I Spy Fantasy: A Retrospective
5/15/2023:
I Spy Fantasy is an excellent and atmospheric book that emphasizes the imaginative elements of the series. The book evokes a range of intense feelings by combining common household items with elaborate special effects to create scenes that visualize what a child imagines when they play with such things. The rich atmospheres created really make this book stand out.
City Blocks
This is an excellent scene that sets the tone of Fantasy quite well. This scene feels like a sequel to Blocks, from the first book, but uses much more intense lighting to convey the mood of a bustling city at night. Unlike Blocks, which was almost like a facade, City Blocks is dense and rich, with intertwining roads and stacks of blocks that evoke the feeling of a busy city at night. There’s a real feeling of awe in this scene that I find myself drawn to.
I really like how different wooden props are used to create distinct kinds of roads in this cityscape, with busy, cramped two-lane blocks below, filled with big vans and utility vehicles, and thin train tracks above, which have smaller, sportier, more spread out cars on them. This creates the unique feeling of different speeds of vehicles in the city. It’s a good way to add variety to the lower half of the scene, and prevent it from looking cluttered. It’s a very deliberate way to stage the scene.
I also really like how the skyline has a variety of shapes in it. Cleverly, each shape that protrudes into the skyline allows the lovely twilight background through, helping to break up the monotone color scheme of the maple blocks. The skyline is even cooler when you realize that the big platform with the helipad on it is actually a stool, a common object that matches the color scheme of the wooden blocks perfectly. It’s a neat way to add variety to the scene.
I love this scene, and most scenes like it. There are no purpose-built, sculpted props. Everything in the scene is a common toy or household object, but the way they are arranged breathes life into them. I love the awe in this scene, the awe at the vast world of toys conveyed within, the incredible sense of scale the city has. City Blocks sets the tone of Fantasy quite well.
Into the Woods
In contrast to the incredible awe of the previous scene, Into the Woods is simply adorable. The colors of this one feel super warm and cozy, the sunlight filtering through the trees making the greens of the moss and the reflections in the water really vibrant. It’s colorful, but in an understated way, with a more consistent palette.
I really like how the scale of all the little anthropomorphic critters is similar, but the natural looking animals in the foreground are bigger, closer to their natural sizes. It gives the feeling of mundane creatures peeking through the forest onto a magical scene. It’s a very clever way to ground the scene in reality, since there otherwise aren’t that many common objects to help with that.
I like how the log bridges in the scene, along with the placement of different lights, help to break up the scene into multiple distinct zones, to make searching easier. This was previously done quite well in Mystery, but this scene takes that technique to the next level, by keeping the zones as a totally organic part of the scene. The sheer density of the background in this scene is incredible. The subject matter in this scene resembles Nature, from the first book, in its subject matter and palette, but the simple arrangement of props on a white table is gone, and in its place is an enormous forest set, rich with natural detail. This scene is impressive, in a totally different way from the previous scene.
Clouds
This scene is iconic, so iconic that it’s used as the cover for the original printing of this book! Clouds is a fun exercise in minimalism, showing how Wick can make a scene with an extremely limited palette and have it still be fun and memorable.
I really like how the lighting is used to cast deep shadows on the white props, to accent their distinctive silhouettes. The background also helps with that, being a contrasting blue color, to make the warm foreground objects stand out and look sharp. I also really like how Wick makes shapes in the clouds themselves, to add variety to the objects to find.
Unfortunately, I’m struggling to find more to say about this one. Almost every notable object is covered by the riddle, so it’s minimalist in more ways than one.
Yikes!
This scene fits nicely into the lineage of floating objects scenes, but has its own unique energy and edge to it! The addition of a visible floor plane in the background adds so much to the scene, and really sells the illusion of objects floating. The subject matter is also pretty distinct, with Wick constructing odd little creatures and caricatures out of simple, abstract shapes, with the help of googly eyes.
I find that the color palette is really appealing. There’s four main colors: red, blue, yellow, and white. This simple palette of primaries fits the abstract nature of the scene. Fantasy, on the whole, does a really good job of making each scene feel tangible and atmospheric, so the purely abstract nature of this one stands out, and makes it unique in its own way. I like it!
Blast Off!
This scene is so cool! Every element of the scene is recognizable as a common object, but the way they’re arranged and set up really makes them into something fantastical. The pots and pans, metal tubing, salt shakers, and of course, piles of beads as precious martian ore… it’s got an incredible atmosphere.
