NEW REVIEW: Trey at From the Sorcerer's Skull:
While there have been some good critical works on POTA and its cultural impact, or on the making of the films, these are the only books chonricling the universe itself out there. The author takes a more inclusive view of other media than I might, but that certainly in no way diminishes the entertainment or game fodder value of the works. Read Trey's entire review.
NEW REVIEW: Pop Culture Zoo's Joseph Dilworth Jr.:
I should start things off by being clear that I am a voracious reader of reference books for things that don't exist. I can still remember the day when I finally tracked down a copy of the original Star Trek Technical Manual, which at that time was long out of print and cost me many saved allowances and birthday gift checks. That was my gateway drink into the realm of fictitious reference guides, and I have quite a large collection to this day. A recent addition has been From Aldo to Zira: Lexicon of the Planet of the Apes by Rich Handley and published by Hasslein Books. This may be my favorite fictional encyclopedia ever. Read Joe's entire review.
POTA Fan Steven Borgatti:
From Aldo to Zira: Lexicon of the Planet of the Apes: The Comprehensive Encyclopedia is another excellent reference book on the franchise. I also recommend the previous Timeline Of The Planet Of The Apes. Both are by Rich Handley, and are the definitive source on everything about Planet Of The Apes.
Cinema Retro's Spencer Peet:
Burnt out from the extensive work he did compiling Timeline of the Planet of the Apes, Handley has dusted off the ash to produce an equally essential piece of Apes literature. It sure is a mighty piece of work that every Ape fan should have, and makes an excellent companion to the aforementioned book. If the only character name you know from the Apes mythos is Galen, then you, too, need this book. Handley's extensive research and tenacious work has paid off big time, and makes for compulsive reading. But be warned: Once you pick it up, you won't be able to put it down!
Award-winning Novelist Robert J. Sawyer:
Great review of Rich Handley's Lexicon of the Planet of the Apes. I've got a copy, and it's a terrific book... It's really a bargain at $29.95; it's a beautifully produced book.
Planet of the Apes Novelist Andrew E.C. Gaska:
Lexicon of the Planet of the Apes, like the timeline book before it, is a quintessential book for your reference shelf of all things ape. These books are so thorough that their creation led to BLAM Ventures first seeking out Rich Handley as an editor, and now as a co-writer, on our Conspiracy of the Planet of the Apes project. These books are gold—and the author knows his monkey sh*t!
POTA Comics Writer Ty Templeton:
It's an exhaustive and very entertaining encyclopedia of EVERY character, location, institution and scroll ever mentioned in a movie, comic, novel or back of a toy box. Apes fans must own it.
POTA Comics Writer Sam Agro:
If you are a Planet of the Apes fan, (and who the heck isn't), here’s something nifty you should check out, Timeline of the Planet of the Apes, and the recently released Lexicon of the Planet of the Apes. These two tomes of delicious Apey goodness were written by a rather mad genius named Rich Handley. Rich, who can only be described as an extreme Planet of the Apes fan, has compiled the definitive timeline of all things Apes, and a compendium of all the remaining elements of the Apes sagas. It encompasses all the movies, TV series, comic books and assorted ephemera that have borne the name. It’s a daunting task, to be sure, and one that has been performed with great precision and unmatched dedication by the industrious Mr. Handley.
POTA Comics Writer Ian Edginton:
I received my book just before Christmas and can honestly say that I sat reading it almost the whole of the time, making me very popular with my darling wife. It's an awesome piece of work and you deserve a medal as big as a frying pan for all the effort you've put into it. It vexes me that people forget it was the Apes movies that set the template that Star Wars followed—the merchandising, the spinoffs, the TV and animated series. More than that, the Apes films, to a greater or lesser degree, actually had social message (Conquest, especially) and weren't just vehicles for toys, etc. Congratulations again on a Herculean job well done.
Simian Scrolls Co-editor John Roche:
Rich, in 2,000 years, Lexicon will be dug up by our future ape masters, contained in a time capsule. Dr Zaius will read and absorb its contents and will become all-knowing and all-wise, and he will marvel at the incredible dedication of man, his ability to turn enthusiasm into words, love into pages. And he will suppress the book, denying its very existence, because the lexicon will be stark evidence of just what heights man can attain. And he will order the extermination of man, lest he rise to such heights again. Congratulations on a stunning book that is a legacy for ape fandom for generations to come. At least until Dr Zaius finds it. Rich's lexicon is the last word in apedom—it's indescribably brilliant. I thought I knew a bit about Planet of the Apes... I didn't. I was an intellectual amoeba against Rich's blue whale. I see connections and background to characters I've loved for decades, but never spotted those details before. It had passed me by that Peter Parker's Daily Bugle is part of Apes, given its appearance in the UK comic. If you are an Apes fan, you simply have to own this book. I can only salute the dedication and talent of Rich in bringing this project to us.
