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Dynamite is rolling out its pre-Comic-Con announcements and among them is Kevin Conran’s Art of Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow, an art book devoted to 2004’s film which starred Jude Law, Gwyneth Paltrow, and Angelina Jolie. The book will be personally curated by Sky Captain co-creator Kevin Conran and edited by Shannon Eric Denton.

This is fitting in so many ways. The film was one of the first to have people shot almost entirely against a green screen, a technique which didn’t really hit until Sin City, but was used quite beautifully an dimaginatively in the “diesel punk” Sky Captain itself.  With this film and Sin City it seemed that green screen CGI would have a great future for film artistry, but that branch of its use has mostly goen over to films tht are considered fully animated.

I also recall that Sky Captain was one of the frist filsm to get a huge roll out at Comic-Con. That year they set up massive robots in the parking lot opposite the convention center, one of the frist time that area had been used for an “activation” although they didn’t call them that then. There was also a screening of the film, which I wasn’t invited to, which was the first time I felt like a loser for missing out on a Comic-Con event.

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I don’t think Hall H existed then, but the push for Sky Captain – which was a bit of a dud at the Box Office – was one of the first time that “The Comic-Con” effect was noted. IT kicked off an era of more and more nerd-tastic films, more and bigger Comic-con promotions, and more and more Hall H participation. Four years later, in 2008 the Twilight phenomenon would take over Hall H, sleeping outside would become the norm and the media/fan frenzy we now know as Comic-Con would be firmly in place.

As we’ve noted a few times, Hall H has shrunk back to normal size, with mostly TV and only THREE, count ’em THREE movie presentations. The heady days of Scott PIlgrim, Snakes on a Plane and COwboys and Aliens are over, but it was a bit of fun while it lasted.

Anyway more on the Dynamite book; Dynamite art books are beautifully designed and I’m sure this will be a book that will look handsome on anyone’s shelf.

The groundbreaking feature film, Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow, was the first of its kind – it completely embraced the look and feel of the old serials while pushing the boundaries of modern filmmaking technology. The film inspired a whole new generation of filmmakers to adopt their innovative techniques that are now commonplace in every studio feature being made in Hollywood and around the world.

This stunning collection will provide a comprehensive gallery of Kevin Conran’s trailblazing illustrations and designs, including incomplete and unpublished work never-before-seen by the public at large! Kevin Conran’s Art of Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow is the first official collection of such artwork. Sourced from his private collection, this book spans over 20 years of the movie’s unique illustrations and includes behind-the-scenes details on how the movie was conceived of, illustrated, approved (or rejected), and brought to life. Whether you’re a fan, collector, enthusiast, or new to the world of Sky Captain, this book offers the most complete collection of Sky Captain artwork ever produced!
 
Kevin Conran says, “After more than a decade of fan requests, I’m excited that Dynamite is helping Sky Captain take flight one more time.” 
 
“I’ve been honored to work with Kevin on several Hollywood projects, but as a huge fan of Sky Captain, I’m beyond thrilled to journey into this world one more time,” says editor Shannon Eric Denton. 
 
“We’re delighted to be working directly with Kevin on this book, and be able to share much of the visual work he did that went into the creation of the movie with his brother Kerry,” says Rich Young, Director of Business Development at Dynamite. “There is a treasure trove of material here, and fans of the movie will really enjoy the behind-the-scenes glimpses and story he’ll be sharing.”
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1 COMMENT

  1. Seems like Sky Captain would make a great comic series. I’m betting the film’s fans are big collectors and would line up for it.

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