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Steven Universe artbooks #2
Steven Universe: End of an Era
The official sequel to the bestselling Steven Universe: Art & Origins
Steven Universe: End of an Era is the eagerly anticipated follow-up to the bestselling behind-the-scenes companion book Steven Universe: Art & Origins. Showcasing new concept art, storyboards, background paintings, and exclusive interviews, End of an Era will update the history of the Emmy Award–winning series to cover season four through to the critically acclaimed finale, “Change Your Mind,” and beyond.
Fans can expect a special focus on creator and showrunner Rebecca Sugar’s elaborate process for creating the lore for the series, as she and the crew reveal how they discovered and developed the complete story arc for each character, as well as how they were able to design a show that so refreshingly captures and celebrates the experience of childhood. Steven Universe: End of an Era is a heartfelt send-off to one of the most progressive, imaginative, and beloved animated series of our time.
Steven Universe: End of an Era is the eagerly anticipated follow-up to the bestselling behind-the-scenes companion book Steven Universe: Art & Origins. Showcasing new concept art, storyboards, background paintings, and exclusive interviews, End of an Era will update the history of the Emmy Award–winning series to cover season four through to the critically acclaimed finale, “Change Your Mind,” and beyond.
Fans can expect a special focus on creator and showrunner Rebecca Sugar’s elaborate process for creating the lore for the series, as she and the crew reveal how they discovered and developed the complete story arc for each character, as well as how they were able to design a show that so refreshingly captures and celebrates the experience of childhood. Steven Universe: End of an Era is a heartfelt send-off to one of the most progressive, imaginative, and beloved animated series of our time.
240 pages, Hardcover
First published October 13, 2020
40 people are currently reading
447 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews
October 2, 2022
If you're a fan of Steven Universe and if you have (or not) the first book, or if you like the series and are interested in design, art and animation: I highly recommend it! It's full of unique and unpublished parts of the series that make you go back in time and connect again to this universe, and understand all its creation and much of the unrevealed mysteries of history.
This product is not a book: it is a work of art!
This product is not a book: it is a work of art!
November 12, 2020
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. It's a huge fusion of all those elements, and it's definitely an experience!
OVERVIEW
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. 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 foreword is by N.K. 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). And 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 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. 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 book is dedicated "For Eddie." 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.
FOREWORD
N.K. Jemisin gives us a great introduction to the book. She says it was clear 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. Part of the reason Steven Universe speaks to so many is because we see ourselves here, and know stories can be about us.
1. END OF AN ERA
This section discusses identity and childhood--and how different it is if who you are and who you become is restricted, mocked, erased, or Not Allowed. 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. Rebecca Sugar offers some perspective on why "writing female characters" was difficult for a nonbinary person who'd been socialized as a girl and a woman. The Gems in the story are all "she/her," but on their planet they're defined by their work, not by emotion or relationships (unlike women in our society), so having them be socialized opposite to how she was and be able to claim those emotions through choice and NOT as just an expectation "as women" was revolutionary. Rebecca wants her show to tell all marginalized people that they don't deserve to be in the margins. Other show creators were interviewed here as well, and we're treated to loads of great supplemental art.
2. THE BEGINNING OF THE END: A SINGLE PALE ROSE
In this section we explore pacing and planning, and making all the pieces fit. What was always part of the plan and what was collaboratively created later in the game. There's a great deep dive on the writing process from several creators and the way group discussions and organized charts helped keep a storyboard-driven show on track despite so many moving parts. They also discuss the stress of leaks and the difficulty in not accidentally leaking any big reveals in interviews. This section also explores conveying information through visual cues, background art, and character gestures that help tie everything together and keep it consistent. We're even treated to some Diamond history and info about each major character's emergence!
3. THE HEART OF THE CRYSTAL GEMS
Who's the heart of this team? We discuss Rose Quartz, Garnet, and Steven. Rose had her first partner willing to be an equal in Greg, and this section explores how rare and special that was. Garnet's storyline as a relationship (and the story of her components' romance) is covered here, as well as a measured examination of the difficulties they had with Cartoon Network's objections to queer content. And Steven is the heart of the team, but here it's emphasized that he is NOT its leader. That is and will always be Garnet, though CN was also pushing them to make Steven be described as the leader. No thanks, give that job to an adult please!
4. ERA 3
The Diamonds as a dysfunctional family are discussed here. Yellow is physical, Blue is emotional, White is judgmental, and Pink is impulsive. Some philosophy on why Pink is naturally manipulative and why she clashes so much with White is offered. White believes her identity is to be imposed on all because she is the pinnacle of what should be--and therefore, she has the right to make decisions and statements about and on behalf of everyone. But her secret is that she can't do what the others do--act or feel or want. In trying to be everyone, she is no one. And this becomes very important when she confronts Steven about his identity and turns out to be wrong. The triumph of Steven being totally, fully himself is a beautiful, simple revelation that's described as far more satisfying than the theories about Pink living inside him or Rose returning from his Gem.
This section also includes design notes on Homeworld environments, the use of princess tropes to enhance the feeling that Steven is being made to be someone he's not, White Diamond's unusual "feminine" features, and again tons of art.
