Inside Family Guy An illustrated history

More than everything you always wanted to know about Family Guy, in vivid color.In this illustrated history, which includes all the sketches, storyboards, and character drawings readers will expect as well as a foreword from creator Seth MacFarlane, longtime TV writer Moore also goes deep into oral history, celebrating what he considers the visionary achievement of MacFarlane but also sharing the spotlight with the wealth of other contributing talent over the program's two-decade history. MacFarlane made history from the start as "the youngest executive producer in TV history" at the age of 24, with a fertile imagination and a voracious appetite for entertainment in general and TV in particular, which offset his lack of experience in sustaining a story or running a series. Back then, remember two Fox executives, he was "exuberant and goofy-looking, with Coke-bottle glasses and a Mr. Spock haircut.He wouldn't have looked out of place at Comic-Con." Though the series has long been compared with The Simpsons, which preceded it as an animated show focused on family dynamics, pushing the envelope with its subversive tone and spirit, Moore contends that "Family Guy is no Simpsons knockoff, as a few Simpsons loyalists insists. In fact, in some ways it's the mirror opposite," starting with the personality differences between the two protagonists. It received critical raves from the beginning, with the New York Times calling it "risky, rude, hilarious.Nothing is out of bounds as this series gleefully undermines family sitcom values." Yet the show barely survived into the new century, as it was scheduled against the blockbuster (at the time) Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, where it got clobbered and was cancelled. Or rather, put on hiatus, soon to resurface as part of the Cartoon Network's Adult Swim segment, where it reemerged as a cult favorite, enjoyed wider exposure on DVD, and returned to Fox by popular demand.A coffee-table book that will reward any fan of the show. Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.