Fantasy Art Techniques


Boris Vallejo - 1996
    91 color images; 32 line drawings.

Gollum: How We Made Movie Magic


Andy Serkis - 2003
    Now Andy Serkis tells his own story about how a three-week commission to provide a voiceover for Gollum grew into a five-year commitment to breathe life and soul into The Lord of the Rings' most challenging creation.- Did the voice of Gollum really start with a cat being sick?- What was it like acting in a bodysuit covered in dots?- How much was Gollum modeled to look like Andy?- What surprises does The Return of the King hold in store?Fully illustrated with more than one hundred exclusive behind-the-scenes photos and drawings, and with contributions from the many designers and animators who brought Gollum to life, this book examines the transition to the big screen of one of literature's most unforgettable creatures. As the filming takes him from London to Wellington, and from the MIsty Mountains to Mount Doom, Andy Serkis explains the methods - and the madness - behind the most amazing five years in this actor's life.

Stranger Things: Worlds Turned Upside Down: The Official Behind-the-Scenes Companion


Gina McIntyre - 2018
    The marks, scuffs, and tears on the cover and pages are an intentional design element.Stranger things have happened. . . .When the first season of Stranger Things debuted on Netflix in the summer of 2016, the show struck a nerve with millions of viewers worldwide and received broad critical acclaim. The series has gone on to win six Emmy Awards, but its success was driven more than anything by word of mouth, resonating across generations. Viewers feel personal connections to the characters. Now fans can immerse themselves in the world—or worlds—of Hawkins, Indiana, like never before. Inside you’ll find• original commentary and a foreword from creators Matt and Ross Duffer• exclusive interviews with the stars of the show, including Millie Bobby Brown, Finn Wolfhard, and David Harbour• the show’s earliest drafts, pitches to Netflix, and casting calls• insights into the Duffers’ creative process from the entire crew—from costume and set designers to composers and visual-effects specialists• deep dives into the cultural artifacts and references that inspired the look and feel of the show• a map of everyday Hawkins—with clues charting the network of the Upside Down• the Morse code disk Eleven uses, so you can decipher secret messages embedded throughout the text• a look into the future of the series—including a sneak preview of season three!Adding whole new layers to enrich the viewing experience, this keepsake is essential reading for anyone and everyone who loves Stranger Things.

Liber Chaotica: Complete edition


Marijan von Staufer - 2005
    They were released one after another in 2003 and 2004.The books are presented in the form of the fictional writings of Richter Kless, a character of the Warhammer world. The authors take the role of an editor who goes through Kless' works, which contains studies, illustrations and excerpts from other fictional sources. The Liber Chaotica also provides background related to the Warhammer 40.000 universe, written as cryptic records of recurring visions Kless suffered. Being an account of the dark secrets and arcane law of the most terible mysteries and hidden truths of the ruinous powers (Warhammer) This book is the most in-depth examination available of the terrible Chaos powers that so threaten the Warhammer Old World, Games Workshop's grim fantasy land. Each of the four Chaos powers is examined in fascinating detail. This volume combines the classic Liber Chaotica series of background books and reveals more secrets on Chaos Undivided, which every Warhammer fan will be desperate to know. Liber Chaotica: Complete edition collecting all previous books into a single volume and including as well as a fifth volume called Liber Undivided was released in 2006.

Letters to Juliet: Celebrating Shakespeare's Greatest Heroine, the Magical City of Verona, and the Power of Love


Lise Friedman - 2006
    But that is just part of the story. Every day, letters, frequently addressed simply, “Juliet, Verona,” arrive in the city. They come by the truckload, in almost every language imaginable, written by romantics seeking Juliet’s counsel. Most of the missives talk of love, of course —love found and love lost, love sought and love remembered. And, amazingly, not one letter goes unanswered. Letters to Juliet tells the story of these letters and the volunteers who have been writing responses for more than seven decades —volunteers who first acted privately, and who are now sanctioned by the city of Verona as part of the Juliet Club . Featuring more than seventy-five heartfelt letters, this poetic book retraces the history behind Shakespeare’s tale and tours the monuments that have fueled the world's enchantment with Juliet and her Romeo.

Hail to the Chin: Further Confessions of a B Movie Actor


Bruce Campbell - 2017
    His profile and reach is lightyears beyond where it was for Chins.Hail to the Chin will be bursting with pictures and the signature humor that Bruce brought to If Chins Could Kill and will be devoured by his legions of fans across the country.

Master of Middle-Earth: The Fiction of J.R.R. Tolkien


Paul H. Kocher - 1972
    R. R. Tolkien's masterpieces generously repay close attention and study. In this thoroughly entertaining and perceptive volume, winner of the prestigious Mythopoeic Society Scholarship Award, Professor Kocher examines the sources that Tolkien drew upon in fashioning Middle-earth and its inhabitants—and provides valuable insights into the author's aims and methods. Ranging from The Hobbit to The Lord of the Rings to The Silmarillion and beyond, Master of Middle-earth opens the door to a deeper and richer appreciation of Tolkien's magnificent achievement. Inside you will discover• Why Aragorn is the most misunderstood character in The Lord of the Rings . . . and its true hero.• The origin of Sauron—and the nature of evil in Tolkien's universe. • The opposing forces of destiny and free will in Frodo's quest.• The Cosmology of Middle-earth—is it our world at an earlier time, or does it exist in a fantastic Elsewhere?• How Tolkien's ideas of morality, religion, and social order underlie every aspect of his life's work.Plus a fascinating look at such lesser-known works of Tolkien's as "Leaf by Niggle," "Smith of Wootton Major," and many others!

