Skate Crazy (Paperback)

by Lou Brooks (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
By 1942, there were more than 3,000 roller rinks in America, and more than 10 million people skating. That era is captured in this glorious graphic portrait of the country's Golden Age of roller skating (1939-1959), which also illuminates America's rapidly changing society from the end of the Depression through the wartime '40s to the '50s. This provocative look at a pop-culture phenomenon is lavishly illustrated with full-color photographs of skate rink memorabilia, including promotional stickers, postcards, advertisements, programs, and matchbooks.

About the Author
Lou Brooks has designed and illustrated covers for Time and Newsweek, and was a contributing artist for Playboy. His logo design for the game Monopoly(tm) is familiar to everyone who has ever played the game.

Product Details

• Paperback: 144 pages
• Publisher: Running Press (November 25, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 076241460X
• ISBN-13: 978-0762414604
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 8.3 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,009,879 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Eight wheels and no brakes., April 6, 2004

By	Robin Benson - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

A tip of the hat to Lou Brooks for making this book such a delight to look at! The subject matter is pretty mundane and in the hands of many other book designers 'Skate Crazy' would just look bland but Mr Brooks knows his stuff. He knows how to select the right photos, handle color panels, overlap graphic images, choose a relevant typeface for headings and all the other little design elements that make each page sparkle and this book has 144 of them in a neat square format.

Although much of the material is similar Brooks has managed to split it into sixteen chapters and write a bit about each subject but the book is essentially visual. The four hundred rink stickers are the main pictorial items and nicely the index in the back is a geographical listing of past rinks across America. Strangely, despite a thorough coverage there are no close-up photos of skates, a page or two from a manufacturer's sales brochure would have been helpful I think.

'Skate Crazy' is a wonderful bit of nostalgia and if you rolled (or danced) around one of the three thousand rinks across the Nation in the Forties or Fifties you'll really enjoy looking at this book. Just super!

***FOR AN INSIDE LOOK click 'customer images' under the cover.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great trip down memory lane!, December 5, 2003

By	Jennifer Heger (Villanova, PA) - See all my reviews

This book is a great compilation of skating memorabilia from the 30s, 40s, and 50s. The book is full of photos, ad illustrations, and postcards, but the best part is the stickers from individual rinks - there are over 400 of them! The restored graphics are amazing, and the vintage style will make anyone nostalgic for this era of skating. Anyone interested in art or graphics should take a look at the way Brooks updates the stickers, because he truly has done a fantastic job.

5.0 out of 5 stars A terrific gift - not just for roller skaters, November 30, 2003

By	David Burd (East Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Although this book makes a perfect gift for someone who loves to skate, it's just as good for art students, pop culture buffs, and lovers of quirky, crazy stuff. The infinite variety of roller-skate images is dazzling. "Skate Crazy" belongs on the shelf of every graphic designer. Plus, it's a lot of fun! Some of the old roller-rink photos made me laugh out loud, and the wild assortment of vintage stickers are a joy to look at. I've only been roller skating twice, but I loved this book!