Here Are 5 Animation Books To Look For This Fall
As the leaves start to fall, a wealth of new books about animation will grace stores’ shelves. We’ve picked five that look promising — this is by no means a complete list of forthcoming titles.
As if Disney’s summer run of mega-releases wasn’t enough, fans of the studio will be treated to two new tomes: one about a Mickey Mouse-starring film from 1947, another about the female artists who have worked at the company through the ages.
Meanwhile, the forthcoming features Klaus and The Addams Family will each get an art book from Animation Magazine editor Ramin Zahed, who’s something of a specialist in the art-of book category. Branching out beyond films, Kristian Moen has produced an academic history of New York’s broader animation culture in 1939–40. Read on for official synopses and release details…
The Making of Walt Disney’s Fun and Fancy Free
by J.B. Kaufman
The behind-the-scenes story of Walt Disney’s Fun and Fancy Free, a 1947 “package feature” composed of two different stories, Bongo and Mickey and the Beanstalk. Both were originally planned as separate feature-length films in the early 1940s; both were shelved during the war and resumed production in 1946, then combined in a single colorful package with animation by some of the all-time great Disney animators. Here is the full story of the film, profusely illustrated with sketches, paintings, and photos, many never previously published.
Released on September 18. Pre-order at Stuart Ng Books.
The Queens of Animation
by Nathalia Holt
From Snow White to Moana, from Pinocchio to Frozen, the animated films of Walt Disney Studios have moved and entertained millions. But few fans know that behind these groundbreaking features was an incredibly influential group of women who fought for respect in an often ruthless male-dominated industry and who have slipped under the radar for decades.
In The Queens of Animation, bestselling author Nathalia Holt tells their dramatic stories for the first time, showing how these women infiltrated the boys’ club of Disney’s story and animation departments and used early technologies to create the rich artwork and unforgettable narratives that have become part of the American canon. As the influence of Walt Disney Studios grew — and while battling sexism, domestic abuse, and workplace intimidation — these women also fought to transform the way female characters are depicted to young audiences.
With gripping storytelling, and based on extensive interviews and exclusive access to archival and personal documents, The Queens of Animation reveals the vital contributions these women made to Disney’s Golden Age and their continued impact on animated filmmaking, culminating in the record-shattering Frozen, Disney’s first female-directed full-length feature film.
Released on October 22. Pre-order on Amazon.
The Art of the Addams Family
by Ramin Zahed
The official art book for the animated movie The Addams Family. Based on the famous New Yorker creations of Charles Addams, this animated action-comedy will follow the Addams family — parents Gomez and Morticia, children Wednesday and Pugsley, Uncle Fester, Grandma, Cousin It, faithful butler Lurch, and helping hand Thing — whose lives begin to unravel when they face off against a crafty reality-tv host while also preparing for their extended family to arrive for a major celebration, Addams-style. This companion book is full of concept designs, storyboards, and production art, alongside insight from the artists, filmmakers, and directors.
Released on October 29. Pre-order on Amazon.
New York’s Animation Culture: Advertising, Art, Design, and Film, 1939-1940
by Kristian Moen
This book reveals and explores the thriving animation culture in midtown Manhattan, the World’s Fair, art galleries, and cinemas during a vibrant period of artistic, commercial and industrial activity in New York City. Alongside a detailed investigation of animated film at the time — ranging from the abstract works of Mary Ellen Bute and Norman McLaren to the exhibition practices of the Disney Studios and the New York World’s Fair — New York’s Animation Culture examines a host of other animated forms, including moving dioramas, illuminated billboards, industrial displays, gallery exhibitions, mobile murals, and shop windows.
In this innovative microhistory of animation, Moen combines the study of art, culture, design, and film to offer a fine-grained account of an especially lively animation culture that was seen as creating new media, expanding the cinema experience, giving expression to utopian dreams of modernity, and presenting dynamic visions of a kinetic future.
Released on November 16. Pre-order on Amazon.
Klaus: The Art of the Movie
by Ramin Zahed
With a foreword by James Baxter, Klaus: The Art of the Movie will explore the production of Netflix’s first original animated movie about a young, lowly Scandinavian postman named Jesper who gets the chance to make his mark when he’s tasked with bringing the postal service to a contentious village in the cold north, where he meets a mysterious, white-bearded toymaker named Klaus. The book will explore the film’s innovative approach to lighting and shadows in a 2d film, and also includes pre-production artwork and pitch materials.
Released on November 19. Pre-order on Amazon.