PlaidStallions' Brian Heiler:
I was elated to get a copy of Rich Handley's Lexicon of the Planet of the Apes, which is a real treat for fans of the film, TV, book and comic adventures of Pierre Boulle's Monkey Planet. Seriously, this book is just exploding with facts on one of my favourite subjects, and I heartily recommend it for casual fans and the hardcore ones who know what General Urko's wife's name is.
Wired.com's Hugh Hart:
It required a massive amount of homework, but sci-fi fan Rich Handley tackled the entire Planet of the Apes empire in order to create a definitive inventory of each element featured in the 42-years-and-counting saga. The end result... From Aldo to Zira: Lexicon of the Planet of the Apes—The Comprehensive Unauthorized Encyclopedia... Completists will appreciate the lexicon's inclusion of unpublished and unfilmed works, along with reportage on stage shows and short films from the 1970s.
Popular author, critic and blogger John K. Muir:
This 400+ page encyclopedia is a meticulous, involving, cover-to-cover read that accounts for every single person, place, and thing in the expansive Apes saga. It charts literally every detail of the the original films, the TV series, the comic books, the animated TV series, the 2001 re-imagination, and even the Mego toys (!) of the disco decade. No stone has been left unturned; no Hasslein curve left unexplored. I make it no secret that I consider Planet of the Apes (1968) the greatest science fiction film ever made, and this book adds significant understanding to the ape-o-verse that the Schaffner film so memorably created. The approach that Rich takes—and which I admire tremendously—is one of an impartial, omniscient, dedicated historian. He records events without bias; he makes important connections. Entry by entry, he paints for readers a vivid and thorough picture of one possible (fictional...) future.
24 Hours of TV's b1 and special k:
Special K and I just wanted to congratulate you on the release of the lexicon. Although we don't have it in hand yet, we most certainly will. Your bio on Amazon is so impressive that Special K actually began weeping as he read it. I had to slap him back into reality (and yes, I was somewhat glad to do so). We both LOVE your efforts and enthusiasm. I wish you a very merry Xmas. My partner wishes you the happiest of new years. We both hope that your lexicon exceeds your strongest expectations.
POTA Fan Robert Monsarrat:
I just wanted to say I got Lexicon for Christmas and I can't put it down! There's so much information that I've never seen before. Especially the bit about the Tarzan crossover—never would have seen that coming. Keep making books like this, and your future as a company is assured!
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POTA Fan Darren Maxwell:
Both books turned up yesterday (from the U.S. to Australia in only a week!) and I've gotta give you credit dude, they're great! The timeline was a lot bigger than I expected, and having the reference guide on each page is a huge help. The lexicon itself is a bit of a beast, and I love the fact it's been printed by Hasslein Books. It'll take ages to go through it, that's for sure—but either way will make for a great POTA reference. Mega congrats on getting these written and published!
BrokenSea Audio's Bill Hollweg:
I am a SLAVE to Lexicon! This is BEAUTIFUL! I have them both out, and just have this Joker Grin all the time as I fill my head with the knowledge of the Wisest Simian of All—Rich.
POTA Fan Jeff Locklear:
I received my copy today, and I am absolutely blown away! I can't imagine the database you must have. I read Timeline cover to cover twice, and now I'm going to start on this one. I only have two words for it: AWE - SOME!! This will be a treasured piece in my collection. What a wonderful Christmas present! Thanks so much for all your hard work! I'm sure Apes fans around the world will just love this book!
POTA Fan Jeff Kreuger:
The books arrived a couple days ago. As D. Vader would say, "Most impressive!"
POTA Fan Tim Parati:
Got my Lexicon yesterday and it is awesome! Very well laid out and excellent original illustrations! I can't imagine the hours of watching, noting and re-watching that you put in to this, Rich! Congratulations! Instead of reading it from the beginning, I have just been randomly opeing it to an entry... eventually, I will get through the whole thing! Thank you for providing a new POTA product for this holiday season!
