You'll flip for the January 29 crossword

[Thomps2525]

Gary Larson's crosswords have been appearing in the New York Times and Los Angeles Times since December 2017. (No, he is not the creator of the comic panel The Far Side. That is a different Gary Larson.) The theme of today's crossword by Larson is FLIPBOOK ("Paperback designed to simulate animation") and the theme answers are books with familiar terms that have been "flipped":

Reference work for canine lovers? DOGGUIDE
Fictional work about a pick-up artist? APPROACHNOVEL
Illustrated work for bullpen pitchers? RELIEFCOMIC
Instructional work for expectant mothers? LABORMANUAL

Pierre-Hubert Desvignes created the flip book in 1860. He called it a "folioscope." British lithographer John Barnes Linnett patented the flip book in 1868. He called it a "kineograph." Merriam-Webster defines "flip book" as "a series of illustrations of an animated scene bound together in sequence so that an illusion of movement can be imparted by flipping them rapidly." Here is a brief history:

http://www.mhs.ox.ac.uk/exhibits/fancy-names-and-fun-toys/kinora/

And here are two examples of Disney flip books:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iVuP-ZT619g

"There are lots of them" is a clever clue for NEWCARS. "Rin Tin Tin autograph, e.g." is a clever clue for PAWPRINT. Brand names used to be taboo in crosswords. Today's puzzle includes four: SERTA ("Simmons competitor"), AMANA ("Range in the home, maybe"), IMOVIE ("Apple video-editing app") and NERF ("Soft ball material"). Actually, Nerf is not a "material" but rather a trademark for a type of polyurethane foam rubber. Parker Brothers introduced the Nerf ball in 1970. The Nerf trademark has been owned by Hasbro since 1991. The Nerf Blaster, introduced in 1992, is a toy plastic gun that shoots rubber-tipped foam darts. It is now the biggest-selling Nerf product. The fifth annual Epic Nerf Battle will take place March 20 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. The Epic Nerf Battle is listed in the Guinness Book Of World Records as "Largest Toy Pistol Fight." Wow, can you imagine the nerf of these people? (Okay, there is my requisite bad pun. I'm done.)

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/jareds-epic-nerf-battle-5-tickets-83283502197