The next-level effects work serves to add to that incredible atmosphere.. The use of fog under the big rocket in the center to make it look like it’s taking off is excellent and convincing. I also find myself drawn to the dusty haze put over the scene, at ground level, really conveying the tangibility of the martian space. Finally, the rocky mountains in the background are the most fantastical element, the one element of the scene that’s not a mundane object, but still helps contribute to the atmosphere.
The color scheme in this scene is really interesting. It’s extremely warm, all yellow and orange, but the bright accent colors in red, green, and shining chrome help it from feeling totally flat. I really like this one.
Flight of Fancy
Geeeeeems. On the scale of shinies, in my mind, in which beads and gems are subsets, gems are about even with beads. They tend to have less specific details, but are much shinier. I like shinies a lot.
This photo is all about how shiny shinies are. I absolutely love how gems and beads of all shapes and sizes are used to build a bigger overall shape. It’s a cool effect, and stands out nicely on the simple backdrop, shining in the darkness. I especially like how necklaces are used on the rear wings to add more definition, almost a feathery tone, compared to the dotted outline of the bird towards the front. Using a comb on the front as a crown is also a nice touch.
I find this image really satisfying. What could have easily been an abstract arrangement of beads and gems is made into a cool shape. This is another one I took direct inspiration from for Visualize, being the main inspiration for the Suit of Coins. This scene is really nice.
Sand Castle
As somebody very fond of the ocean, I love the energy this scene captures. I am particularly fond of the contrast between fantasy and reality. I love how the little toy soldiers are having their medieval battle among totally normal beach toys like a shovel, pail, and flippers. The sand castle is huge and impressive, but there’s still planes in the sky, ships in the sea, and even more mundane stuff like a beach ball. It adds an element of magical realism to the warm beachy atmosphere I really like.
There’s so many little details that add a lot to the highly specific tone of this scene. The medieval siege tower on the side, the found feather and shell decorating the castle, the one knight standing in a dump truck full of sand, the vast sculpted dragon that nobody seems to be fighting… it all contributes to the strange, nostalgic feeling of magical realism.
It’s an odd feeling. I definitely played with knights and castles as a child, but not with sand castles. My sand castles were always more surrealist and industrial, focused more on moving water around and through them. The medieval fantasy here is incredibly familiar, but not necessarily with my memories of playing at the beach… but it all still feels coherent. I love the feelings this scene evokes in me, this one is great.
Ballerina
This scene reminds me a lot of an image from the first book again, Make Believe. This feels like a representation of the fantasy associated with those props from Make Believe, not just dressing up, but being the star of the show. I really like the color contrast, with the bright masks and shoes contrasting with the dark shadows, conveying the feeling of a spotlight on them quite well. This one is also notable for featuring a real-life person in it, not just an image or a figurine.
Otherwise, I don’t have a lot to say about this one. It’s well-composed, it just doesn’t resonate with me personally as much. I was always on the stage crew, not the star of the show.
Monster Workshop
Once again, this scene echoes another one from the original book for me, Arts and Crafts. The color palette and subject matter give me that feeling, with the focus on bright, primary colors, and the extensive use of paints and pipe cleaners. Much like the rest of Fantasy’s take on familiar scenes, though, this one is more focused and uses those familiar props to create a fun scene with some impressive effects.
I love how the page seam and careful lighting hide the point where the monster in the center goes from 2d to 3d. It’s a truly impressive effect that makes it really hard to tell where the transition begins, which adds to the fantastical feeling of the scene. The fantasy in this one is also pretty familiar to me, I always used to imagine making weird little critters out of pipe cleaners and craft supplies. It’s amazing how much life a pair of googly eyes can add to a weird little guy.
I’m having trouble finding a lot to say about this one. It’s not a bad scene by any means, it just lacks the atmospheric element that makes the best scenes in this book stand out.
Toy Planet
For the first time since Christmas, it’s the return of the whirling scene type! I like this one a lot, the huge range of bright colors really makes the smear effect stand out from the dark backdrop. I especially love how the differently colored objects are arranged together, to create bands of color on the sphere, and the smear effect blends them together, suggesting the feeling of the planet being a gas giant. It’s really well done.
I like how other objects are used outside the whirling effect to create more distant things in space. The marbles and dice suggest different planets, and the jacks and tops suggest space stations. It’s a neat way to add life to a pretty abstract scene.
This is a great, simple scene. It’s not the most atmospheric, but the effect is compelling and the concept is quite evocative. I like this one a lot.
