The Art of DreamWorks Puss in Boots: The Last Wish
Now that Shrek’s adorable and daring companion has made his triumphant, Oscar-nominated return to the big screen, pull up your boots and stride through the filmmakers’ creative journey with this richly illustrated hardcover. Packed with hundreds of character designs and concept artworks as well as interviews with the film’s writers, artists and helmers, you’ll feel like you’ve found your very own Wishing Star thumbing through these colorful pages. The book is authored by Animation Magazine Editor-in-Chief Ramin Zahed with a foreword from voice star Antonio Banderas and an afterword from DWA President Margie Cohn. [Abrams | $45]
Walt Disney’s Mickey Mouse: The Ultimate History
“I only hope that we never lose sight of one thing ― that it was all started by a mouse.” Thus spake the man behind the mouse that, a century later, is the emblem of one of the world’s greatest entertainment titans. Derived from the XXL 90th anniversary book by historians David Gerstein, J.B. Kaufman and Daniel Kothenschulte, this 496-page whopper brings Mickey’s success story to life with artwork (from the likes of Ub Iwerks, Carl Barks and Fred Moore) and historical photos, chronicling his journey from Steamboat Willie to the 21st century. We also glimpse a might-have-been Mickey through materials for unfinished projects. A must-have for Disney fans and film history buffs. [Taschen | $80 | March 25]
Art of Change in Support of Black Lives
Spurred by multiple headline events of 2020, including the killing of George Floyd, more than 100 artists came together to support the Black community, share their truth and ignite conversation through their artwork. The result is this stunning and emotional hardcover anthology. Across 248 full-color pages, impactful works by talents including animation artists Bryan Turner, Aaron Spurgeon, Aliki Theofilopoulos, Benoit Therriault, Leo Matsuda, Brad Ableson, Michelle Lam, Eusong Lee and Disney icon John Musker offer distinct perspectives on the Black experience in America, both the tragic and the triumphant. [OneWorldWe.com | $50]
Batman: The Doom That Came to Gotham
Enter the chilling and bizarre DC Elseworlds, if you dare! In this adventure, the Caped Crusader faces cosmic horror of Lovecraftian proportions as Bruce Wayne returns to Gotham after a decades-long journey, with a trio of orphans in two. But how will this man of science and clear-eyed justice save the city from the eldritch threats foretold by the Penguin? It’s vigilante wits against the might of the Old Gods in this Warner Bros. Animation caper! [WB | 4K $40, BD $30 | March 28]
Blue Thermal
A university freshman’s dreams of finding romance take a co-pilot seat when she finds herself working off the debt of a damaged glider at the school’s aviation club. But from the first time that the club president takes her up in the air, Tsuru falls in love with the vast beauty of the skies. From Lupin III studio Telecom Animation Film and director Masaki Tachibana, this sparkling adaptation of Kana Ozawa’s hit manga features a stellar Japanese voice cast led by Mayu Hotta, available in North America for the first time. [Eleven Arts/Shout! | BD $20]
Puss in Boots: The Last Wish
After paging through the delicioso art book, take your newfound observations back to the screen to enjoy the blockbuster hit all over again from the comfort of your couch. (Hopefully with a cat or two. Or five. Or several dozen, Mama Luna.) There’s even more fun as well as behind the scenes insights to be had in the set’s fab bonus features, including the new, exclusive short The Trident, deleted scenes, making-of, crafts, commentary and more. [UPHE | 4K $35, BD $25, DVD $20]
— Mercedes Milligan
