Heroes of Chicago House Coloring Book by Plastic Crimewave (Intro by Pepper Gomez)

 (Wake Up!) Steve Krakow's portraiture has improved over the years, to where he can really capture character and nuance in the eyes and smiles and posture of the under-heralded heroes of Chicago music he honors. Of course, it is hard to capture the energy and joy and seriousness and playfulness of house music in a drawing...but you can provide that when you color them in! The local history of house music, as it played out on the South Side, North Side, and eventually in other cities and countries where obscure Chicago DJs became superstars and Chicago underground heroes went unknown, is complicated and crazy. Suffice to say, some of the selections and omissions here would spark debate, and a few vocal critics would argue that some Villains of Chicago House slipped in. But the best part of a l-o-n-g night of dancing is the ethereal vibe of pure love, so putting aside any politics, this is just a beautiful tribute to Frankie and Ron and Julian and Farley and Marshall and Mr, Fingers and the other architects of Chicago's best export outside of cheese/butter/caramel popcorn mixes. Speaking of mixes, my favorite page, as a CAN-TV cable access veteran, is the inclusion of the always interesting Marcus Mixx (one of the best drawings in the book).