruous parts.

Origin: Piebald is from pie, the parti-colored bird + bald.

What's Popped Up: Publicolor Visit

2011-08-01T11:21:00.000-04:00

A few weeks ago Matthew visited the kids at Publicolor to talk about pop ups, inspirations, and give a demonstration as well! Publicolor is a not-for-profit organization that uses art to re-engage students in their education and community. And as you can see in the photos below, everyone in the class enjoyed learning about pop ups so much that they sent us thank you cards! It's very exciting for us to see more budding artists playing with pop ups.

~Jess

Word of the Day: Lackadaisical

2011-08-01T09:58:00.000-04:00

Lackaddaisical \lack-uh-DAY-zih-kuhl\ adjective

1. Lacking spirit or liveliness; showing lack of interest; languid; listless.

Origin:
Lackadaisical comes from the expression lackadaisy, a variation of lackaday, itself a shortening of "alack the day"

Vintage Moveable Review: Luna Luna Pop-up

2011-07-28T10:25:00.004-04:00

I recently learned about the fanciful artist and architect, Friedensreich Hundertwasser and his various creations like the Green Citadel. I also learned that he took part in Luna Luna Park in Hamburg, Germany back in 1986. Luna Luna was the brainchild of the equally interesting Andre Heller and was a traveling combination of a contemporary art park and a “child’s dream” of an amusement park. Heller invited famous artists of different generations to participate. Salvador Dali, Jean Tinguely, Jim Whiting and Roy Lichtenstein created special installations. Younger Americans Jean-Michel Basquiat, Keith Haring, and Kenny Scharf, along with several German neo-expressionist painters decorated children’s rides. Seeing Haring listed here reminded me of a special pop-up.

Of interest to us today is the pop-up folio that celebrates the colorful carousel created by Keith Haring for Luna Luna. This 12” x 12” single spread pop-up was paper engineered by Ron van der Meer and produced in 1986 by Carvajal in Columbia. The edition is rumored to be around 2000 so this pop-up is a rare breed to come across. Equally scare is information on Luna Luna Park and it’s success. Nonetheless, I would have loved to visit this avant-garde carnival and hope that one day I can at the very least own a pop-up artifact from this bizarre wonderland.

~Kyle

Word of the Day: Aestival

2011-07-28T09:22:00.000-04:00

Aestival \ES-tuh-vuhl\ adjective

1. Of or belonging to the summer; as, aestival diseases.

Origin: From the Latin æstas, "summer"

Word of the Day: Hoary

2011-07-27T09:28:00.000-04:00

Hoary \HAWR-ee\ adjective

1. Tedious from familiarity; stale.
2. Gray or white with age.
3. Ancient or venerable.

Origin: Hoary derives from Middle English hor, from Old English har, "gray; old (and gray-haired)".

Weekly Beast: Angora Rabbit

2011-07-26T10:39:00.002-04:00

Yes there is a living animal under all that hair! The angora rabbit has been bred for its luxuriant wool for centuries and originated in Ankara, Turkey along with the Angora cat, Angora goat, and the very rare Angora goldfish. (Okay there was no goldfish.) These fluffy bunnies were a favorite of the French monarchy in the mid 1700s and were soon the rage all over Europe. There are four different ARBA (American Rabbit Breeders Association) -recognized Angora rabbit breeds: English, French, Giant and Satin. They are usually active and friendly and make great pets, especially if you need to dust under the sofa!

~Will

Artist Watch: Calvin Nicholls

2011-07-26T10:17:00.000-04:00

Calvin Nicholls is a Canadian artist who works in paper. His paper sculptures have been in children's books, corporate offices, and advertisements. Nicholls began working in paper as an illustrative medium in the 1980s and hasn't stopped since! The amount of detail that goes into his sculptures is incredible! Check out all the pieces of paper on the beavers! And the feathers on the birds! Lots of time and patience is definitely needed for these works.

Check out more of Nicholl's work here!

~Jess

Word of the Day: Legerdemain

2011-07-26T09:26:00.000-04:00

Legerdemain \lej-ur-duh-MAIN\ noun

1. Sleight of hand.
2. A display of skill, trickery, or artful deception.

Origin:
Legerdemain is from Old French leger de main, literally "light of hand": leger, "light" + de, "of" + main, "hand."

Whats Popped Up: The Wizards of Houston

2011-07-25T11:57:00.001-04:00

The Wizards of Pop Exhibition has made it to Houston, Texas and this weekend starts off a series of fun activities celebrating the show. Stop by the Children’s Museum of Houston to see 80 images from 16 books created by Robert Sabuda and Matthew Reinhart. Then stick around to make your own pop-up cards or pop your own bubbles in activity centers.

