Customer Reviews

Disposable: A History of Skateboard Art

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
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This book is excellent in that it has both awesome shots of over 1,000 skateboard decks and then the first hand stories of both the artists and skaters who created and rode them. It takes hours to absorb all the outrageous graphics and even longer to read all the accounts. The thing I really appreciated about this book is with all the different authors contributing and no story was repeated. So many times in similar books the same story is just retold in slightly different words and in this book that never happens. When finished I am left with huge admiration for Sean Cliver's labor of love effort and still can't believe how good the book is.

I bought this book after picking up a copy of Concrete Wave magazine. There was an interview for the author and a few photos from the book which I found very interesting.

When I started skateboarding it was in 1986, and at the height of popularity in my area. Every shop was covered with neon deck designs and day glo plastic parts for sale. I don't remember many (if any) wheels that were natural colored white, everything was bright and loud. Every company stood out, there was no mistake for a Vision board or a G&S, you could even tell the difference from the shapes alone.

I never actually had a board from these years, my parents bought me a generic board while my friends all had the skate shop specials. So all I could do is read the Transworld and Thrasher magazines at the super market.

Years later, I wanted to buy a reissue board and while searching around I knew there was a few favorites that were missing. The reissue market is mostly Santa Cruz and Powell, with some other brands like a few Vision. After finding this book from reading Concrete Wave, I was amazed at the amount of skateboards I remember and the ones that I didn't.

The book is produced on a nice thick cover and each page is very thick, also there is a bit of distressed look to the pages. Each deck is photographed very clearly, and the range of graphics is amazing, I had no ideas there were so many colors to some of the decks or alternate graphics.

I think the part that really surprised me was how I could remember so many of the boards and who had them. It also kinda of made me realize that how technical skating has gotten really left behind the unique shapes that defined some of the boards. I just recently bought my first longboard and find it's more fun as their shapes and design are fun since it's different from each other.

In closing, if you have any interest in skating history or just interested in the graphics, or even wanting to create your own custom skateboard, this is a great resource. The book covers from the beginning of skateboarding, to about 2007.

BTW my favorite skateboard?

The Schmitt Stick John Lucreo from 1987.

Very cool fun book. I skated a lot in the late '80s and of and on in the '90s. More recently I bomb hills on a longboard, and my nephew is getting into it. This book is a complete and enjoyable look at practically every deck design one could possibly recall, from the 1950s to now. Well done and could work as a good coffee table book, but understand - there are few actual skater/skate shots, or anything about trucks or wheels. This is an encyclopedia for collectors and lovers of decks and deck art. There are many short essays by skaters and designers with stories that add a lot.

Having had the opportunity to work with Sean Cliver during his time at Powell Peralta Skateboards, and thus through our shared experiences discover his passion for what he does; that passion and his abilities are reflected by the depth and breadth of this book. This book will have a life of its own, now, and people's lives and their skate deck collections, and the skateboards they didn't save, will all be affected. Skateboarding may not be for everyone, but this book could be. Put it on your gift list for everyone you know, they'll thank you because they'll be amazed.

I purchased this book for a Christmas gift for my oldest brother. He absolutely loved it!!! The graphics in the book brought back so many memories. When I get some extra cash I'm going to purchase a copy of this book for myself. As we where sitting there pointing out decks from our past I commented on how I couldn't find my first skateboard deck in the book (which it was in there). I mentioned that I wished I knew what happened to that board. My brother laughed stood up left the room and came back with my board. He kept the board all these years and now I have it back. It was scratched and mangled with memories but now I have it hanging on my wall. Great book!

I just got my second book and its amazing all the boards you forget about and graphics you grew up with. So great to see them all in one place!

I grew up in the early 80's, and it was so cool to see all the old boards I remember as a kid. I've never seen all the boards together in one place before. Very awesome book. Also extremely helpful in identifying boards you hazily remembered, but couldn't remember the details about. This helps identify them. I would HIGHLY recommend this if you either A) used to ride when you were a kid, or B) currently collect skateboards.

if you want to stroll through memory lane and see all those old decks that you used to drool over at the skate shop when you were a kid buy this book! awesome conversation piece, even people who never skated love looking through this book and admiring the great artwork.
besides the artwork this book tells the history behind the decks, art and artists.

Great book, lots of memories at the skate shop looking at all the board graphics. Everything you wanted to know about the artist





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This one is essential for every skater for a nostalgia trip. All the legendary boards I rode are here, like Natas Mini, Vallely elephant and Jason Lee hat. Interesting writings about collecting and design also.