Wild Mook

 

Published in 1980 and written by the late Haruo Mizuno, a man so obsessed with American cops that he actually managed to talk the NYPD and LAPD into letting him ride along with officers, this amazing book is but one of dozens he authored on the topic. None sum up the Japanese fascination with the American power aesthetic as much as this fetish-like pastiche of uniform, hamburgers, weapons, and mountains of french fries, though. In spite of the cover, the actual material is all straightforward (even reverential) coverage of American SWAT teams and such. Dig in!

Comments

[Em]

I cannot tell you how many times I've laughed at that cover in Broadway.

[Bernie]

By "laughed at that cover" I hope you really meant "bought this every time I saw it"...

I can't wait until someone tattoos that photo on their stomach.

[Steve Harrison]

MacDonalds 'upscale' burgers in foam containers....*sigh*

[Steve Mockus]

Sweet Jesus!

But so your blog entry suggests the cover's the best part. True? Anything else amazing therein?

Have to wonder how he talked officer hungry into getting that shot, too. How to explain, I need you to sit amid a chest-high pile of hamburgers, with your nightstick. And french fries. Many french fries.

[MattAlt]

I linked to a spread above, but for better or for worse, it all seems to be pretty straight coverage inside. I'd grab a copy to translate the articles, but these are actually going for a pretty penny in used bookstores around here...!

[justina walford]

random: carls jr cup, root beer can...and...is that a taco at his elbow?

[themark]

That Police fetishism is still alive...I live in Meguro-ku, Tokyo, and I have twice now seen a perfect CHP car driving down the street. Lights, paint, decals, the works...Don't know if it's someone's own car, but whoever owns it paid a lot to get it here. It's one of those huge Crown Vics.