The Wizards of Pop exhibit premiered at the NCCIL in May 2009. It recently made a stop at the Cedar Rapids Museum of Art and will be off to the Noel Art Museum in September. And if your in the Houston area you have until August 28^th to take the kids down for some fun.

~Kyle

Word of the Day: Pukka

2011-07-25T09:38:00.000-04:00

Pukka \PUHK-uh\ adjective

1. Authentic; genuine.
2. Superior; first-class.

Origin: Pukka comes from Hindi pakka, "cooked, ripe," from Sanskrit pakva-, from pacati, "he cooks".

Word of the Day: Arriviste

2011-07-22T08:52:00.000-04:00

Arriviste \a-ree-VEEST\ noun

1. A person who has recently attained success, wealth, or high status but not general acceptance or respect; an upstart.

Origin: Arriviste comes from French, from arriver, "to arrive," from (assumed) Vulgar Latin arripare, "to reach the shore," from Latin ad-, "to, toward" + ripa, "shore".

Artist Watch: Brittney Lee

2011-07-21T10:59:00.003-04:00

Last weekend Harry Potter began dominating the movie theaters and it was all that folks talked about at work. Now San Diego Comic Con is starting up this weekend and the office is getting excited to take part. So it only seemed fitting that I pick to showcase the talents of Brittney Lee.

This California based paper cutter came to my attention via the great blog, Dude Craft. Her recent tributes to Harry Potter are excellent and the more I viewed her past projects I more impressed I was with her skills. She will be at the comic convention this weekend sharing her new book of work so if you like what you see stop by and say hi.

~Kyle

Word of the Day: Pangram

2011-07-21T10:55:00.000-04:00

Pangram \PAN-gruhm\ noun

1. A sentence, verse, etc. that includes all the letters of the alphabet.

Origin: Pangram is combination of the Greek pan-, "all" and -gram, "related to writing".

History Lesson: Bruce Lee Passes Away

2011-07-21T10:21:00.000-04:00

On July 20th, 1973 the martial-arts expert and actor Bruce Lee died in Los Angeles at the age of 32. He died from a brain edema that was possibly caused by a prescription painkiller.

Jun Fan (Bruce) Lee was born on November 27, 1940 in California. A year later Lee and his family moved to Hong Kong where he starred in roughly 20 Chinese films as a child actor. Lee studied dancing and also trained in Wing Chun style of gung fu (also known as 'kung fu'). In 1959 Lee moved back to America where he went to the University of Washington and opened a martial-arts school in Seattle.

Lee moved with his wife and children to Los Angeles where he starred as Kato in the TV series The Green Hornet (1966-1967). He later went on to make films in Hong Kong where he established himself as an action star in Asia. His last film Enter the Dragon (1973) was released in the United States, but Lee tragically died one month before the film was released.

Word of the Day: Crabwise

2011-07-20T10:02:00.000-04:00

Crabwise \KRAB-wahyz\ adverb

1. sideways
2. to move like a crab

Weekly Beast: Rainbow Toad

2011-07-20T09:56:00.000-04:00

Ansonia latidisca was rediscovered recently by Indraneil Das. Ansonia latidisca is also known as the Bornean rainbow toad which hasn't been seen since 1924! Below is the first ever photograph of the toad; check out all of the amazing colors on it! It's pretty amazing to see a toad that resembles some of the papers here in the studio!

~Jess

Whats Popped Up: A Japanese Book

2011-07-18T11:10:00.003-04:00

This weekend we got to see Japan’s overtime win in the finals of the Women’s World Cup. I do not confess to be much of a soccer fan, but even I eagerly watched the penalty kicks as an underdog Japanese team bested the U.S. squad. Let face it, Japan needed a win after the horrible trifecta of earthquakes, tsunami, and nuclear meltdown.

So today, we are taking a closer look at Japanese pop-up books. Long coveted with high price tags, I can only drool over photos and Ebay listings. Today I found a link to A Japanese Book, a small online bookseller based in, you guessed it, Japan. The owner has created a webpage that showcases 60 years of Japanese edition movable books, which you can find here.

He prefaced the list with these words: “Modern Japanese pop-up and movable books (tobidasu ehon) are still at their beginning. Japan counts numerous fine illustrators and writers, and has a very active book industry — the only thing left is for paper engineers and publishers to give one another the means to realize their desires and meet our expectations! Greatly looking forward to it.”

I too am looking forward to the creative collaborations that continue to come out of this tiny island nation. Some of these pop-up books are simple adaptations of popular cartoon enterprises but as you scroll down to more recent titles you will see there are many winners; just like Coach Sasaki and his team of champions.

