Karl?s Excellent Adventures
Sean Connery as a monk, Sylvester Stallone as a fitness trainer? These are just two of the likeness that appear in the famous German comic series »Karl« (Ak-Verlag). But the hero is Karl himself, a blond-headed adventurer in 18th century Germany. Together with Grandpatte, his big hound, Karl is always tangling with his scheming enemy, Ferdinand, that is, when he?s not busy having a drink with the poet Goethe. Each issue also includes a two-page primer on the German history covered in the story.
The Fabulous Fifties
German high school students, so the reputation goes, have more freedom than their American counterparts: parents are less likely to give them curfews, and they are already allowed to drink at age sixteen. But it hasn?t always been that way. In »Als Teenager träumten: Die magischen 50er Jahre« (»When Teenagers Dreamed: The Magical 50s«) Rainer Eisfeld explains how West Germans growing up in the 1950s saw the US as the epitome of rebellion and cool. Jukeboxes, blue jeans, James Dean: American pop culture let young Germans escape from the old rules of their parents? generation. And they created their own legends too, with stars like rock n? roller Peter Kraus and the youth magazine Bravo (both are still around today). Nomos Verlag, 1999.
Kangerooing, German-Style
Ever wish you could jump like Michael Jordan, or defy gravity like an astronaut? The new German-made Powerskipsfunny-looking springs you can strap on your shoesmay be the answer for you. Made out of aircraft-grade aluminum and springs with the tension of automobile shocks, the Powerskip allows you to get more than six feet off the ground with each step. At $880 a pair, though, the seven-pound devices may be heavy on your wallet. You might be better off with a pogo stick. http:/www.powerskip.de
