CARL'S POP CULTURE CORNER - FIVE REASONS WHY YOU SHOULD PICK UP X-MEN: THE ART AND MAKING OF THE ANIMATED SERIES

Picture the scene: It's the 31st of October, 1992, and you're sitting down in front of the TV, just before school, eating your favorite cereal. When suddenly, the opening credits for 'X-Men: The Animated Series' start to slide onto the screen, and instantly, you're hit with a synth blast of music (Da na na na na na nahhhh), while Professor X and his mutant group of heroes introduce themselves, one, by one, by one. It's been 15 seconds, and already you know you're hooked because this is the show that you've been waiting for.





Fast forward to 2022, and now you're all grown-up, but you can still vividly remember that very morning when you first saw this X-Men cartoon. A cartoon that has since gone on to influence many other animated TV shows. Having said that, though, have you ever wondered how this five-season epic was ever put together? Or what were the circumstances that brought this group of mutants to the small screen? If so, then you might want to have a look at a book called, 'X-Men: The Art and Making of The Animated Series', which is a 288-page hardcover book written by Eric and Julia Lewald and published by Abrams. Here are five reasons why you should pick up a copy.

1) The Production: Making 'X-Men: The Animated Series' was a hugely challenging process because the production faced financial and editorial issues that could have easily hindered its success. This book describes all of these issues, and includes page upon page of detailed information that will give us a lot of insight into what went on behind the scenes.

2) The Artwork: When we think of Wolverine or Cyclops, we sometimes picture those iconic yellow and blue outfits they'd wear, especially if they're fighting against the likes of Magneto and his Brotherhood of Mutants. This book explains exactly how the characters and environments were designed, mainly, by presenting us with a huge selection of artwork that features all of the X-Men and their enemies, such as Sabretooth, Apocalypse, and many, many more.

3) The Authors: You might like to know that the two people who wrote this book, Eric and Julia Lewald, were also the brains behind 'X-Men: The Animated Series'. So, not only did they bring the entire show to life, but in their four-page introduction, they tell us about the exact morning they were told they'd be working on an X-Men TV show. It's a super exciting and insightful read, and shines a spotlight on every decision that had to be made in order to develop the series.

4) The Style: 'X-Men: The Animated Series' had style, whether it's the cel-shaded look of our favorite characters, or the stunning environments seen in and around the X-Mansion. This book is no exception, as it's filled to the brim with bright colors, cel-shaded artwork, and a 90s style that leaps off of the page.

5) The Introduction: If like me, you've always wanted to know how the amazing introduction seen at the start of each episode was created, then thanks to this book, you can finally find out. Well, it presents us with storyboards, sketches, and every musical note, along with an explanation that tells us just exactly how the iconic musical introduction was put together. I would argue that this book is worth the price of admission based on this section alone, thus making it truly worthy of any fan's attention.

This article was written by Carl Hilliard. He's a fanboy from Ireland who loves delving into the wonderful world of popular culture. To find out more about Carl and his hobbies, please feel free to check out his TikTok, Instagram, and Twitter pages.