The surprise success of writer and illustrator Nick Bantock's Griffin & Sabine series marked a rare occasion in which the trendy and the cool converged. Bantock's distinctively textural creations were a welcome bright spot on the bestseller lists, graduating the author from cult favorite to pop-art staple. The new Artful Dodger tracks that ascent in typical Bantock fashion: Rather than write an autobiography, Bantock condenses his career into an oversized book of anecdotes, essays, and, of course, that great artwork—about 400 illustrations in glorious color. Like a lot of artists, it took a while before Bantock's name was matched with his works. After art school, he become a cover illustrator at Penguin, and the diverse covers collected here show the roots of his surrealist-inspired images, which somehow recall Salvador Dali and Terry Gilliam in equal measure. The Artful Dodger continues through painting and pop-up books until Bantock reaches the birth of Griffin & Sabine, his charming and mysterious document of a relationship as told through letters, postcards, and found objects. The rest, of course, is history, but Bantock's modesty and acknowledgement of self-doubt is arresting and honest, even as the books catapult him to world fame. The rest of The Artful Dodger is dedicated to his various doodles and other projects (including The Egyptian Jukebox and The Venetian's Wife), all recounted with humor and vivid images. It's a testament to his imagination that Bantock was able to transform what is, in essence, a coffee-table book into something more personal, a collection that almost cascades with the magic of his works.