~Kyle

Word of the Day: Deipnosophist

2011-07-18T09:45:00.000-04:00

Deipnosophist \dyp-NOS-uh-fist\ noun

1. Someone who is skilled in table talk.

Origin: Deipnosophist comes from the title of a work written by the Greek Athenaeus in about 228 AD, Deipnosophistai, in which a number of wise men sit at a dinner table and discuss a wide range of topics. It is derived from deipnon, "dinner" + sophistas, "a clever or wise man."

Vintage Moveable Review: Bajazzo

2011-07-14T11:22:00.004-04:00

One of my favorite pop-up books is also one the most mysterious. This German edition is titled “Bajazzo, Die Freude Heiner Leute”. My German is very sparse but one translation I found read as: Pagliacci the happy Heiner people. This leads us to the Italian opera Pagliacci that premiered in Milan in 1892. Based on the paper and the coiled wire rivets I would place the book’s creation around that time period. The book contains seven lithograph color plates with multiple movable parts activated by a pull tab. The mechanisms are simpler than Meggendorfer and more in line with movable books from Capendu in France. Alas, while the actions are interesting and bizarre they do not match up with the plot of the opera. One can surmise that the movable book is less an adaptation but an original narrative starring this Italian clown. The 25 page accompanying text suggests that the author was a Georg Tllers and the publisher may be Burgftadt or from the Burgstadt region in Germany.

While I do enjoy the book as well as a good mystery, if any reader has more insight or information on this title, please feel free to comment below.

~Kyle

Word of the Day: Troglodyte

2011-07-14T09:27:00.000-04:00

Troglodyte \TROG-luh-dyt\ noun

1. A member of a primitive people that lived in caves, dens, or holes; a cave dweller.
2. One who is regarded as reclusive, reactionary, out of date, or brutish.

Origin: Troglodyte comes from Latin Troglodytae, a people said to be cave dwellers, from Greek Troglodytai, from trogle, "a hole" + dyein, "to enter."

History Lesson: Live Aid Concert

2011-07-13T10:16:00.000-04:00

On July 13, 1985, Live Aid is opened by Prince Charles and Princess Diana at the Wembley Stadium in London. Live Aid is the brainchild of Bob Geldof, the singer of an Irish rock group called the Boomtown Rats. After hearing news about the horrific famine in Africa and traveling to Ethiopia, he put together Live Aid to raise awareness of this crisis.

Live Aid was a 16 hour "superconcert" that was globally linked via satellite. The majority of the artists performed at Wembley Stadium or at Philadelphia's JFK Stadium. At the end of the "superconcert" they had raised $125 million for famine relief for Africa.

Word of the Day: Dishabille

2011-07-13T10:06:00.000-04:00

Dishabille \dis-uh-BEEL\ noun

1. The state of being carelessly or partially dressed.
2. Casual or lounging attire.
3. An intentionally careless or casual manner.

Origin: Dishabille comes from French déshabiller, "to undress," from dés-, "dis-" + habiller, "to clothe, to dress."

Weekly Beast: Emperor Tamarin

2011-07-12T10:00:00.000-04:00

The Emperor Tamarin (Saguinus imperator) is a tamarin supposedly named after the German emperor Wilhelm II. The Emperor Tamarin is a primate that inhabits tropical rain forests, living deep in the forest and also in the open tree-covered areas. They live in groups of 2 to 8 animals with the oldest female leading the group.

Artist Watch: Another Studio for Design

2011-07-12T09:40:00.008-04:00

How amazing would it be to receive a post card that pops up AND can grow a mini garden? The London based Another Studio for Design thought it would be pretty great, so they created PostCarden! PostCarden are pop up greeting cards that contain seeds you can grow in the pop up environment. Check out the video and images below to see just how amazing they are!

~Jess

Word of the Day: Nonplus

2011-07-12T09:26:00.000-04:00

Nonplus \non-PLUHS\ transitive verb

1. To cause to be at a loss as to what to think, say, or do; to confound; to perplex; to bewilder.

Origin: Nonplus is from the Latin non plus, "no more". To be nonplussed is to be at a point where "no more" can be said or done.

What's Popped Up: Center for Book Arts

2011-07-11T10:25:00.000-04:00

Last week I was fortunate enough to pay a visit to the Center for Book Arts to view their two newest exhibitions. One is curated from their permanent collection and the other is 'The Un(framed) Photograph'. Both are really well thought out and I feel the artists took the idea of photographs being unframed but still arranged (whether in book form or other wise) and ran with it. There's even a giant pop up book on display by Colette Fu! So if you have a chance to visit NYC, swing by the Center for Book Arts and check out these exhibitions!

Word of the Day: Deciduous

2011-07-11T09:34:00.000-04:00

Deciduous \dih-SIJ-oo-uhs\ adjective

1. Falling off or shed at a particular season, stage of growth, etc.
2. Shedding the leaves annually, as certain trees and shrubs.
3. Not permanent; transitory.