POTA Fan Robert Duthie:
Just got my copy of Lexicon and wanted to comment on how great it looks. The colour of the cover is incredibly rich and the cover illustration, along with the ones inside, quite detailed. It seems to be very comprehensive and I was amazed at the thickness of it. All around very impressed with a job well done.
POTA Fan Elmo Tobin:
First, I've been a Planet of the Apes fan since I was a kid. I had the original bubblegum cards from the '68 classic (never a complete set, through—drats!), and when I graduated from junior high, celebrated by going to a Go Ape! festival, where a freind and I sat through all five films! Rich's book [Lexicon of the Planet of the Apes] is a perfect gift for any Apes fan. It answers every question with clear, precise information about everything: movies, TV, comics (domestic and foreign), even unpublished or yet-to-be published books. It's simply brilliant. Filled with images from the various media and information as to where to find stuff like scripts and such, it's an invaluable sourcebook. I'd put it up there with the Star Wars and Star Trek encyclopedias. I cannot praise this book enough. It is simply brilliant, and long past due!
Prolific YouTube poster Megan "MistressClawful" Roberts:
I loved reading the foreword and introduction, both giving me a good idea of how you, the author, came about with his passion for the Planet of the Apes. Thank you for sharing your memories and sentiments with us, and for taking to the task of creating this comprehensive book. I can tell a lot of love, aside from painstakingly hard work, was put into it.
Revolution on the Planet of the Apes author Ty Templeton:
I just received my copy of the timeline in the mail today, and I am staggered at the book. It's just wonderful! Like you, I treasured my timeline from the Marvel comics magazine in the seventies (which you refer to as the backbone of this project), and to see it expanded upon so completely is just jawdropping. The cover, and the package itself, are filled with lovely bits and pieces I'm glad to have print versions of (especially the cover galleries at the back). I'm honoured to be included in the general mishmash that Pierre Boulle, Rod Serling, Paul Dehn, Arthur Jacobs and Charlton Heston started off all those years ago, and very thrilled to see our work as part of the tapestry.
Marvel Planet of the Apes writer and comic-book legend Doug Moench:
I've only had time for a brief skim
thus far, but it sure looks spiffy and certainly represents an enormous
amount of work. I'll go out on a limb and say you should be proud.
Revolution on the Planet of the Apes co-writer/artist Sam Agro:
Thanks so much for sending it along, it's very much appreciated. I am perusing it now, and it's a nicely put together tome, full of stuff I was aware of and lots of new stuff to track down and enjoy. Not to mention the grand overview, clearly delineated at last. Excellent work, my friend! Also, it is a damn pleasure to have my miniscule plot of POTA real estate recognized as part of the definitive whole. Many thanks for including me.
Writer Rob Morganbesser, a contributor to Tales of the Norse Gods:
Let's start with the cover. Absolutely beautiful. Really a wonderful color, just so vibrant and well done. Kudos to the artist who did a fine job. Now, the interior. Wow. What can I say? Rich has gone through everything, and I mean everything—each single bit of POTA minutua out there. AND I mean EVERYTHING. From a minor Argentinian POTA comic to the recent Revolution on the Planet of the Apes. Every cover to every apes comic ever published. It even includes (gag) the Burton (not really his fault) POTA 'reimagining' (a word I'm growing to hate). Just a truly amazing accomplishment. A very worthy addition to the bookshelf of any Apes fan. Quite a bit of entertainment here. Rich, take a bow—you deserve it!
Mike Valerio, TV writer-producer and former Malibu Comics Planet of the Apes writer:
Timeline of the Planet of the Apes is a tribute and a testament to the characters, visions and imaginations of Pierre Boulle, Rod Serling, Michael Wilson, Paul Dehn and all the other writers who followed in their footsteps to help create the vast totality that is the Planet of the Apes series. Rich Handley's massive tome is a remarkably entertaining, enlightening and exhaustive introduction to science fiction cinema's darkest and most dystopian sagas. He is to be congratulated for undertaking this epic journey...and for taking us along with him.
Jeff Bond, editor-in-chief of Geek Monthly, in issue #25 (March 2009):
If Handley can make the 2001 remake make sense, he deserves an Ape Nobel.
Award-winning author John Kenneth Muir:
Timeline of the Planet of the Apes is an involving read. It's a labor of love and ultimately as involving and thought-provoking as the movies themselves. It's a perfect companion if you seek "the bigger picture" and the sweeping context of history in this bizarre, oft-revisited alternate world.
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