Contest: Win a Copy of the Art of Tim Burton!

Courtesy of our network site www.legionsofgotham.org

Who brings you the best giveaways around?  The Legion Fan Network! Thats right!  Legions of Gotham, www.BookLegion.com and Toy Legion have teamed with www.TimBurton.com to give away copies of the new hardcover book ‘The Art of Tim Burton’.  This $70 masterpiece includes over 400 pages of original Tim Burton artwork, including works from his development of Batman and Batman Returns!

The book will only be available online at www.TimBurton.com or www.Steelespublishing.com!  You have your chance to win one of two copies of the standard edition being given away by Legions of Gotham and our network site www.ToyLegion.com !  Also, watch for our review of both the Standard and Deluxe editions of this great new book.

How do you enter?  Simply email us legionsofgotham.org at gmail.com.  In the subject put “Tim Burton” and in the email let us know your favorite Tim Burton film.  We will verify with your address that you are subscribed to our email list here on the blog (you can sign up on the right-hand side of your screen), so be sure to do that!  Good luck.

You must be over the age of 13 to enter.  One winner will be selected from www.legionsofgotham.org and one winner will be selected from www.toylegion.com.  Each winner will recieve a free copy of the Art of Tim Burton standard edition book.  The contest will run until the end of 2009, winners will be notified via email.

Stanard Edition – $69.99

Deluxe Edition – $299

The Art of Tim Burton Book Review

The Art of Tim Burton Book Review

Released by: Steele’s Publishing

Our Take: We love Tim Burton.  Not in an admire his artwork from afar way..no, nothing that sane.  I mean we LOVE Tim Burton.  He is an absolute artistic genius and our fanboy cups runneth over with this new Art of Tim Burton book release.  The director of such legenary films as Batman, Batman Returns, Beetlejuice, Sweeney Todd and more, Burton has created production art and personal artwork over the years and this collection has to be an enormous portion of that.  When you get an art book its generally a sampling.  This book feels more like an ultimate portfolio.

The contents include production art from Edward Scissorhands, Batman, Batman Returns, The Nightmare Before Xmas and other films.  It also has a huge majority of original Burton art.
The book is heavy..and when I mean heavy I mean it weighs in at over 8lbs!  The Standard Edition comes hardcover bound, while the Deluxe Edition is slightly different in design with a hardcover slipcase included.  The Deluxe Edition also includes an autographed lithograph and are hand-signed by Tim Burton.  I know there is a huge divide in cost between the Standard and Deluxe Editions..we’ re talking like $230 worth of divide, but its well worth the extra cost for any serious Tim Burton fan.

Product Details: For the first time ever a comprehensive look at the personal and project artwork of Tim Burton.

Standard Edition: Hardcover with over 1000 illustrations and 430 pages plus foldouts.
Deluxe Edition: Hardcover with cloth slipcase, Hand signed inside cover, Includes numbered and individually signed lithograph – ready for framing, not folded.

The Art of Tim Burton is the definitive compilation of forty years of Tim Burton’s artistry, including film concepts and hundreds of illustrations from his personal archives, edited under the creative guidance of Burton himself. This comprehensive 434 page book is grouped into thirteen chapters that examine common themes in Burton’s work, from his fascination with clowns to his passion for misunderstood monsters, to his delight in the oddities of people. Many of Burton’s friends and collaborators offer their thoughts, insights and anecdotes about Tim Burton’s style and artistic approach to life.

Artwork from the following films and projects are included in this book: Alice in Wonderland (2010), Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (2007), Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and Corpse Bride (both 2005), Big Fish (2003), Planet of the Apes (2001), Sleepy Hollow, (1999), Mars Attacks! (1996), Ed Wood (1994), The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993), Batman Returns (1992), Edward Scissorhands (1990), Family Dog (1987), Batman (1989), Beetlejuice (1988), Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure (1985), Frankenweenie (1984), Vincent (1982), and Hansel & Gretel (1982). The book also contains additional drawings from his illustrated book of poetry The Melancholy Death of Oyster Boy & Other Stories (1997), and from The World of Stainboy web shorts (2000).

