The Art of Star Wars: Visions

by Zack Davisson

An expertly crafted, full-color, oversized volume showcasing the creative forces behind the hotly anticipated animated anthology series!

Star Wars: Visions, an original series of animated short films, celebrates the Star Wars galaxy through the lens of the world's best Japanese anime creators. Coming in 2021 to Disney+.

Dark Horse Books and Lucasfilm invite fans to enjoy the universe of Star Wars from a thrilling new point of view with The Art of Star Wars: Visions.

Genres: Star Wars, Art, Science Fiction

192 pages, Hardcover

Published November 8, 2022

About the author

Zack Davisson is an award-winning translator, writer, and folklorist. He is the author of YUREI: THE JAPANESE GHOST, YOKAI STORIES, and KAIBYO: THE SUPERNATURAL CATS OF JAPAN, and the translator and curator of Shigeru Mizuki’s famous folklore comic KITARO, Matsumoto Leiji’s CAPTAIN HARLOCK, and Go Nagai’s DEVILMAN.

Davisson lectured on translation, manga, and folklore at Duke University, UCLA, University of Washington, Denison University, as well as contributed to exhibitions at the Wereldmuseum Rotterdam and Henry Art Museum. He has been featured on NPR, BBC, and The New York Times, and has written articles for Metropolis, The Comics Journal, and Weird Tales Magazine.

As a manga translator, Davisson was nominated for the 2014 Japanese-US Friendship Commission Translation Prize for his translation of the multiple Eisner Award-winning SHOWA: A HISTORY OF JAPAN. Other acclaimed translations include Satoshi Kon’s OPUS and THE ART OF SATOSHI KON, Mamoru Oshii’s SERAPHIM: 266613336 WINGS, Leiji Matsumoto’s QUEEN EMERALDAS, Kazuhiro Fujita’s THE GHOST AND THE LADY, Go Nagai’s CUTIE HONEY, and Gou Tanabe’s Eisner Award-nominated HP LOVECRAFT’S THE HOUND AND OTHER TALES.

He lives in Seattle, WA with his wife Miyuki, a dog, two cats, and several ghosts.

Reviews

[Lata · Rating 4 out of 5]

I LOVED season one of Star Wars: Visions. The stories focused a lot on Force and its mythic aspects as well as how it was expressed in individual characters. The animation styles of each short story were varied and beautiful, and though not a super in-depth look at each story and associated animation house involved in this project, this art book provided enough background and images to keep me happy.

[Melanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've said it before and I'll say it again: THESE. PEOPLE. GET. STAR WARS.

[Andrea · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some nice art. The wide variety of styles is great and I like seeing the old-fashioned Japanese influence.

I will say that Visions is not as unique as the people involved in this book keep insisting. Not a bad thing, Star Wars itself is very derivative in the best of ways, but several episodes are just Akira Kurosawa movies in space. Cool? Yes. Unique? Not really.

[Ben A · Rating 3 out of 5]

Star Wars: Visions was the excellent animated series which saw anime creators take on the Star Wars Universe in short tales unhampered by continuity but still incredibly true to the spirit of the saga. The Art of Star Wars: Visions gives us an interesting peek into the thoughts and creation process of the creators involved in the series. It was a very fascinating read going behind the scenes. It made me want to sit down and watch the series over again with all the new information from this volume.

Special Thanks to Dark Horse Comics and Edelweiss Plus for the digital ARC.

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really nice art book with concept art and character sketches from the anime anthology.

[Mike · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very cool depiction of the artwork and designs for this series. I enjoy books like this

[Mark Ames · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved the series of shorts and this just adds a deeper richness to my knowledge.

[Jason · Rating 4 out of 5]

In addition to a novel, comic book, and collectibles, fans now have The Art of Star Wars: Visions to add to their collection! This expertly crafted, full-color, oversized hardcover book allows readers to dive into the world of Star Wars: Visions as they never have before. The executive producers of the show—James Waugh, Josh Rimes, and Jacqui Lopez—describe how the passions of creatives from around the globe came together and made Star Wars: Visions into a reality in their foreword. In the pages that follow, writer Zack Davisson gives each Visions short their own time to shine, and allows each animation studio to speak to the inspirations for their films. And let’s not forget that each page is filled with production stills, concept art, sketches, and design work, a true feast for the eyes!

Since childhood I’ve been a fan of animation art books. I remember pouring over them endlessly, and being particularly drawn to how the final product started with hand drawn sketches and concept art. The Art of Star Wars: Visions provides this same type of experience, allowing readers to soak in all the creative work that goes into producing a series of this caliber. What sets this book apart is how it’s really nine art books in one, showcasing the beauty and diversity each studio brings to the series. Additionally, The Art of Star Wars: Visions is a vehicle to display the variety of art styles found in Japanese animation. Whether you’re new to Anime or you have a particular aesthetic preference, there’s something for everyone to enjoy with this book.

The Art of Star Wars: Visions comes in standard and deluxe editions. Standard edition features the mashup character artwork from the show and the deluxe edition comes with an exclusive slipcase, cover and portfolio which houses three gallery-quality prints.

The Art of Star Wars: Visions is a must-have item for fans of the series, and is the perfect way to bring a piece of the show into your home.