Most people, if not ALL people, can relate to this, but for those of us with a special relationship with Steven Universe because of queer identity, this hits hard.īut it doesn’t have to be anything grand to be something we respect–this show’s authenticity comes largely from how personal everything is, drawn from real-life experiences and incidental truths from each artist’s perspective, leaning hard on childhood and formative experiences. We start with an appeal to the audience to think about identity and the formative parts of our childhood–and how different it is if who you are and who you become is restricted, mocked, erased, or Not Allowed.
Highlighting Rose Quartz as a “born leader” who failed and Steven as a relatable scamp who did what she couldn’t, Jemisin asserts that we can save the world. Acknowledging the power we all have to MAKE THINGS BETTER with what we fight for is so important–especially if we’re going to speaking to the next generation about it. That’s part of the reason Steven Universe speaks to so many–because we see ourselves here, and know stories can be about us. Important also is how we handle heroes and who gets to be one in fantasy. And it was clear to her that Rebecca Sugar knew what she was talking about and was saying important things about identity and the radical power that comes with accepting it and demanding respect. The important thing, Jemisin says, is being able to trust a storyteller with your heart.
STEVEN UNIVERSE STORYBOARD PROGRAM FULL
Jemisin gives us such a great introduction to the book–apparently understanding very well that the audience of this book is full of animation enthusiasts and adult fans more than it is full of kids, and explaining that bewildering journey some adults had from blowing this show off as a silly kid thing to falling in love with it hard and fast. Its organization is different from the previous book in that it shares applicable work in chunks associated with groups of episodes rather than pertaining to different aspects of building the show. Every interior page that most would leave blank is highlighted with some kind of sketch art or character exercise–it’s so much to look at, so much to absorb. The interior covers are decorated with tons of amazing sketches of Steven and Connie on the front, and a bunch of Gem sketches on the back.
STEVEN UNIVERSE STORYBOARD PROGRAM SERIES
Jemisin, a well-known science fiction author who’s a huge fan of the show (and wrote a really excellent series that also has a weird geological connection, by the way).Īnd the cover, like its predecessor, is shiny and decorated with a beach scene featuring minimalistic characters–this time it’s the Gems at night in front of the Temple, and on the back cover is a big pink leg ship in a cross-legged pose.
The author–the person in charge of adapting all of this information into this slick, readable package–is Chris McDonnell, whose work was previously applied on the Art and Origins book. The book is titled “End of an Era” for a couple reasons–obviously because it is released after the show has wrapped, but also because Gem history recently ended its “Era 2” and began Era 3–an age of prosperity and peace. Please grab one while you can and have your own experience! OVERVIEW My low-quality photos should prevent people from feeling like I’m reproducing the book in any capacity. Obviously just about everything is “notable” once again, but I’ll aim for unique insight or perspective on the main source material, keeping the screaming about everything new to a minimum so you can also enjoy something for yourself if you pick it up. Like the previous concept art book, Art and Origins, I’ll be giving you a description of the structure and overview, while also collecting notable information for fans.
Some low-quality images are included with my review just to give you an idea of what’s there–it’s not a good substitute for getting your own copy, but here’s a tour! It’s a huge fusion of all those elements, and it’s definitely an experience!
Steven Universe: End of an Era is far more than an art book–it’s also a collection of behind-the-scenes material, stories about the experience of working on the show, planning documents and associated background info, and both older versions of developed concepts AND concepts that never made it into the show. I wrote this review in October but never got around to posting it here
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