A generous collection of concept sketches, fully rendered character and background drawings, paintings and cell images! Meet the film's principal characters and read interviews and comments with the production staff. A generous collection of concept sketches, fully rendered character and background drawings, paintings and cell images! Meet the novel's principal characters and read interviews and comments with the production staff. About the Author Hayao Miyazaki is one of Japan’s most beloved animation directors. In 2005 he was awarded the Venice International Film Festival’s Golden Lion Award for Lifetime Achievement, and his Studio Ghibli received the festival’s Osella Award for overall achievement in 2004. Miyazaki’s films include Spirited Away, winner of the 2002 Academy Award® for Best Animated Feature Film, as well as Castle in the Sky, My Neighbor Totoro, Kiki's Delivery Service, Princess Mononoke, Howl's Moving Castle, and Ponyo, all of which have received great acclaim in the U.S. Miyazaki’s other achievements include the highly regarded manga series Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind and Starting Point: 1979-1996, a collection of essays, interviews, and memoirs that chronicle his early career and the development of his theories of animation. Both are published in English by VIZ Media. Hayao Miyazaki is the prominent director of many popular animated feature films. He is also the co-founder of Studio Ghibli, the award-winning Japanese animation studio and production company behind worldwide hits such as PRINCESS MONONOKE, HOWL'S MOVING CASTLE and SPIRITED AWAY.