Disney Books

[Squirrel]

Can I pose this question/thread here, in main? Or does it belong in off-topic? Anyway, does anyone else collect the various Disney books, like the "Art Of" books? Or others...

I say this because I love their art books, for one, and am grateful they put them out. I have the ones for Lilo & Stitch, Finding Nemo, and Brother Bear (and will certainly be getting the one for Home on the Range next spring). They're very beautiful, a lot of care put into them, and each one is unique in presentation and feel...much like how each of the films are unique.

The Lilo book has a non-hard cover (but sturdy enough) and consists of stories, little funny anecdotes from all the key members that brought the movie to life. It fits with the whimsical, warm feeling of the movie. Finding Nemo is more about the process of finding the characters and settings, the look and feel, while the Brother Bear book is largely about the difficulties and rewards of creating the story. They're all lovely...with their art work, stills, storyboards, and words from those involved.

Today I got another one, but a general one, called Disney: The Ultimate Visual guide. It's a DK book and really nice (I got it for 20 dollars at Borders), with information about the studio's history, all of the films, with color pictures on every page (from Snow White up to Home on the Range; though this must've been printed a year ago, about, because while it includes three or four images from Lilo & Stitch and some from Brother Bear and Range, it refers to Brother Bear as being tentatively titled "Bears."). It doesn't go into super detail, but outlines most of the films and events...really nice, for a Disney fan.

I also, because it was adorable and I used to read books like that all the time when I was younger, got the Little Golden Book of Brother Bear. The style of the illustrations there is a throw-back, almost, to earlier styles in Little Golden Books. It's not much, but it's sweet.

Anyone else collect/like Disney books? They're great compliments to the film, I think.

[akhenaten]

i too collect the art of books.some the coffee table versions while some just the miniature ones. i must say buying the books is a much more costly investment than buying dvds..which is still expensive.considering i only buy the imported ones.

i stopped buying the art of books post fantasia2000. was disappointed that there werent any for TENG and the fact that those books have now become nothing more than a promotion channel for disney. it used to be packed with insights but after a while it just gets the same...full of stills u can get by just pausing the dvds. the best art of books to me have to be the art of pocahontas and the art of hercules..oh btw the nightmare before xmas one is really good too. i also have the art of walt disney..well i have many actually...filling half a huge shelf.

all in all...nothing beats looking at the beautiful artworks than by seeing it on paper.no matter how many galleries put into a special edition dvd, it just doesnt work the same magic as books.

maybe ill buy the brother bear art book. it seems promising.

[Squirrel]

i must say buying the books is a much more costly investment than buying dvds..

I agree, somewhat. The art books for the Pixar movies are about $40, and the one for Fantasia 2000 (which I don't have; but I looked it up on Amazon.com) seemed expensive, but lately, like with the art books for Lilo & Stitch and Brother Bear (and I think Treasure Planet, though I didn't get that one), they're only priced at about $20...for me, anyway, at the Borders or Barnes and Noble bookstores...

So the more recent ones have been about the same price as the DVD's, while still being beautiful books to own. Though the bigger, more epansive books could be more expensive. I saw a Disney poster book that was at least $30...

[Squirrel]

all in all...nothing beats looking at the beautiful artworks than by seeing it on paper.no matter how many galleries put into a special edition dvd, it just doesnt work the same magic as books.

maybe ill buy the brother bear art book. it seems promising.

Yeah. I agree. Seeing the artwork on paper, in books...gives it a certain magic. As for the Brother Bear book, I would recommend it. It's much less "busy" than some of the others. It's a blue hardcover with a brown spine, and it tells a great story about the troubles they had during production, how they came through them, what style they patterned the art after...

A lot of conceptual art in the Brother Bear book (of the Pacific Northwest scenery, of the characters), and some nice stills and sketches, also. It's quite nice.

[wdwleesa]

I have been considering collecting these as well. Do any of you have a list of what has been published? I bought the Brother Bear one and it's great. It made me want to collect all the others.

So far, I know there is one for the Lion King, Lilo & Stitch and Fantasia 2000. How many more are there?

Thanks-

Leesa

[Squirrel]

The Brother Bear one is good.

As for films, I've seen the Lilo & Stitch one at the bookstore, still. I've got that one. Brother Bear, of course. Finding Nemo. I've seen but don't have Monsters, Inc., Treasure Planet...and there's one for Mulan, says Amazon, but it's out of stock. There was one for A Bug's Life, Hercules. Fantasia 2000, yes. I think they started making the Art books (as a perennial tradition) for each film starting with The Lion King or Pocahontas.

But only the newest ones (Lilo, Nemo, Bear, Treasure Planet, and Monsters, Inc.) I've seen on shelves. Art books for other films...might have to be ordered and brought in, by a bookstore, Amazon, or some place...

Aside from the films, there's a poster book (mostly older posters, a few of the newer ones), a visual guide. I've seen a big little book of everything Disney...but I just started collecting them last year. A search on Amazon or Barnes and Noble online or someplace...would probably give a list of them all...

[Decoyplatypus]

The only Disney book I own is The Illusion of Life: Disney Animation by Frank Thomas and Ollie Johnston. I'm sure plenty has already been said about it already, but for the record I would certainly call it an essential tome of knowledge for any Disney enthusiast, film history fanatic, or lover of animation.

[Prince Adam]

I really like the old Wonderful World of Reading books. I think it's so cool to have different stories made up about different Disney characters (eg original stories featuring Snow White, Dumbo, Peter Pan, Mickey, Donald, Uncle Scrooge etc.).
I wish Disney would re-print them all. The format that we watch films on may change again (VHS to LD, to DVD, to HD-DVD) but the format of which we read will never change-books are forever.

[quasi72]

A while ago I posted a message similar to this topic of discussion, regarding Disney Books. I collect them too. All their Disney Art of and any Disney books regarding the insights of animation. Some that I have include:

-Treasure Planet
-Atlantis -illustrated script-
-Lilo + Stitch
-Monsters
-Snow White
-Fantasia
-Fantasia 2000
-Bambi
-Beauty + the Beast
- Aladdin
-Pocahontas
-Hercules
-Tarzan
-Dinosaur

I even have many others, regarding animation and Disney animation, but they include references to many other Disney classics. They're not "monographic" about only one film, such as...
-The Art of Disney
-The Illusion of Life
-Disney Villains
-WD and Europe
-The Disney that never was
-Disney Tontags, Insignia
-Encyclopedia of Disney characters
-SErious business
-Disney Posters
-Goofy the Good sport
-Mickey my life in pictures
-Walt Disney quots
- Remembering Walt
-An american original
-Disney encyclopedia
-The best 100 American cartoons of all time
-WD: the silent age

and right now i cannot think of any more, but I have a ton of them...
I love them. And I learn sooo much w/ each of them.
I still need to get:
-The ARt of Mulan
-The art of Lion King
-Brother Bear.

Oh, and I think it's a shame that we didn't have one for The emperor's new groove... oh, well...