Did you ever wonder how Walt Disney created his famous animated pictures? This book is for those of the general public who want to learn some of the mysteries about the art and science of animation. It is based on Fox’s experience at Lucasfilm and Waite’s background in personal computers.

The text is divided into two parts: the first covers an overview of the field, and the second shows how the animation process is developed from the simple to very complex scenes. Starting with its historical development, the reader is shown how the field developed from the 19th century, with emphasis on general theory and the psychology of animation in the film industry.

Next follows a lengthy discussion of the hardware from the tiny Sinclair up to the Cray-1 supercomputer. On p. 51, the authors’ definition of Random Access Memory (RAM) could be more technically correct than their supplied generalized definition. In Chapter 3, they show the software secrets and tricks for objects, transformations, hidden lines, and different paint systems. The detailed explanation of the Juggler film illustrates how realism was achieved. The first part ends with a chapter on animation features and 13 key factors one should consider before purchasing a personal computer.

The second part of the book takes the reader step by step, demonstrating BASIC programs to design character sets, color, player-missile graphics, the use of machine language (for Atari), and, finally, how a scrolling background is realized. The eight Appendices give additional technical information, as well as a full listing of the BASIC and ASSEMBLY language routines.

In summary, this is truly an outstanding work of art and science. It has a flip book component to show you six animated sequences. About 16 pages of vivid color illustrations are truly beautiful, but I found several illustration, to be rather dark. If you want to animate part of the world, here’s your opportunity to create meaningful art forms.