Sweet Dreams
Sweet Dreams is another floating objects scene, but this one also stands out! With the framing of a border, this scene is much more evocative, conveying the feeling of looking through a candy store window at all the different things inside. At least to me, that feeling is incredibly familiar, as I had a major sweet tooth as a child (and still do, regretfully…)
I like how versatile candy is as a subject matter. The different candies of different shapes are used quite well in this scene to create little things like faces and flowers. When they’re closer together, they form the border, which looks quite solid, especially compared to the floating candies in the window. I also love how well the non-candy objects fit into the scene and hide quite well. The candles that the riddle asks you to find, the kazoo, the toy cars and gumball machines, they match the color palette perfectly and fit right in.
What a sweet scene! This scene of candy is rather dandy. It’s a simple one, but I think it’s really fun.
The Deep Blue Sea
The Deep Blue Sea is an excellent scene that captures its theme quite evocatively. I absolutely love the mysterious atmosphere in this one. The fish and rock formations are quite naturalistic and grounded, but the mermaid, pot of gold, and especially the door add an incredible sense of wonder and mystery. I remember being absolutely enthralled with the door as a child, I so badly wanted to see behind it. I like how unusual the scale is in this one. The door and pot of gold look super tiny compared to the starfish and the fish, helping add to the mysterious atmosphere.
The underwater illusion is quite well crafted. The lighting and background are especially impressive, conveying the feeling of being underwater quite well, along with all the sea life swimming around. I will say, revisiting this scene with more photographic experience, it’s really clear where the sand on the ground cuts off and becomes the background, it looks to only be a couple feet deep, based on the scale of the penny in the frame. I think it still works well, despite that, especially with how Wick hides objects in the background, like the whale, the anchor, and the pegasus.
I’ve always had an affinity for the ocean, so I’ve always really liked this scene. It really captures the mysterious yet welcoming feeling I’ve always had from the ocean. The atmosphere is on-point, the composition is fun, and the color palette is evocative. This is an all-around great scene!
The Rainbow Express
The Rainbow Express is not only a fantastic way to end the book, it’s not only my favorite scene in Fantasy, but it’s also one of my favorite I Spy scenes of all time.
I absolutely love the choice of subject matter here. This marks the very first time Wick uses a model railroad as the subject of an I Spy scene, and it works spectacularly well. The layout within the box is intricate and detailed, with a railroad bridge running over a gorgeous valley, full of trails, hikers, and animals, with a lovely river running through… yet this majestic miniature world is contained within a box, the raw materials used in its construction visible at the bottom. Surrounding the miniature world is a child’s bedroom, with a floor and lighting tone reminiscent of the last photo of Mystery.
All of this adds to the enthralling atmosphere of the scene. I’ve always been in awe of the vast layouts created by model railroad enthusiasts where I grew up, and this captures that feeling perfectly. The world within the box feels expansive and real, like you can just walk in and explore it, like it stretches on far past where you can see… but it’s clearly contained in a box, surrounded by the toys and trappings of childhood. The contrast between fantasy and reality is most pronounced in this photo, and it’s truly compelling. I have always been drawn to that feeling of abstract awe, the feeling of incredible scope stretching far past what you can see, and this is one of Wick’s best scenes at conveying that feeling.
The rhyme also does something excellent. At the very end, a gameplay element not seen since the first book is brought back: “And in each picture, I spy a heart.” There’s another line within a riddle that connects all the images together and has you searching them again. I like this a lot, it’s a fun way to revisit all the excellent scenes in this book one more time.
Revisiting this photo, I’ve just noticed the wooden block tunnel on the right side, with a track running through it, much like the ones in City Blocks. I love how two of the most atmospheric scenes in this book are connected, right at the end. This is one of my favorite I Spy scenes of all time.
Conclusion
I Spy Fantasy is an excellent book that brings the craft of I Spy to the next level. Many of the photos feature incredible scenes with really rich atmospheres. Far more scenes in this book have much more rich and detailed sets, built with complex materials and a lot of depth, really making the scenes feel more grounded and tangible, despite their fantastical tones.
Even the more simplistic scenes with more plain backgrounds and simpler themes work quite well within the framing of Fantasy. Yikes! and Sweet Dreams are really excellent takes on floating objects scenes. Toy Planet and Flight of Fancy have excellent atmospheres for how simple they are. The whole book really does a good job establishing a distinct atmosphere in every scene. I Spy Fantasy is something truly excellent, and one of my favorite works of Walter Wick.