5. CHANGE YOUR MIND
This section focuses on the last episode and Steven's identity. The idea of a "perfect Steven" form (later used in Future) helped fuel heated discussions of how toxic this idea was and what it really meant to be half Gem and have his mother's Gem. Pink's escape from Homeworld to have a new identity on Earth is compared by Ian Jones-Quartey to the way some immigrants (including his family members) transplant themselves in a reinvention and may end up hurting people in their old and new lives because of it. The new Fusions are spotlighted in this section and there's a nod to James Baxter. And there's plenty of concept art and other material, plus photos.
6. STEVEN UNIVERSE FUTURE
Some of the newer writers get a chance to share their perspectives on coming into the show when it was already in an epilogue. They were excited to have Steven make HIS OWN mistakes instead of trying to clean up someone else's! Now, instead of doing the usual shonen anime thing and having the final battle be a big physical rumble, Steven has to make peace with himself and take an active role in coping with what all the fighting has done to him and what effect it's had on who he is (and who he wants to be). There is no sudden "I love myself!" answer, either. It's always a process.
We also get some information about how the Crew felt behind the scenes due to fan reactions and negative press. A long reflection from Rebecca discusses people's infighting about her show and what she had a responsibility to show or not show in the story. She learned a lot about bullying from Cartoon Network's anti-bullying program and learned that bullies thrive on whatever attention you give them--unless it is made clear to them by a peer group that no one is impressed by their cruel actions. Also, not all negative feedback is bullying. Constructive criticism is different. Self-awareness can help you avoid internalizing what bullies might do or say to you.
We then discuss how they chose as a team what should be covered as the show came to a close. They didn't have time to do quite a few stories they wanted time for, like a Rhodonite story, a Lars side story, and Diamond "prehistory" and religion; all of it was put aside for the main arc with Steven. They thought people would find those stories about Homeworld and Off Color history very interesting, but so much of the show had been about Steven's Gem adventures, so keeping him mostly on Earth seemed appropriate. The acknowledgment of his battle damage, of his trauma, was necessary and real, and helpful in an important way to the core audience. Oh, and there was some stuff about a cheeseburger tree. Don't ask.
In discussing the "reverse escapism" of the original show (Gem aliens are intrigued by everyday human culture, and realism is necessary), Rebecca says her views have changed on escapism and gets why some people want a soothing feel-better show. She acknowledged also that her own escapist dreams-come-true fulfilled in the show didn't feel like escapism because they were givens to the majority of mainstream culture, but were never guaranteed to marginalized people. Feeling like someone will like you less if they know you more is terrible. So sometimes a show like this can be helpful in telling people that they belong when their fantasies are things like "I want to be loved" and "I want to know I exist." In Future, Steven has to connect to who he is and love that person--and understand that person enough to finally feel that even if he's not fixing their problems or saving their world right this second, Steven deserves his family's love and support, and they WANT to give it to him.
There's a huge amount of supplemental material in this section too, including timeline charts and concepts, boards, and gift art.
NOTABLE:
1. The first timeline chart in the book features a cool sketch of the original Off Colors, which at the time this planning document was drafted included unused Off Colors Flint and Chert. We knew of their existence already because of an episode of the podcast, but these two unexpectedly appeared as incidental characters in the Steven Universe Future episode "Homeworld Bound," identified only in the credits. Sad to think that instead of banding with the Off Colors, these two were probably shattered for their crime (being Quartzes who don't want to fight) and that's why we see them being repaired in this episode. Later, there's some brainstorming for types of Off Colors and "a Ruby that wants to wear limb enhancers" is mentioned as well.
2. It looks like there was also originally more juice to the story of tracking down the events of the war culminating in Pink Diamond's assassination. Also, Garnet's story from "Your Mother and Mine" was originally meant to inspire the Off Colors to become pirates and freedom fighters, though in the show's canon this storytelling happened after Lars had already reinvented himself the way he did.
3. A chart lines up Sadie, Greg, Rose, and Lars as having reinvented themselves and makes comparisons.
4. One of the concept art images for the Off Colors features Rhodonite crouching by Padparadscha saying "Don't worry, I won't let them hurt you." It's very interesting because she DOES seem to protect Padparadscha in the show, but doesn't seem confident about it in her final version, even though it does seem like she'd be "programmed" to guard aristocratic Gems because of her Ruby and Pearl makeup. Cool.
5. A "Crew Cameos" spread was included, which is of great interest to some of us who loved seeing the Crew insert themselves into the show.
6. The official national flower of South Korea, Hibiscus syriacus, is the name of Pink Diamond's flower.
7. One of Steven Sugar's comments about the silhouette difference between humans and Gems points out that humans have ears.
8. Rose Quartz/Pink Diamond is characterized in this book as "self-hating" in a really interesting way, saying that because she believed she was not capable of compassion, she practically worshiped those who demonstrated that ability and thought they were so much better than her--which is described as "intoxicating" and resulted in others being drawn to her. How interesting is that!
