New Release Books by Mark Cotta Vaz

Superman may be faster than a speeding bullet, but even he can''t outrun copyright law. Since the dawn of the pulp hero in the 1930s, publishers and authors have fought over the privilege of making money off of comics, and the authors and artists usually have lost. Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, the creators of Superman, got all of $130 for the rights to the hero. In Empire of the Superheroes, Mark Cotta Vaz argues that licensing and litigation do as much as any ink-stained creator to shape the mythology of comic characters. Vaz reveals just how precarious life was for the legends of the industry. Siegel and Shuster—and their heirs—spent seventy years battling lawyers to regain rights to Superman. Jack Kirby and Joe Simon were cheated out of their interest in Captain America, and Kirby''s children brought a case against Marvel to the doorstep of the Supreme Court. To make matters worse, the infant comics medium was nearly strangled in its crib by censorship and moral condemnation. For the writers and illustrators now celebrated as visionaries, the "golden age" of comics felt more like hard times. The fantastical characters that now earn Hollywood billions have all-too-human roots. Empire of the Superheroes digs them up, detailing the creative martyrdom at the heart of a pop-culture powerhouse.

Pan Am at War chronicles the airline?s historic role in advancing aviation and serving America?s national interest before and during World War II. From its inception, Pan American Airways operated as the ?wings of democracy,? spanning six continents and placing the country at the leading edge of international aviation. At the same time, it was clandestinely helping to fight America?s wars. Utilizing government documents, declassified Freedom of Information Act material, and company documents, the authors have uncovered stories of Pan Am?s stunning role as an instrument of American might: The airline?s role in building air bases in Latin America and countering Axis interests that threatened the Panama Canal Creating transatlantic and trans-Africa supply lines for sending Lend-Lease equipment to Britain Cooperation with Chiang Kai-shek and the Chinese nationalist government to pioneer the dangerous ?Hump? route over the Himalayas The dangerous seventeen-thousand-mile journey that took President Roosevelt to the high-stakes Casablanca Conference with Winston Churchill The daring flight that delivered uranium for the atomic bomb. Filled with larger-than-life characters, and revelations of the vision and technology it took to dominate the skies, Pan Am at War provides a gripping unknown history of the American Century.

From Pixar Animation Studios, the Academy Awardwinning studio that brought us such blockbusters as Toy Story, Monsters, Inc., and Finding Nemo, comes The Incredibles, a hilarious, action-packed story of a family of superheroes living an underground suburban existence. The sleekly designed settings and characters were conceptualized and developed by writer/director Brad Bird and Pixar''s creative team of artists, illustrators, and designers, resulting in a celluloid sensation rich with detail. The Art of The Incredibles celebrates their talent, featuring concept and character sketches, storyboards, and lighting studies, and invites readers into the elaborate creative process of animation through interviews with all the key players at Pixar.

Pixar Animation Studios, the Academy Award-winning creators of Toy Story, Toy Story 2, A Bug''s Life, and Monsters, Inc., are bringing a new animated movie, Finding Nemo, to the screen this summer. This visually stunning underwater adventure follows eventful and comic journeys of two fish-a father and his son Nemo-who become separated in the Great Barrier Reef. The underwater world for the film was conceptualized and developed by the creative team of artists, illustrators, and designers at Pixar, resulting in a lush landscape rich with detail. The Art of Finding Nemo celebrates their talent, featuring concept and character sketches, storyboards, and lighting studies in a huge spectrum of media, from five-second sketches to intricate color pastels. This behind-the-scenes odyssey invites the reader into the elaborate creative process of animation films through interviews with all the key players at Pixar. There will be children''s books related to Finding Nemo, but no adult titles other than this definitive volume. Revealing, insightful, and awesomely creative, The Art of Finding Nemo will delight film-goers, artists, and animation fans alike.

In his sci-fi epic Interstellar, Christopher Nolan takes on the infinite canvas of space to deliver a cutting-edge, emotionally charged adventure that will amaze audiences of all ages. Interstellar: Beyond Time and Space documents the making of Nolan''s latest masterpiece in fascinating detail and features interviews with the acclaimed director, along with screenwriter Jonathan Nolan, producer Emma Thomas, and other key members of the production team. Delving into the science and philosophy behind the film, Interstellar: Beyond Time and Space dynamically showcases its incredible concept art, including costume designs, storyboards, and other fascinating preproduction elements. Also featuring interviews with the exceptional cast, including Matthew McConaughey and Anne Hathaway, Interstellar: Beyond Time and Space tells the full story of the making of the film, with candid pictures illustrating its elaborate set pieces and reliance on classic special effects techniques. Visually enthralling and engrossing in its in-depth exploration of the themes and ideas at the heart of Interstellar, this book is the perfect accompaniment to one of the most anticipated films of 2014. Based on the film from Warner Bros. Pictures and Paramount Pictures. From acclaimed filmmaker Christopher Nolan ("The Dark Knight" films, "Inception"), "Interstellar" stars Oscar winner Matthew McConaughey ("Dallas Buyers Club"), Oscar winner Anne Hathaway ("Les Misébles"), Oscar nominee Jessica Chastain ("Zero Dark Thirty"), Bill Irwin ("Rachel Getting Married"), Oscar winner Ellen Burstyn ("Alice Doesn''t Live Here Anymore"), and Oscar winner Michael Caine ("The Cider House Rules"). The main cast also includes Wes Bentley, Casey Affleck, David Gyasi, Mackenzie Foy and Topher Grace. Christopher Nolan directed the film from a screenplay he co-wrote with Jonathan Nolan. Emma Thomas, Christopher Nolan and Lynda Obst produced "Interstellar," with Jordan Goldberg, Jake Myers, Kip Thorne and Thomas Tull serving as executive producers. Warner Bros. Pictures and Paramount Pictures present, in association with Legendary Pictures, a Syncopy/Lynda Obst Productions production, a film by Christopher Nolan, "Interstellar."

