Boards: The Art and Design of the Skateboard (MTV Overground) (Paperback)

by MTV (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
The seventies had album covers, the nineties had 'zines. Today, the coolest graphic design is underfoot, on the decks of skateboards around the country. As books like Thrasher and the recent indie cult hit film Dogtown and Z-Boys prove, skateboarding is one of the most popular extreme sports today. And as its popularity has grown, so has interest in the actual graphics on the boards themselves-the different designs are coveted by boarders, covered by magazines, and serve as one of the most creative vehicles for graphic designers today.

Boards is the first book to focus on the unique art of skateboard design, featuring hundreds of color photos covering the work of today's hottest board designers, including Birdhouse (Tony Hawk's company), Girl (Spike Jonze's company), Chocolate, Zoo York, Enjoi, and 5Boro. As most boards are produced in limited runs and distributed locally, even the most die-hard boarders will have only seen a fraction of the decks included here. In addition to Q&A's with the designers, Boards features action shots of some of today's hottest boarders, making it a must-have for every fan.


About the Author
MTV

Product Details

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: Universe (October 30, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0789309777
• ISBN-13: 978-0789309778
• Product Dimensions: 7.1 x 6.3 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #359,526 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars A limited view of skateboard art, November 26, 2003

By	Clockmilk (Los Angeles, CA USA) - See all my reviews

A great idea for a book, but this one suffers from being too trendy and not comprehensive enough. Maybe being published by MTV has something to do with it. But as a result, a lot of the skateboard graphics shown in here already look a bit played out.

There are only a few companies represented, Girl being the best of them. I have a suspicion that the author only displayed decks from companies that he could get image sources from. All the boards are only from the last couple of years, some of it good, some of it rather insignificant.

There is another book out there with the same theme that I would rather recommend, it's called "Board: Surf/Skate/Snow Graphics". It's a bit more comprehensive and well rounded, featuring pics from different eras of skateboarding.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Nice book, November 28, 2003

By	R. A. Vigh (Arlington, VA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

31 year old skater(skating for 17 years)/graphic designer/illustrator here and I have to say this is a cool book. I was reluctant to purchase it since I am very anti-MTV, but I am glad I did. Although I will agree with other reviews that it is not very comprehensive (how could they forget Mark Gonzalez one of the greatest skaters and artists ever?) Makes a nice "coffee table" book, and it really is pretty cheap in the grand scheme of things

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Non-Skater's View of Skateboard Art, October 27, 2004

By	Geo - See all my reviews

I bought this book not because I am a huge fan of skateboarding but because I find the art interesting. This is defintely a good overview of skateboard art. The book includes a large number of skateboard designs, including a number of series by notable companies like Zoo York and Birdhouse. Even curious non-skateboarders will enjoy just paging through. The book authors also worked very hard on the graphic design; the pages have a sleek, embellished look that adds to the book's style but does not detract from the featured artwork. A few comments from a select few skateboard artists are also included, but they add little to the book; the book's strength is definitely in its artwork.

Overall, the book is a good introduction to skateboard art. However, I did notice that some skateboard companies (Zoo York, for example) were featured much more prominently than others, and it seemed as though some companies' artwork were missing. While this is a good book for casual fans, it may disappoint some skateboard enthusiasts a little.