Winner of the 2005 Independent Publisher Book Award in Erotica. The punk rock pin-up cultural phenomenon known as suicidegirls.com includes journal entries excerpted from the site and over 200 artful, color photos.
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From Publishers Weekly
This collection of glossy shots marks the second birthday of the near-legendary eponymous Web site founded by Missy Suicide (borrowing a little hipster terminology from a Chuck Palahnuik novel in the process) to promote her own pin-up photography, and to make a place where women could "be themselves." The large format book is well designed and finely printed, with over 150 full-color photos of Scarlett, Flux, Fractal and the rest of the pierced, tattooed, leather-'n-lace-lovin' gang. The bulk of the book consists of Missy's portraits of the girls, but a section at the back allows the girls to speak for themselves through diary extracts, their own photos and their answers to questions like "How did you hear about SuicideGirls and what made you want to become one?" As 25-year-old Le from San Francisco puts it, exposing herself in various ways on the internet is both "a hobby and an art form." The S-Girls are spirited, sans doute, and you have to applaud Missy for making such a go of something she loves. But after a while, the tattoos and pierced nipples do tend to blur into something of a sub-Courtney Love mush. (And readers of a certain age won't be able to help wondering if any of these bedroom performance artists have boned up on Lora Logic, Poly Styrene and the much less generic-looking fem-punks of a previous generation.) One diary extract gives the flavor of the whole: "Fuckin' ex boyfriend. You suck. Your records suck. Think I'm gonna throw 'em somewhere, in a garbage dump."
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
78 of 80 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
I have to first start out by admonishing the politicking by both sides in the reviews of this book. It's unprofessional, very misleading and ultimately doesn't have any place here. And I'm a member of the site in question which is why I'm equally disappointed by the fellow SG-ers who've taken it upon themselves to throw off the grading curve by unobjectively praising the book when the request that was made by the site was simply to review it, not wax poetic about it.
Anyway, that said I liked the book. But I'd be lying if I said I loved it. The photography was all well and good. Good lighting, etc. But as one reviewer stated before me it was just pictures of naked girls. There was no real visual panache to it. In a way it seemed like somewhat of a self-congratulatory piece. Especially since all the photography was taken by Missy who's actually done some spectacular work that wasn't included here. Not to mention that the site boasts the visual talents of Lithium Picnic. As such this book left a little to be desired. And it may just be a gripe exclusive to me but what is with the postcard size, one image to a page format?
I did however really like the interviews and journal excerpts in the last section of the book. I might have interspersed them throughout the book scrapbook-style, but that's just me.
All told it was a laudable first effort. Improvements could be made, sure. But I think it sets a good precedent that I hope they expand on with additional works in the future.
Anyway, that said I liked the book. But I'd be lying if I said I loved it. The photography was all well and good. Good lighting, etc. But as one reviewer stated before me it was just pictures of naked girls. There was no real visual panache to it. In a way it seemed like somewhat of a self-congratulatory piece. Especially since all the photography was taken by Missy who's actually done some spectacular work that wasn't included here. Not to mention that the site boasts the visual talents of Lithium Picnic. As such this book left a little to be desired. And it may just be a gripe exclusive to me but what is with the postcard size, one image to a page format?
I did however really like the interviews and journal excerpts in the last section of the book. I might have interspersed them throughout the book scrapbook-style, but that's just me.
All told it was a laudable first effort. Improvements could be made, sure. But I think it sets a good precedent that I hope they expand on with additional works in the future.
16 of 18 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
So why doesn't this book feature big, fat, ugly girls in its photo sets? It's a common criticism of SG, meant to negate its artistic merits. First, the obvious answer: it's erotic photography, meant to entice, arouse, et cetera. Featuring unattractive, unarousing models is obviously defeating the purpose. Sound shallow? It is, but let's not fool ourselves; this is altporn we're talking about. Secondly, anybody who makes this argument has misinterpreted SG's goals. "Redefining beauty" doesn't mean turning ugly ducklings into swans, but rather, to accomodate an alternative market that has been largely ignored up until this point.
Beauty is still beauty.
All that being said, however, this particular book is a rather unremakable collection. Though the website itself is spectacular and features some amazing sets, this book was published before Missy and co. really found their trademark visual style. There's way too many bedroom/domestic shots, rendering the entire collection rather monotonous. Still, it's definitely worth a look, if not neccessarily a must-have.
Beauty is still beauty.
