The Dance of Death, also known as the Danse Macabre or the Totentanz, was a very popular theme in the art of the Middle Ages. The infamous black plague carried off kings, cardinals, and commoners alike, striking without warning.

It was enough to really get a person down, but artists of the era responded with surprisingly good humor. Lively illustrations depicted common society types doing the medieval equivalent of the Funky Chicken with a cheery and worm-eaten Death.

This wee, kooky little boutique art book updates that theme for the people of the 21st century. Measuring in at adorably just over 5×5″ (12.7 cm), it features 48 full-color pages of art and snarky commentary (in rhyme!) on the inevitable demise of such loathsome modern figures as:

– The Blogger
– The CEO
– The Celebutante
– The Hipster

…and more! 

Also included are several images from the famous Heidelberger Totentanz of 1488 that inspired this volume, along with nerdy historical commentary by yours truly, and a scintillating intro by the internet’s favorite mortician and best-selling author Caitlin Doughty of Ask A Mortician and Smoke Gets In Your Eyes!