Presentation of the International Edition of the Encyclopedia of Hinduism to the President of India, Shri Pranab Mukherjee

(photo from indiaeducationdiary.in)

To celebrate decades of work done by thousands of scholars, historians, curators, professors, and various other experts, our imprint Mandala Publishing and The India Heritage Research Foundation presented the beautiful 11-volume international edition of the Encyclopedia of Hinduism to President Mukherjee today, June 23, 2014, with approximately 500 esteemed guests and dignitaries in attendance.

The guests included Swami Chidanand Saraswatiji; Nobel Peace Prize winner Dr. Pachauri; Raoul Goff, Mandala Publications CEO and Publisher; Vandana Shiva; Shri L.K. Advani, Member of Parliament (Lok Sabha); Dr. Karan Singh, Chairman, Auroville Foundation; Dr. R.K. Pachauri, Director General, TERI; and Father Anil Jose Tomas Couto, Archbishop of Delhi, among many others. 

During his speech, the President focused on the search for truth prevalent in Hinduism. In the search for truth, the Encyclopedia of Hinduism, the most comprehensive collection to date on this most ancient of religions and cultures, is sure to take its place as the definitive resource for both scholars and the general population. Read more about the presentation at India Education Diary, linked here: India Education Diary: President of India receives a copy of Encyclopedia of Hinduism

Pujya Swami Chidanand Saraswatiji, founder/chairman of the India Heritage Research Foundation and of the Encyclopedia of Hinduism project, explains:

"The wisdom, truths, teachings, and insights of Indian and Hindu culture are not limited to or applicable to only Hindus or Indians. Rather they belong to the world and can deeply benefit the world. It is, therefore, our aim that the richness of this ancient yet timeless culture and heritage should be made available to the entire world, in a way that is authentic, academic, comprehensive and illuminating. However, of course, the teachings, truths, tenets and insights of Sanatan Dharma took birth in India. Therefore, to have the religious leaders of India present the Encyclopedia to the Honourable President is a beautiful and most-fitting symbol of the 'Unity in Diversity' which is our Mother India."

To learn more about the Encyclopedia of Hinduism, please go to www.theencycloopediaofhinduism.com. 

Fall 2014 Season Catalog

Dear Friends,

Insight Editions is excited to present our Fall 2014 season catalog.

It’s been a busy year for us, as we continue to challenge ourselves by creating even more books that explore music, film, photography, gaming, and more in innovative and visually stimulating ways. Never afraid to think outside the box, we are constantly striving to adapt and evolve with new technology, media, and the interests of our readers.

We are publishing some really spectacular photography books this fall. The Haight: Love, Rock, and Revolution is a treasure trove of never-before-seen photographs from San Francisco in the 1960s, including images of Jimi Hendrix, the Beatles, and Janis Joplin, captured by legendary rock photographer Jim Marshall. Similarly, Big Shots: Rock Legends and Hollywood Icons is a collection of the incredible photography of Guy Webster from the same era in Los Angeles, featuring icons like the Rolling Stones, Jack Nicholson, the Beach Boys, and more. Last but not least, Styling the Stars: Lost Treasures from the Twentieth Century Fox Archive is a stunning collection of behind-the-scenes hair, makeup, and wardrobe continuity photographs gathered from the Twentieth Century Fox archive, featuring more than 150 actors from more than 100 Fox classics, including Miracle on 34th Street and The Sound of Music.

We’re honored to announce we will publish expeditionary photographer Art Wolfe’s definitive opus, Earth Is My Witness, which spans forty years and presents the three subjects at the heart of his work—landscapes, wildlife, and cultures on the edge of extinction—in a single masterpiece.

We’re also pleased to announce lots of exciting new products in the comics and gaming world, including everything from The Art of Destiny, the definitive book on the most anticipated video game of the year, and Assassin’s Creed Unity: Abstergo Entertainment: New Employee Handbook to DC Comics: Super-Villains: The Complete Visual History and Marvel Vehicles: Owner’s Workshop Manual.

If we can answer any questions, provide you with more information, or send you review copies or artwork from our books, please let us know.

Thank you so much for your continued support.

Happy Father's Day!

Celebrating dear old dads everywhere with 40% off everything at www.insighteditions.com.
Use code FATHER14. Offer valid from today to 6/15/14.

Announcing Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Ultimate Visual History!

