Behind the scenes of Wreck-it Ralph

The best animation of 2012 had to be Disney’s Wreck-It Ralph - to games what Toy Story was to toys. The movie follows the titular character (from fictional 1980s game Fix-It Felix) and his quest among many games worlds - and each of these is examined in detail in this making-of book, from Ralph’s 8-bit home to the violent modern shooter of Hero’s Duty and finally to the colourful, 64-bit racer Sugar Rush.

Ralph’s origins as an 8-bit character are evident in his square, chunky design, whereas Hero’s Duty’s Sergeant Tamora Jean Calhoun’s appearance is more armoured and well-proportioned. Interviews with the movie's many artists, including a foreword by director Rich Moore and a preface by John Lasseter, along with character sketches, storyboards, visual development paintings and more, make this an insightful behind-the-scenes look at 2012's big 3D animated epic.

We see a lot of design books for both games and animated films, and it’s nice to see one that combines our two core passions. Published by Chronicle Books, it's available for $40.

• This review was originally published in our sister title ImagineFX, the world's leading magazine for fantasy and sci-fi digital artists. You can get a free sample issue here!

Now read: The 20 best 3D movies for 2012