Adventure Time: The Art of Ooo by Chris McDonnell
If you are a follower of my blog then you will be painfully aware of my obsession with the colourful cartoon greatness that is Adventure Time. With a purse, jumper, leggings, a shelf of books and repeated Sunday morning viewings, I’m more than happy to stand up in a room of people and admit to being an addict. That being said, you can probably tell I was pretty excited for Adventure Time The Art of Ooo by Chris McDonnell.
This beautiful, weighty tome starts with a lovingly written introduction from the Hollywood film director, writer and producer Guillermo del Toro:
‘It is a landmark, a watershed, and, above all, it is my favourite flavour in the ice cream bin of our world. And like any good pint of ice cream, you cry puzzling tears of joy while you eat it – because it nourishes you and embraces you and drives you to hope, and because nothing – nothing – can be this good. But it is. ‘ – Guillermo del Toro
Adventure Time: The Art of Ooo tells the tale of creator Pendleton Ward from discovering his passion for animated cartoons, to creating a short of Adventure Time for Nickelodeon and then on through the creative process of how the episodes we know and love have been made. This book contains over 300 pages absolutely packed with sketches, watercolours, storyboards and concept art.
The first thing to strike me when I opened up Adventure Time The Art of Ooo for the first time was the incredible amount of detail that has gone into it and obvious love for the cartoon. The dust jacket’s gorgeous but take it off and you’re met with an equally stunning design straight onto the hardback beneath. Every single page is bursting with Pendleton Ward’s incredibly unique work that will leave you grinning from ear to ear. Obviously Phinn and Jake are a massive part of this book but some of my personal favourite parts are the collections of character concept art, the madcap designs of the weird and wonderful extras that make Adventure Time so individual.
This may go without saying but that wondrous beast that is Christmas is heading our way and if you’re looking for something for an Adventure Time fan, THIS IS IT!
If you enjoyed Adventure Time The Art of Ooo by Chris McDonnell check out my review of The Adventure Time Encyclopedia by Martin Olsen.