Sticky Monsters
In the vein of the great Edward Gorey and Maurice Sendak's Where The Wild Things Are, an irresistible little book of monster drawings, all on office stationery
John Kenn Mortensen's pen is full of wonderfully creepy monsters which crawl onto sticky yellow note pads when darkness falls. Here we have collected some of the best monster drawings in a delectable hardback edition.
Reviews (170)
The Little Monsters Jump off The Page
"Sticky Monsters" is a wonderful collection of pen art by John Kenn Mortensen. Originally drawn on yellow sticky notes, it makes you wonder how much skill it takes to fit all those details into such a small canvas - but this artist does it quite impressively. Although there is no storyline to this book, each of the 70+ images contain a little story that is connected visually. One could wonder if there is a small town somewhere where all these monsters exist among the living. If you like monsters and macabre in this same style I highly recommend this fairytale about a little girl and a haunted house:
For your nightstand
I've been enjoying his work on Facebook for awhile now and was excited to see he had a book available, so, I squealed and ordered it. Why this comes in a plain ole Amazon box instead of a container that hides a bursting-out-tentacle is just a reminder of the mundane world we live in. STICKY MONSTERS is a bit bigger than the size of your hand, square, slimmer than your pinky, and full of kooky goodness. Every page could hold it's own little story - if you dared imagine it. Any human featured must be experiencing trepidation, and every lurking menace nearby seems to have just noticed lunch has arrived. Since the pictures were originally on yellow stickies, they're reproduced in similar size - and you'll probably (like me) wish they were bigger, colorful, and even more revelatory. That's what makes them special efforts. This is sort of the perfect combination of Ed Gorey, Tim Burton, Roald Dahl, and Boris Karloff - whimsical, creepy, full of haunting whispers, and beautifully drawn.
Delightfully Dark, but in Doses
As a longtime follower of John Kenn's work online, I was pleased to see it all collected in one place. Full of fantastical creatures as it is, it seems fitting to be a physical object, to sit alongside dark, old fairy tales. It certainly conjures similar feelings of fear and danger. I do have reservations that prevent a fifth star from being awarded. Given the nature of Kenn's illustrations as one-off pieces, taking them in in succession gradually diminishes the effect. As an occasional blog post, the drawings were all fresh; in print, it is easy to grow tired of yet another "just before something dreadful happens" scene. It makes for a wonderful "coffee table" book, something to leaf through at random, and take in gradually.
Fan of his work but this collection is lacking
I'm giving this collection of John Kenn Mortensen's, STICKY MONSTERS, only three stars with no disrespect to him and his work. This is merely a review on what this collection lacks. I am was disappointed with the fact that this collection is lacking his more high detailed drawing that you can view on the internet. Those were the drawings that made me a fan to begin with. I'm unsure if he's going to continue making collections, and I don't know of any other books out there of his work, but the title does state "STICKY MONSTERS." This is really just a collection of his lower detailed background art work with more focus on the macabre creatures.
This book is so cool!
My children love/ and are terrified of this book! My first grader keeps hiding it all over the house so it can't "get him", but then he wants me to read it with him. He does seem to be getting braver. Terrific art in the tradition of Edward Gorey!
Yes, yes, yes! Get some Monsters!
This is a great little book! I discovered this by accident, but when I saw his style, I thought it would be worth the low price. And I was not wrong! So fun and whimsical, but dark at the same time, I just love all the scenarios and creatures in this special little world he created. Funny, but the settings have a very European feel to me for some reason, I don't know why, but it just adds to the creepy, old movie, monster factor! You can't go wrong with this purchase, if you're a monster lover, or know someone who is, this would make a great gift. This is one of my new favorites for inspiration in creating my own ghouls and creatures! Shipping was a bit lengthy(only because we're spoiled with 2 day Prime!), but well worth the wait. You can't beat it. Great work, Mr. Mortensen!
Secure Packaging, Fantastic Quality
The book arrived in secure and protective packaging and came in great quality condition. It is just like new. The illustrations came out beautifully and I'm delighted to support this artist in his ventures. I'm very pleased with this purchase.
A Joy of a Collection of Drawings
Admittedly, Mortensen's drawings remind me of Edward Gorey's work, but I like the art of both of these guys! The book is small, 80 pages and not a full-size hardcover, but the drawings inside (with almost no accompanying text) are a delight to contemplate. The artist has a unique style that's fun and outrageous at the same time. The most frequent theme of his drawings are giant monsters of various types and appearances lurk near some unsuspecting little boy or girl, adults or groups of people much smaller than the monster(s). I really like this book and the art inside. I hope he does more as I'll buy it!
I can't believe these were all done on post its.
I'll admit it, I like somewhat creepy things. This book is fantastic. It is just a series of pictures that Mr. Mortensen has drawn. His art is fantastic. It has texture and depth but is still far enough from reality that his images look as though they are there own, but real world. The most amazing thing about them is he did them all on post it notes (hence the term Sticky Monsters). It's a great book to just flip through. My older son jokes they are nightmare fuel but he can't put it down.
Great Collection of Mortensen's Art
This is a great book of the art of John Kenn Mortensen. There is no story to it by words or pictures. This is simply a collection of drawings Mortensen did on sticky notes. His work and style are unique. He should be an illustrator as well as a TV producer. Is this book for children? It could be. It is more in line with the books by Edward Gorey - they appear to be for children, but are not actually intended for them.
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