9. Timelines reveal the original Pink Pearl was initially planned to be shattered during a game, then she was to be destroyed for talking back to the Diamonds in defense of Pink. They did something more like the first example when they finalized this.
10. A timeline is pretty revealing:
20,000 years ago: The Diamonds emerge.
11,000 years ago: Pearl is custom-made for Pink Diamond.
8,000 years ago: Sapphire emerges (on Homeworld).
6,000 years ago: Ruby emerges (on a colony).
5,750 years ago: Garnet is formed.
5,600 years ago: Lapis is poofed and put in the mi
5,200 years ago: Jasper emerges (on Earth).
5,050 years ago: The Cluster is planted.
5,000 years ago: Amethyst emerges (on Earth).
4,500 years ago: The Crystal Gems found Amethyst.
3,000 years ago: Peridot emerges (on Homeworld).
40 years ago: Pearl found Lapis's mirror at the Galaxy Warp.
And then Steven is born!
11. Originally the Diamonds were based on a quartet of themes: Love, Fear, Pride, and Sorrow. It got too complicated to keep and it was abandoned, with Pink's identification of "love" being described as "particularly outdated."
12. Notes on a sketch say that Pearl was inspired to become bold and unashamed because Pink's questions drove her to have opinions, and it's said that Rose "fell in love" with her boldness.
13. Rebecca tells the story of driving off a ridge and getting stuck in the desert, comparing this to Ruby's tumble during her Wild West adventure and using it as inspiration. She's told this story before but here it is in print. She also included the story about using the flowers from a friend's wedding to put in Ruby's hair.
14. Rebecca always had to "fight" notes against Ruby and Sapphire's relationship, but once she didn't fight a note because it was just for a signing card. She was also scolded over her book The Answer because the powers that be expected her to downplay that relationship. She always argued that queer youth deserved these things.
15. Tom Herpich describes being inspired to name Blue Diamond's comb "Comby" because he was watching the news about Comey getting fired from the FBI.
16. Rainbow Quartz 2.0's design is not discussed, though the other two new Fusions from "Change Your Mind" (Sunstone and Obsidian) were. RQ2 has some sketches included, but no accompanying narrative in the text.
17. A sheet of corrupted Gems and their healed selves is offered, though it doesn't appear to be final.
18. The Rhodonite side story would have been about the love story of a Ruby and a Pearl working for Morganite. Images of Morganite and her servants, unfused, are in the book.
19. Steven, speaking of the Diamonds, at one point says "I can't believe I helped these" and then there's a censor bar. Welp.
20. Some art by Hilary Florido features Kevin with a Koala Princess car and another where Kevin is staring at himself in the mirror in front of an altar to himself.
21. Rebecca's sweater collection is included in the Crew art.
OVERVIEW
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. 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 foreword is by N.K. 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). And 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 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. 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 book is dedicated "For Eddie." 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.
FOREWORD
N.K. Jemisin gives us a great introduction to the book. She says it was clear 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. Part of the reason Steven Universe speaks to so many is because we see ourselves here, and know stories can be about us.
1. END OF AN ERA
This section discusses identity and childhood--and how different it is if who you are and who you become is restricted, mocked, erased, or Not Allowed. 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. Rebecca Sugar offers some perspective on why "writing female characters" was difficult for a nonbinary person who'd been socialized as a girl and a woman. The Gems in the story are all "she/her," but on their planet they're defined by their work, not by emotion or relationships (unlike women in our society), so having them be socialized opposite to how she was and be able to claim those emotions through choice and NOT as just an expectation "as women" was revolutionary. Rebecca wants her show to tell all marginalized people that they don't deserve to be in the margins. Other show creators were interviewed here as well, and we're treated to loads of great supplemental art.
2. THE BEGINNING OF THE END: A SINGLE PALE ROSE
In this section we explore pacing and planning, and making all the pieces fit. What was always part of the plan and what was collaboratively created later in the game. There's a great deep dive on the writing process from several creators and the way group discussions and organized charts helped keep a storyboard-driven show on track despite so many moving parts. They also discuss the stress of leaks and the difficulty in not accidentally leaking any big reveals in interviews. This section also explores conveying information through visual cues, background art, and character gestures that help tie everything together and keep it consistent. We're even treated to some Diamond history and info about each major character's emergence!
3. THE HEART OF THE CRYSTAL GEMS
Who's the heart of this team? We discuss Rose Quartz, Garnet, and Steven. Rose had her first partner willing to be an equal in Greg, and this section explores how rare and special that was. Garnet's storyline as a relationship (and the story of her components' romance) is covered here, as well as a measured examination of the difficulties they had with Cartoon Network's objections to queer content. And Steven is the heart of the team, but here it's emphasized that he is NOT its leader. That is and will always be Garnet, though CN was also pushing them to make Steven be described as the leader. No thanks, give that job to an adult please!
