The Art of Futurama: A Visual History of Matt Groening’s Cult Classic Animated Series Hardcover – November 12, 2024

This was a very entertaining read and gives the background to the artistic work. You can tell that the team really has a lot of fun creating Futurama. Even better that I got it on sale.

Great for this Futurama fan! High quality pages too.

This is my first book from this publisher, but it's everything I was hoping for. The commentary is excellent, seeing the drawings as they evolved, colorized and how it all came together keeps me going thru it every couple of weeks. Any fan of Futurama will surely be happy with this book.

If you like Futurama this is a book YOU NEED! It goes into all the production & design ideas, from characters to environments to episodes, this has info on everything! Nice landscaped format hardcover book, comes with Mylar envelope & colored cel/actetate dust jacket! Really great book! You won’t regret it!

A great look into the thought that went into the creation of the characters and world of Futurama.

This is a top quality hard cover book displaying all the artistic iterations concerning development of nearly every character in the long history of the Futurama series. Also included are lots of text featuring fascinating perspectives on the histories of the show and character development from the various creators, including the originator, Matt Groening. If you are a Futurama fan, or a budding cartoonist, I highly recommend this book.

I always thought Futurama was simple and fun! However, after reading this book, I now understand that beneath its apparent simplicity lies an entire universe of complex experience, research, innovation, hard work, and talent.★★★★☆ ArtUnlike many other artbooks that rely heavily on production stills, this one is 90% sketchbook and finalized line art designs—a rare and delightful find. You'll not only discover the initial designs for all the main characters but also learn how to draw them. Each curve and line in the characters' designs is intentional, contributing to their unique personalities.The book also features three fold-out sections: New New York's buildings and junkyard, the Nimbus ship in orbit, and the Planet Express. While these offer detailed designs for enthusiasts, I didn’t find them particularly necessary, as there’s little in them that demands close study.★★★★☆ TextThe story of Futurama's creation is a joy to read. The book is divided into a few intros and nine chapters, each featuring two pages of text that include quotes from interviews with the show’s creators about their memories of its production. Additionally, there’s a wealth of quotes accompanying the images.I especially enjoyed learning how the team found inspiration for New New York by purchasing reference books in New York City bookstores. The integration of 3D and 2D animation—which was revolutionary at the time—is also well-documented.However, the advertised Futurama episode guide feels redundant. It offers nothing beyond episode titles and omits seasons 8 and 9 entirely, with no explanation given for their exclusion.★★★★☆ Book DesignThe book's design features a creative transparent front cover case, a landscape layout, well-placed text and images, and a large, easy-to-read font. The page numbers are conveniently placed at the center of the page edge, making navigation effortless.Despite its strengths, I still feel the fold-outs are unnecessary and could have been omitted without any loss of value.★★★★★ PriceThis book offers excellent quality for its price! Released in November 2024, it’s available as of January 2025 for $25. To paraphrase one of Futurama's opening chyron jokes (the texts below the show's logo at the beginning of each episode): "If you don’t buy it, someone else will."★★★★☆ Overall ImpressionsIt took me two relaxed sessions to fully read this book, and I can confidently say it’s impossible to get bored with it (or is that just nostalgia talking?). The hundreds of well-crafted line art illustrations of characters, assets, and backgrounds showcase the creators’ immense talent.The accompanying text is both engaging and informative, and the early sketches of the main characters provide a fascinating narrative of their development.That said, I was left wanting more. At 176 pages, the book feels a bit short, especially since it doesn’t include a single chapter dedicated to seasons 8 and 9, which aired after a ten-year hiatus.Nevertheless, The Art of Futurama is an excellent addition to any home library or a thoughtful gift for fans who grew up watching this iconic show in the late 1990s and 2000s.

Absolutely awesome book I couldn’t be happier!