Origin:
Deciduous derives from the Latin dēciduus, "tending to fall."

Word of the Day: Torrefy

2011-07-08T16:12:00.000-04:00

Torrefy \TAWR-uh-fahy\ verb

1. To subject to fire or intense heat
2. In pharmacology, to dry or parch drugs with heat
3. To roast, as metallic ores.

Origin: Torrefy stems from the two Latin roots torrēre "to dry up" and facere "to put, or make so"

Vintage Moveable Review: Pennsylvania State Bank

2011-07-07T15:03:00.001-04:00

Somewhere in between the S&L bank crisis in the 1980’s and the more recent Subprime mortgage crisis the Pennsylvania State Bank decided to send a “thank you” to their loyal customers and offer to refinance with a home equity loan. Now, I know U.S. banking history is not too interesting, but their promotional material is of interest to me. When you open the tri-folded business letter a woman’s hand offers a handful of small bills. This is the first time that I have seen a small pop-up inserted into a business letter. After all these years, it’s exciting to see something new. I could not learn too much about this pop-up advertisement, but my guess is the letter was produced around 1993 based on the documentation. It seems Pennsylvania State Bank has come and gone and now PNC is at that address. Maybe too many of their loyal customers took them up on the home refinancing offer.

~Kyle

Word of the Day: Eldritch

2011-07-07T09:19:00.000-04:00

Eldritch \EL-drich\ adjective

1. Strange; unearthly; weird; eerie.

Origin: Eldritch perhaps derives from a Middle English word meaning "fairyland,
from Middle English elf, "elf" (from Old English aelf) + riche, "kingdom" (from Old English rice).

History Lesson: Aaron Burr vs. Alexander Hamilton

2011-07-06T10:36:00.002-04:00

On July 11th, 1804 one of the most infamous moments in U.S. history occurred on a windswept plain at Weehawken, New Jersey when sitting Vice President Aaron Burr fatally shot the former Secretary of the Treasury, Alexander Hamilton. The two men met in a duel after Hamilton had publicly disparaged the wealthy and influential Burr. Though the idea of two respected government officials settling their differences in such a brutal manner may seem bizarre to us today it was a socially acceptable course of action at that time though few proclaimed duels actually ended in shots being fired. This event has been reenacted in many plays, movies, and T.V. shows and was the basis for a very successful T.V. commercial for milk! Hours after being shot Hamilton died in Manhattan. Burr was accused of murder in New York but was able to finish out his term as vice president with immunity. However his political career never recovered its earlier luster.

~Will

Artist Watch: Yowayowa Camera Woman

2011-07-06T10:04:00.000-04:00

I've stumbled across this great website of a Japanese artist's photography. Natsumi appears to be levitating in her photos, but in fact she's jumping! It's all about time and when the camera shutter actually opens.

I'm really in love with the whimsical feeling of these portraits, Natsumi makes it look so easy to just fly off the train or hover in a telephone booth. Check out more of her work here:

http://yowayowacamera.com/

~Jess

Word of the Day: Recidivism

2011-07-06T09:48:00.002-04:00

Recidivism \rih-SID-uh-viz-uhm\ noun

1. A tendency to lapse into a previous condition or pattern of behavior; especially, a falling back or relapse into prior criminal habits.

Orign:
Recidivism derives from Latin recidivus, "falling back," from recidere, "to fall back," from re-, "back" + cadere, "to fall". One who relaspses or who is an incorrigible criminal is a recidivist.

Whats Popped Up: Acuity Storybook Year

2011-07-05T12:11:00.005-04:00

Paper engineer, Andrew Baron has had a Storybook Year so far. Andy teamed up with illustrator, Aaron Boyd and the masterminds at Dufour Advertising to create quite an impressive book. Actually, it serves as an annual report for the Acuity insurance company based in Sheboygan, Wisconsin.

As in years past, Acuity was determined to come up with a creative way to inform their shareholders about the state of the company in a visually pleasing way. They decided a collection of colorful nursery rhymes popping off the pages was the way to go, and that is where Andrew came in to provide his signature touch. Most pop-up fans know his expertise in creating intricate movables activated by pulling a tab, and will be pleasantly surprised to see his mastery of large dimensional compositions. One of my favorite scenes is a nervous Humpty Dumpty teetering over not a safety net but a frying pan as the king’s men race towards him. There are dozens of other Easter eggs and sight gags hidden in the pop-ups and I can tell that the group had a lot fun developing this title.

Less than twenty thousand books were assembled in China and sent out to agents at the annual board meeting this February. Currently it is not available in any bookstores. We can only hope (or demand) that they consider adapting the annual report and release a children’s book in the future. Until then you can check out more photos and videos at the custom website, and read about the pop-up process from Andy here, or even keep up with the awards and accolades this project is getting at their Facebook page.