4. ERA 3
The Diamonds as a dysfunctional family are discussed here. Yellow is physical, Blue is emotional, White is judgmental, and Pink is impulsive. Some philosophy on why Pink is naturally manipulative and why she clashes so much with White is offered. White believes her identity is to be imposed on all because she is the pinnacle of what should be--and therefore, she has the right to make decisions and statements about and on behalf of everyone. But her secret is that she can't do what the others do--act or feel or want. In trying to be everyone, she is no one. And this becomes very important when she confronts Steven about his identity and turns out to be wrong. The triumph of Steven being totally, fully himself is a beautiful, simple revelation that's described as far more satisfying than the theories about Pink living inside him or Rose returning from his Gem.
This section also includes design notes on Homeworld environments, the use of princess tropes to enhance the feeling that Steven is being made to be someone he's not, White Diamond's unusual "feminine" features, and again tons of art.
5. CHANGE YOUR MIND
This section focuses on the last episode and Steven's identity. The idea of a "perfect Steven" form (later used in Future) helped fuel heated discussions of how toxic this idea was and what it really meant to be half Gem and have his mother's Gem. Pink's escape from Homeworld to have a new identity on Earth is compared by Ian Jones-Quartey to the way some immigrants (including his family members) transplant themselves in a reinvention and may end up hurting people in their old and new lives because of it. The new Fusions are spotlighted in this section and there's a nod to James Baxter. And there's plenty of concept art and other material, plus photos.
6. STEVEN UNIVERSE FUTURE
Some of the newer writers get a chance to share their perspectives on coming into the show when it was already in an epilogue. They were excited to have Steven make HIS OWN mistakes instead of trying to clean up someone else's! Now, instead of doing the usual shonen anime thing and having the final battle be a big physical rumble, Steven has to make peace with himself and take an active role in coping with what all the fighting has done to him and what effect it's had on who he is (and who he wants to be). There is no sudden "I love myself!" answer, either. It's always a process.
We also get some information about how the Crew felt behind the scenes due to fan reactions and negative press. A long reflection from Rebecca discusses people's infighting about her show and what she had a responsibility to show or not show in the story. She learned a lot about bullying from Cartoon Network's anti-bullying program and learned that bullies thrive on whatever attention you give them--unless it is made clear to them by a peer group that no one is impressed by their cruel actions. Also, not all negative feedback is bullying. Constructive criticism is different. Self-awareness can help you avoid internalizing what bullies might do or say to you.
We then discuss how they chose as a team what should be covered as the show came to a close. They didn't have time to do quite a few stories they wanted time for, like a Rhodonite story, a Lars side story, and Diamond "prehistory" and religion; all of it was put aside for the main arc with Steven. They thought people would find those stories about Homeworld and Off Color history very interesting, but so much of the show had been about Steven's Gem adventures, so keeping him mostly on Earth seemed appropriate. The acknowledgment of his battle damage, of his trauma, was necessary and real, and helpful in an important way to the core audience. Oh, and there was some stuff about a cheeseburger tree. Don't ask.
In discussing the "reverse escapism" of the original show (Gem aliens are intrigued by everyday human culture, and realism is necessary), Rebecca says her views have changed on escapism and gets why some people want a soothing feel-better show. She acknowledged also that her own escapist dreams-come-true fulfilled in the show didn't feel like escapism because they were givens to the majority of mainstream culture, but were never guaranteed to marginalized people. Feeling like someone will like you less if they know you more is terrible. So sometimes a show like this can be helpful in telling people that they belong when their fantasies are things like "I want to be loved" and "I want to know I exist." In Future, Steven has to connect to who he is and love that person--and understand that person enough to finally feel that even if he's not fixing their problems or saving their world right this second, Steven deserves his family's love and support, and they WANT to give it to him.
There's a huge amount of supplemental material in this section too, including timeline charts and concepts, boards, and gift art.
NOTABLE:
1. The first timeline chart in the book features a cool sketch of the original Off Colors, which at the time this planning document was drafted included unused Off Colors Flint and Chert. We knew of their existence already because of an episode of the podcast, but these two unexpectedly appeared as incidental characters in the Steven Universe Future episode "Homeworld Bound," identified only in the credits. Sad to think that instead of banding with the Off Colors, these two were probably shattered for their crime (being Quartzes who don't want to fight) and that's why we see them being repaired in this episode. Later, there's some brainstorming for types of Off Colors and "a Ruby that wants to wear limb enhancers" is mentioned as well.
2. It looks like there was also originally more juice to the story of tracking down the events of the war culminating in Pink Diamond's assassination. Also, Garnet's story from "Your Mother and Mine" was originally meant to inspire the Off Colors to become pirates and freedom fighters, though in the show's canon this storytelling happened after Lars had already reinvented himself the way he did.
3. A chart lines up Sadie, Greg, Rose, and Lars as having reinvented themselves and makes comparisons.
4. One of the concept art images for the Off Colors features Rhodonite crouching by Padparadscha saying "Don't worry, I won't let them hurt you." It's very interesting because she DOES seem to protect Padparadscha in the show, but doesn't seem confident about it in her final version, even though it does seem like she'd be "programmed" to guard aristocratic Gems because of her Ruby and Pearl makeup. Cool.
5. A "Crew Cameos" spread was included, which is of great interest to some of us who loved seeing the Crew insert themselves into the show.
