Burning Bibles for Halloween

A North Carolina church is planning to celebrate Halloween with a book burning, sending “perversions of God’s word” up in smoke. The Amazing Grace Baptist Church in Canton plans to fuel their festivities with “Satan’s bibles” that aren’t the King James version; “Satan’s music,” which includes pretty much everything; and “Satan’s popular books written by heretics” like Billy Graham, Mother Teresa and The Pope. “Bar-b-Que Chicken, fried chicken, and all the sides” will be served according to the church’s invitation, now offline but saved below lest you embarrassingly bring the wrong fuel to the fire. |KWTX|

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’123 Ideas’: Create Your Own Hostage Backdrop

Now this book is a must read. “123 Ideas by Helmut Smits” provides artsy prankster typeswith inspirational ideas: “This sketchbook is for all people interested in both funny as hard-core concepts. It’s both a book for salon tables and a book for activists.” The deviant artist’s work “revolves around communication strategies known in the field of design” and makes them accessible. Some of the concepts include staging a “soccer match on the border of two countries” and this masterful CNN inspired hostage backdrop, eliminating the need for scary terrorists and bloody beheadings with a much more civil approach that looks just as real. Approximately $23, depending on how bad a beating the dollar takes.

SUPERBLAST’S ‘New Utopia’

Berlin-based graphic artist/graffiti writer SUPERBLAST has a new book out with art house Gingko Press. The 160 page book features illustrations, graphic design, and art stuff. “Neo Utopia – The Art & Work of SuperBlast” is out now. Have a preview (PDF).

PowerHouse Stabs Graffiti Community In the Back With New Book

Photo: One of the NYPD’s anti-graffiti Eagle Team | DelMundo for NYDN
In a move that is sure to instigate a reign of hate, powerHouse Book stooge Sara Rosen decided it would be a good idea to do an entire book dedicated to the the NYPD’s Vandal Squad, specifically Joseph “Joe Blow” Rivera. He represents the newest crop of subpar, mostly tattooed, fuck-up cops who—like their shitty offices in Coney Island—are at the end of their line. There’s a reason why Lt. Steve Mona has always been “Lieutenant Mona,” these guys don’t get promotions. The book, creatively titled “Vandal Squad” is slated for release later this year in December, but no need to worry about pre-ordering or any of that, it’s almost a matter of fact that it will be featured in their glorified book catalog aka powerHouse Magazine. Like former paint chasers before him, Joe Blow will now get a chance to get fame and money off the backs of graffiti writers—as did powerHouse. Check out their collection of pro-vandal books after the jump. |RazorApple|

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Judging ‘”1984″ By Its Covers

To the left, the 2003 version of George Orwell’s mandatory classic, “1984.” To the right the new cover done by Shepard Fairey which even features a centrally placed OBEY logo on the lower cover. Is it a big improvement, another act of defacement, or not all that different from the other version to matter? The cease and desist issuing artist also redid “Animal Farm,” you can see it here. Check out some of the Orwellian cover art evolutions ANIMAL compiled after the jump.

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Black Ops Badges Are More Humorous Than Sinister

“The military has patches for almost everything it does. Including, curiously, for programs, units and activities that are officially secret.” That’s the intro for a new book out by artist/photographer Trevor Paglen that takes a look a the hidden world of the Pentagon’s “black” budgets and programs. But instead of reprinting heavy redacted dossiers or classified documents, Paglen uncovers facets of the hidden military world through their patches and “zealous male bonding.” The book, “I Could Tell You But Then You Would Have to be Destroyed by Me: Emblems from the Pentagon’s Black World,” catalogues the slew of symbols that are used to create special logos for these elite shadowy military units. In all, he was able to compile 75 patches that feature everything from black cats and aliens, to wizards and ghosts. Check out the slideshow and marvel at the remarkably low brow aesthetic the Defense Department was clearly gunning for. |NYT|

Jessica Joslin’s “Strange Nature”

ANIMAL featured artist Jessica Joslin, has a newly published book: “Strange Nature.” The exquisitely bound, 152pp. hardcover showcases a collection of her wildly fascinating bone and brass fused specimens. The full color photography details her eccentric skeletal reworks making for the perfect book to engross or repulse your friends. $75, get it here.

A Ron English “Abject Expressionism” Book Signing

Popagandist Ron English is signing copies of his newest art book, “Abject Expressionism”—that features an intro by supersizer Morgan Spurlok—at comic store cornerstone Forbidden Planet in NYC this Thursday the 27th at 6:30pm. The new book details the culture jammer’s long and distinguished career of subversion.

Dash Snow’s ‘Nest’ In Print

With the help of numerous photos in Vice—for a while it seemed like every issue—and that notorious NY Mag cover, Dash Snow has become officially been appointed a relevant artist in the whole: downtown, contemporary, graffiti backgrounded, semi-Whitney Biennialish art scene, which has even afforded him the luxury of making full size rat nests to the delight of gallerist Jeffrey Deitch. If you weren’t fortunate enough to attend the Nest “exhibit” (installation images/event images) there’s a book coming out that is likely to be short on words and big on photos of shredded phone books, dick graffiti, and all the other “artistic” elements that contributed to the seedy installation. According to Kill City it was compiled by Deitch gallery director Kathy Grayson and should be available next week. |KillCity|