Record Collecting

A Pig's Tale includes:

• 336 full color pages
• softcover edition
• a complete discography of the entire TMQ catalog of over 100 LPs and EPs
• well over 350 images of the albums, colored vinyl, and inserts
• the underground tale of how Trade Mark of Quality came into being

This book is essential for record collectors and dealers. 

In that hot summer of ’69 two longhaired music freaks created an underground LP record album of unreleased tracks by one of their music gods and put it out on the streets of Los Angeles. No one had ever been crazy enough to do such an audacious thing before. The god’s official record label was not amused but the music fans were thrilled. Were these guys pirates or heroes? It was so much fun the first time, they soon pressed up even more records of forbidden musical fruit. They were on a roll. The following year, in 1970, one of the culprits put The Pig image in a circular logo with the name “Trade Mark of Quality.” TMQ and Pigman were born!

With a cast of outrageous characters, here is the story of Trade Mark of Quality aka TMQ aka The Pig, the first bootleg record label of its kind, spawning many later imitators. From the end of the '60s to the mid '70s, TMQ and Pigman led the way, trotting down a muddy trail, feeding the habits and needs of music addicts around the world. Who were these fellow travelers? Carl? The Greek? Merlin? Hans? Rob Snout? Casper? Sheldon? The Blue Hasslebeast? Ol’ Fred? (Not to mention, The Brooklyn Boys, The Record Suits and The Feds!) What was the connection between TMQ and the Viet Nam war, revolutionaries, guns, pot and the moon landing? It’s all here!

Included in A Pig’s Tale is not only the Trade Mark of Quality and Pigman saga, but reproductions of all the rubber stamped and illustrated album jackets from every genuine TMQ record release, including the earliest releases from ’69 right up to the last titles in 1976. Everything you ever wanted to know about the real TMQ label is here: A complete discography of artists and track listings, sources of recordings, catalog numbers, master tape and record matrix info, colored vinyl pressings, record labels, graphics, photos, vintage news clippings, articles and more, all collected together, at last, in one volume.

A Pig’s Tale by Ralph Sutherland and Harold Sherrick, with their unique point of view, guides the reader through the never before told history of Trade Mark of Quality. It’s all here for the music lover and fan, the hardcore record collector, and the just plain curious.

WARNING! THESE EVENTS COULD NEVER HAVE HAPPENED IN ANOTHER TIME AND PLACE!

(Pigman says, “Be cool, put some sounds on the turntable and groove on with ‘A Pig’s Tale’!”)

The Monkees Comic Book Book releases on September 12, 2026. Order yours today!

You thought you knew The Monkees. Then there were the comic books.

At the height of Monkeemania, Davy, Micky, Mike, and Peter escaped television and landed in a medium with an even looser relationship with reality.

The result was The Monkees comic-book series: gloriously strange adventures filled with disguises, spies, sharks, cows, elephants, impossible escapes, fourth-wall-breaking gags, instant changes of scenery, and the kind of logic that makes perfect sense only when The Monkees are involved.

Now that wonderfully peculiar corner of Monkees history has been brought back together in The Monkees Comic Book Book: Reference Book and Price Guide.

The original comics have been carefully digitally restored, reviving their bright colors and exuberant artwork while preserving the character of the originals. But this is more than a trip through vintage panels.

It's also a collector's guide to the series, including a complete price guide to the original comics, background on collecting them, and a timeline placing the comic releases alongside what was happening in the world of The Monkees at the time.

Along the way, you'll also find:

• the story of collecting the original Monkees comics
• an extensive interview with legendary Monkees comic artist Jose Delbo
• a complete price guide for the original issues
• a timeline connecting the comics to the larger Monkees story
• memories and commentary from people connected to The Monkees, comics, television, music, and 1960s pop culture
• a foreword by Peter Noone
• contributions and appearances from Bobby Hart, Butch Patrick, Deana Martin, Bill Mumy, James Lee Stanley, Jon Provost, and many more
• photographs, memorabilia, history, and several delightful detours that could probably happen only in a book about The Monkees

Authors Mark Arnold and Charles F. Rosenay!!! previously teamed up for Not Just Happy Together: The Turtles from A-Z (AM Radio to Zappa), their sprawling guide to the music, history, personalities, and wonderfully tangled universe surrounding The Turtles. Here, they bring that same collector's curiosity to one of the most unusual corners of Monkees history.

This is not an attempt to make The Monkees comic books more dignified than they were.

Quite the opposite.

It's a chance to enjoy them again in all their colorful, corny, chaotic, fourth-wall-demolishing glory while preserving the history around them and giving collectors a practical guide to the originals.

Part restored comic collection, part reference book, part price guide, part pop-culture time machine, The Monkees Comic Book Book is exactly as strange, useful, and specific as its title suggests.

Paperback edition.

It’s time to get “Happy Together” again! 

Discover the songs and the history of one of the most successful pop rock bands ever, The Turtles, who had many, many Top 40 hits including “It Ain’t Me Babe,” “Let Me Be,” “You Baby,” “She’d Rather Be with Me,” “You Know What I Mean,” “She’s My Girl,” “Elenore,” “You Showed Me” and of course, the iconic “Happy Together!” All of their Golden Hits!

Authors Mark Arnold (Long Title: Looking for the Good Times; Examining The Monkees Songs, One by One and Headquartered: A Timeline of The Monkees Solo Years) and Charles F. Rosenay!!! (The Book of Top 10 Beatles Lists and The Book of Top 10 Horror Lists) have joined forces to cover the entire careers of The Turtles from their early days as The Crossfires, through their hit-filled years, into their break-up that led to most of The Turtles’ members joining forces with Frank Zappa’s Mothers of Invention, to Mark Volman and Howard Kaylan’s years as solo artists under the guise of Flo & Eddie, and even their forays into children’s records.

Arnold and Rosenay!!! have reviewed every song and album, and interviewed many of The Turtles’ friends and associates along with most of The Turtles themselves, who have given startling new revelations that will surprise even the most hardcore fan.

Open the doors to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and to your library to add this book. This definitive Turtles compendium is as unique as The Turtles themselves.

Reverberations: 21 Classic 1950s Rock 'N' Roll Songs That Still Reverberate is a journey through the golden age of rock and roll. This book dives into the stories behind twenty-one iconic songs from the 1950s that have left a lasting impact on music and culture. 

From the rebellious energy of "Hound Dog" to the infectious rhythm of "Rock Around the Clock," these tracks defined a generation and continue to inspire artists today. You'll discover how "Tutti Frutti" brought Little Richard's flamboyant style to the forefront and how "Johnny B. Goode" became a rock and roll anthem thanks to Chuck Berry's groundbreaking guitar work. 

The Beatles, in their early days, played almost all these songs, showcasing their timeless appeal and influence. Ted Clark's meticulous research and insight offers a fresh perspective on these classics, revealing their origins, the numerous subsequent artists who covered these songs and/or included them on their concert set lists, the movie soundtracks they have appeared on, and why they still resonate with listeners around the world.

The book explores in detail the tremendous impact that songs like “Rock Around the Clock,” “Be-Bop-A-Lula,” “That’ll Be the Day,” and “Summertime Blues” had in the UK. And Clark explains why the artists who sang these songs—Bill Haley, Gene Vincent, Buddy Holly and The Crickets, and Eddie Cochran respectively—are more revered across the pond than they are in the U.S.

Whether you're a lifelong fan of 1950s rock and roll or new to the genre, this book provides a rich and engaging look at the music that started it all. With each chapter, you'll gain a deeper appreciation for the songs that shaped the course of popular music and continue to reverberate through the decades.