Guardians Of The Galaxy Art Of The Movie Order Information

 

 

MARVEL STUDIOS' THE INFINITY SAGA - GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY: THE ART OF THE MOVIE

Publisher: Titan Books

HC, 342pp, $40.00, On Sale December 11, 2024

 

THE OFFICIAL ART BOOK FOR THE MARVEL MOVIE GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY.

 

Follow the film’s complete artistic evolution, featuring stunning concept artwork, behind-the-scenes photographs, production stills, and in-depth interviews with the cast and crew. Here is everything you need to know about the film from its key players, including director James Gunn, along with the talented concept illustrators and storyboard artists who worked on the set and behind the scenes to create the art of Guardians of the Galaxy.

The Black Vortex Road Trip

My wife and I have been reading a series called "Legendary Star-Lord," but we were a few issues behind. We were really enjoying it until Issue 9, when suddenly we found ourselves in the midst of a story we hadn't been reading called "The Black Vortex." This is a thirteen issue series that runs through several Marvel titles, and we wondered if we really wanted to read it. But then we perused the checklist, and found that we had picked up a couple damaged issues from other Marvel series in the discount box that also belonged to The Black Vortex sequence. So we headed off to our normal comics store to find the missing issues. We purchased the two issues we were missing, and a few of the middle chapters that linked the "Legendary Star-Lord" issues we had previously bought, and then got down to some serious reading.

"The Black Vortex" is a series about an artifact discovered on an alien planet that imbues the volunteer with a huge amount of power. The long-term effects of wielding huge amounts of power bring to mind the old adage "Absolute power corrupts absolutely," but our heroes, including Star-Lord and the Guardians of the Galaxy, are faced by super villains who have already been powered-up by the Black Vortex. So it's a real test for them. Do they risk taking on the power, knowing what it can do to them? Can they trust themselves to only use such power for good?

On a subsequent visit, we found our local shop didn't have two of the remaining issues we needed. As we would shortly be heading off to England, we decided to call around and see if any other shops had them, and if so collect them now, rather than wait until after our return, when we might only find the back issue boxes marked up at a much higher cost. So it was time to get on the phone, and then head off on our Black Vortex Road Trip.

Our first stop, at a store about ten miles away, netted us one comic, "Captain Marvel " Issue 14. It's a story written by Kelly Sue DeConnick, who cowrote the second Richard Castle/Derek Storm graphic novel with Brian Michael Bendis. I've never read any Captain Marvel comics before, but she's involved in the series, so maybe I'll emerge with a greater knowledge of her. 

A few blocks later, we wondered if we had taken a wrong turn and ended up in England. For there was a British telephone box on the corner. Or at least it looked like a telephone box, only it was a little small. Hm. You don't suppose someone was having a little fun with a utility box, do you?

About twenty miles from home, we found the other issue we needed: "Cyclops" Issue 12. For the longest time, I wondered what the title might refer to. Images from science and Greek mythology sprang to mind, but nothing else. Then my wife reminded me that Cyclops was a member of the X-Men, and he was also part of the group being tested by the Black Vortex.

Oh well, I guess I'm not into Mutants.

As we were in the neighborhood, we stopped into my favorite place for fish and chips. It's not exactly British fish and chips, but it's a special treat, and whetted my appetite until we get to the United Kingdom.

The second comics store also offered us another surprise: a Jo Grant action figure. Plucky, pretty, and loyal, she accompanied the third Doctor across time and space for three years. I wasn't expecting to find her in the second comics shop, but then, you never know what'll happen when you pick up a comic book, and where it may take you. Especially when you're dealing with a source of immense power such as the Black Vortex. 

I'm guessing she found our car a little different from the TARDIS, but hopefully she enjoyed the twenty mile drive home. We'll have to find her a comfortable place to live. Perhaps next to a Dalek? I wonder if she'd like that?

All stories have the power to transport us to faraway realms, don't they? Our love for English stories certainly keeps us returning to England, where we hope to make many fascinating discoveries this year. What will we do with the power we gain from the discoveries we make this year? Time will tell if we can handle the power we glean from them in a responsible manner.

Now, if you'll excuse me, it's time for me to pick up the next issue, and utter these important words. "I submit to the Black Vortex..."