6. The official national flower of South Korea, Hibiscus syriacus, is the name of Pink Diamond's flower.
7. One of Steven Sugar's comments about the silhouette difference between humans and Gems points out that humans have ears.
8. Rose Quartz/Pink Diamond is characterized in this book as "self-hating" in a really interesting way, saying that because she believed she was not capable of compassion, she practically worshiped those who demonstrated that ability and thought they were so much better than her--which is described as "intoxicating" and resulted in others being drawn to her. How interesting is that!
9. Timelines reveal the original Pink Pearl was initially planned to be shattered during a game, then she was to be destroyed for talking back to the Diamonds in defense of Pink. They did something more like the first example when they finalized this.
10. A timeline is pretty revealing:
20,000 years ago: The Diamonds emerge.
11,000 years ago: Pearl is custom-made for Pink Diamond.
8,000 years ago: Sapphire emerges (on Homeworld).
6,000 years ago: Ruby emerges (on a colony).
5,750 years ago: Garnet is formed.
5,600 years ago: Lapis is poofed and put in the mi
5,200 years ago: Jasper emerges (on Earth).
5,050 years ago: The Cluster is planted.
5,000 years ago: Amethyst emerges (on Earth).
4,500 years ago: The Crystal Gems found Amethyst.
3,000 years ago: Peridot emerges (on Homeworld).
40 years ago: Pearl found Lapis's mirror at the Galaxy Warp.
And then Steven is born!
11. Originally the Diamonds were based on a quartet of themes: Love, Fear, Pride, and Sorrow. It got too complicated to keep and it was abandoned, with Pink's identification of "love" being described as "particularly outdated."
12. Notes on a sketch say that Pearl was inspired to become bold and unashamed because Pink's questions drove her to have opinions, and it's said that Rose "fell in love" with her boldness.
13. Rebecca tells the story of driving off a ridge and getting stuck in the desert, comparing this to Ruby's tumble during her Wild West adventure and using it as inspiration. She's told this story before but here it is in print. She also included the story about using the flowers from a friend's wedding to put in Ruby's hair.
14. Rebecca always had to "fight" notes against Ruby and Sapphire's relationship, but once she didn't fight a note because it was just for a signing card. She was also scolded over her book The Answer because the powers that be expected her to downplay that relationship. She always argued that queer youth deserved these things.
15. Tom Herpich describes being inspired to name Blue Diamond's comb "Comby" because he was watching the news about Comey getting fired from the FBI.
16. Rainbow Quartz 2.0's design is not discussed, though the other two new Fusions from "Change Your Mind" (Sunstone and Obsidian) were. RQ2 has some sketches included, but no accompanying narrative in the text.
17. A sheet of corrupted Gems and their healed selves is offered, though it doesn't appear to be final.
18. The Rhodonite side story would have been about the love story of a Ruby and a Pearl working for Morganite. Images of Morganite and her servants, unfused, are in the book.
19. Steven, speaking of the Diamonds, at one point says "I can't believe I helped these" and then there's a censor bar. Welp.
20. Some art by Hilary Florido features Kevin with a Koala Princess car and another where Kevin is staring at himself in the mirror in front of an altar to himself.
21. Rebecca's sweater collection is included in the Crew art.
October 14, 2020
Steven Universe: End of an Era, like its predecessor Steven Universe: Art and Origins, is a collection of developmental documents, character sketches, concepts, and commentary from various creators and insiders. Whether you really like to get down into the guts of how it's produced or whether you want to hear reflections from Rebecca Sugar and other Crew members about what it was like to make the show or whether you're just here for the amazing art, this book is for you. (Personally, I'm excited about all three of those things.)
My favorite stuff about it:
There's a section in it about the network pushing the Crew to make Steven get identified as the leader of the team, and they emphasized that he is not the leader. (It's Garnet.) I love Garnet. :)
There's some rather heartbreaking but illuminating discussions of non-normative gender and same-sex relationships being included in the show and the types of notes they got back sometimes.
I love the sort of chibi drawing of Obsidian. It's adorable.
The timelines! They were so cool, especially since we get to know the approximate ages of some of the characters whose ages we didn't really know before. Ruby and Sapphire have a 2000-year age gap and were "born" on different planets. Wow!
Concept art of Rhodonite's Ruby and Pearl with their Morganite was pretty cool to get after all this time. Too bad we still don't get a peek at Fluorite's components though.
N.K. Jemisin's foreword was really inspiring, and that along with some reflection from Rebecca Sugar about the importance of identity and the power of reclaiming the right to exist was some of my favorite stuff in the book. It is very hard to be left out of the stories the world is telling, and it was about time some of these very specific but also broadly relatable stories were told.
The sketches for concepts on the Off Colors and the final outfits of the Crystal Gems were a lot of fun!
The packaging of the book is just really appealing and an absolute joy to read and peruse.
My favorite stuff about it:
There's a section in it about the network pushing the Crew to make Steven get identified as the leader of the team, and they emphasized that he is not the leader. (It's Garnet.) I love Garnet. :)
There's some rather heartbreaking but illuminating discussions of non-normative gender and same-sex relationships being included in the show and the types of notes they got back sometimes.
