Co-Authored by Ezra Croft and Jennifer Raiser, The Art of Being Bill: The Many Faces of Awesome is one of the most unexpected treasures and original art books I have ever had the pleasure to review this year. It is geared toward fans of the SNL Amuni turned acclaimed Comedic and Dramatic Actor, but even mild fans or passive watchers of films featuring Bill Murray should look at this book because it is more than a celebration of Murray's genius as seen through the eyes of a great many artists, it is also an important look at the human condition as one might find in any museum or institute. Indeed some of these works should be housed among great paintings and traveling exhibitions all over the world with works ranging from sketches to digital imaginings of Murray as Superman, a Knight or being present at the Last Supper.
Not since the Woody Allen film Zelig, has there been such a wide array of images featuring as diverse a talent as Bill Murray in so many roles and disguises. Murray is kind of the "every person" in this allotment of 150 stunning images that also takes inspiration from his many small screen and big screen characters ranging from comedies like Stripes and Meatballs to his acclaimed collaborations with Wes Anderson in films like Rushmore and The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou.
Trivia from his films along with one-sheet art from his many movies are presented as well and include how he came to be involved in Zombieland to his enthusiasm for the script for Rushmore, where he worked for scale. One even finds out Murray has even studied Shakespearean Acting and appeared in one of the many feature film adaptations of Hamlet.
The book even includes a Fill - In - The - Bill introduction written by Co-Author Jennifer Raiser that is reminiscent of Mad-Libs though this book is too precious to mark it up while filling in the blanks in your mind.
Photo credits and information on the artistic contributors are maticulously indexed in this quality hardcover book. The Art of Being Bill: The Many Faces of Awesome is available now at retailers on and offline and has a suggested retail price of $25 dollars in the US, $33 dollars in Canada and 16.99 in the United Kingdom and is published by Race Point Publishing, an imprint of The Quarto Group. This is a terrific gift for any Bill Murray admirer too.
(C) Copyright 2018 By Mark A. Rivera
All Rights Reservered.
