Somehow, Christmas is always associated with films by Tim Burton - maybe it's the 'snow' theme, or the annual resurgence of Jack Skellington - he's become as seasonal as looking forward to your stocking on Christmas morning.

And this year sees the release of 'The Art of Tim Burton', the ultimate insight, an astounding, definitive compilation of forty years of the master's artistry. Containing over 1,000 illustrations from his personal archives, it follows his passion for humanity’s oddities and misunderstood monsters through 434 pages of fascinating, beautifully showcased artwork - furnished with the thoughts, anecdotes and insights of his many friends and condifidantes.




Also available is a Deluxe Edition that comes with a hand-signed and numbered lithograph (1,000 in total). Each of these rare and collectible books come in a fabric-wrapped slipcase through which the dramatic, spiral cover will still be visible.

Ideal to ensuring you have no nightmares before Christmas!

Brand new sf/f webblog goe LIVE today at FORCES OF GEEK. Co-ordinator Stefan Blitz has hunted out fifty geeks-of-choice to contribute their expertise, insight and enthusiasm - among them, yours truly, writing a column called VINYL HOTSPOT.

My first post - an Art Toy intro - will go live on Friday.

In the meantime, the site's showing off both mission and strapline - 'Obsession Is Not A Choice'. This is a new place, a place where to share the geekery we love most.

Which means I get to talk about these guys....



You have the choice - I already have the obsession.

And so I find myself, for the first time since Uni, having to produce word count to deadline.

Say what?!

No, not random blogging as-the-mood-takes-me, not the idle thoughts I sling about in here, not even my sporadic Khamsinic splutterings...

...but actual focus - proper articles, researched, written, edited and presented to a new sf/f fansite launching on the first Monday of January. I'm sure it's 'good for me', or something.

Has to be said, though, I am writing about art toys, urban vinyl, the new 3D design phenomenon that's riding the Manga invasion to fill the shelves of Forbidden Planet. Hell, I collect it, I should be able to write about. Two articles a month - and I get to talk about toys?

That has to be better than analysing Heart of sodding Darkness!