I went to London a couple of weekends ago and visited the Forbidden Planet Megastore. Maybe not the cheapest place on Earth to go shopping, but certainly one of the coolest. I actually didn't know what to spend my money on, since I didn't have that much to spend. Until I found this book, that is.
For those of us who enjoy and practice animation,
Ray Harryhausen is God, pure and simple. He has arguably done more for stop-motion animation and the developement of special effects than any man alive. And he is still alive, thank goodness, though he is now in his eighties. This is the fourth book he's written and the third with Tony Dalton. Now, if you have only even a slight interest in animation, this book is required reading, for it goes into the history of the art of three dimensional animation quite deeply. And it's shockful of images.
My London-based animation and model-making buddy
Roger Todd informed me that Harryhausen (himself a London resident) was going to appear at said store the weekend
after I had been there to sign this book. Which is probably as close to actually meeting by big hero as I'll ever come. But Roger generously offered to buy me a copy to have it signed. I declined, since I already have a signed copy of Harryhausen's book
"An Animated Life" and a signed photo of him with the puppets from
Sinbad and the Eye of the Tiger. But I did write him a letter, which Roger printed out and delivered to the great man. So I'm happy anyway!
For those of us who enjoy and practice animation, Ray Harryhausen is God, pure and simple. He has arguably done more for stop-motion animation and the developement of special effects than any man alive. And he is still alive, thank goodness, though he is now in his eighties. This is the fourth book he's written and the third with Tony Dalton. Now, if you have only even a slight interest in animation, this book is required reading, for it goes into the history of the art of three dimensional animation quite deeply. And it's shockful of images.
My London-based animation and model-making buddy Roger Todd informed me that Harryhausen (himself a London resident) was going to appear at said store the weekend after I had been there to sign this book. Which is probably as close to actually meeting by big hero as I'll ever come. But Roger generously offered to buy me a copy to have it signed. I declined, since I already have a signed copy of Harryhausen's book "An Animated Life" and a signed photo of him with the puppets from Sinbad and the Eye of the Tiger. But I did write him a letter, which Roger printed out and delivered to the great man. So I'm happy anyway!
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