The SEGAbits Swingin’ Report Show is back, bringing you an interview with Maarten Brands, CEO of Cook & Becker who is behind the upcoming Sonic the Hedgehog 25th Anniversary Art Book! In this, his first public interview talking about the book, Maarten goes into the history of the international art dealership Cook & Becker, how the SEGA partnership began and what fans can expect from the Sonic art book.
The book releases soon and comes in two editions, which you can pre-order now:
SONIC THE HEDGEHOG 25TH ANNIVERSARY ART BOOK – COLLECTOR’S EDITION
SONIC THE HEDGEHOG 25TH ANNIVERSARY ART BOOK – STANDARD HARDCOVER
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Sonic 25th Anniversary
First look at the official ‘Sonic The Hedgehog 25th Anniversary’ art book from Cook & Becker – available for pre-order
Thanks to the next-gen art dealers at Cook & Becker, we have a first look at the upcoming Sonic The Hedgehog 25th Anniversary art book via an in-depth gallery of images as well as a full press release. So let’s get down to it! The art book, the first ever official art book and design history for the long running series, encapsulates 25 years of history. The book will be made available in a limited Special Collector’s Edition as well as a Standard Hardcover Edition. The Special Collector’s Edition features an outer box, a special inner sleeve that folds into a display stand for the book and an exclusive newly drawn matted art giclee print by Sonic Team’s Yuji Uekawa. The Collector’s Edition is limited to 2,500 copies and sells for $120/€120 respectively. As a pre-order bonus, Cook & Becker offers a 10% discount on the Collector’s Edition if it is ordered before February 2017. The Standard Edition, meanwhile, retails for $45/€45 and consists of the book itself.
Let’s talk about the book! Officially licensed, the book (310mm H x 275mm W) will feature 200+ pages of images and text, including interviews with key Sonic designers including Yuji Naka, Takashi Iizuka and Yuji Uekawa. As seen in the image gallery below, you can expect to find concept art, promotional art, 3D renders, box art and – as revealed in our recent article – original official art and rare collectibles submitted by fans (pending approval from Cook & Becker and SEGA, of course).
After the break, check out a full press release detailing the book as well as a gallery of several images showing off the ins and outs of the book as well as the Special Collector’s Edition. Don’t forget to pre-order the book today at the official Cook & Becker site!
Attention Sonic the Hedgehog collectors: Cook & Becker are looking for rare original official art and collectibles
If you haven’t already heard, next-gen art dealers Cook & Becker plan to release a “Sonic the Hedgehog 25th Anniversary Art Book”. The book will cover the history of Sonic and will include design sketches, official character illustrations, in-game art, pixel art, rare promotional art and game box art. While SEGA has provided Cook & Becker with many great art assets from the company archives, as is the case with original art spanning 25 years there is always more out there in private collections.
Cook & Becker reached out to us asking if we would ask you, the fans, to lend a hand if you can. As the book enters the final stages of design, there is little under a month left before the window closes on what can appear in the book and we are asking any fans with cool rare retro merchandise, rare original promotional art and rare manual scans to reach out to Cook & Becker via their contact page or email maarten [at] candb.com. Cook & Becker is looking for high res photos and scans of what they may not already have. They will credit anyone in the book that sends in material that gets included. I know, for example, that there is some really great original art from the late SEGA Genesis-era artist Greg Martin in several collections.
It should be noted that Cook & Becker are NOT looking for fan art, only rare and original official pieces of artwork and collectibles. More news on Cook & Becker’s book to come, so stay tuned!
UPDATED: Watch the archive of the stream above. Bartman3010 joins with Donnie from Sonic Paradox News and TSSZ, Chris and Aaron from Find the Computer Room and our own NeoHazard to talk about the 25th anniversary party, Sonic Mania and project 2017. Listen to our woes of corralling a bunch of nerds from the internet together, Bartman complimenting a Dick (Tracey,) and other happenings around the event and San Diego Comic Con in this Bold and Tasty stream.
Tune in today at 7PM central for talk on the 25th anniversary party, Sonic Mania, Project Sonic 2017, Totinos and more with Sonic Retro, SEGAbits and guests!
UPDATED: Sonic 25th Party Post Mortem Stream This Friday at 7PM Central
UPDATED: The postmortem podcast will air at 7PM central instead of 5PM central to make time for more awesome guests to arrive!
The Sonic Mania hype may be coasting at this point, but we’re just getting started with the celebration of “The World Famous Blue Hedgehog” by hosting a live podcast on SEGA Channel Retro on YouTube this Friday at 5PM central. Sonic Retro and SEGAbits were live and in person at the event and we’ll talk about the event, Sonic Mania, Project Sonic 2017, Totinos, LEGO Sonic the Hedgehog and more!
In 13 days, Sonic the Hedgehog is turning 25 years old. That’s something crazy to think about – I still remember the first time I spotted the hedgehog, running wildly in the Marble Zone on a game kiosk in a department store that no longer exists, my parents probably silently hoping that it wouldn’t become yet another childhood obsession.
In the build up to this gaming milestone, we’ve been slowly getting a trickle of hedgehog-related news: the latest Fire & Ice trailer, Sonic in Lego form, Archie’s next Sonic Special. While we wait on baited breath for the next big Sonic game reveal, Jun Senoue and Wave Master have given us more information on the next soundtrack release regarding the fastest thing alive. On Jun’s “Believe in Myself” column over at Japan’s Sonic Channel, the official track list for the 2-CD, 1-DVD set has been revealed, celebrating the entire scope of the Sonic gaming franchise.
Check out the full listing after the jump.