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles The Ultimate Visual History Bringing together the rarest art and artifacts from three decades of Turtles comics, television shows, and films, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Ultimate Visual History explores each iteration of the Turtles from past to present... Read More Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Ultimate Visual History By Andrew Farago; Foreword by Peter Laird June 2014 | 9.25 x 11 | 192 pages + 23 inserts Hardcover | $50.00 | ISBN: 978-1608871858

Celebrate 30 years of TMNT with us! Will you be in the San Francisco Bay Area this weekend? Join us for the book launch at the Cartoon Art Museum in San Francisco thisSaturday, June 14th from 7-9pm! The opening reception and book launch is free and open to the public, and will feature many special guests and events celebrating three decades of TMNT, including an appearance by the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles themselves! Meet TMNT artists Mark Bode,  Ken Mitchroney, longtime Mirage Studios staffer Molly Bode, and talent fromNickelodeon’s hit Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles animated series, including Executive Producer Ciro Nieli, characterIrineo Maramba, storyboard artist Felipe Smith, and Vice President of Current Series Animation Megan Casey as you enjoy refreshments and pizza from event sponsor Extreme Pizza! You can get more information and RSVP on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/events/280965982074386/

Exclusive Discount for Game of Thrones Pop-Up!

Game of Thrones Season 4 finale airs this Sunday, June 15, 2014 at 9 p.m. ET/PT on HBO.

In celebration of the season finale this week, take 40% off the Game of Thrones: A Pop-Up Guide to Westeros with the code GOTPOPUP. Still want more? Snag the Game of Thrones House Journals!

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2014 Independent Publisher Book Awards

We are thrilled to announce, Insight Editions has six titles that appear on the 2014 Independent Publisher Book Awards!

The 2014 IPPY Awards medal ceremony was held on May 28th in New York. Congratulations to all!

Publisher and CEO Raoul Goff, IPPY Awards Director Jim Barnes, and Acquisitions Manager Robbie Schmidt

Biography

Gold: John Wayne: The Genuine Article, by Michael Goldman (also a gold winner of the IBPA Benjamin Franklin awards!)

Popular Culture

Gold: The SpongeBob SquarePants Experience: A Deep Dive into the World of Bikini Bottom, by Jerry Beck 

Silver: Iron Man Manual, by Daniel Wallace 

Sports / Fitness / Recreation

Silver: Sailing on the Edge: America’s Cup, by Bob Fisher and Kimball Livingston

Photography

Bronze: Keeping Time: The Photographs of Don Hunstein, by Don Hunstein; text by Jon Pareles; edited by Leo Sacks (also a gold winner of the IBPA Benjamin Franklin awards!)

Performing Arts

Bronze: House of Blues: A Backstage Pass to the Artists, Music, & Legends, by Daniel Siwek 

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We're also at Book Expo America this week! Stop by booth #1232, check out our award-winning books, and say hello!

Q&A with Matthew Reinhart

World-renowned, New York Times best-selling author and artist Matthew Reinhart studied industrial design at the Pratt Institute in Brooklyn before finding his calling as a paper engineer. His books include the best-selling Encyclopedia Prehistorica: Dinosaurs, Star Wars: Pop-Up Guide to the Galaxy, The Pop-Up Book of Nursery Rhymes, and DC Comics Super Heroes: The Ultimate Pop-Up Book, among many other award-winning titles. He lives in New York City.

We asked him questions about his extremely impressive career, his latest book Game of Thrones: A Pop-Up Guide to Westeros, and what’s on the horizon:

1. What was your first pop-up creation, and what gave you the idea?

Pop-ups weren’t really a big part of my childhood, unfortunately – my little sister tore apart the only one I had, which was appropriately about dinosaurs, within 24 hours of receiving it!  That said, back then I was always building and constructing things out of paper and cardboard, whether I realized they were pop-ups or not.  Back before digital music media and even CDs, we used to make mixtapes of pop music (prophetic, huh?) and I always included a miniature comic to go with each cassette.  There was one person I was smitten with back then who inspired me enough to make a sort of pop-up comic scene for the mixtape package…amazing what puppy love will do, eh? I don’t know why I decided to make it, probably just wanted to enhance the scene a little.  That little pop-up scene, the first pop-up I constructed, is thankfully back in my possession.

2. Was there a moment when you realized that you could make a living out of pop-up design?

Yes.  After apprenticing with acclaimed pop-up book master and children’s book illustrator Robert Sabuda for a few years, I started to get the knack for paper engineering.  With his encouragement and patient guidance, I was able to see a path toward a real career in movable books.

3. Did you have a mentor or artists that inspired you?

I’ve taken inspiration from countless artists, from ancient times to current young artists just coming out of art school (seriously)—there’s too many to name, really, but I’ll try.