My Little Pony: The Art of Equestria


Hasbro, Inc. - 2013
    Beginning with the show’s premiere and taking readers through its fifth season, the book offers an amazing collection of the art and design that bring this wonderful series to life. The book takes readers behind the scenes of the show and explores how favorite characters and the landscape of Equestria came to look as they are today. Beyond the television show, My Little Pony: The Art of Equestria also examines the intriguing fan culture—including the fan art movement inspired by Friendship Is Magic. With a rich array of conceptual art, episode storyboards, and memorable scenes from the show, My Little Pony: The Art of Equestria is the ultimate guidebook, collector’s item, and fan keepsake.

A Treasury of Irish Fairy and Folk Tales


Various - 2016
    Its pages are animated with colorful tales of the fairy folk in all their many guises: the changeling, the banshee, the headless dullahan, the leprechaun, the merrow, and the ever-mischievous pooka. In addition, this volume includes tales of ghosts, witches and fairy doctors, priests and saints, encounters with the devil, titans of Ireland's historical past, as well as popular treasure legends.Contents: The trooping fairies. The cave fairies --Popular notions considering the Sidhe race --Changelings --The solitary fairies. The lepracaun, the cluricaun, and the Far Darrig --The pooka --The banshee and the dullahan --Ghosts --Witches and fairy doctors --T'yeer-na-n-oge --Priests and saints --The devil --Giants --Rocks and stones --Treasure legends --Legends of the western islands --Kings, queens, princesses, earls, and robbers

Batman and Psychology: A Dark and Stormy Knight


Travis Langley - 2012
    Why does this superhero without superpowers fascinate us? What does that fascination say about us? Batman and Psychology explores these and other intriguing questions about the masked vigilante, including: Does Batman have PTSD?  Why does he fight crime? Why as a vigilante? Why the mask, the bat, and the underage partner? Why are his most intimate relationships with “bad girls” he ought to lock up? And why won't he kill that homicidal, green-haired clown?Gives you fresh insights into the complex inner world of Batman and Bruce Wayne and the life and characters of Gotham CityExplains psychological theory and concepts through the lens of one of the world’s most popular comic book charactersWritten by a psychology professor and “Superherologist” (scholar of superheroes)

The Lost Worlds of 2001


Arthur C. Clarke - 1971
    Clarke was published in 1972 by Signet as an accompaniment to the novel 2001: A Space Odyssey.The book itself consists in part of behind-the-scenes notes from Clarke concerning scriptwriting (and rewriting), as well as production issues. The core of the book, however, is contained in excerpts from the proto-novel and an early screenplay that did not make it into the final version.Alternative settings for launch preparation, the EVA scene where astronaut Frank Poole is lost, and varying dialogues concerning the HAL 9000 unit are all featured in the book. Also included is the original short story The Sentinel on which 2001 is loosely based.

Twilight Director's Notebook: The Story of How We Made the Movie Based on the Novel by Stephenie Meyer


Catherine Hardwicke - 2009
    With never-before-seen notes, sketches, and photographs taken directly from the visionary director's personal notebook, this book includes everything from her visual inspirations, to step-by-step breakdowns of action sequences, to a behind the scenes look at some of the most pivotal moments in the creation of the film, and much more.Get the inside story - this collectible notebook will be a must-have addition to every Twilight fan's bookshelf!

The Kill Switch (Kindle Single)


Phil Zabriskie - 2014
    The killing that has been done and is being done is a crucial aspect of war and an integral part of the memories servicemen bring home with them. And yet, with few exceptions, it’s only rarely discussed in public and largely left to the veterans themselves to process, wrestle with, and carry.This is unfortunate because to understand what war is and what war does, it is necessary to understand what killing is and what killing does. In “The Kill Switch,” writer Phil Zabriskie, who covered both Iraq and Afghanistan for Time and other magazines, reconnects with two Marines and other veterans he met in Iraq and finds them ready to talk about it and willing to examine soberly and honestly what they’ve done and were asked to do. From boot camp through the initial invasion to the crucible of Ramadi, the siege of Fallujah, and beyond, they recount firefights, ambushes, suicide car bombers, hand-to-hand combat, and the life and death decisions they made about Saddam’s soldiers, battle-hardened insurgents, and people, even children, who were in the wrong place at the wrong time. Unflinching and as important today as it was at the height of these wars, “The Kill Switch” will stay with you long after you’re finished, just as the wars these men fought—and the killing they did—have stayed with them. Phil Zabriskie is a New York-based writer who spent many years working across Asia and the Middle East. He reported extensively on America’s wars in Afghanistan and Iraq for Time magazine and has also written about conflict and its impact on the people who live through it for National Geographic, Fortune, the Washington Post Magazine, and other publications. Cover design by Kristen Radtke.

Steve McQueen: Portrait of an American Rebel


Marshall Terrill - 1994
    Drawing from extensive interviews with those who knew and worked with the actor, Marshall Terrill relates McQueen's delinquent childhood, his success in films like The Great Escape and Bullitt, his harrowing last days in a hospital in Juarez, Mexico, and more. New and old fans alike will feel they have met this small-town rebel who kept so many millions spellbound. Includes 45 black-and-white photos.

Shadowhunter's Guide: City of Bones


Mimi O'Connor - 2013
    This comprehensive book features full-color photographic portraits and profiles of the film characters, quotes from the script, detailed information on downworlders, Shadowhunters, the Clave, and more. Fans of the movie won’t want to miss this must-have guide to the realm of the blockbuster City of Bones movie!