The Artful Dodger
If there's one thing that's patently obvious, it's that (aside from raw talent) Nick Bantock has always had a special knack for being in the right place at the right time. Okay, that special knack, combined with sheer chutzpah (I mean, really -- walking into a publisher's because their logo looked friendly? Not knowing the magnitude of what you're doing when you're young really can work for you). But, looking deeper at this man's life, it's even more obvious that the secret is not so much good fortune being bestowed upon any one individual over another by the great, wide universe, than it is making one's own good fortune. Mr. Bantock's life may seem more charmed than some ficitional ones, but all that good luck took a lot of hard work!
I know I'm not the most unbiased person in the world to be writing this, but I utterly loved following his life. I find it hard to imagine that a past English teacher marked him as a failure as a writer when it's plain to me that he is a born storyteller. Naturally, I was especially interested in the Griffin & Sabine section, which answered a lot of questions for me, confirmed some other things, and pointed out yet other things that I hadn't even noticed.
The art is a major part of this book, and would alone make the book worth it. Even the casual fan will be amused by the science-fiction book covers, and even the most amateur of artists will appreciate the technique tips.
I would caution a slight spoiler warning for the section about The Egyptian Jukebox, if you want to go into that book with absolutely NO clues. They are minor, however, and should not hamper your enjoyment of solving the puzzle at all (in fact, it might be a welcome clue, since it's not something I figured out until I was halfway through solving it myself).
I'll end this with a hearty recommendation. If anything earth-shattering comes to mind, I'll be back.
Ah yes. There's a tantalizing photo in this book of the original G&S dummy/mockup. Very, very cool. I'd love to hold that thing in my hands. :)
Available at your local bookstore, no doubt, or from Amazon.com.
Image above swiped from Amazon.com