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Happy Birthday … to Me!

Dec 18th, 2011
by rodney.
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This is no one’s idea of a personal blog, but when your ever-lovin’ ed-otter turned 47 yesterday he received two books from his family that are so cool and so furry that he just had to give mention to them — again. Both of them feature behind-the-scenes looks at recent Dreamworks Animation films, and both of them are available now (here and here) in hardcover from Insight Editions. The Art of Puss in Boots is edited by Ramin Zahed (veteran editor of Animation Magazine) with a forward by famous director Guillermo Del Toro. The Art of Kung Fu Panda 2 is edited by Tracy Miller-Zarneke (who worked on numerous animated films including Chicken Little and The Emperor’s New Groove) with a forward by famous actor Dustin Hoffman (aka Master Shifu). Both books feature so much background artwork and character development for these two very furry films that the reader may find themselves wondering which are more interesting: The final character designs or the sketches leading up to them.

image c. 2011 Insight Editions

 

When Mice Do More Than Point and Click

Dec 13th, 2011
by rodney.
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We can’t make this stuff up folks (if we could we’d be out there doing it!). Here’s the publisher’s description of Mousenet,  the first novel by Prudence Breitrose: “When ten-year-old Megan helps her uncle invent the Thumbtop, the world’s smallest computer, mice are overjoyed, and they want one for every mouse hole. The Big Cheese, leader of the Mouse Nation, has orders: follow that girl—even if it means high-tailing it to Megan’s new home on the other side of the country. While Megan struggles as the new girl, the mice watch, waiting for their chance. But when they tell Megan the biggest secret in the history of the world—mice have evolved, and they need her help—she isn’t sure anyone will believe her. With all of Mouse Nation behind her, Megan could become the most powerful girl alive, but just how will she create a Thumptop for every mouse?” It’s illustrated throughout by Stephanie Yue, and it’s available in hardcover (at Amazon and everywhere else) from Hyperion Books.

image c. 2011 Hyperion Books

A Future of Many Deadly Species

Dec 7th, 2011
by rodney.
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Our thanks to Fred Patten for pointing this out to us: “Death Drop is a science fiction novel by Sean Allen. The last known human was exterminated over 400,000 years ago and the known universe is ruled by the savage race known as the Durax, keeping control with their compelling mind powers. War rages against this vehement race and the free people have two choices: either join the Dissension Army and fight against the Durax or struggle to survive in the cutthroat world of outlaws the war has created. Dezmara Strykar can’t remember anything before the moment 8 years ago when she woke up in a space freighter, abandoned and alone. Since that date she has come to realize three things: she’s the best pilot and smuggler in the universe, she can handle herself in a fight, and she’s Human.” The other notable thing about Mr. Allen’s self-published science fiction novel is the number of anthropomorphic species and characters that make an appearance in it! You can check out the web site for his D-Evolution series to find out more. Also check out the review of his first book at SFBook.com. The book is available in several downloadable formats and also on dead trees.

image c. 2011 by Sean Allen

Stately Mice at Sea

Dec 5th, 2011
by rodney.
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Richard Peck is a prolific author of fiction for adult and young readers. His latest book would likely be considered for the latter, but his style includes a lot of sly winks at human society that grown-ups are likely to pick up on too. Secrets at Sea is available now in hardcover from Dial Books. It’s illustrated throughout by Kelly Murphy. Here’s the publisher’s description: “In the beloved tradition of The Borrowers, The Tale of Desperaux, and The Cricket in Times Square, here is an irresistible adventure story of the tiny individuals who secretly live among us humans. Helena is the oldest of four mouse siblings who live in the walls of the Cranston estate. It is 1887 when the nouveau riche Cranstons decide to take a cruise ship to England in search of a husband for their awkward older daughter. The Cranston mice stow away in the luggage . . . and so begins the time of their lives, as they meet intriguing, cosmopolitan mice onboard and take it upon themselves to help the human Cranston daughters find love.” There are more reviews available at Amazon.