Introduces the creative process behind the film, with concept illustrations, sketches, storyboards, and other pre-production materials, and features interviews with the director, key crew, and cast members.

Explore the making of the film Beautiful Creatures in this ultimate visual companion, lavishly illustrated with full-color photos of the cast, locations, and sets. This beautiful paperback edition celebrates the on-screen creation of Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl''s fascinating world, brought to life by screenwriter and director Richard LaGravenese. With never-before-seen images, exclusive interviews and personal stories, Mark Cotta Vaz takes you behind the scenes with cast and crew, uncovering intimate details of the filmmaking process.

Stephenie Meyer''s The Host captured millions of readers around the world with one of the most unusual love stories ever written. Acclaimed director Andrew Niccol brings it to the silver screen with a star-studded cast, stunning visuals, and breathtaking special effects. Now this definitive companion book takes fans behind-the-scenes with extensive full-color photographs and exclusive interviews with the cast, crew, director, and producers, including Stephenie Meyer herself. Offering an intimate look at the filmmaking process, New York Times bestselling author Mark Cotta Vaz tells the inside stories behind the exotic locations, massive sets, and gravity-defying stunts, and shows how cast and crew come together to bring Meyer''s extraordinary vision to life.

A companion to the film, illustrated with full color photos.

Explore the making of the film "New Moon" in this ultimate visual companion, lavishly illustrated with full-color photos of the cast, locations, and sets. With never-before-seen images, exclusive interviews and personal stories, this guide takes fans behind the scenes with cast and crew, uncovering intimate details of the filmmaking process.

An illustrated movie companion to the Twilight saga that explores the making of the film "Eclipse."

Explore the making of the film The Twilight Saga: Eclipse in this ultimate visual companion, lavishly illustrated with full-color photos of the cast, locations, and sets. This beautiful paperback edition celebrates the onscreen creation of Stephenie Meyer''s fascinating world, brought to life by critically acclaimed director David Slade. With never-before-seen images, exclusive interviews and personal stories, renowned author Mark Cotta Vaz takes you behind the scenes with cast and crew, uncovering intimate details of the filmmaking process.

An extraordinary new vision for the beloved character presented through a dynamic selection of concept illustrations, sketches, storyboards, and other materials. Featuring interviews with the film''s director and key crew and cast, this is the complete story of the making of Godzilla, from concept to final frames.

Documents the making of Christopher Nolan''s Interstellar in detail. Featuring interviews with the acclaimed director, screenwriter Jonathan Nolan, and key cast, with pictures from the set, this book also focuses on scientist Kip Thorne, whose revelatory theories about the nature of time and space inspired the movie''s narrative.

This is a complete history of the incomparable Batmobile. From its humble beginnings in the pages of Detective Comics, to its re-imaginings every decade, it explores each incarnation of the Batmobile in incredible detail and scope.

Explore the making of the film New Moon in this ultimate visual companion, lavishly illustrated with full-color photos of the cast, locations, and sets. This beautiful paperback edition celebrates the onscreen creation of Stephenie Meyer''s fascinating world, brought to life by Academy Award(R)-nominated director Chris Weitz. With never-before-seen images, exclusive interviews and personal stories, renowned author Mark Cotta Vaz takes you behind the scenes with cast and crew, uncovering intimate details of the filmmaking process.

Everything fans want to know about the hotly anticipated Twilight movie and much more! Designed as a celebration of the film, this lavishly illustrated paperback edition is an exclusive behind-the-scenes guide featuring full-color photos of the cast, locations, and sets, as well as storyboards, interviews, details of the special effects, and much more.

A companion volume to the film about murdered rookie cop Denny Colt, who is reborn as a superhero known as The Spirit, features commentary from cast and crew, production art, color photographs, and screenplay excerpts.

A guide to the art of the animated film discusses the process of creating and developing the characters and settings and includes storyboards, sketches, color scripts, concept art, and commentary by the director, producer, and artists.

A guide to how the motion picture Beowulf was created features concept art, sketches, templates, and models used to animate the film as well as quotes from production designers, artists, and actors involved.