The Art of Gravity Falls
During Rob’s early years in the Chicago suburbs, Disney cartoons rarely aired on TV. Syndicated television fed Rob daily doses of Popeye, Bugs Bunny, and Mighty Mouse. But that more famous mouse and all his friends were absent from Rob’s cartoon diet. Of course, this made him hunger for them even more.
Luckily, he had a cousin who collected Disney animation art books. Whenever Rob visited, he would carefully crack open one of these treasured tomes. Inside were multiple still frames from classic Mickey Mouse cartoons, presented like the panels of a comic book. The books also revealed the ingredients that made such thrilling images possible: characters, props, and backgrounds. Some were roughly penciled, some were smoothly inked, and some were lushly painted. The books illuminated the creative process that brought Rob’s favorite cartoons to life. And he wanted nothing more than to contribute to that creative process when he grew up.
Having done just that, Rob now knows that creating cartoons is even more complex than it appeared in those glossy art books. Making an animated series can be messy, with false starts and dead ends. It may take a hundred sketches before the final design for a new character is perfected. It always takes multiple script revisions and storyboards to produce each episode. Sometimes it seems an idea is fatally flawed, but then, through artistic collaboration, solutions emerge.
The Art of Gravity Falls tells the true, unvarnished story of the chaotic, crazy, but ultimately rewarding creation of a modern cartoon. Don’t worry, it also has plenty of characters, props, and backgrounds roughly penciled, smoothly inked, or lushly painted. Plus tons of behind-the-scenes images never before seen outside of the Disney Television Animation studio.
Rob was inspired to pursue a career in animation by his cousin’s art books. Hopefully, The Art of Gravity Falls will spur the next generation of budding artists to create new cartoon shows for the world to enjoy.
“It’s not just a ‘making-of’ book; it’s an invitation to go create something equally weird. It’s high-quality, dense with info, and feels like a genuine gift to the fans rather than a cheap cash-in. Definitely worth the shelf space.” — Screenwise
“The Art of Gravity Falls is a keepsake celebration of the incredible artists behind the beloved series, a blueprint for creatives who want to turn their own ideas into animated worlds, and an ideal gift for fans of the Disney animated series and for students, animators, artists, and collectors.” — Amazon