The Art of God of War


Sony Interactive Entertainment - 2018
    Living as a man, outside the shadow of the gods, he seeks solitude in the unfamiliar lands of Norse mythology. With new purpose and his son at his side, Kratos must fight for survival as powerful forces threaten to disrupt the new life he has created.An intimate chronicle of the years-long odyssey to bring Kratos and Atreus's beautiful and brutal world to life.Step into Midgard and explore beyond, as Dark Horse Books and Santa Monica Studio proudly present the quintessential companion to the enormously anticipated God of War. This is a document unlike any other that sets readers on an exhaustive behind-the-scenes journey to witness the creation of an epic of tremendous scale.

The Art of the Disney Princess


Glen Keane - 2009
    Ariel, Aurora, Belle, Jasmine, Snow White, and Cinderella are newly incarnated in water color, pastel, oil paint, colored pencil, mixed media, and computer graphics pieces that range from the traditional to the unconventional. This artwork has been created especially for this museum-quality book, which is sure to delight art lovers, Disney collectors, and any prince or princess who ever believed that fairytales do come true.

Go Team Venture!: The Art and Making of the Venture Bros.


Ken Plume - 2014
    and includes a foreword by Patton Oswalt! Ken Plume sits down with series creators Jackson Publick and Doc Hammer to have a conversation about the creation of every single episode through season six and much more. From the earliest sketches of Hank and Dean scribbled in a notebook, pitching the series to Cartoon Network's Adult Swim, learning the ins and outs of animation, character designs for each season, storyboards, painted backgrounds, behind-the-scenes recollections of how the show came together, it's all here.Features behind-the-scenes info and art covering every episode of all six seasons.Written by Venture Bros. creators Jackson Publik and Doc Hammer, with an introduction by Patton Oswalt.An all-encompassing look at the characters, art, history and influences of the beloved series.Never before seen Venture Bros. artwork!

Pawnee: The Greatest Town in America


Leslie Knope - 2011
    The book chronicles the city's colorful citizens and hopping nightlife, and also explores some of the most hilarious events from its crazy history—like the time the whole town was on fire, its ongoing raccoon infestation, and the cult that took over in the 1970s. Packed with laugh-out-loud-funny photographs, illustrations, and commentary by the other inhabitants of Pawnee, it's a must-read that will make you enjoy every moment of your stay in the Greatest Town in America. Praise for Pawnee: "Carrying this book around is a good way of picking up girls with glasses." —Tom Haverford "I have read over four books, and this is by far the one that has me in it the most." —Andy Dwyer "Literally the greatest endeavor of human creativity in the history of mankind." —Chris Traeger

The Art of The Incredibles


Mark Cotta Vaz - 2004
    The sleekly designed settings and characters were conceptualized and developed by writer/director Brad Bird and Pixar's creative team of artists, illustrators, and designers, resulting in a celluloid sensation rich with detail. The Art of The Incredibles celebrates their talent, featuring concept and character sketches, storyboards, and lighting studies, and invites readers into the elaborate creative process of animation through interviews with all the key players at Pixar. With an 8-page gatefold and fabulous color art, this stunning bookthe only movie tie-in book for adultswill delight film-goers, artists, and animation fans alike.

All My Friends Are Dead


Avery Monsen - 2010
    In other words, perfect." - The Huffington PostAn amusing and captivating tale that's a delightful primer for laughing at the inevitable: If you're a dinosaur, all of your friends are dead. If you're a pirate, all of your friends have scurvy. If you're a tree, all of your friends are end tables. Each page of this laugh-out-loud, illustrated humor book showcases the downside of being everything from a clown to a cassette tape to a zombie. Cute and dark all at once, this hilarious children's book for adults teaches valuable lessons about life.From the sock whose only friends have gone missing to the houseplant whose friends are being slowly killed by irresponsible plant owners (like you), All My Friends Are Dead presents hilariously entertaining stories about life and existential predicaments.The simple yet effective imagery, the personification of inanimate objects, and short, hilarious quips come together to create an amusing adventure through each character's unique grievance and wide-eyed dilemmas.Written by Avery Monsen, an actor, artist, and writer and Jory John, a writer, editor, and journalist. They are friends, and neither is dead. Yet.All My Friends Are Dead is both the saddest funny book and the funniest sad book you'll ever read.Children's book written for adults Displayed in an accessible cartoon form

Super Graphic: A Visual Guide to the Comic Book Universe


Tim Leong - 2013
    This book by one of Wired magazine's art directors traverses the graphic world through a collection of pie charts, bar graphs, timelines, scatter plots, and more. Super Graphic offers readers a unique look at the intricate and sometimes contradictory storylines that weave their way through comic books, and shares advice for navigating the pages of some of the most popular, longest-running, and best-loved comics and graphic novels out there. From a colorful breakdown of the DC Comics reader demographic to a witty Venn diagram of superhero comic tropes and a Chris Ware sadness scale, this book charts the most arbitrary and monumental characters, moments, and equipment of the wide world of comics.

