The Art of Trolls / Fantastic Beasts

Paper World

The Art of Trolls / Fantastic Beasts

Issue No. 49

Books That Belong On Paper first appeared on the web as Wink Books and was edited by Carla Sinclair. Sign up here to get the issues a week early in your inbox.

THE ART OF TROLLS SHOWCASES HUNDREDS OF PIECES OF CONCEPT AND PRODUCTION ART

The Art of Trolls
by Jerry Schmitz
Cameron + Company
2016, 160 pages, 11.2 x 0.8 x 10.2 inches, Hardcover

Buy on Amazon

Trolls, in their various incarnations, have been collectible for decades. The most popular era for Trolls was undoubtedly the 1990s, when Russ brought them into the limelight again. The Troll theme was so popular that they even found their way to crossovers with Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and the popular Burger King Kids Club characters. Full disclosure, my wife and I collect Trolls, so we’re kinda particular about the subject, so keep that in mind.

The book begins by giving a little history of DreamWorks Trolls, which came out in November 2016, and then goes into little bios about several of the main characters, along with a ton of development art and character expressions for each. Then, the book moves on to explore everything from the lighting, modeling and effects to the various backrounds and settings created for the film. The book is a ton of fun. I managed to read through it without any spoilers and the fantastic artwork is definitely worth checking out. This book is not just a detailed and attractive full-color hardback coffee table book, but it also includes a special fold-out poster in the back that details all the characters of the film.

– Matt MacNabb

QUITE POSSIBLY THE MOST BEAUTIFUL SCRIPT THAT’S EVER BEEN PRODUCED

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them: The Original Screenplay
by J.K. Rowling
Arthur A. Levine Books
2016, 304 pages, 5.9 x 1.2 x 8.7 inches, Hardcover

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There are more readers and writers today thanks to J.K. Rowling. The Harry Potter books instilled a love of reading in kids and adults. The movies brought Rowling’s characters to life, spreading the joy of the series worldwide. Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them: The Original Screenplay has the power to introduce people to reading and appreciating screenplays.

Make no mistake, this is a script. It’s formatted like a script, which could be a bit odd to unfamiliar readers, but what’s wrong with odd? It has jump cuts, high wides, and montages. I’d argue that this is quite possibly the most beautiful script that’s ever been produced. Each page has ornate 1920’s style detailing, and scene breaks have little ink illustrations between the pages. This book about magicians feels magical. There’s also a handy little guide that explains the film terminology you will find throughout.

Don’t read this before watching the film. See the movie, appreciate that for what it is, then read the script. Then for the full experience see the movie again, to see how the script translated onto film. I think that this book can help demystify screenwriting, and possibly inspire a generation of young screenwriters to take a stab at writing something of their own. If you’re a fan of Harry Potter, or a budding screenwriter, you’re going to want this book.

– JP LeRoux

01/14/25

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Frontier Will Take Your Free Luggage Instead

In a canny marketing move from an airline that has been a lot more attuned to customer sentiment than most, Frontier is taking advantage of Southwest’s backing off its long-running “Bags Fly Free” tagline by offering a free checked bag promotion. It won’t last, but they announced “a free checked bag for flights departing May 28 through August 18 when travelers use promo code FREEBAG.” See more about this and their other opportunistic changes here.

A Downgrade for United Credit Cards

Speaking of airlines, United just raised the annual fee of its most popular Chase credit card by more than half, from $99 to $150, and you’ll have to jump through an almost comical number of hoops to make up the difference with the new perks they’re touting. I still think it’s worth keeping if you fly with them more than three times a year because you get a free checked bag on all flights (not just domestic ones) and two lounge passes each year when you renew. Plus if you don’t have it already, $150 up front for 80,000 miles after meeting the spending requirement is a sweet intro offer. Otherwise, you might want to put this on your “replace list.”

Discount Stores for Electronics Basics

I spend most of my time in Mexico or abroad, so when I’m back in the USA I’m like a Soviet defector walking around gaping at the rampant consumerism all around me. The plus side of all that obsessive shopping is the staggering amount of choice and competition, which certainly keeps prices low for commodity items. I’m reminded of that when I need anything basic and electronic, like a charger, an adapter plug, or a pair of earbuds for the plane ride when I’ve lost one or both. If you lose something while traveling in the USA, just head to 5 Below or a dollar store and you’ll be out the door just a few bucks lighter. This also applies to reading glasses, cheap sunglasses, water bottles, travel mugs, soft coolers, and other items cranked out by the millions.

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