~Kyle

Vintage Moveable Review: The Fisherman and the Demon

2011-06-30T11:35:00.005-04:00

I have been working my way through a translation of Arabian Nights; getting lost in the tangle of ancient stories woven over a thousand and one nights. As a Western reader, I have found it difficult to appreciate this revered collection and its unfamiliar patterns of storytelling. I think that is why I have a certain love for this featured pop-up book, which singles out one of the more beloved stories from the intertwining tales.

In the early 1960’s, the British publishers Bancroft and Co. teamed up with the massive state-owned publishing house Artia, based out of Prague to create a series of colorful pop-up books based on the Arabian Nights. Two illustrators, Frantisek Sklar and Jaroslav Beza came together to create vibrant renditions of these classic tales, but little is known about the collaboration or these artists.

Today, we are looking at The Fisherman and the Demon printed in Czechoslovakia in 1960. This hardcover landscape format book has two large pop-ups with simple pull tabs that serve as the front and rear endpapers with a six page color booklet bound inside. The paper engineering is very simple box layers with expressive artwork in line with Kubasta, who was creating books with Artia at the time. There is no record of who did the pop-up design for this series, so we must assume that there was someone creating it in-house for Artia. I won’t go into much detail about the storyline, but I feel that buoyed by the wonderful art, this story stands up on its own. Now I have to keep my eye out for Sinbad, Aladdin and Ali Baba to complete my collection.

~Kyle

Weekly Beast: Dust Dragon

2011-06-30T10:37:00.000-04:00

If lizards give you the creeps be grateful that you weren't with the first known human inhabitants of Australia who settled there 50,000 years ago. When they arrived on the vast but isolated continent they found that it was home to Megalania or the dust dragon, an enormous monitor lizard that could grow up to 26 feet in length, weigh in at 4,300 pounds, and had long knife-like teeth!

Similar to the komodo dragon of Indonesia but much larger, the dust dragon was the largest land dwelling lizard ever and probably fed mostly on giant wombats, flightless birds, and kangaroos of the time. As if it's size and teeth weren't formidable enough it may have also come equipped with a powerful paralyzing venom it could inject when biting its prey. Because it was still around until 40,000 years ago it probably snacked on the occasional human being too!

Word of the Day: Caterwaul

2011-06-30T09:35:00.000-04:00

Caterwaul \KAT-uhr-wawl\ intransitive verb;

1. To make a harsh cry.
2. To have a noisy argument

noun;
1. A shrill, discordant sound.

Origin: Caterwaul is from Middle English caterwawen, "to cry as a cat," either from Medieval Dutch kater, "tomcat" + Dutch wauwelen, "to tattle," or for catawail, from cat-wail, "to wail like a cat".

History Lesson: The Globe Theater Burns

2011-06-29T13:20:00.002-04:00

On June 29th, 1613 a fire burned down the Globe Theater, where most of the plays of William Shakespeare premiered. The fire started when a prop cannon ignited the wooden beams and thatch roof. Although the theater was destroyed only one person was injured, a man whose breeches caught fire but were quickly dosed with a bottle of ale.

The Globe was built in 1599 using timber from an earlier theater at another location, named simply The Theatre. It would eventually be rebuilt on the same site in 1614 but with the rise of the Puritans who frowned on plays and the theater in general, the new Globe would be closed in 1642 and demolished by 1644. It was never rebuilt. In 1997 a reconstruction was opened near the original site.

Word of the Day: Orotund

2011-06-29T09:39:00.000-04:00

Orotund \OR-uh-tuhnd\ adjective

1. Characterized by fullness, clarity, strength, and smoothness of sound.
2. Pompous; bombastic.

Origin:
Orotund derives from Latin ore rotundo, "with a round mouth, hence "clear, loud," from os, oris, "the mouth" + rotundus, "round". It is also related to oral.

Artist Watch: Nadia Taylor

2011-06-29T09:32:00.000-04:00

Nadia Taylor is an illustrator and printmaker in the United Kingdom. Her work is bold, geometric, and whimsical at the same time. I personally am really drawn to her 'Arctic Rug' piece. The colors communicate the chill of the Arctic, the Northern Lights, and even the fire you keep warm in front of! Check out more of her work here!

Whats Popped Up: Shelburne Museum

2011-06-28T10:42:00.004-04:00

The Shelburne Museum in Vermont has created an all-star exhibition of paper arts. It almost seems that the curators poked into my brain and complied all my favorite artists and crammed them into this exciting show titled, Paperwork in 3D .

In various spaces throughout the museum, two dozen contemporary artists at the top of their respective fields exhibit fine examples of dimensional papercraft. I am especially interested in the complex origami of Robert Lang; the intricate cut paper worlds of Beatrice Coron; the kinetic paper engineering of Matthew Schlian; the book manipulation of Brian Dettmer; and the fine photography of pulp novels by Tom Allen.

