Dragons, Myths & Mayhem [Paperback]

NA (Author), Tommy Castillo (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 15, 2001

Special effects wizard, Tommy Castillo, does more than create state-of-the-art designs for film - he's got a disturbing dark side that comes out at night and draws bad things - beautifully! Castillo has produced a magnificent collection of original drawings that capture his sly wit and brilliant attention to detail, and of course, his love of the macabre. Enjoy it at your peril!

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Tommy Castillo

Product Details

• Paperback: 64 pages
• Publisher: SQP (October 15, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0865620431
• ISBN-13: 978-0865620438
• Product Dimensions: 11 x 8.4 x 0.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,406,694 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #23 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Arts & Photography > Graphic Design > Graphic Arts > General
  • #69 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Literature & Fiction > Genre Fiction > Horror > Erotic

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars THE FINE DETAIL WORK OF TOMMY CASTILLO, October 31, 2005

By 

Tim Janson (Michigan) - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Dragons, Myths & Mayhem (Paperback)

Dragons, Myths, and Mayhem isn't the typical book from SQP. It's not an erotic book of pinup art (although there are some beautiful women inside, that's for sure), neither is it a straight collection of fantasy art. Rather, this collection of work by Tommy Castillo presents the artists own, often warped, take on popular fairy tales and mythology done with a decided edge. Castillo was unknown to me but I found I really enjoyed, and also got a good laugh from some of his bizarre interpretations.

For example there is the piece called "Oz" depicting a tin man who did receive a heart, but it was a black heart as he goes on a murderous rampage with his axe, attacking his former comrades. Twisted to say the least! In "Red Riding Hood" the roles are reversed as Red is badder than the "big bad wolf" ever was as he is literally torn to shreds by the maniacal Red. There's a lot of fun pieces just like these in this 64 page collection. Castillo also gives his take on Greek and Norse Mythology with pieces featuring beasts such as the Hydra, Medusa, the Fates, Orpheus entering the underworld realm of Hades. "Thor Vs. the Midgard Serpent" features the Norse God of Thunder, looking far different than the Marvel Comics hero, battling the fabled Midgard Serpent with his flaming, mystical hammer, Mjolnir. Castillo also illustrated each of the Seven Deadly Sins including Pride illustrated as a Liche, that undead mage who clings to life for centuries using arcane necromancy. Rage is depicted as a battle-crazed Viking warrior. I especially loved Castillo's sexy rendering of Lillith, the first woman and vampire.

The last part of the collection displays many of Castillo's Dragon illustrations and few do Dragons as good as Castillo does. A sinister Ash Dragon smolders forth from the body of a Wizard who's just had his head cut off; An Armored Dragon is ready for battle with full plate mail on his face; and then there is my favorite dragon, the Franken-Dragon. This great drawing features a horrific dragon, put together in a lab from various pieces of other dragons. Castillo's meticulous line work is phenomenal. I'm always fascinated by artists like Castillo who put so much detail and time into their work. The time to complete these works must be staggering!

A different kind of book from SQP but outstanding as always.

Reviewed by Tim Janson

5.0 out of 5 stars A must have for anyone who likes fantasy, art and dark humor, January 11, 2006

By 

Yabolta (NJ) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Dragons, Myths & Mayhem (Paperback)

This out of print and hard to find book is fantastic! Tommy does an excellent job detailing some of the most creative interpretations of popular fairy tales to date. The dragons look so real that they almost jump out of the page at you. If you're a fan of fantasy then you must get this book. Tommy is definitely following the paths of Frazetta, Boris, Brom, and Wrightson. Get this collectible now before it sky rockets in price.