The Culture We Obsessed Over This Month, From Tintin to Tabletop Games

Dominique Maricq, Hergé and the Treasures of Tintin
If you had even a touch of "indoor kid" about you as a youngster, then you know that the Tintin graphic novels were the best thing Belgium ever produced. Dive through the panels and into the legend with this insane coffee-table stew of biography, exegesis, and behind-the-scenes material. (Expand the gallery for more details.) —Peter Rubin Josh Valcarcel/WIRED

Dominique Maricq, Hergé and the Treasures of Tintin
If you had even a touch of "indoor kid" about you as a youngster, then you know that the Tintin graphic novels were the best thing Belgium ever produced. Whether it was the cowlicked kid's globe-trotting adventures that reeled you in or the indelible cast of characters (Captain Haddock! Professor Calculus! Thomson and Thompson!), you spent many a rainy afternoon with Hergé's staple-bound volumes. Now, a new coffee-table book blends biography, lore, and more archival sketches and unpublished panels than you ever thought possible. Title by title, Maricq unpacks the plot, context, and artwork of each adventure—the book even includes replicas of Hergé's notebook pages. I've been reliving so many favorite moments that I've almost been able to forget the racist-ass hideousness that was Tintin in the Congo. Almost. ($38, Amazon —Peter Rubin Josh Valcarcel/WIRED Isaiah Toothtaker, That's Not Relevant
There's something blessedly simple about iOS and Android's stock emoji—faces, buildings, farm animals, etc.—but Isaiah Toothtaker's are far more complex. The MC/tattoo artist/graphic designer's book is filled with the kind of emoji you wish you had for very specific texts. Hey, Tim Cook, any chance you can get these into iOS 8? —Angela Watercutter Josh Valcarcel/WIRED

Isaiah Toothtaker, That's Not Relevant
Emoji are the hippest form of communication around, mostly because they're not really hip. The joy comes in turning the little pixel smiley faces and barnyard animals into actual reactions. Isaiah Toothtaker's emojis, on the otherhand, are far more literal. The MC/tattoo artist/graphic designer's book That's Not Relevant is filled with the kind of emoji designs you wish were real, if only for very, very specific texts. A Playboy bunny wearing a "Play on Player" t-shirt, for example, or an image of Drake the inscription "No Basics Zone." There's even an illustration of a flat tire that says "I Woke Up Like This." They say the Apple Watch will have animated emoji, but I'm betting none of them will be as cool as these. ($20, Spork Press) —Angela Watercutter Josh Valcarcel/WIRED Jungle, Jungle
I've been checking for this group since early this year, but their self-titled debut in July and current world tour has kept them top of mind lately. Their global-soul sensibility sounds warm and full on vinyl, and the crisp beats inspire some serious living room dance parties. —Katie Davies XL Records

Jungle, Jungle
I can't say this is a new obsession, as I've been hungrily listening to and watching this group since early this year, but their self-titled debut in July and current world tour has kept them top of mind lately. Their global-soul sensibility sounds warm and full on vinyl, and the crisp beats inspire some serious living room dance parties (and if you need inspiration, check the the four videos they've released from the album so far). My favorite track is still their first single, "Platoon", released last year—and as many times as I’ve watched the video featuring an amazing 6-year-old B-Girl, it still doesn’t get old. Head over to their website to watch the videos, to see if they’re coming to a town near you, and purchase the album yourself. Pro tip: click on those glittery gold icons at the top to navigate and prepare those shoulders for shaking. (LP/CD/FLAC formats available at XL Records, MP3 album $6.99 at Amazon)—Katie Davies XL Records Edgar R. Murrow, Reporting World War II
Before Pearl Harbor happened, the only exposure many Americans had to the war was CBS' Edward R. Murrow, the London-based correspondent. Today, his smooth-voiced broadcasts are as much poetry as time capsule, and Murrow's verbal artistry makes this collection of dispatches as enjoyable as any new album on Spotify. —Joe Brown

Edgar R. Murrow, Reporting World War II
Before Pearl Harbor, America was largely unaware of the war raging in Europe. The only way many Americans heard about it was through the radio broadcasts of CBS' Edward R. Murrow, the London-based correspondent who lived through the 57-day Blitz alongside the city’s residents. His smooth-voiced reports were more like NPR audio postcards than the barked-out style we know from old-timey newsreels: quick stories of everyday heroes and victims, more apt to quote Marcus Aurelius than a living world leader. Today, the clips are as much poetry as time capsule, and Murrow's verbal artistry makes this collection of dispatches as enjoyable as any hot new album on Spotify. (Yes, it streams.) Murrow’s reports were among the first embedded broadcast journalism, and yet almost not journalism at all. How can you be objective if you’re a potential casualty? Pour a drink and ponder that—or just listen to a message from another time and be thankful that it exists. —Joe Brown J.P. Dunleavy, The Ginger Man
J.P. Dunleavy’s criminally underrated debut centers on Sebastian Dangerfield, a young American studying law (and alcoholism and infidelity) at Dublin’s prestigious Trinity College. Nearly 60 nears later, it remains a funny, shocking read—as fun, and boozy, as a pint of Guinness. Or ten. —Max Ufberg Josh Valcarcel/WIRED

J.P. Dunleavy, The Ginger Man
First published in 1955, J.P. Dunleavy’s tale of beer, sex and public indecency takes us inside the mind (and loins) of Sebastian Dangerfield, an American who comes to Ireland, wife and newborn in tow, to study law at Trinity College. “Study” is in this case a slight misrepresentation; most of the novel’s 338 pages are devoted to our lowly protagonist’s drunken exploits and escapades. There’s sex, beer, more sex, more beer, and a few fights. To call Dangerfield a protagonist doesn’t quite suit the character, as the only things he seems passionate about can be found either in a pint glass or a skirt. But what’s even more remarkable than Dunleavy’s knack for humor is his ability to make you care about a guy who amounts to little more than a monster. When Sebastian Dangerfield lulls you into some false sense of understanding, pulling a fast one on you just like he does to his growing list of landlords and lovers, you’re left questioning your own judgment and self-worth. ($11.98, Amazon) —Max Ufberg Josh Valcarcel/WIRED Edan, Beauty and the Beat
This 34-minute masterpiece from 2005 sounds old, new, and futuristic at the same time. It might as well be called “If ‘60s Was ‘90s”: Pink Floyd synths, Manzarek organ breaks, and monster riffs blend together under a lyrical flow that echoes the golden age of hip-hop. —Tim Moynihan Lewis Recordings

Edan, Beauty and the Beat
Let’s say you’ve got a time machine that’s also a spaceship. (Bear with me here.) Your launch point is Earth in 1994, and your destination is Mercury in 1968. Go ahead and super-glue this album into your vehicle’s 8-track deck, because it’s the ultimate soundtrack for that trip. Edan’s self-produced 2005 masterpiece—which shares a name with a Go-Go’s album—layers classic hip-hop on top of ‘60s psychedelic rock, and the tight production makes it sound old, new, and futuristic at the same time. Pink Floyd synths (“Torture Chamber”) transition into what sounds like Ray Manzarek organ breaks (“Making Planets”), and ultimately evolve into dinosaur riffs and Small Faces samples (“Rock and Roll”). The lyrical flow is equally diverse, with Beasties-like back-and-forths over wah-wah effects (“The Science of the Two”) and doubled-up rhymes over Hebrew crooning and strings (“Promised Land”). Just stop reading this and listen to the whole thing. It’ll only take you 34 minutes. ($8.99, Amazon) —Tim Moynihan Lewis Recordings
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