image c. 2011 by Kelly Murphy

When Animation Took Over

Dec 3rd, 2011
by rodney.
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So how’d we miss this? Well, it finally turned up in the Previews magalog, so now it can be told.  Back in the late 70’s and early 80’s, animated cartoons (both feature and on TV — remember this was pre-web) were in a sorry stage, and worthwhile projects were few and far between. After the doors were kicked open (and the bar raised — very much!) by movies like Who Framed Roger Rabbit? in the late 80’s, animation really exploded in the 1990’s… culminating, of course, in the highest-grossing 2D animated film of all time — The Lion King — and the beginnings of the empire we now know as Pixar. Back in 2007, author G. Michael Dobbs (a former editor for the magazines Animato and Animation Planet) published a book that details this late-century explosion of animation called Escape! How Animation Broke into the Mainstream in the 1990’s. Through extensive reviews and interviews with with animation professionals, the book not only examines how animation became the box-office powerhouse we now know it as, but also how the cartoons of the 1990’s and after forever put to rest the notion (long-held in western civilization) that cartoons are not a medium that grown-ups should think about much. The book is still available in paperback at Amazon, from Bear Manor Media.

image c. 2007 Bear Manor Media

Pixar Scripts in Color

Nov 21st, 2011
by rodney.
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Folks who’d like to learn more about how animation is made — especially award-winning, box-0ffice conquering animation — might want to check out The Art of Pixar: Complete Color Scripts from 25 Years of Animation, written by Pixar Studio’s own John Lasseter and edited by Cartoon Brew’s own Amid Amidi. It’s available now in hardcover from Chronicle Books. Here’s the write-up from Amazon: “Over the past 25 years, Pixar s team of artists, writers, and directors have shaped the world of contemporary animation with their feature films and shorts. From classics such as Toy Story and A Bug s Life to recent masterpieces such as Up, Toy Story 3, and Cars 2, this comprehensive collection offers a behind-the-scenes tour of every Pixar film to date. Featuring a foreword by Chief Creative Officer John Lasseter, the complete color scripts for every film published in full for the first time as well as stunning visual development art, The Art of Pixar is a treasure trove of rare artwork and an essential addition to the library of animation fans and Pixar enthusiasts.”

Toons Take It Out On Us!

Oct 26th, 2011
by rodney.
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Now here’s something kinda different: Toons go meta. Oni Press has announced that Rascal Raccoon’s Raging Revenge, a new full-color hardcover graphic novel, will be released in early December. Brendan Hay (of Robot Chicken fame) wrote the script, and Justin Wagner did the toony illustrations. Here’s the publisher’s description: “Welcome to Toonie Terrace, home of the fun-loving Merries and their jealous, bitter rivals, the Meanies. For all their shenanigans, no Meanie has ever murdered a Merrie… until now! After thousands of painful failed attempts, Rascal Raccoon has finally killed his arch-nemesis, the charming and adorable Jumpin’ Jackalope. Rascal is overjoyed, but there’s one problem: What does he do now? With nothing left to obsess over, Rascal’s life falls apart. Fortunately, he soon finds a new target for his anger: The animator who created him!” Comic Book Resources has an on-line preview where you can see just what kind of havoc these toons create when they come looking for the humans who draw delight from their troubles!

image c. 2011 Oni Press

The Art of Dragons

Sep 13th, 2011
by rodney.
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We don’t need to tell folks around here that dragons — talking, magical, and otherwise — have held a fascination that is unique for centuries. Now editors Pamela Wissman and Sarah Laichas have gathered together 43 international artists to give their interpretations of these fantastic creatures, and put the results together in a full-color book called Dragon World. It’s available now in hardcover from Impact Books. It features more than 120 illustrations, from whimsical to magical to scarey, as well as interviews with the artists discussing their take on dragon legends. Check out the reviews at SF Book.com and Amazon.

image c. 2011 Impact Books

An Elephant in a Fedora

Sep 11th, 2011
by rodney.
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You can’t get much more straight-forward than this description of Big City Otto: Elephants Never Forget. “Otto is a lumbering, sweet-natured elephant who can’t forget his childhood chum Georgie, a smiley-faced chimpanzee who was abducted and shipped away from their forest home by the mysterious and sinister Man with the Wooden Nose. Accompanied by a wisecracking but protective parrot named Crackers, Otto decides to hop a plane and look for Georgie in America. But once they hit the wild streets of the concrete jungle, Otto and Crackers court trouble at every turn — even becoming unwittingly involved in the seedy alligator underworld dominating the city sewers. And little do these out-of-place out-of-towners realize that they, too, are being doggedly pursued across the city — by the local police! Will the authorities catch Otto and Crackers? Will Otto and Crackers find Georgie? Who is the Man with the Wooden Nose? And what’s an elephant doing sporting a trench-coat and fedora?” It’s a brand-new softcover graphic novel written and illustrated by Bill Slavin, and recently published by Kids Can Press.

image c. 2011 Bill Slavin

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