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Hi All! 😊 This is my next Art Book review (after the Art of Arcane), which I am especially happy to do in honour of V4 just coming out, woop woop!!! Please let me know what your favourite episodes / stories are in the tags / notes. My all-time favourite is the Secret War, followed by Sucker of Souls. But then again, I am Bulgarian and grew up on the Balkans in the 90s, so what else would you expect? 😅 I also love all the Three Robots, The Witness, and my heart just goes to both Good Hunting and Jibaro 🖤
I’m structuring the reviews in five key areas, with books earning a palette for each area they score against, with a total of five palettes being the max, and a brush being awarded in areas where a book can only score half a point. As someone from a working-class background who is also neurodivergent, I’m especially mindful how these things can impact the way in which we access information and new knowledge. Of course, if you have any suggestions on what else should be included, please let me know and I’ll be happy to consider this in future too.
Now! Off to the main bit...
Is the book Useful? 🎨
The book starts with a foreword from an author named John Scalzi, who wrote one of the original stories the volumes were inspired by, but if you don’t know who he is, you should most definitely look him up! In the foreword John speaks about how a story changes based on the perception of the person setting it in motion and making it visual, how much MORE there is for it, in the live result in the end. I think these adaptations and the book both, are phenomenal examples of the evolution of words and the power they can have when growing them to a new level and medium, especially when done with the right people. Those being the great people at Blur, who have a long partnership with Riot Games, and recently did Secret Level for Amazon as well. The book goes over how the creators chose Blur, and every other creative who then became part of their dream teams, as well as other projects they’ve contributed on before, and how they landed on the idea of an anthology, matching the right artistic minds to each story. They also explain how the visual language and identity of the series came to be in the graphic design we’ve seen for each episode. Then the book goes onto the different animation styles and techniques put in place for each story, as well as the cinematography and editing processes. The book is well divided, by Volumes, reviewing each episode in that volume (series). The creators explain how the story was adapted, how the characters were designed, and which sub-studio / animation team did the work for it. Some also make mention of design challenges the teams ran through and how they were solved. There are also great displays of some of the sketches, storyboards, character sheets and behind the scenes schematics of each project. As each episode showcases who the people behind it were, and what other projects they have been involved in, the book is almost a version of the yellow pages for people in the game / animation / film / special effects and other industries. Lots of great names to research and follow! Given all of this, I would say that, Yes - the book is definitely useful, regardless if you’re an established artist, a student, a hobbyist, or a fan of the show. There’s a little something for everyone who’s looking for interesting visuals, great stories and understanding how they came to be.
Is the book Engaging? 🎨
The book is structured well and gives enough attention to each episode in order to do it justice. The ideas and imagination behind it are shown in sketches, concept art, animation and effects development, storyboards and scenes from the show itself. The grid system of the book is easy to follow, and the images and photographs are well sized and well combined. It's written in simple English and in a way that allows the personality and thought process of the people behind each episode to shine through. It hits the right balance between history, planning, and creation for each volume without there ever being a chance for the reader to become bored with just too much of the one thing at a time. The text and paragraphs are broken up well into small chunks of information, and there are only about 9 – 14 words per line on average which makes for an easy read also. I think even if you are someone who prefers more colourful and vivid visuals alongside text, this would still be a good balance for you too. So, I would say Yes, the book is engaging as well.
Is the book Accessible? 🎨
As I said, the grid of the book is well defined with about 2-3 columns per page, without them being too narrow. The type is set in a sans serif font, either in black on a white page, or in white on a black page, so there is good contrast, and it makes it easier to read. I have the physical copy of the book, but I find that I don't need a handheld zoom lense as the type seems to be set at a size 11 or 12, which is just right to read for me. The size of the book is 30.23 x 2.67 x 23.88 cm, and it's in a landscape format. That and the fact that it weighs 1.5kg according to my kitchen scale (its 260 pages and hardcover), means that it’s really not the kind of book you can hold in one hand to read, or hold up in bed even with both hands above your face. It’s definitely a tabletop book, so bear that in mind if it is an issue for you. Also, the covers are gloss black, so every single fingerprint and smudge appears on it, as well as on the pages that are black inside, which are a lot, and it doesn’t ever really wipe off even if your hands were clean. Because of all of this, I would say Yes – the book is accessible, especially from the point of view of someone who is neurodivergent and struggles with reading on the regular. If the physical design aspects bother you or if you have special requirements in some areas, then I’d advise you to look at getting the digital version of the book instead.
Is the book Affordable? 🎨
The original price of the book is £35 hardcover brand new (48 USD or 40 EUR), which honestly for the quality and range of the book (Vol 1 – 3, 4 just came out and the book was published some years ago now) is good value for money. I however bought my book second hand on ebay for £20 including the delivery fee, which was much better. Looking at sales, there are still “new” copies for sale at the retail price, but there are also well kept second hand books, going as low as £12 (saw one today on ebay uk). Though as always, prior to purchasing, I’d urge you to see if the book is available from a library near you or if perhaps you can find a digital copy online for free. If all else fails, or if you just want to have a physical copy, please look for a used version first (if you can find a well-kept one) as it will save you some money which could go towards the weekly shop or bills instead. Due to the non-retail prices, I would say that Yes – the book is affordable and can fit within a monthly budget, if you have one, without you having to specifically save money for it over an extended period of time.
Is the book Worth it? 🎨
As you can see, I’ve given a full palette in each area of review. Even though I love the series, I’ve tried to be as objective as possible and consider the book for its merits alone. I loved learning about all the people who were involved in each episode, their creative visions, how and why were they the right ones for the story and the job overall, how they engaged the right animation teams and formats, and how it all came together. Each volume is an indescribable labour of love, for people who may as well be competitors in their industries but have joined forces to make all these stories and characters come to life. Even if I hadn’t seen the show, as a designer and an illustrator, and someone who loved doing filming and animation at university, this book has been a wonderful resource of ideas and inspiration. It is visually rich and compelling, and has the potential of growing your imagination and own visual style if that’s something you are interested in. Due to all of this, I would say that ultimately Yes – the book is worth it.
Three Robots (Love, Death & Robots) (2019)
Sometime in the distant future, after humanity went extinct, a trio of snarky robot friends, XBOT 4000, K-VRC, and 11-45-G, embark on a sightseeing tour of a post-apocalyptic city. They explore numerous different settlements during their journey, including a high school, a diner, an apartment, an electronics store, and a missile silo. Each of these locations have them encountering remnants of human civilization in the form of objects and corpses, while the trio keep trying to wrap their heads around what humans used to be like, where they came from, what they used to do for fun, and why they ultimately ended their existence in the first place.
This episode got a sequel titled "Three Robots: Exit Strategies", also by Scalzi, in the third season.
Godzilla Minus One (2023)
Godzilla has always been a metaphor for the nuclear terror that Japan faced in the wake of Hiroshima, and this film takes an uncompromising look at the emotions and cultural context surrounding that in the aftermath of World War 2; anti-nuclear and anti-war sentiments, apathetic responses from the Americans responsible for the disaster, overwhelming destruction and force from something beyond your control, etc.
