Ray Harryhausen's Fantasy Scrapbook: Models, Artwork and Memories from 65 Years of Filmmaking

This is a must for every Ray Harryhausen fan.. Ray’s story has been told in books such as An Animated Life and many of his concept drawings and models have appeared in The Art of Ray Harryhausen (both of which books were also published by Aurum). Some of the items show Ray’s earliest artistic endeavours such as watercolours painted when he was 15 years old and marionettes of creatures from King Kong that he made when he saw the film in 1933. In many cases images are juxtaposed to show how a creature or effect evolved or to compare a concept drawing with a still from the finished film. Organized into themed chapters covering the different genres that Ray worked in, each film is given a brie

‘A must buy for Ray’s fans, and an immensely interesting read for anyone with the remotest interest in animation, cinema history, or who just remembers the days when not everything was created in a computer’ 10/10

"A wonderful addition to the literary library of Ray's fabulous career" according to JACK D "FAN". A wonderful addition to the literary library of Ray's fabulous career! I have perused it and will read it casually over the next few weeks. At first glance though, it is a treasure trove of his 65 yrs in the business.The layout is just fine, truly emulating a scrapbook feel and the photography and reproduction, thereof, is top notch, including some wonderful behind the scenes photos with camera crews.(Interesting note; a color photo of a storm scene attributed to 7th Voyage, is actually from A wonderful addition to the literary library of Ray's fabulous career A wonderful addition to the literary library of Ray's fabulous career! I have perused it and will read it casually over the next few weeks. At first glance though, it is a treasure trove of his 65 yrs in the business.The layout is just fine, truly emulating a scrapbook feel and the photography and reproduction, thereof, is top notch, including some wonderful behind the scenes photos with camera crews.(Interesting note; a color photo of a storm scene attributed to 7th Voyage, is actually from 3 Worlds of Gulliver, but that's nit-picking) The commentary is succinct and the groupings works nicely as a contrast to the earlier Film fantasy linear. Worlds of Gulliver, but that's nit-picking) The commentary is succinct and the groupings works nicely as a contrast to the earlier Film fantasy linear. The Magician Comes Clean! Bernard I have been thrilled by the magnificent effects work of Ray Harryhausen from age six, back in the very early 1950s, even though I didn't associate his name with the magic until much later. But if I wanted a movie where I could thrill to the utter realism of amazing creatures rather than snorting at guys in bogus costumes or lame mechanical contraptions, those were the movies I chose, and Ray never let me down.During the middle 50s and 60s he was called the Sphinx of Hollywood because (in the words of old friend Forry Ackerman) he was afraid to give you the time of day for fear he would accidentally reveal one of his secrets. He believed that. "Not another revision of the orginal edition" according to Henry Troll. I thought that I was getting a reprint of the previous editions where they only added new pictures and extended the new version with new photos and the movie that came out after that edition was printed. Actually, it was a brand new book, showing new pictures of models and test footage found in Harryhausen L.A. garage thought lost for many years, and arranged in different sections, not in a chronological order as in books past.Great for the Harryhausen collection.