Over 400 color photos and magazine images of vintage Christmas ornaments, trees, ceramics, and more. Welcome to Kitschmasland! This fun and nostalgic book looks at our infatuation with Christmas holiday decor from the 1950s and through the 1970s. This beautiful revised edition covers the gamut of decorations – some whimsical, some beautiful – and a treasure trove of campy kitsch that the author calls "Kitschmas!" Join a magical tour of retro homes decked out for the holidays, and enjoy a variety of festive holiday decorations from our not-too-distant past. Featuring vintage Christmas ornaments, trees, ceramics, and more, over 400 color photos and vintage magazine images are used to illustrate this whimsical journey through some of our favorite decades. This book is a delight for Kitschmas fans, decorators, and the thousands of people devoted to mid-century decor and design.

Whether in comic books or on movie screens, superhero stories are where many people first encounter questions about how they should conduct their lives.Although these outlandish figures-in their capes, masks, and tights, with their unbelievable origins and preternatural powers-are often dismissed as juvenile amusements, they really are profound metaphors for different approaches to shaping one’s character and facing the challenges of life.But, given the choice, which superhero should we follow today? Who is most worthy of our admiration? Whose goals are most noble? Whose ethics should we strive to emulate?To decide, Travis Smith takes ten top superheroes and pits them one against another, chapter by chapter. The hero who better exemplifies how we ought to live advances to the final round. By the end of the book, a single superhero emerges victorious and is crowned most exemplary for our times.How, then, shall we live? How can we overcome our beastly nature and preserve our humanity? (The Hulk vs. Wolverine) How far can we rely on our willpower and imagination to improve the human condition? (Iron Man vs. Green Lantern) What limits must we observe when protecting our neighborhood from crime and corruption? (Batman vs. Spider-Man) Will the pursuit of an active life or a contemplative life bring us true fulfillment? (Captain America vs. Mr. Fantastic) Should we put our faith in proven tradition or in modern progress to achieve a harmonious society? (Thor vs. Superman) Using superheroes to bring into focus these timeless themes of the human condition, Smith takes us on an adventure as fantastic as any you’ll find on a splash page or the silver screen-an intellectual adventure filled with surprising insights, unexpected twists and turns, and a daring climax you’ll be thinking about long after it’s over.

Over 400 color photos and magazine images of vintage Christmas ornaments, trees, ceramics, and more. Welcome to Kitschmasland! This fun and nostalgic book looks at our infatuation with Christmas holiday decor from the 1950s and through the 1970s. This beautiful revised edition covers the gamut of decorations – some whimsical, some beautiful – and a treasure trove of campy kitsch that the author calls "Kitschmas!" Join a magical tour of retro homes decked out for the holidays, and enjoy a variety of festive holiday decorations from our not-too-distant past. Featuring vintage Christmas ornaments, trees, ceramics, and more, over 400 color photos and vintage magazine images are used to illustrate this whimsical journey through some of our favorite decades. This book is a delight for Kitschmas fans, decorators, and the thousands of people devoted to mid-century decor and design.

Whether in comic books or on movie screens, superhero stories are where many people first encounter questions about how they should conduct their lives.Although these outlandish figures-in their capes, masks, and tights, with their unbelievable origins and preternatural powers-are often dismissed as juvenile amusements, they really are profound metaphors for different approaches to shaping one’s character and facing the challenges of life.But, given the choice, which superhero should we follow today? Who is most worthy of our admiration? Whose goals are most noble? Whose ethics should we strive to emulate?To decide, Travis Smith takes ten top superheroes and pits them one against another, chapter by chapter. The hero who better exemplifies how we ought to live advances to the final round. By the end of the book, a single superhero emerges victorious and is crowned most exemplary for our times.How, then, shall we live? How can we overcome our beastly nature and preserve our humanity? (The Hulk vs. Wolverine) How far can we rely on our willpower and imagination to improve the human condition? (Iron Man vs. Green Lantern) What limits must we observe when protecting our neighborhood from crime and corruption? (Batman vs. Spider-Man) Will the pursuit of an active life or a contemplative life bring us true fulfillment? (Captain America vs. Mr. Fantastic) Should we put our faith in proven tradition or in modern progress to achieve a harmonious society? (Thor vs. Superman) Using superheroes to bring into focus these timeless themes of the human condition, Smith takes us on an adventure as fantastic as any you’ll find on a splash page or the silver screen-an intellectual adventure filled with surprising insights, unexpected twists and turns, and a daring climax you’ll be thinking about long after it’s over.