Text By: Leah Gallo, Design by: Holly Kempf, Edited by: Derek Frey, Leah Gallo & Holly Kempf

*PLUS*
Personal text contributions by friends and fellow creatives including:
Allison Abbate, Colleen Atwood, John August, Rick Baker, Helena Bonham Carter, Felicity Dahl, Johnny Depp, Danny Devito, Danny Elfman, Carlos Grangel, Ray Harryhausen, Martin Landau, Rick Heinrichs, Christopher Lee, Lindsay Macgowan, Shane Mahan, Ian Mackinnon, Alex Mcdowell, Victoria Price, Ken Ralston, Paul Reubens, Deep Roy, Winona Ryder, and Richard Zanuck.

The Art of Tim Burton will not be sold in bookstores or on amazon.com.
In the US it is available online only at steelespublishing.com and www.TimBurton.com!
Quantities are limited – order your copy today!

In Europe and the United Kingdom The Art of Tim Burton Standard and Deluxe Editions are available from Forbidden Planet London and may be ordered by clicking here or visiting the store.

Standard Edition: $69.99

 









Deluxe Edition – $299

The Art of the Disney Princess Book Review

 









Book Legion continues our Holiday Gift Guide with  The Art of the Disney Princess Hardcover book from Disney Editions

You can purchase this book today on Amazon.com

Product Description: Every little girl has a favorite Disney Princess–and for that matter, every grown-up girl, too! In The Art of the Disney Princess, Disney artists, designers, illustrators, and animators from around the world have re-imagined their favorite princesses and portrayed them in a variety of mediums. 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.

Our Recommendations: The Art of the Disney Princess is a great coffee table style book that offers various artist interpretations of the Disney Princesses.   At first we thought it might be production art from the Princess films, but we were pleasantly surprised to find all of these unique and beautiful works inside.    It could be a girlfriend, wife or daughter..this would make a fantastic gift for all ages.

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Walt Disney Animation Studios – The Archive Series: Animation Hardcover Book Review

The Book Legion Holiday Gift Guide continues with the Walt Disney Animation Studios – The Archive Series: Animation Hardcover Book!
 

You can purchase this book on Amazon.com today

Product Description: With an introduction by John Lasseter-and very little else in the way of words-this second book in The Artist Series lavishly showcases the most brilliant animation created by such luminaries as Ub Iwerks, Norm Ferguson, Ben Sharpsteen, Hamilton Luske, Dick Huemer, Grim Natwick, Art Babbitt, Fred Moore, Bill Tytla, Frank Thomas, Ollie Johnston, Milt Kahl, Marc Davis, John Lounsbery, Ward Kimball, Eric Larson, Les Clark, Wolfgang Reitherman, John Sibley, Bill Justice, Clyde Geronimi, Ted Berman, Glen Keane, Andreas Deja, Eric Goldberg, Mark Henn and Tony Bancroft. The artwork-much of which has never before been published-offers the opportunity to marvel at the those magical lines of pencil that brought life to so many unforgettable Disney characters. Animation represents a rare opportunity to enjoy a glimpse into the truly spectacular trove of treasures from the Walt Disney Animation Research Library.

Our recommendations: This hardcover book is an absolute masterpiece.  From the moment we opened it up we knew it was perfect for the holiday gift guide.  We’re huge fans of animation…and most certainly of Disney animation.  This book is just cover to cover animation cels, sketches, line drawings etc.  Its absolutely beautiful and would make a very classy Xmas gift.

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Limited Edition: The Art of Star Wars: the Clone Wars Hardcover Book Review

 









Holiday Gift Guide: the Art of Star Wars: the Clone Wars Hardcover Book

You can purchase this book online today

Product Description: The Art of Star Wars®: The Clone Wars™ — The imaginations and passions of a whole new generation of Star Wars fans have been ignited by The Clone Wars—the new animated TV series from Lucasfilm; over 8 million viewers tuned in to watch the series’ debut on Cartoon Network. This richly illustrated book is the only publication about the art and making of the popular series, giving fans a behind-the-scenes look at the immensely talented Lucasfilm Animation team and its groundbreaking work.

The Limited Edition of The Art of Star Wars: The Clone Wars is adorned with exclusive cover art by Russell Chong, Lucasfilm Animation artist, in the tradition of legendary Star Wars illustrator Ralph McQuarrie, and comes with 3 gatefolds and a special vellum envelope containing 8 full-sized pieces of new art from the series designers.