Closer to home, museum attendees can see the progression of pop-up book creations from paper engineers Matthew Reinhart and Sam Ita. From concept sketches to white prototypes; color art samples to final production materials, Reinhart’s Chinese Lung from Dragons & Monsters comes roaring to life.

This amazing exhibit is on display until the end of October, so if you were looking for a summer vacation, look no further.

~Kyle

Word of the Day: Nonpareil

2011-06-28T09:45:00.000-04:00

Nonpareil \non-puh-REL\ adjective

1. Having no equal; peerless.
noun
1. Something of unequaled excellence; a peerless thing or person.
2. A flat disk of chocolate covered with beads of colored sugar.

Origin: Nonpareil comes from Old French, from non, "not" + pareil, "equal," from (assumed) Vulgar Latin pariculus, diminutive of Latin par, "equal."

Word of the Day: Effloresce

2011-06-27T09:32:00.000-04:00

Effloresce \EF-luh-res\ verb

1. To burst into bloom; blossom.

Origin: Effloresce combines the Latin roots ex- "out of", and florescere, "to blossom".

Word of the Day: Copse

2011-06-24T09:35:00.000-04:00

Copse \KOPS\ noun

1. A thicket or grove of small trees.

Origin:
Copse derives from Old French copeiz, " a thicket for cutting," from coper, couper, "to cut". It is related to coupon, at root "the part that is cut off".

Weekly Beast: Bornean Flat-Headed Frog

2011-06-23T09:40:00.000-04:00

The Bornean Flat-headed Frog (Barbourula kalimantanensis) is a species of toad in the Bombinatoridae family. It is the second frog known to have no lungs.

The frog, no more than 70 mm (2.8 in) long, lives in cold, clear, and fast rivers in remote areas of the rainforests of Kalimantan, the Indonesian part of the island of Borneo. Its natural habitats are rivers in tropical moist lowland forests. It is threatened by habitat loss from severe degradation of the river habitats by increased turbity and toxic metals used in mining and other unfortunate consequences of development on the island.

Artist Watch: Walt Simonson

2011-06-23T09:32:00.000-04:00

With the recent release of the Thor movie it's only right to give a big shout out to one of the artists who crafted some of the most memorable thunder god moments ever, the great Walt Simonson! Known for his energetic, graphic lines and compositions Simonson's style has always stood out among his peers. Not only is he a unique artist but (along with his equally great wife Louise Simonson) he's also an excellent storyteller and created numerous characters that have become staples of the super hero and sci fi genres. Both he and Louise continue to work in comics today and I met them both at the Big Apple Comic-Con!

~Nerd Will

What's Popped Up: We have a Winner!

2011-06-20T09:41:00.000-04:00

Congratulations Tintan! You're the lucky winner of the Limited Edition 'Monsters & Dragons'! We'll contact you via email for more details!

Word of the Day: Doppelganger

2011-06-20T09:34:00.000-04:00

Doppelganger \DOP-uhl-gang-uhr\ noun

1. A ghostly double or counterpart of a living person.
2. Alter ego; double.

Origin: Doppelganger is from the German doppel, "double" + Gänger, "goer'.

Word of the Day: Prolix

2011-06-16T09:52:00.000-04:00

Prolix \pro-LIKS\ adjective

1. Extending to a great length; unnecessarily long; wordy.
2. Tending to speak or write at excessive length.

Origin:
Prolix is derived from Latin prolixus, "poured forth, overflowing, extended, long," from pro-, "forward" + liquere, "to be fluid".

History Lesson: Sukiyaki

2011-06-15T12:31:00.000-04:00

On June 15th, 1963 a song named after a Japanese noodle dish became a #1 hit on the American pop charts. Lots of songs with food titles have made it big over the years like "American Pie", "Blueberry Hill", and "Lady Marmalade" to name a few . What is more significant about Sukiyaki was that it is the first and only song sung entirely in Japanese to do this. It was sung by Kyu Sakamoto and originally titled "Ue o Muite Arukō". This translates to "I Look Up When I Walk" and the song has nothing to do with the beef and noodle soup the English title was taken from.

When it became a hit in the U.S. Newsweek magazine observed that its renaming was like releasing "Moon River" in Japan under the title "Beef Stew."

