Dark Horse Comics, 112 pages, hardcover, $22.99

When did I first hear of Brian? 2001? I think so — Myspace was the leading social media outlet and I remember seeing his amazing posters. He had done a Toys That Kill show flyer, and that led me to browse through the rest of his art. We did a trade. He humored me by exchanging some art for our [GC Records] art anthology in 2002, and has since exploded all over print and online media: Wahoo’s cups? Check. Album cover for Metallica? Check. DC Comics cover art? Check. Years and Years of Warped Tour branding? Holy shit, check. And that’s just the tip of the ice berg. He’s also been commissioned by Guitar Hero II, Budweiser, Samsung, Kia Motors, Marvel Comics, and so much more. I mean, through this entire resume I’ve listed I didn’t even mention his library of concert posters with bands that dominate your MP3 player.

So, talent: he’s got it. Clients: they love him. But what’s so special about this book? Well, for one, the art goes all the way back to the initial designs I saw way back when that made me fall in love with his art. And secondly, the book comes chock full of background information on each and every piece. It’s kind of like having DVD commentaries in written form. You get to not only hold the collection in your hands, but you learn what made the clients and/or Brian tick while the piece was being created. Fabulous book, amazing artist, super smart publisher. A+, five stars, and all that good stuff.