Cool Ass Cinema Book Reviews: Crood Caveman Edition!

THE ART OF THE CROODS

By Noela Hueso

178 pages; hardcover; color; 1st edition 2013

Scattered throughout the near 180 pages are dozens of concept drawings and lush imagery showing the gradual  evolution of the characters from the artists pencil to the silver screen.

As a kid growing up I had a fascination with dinosaurs and literally anything of a prehistoric nature -- whether that be in research books, movies, cartoons, or comic books. Now there's a family oriented animated feature from Dreamworks entitled THE CROODS. The visual compendium -- out from Titan Books in a hardcover edition March 26th -- is by Noela Hueso, a former editor of The Hollywood Reporter and a passionate admirer of animation. She's demonstrates this admiration in this, her first book.

If you've seen the film, or are interested in it, The Art of the Croods is a detailed dissection of every character seen in the film. Chapters also entail the various environments of this prehistoric world created by the talented hands at the Dreamworks factory. 

Scattered throughout the near 180 pages are dozens of concept drawings and lush imagery showing the gradual  evolution of the characters from the artists pencil to the silver screen. Anecdotes from the character designers themselves are also included among the text for additional information regarding the creation of the Crood world.

Of particular interest is a chapter titled 'Anatomy of a Scene' where the steps taken in creating an animated sequence are laid out in visual detail on the page.

The book is loaded with splash pages showcasing the vibrant colors found in the picturesque designs of the Crood world surroundings. If you've an interest in art or animation, especially if you liked the movie, this book is viable purchase for a fan. Nicolas Cage (the voice of Grug) provides a Foreword.

The book can be pre-ordered (it's available for purchase March 26th) through amazon HERE.

You can read more on the book at Titan's website HERE.

And also check out this interesting post at the Titan Books Blog regarding THE CROODS and Stonehenge HERE.