The Art of Cars (Hardcover)

~ Suzanne Fitzgerald Wallis (Author), (Author), John Lasseter (Foreword) "From the beginning everyone at Pixar called the new film project Cars..." (more)
Key Phrases: super slab, test rides, motor city, Bob Pauley, Jay Shuster, Bill Cone (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

In the tradition of the smash hits Toy Story, A Bug's Life, Toy Story 2, Monsters, Inc., Finding Nemo, and The Incredibles comes the newest film from Pixar Animation Studios, Cars, the story of a race car who learns that it's not all about the fast lane. (In fact, life begins at the off-ramp.) Offering an insider's view into the artistic development of Cars, this gorgeously illustrated book celebrates the whimsical yet painstaking research that fueled Pixar's directors, production designers, and artists. Fascinating storyboards, full-color pastels, on-the-road snapshots, and hundreds of character sketches reveal the origins of Pixar's charming and clever automobile-based world. Gleaned from the team's trips to racetracks and down the famed Route 66, The Art of Cars is as colorful as its memorable story and characters, making this book -- the only movie tie-in for adults -- a spirited ride down the road of a masterful animated feature film.

About the Author

Michael Wallis is the Pulitzer Prize–nominated author of six books on the Southwest and is widely considered the authority on Route 66, the Mother Road. He served as a creative consultant and voice talent for Cars. Suzanne Fitzgerald Wallis is co-author of Songdog Diary: 66 Stories from the Road and co-editor of Greetings from the Mother Road: Route 66 Postcards. She and her husband, Michael, live in Tulsa, Oklahoma. John Lasseter is a founding member and executive vice president of creative of Pixar Animation Studios. A two-time Academy Awardt–winner, he executive produced Monsters, Inc., Finding Nemo, and The Incredibles, and directed Toy Story, A Bug's Life, Toy Story 2, and Cars.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 160 pages
• Publisher: Chronicle Books (May 4, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0811849007
• ISBN-13: 978-0811849005
• Product Dimensions: 11.3 x 9.1 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.5 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (20 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #76,206 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Nice, August 25, 2006

By	Robert J. Stotz "Living Stone Arts" (Chicago, IL USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Quality pastel renders par usual with this art of something Pixar. The color theory alone in this book is worth every penny. Great stuff to continue to inspire us fellow artists. One regret, they need to start putting some of the 3-D stills in the book since their work is unlike anything else out there. Overall, a must buy for the artist reference library.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The story of a movie from concept to artwork, August 16, 2006

By	John Matlock "Gunny" (Winnemucca, NV) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

The new animated movie CARS comes at you all finished and complete. This is how it came about.

John Lasseter, founder and VP of Pixar, director of the movie talks about how tired he was after nine straight years of directing Pixar's first three feature films. So he, wife and their five boys loaded themselves in an RV, dipped their feet into the Pacific ocean and headed east with the intent of dipping their feet into the Atlantic. One day in North Carolina they were eating a taco. Yes, a taco in a fast food place. A taco in the home of barbecue. So they left immediately and found where the locals go for barbecue. Once there he realized that there is a world in America outside of the fast food chains. There's a history, a culture that exists in this country. He eventually got back to California, walked into the studio and said, 'Let's make our car movie.'

The book starts with that. It is the path from 'Let's make our car movie,' to the showing at the theater. It's the story development. It's the sketches as they develop what these cars, signs, scenery, and story are all about. It's a fascinating view into the inside of a movie.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Art of Cars, July 5, 2006

By	D. Cloud "Route 66 Roadie" (Georgia) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I think this is one of the best illustrated books I've ever bought and read. I received the book before seeing the movie, so I was anxious to see if the movie followed the book. It does and it's most helpful to see how the movie came about. The illustrations in the book are of such quality that it is comparable to any coffee table book I own, and those are many. The artist' drawings are exceptional quality. I was impressed to see how many years went into making the movie and the book told the complete process of consultants, writers, etc. that were consulted to make sure of the movie's authenticity as well as appeal to both children and adults. Michael and Suzanne Fitzgerald Wallis certainly nailed Route 66 in the book and therefore was presented in the movie with much detail. Having driven Route 66, I recognized many of the buildings, landscapes, etc. depicted in the movie. Had I not ever driven Route 66, the book and thus the movie, would have made me want to see the amazing part of Route 66 located in the Southwest so well presented. Again, anyone wanting to own a beautiful book of illustrations, as well as reading how a movie is made, needs to get the book, The Art of Cars. It'll make you want to see the movie and motor West getting your Kicks on Route 66.