Happy Kitty Bunny Pony: A Saccharine Mouthful of Super Cute (Paperback)

~ Popink (Author), Charles S. Anderson Design Company (Author), Michael J. Nelson (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

From turn-of-the-century novelties and Depression-era distraction, through wartime comfort, to Hello Kitty and Jeff Koons, cuteness has thrived in the fertile soil of American modern-age media and pop culture. What is it about fluffy bunnies with bows, baby ducks splashing in puddles, kittens snuggled in baskets, and little lambs on their way to school? Happy Kitty Bunny Pony celebrates America's "cult of the cute" in all its campy, kitschy, ironic glory.

With more than 200 images from the print and advertising archives of the Charles S. Anderson Design Company, this collection is an amazingly rich testament to America's fascination with cute things. The hilarious commentary by Mystery Science Theater 3000 host Mike Nelson, spiked with fun and curious facts, bits of sarcasm, and dry and not-so-dry wit, is as surprising and bizarre as the images themselves. So go ahead and join the fun-everyone from art students to your grandma is already shouting the cult-of-the-cute battle cry: "Happy Kitty Bunny Pony!" AUTHOR BIO: The Charles S. Anderson Design Company is ranked by Graphis magazine as one of the world's 10 most influential design firms. Their clients include Ralph Lauren, Warner Brothers, Coca-Cola, Levi's, and Nike. Michael J. Nelson, an actor and writer, was the head writer and on-air host of the legendary television series Mystery Science Theater 3000. He is the author of Mike Nelson's Movie Megacheese, Mind Over Matters, and the novel Death Rat.

About the Author

The Charles S. Anderson Design Company is ranked by Graphis magazine as one of the world's 10 most influential design firms. Their clients include Ralph Lauren, Warner Brothers, Coca-Cola, Levi's and Nike. Michael J. Nelson, an actor and writer, was the head writer and on-air host of the legendary television series Mystery Science Theater 3000. He is the author of Mike Nelson's Movie Megacheese, Mind over Matters, and the novel Death Rat.

Product Details

• Paperback: 176 pages
• Publisher: Harry N. Abrams (May 17, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0810992000
• ISBN-13: 978-0810992009
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 6.4 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #374,894 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

27 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Funny comments by MST3K's Mike Nelson, spread thin, June 28, 2005

By	Valnastar "Man With No Name" (Deep 13, USA) - See all my reviews

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This book is filled with odd, quirky and overly cute images apparently used in advertising in days gone by. The commentary by Michael J. Nelson (former head writer and performer on Mystery Science Theater 3000) ranges from thoughtful to hilarious and sometimes both, but it is spread fairly thin throughout, and not all images have comments associated with them. The pictures range from odd to funny and not all of them are cute even though they all seem to be going for that, and Mike Nelson's comments do at times point out their shortcomings in typically humorous fashion. This book is not nearly as consistently laugh-out-loud funny as Mike Nelson's Movie Megacheese or the Mystery Science Theater 3000 Episode Guide, but it is amusing and a very quick read given the brevity of the text. If you enjoy looking at quirky advertising art from the past, reading Mr. Nelson's humor, or both, then you will find this book at times hilarious and at worst moderately enjoyable and amusing. Recommended.

24 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Hysterical!, June 9, 2005

By	G. Ginalski "craftergin" (Winnetka, CA USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

The previous reviewer, B. Daley, seems to have missed the spirit in which this book was written, so allow me to clarify...it's funny! In "Happy Kitty Bunny Pony", Mike Nelson has written text designed to mock the ridiculous obsession world culture has with adorable animals. His insightful text joyously exposes the dark side of fuzzy-wuzzy, cutesy-wootsy little animals. I personally loved the paint by number images. Brought back wonderful memories of my youth. Perhaps it takes a certain cynical attitude to truly appreciate the work of Mike Nelson. If so, then I am glad to be cynical, for Mike is genius!

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars For humour, and reference., December 24, 2005

By	Hezaa "Heather Carlton" (USA) - See all my reviews

I picked this book up as a reference source for my work. As a graphic artist who's a bit girly I bought it compleatly for the crude/funny/scary tribute to all that is cute. I was really surprised when I got to the back of the book to see it was Michael J. Nelson's brand of humour I was half-reading.

For reference or for reading, this is a good tool for someone trying to deconstruct cute simple graphics. Not to mention good reference for someone creating their own super cute flat/vector art. The humour in this book is like finding a five dollar bill in an old jacket, unexpected and nice!