All that being said, however, this particular book is a rather unremakable collection. Though the website itself is spectacular and features some amazing sets, this book was published before Missy and co. really found their trademark visual style. There's way too many bedroom/domestic shots, rendering the entire collection rather monotonous. Still, it's definitely worth a look, if not neccessarily a must-have.
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
So. I've never wanted to pay for membership on the SG site, but I've always had an attraction and fascination with the whole punk/goth/indie/alternative type of look. So when this book was released, I jumped on it.
- The photos aren't very artistic. They're simple and straightforward, shot with a standard digital camera.
- It's arranged rather simply, with little or no thought to the placement of the images. (Usually two images side by side per page)
- True, you can probably find a lot of similar images on the internet.
- Some of the girls are absolutely beautiful, but I find some rather unattractive.
- The quality of the pictures is rather poor, since the original intent of SG was purely online. So the change from pixels to print never translates well.
- There's very little about the girls themselves... just short, self-written bio's on some of the girls in the back.
- Let's be honest... you're just buying this for the boobies of cute indie chicks... and that's okay.
After a couple viewings, it doesn't have a lasting effect that the likes of Tony Ward or maybe Richard Kern's work might have. Less art and more taboo. It's an inexpensive book, so if you're into the whole naked chicks with tattoos and piercing, I'd say go for it.
- The photos aren't very artistic. They're simple and straightforward, shot with a standard digital camera.
- It's arranged rather simply, with little or no thought to the placement of the images. (Usually two images side by side per page)
- True, you can probably find a lot of similar images on the internet.
- Some of the girls are absolutely beautiful, but I find some rather unattractive.
- The quality of the pictures is rather poor, since the original intent of SG was purely online. So the change from pixels to print never translates well.
- There's very little about the girls themselves... just short, self-written bio's on some of the girls in the back.
- Let's be honest... you're just buying this for the boobies of cute indie chicks... and that's okay.
After a couple viewings, it doesn't have a lasting effect that the likes of Tony Ward or maybe Richard Kern's work might have. Less art and more taboo. It's an inexpensive book, so if you're into the whole naked chicks with tattoos and piercing, I'd say go for it.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
Great Pictures!
I was looking for a book to use to make some art for the bedroom. Exactly the right size, great photo quality, and the book was undamaged and looked brand new!
Published 17 months ago by bsteele
Decadent
I call this book "decadent" and by that I mean an ignorant form of self-indulgence glamorized as something artful, and symbolizing the dumbing down and degradation of culture. Read more
Published on May 1, 2010 by Ed Evans
Average... to say the most
I tried to love this book, believe me, I really tried, but the substance is just not there. First, I have never really visited the site, and just heard of it on an HBO special, so,... Read more
Published on December 14, 2009 by David Jimenez
a+
Great buy, fast service, and over al the book in great condition lots of great pin-up in there!
Published on June 11, 2009 by John S. Klimczak III
Hot HOT and a couple that are questionable
I dig tattoos, I dig chiqs, I dig naked punk rock girls! If you do to, then this book is for you. Great work by Missy, she is HOT!
Published on March 3, 2009 by William Riddle
Poor pictures
I'm not famillair with the website ,so unless you're a fan don't buy this book .
Just common or ugly girls with tattoos and/or piercing pretending to be rebels ... Read more
Just common or ugly girls with tattoos and/or piercing pretending to be rebels ... Read more
Published on March 2, 2009 by I. Bana
Awesome!
Great coffee table book =) Girls are hot.. very tasteful. Not for the prudish folks that have problems w/ nudity.
Published on September 7, 2008 by Mystic
Girls doing what girls do best: shutting up and looking pretty!
Now for those of your simple minded sots who somehow stumbled onto this book and are scratching your beard stubble (dudes and shaggy women both! Read more
Published on July 23, 2008 by Joshua Gaitan
Suicide Girls book review
This book is a collection of unique and beautifully shot photographs. It will make a good addition to any Suicide Girls' collection.
Published on March 13, 2008 by Gail Oliver
Those Were The Days
I first got this book because I wanted to perfect my artist skill on drawing the human form, aside from wanting to look at hot naked women. Read more
Published on September 26, 2007 by E. S. Bradley
Inside This Book
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First Sentence:
While I am tempted to let the images in this book speak for themselves, I also feel like I owe you a few words of thanks. Read the first page New!
Concordance | Text Stats Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | First Pages | Index | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
While I am tempted to let the images in this book speak for themselves, I also feel like I owe you a few words of thanks. Read the first page New!
Concordance | Text Stats Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | First Pages | Index | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
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