Everyone seems to be talking about Arcane right now, and for good reason. It's damn fantastic. There's been a lot of interest about how the show was made, too – particularly after the reveal that it's the most expensive animated series ever made.
All of that sumptuous detail is on show in the upcoming The Art and Making of Arcane book by Insight Editions, and you can get an early look at its contents exclusively here. There's plenty to dig into; it covers everything from evolving art styles to worldbuilding. It's also built using interviews from the show's creative team, so you're able to get a peek behind the curtain in more ways than one.
Anyway, enough chatter. Here's a better look at what can be found within the book.
- League of Legends co-creator reveals the "ballpark" number for Arcane's real budget – and it's not even close to the reported $250 million figure
- League of Legends co-creator responds to report that Arcane was a "financial miss," says "people think we make things like Arcane to sell skins, when in reality we sell skins to make things like Arcane"
As mentioned on the first page above, carting across characters from League of Legends to animation was harder than you might think. More specifically, it required a lot of animation tests. We've never seen these characters speak within the game, for example; how does their face move when they talk, and what expressions would they make?
Alongside this snapshot of the creative process, we also get to see some drop-dead gorgeous renditions of environments to populate this world. The art-deco style of topside Piltover is incredibly vibey, and just as it appears in the show with that painterly aesthetic.
You'll be able to get a good look at all this yourself when The Art and making of Arcane hits shelves this December 3, 2024. It can be pre-ordered now at Amazon, where it's been reduced to $54 from $60.
While we're on the subject of discounts, there are plenty available right now as part of this year's Black Friday gaming deals.
