In early modern Germany, soothsayers known as wise women and men roamed the countryside. Fixtures of village life, they identified thieves and witches, read palms, and cast horoscopes. German villagers regularly consulted these fortune-tellers and practiced divination in their everyday lives. Jason Phillip Coy brings their enchanted world to life by examining theological discourse alongside archival records of prosecution for popular divination in Thuringia, a diverse region in central Germany divided into a patchwork of princely territories, imperial cities, small towns, and rural villages. Popular divination faced centuries of elite condemnation, as the Lutheran clergy attempted to suppress these practices in the wake of the Reformation and learned elites sought to eradicate them during the Enlightenment. As Coy finds, both of these reform efforts failed, and divination remained a prominent feature of rural life in Thuringia until well into the nineteenth century. The century after 1550 saw intense confessional conflict accompanied by widespread censure and disciplinary measures, with prominent Lutheran theologians and demonologists preaching that divination was a demonic threat to the Christian community and that soothsayers deserved the death penalty. Rulers, however, refused to treat divination as a capital crime, and the populace continued to embrace it alongside official Christianity in troubled times. The Devil’s Art highlights the limits of Reformation-era disciplinary efforts and demonstrates the extent to which reformers’ efforts to inculcate new cultural norms relied upon the support of secular authorities and the acquiescence of parishioners. Negotiation, accommodation, and local resistance blunted official reform efforts and ensured that occult activities persisted and even flourished in Germany into the modern era, surviving Reformation-era preaching and Enlightenment-era ridicule alike. Studies in Early Modern German History

Florence has one remarkable distinction, apart from the honour of having given birth to the Renaissance. It has the largest and most terrible image of Satan in all of Europe. First published in 1997, this book has had several reprints due the success which it goes on having, so much so that it is now being reprinted for the 4th time in an updated and improved edition with new photos to further illustrate the fascinating image of a character ever present in Italian paintings. This books considers the meaning and the evolution of the Devil in Medieval and Renaissance Art in Florence, and by means of a careful analysis of the surviving works of art of the period, it pays attention to the least significant artefacts as well as to pictorial works of great importance and beauty. 65 colour & 23 b/w illustrations

Showcasing Todd McFarlane's unique art style, which burst onto the comic book scene in the late 1980s and forever changed the landscape of comic book art. Features art from original comic art boards, rare, never-before-seen sketches, as well as art from McFarlane's work on Batman, Spider-Man, and the Hulk (amongst many others), and his own top-selling creation, Spawn. Also features selected commentary by the artist himself. This large format, softcover book showcases McFarlane's detailed art style at a previously unpublished size.

"highly entertaining and informative... This is a book worth arguing with, written with verve, wit and passion. It is also lavishly illustrated. I enjoyed every minute of it."—The Spectator "as comprehensive a guide as anyone could wish to the appearances of the Evil One in art and literature throughout the age."—The Herald

Both a master of the sword and a slave to it, Aragami Ketsuko cannot resist the tide of violence that would destroy her clan. Taking up her fallen father's 'Red Devil' mask, Ketsuko fights to save her people, no matter the bloody cost. WHAT IS THE SWORD? KETSUKO CARVES HER WAY THROUGH THE WORLD IN SEARCH OF THE ANSWER. 16th century Japan. The fates of warlords ebb and flow like tides of blood, none more than the Aragami Clan who follow their lord clad in the ‘Red Devil’ mask into every battle. But when Lord Aragami succumbs to illness, his daughter, the fierce Ketsuko, hatches a plot to save her people, no matter the cost… Years later, as Ketsuko wanders the heaving battlefields of her ruined homeland, she discovers a chance to avenge the terrible wrong done to her clan, even if it means stepping back onto a road steeped in slaughter. From writer Sebastin Girner (Shirtless Bear-Fighter!, Scales & Scoundrels) and artist John Bivens (Creature Feature, Spread) comes a blood-drenched love letter to Samurai fiction in a chilling tale of guilt, trauma, and vengeance. Collects the complete five issue series. “…wonderfully hideous art renders the plot twists into an addictive ride. Fans of the samurai genre will thrill in this sleek and splattered modern entry.” - Publishers Weekly

"highly entertaining and informative... This is a book worth arguing with, written with verve, wit and passion. It is also lavishly illustrated. I enjoyed every minute of it."—The Spectator "as comprehensive a guide as anyone could wish to the appearances of the Evil One in art and literature throughout the age."—The Herald

The Devils Reign is a limited edition hard cover art book and art exhibit curated by Magus Peter H Gilmore, High Priest of the Church of Satan. The exhibit features over 60 of the world's best tattooers, illustrators, and sculptors, including the Hellish Hiearchy of The Church of Satan. Artwork in the exhibit depicts devils from cultures around the world listed in The Satanic Bible's Infernal Names section written by Anton Szandor LaVey, founder of The Church of Satan. The show also includes depictions inspired by H.P. Lovecraft's Cthulu mythos. Art in the book ranges from watercolor illustrations to pen and ink, sculpture and photography. "Meet Hellish personages from the legendary hierarchy of Hell in The Devils Reign. The "supervillains" of past ages, wrought with exquisite skill and splendid imagination, are gathered here in the ultimate rogues gallery.""For the first time, the legendary denizens of Hell as denoted in LaVey's The Satanic Bible are evoked in brilliant, blasphemous detail for you to savor."- Peter H Gilmore, High Priest, The Church of SatanARTISTS IN THE BOOK:AW Storm AndersonAdam P CampbellAlexandra SnelgroveAndy HowlCameron JohnChris ReedChristopher LeeClay McCayCurt BaerDaniel ByrdDave BernsDavid Sinclair SmithDavid WallaceDerek HessDerek NobleDusty NealDylan Garrett SmithEric VernorFlorian BertmerFrancisco DHerb AuerbachJason LeachJef WhiteheadJeff SrsicJett Vincent BaileyJoao WernerjondixJosh McAlearJosie GallowsKim RiceLaney OleniczakLilith CooseMarilyn MansfieldMarkus MayerMatt LackeyMichaelanthony Alton MitchellN! Satterfieldnico TDM LEGRANDPale HorsePoochRobert LangSamantha RomanSara RaySean BonnerSeldon HuntShaun BeaudryShayne of the DeadSkot OlsenSteven AndersonStevie FloydThomas ThornTim LehiTimothy HoyerTony KarnesTracey PryorUncle AllanValentin SchwarzWilliam J ButlerZac ScheinbaumZack Spurlock Zoth Ommog