Doctor Who: The Writer's Tale


Russell T. Davies - 2008
    It's a mad, sexy, sad, scary, obsessive, ruthless, joyful, and utterly, utterly personal thing. There's not the writer and then me; there's just me. All of my life connects to the writing. All of it.'A unique look into the BBC's most popular family drama, Doctor Who: The Writer's Tale is a year in the life of the hit television series, as told by the show's Head Writer and Executive Producer. A candid and in-depth correspondence between Russell T Davies and journalist Benjamin Cook, the book explores in detail Russell's work on Series Four, revealing how he plans the series and works with the show's writers; where he gets his ideas for plot, character and scenes; how actors are cast and other creative decisions are made; and how he juggles the demands of Doctor Who with the increasingly successful Torchwood and The Sarah Jane Adventures spin-offs.Russell's scripts are discussed as they develop, and Russell and Benjamin's wide-ranging discussions bring in experiences from previous series of Doctor Who as well as other shows Russell has written and created, including Queer as Folk, Bob & Rose, and The Second Coming. The reader is given total access to the show as it's created, and the writing is everything you would expect from Russell T Davies: warm, witty, insightful, and honest.Fully illustrated with never-before-seen photos and artwork - including original drawings by Russell himself - The Writer's Tale is a not only the ultimate Doctor Who book, but a celebration of great writing and great television

Spectrum 1: The Best in Contemporary Fantastic Art


Arnie Fenner - 1994
    From the popular and well-regarded Spectrum annuals, over 100 artists are represented, chosen from a jury of award-winning professionals. The introduction is written by Pulitzer Prize–winning journalist Lee Stuart, and some of the artists included are Michael Whelan, James Gurney, Don Maitz, Thomas Blackshear, and Frank Miller.

The Art of Brave


Jenny Lerew - 2012
    It's Pixar's first feature film driven by a female lead and its first set in an ancient historical period. Against a backdrop of castles, forests, and highlands, Brave follows the fiery Merida as she clashes with the duty of her royal life and embarks on a journey through the rugged landscape of the dark ages of Scotland. At once epic and intimate, the latest Pixar masterpiece weaves a story of magic, danger, and adventure and the fierce bonds of family. Featuring behind-the-scenes interviews with the film's many artists and filmmakers, The Art of Brave showcases the gorgeous concept art that went into the making of this movie, including color scripts, storyboards, character studies, environment art, sculpts, and more. A Foreword by Brenda Chapman and Mark Andrews, the film's directors, and a preface by Chief Creative Officer John Lasseter shed light on the creation of this landmark film.

The Art of Inside Out


Pete Docter - 2015
    Featuring concept art—including sketches, collages, color scripts, and much more—and opening with a foreword by actress Amy Poehler and introduction by the film's writer and director Pete Docter, this is the ultimate behind-the-scenes experience of the making of this landmark film.

The Art of Anastasia


Harvey Deneroff - 1997
    With a slipcase, vellum overlays, a die-cut window, and a gatefold, this stunning book brings the exotic locales, fairy tale romance, adventure, and excitement of the film home.For 80 years, the mystery of Anastasia has bewitched people the world over. Now, Twentieth Century Fox, with producers/directors Don Bluth and Gary Goldman, brings the story to life in a astounding new way. Animators for Disney for years before opening up their own company, Bluth and Goldman created the popular films The Secret of NIMH, The Pebble and the Penguin, Thumbelina, A Troll in Central Park, All Dogs Go to Heaven, and with, Steven Spielberg's Amblin Entertainment, The Land Before Time and An American Tail.

Monsters You Should Know


Emma SanCartier - 2018
    Illustrator Emma SanCartier captures the bizarre and hilarious elements of 17 monsters from around the world in a light, tongue-in-cheek tone, from the Japanese dream-eater Baku and the Persian carnivorous unicorn Shadhavar to the Eastern-European Shurale, a literal tickle monster. Packaged in a textured three-piece case and illustrated in lush watercolor, Monsters You Should Know is a perfect primer for the many strange, frightening, and compelling things that go bump in the night.

The Art of The Lion King


Christopher Finch - 1994
    Relive the excitement, humor, and adventure in this elegant miniature.

Wonderbook: The Illustrated Guide to Creating Imaginative Fiction


Jeff VanderMeer - 2013
    Employing an accessible, example-rich approach, Wonderbook energizes and motivates while also providing practical, nuts-and-bolts information needed to improve as a writer. Aimed at aspiring and intermediate-level writers, Wonderbook includes helpful sidebars and essays from some of the biggest names in fantasy today, such as George R. R. Martin, Lev Grossman, Neil Gaiman, Michael Moorcock, Catherynne M. Valente, and Karen Joy Fowler, to name a few.Praise for Wonderbook: “Jammed with storytelling wisdom.” —Fast Company’s Co.Create blog“This is the kind of book you leave sitting out for all to see . . . and the kind of book you will find yourself picking up again and again.” —Kirkus Reviews online“If you’re looking for a handy guide to not just crafting imaginative fiction like sci-fi, fantasy, and horror, but to writing in general, be sure to pick up a copy of Steampunk Bible author Jeff Vandermeer’s lovingly compiled Wonderbook."  —Flavorwire“Jeff Vandermeer and Jeremy Zerfoss have created a kaleidoscopically rich and beautiful book about fiction writing.”  —Star Tribune“Because it is so layered and filled with text, tips, and links to online extras, this book can be read again and again by both those who want to learn the craft of writing and those interested in the process of others.” —Library Journal