Author: Chris McDonnell
Hardcover: 352 pages
Publisher: Harry N. Abrams
Release Date: October 14, 2014
Our Score: 5 out of 5 stars
“Adventure Time” is a show like no other. I remember when I was a kid and “The Simpsons” used to be the show to watch. Now “Adventure Time” has taken that place with today’s kids/teens. This show is such a trip. That is really the only way to describe it. It is colorful, funky and totally out there…but I love it and I also love it’s animation. “Adventure Time: The Art of Ooo” is a beast of a book running over 350 pages. This page is no joke at all. If you are a fan of this show and want an inside look behind-the-scenes, this is the book you are going to want! FIST PUMP!
Official Premise: Adventure Time: The Art of Ooo is the first book to take fans behind the scenes of Finn the Human’s and Jake the Dog’s adventures in the post-apocalyptic, magical land of Ooo. Packed to the seams with concept art and storyboards, this lavishly illustrated tome offers an all-access pass into the Emmy Award–winning show team’s creative process. The Art of Ooo traces series creator Pendleton Ward’s early influences and work, then reveals how the writers, storyboarders, animators, and voice actors work in tandem to bring this wildly inventive series to life.
When I heard that “Adenture Time” was goign to be getting a companion book from Abrams, I knew that we were going to be in for a real treat. This book includes some great early character sketches, background paintings and rare glimpses into the series’ show bible. It is a real visual guide to this show along with commentary from all the show’s key creative talent throughout. If you are just getting into this show or a fan from day 1, you will not be disappointed by this book, no question.
If you are going to get an author to do a book about a weird animated series, you have to get someone that understand’s weird and strange animation. Chris McDonnell has designed books on amazing and very unique animators like Ralph Bakshi and Bill Plympton and to me that sums up the definition of what is needed here. Plus too this book off with an outstanding introduction by Guillermo del Toro (“Hellboy”) and you have a guaranteed hit. I hope Abrams have future books planned for this series!