I love the sort of chibi drawing of Obsidian. It's adorable.
The timelines! They were so cool, especially since we get to know the approximate ages of some of the characters whose ages we didn't really know before. Ruby and Sapphire have a 2000-year age gap and were "born" on different planets. Wow!
Concept art of Rhodonite's Ruby and Pearl with their Morganite was pretty cool to get after all this time. Too bad we still don't get a peek at Fluorite's components though.
N.K. Jemisin's foreword was really inspiring, and that along with some reflection from Rebecca Sugar about the importance of identity and the power of reclaiming the right to exist was some of my favorite stuff in the book. It is very hard to be left out of the stories the world is telling, and it was about time some of these very specific but also broadly relatable stories were told.
The sketches for concepts on the Off Colors and the final outfits of the Crystal Gems were a lot of fun!
The packaging of the book is just really appealing and an absolute joy to read and peruse.
May 14, 2024
Good collection of art and interviews from the crew of the show, but the author yaps way too much. I don't need the themes of the book repeated to me while reading this book, because I already know the themes from the show, that's why I bought the book. It just drags the book down.
January 23, 2024
IF I COULD BEGIN TO BE HALF OF WHAT YOU THINK OF ME I COULD DO ABOUT ANYTHING I COULD EVEN LEARN HOW TO LOOOOOOOOVE LIKE YOU, LOOOOOOVE LIKE YOU
LOVE ME
LIKE YOU
😭😭😭😭😭😭
LOVE ME
LIKE YOU
😭😭😭😭😭😭
May 20, 2021
Despite some of the controversy and fan arguments surrounding the later portions of Steven Universe as a series, it’s one of my favorites.
I absolutely adore how this art book because we get a lot of interviews that explain certain aspects of the series that may have felt a bit unsolved. There’s also a lot of unseen artwork for either what could have been, or what simply didn’t make it into the episodes already out. My favorite portion of the book however, is the artwork that the crew made.
I absolutely adore how this art book because we get a lot of interviews that explain certain aspects of the series that may have felt a bit unsolved. There’s also a lot of unseen artwork for either what could have been, or what simply didn’t make it into the episodes already out. My favorite portion of the book however, is the artwork that the crew made.
August 18, 2022
hey (with the intention of listening to the entire steven universe soundtrack with you)
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December 31, 2022back at my steven universe shenanigans yup yup
January 4, 2021
I really loved seeing all the art in the book, especially concept art and seeing how many different versions there were before what actually ended up in the show - obsidian was probably my favourite because of how different each artist drew her and getting to see where the elements in the final version came from. I also loved getting to read about some of the imagery that was involved in the show, which even though I've been following it since around the time season 1 was finishing airing and I have watched tons of breakdowns and theory videos etc I was unaware of. There's also some discussions about how the crew's personal experiences made it into the show, most of Rebecca's I was aware of already, but she's not the only one whose experiences were depicted in the show, and there's some cut content discussed as well as reasons behind certain key decisions.
I definitely recommend it for fans of the show, and for people who are curious about it but want to learn more about what makes the show so special before watching it. There are some spoilers if you've never watched the show but they're minimal, and the book is divided into chapters so you can avoid content from parts you might not have gotten to (for example, Steven Universe Future has its own subsection, so does Change Your Mind). It's a relatively quick read but I chose to drag it out because I wanted to remain immersed in the SU universe for as long as possible.
I definitely recommend it for fans of the show, and for people who are curious about it but want to learn more about what makes the show so special before watching it. There are some spoilers if you've never watched the show but they're minimal, and the book is divided into chapters so you can avoid content from parts you might not have gotten to (for example, Steven Universe Future has its own subsection, so does Change Your Mind). It's a relatively quick read but I chose to drag it out because I wanted to remain immersed in the SU universe for as long as possible.
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February 3, 2025Personally This show fascinates me. I mean, what a strong start, like, brilliant! I've never seen such a light hearted child like cartoon that had such terrifying suggestions lurking in plain sight from the excellent initial world building.
BUT DAMN, did they botch the landing. I mean, how could it go so wrong? The music the characters, the artwork, the voices the setting, the humor, the politically aware and inclusive but not preachy ---
well for a while. The last two seasons are just mesmerizing. I just could not wrap my head around what started out so profound became some sort of gay thing. or whatever. I mean, nothing against equal rights, i'm from the bay area, i just don't think two aliens whose ideal concept of what EARTHLINgS would consider a relationship results in the two beings becoming one. yeah, I just don't think IRL they would give a shit about "getting married"
like, seriously, some lame ass Earth custom? why? Like, is it the commitment thing? A ceremony for legal reasons? Because I can't think of a more streamlined version than the TWO ENTITIES EXISTING AS ONE LITERAL ENTITY. You gotta befugginkidding me. And on a planet where they're all basically chicks, why is it a GAY wedding? WHY take a civilization (with it's own issues, no doubt) and ethno-entrically ascribe it with a bunch of primitive barley civilized primate hang ups? I think for some reason, the show became more of a soap box than the wonderful ensemble it started out as. Perhaps fame and success came along and like Kurt Cobain all it ever did was drastically crop what brilliance could have been.