Artist Watch: Tomi Ungerer

2011-06-15T10:01:00.000-04:00

Opening this weekend at the Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art is an exhibition of Tomi Ungerer's art work. Ungerer has illustrated many books for people of all ages. I love his use of colors to really make a mood for the reader and his line work is so tactile, you can feel the characters movements from it! If you can, definitely make a trip out to the Eric Carle Museum and check out Ungerer's work.

http://www.tomiungerer.com
http://www.carlemuseum.org/Ungerer
June 18 – October 9, 2011
The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art

~Jess

Word of the Day: Vivify

2011-06-15T09:50:00.000-04:00

Vivify \VIV-uh-fy\ transitive verb

1. To endue with life; to make alive; to animate.
2. To make more lively or intense.

Origin:
Vivify comes from French vivifier, from Late Latin vivificare, from Latin vivus, "alive".

Giveaway Contest is Closed

2011-06-15T09:27:00.000-04:00

Thank you all for your lovely comments for the Limited Edition 'Monsters & Dragons' giveaway. The contest is now closed and we will be choosing a lucky reader at random this week. Stay tuned to find out if you've won the book!

~Jess

Word of the Day: Solecism

2011-06-13T10:10:00.000-04:00

Solecism \SOL-uh-siz-uhm\ noun

1. A nonstandard usage or grammatical construction; also, a minor blunder in speech.
2. A breach of good manners or etiquette.
3. Any inconsistency, mistake, or impropriety.

Origin: Solecism comes from Latin soloecismus, from Greek soloikizein, "to speak incorrectly," from soloikos, "speaking incorrectly," literally, "an inhabitant of Soloi," a city in ancient Cilicia where a dialect regarded as substandard was spoken.

Giveaway: Only 2 Days Left!

2011-06-13T09:34:00.000-04:00

There's only 2 days left until we close the Limited Edition giveaway! Click here to leave your name in the comments to enter!

The giveaway is also open to international addresses as well! Good luck to you all!

And if the link above doesn't work here it is:

http://popupstudionyc.blogspot.com/2011/05/were-having-giveaway.html

Vintage Moveable Review: Pop-up Stripe Books

2011-06-10T14:33:00.002-04:00

Today we are looking at some very rare Italian pop-up activity books. Ever since I was given “Cappuccetto Russo” and “I Tre Porcellini” I have been curious about this series of handmade DIY pop-up books. So I went to the source, the Bologna-based paper engineer, Massimo Missiroli. He was kind enough to provide some background on these books which he started in 1997.

The titles include:

Red Riding Hood (1997) illustrated by Zampiga Milena

Three Little Pigs (1998) illustrated by Silvia Bartoletti

Pinocchio

Nursery Rhymes

Snow White

Hansel & Gretel

Each title has different dimensions and comprise of a number of black and white printed sheets that are sealed in a plastic bag. A rough translation of the promotional material is as follows:

“POP-UP stripe is a new series of cards in which we intend to show operational techniques for the construction of mini-books that will have classic fairy tales as their subject. Build each pop-up book which consists of five pages on a single folded strip of paper.”

Massimo came up with the idea while leading pop-up workshops with children. He decided to start his own small publishing company. Then he created and assembled the packets and sold the Pop-up Stripes via mail orders. Around 2002, the Italian publisher Quercetti bought the concept and released new versions of Little Red Riding Hood, The Three Little Pigs and Pinocchio. At that time, Massimo published a wonderful pop-up version of Pinocchio for Emme Edizioni. (We will see more of this title next week.)

I have yet to see any of the Quercetti versions in the flesh so if any of you readers know if they are readily available or have more information please leave a comment. Now, I go back to my collector’s dilemma – open my Pop-up Stripe and take pleasure in making my own model or keep it in it’s original condition to share with future book lovers.

~Kyle

Whats Popped Up: Foster Talk Online

2011-06-06T11:15:00.001-04:00

The Smithsonian Libraries have recently posted the video of Bruce Foster talking about “The Magic and Math of Harry Potter, The Pop-Up Book” in the Carmichael Auditorium on Tuesday, May 10th, 2011 at the National Museum of American History. If you were not able to make it last month, now is your chance to learn about his pop-up process and get a sneak peek of his upcoming projects.

~Kyle

Artist Watch: Joe Bagley

2011-06-01T09:45:00.000-04:00

I found Joe Bagley's work through Etsy. And as a fellow artist who works in paper, I am amazed at the detail of his pieces! Especially since he cuts it all out by hand. Bagley began cutting paper since the age of 10 and hasn't stopped since.

Check out his blog for videos and step by step photos of his process. And you can check out his Etsy store for more amazing pieces!

Word of the Day: Neoteric

2011-05-31T09:23:00.000-04:00

Neoteric \nee-uh-TER-ik\ adjective

1. Recent in origin; modern; new.

Origin: Neoteric derives from Greek neoterikos, from neoteros "younger", comparative of neos "young, new."

Word of the Day: Deus Ex Machina

2011-05-26T09:07:00.000-04:00

Deus Ex Machina \DAY-uhs-eks-MAH-kuh-nuh\ noun

1. In ancient Greek and Roman drama, a god introduced by means of a crane to unravel and resolve the plot.

2. Any active agent who appears unexpectedly to solve an apparently insoluble difficulty.

Orign: Deus ex machina is New Latin for "god from the machine"; it is a translation of the Greek theos ek mekhanes.