Dragon Dave

Another Look at Rocket Raccoon

Rocket Raccoon, Drax the Destroyer,
& evil Church dude

In Guardians of the Galaxy: The Complete Collection Volume 1 by Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning, our heroes fight an evil church bent on conquest and destruction. As these stories coincide with Marvel's mammoth Secret Invasion crossover, the Guardians discover that the shapeshifting Skrulls have infiltrated their ranks. How can any of them know that the others aren't Skrulls infiltrators?

Groot, Star-Lord, Cosmo, Rocket Raccoon, Quasar

The group is based on Knowhere, a space-city built into the excavated skull of an extinct Celestial. The city's Head of Security is Cosmo, a talking dog and former Russian Cosmonaut. When Knowhere's residents, including the powerful scientific and diplomatic parties from other civilizations, complain that the Guardians are attracting too much trouble to their home-away-from-home, Cosmo stands by the Guardians, even if he and the members of group don't always get along.

In addition to the shapeshifting Skrulls, members of an earlier incarnation of Guardians of the Galaxy keep turning up at their base on Knowhere. As you can imagine, all this makes it difficult for members of the group to trust each other. 

I decided to make another portrait of Rocket Raccoon, this one based on penciler Paul Pelletier's interpretation of the character. Drawing his features took ten-to-fifteen minutes, but roughly two hours passed before I finished. Colorists make an incalculable contribution to comics, but never get celebrated as much as those who draw (or pencil) the initial black and white image. So I'd like to dedicate my drawing to GURU-eFX, the colorist who worked on the above three images from Issue 4 of Abnett and Lanning's book.

This second portrait of Rocket Raccoon may be more of a copy than my first study of him, that quick pen-and-ink sketch I made that day at Dave & Buster's. Still, what better way to start than by replicating the efforts of others more advanced than ourselves, before we embark on our own unique creations?

Dragon Dave  

Rocket Raccoon & Iraq

Have you met Rocket Raccoon?

After finishing my first drawing of the Doctor snorkeling, I turned my skills, such as they are, to the back of my admission ticket, a piece of 8.5x11" copy paper. I've been thinking a lot about Rocket Raccoon lately, probably because I've seen him three times now in Marvel Comics' new movie "Guardians of the Galaxy." I enjoyed how he was portrayed in the movie, even if it was different from how authors like Bill Mantlo, Dan Abnett, and Andy Lanning have approached the character. I've seen artists draw him in various ways, and my friend Justin Ponsor, who works as the colorist for the current Guardians series written by Brian Michael Bendis, has even drawn a picture of him (and his friend Groot) that was accepted by Teefury.com. So I wondered what I could do with him. 

Instead of outlining his head, I started by drawing his fur, then his eyes, then defining his ears. Then it was more hair, and along the way, I started in on his snout. I've never been good at faces, let alone noses, and I was working from memory, with no images or models in front of me. I only spent a few minutes on my drawing, and most of that on his fur, but I'm happy with this first attempt. It's something to build on for later.

Dave & Busters may not have live raccoons for artists to draw, but they do employ waiters to serve their human customers. Twice while I was sketching a young woman came by and asked me if she could get me anything. Both times I assured her that I was doing fine, but I wondered if it bothered her that I was taking up space without buying anything at one of the booths in her area. So afterward, while I was waiting for the youth leadership conference to finish, I got up and spoke to her as she printed out checks at the cash register.

She thanked me for my concern, and told me that she had no problem with me sitting in her area. I asked her if she enjoyed working at Dave & Busters, a place that seemed synonymous with fun. Sadly, she said no, as people brought money for their food and games, but seemed to regard tipping as unnecessary. She was working her way through college, and upon graduation, it was her dream to go to Iraq, or some less-well-off country, and teach young children to read, write, and be more tolerant of others customs and beliefs. In the meantime, she was scraping to get by, pay for her education and living, and relying on Medical if she got sick. 

She seemed a rather erudite young woman, who claimed she rarely watched TV, and never saw a movie in the cinema before she read the book. In addition to her studies, she typically reads three books at a time, two nonfiction on subjects that interested her, and one novel or book of short stories. I've no doubt she could do well for herself should she decide to stay in the United States after she graduates, and her mother has argued repeatedly with her that she should do so, that going to countries like Iraq is unnecessarily dangerous. But she's more interested in changing the world, and making it a place where people regard others with respect, and live harmoniously with others. Her example lifted my spirits, and proved a welcome contrast to the words and actions of the minister in the banquet room. 

Please adequately tip your waiter or waitress, folks. You never know the potential ministry you may be funding.

Dragon Dave

Related Internet Links
Justin's drawing of Rocket & Groot