Paper Engineering inspirations: Vostech Kubasta, David Carter, Marion Bataille, and one of my former interns, Giovanni Iofrate.
Illustration inspirations: Peter Spier, Eric Carle, Maurice Sendak, Will H. Bradley, Charley Harper, Raiph McQuarrie...too many to mention!
Art movement inspirations: Art Deco, Grafitti – Urban Street Art, Photorealism, Impressionism, Superflat, Comic Book art (from the beginning to now), advertising artwork/graphics... even ancient Greek, Roman, Egyptian, and Babylonian!

4. We hear talk about the decline of print books due to the popularity of ebooks, but nothing digital could ever compare to what you create.  Was that a consideration when you first got started?

Not at all!  I was not that forward thinking in the least (kinda in my own world sometimes)—I just wanted to make cool movable books for readers of all ages.  Back then, it seemed to me the opinion was that print books would keep growing, ebooks weren’t a threat, Barnes & Noble would continue to keep opening stores and Borders Books would be around forever… but things changed.  Books went in a slightly different direction, and it taught me that an artist needs to continue evolving.  Pop-up books and paper engineering will always be a part of the work I do in some way, even though I have already started to broaden the types of books/stories/artwork/media I create in the future.  Ooooh, mysterious—huh?

5. Obviously, your new book is not designed for kids, but you’ve done a ton of children’s pop-up books in the past. What was the most fun to work on?

OK, I’m going to answer in a really corny way, but it’s totally true: Every book is fun for me in some way.  Admittedly, some are more fun overall than others.  Being a huge Transformers and Star Wars fan, both projects were pure love and joy, but also a huge amount of stress as well—everything had to be beyond perfect.  Seriously, though, I have fun with just about every book I create.  Making pop-ups is really fun, I’m not gonna lie!   I sometimes joke about my job being a prolonged ‘Arts & Crafts’ project, and at times I’m not far off.

6. Have you ever given pop-up tutorials? What’s a project you’d recommend for the novice pop-up artist?

Occasionally, I give tutorials if I’ve the time in my busy schedule.  School visits are the most enjoyable to me—kids’ art inspires me most.  Their imaginations are unencumbered by logic, and cynicism.

As for novice pop-up creators, there’s a bunch of simple Do-It-Yourself pop-ups on my website, www.matthewreinhart.com, to download, printout and build—complete with instructions.

7. Were there any creative challenges unique to the Game of Thrones pop-up that you hadn’t faced before?

Certainly, yes!  The unfolding book/map concept was once of the most difficult challenges I’ve ever met. When I came up with the idea, I thought it would be appropriately awesome and so unique, but had NO idea if it would actually work.  After many constructed concept models (most of which were tossed in the trash), I found a way to make it work, and our expert manufacturer, my friends at Sirivatana in Thailand, made the book’s mass production a reality.

8. How long did it take to construct?

The book took about four months to engineer from the beginning concept to final, although there was some lag time waiting to incorporate the incredible artwork of the uber-talented illustrator Michael Komarck.

9. Do you have a favorite pop in this book?

The pop-up for Winterfell I like quite a bit because it’s so intricate.  I also love the Wall pop-up, because it becomes so large and impressive.  The book/map transformation, though, remains my favorite paper engineering for this magnificent project.

10. I’m guessing you’re a fan of Game of Thrones—what’s your favorite house? Character?

Totally House Targaryen all the way.  Daenerys rules (at least I want her to), and I find her development and journeys the most interesting.  I’ve also been a fan of Tyrion Lannister from the very beginning!  My other favorites—mostly lesser characters with complicated pasts—are Brienne of Tarth,  Davos Seaworth and Sandor Clegane a.k.a. ‘The Hound’.  They all go through such wonderful and surprising transformations of character, something those of us in the mundane world hope for ourselves (at least I do).

11. What does your workspace look like?

A mess!  Well, not entirely—I rent the far corner of a bustling multi-purpose workspace with an architecture practice and textile design studio.  It gets a little loud sometimes, but I enjoy the creative energy around me and the big windows with 15-foot ceilings.  What’s not to love?  No crazy artist hours for me—I  work normal workday hours typically (9am – 6pm) , except before deadlines when I am at work all hours!

12. What are you working on now? Book-related or otherwise. 

Wow—there’s a lot happening right now!  Just finished up a pop-up book about (drumroll please…)—My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic!  Yes, I know what you’re thinking, very different from Game Of Thrones, but I am a big fan (as are my sister Erin and niece Lillian, who would’ve been very cross if I didn’t do it) of the new cartoon from The Hub Network.  MLP has an unreal cult following (ever heard of Bronies?), and I understand why—it’s really well written, the characters are fantastic, and it has real heart.  Also prepping a series of fun movable non-fiction books, about creatures, history and science—which takes me back to my roots in publishing.  Lastly, there are some secret (possibly pop-up) projects in the future that I cannot yet reveal… more mystery!