Mad Men: The Illustrated World by Dyna Moe- Book Review

I don't know about you, but I'm already in serious Mad Men withdrawal. I want to know what happens next and just see more. More Don, more Joan, more of Pete Campbell's giraffes. The last TV series that grabbed me like this was Buffy The Vampire Slayer; I own almost every official and unofficial guide and tie-in book as well as collections of essays on cultural and philosophical issues raised in the show. Seriously.

Mad Men has been generating its own crop of related books. As far as I know, Mad Men: The Illustrated World  by Dyna Moe is the first officially licensed tie-in to the show. Dyna Moe is the artist responsible for the Mad Men Yourself cartoons that everyone and their mother used as their Facebook profile picture last year. The book is based on  illustrations she created for the first three seasons (you can view them on her Flickr account) with some added content.

The thing to remember about Mad Men: The Illustrated World is that for better and for worse, this is the cartoon version. It doesn't take itself  seriously and neither should the reader, no matter how hard are the Mad Men withdrawal pains you're experiencing. The book has chapters dedicated to office culture, fashion and beauty, food & drink (including some recipes that would have been hilarious if we didn't know that people really used to eat this stuff) and the occasional historical and biographical anecdote. There are also a couple of contributions from people who actually work on the show, especially notable is actor Rich Sommer's account of mastering the bow tie.

The book is at its best when it offers real content about people, events and trends. I wish there was a lot more of that and less tongue-in-cheek stuff like the part about office equipment and etiquette. Out of the beauty & fashion section, the bouffant how-to is quite funny while the makeup guide was obviously written by someone who is not into makeup or vintage aesthetics. The Joan paper dolls are beautiful, though, and make me want to take them to my seamstress and plead with her to make me each one of the outfits.

Bottom Line: Superficial but fun. No worse than the Mad Men Barbie dolls.

Mad Men: The Illustrated World by Dyna Moe ($15 retail, $10.20 on Amazon) is available from most booksellers. A review copy was sent to me by the publisher.

Illustrations: Dyna Moe

It's 9-02-10 Day

Forgive me for this little juvenile regression, but since today is 90201 day I started looking at some of these old photos and they made me smile.

Donna Martin Graduates!

A little edit for Tamara:

Someone needs to say it

Once upon a time, a TV executive in England had a brilliant idea: Let's create a TV show in which an average woman opens her heart and her wardrobe to the scrutiny of two semi-celebs/fashion gurus, wins some tough love and a chunk of money while confronting her demons and her muffin-top in front of the nation. This concept has launched the careers of Trinny and Susannah, spawned an American version and brought Stacy and Clinton into our lives. Your mileage may vary.

It's been years since the first seasons. Everyone and their husbands have learned a few basics. We all know now how to elongate the leg, get our jeans tailored and find a well-fitting bra. I've met people who have drinking games around words and phrases like "Shut up!", "ruching" and "cinch the waist". Trinny and Susannah have started to delve into the psychological aspects of women's wardrobes. They have shows in which they literally walk in the women's shoes: They change places with them, wear their clothes and try to understand what made them buy that hideous Laura Ashley-on-crack dress. Meanwhile, on our shores, Stacy and Clinton have been bringing their 360-degree mirror to exotic locales like Miami, saving the happy winners from schlepping their college hoodies all the way to Manhattan. Not a bad idea, but doesn't show much evolving.

Enter Tim Gunn's Guide to Style.

The show may be trying to go that extra mile: To give someone a fashion makeover combined with a deep and meaningful epiphany (the sound you might be hearing is Stacy and Clinton snorting in amusement). The problem? It fails miserably. This isn't the fault of Tim Gunn and his new sidekick, Veronica Webb. Mr. Gunn is as charming, mentorish and lovable as ever. You'd still want to take him home and let him rummage through your unmentionables. Even with the scary and tall ex-supermodel hovering in the background. You might even tolerate her as a shopping companion, knowing she'll never scream at you or talk about the size of your "girls". Neither would Tim, for that matter.

It's not the concept as much as the format, editing and directing that is failing Tim Gunn. He's as gracious and as authentic as ever. I met him earlier this year in a charity event, and can testify how his charm and manners light up the room and make you feel oh-so-special when he's talking to you. All these charm and grace can't help when molded into a tacky and cheesy opening sequence in which our candidate receives a "surprising" phone call telling her Tim and Veronica are coming. Seriously, this is a script worthy of the HSN or QVC. Who needs it?

The "life coach" (the guy looked 19. How much life has he really seen, to be "coaching" others?) part was edited to death, making the whole session look more goofy than life-changing. While it was fun to watch the dress fitting with Catherine Malandrino, the rest of the show was much more about emotional manipulation, both of the show's subject and of the viewers than about fashion, style or Tim Gunn. I'm all for family reunions and young love, just not with my fashion fix, thank you very much.

Tim Gunn's Guide to Style airs on Bravo every Thursday night at 10 PM/9 CT