The ABCs of Rock

October 18, 2010
The late publicist and musician Mooney lists performers and design shop Print Mafia provides grainy silkscreens in this nostalgic AC/DC to ZZ Top abecedary. With the exception of the letter W, for the White Stripes, this selection skips 21st-century acts and instead salutes '70s- and '80s-era Bob Dylan, Fleetwood Mac, and Neil Young. Younger music lovers remain conversant with letter N's Nirvana, M's Bob Marley, and O's Ozzy Osbourne, but they forgivably might draw a blank on the punkabilly X, whose one-letter name is paired with L.A.'s iconic Hollywood sign, or the bubblegum-new-wave Go-Go's, represented by a serigraph of a ponytailed teenybopper. Print Mafia's lurid illustrations in fuchsia, electric green, and hot yellow perfectly suit letter T's Talking Heads and letter C's the Clash—borrowing straight from these bands' cover art and concert poster aesthetics; the designs imitate the DIY style of pasteup and photocopier art, with a dash of Roy Lichtenstein. Almost but not quite the size and shape of an LP, this compendium recalls the predigital era and speaks best to those who are kids at Heart (or loved the band). All ages.

October 1, 2010
In this graphic abecedarium, iconic rockers get bold treatments by the late Mooney and Print Mafia, a Kentucky-based team cranking out gig posters the old-fashioned way, via hand-pulled silkscreens. The 26 choices yield surprises: Bowie, not the Beatles; R.E.M., not the Stones. Iggy Pop pops up—with a cover blurb, too. The White Stripes also make the cut. An—
Eureka!—the "X" page actually works, centered on those L.A. punk progenitors, the band X. The artists plumb each band's historical era and musical touchstones to create the pictures. A page of brief notes reveals that album cover art was also studied—for images not to include. The notes don't completely explicate the spreads, leaving potential detective work for aficionados. Bowie's page includes an acknowledged homage to "Space Oddity" (a rocket) and also an image of his distinctive eyes (one blue, one brown). Not every page rivets: Kiss is just, well, Kiss (though the foursome's arguably an eyeful for youngsters). Ideal for high-school arts classrooms, nostalgic parents and little hipsters alike. (Picture book. 3 & up)

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