Weekly Beast- Mycena Luxaeterna

2011-05-25T09:27:00.000-04:00

Mycena Luxaeterna may not be an actual beast, but I had to share with all of you these glowing mushrooms that were discovered in Brazil. These mushrooms are very small, and San Francisco State University's Dennis Desjardin put it perfectly, "when you look down at the ground, it's like looking up at the sky... Every little 'star' was a little mushroom..."

How amazing would that be to see glowing mushrooms in the rain forest?

Word of the Day: Alacrity

2011-05-24T11:20:00.000-04:00

Alacrity \uh-LACK-ruh-tee\ noun

1. A cheerful or eager readiness or willingness, often manifested by brisk, lively action or promptness in response.

Word of the Day: Quidnunc

2011-05-23T10:16:00.000-04:00

Quidnunc \KWID-nuhngk\ noun

1. One who is curious to know everything that passes; one who knows or pretends to know all that is going on; a gossip; a busybody.

Origin: Quidnunc comes from Latin quid nunc?, "what now?"

Vintage Movable Review: Max’s Machines

2011-05-19T11:46:00.004-04:00

I remember years ago at a Movable Book Society conference where I was checking out amazing pop-up books on dealer’s tables and an older collector ambled by and whispered, ‘If you think that is good, you should check out Max’s Machines, it’s the best pop-up book ever.’ Hyperbole or not, when someone hints about a great pop-up then I quickly look into it. Turns out the book costs a few quid so it took awhile for me to get my grubby mitts on a copy. It was worth it.

Max’s Machines was created by Willy Bullock in 1999 for Scholastic in the U.K, and right there on the cover boasts ‘the best pop-up book – ever’. (Seems like British paper engineers were always trying to one up each other since Richard Scarry released this book a year earlier.) Bullock creates three giant pop-ups in this five spread oversized book. First up is an intricate racecar that is lifted high above the page with the pull of a tab. Next is a giant dump truck that tips its load of dirt at the yank of a lever. And for the finale, our hapless hero Max is ejected from his supersonic jet when the tab is pulled.

Nowadays, Tim “Willy” Bullock has turned his attention to creating clever and complicated paper automata. He recently released his fun ‘Rude Moose’ kit which can be found on his cool4cats website. I can’t wait to see what is next.

~Kyle

Word of the Day: Mephitic

2011-05-19T09:50:00.000-04:00

Mephitic \muh-FIT-ik\ adjective

1. Offensive to the smell; as, mephitic odors.
2. Poisonous; noxious.

Origin: Mephitic is the adjective form of mephitis, "a foul-smelling or noxious exhalation from the earth; a stench from any source," from Latin.

I Spy: S-L-O-W J-E-L-L-O

2011-05-18T15:26:00.002-04:00

It has been a while since we shared and "I Spy" post but everyone at the studio was so mesmerized by this video that we had to share it. This high speed video of gelatin cubes bouncing on a mirror surface is brought to us from the mad geniuses of Modernist Cuisine. I usually reserve 'poetry in motion' for pop-up books and maybe figure skaters but we think this takes the cake. JELL-O turns out to have an interesting origin story - created by industrialist, inventor and philanthropist Peter Cooper. That same scientific approach to food is repeated years later by the folks who developed the amazing videos and photography for their six-volume reinventing of cooking. I can't tell if I am drooling over the Jell-O or these books.

~Kyle

History Lesson: Patent for Blue Jeans is granted

2011-05-18T09:25:00.000-04:00

On May 20th, 1873, Levi Strauss and Jacob Davis are given the patent to create work pants that are reinforced with metal rivets. Thus marking the birth of one of the world's most famous garments: blue jeans.

Word of the Day: Embonpoint

2011-05-18T08:59:00.000-04:00

Embonpoint \ahn-bohn-PWAN\ noun

1. Plumpness of person; stoutness.

Origin: Embonpoint is from French, literally means "in good condition" (en 'in' + bon 'good' + point 'situation, condition')

Weekly Beast: Honey-Pot Ants

2011-05-17T10:41:00.000-04:00

As their names suggest, honey-pot ants are like living pots of honey. They come from the edges of deserts. After the rains, there is so much nectar from plants, that there is actually more than enough food. Good food is never wasted in the desert. So the ants gather nectar and then feed other ants in the colony with it until their abdomen swells up with honey! The honey-pot ants save food this way. The abdomens can become the size of grapes! Then when the drought comes back, the honey-pot ants will feed on the honey that the other ants have stored it in their abdomens. Their abdomens eventually shrink to normal size.