A few weeks ago, I finished up a book project that kept me busy for a few months. I’ll discuss more about that project once it’s released. As is the case with any project, I have a huge sense of relief once it is all done. I like to reward myself at the end of a project somehow. Maybe I’ll finally play a video game I’ve been wanting to play, or I’ll go see a movie, or just finally catch up on sleep. But this time the reward came right to my doorstep. I finished this book project and the very next day a package had arrived from my buddy, Brian Ewing. I knew what it was because Brian said he would send me a copy of his just released book, Brian Ewing: Don’t Hold Your Breath.

I now had my reward. A killer book by a killer artist that I could pour over for the next week or so. And I did. I’ve known Brian for more than 18 years and I’ve watched his artwork grow and get better every single year. A book collecting his art has been a long time coming for us fans of his craft. And the book doesn’t disappoint. One of the things I’ve always disliked about many artbooks is that the artist never talks about each piece of art, its creation process, concept behind it, techniques applied, etc. Brian, however, gives fans exactly what they want. He has included his own personal notes about almost every piece of art in the book, including preliminary sketches. There isn’t a single wasted space in the book, as it is packed with cool art, awesome tidbits, and really nifty photos sprinkled throughout. You’ll also find quotes from some of the top people in the art and rock fields (Brian must have paid these people hefty amounts of cash to say such nice things about him).

All kidding aside, I can’t say enough great things about Brian. Even though he has risen to the heights of rock poster super stardom, he has remained one of the most down-to-earth artists and friends I know. I suspect this won’t be the only book collecting his work, as he is a non-stop, art-making machine. Thank goodness for all of us!

If you’ve read this far and you don’t know who Brian is, you’re some kind of nerd that’s apparently been living in a cave. Go check out his website, then stop being such a stingy punk and drop a few bucks to buy his book. You won’t regret it.