Adventure Time’s adorably weird and wonderful post-apocalyptic world has captured the hearts of fans worldwide. Featuring all the title cards from seasons 3 and 4 of the show, plus early sketches, creator commentary, and exclusive insights into the vast and varied inspirations behind the art, the second volume of Adventure Time: The Original Cartoon Title Cards is an absolute must-have for every fan.

My thanks to Cara Fielder at Titan Books for my review copy.

When I was young I remember watching cartoons featuring Bugs and Daffy, Captain Caveman or Godzilla. Many years have passed and today the choice of cartoons is vast – there are channels which need output 24/7 so the battle for airtime is tough.

I have two boys (both under 10) and, like their dad, they enjoy the cartoons too. However, Teen Titans, The Amazing World of Gumball and even Spongebob are nothing like the cartoons we once watched (except perhaps for Chorlton and the Wheelies which was trippy – and not a cartoon).

There is one show that both my kids cannot get enough of and that is Adventure Time. When I received the beautiful Adventure Time Cartoon Title Cards book they pounced on it with absolute glee. This book is a treat for all the fans of the show. The artwork is striking, there are sketches and outlines of images used in the show, the variant title cards are particularly fun to see and it is incredible how subtle changes can alter the whole feel of a picture.  The comic book nerd in me was lapping up the unseen artwork.

I enjoyed reading some of the artist’s notes to my younger son (who at 5 is showing way more artistic skill than I will ever achieve). The commentary and discussions nestle amongst the pictures and provide some insights into the considerations that go towards selecting the ‘right’ image to include in the finished cartoon.

Adventure Time: The Original Cartoon Title Cards (Seasons 3 & 4) would be a welcome addition to the bookshelves of any fan of the show. The book looks beautiful with high quality finish and feel to the pages. It also gave my kids the chance to discuss each of the episodes over and over – the phrase ‘Oh look’ met virtually every page turn.

Adventure Time: The Original Cartoon Title Cards (Seasons 3 & 4) is published by Titan Books and is available now.