Frank Parisi is an editor at Lucasfilm and has written dozens of articles about video games, film, comics, music, and Star Wars under a half-dozen nom de plumes.

Gary Scheppke is design and continuity coordinator at Lucasfilm Animation.

Dave Filoni realized a lifelong dream with the opportunity to work as supervising director on Lucasfilm Animation’s Star Wars: The Clone Wars.

Our take: We are taking a look today at the Chronicle books limited edition version of this title with a slipcase and an envelope full of 8 prints in the back.  The slipcase is a nice hardcover design that well protects the book inside.  I’m a fan of the Clone Wars show, in fact it re-ignited my interest in Star Wars after the ‘prequels’ drove a nail in that coffin.  The Clone Wars animated show is fantastic and it really captures what Star Wars is all about.  This art book serves as a fantastic companion piece to the first season.
The artwork includes production drawings, backround paintings, character development and so much more.   The title also includes many fold out pages that really add a sense of depth and quality.    Its so much fun for me to look at character development and sketch work as a big fan of animation.

You don’t have to be a Star Wars fantatic to enjoy this book.  If you know someone who likes this show even casually, this would be a great gift for them.  Of course any serious Star Wars fan that you know would love to get their mits on it.  If you don’t want to drop the $120 on this great version, there is a standard edition available as well, for about half that price.  We highly recommend this one.

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Starting Point 1979-1996 Book Review!

Starting Point 1979-1996 Book Review!



You can purchase this amazing book online today

Synopsis: The book will cover the first-half of Miyazaki’s legendary career, during which he rose from humble beginnings to create some of the most seminal animated features ever made, including Nausicaä Of The Valley Of The Wind, Castle In The Sky, My Neighbor Totoro, Kiki’s Delivery Service and Porco Rosso, as well as his launch of Studio Ghibli. A fitting introduction is offered by John Lasseter, the Chief Creative Officer at Pixar and Walt Disney. Ponyo is Miyazaki’s newest feature film and will be released by Walt Disney in North America this August.

Hayao Miyazaki is one of the world’s most beloved animation directors. In September 2005 he was awarded the Venice International Film Festival’s Golden Lion Award for Lifetime Achievement, and his Studio Ghibli received the Festival’s Osella Award for overall achievement in 2004. His notable films include Spirited Away, winner of the 2002 Academy Award^® for Best Animated Feature Film, as well as Princess Mononoke and Howl’s Moving Castle, all of which have received tremendous acclaim in the U.S. Miyazaki’s other achievements include the highly regarded manga series NAUSICAä OF THE VALLEY OF THE WIND, which is also published domestically by VIZ Media (rated ‘T’ for Teens). VIZ Media also publishes many other Hayo Miyazaki books including the for CASTLE IN THE SKY, HOWL’S MOVING CASTLE, SPIRITED AWAY, PRINCESS MONONOKE and more. VIZ Media also publishes many of Hayo Miyazaki’s beautiful and engaging Art Books and Picture Books.

“Hayao Miyazaki is known and loved around the world for his imaginative films that continue to delight children and adults,” says Gonzalo Ferreyra, Vice President, Sales & Marketing for VIZ Media. “STARTING POINT presents, in Miyazaki’s own words, his philosophies towards life, his work, the animation industry both in Japan and abroad, and his creative inspirations and motivations. He also offers lots of stories, many of them quite humorous, which show the extent of his complete dedication to animated film and the people with whom he works. We invite fans to enjoy this chronicle of the life of a man whose own dreams have come true.”

In the first two decades of his career, filmmaker Hayao Miyazaki laid the groundwork for his legendary movies. STARTING POINT is a collection of essays, interviews, and memoirs that go back to the roots of Miyazaki’s childhood, the formulation of his theories of animation, and the founding of Studio Ghibli. Before directing such acclaimed films as Spirited Away, Miyazaki was just another salaried animator, but with a vision of his own. Follow him as he takes his first steps on the road to success, experience his frustrations with the manga and animation industries that often suffocate creativity, and realize the importance of bringing the childhood dreams of the world to life.

