Plasticland [Hardcover]

Frank Kozik (Author, Artist)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 1, 2008

The man credited with single-handedly reviving the concept of rock posters as an art form, Kozik was first exposed to the counterculture world of "designer art toys" on a trip to Japan in 1996. His collecting hobby soon mutated into a new profession, and in 2002 Kozik made the leap from illustrator to toy designer. Now considered one of the world's top three underground toy designers, Kozik shares all the secrets of this arcane and cutting-edge art movement in Plasticland. This deluxe oversized volume, the first collected work of Kozik's foray into this explosive new phenomenon, offers a fascinating look at the creation and end result of modern toy design. A dazzling photographic record of all Kozik's production and custom pieces through early 2006, the book also features his new works in serigraphy and oil painting.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 112 pages
• Publisher: Dark Horse (January 1, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1593078757
• ISBN-13: 978-1593078751
• Product Dimensions: 12.8 x 9.1 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,017,978 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Photos only. Not much else. Certainly no secrets., February 26, 2008

By 

Jake "PYLBUG" (Chicago, IL) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Plasticland (Hardcover)

There was one part of the description that sold this book to me: "Kozik shares all the secrets of this arcane and cutting-edge art movement in Plasticland". That led me to expect some text about Kozik's process. Some short essay from Kozik himself, perhaps. Unfortunately, there's nothing of the sort in this book. Just photos of vinyl toys and a couple graphic designs. No secrets shared here; there are dozens of designer-vinyl-oriented web sites that offer almost as much. I feel misled. If I wanted only photos of toys, I could have downloaded them. I will be returning this book because the description was so misleading. Very underwhelming compared to other Dark Horse publications I own. If you want photos of Kozik toys, this is for you. If you want to know about the secrets of this "art movement" you'd better look elsewhere.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent!, June 8, 2009

By 

Lizzy (New Orleans, LA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Plasticland (Hardcover)

People tend to under rate Kozik- when he's incredibly more interesting and often more relevant today than a lot of people picked up by the Establishment. But the advantages of work in plastic and the factory and so wide dissemination of his work are a part of the work. With dictators, or anti-dictatorship statements, propaganda forms are appropriate.

I see complaints about the lack of text, like this book was supposed to reveal secrets? There are no secrets! Just look at the art, it says all there is to say, in full richness. Picasso commented on this insistence on explanations; "If I could say it in words I would be a writer, not a painter". I think we can respect the Master, if not the Master. Could any of us do what Kozik does? I think not.

The beautiful photographs say it all- think about why anybody is making work labeled CCCP today? During Bush/ Cheney? Or busts of brutal dictators? Go look up Anarchy and think about animals demanding it. Actual anarchy- not the bad press of the 1930's or so. There's a strong statement being made.

And all those references to Clockwork Orange just strengthen the Artist's statement. A viewer's refusal to educate themselves doesn't get the book a dis.

Not all Kozik fans go in for dunnies; Toy art is so far past the boring dunnie perhaps a good look past KidRobot at other retailers is in order for some people. Art as product means many retailers. But remember- in this society all art is a commodity, so the supposed Temple Of The Gallery where the sacred Academically Approved Art resides is just an expensive shop. If you hadn't figured that out it's time to really do some thinking. Kozik knows this and uses it as part of the art; Four zillion Dr.Bombs in varying colors just parallels America's real Gods at the car dealer ship.

Reminds me of Duchamp in a few respects... And it's a very pretty book covering the work of a certain era, a 21st century Vinyl Phase? Recommend it highly!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars For the Vinyl Toy Collector, December 18, 2008

By 

Andrew L. Kitzmiller "agitprop" (Mundelein, IL United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Plasticland (Hardcover)

If you are a fan of Kozik's vinyl toys this is a must have. It's a fairly comprehensive collection of his vinyl work, including labbits, Dr. Bombs, dunnys, and dictator busts, all well photographed. While it is lacking in text, any Kozik toy collector would be happy to put this on the shelf next to their redrum dunny.