BUT DAMN, did they botch the landing. I mean, how could it go so wrong? The music the characters, the artwork, the voices the setting, the humor, the politically aware and inclusive but not preachy ---
well for a while. The last two seasons are just mesmerizing. I just could not wrap my head around what started out so profound became some sort of gay thing. or whatever. I mean, nothing against equal rights, i'm from the bay area, i just don't think two aliens whose ideal concept of what EARTHLINgS would consider a relationship results in the two beings becoming one. yeah, I just don't think IRL they would give a shit about "getting married"
like, seriously, some lame ass Earth custom? why? Like, is it the commitment thing? A ceremony for legal reasons? Because I can't think of a more streamlined version than the TWO ENTITIES EXISTING AS ONE LITERAL ENTITY. You gotta befugginkidding me. And on a planet where they're all basically chicks, why is it a GAY wedding? WHY take a civilization (with it's own issues, no doubt) and ethno-entrically ascribe it with a bunch of primitive barley civilized primate hang ups? I think for some reason, the show became more of a soap box than the wonderful ensemble it started out as. Perhaps fame and success came along and like Kurt Cobain all it ever did was drastically crop what brilliance could have been.
August 21, 2022
I'm so glad I was finally able to read this. I love taking a deep dive into some of my favourite media with artbooks and I knew if it was anything like the first it was going to be amazing, especially with the end of the show and the future.
Steven Universe is so deeply personal to alot of people and to the people who worked on the show and you an truly feel the passion and love that they had while making it and trying to make it the best it could be with the medium they had and it's beautiful to hear their words behind it.
As a fan of the show it was nice to step back in the world one last time, almost a final fairwell, considering Future ended 2 years ago and what an emotional rollercoaster that was haha. Even with coppy filler and weird scheduling issues, Steven Universe had such a big impact in my life and I still hold it in high regard and look back on it fondly as a favourite. Especially being apart of the fan community online, it was truly an amazing time and I wouldn't change that time for the world. Trying to solve the mysteries, being there for the reveals... what an amazing experience I wish I could go through again, but like Steven now, that story is over and the world is different because of it.
I'm not sure what I'm saying at this point but I guess this is my love letter to the show. It inspired me so much in life and in my own art and yeah... what a show and what a story that was beautifully told, faults and all.
Steven Universe is so deeply personal to alot of people and to the people who worked on the show and you an truly feel the passion and love that they had while making it and trying to make it the best it could be with the medium they had and it's beautiful to hear their words behind it.
As a fan of the show it was nice to step back in the world one last time, almost a final fairwell, considering Future ended 2 years ago and what an emotional rollercoaster that was haha. Even with coppy filler and weird scheduling issues, Steven Universe had such a big impact in my life and I still hold it in high regard and look back on it fondly as a favourite. Especially being apart of the fan community online, it was truly an amazing time and I wouldn't change that time for the world. Trying to solve the mysteries, being there for the reveals... what an amazing experience I wish I could go through again, but like Steven now, that story is over and the world is different because of it.
I'm not sure what I'm saying at this point but I guess this is my love letter to the show. It inspired me so much in life and in my own art and yeah... what a show and what a story that was beautifully told, faults and all.
April 25, 2023
Absolutely fascinating behind-the-scenes look at Steven Universe seasons 4 and 5 and Future, not only in terms of art but also themes and story. The psychology behind many of the choices absolutely blew me away; for example, the Diamonds collectively represent a single body/mind with White Diamond as the super ego, Yellow and Blue as the ego, and Pink as the id?? Super cool! There were also some very heartfelt interviews with the Crew, including Rebecca Sugar discussing working through their gender identity with the Gems. A must read for SU fans!
Some of my other takeaways:
💎White Diamond always knew Pink was still alive??
💎Sadie and Lars' diverging paths represent two aspects of Steven: magic space adventures and rock'n'roll.
💎White Diamond: "She sees all Gems as her, sees herself in all Gems, and judges them as she would judge herself. ...But the truth behind her identity powers is that she has no identity at all... And any Gem's behavior can be construed by her as a personal attack if they are bot behaving as she would. Her identity is so fragile that she can only judge: If she were to act or feel or want, she would open herself up to her own criticism." (116)
💎SU is a Sleeping Beauty retelling?!?
💎Rebecca Sugar's discussion of "reverse escapism."
TW: homophobia, mental health struggles
✨I read this title for the Magical Readathon: Orilium!
✨Quest: Alchemy
Some of my other takeaways:
💎White Diamond always knew Pink was still alive??
💎Sadie and Lars' diverging paths represent two aspects of Steven: magic space adventures and rock'n'roll.
💎White Diamond: "She sees all Gems as her, sees herself in all Gems, and judges them as she would judge herself. ...But the truth behind her identity powers is that she has no identity at all... And any Gem's behavior can be construed by her as a personal attack if they are bot behaving as she would. Her identity is so fragile that she can only judge: If she were to act or feel or want, she would open herself up to her own criticism." (116)
💎SU is a Sleeping Beauty retelling?!?