Review: Starting Point is a book that I really anticipated reading.  I’m a fan of animation and one of the most brilliant and respected directors in all of animation (not just anime) is Hayao Miyazaki!  You know him from his major films, many of which have been released in the United States.  They include ‘Spirited Away’ and ‘Howl’s Moving Castle’.   I think that without a doubt the most memorable Miyazaki film for me and my own children was ‘Kiki’s Delivery Service’, a coming of age tale for a young witch.

The book starting point is most definately a thick read.  It has little for pictures and is a very standard hardcover book.   It chronicles the personal thoughts and life experiences of Miyazaki as he worked seemingly endless hours on his passions and basically missed out on the lives of his own children.    We get a glimpse into the psyche of Miyazaki with his politics, religion and personal essays.

The book includes a forward by Pixar animation legend John Lasseter (Toy Story).   This is truly a great, since Lasseter is easily the other most respected modern animation talent.    I can think of no other person that would be worth to forward this fantastic retrospective.

If you’re a fan of anime or just animation in general you will find this book a good read.  If you’re already a fan of Miyazaki then you will find this book insightful and enlightening.  Its a rare look inside this talented man’s mind.  You can’t miss out on this one!

Capstone Kids Batman Book Series Review!

Book Review: Stone Arch Books Batman Series!



Courtesy of our network site www.legionsofgotham.org

The Legions of Gotham offices have a great big stack of books sitting in ‘em.  Its these cool new books by Stone Arch Books.   And get this..they’re done in the Timmverse ‘New Batman Adventures’ style of artwork!   How long has it been since we’ve gotten new merchandise in this style?   I can’t even remember.  All I can say is its about time!

The stories are fun.  They are geared more towards kids…but then so are all of those golden books in my collection, lol.  I have read a few of these to my own children and they loved ‘em!  We have pics of the interiors of a few of these titles below.

The cost for these is around $6 at retail for softback.  Also featured in this interview is series 2 of these titles all in the library binding, which runs closer to $20 each.   Capstone and Stone Arch books already had 6 titles out and they’re releasing 6 more great ones this fall!

Legions of Gotham highly recommends these for parents and collectors!  You can find out more about these titles and purchase them on their official website www.CapstonePress.com

Some Interior Pics:

Here are a few pics to show the scale of the books:

The Softcover Series One:

The DC Vault Book Review

 





The DC Vault: A Museum-in-a-Book with Rare Collectibles from the DC Universe by Running Press

Written by Martin Pasko

Purchase this book today on Amazon.com HERE>>

Synopsis:  In 1935, popular culture was forever transformed when DC Comics published the first book of “all new, all original” comic material. To the delight of millions of readers everywhere, the modern comic book was born, and from its pages came leaping an exhilarating cast of characters.

Now The DC Vault unlocks DC Comics’ most fascinating secrets and deeply buried treasures, presenting a colorful array of historic and never-before-published memorabilia, including early sketches, covers, memos, press materials, and much more. From a working reproduction of a 1942 Junior Justice Society of America decoder, to a series of Public Service Announcements starring Superman and Batman, to the original pencils and inks for Wonder Woman #63, this dazzling chronicle contains more than 25 plastic-encased archival pieces for readers to pull out and examine—all while learning about the artists, writers, and world-famous super heroes that make up the DC Universe. Whether you’ve been collecting Superman comics since the ’40s or have just discovered the amazing Sandman saga, you’ll revel in this vibrant treasury!

Review: Nothing is quite so magical as history.  It shows us where we’ve been and where we have yet to go.  With the DC Vault book Running Press has provided DC Comics fans with a classy and worthwhile representation of Dc history.

The trip through history is made ever so fun with props, postcards and cut outs from the past decades of Dc Comics history.  Many of these are items you’d never otherwise see, and the book is full of tidbits and stories from the eras gone by.   The golden and silver ages of comics are something that fans treasure and this book is an essential for any serious comic book fan.

This set is so magnificent that you’ll want to leave it on the coffee table as a discussion piece.  Beware of your children, though!  The fun colors, images and cut outs in the book will serve as a tempting target for trouble!   Keep this one on a high shelf and resist the temptation to let your children play with it…unless you can afford to buy two copies!

Rating: 5 out of 5 bats!

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