💎Rebecca Sugar's discussion of "reverse escapism."
TW: homophobia, mental health struggles
✨I read this title for the Magical Readathon: Orilium!
✨Quest: Alchemy
May 5, 2021
Just like Arts & Origins, this book is just a wonder.
It's full of detailed interviews and insights into the creation of the series, with deep and beautiful answers and a lot (like A LOT) of stills and drawings that nearly made my eyes fall out of my head. Unlike almost every popular cinema tie-ins out there, this is not a money-grabber, but a true testimony to the love and work that went into this show, a truly precious possession for anyone who loved it as much as I did!
It's full of detailed interviews and insights into the creation of the series, with deep and beautiful answers and a lot (like A LOT) of stills and drawings that nearly made my eyes fall out of my head. Unlike almost every popular cinema tie-ins out there, this is not a money-grabber, but a true testimony to the love and work that went into this show, a truly precious possession for anyone who loved it as much as I did!
November 13, 2020
Loved seeing the timelines Rebecca Sugar created, the beautiful drawings and little details that went on in the development and ending of the show. That being said, I felt there was a bit of overlapping with Art and Origins whereas I wished other parts had beeing developed a bit further. Nevertheless, both End of and Era and Art and Origins are definitely a must if you are a Steven Universe fan!
January 9, 2021
Beautiful Art, Helpful Insights
It was helpful to see how Rebecca Sugar thought and felt while creating her masterpiece. I was in a funk and thinking about giving up on my writing project because I was worried no one would relate or care. This was the inspiration I needed to keep going. Thanks Crewniverse.
It was helpful to see how Rebecca Sugar thought and felt while creating her masterpiece. I was in a funk and thinking about giving up on my writing project because I was worried no one would relate or care. This was the inspiration I needed to keep going. Thanks Crewniverse.
August 11, 2021
Fascinating look behind the scenes of the last part of Steven Universe. Packed full of tidbits and work in progress sketches. I think the part that stood out the most to me was how hard Cartoon Network fought against the lesbian relationships like between pearl and rose quartz, and ruby and sapphire.
July 19, 2021
This was a wonderful tribute to the show. If you're a fan, you'll love the thoughtful approach to the background and themes of the show, an inside look at the process of the creative team, and many gorgeous art pieces.
December 28, 2022
easily one of the most interesting animation related books out there, with the book going into the themes and background and many other things from the beloved franchise. also the art is cool to look at as well, rebecca sugar has this art style that is so appealing to look at.
January 13, 2023
The work of Rebecca Sugar and the entire team behind Steven Universe speaks for itself as a stunning ode to empathy & this art book sheds a light on the process behind the shows final episodes. My favorite part was the Crew Art art the end of the book.
September 5, 2023
Read this after reading the 1st book, “Steven Universe Art and Origins.” I enjoyed this just as much as the last book. It’s just like watching a documentary, with all the interview questions and hearing about the behind scenes of the series. I also loved all the art in the end of the book by those who’ve worked on the show. My favorite was Whisper of the heart parody. My favorite part of the book was about Steven’s mom. It talks more about her character and her relationship with others. It talked about her and Greg and gave me more of an insight of her character. Steven’s mom is one of the characters I’m curious of since usually we get info about her through opinions of the characters that “knew” her. So it’s nice to see some perspective of Steven’s mom through the creator.
10/10 would recommend this to any Steven Universe fan or anyone interested in animating or creating a comic/story. There’s a lot of good of good info or tips you can get from the development of Steven Universe as a show.
10/10 would recommend this to any Steven Universe fan or anyone interested in animating or creating a comic/story. There’s a lot of good of good info or tips you can get from the development of Steven Universe as a show.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 20, 2020
This is a treasure trove of concept, behind-the-scenes and non-canon crew art, and a perfect companion to the first SU art book and SU:Movie art book. God, what a great show.
December 28, 2020
I’ve been in a huge reading slump but did recently watch all of Steven Universe and loved it. This art book has so many cool bits from the planning of the show and art behind the scenes. I loved it!
February 1, 2022
It's mostly an art book with preliminary sketches and designs. But there is also plenty to read about the history of a great show.
February 1, 2023
6 stars actually, las palabras fallan para describir el vacío emocional que me quedo después de leer/ver las ilustraciones.
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February 27, 2023Just a read for the introduction and to look at all the art.
June 14, 2023
I picked this up because I had rewatched everything and all it did was made me want to rewatch everything AGAIN ARGH
July 10, 2023
An amazing way to wrap up Steven Universe⭐️
November 14, 2023
I liked it a little better than the first :)
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June 20, 2025Your work has such emotional depth. I’d be so curious to hear how you shape that kind of honesty in your writing.
March 27, 2022
A beautiful art book full of behind-the-scenes information on the Steven Universe series, including character sketches, storyboards, notes written by the cast and crew, and interviews. A nice book to sit down and read or just flip through when you're bored. Perfect for any SU fan, or even just someone who might be interested in going into animation.
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