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How To Draw Manga
Midnight Monsters
Midnight Monsters
How To Draw Manga Book Review

If you're a fan of the live-action series "Lost Girl" or at least have a passing fancy in demons, succubi, vampires, and lolita goth girls with bat wings, then check out Chris Hart's latest entry in the "how to draw manga" series -- Manga for the Beginner: Midnight Monsters.

The art has improved considerably over earlier entries, as has the direction for poses and how to go from a few carefully placed circles and swishes of a pencil to a suave, sexy man-pire or draw a sultry mistress of the night. Even zombies are covered if you want to try your hand at a manga interpretation of "The Walking Dead".

For those of you still lurking on the sidelines and not yet trying your hand at creating your own masterpieces, this is a good way to get yourself started.

Reviewed by Brian Cirulnick, September 2013

Basic Anatomy for the Manga Artist
Basic Anatomy for
the Manga Artist

How To Draw Manga Book Review

For those who love drawing, manga, or just want to become familiar with the process of creating manga art, this is an essential book for perfecting their craft.

For anyone who wants to learn how to draw manga characters, understanding manga anatomy is a must. Manga bodies are different from other comics bodies in a variety of ways, and anyone who wants to perfect their manga art needs a working knowledge of manga anatomy. Basic Anatomy for the Manga Artist is a practical guide packed full with detailed step-by step demonstrations on how to draw correctly proportioned figures without the use of a model.

A multitude of essential topics and tips are covered: how to spot check for correct body proportions; how manga bodies differ from other comics bodies, and the way to draw them to make them appear three-dimensional; how to add light and shadow to the face; how to add different degrees of musculature to the body, and how to effectively show muscles through clothing and or costumes. The book also includes a never-before-seen section in an anatomy book, where a variety of figures in action are developed beginning with their basic skeletal form through their progression to a fully drawn figure with musculature and ending with a finished character in full costume.

Reviewed by Brian Cirulnick, September 2011

Shoujo Art StudioShoujo Art Studio
Shoujo Art Studio
How To Draw Manga Book Review

The coolest concept for budding manga artists ever! This book really *is* an art studio, because the included CD-ROM contains just about everything you need to get started making your own manga (you'll need to supply a computer and Adobe Photoshop).

The first half of the book is a step-by-step introduction to working in the digital medium, using Photoshop techniques, filters, layers and so forth. The second half of the book is a catalog of what's on the disk. Layered PSD templates allow you to choose layouts, backgrounds, characters, and objects, position them as you like, add word balloons, layer on dialog, color or zip-a-tone as you like, and then print out your page of completed shoujo manga!

I wish I'd had it this easy, I had to learn to draw first, and to this day, I'm still not that good at it -- if only there'd been pre-made artwork for me to manipulate into the comics I wanted to create. You kids these days, got it so easy -- why, in my day we had to walk uphill both ways in the snow! Now get off my lawn!

Reviewed by Brian Cirulnick, October 2009


Manga Mania: Occult and Horror
Manga Mania: Occult and Horror
How To Draw Manga Book Review

Let's face it, we all like the characters of the underworld and vampires in particular, because they are sexy. Long, lean, powerful bodies, haunting expressions, deep, seductive eyes and smolderingly sexy looks always make these characters sinfully delicious.

A succubus, a brooding vampire, a fallen character that revels in their darkest depths, those are characters that have bite (excuse the pun), and you can have fun with as a designer and storyteller.

Manga Mania: Occult and HorrorSo of course we welcome Chris Hart's new book "Manga Mania: How to Draw Manga Vampires" because it gives us the sexy, alluring, romantic, and even the slutty characters that we fantasize about in the deepest regions of our twisted little minds. And it's got good fashion tips if you're drawing an underworld character, making a Halloween costume, or, you've decided that being goth is your calling in life. Evil never looked so good.

Reviewed by Brian Cirulnick, January 2008

Kids Draw: Manga Monsters by Christopher Hart
Kids Draw: Manga Monsters
How To Draw Manga Book Review

Kids Draw: Manga Monsters by Christopher Hart This new book by Christopher Hart focuses solely on how to draw Manga Monsters, those mostly cute, oddly proportioned characters with heads that seem too large for their poor, meager bodies to support (aka "Super-Deformed", "chan" or "chibi" styles - Kawaii!). Hart begins by presenting the essentials of what defines a manga monster. He reviews the basics, such as head size and shape, types of eyes, bodies legs, and hands. The book shows budding manga artists how to build on these basic characteristics by modifying them and by adding more details. For example, Hart presents examples of "cute, innocent" eyes, as well as "mean, sinister" eyes. Hart does an excellent job illustrating how each choice the artist makes regarding the monster's details will affect its personality.

Kids Draw: Manga Monsters by Christopher Hart The book also encourages artists to incorporate body markings and skin patterns to give a sense of texture, and whimsy. And no manga monster would be complete without a special power. Hart reminds artists to actually show what their manga monsters' powers look like. He provides examples of monsters that can shoot bolts electricity or move on a spring-like tail.

This comprehensive book covers every detail that a manga monster artist needs to create a fully realized, unique monster. Yet the material is presented in a simple, inviting way that allows kids to pick it up and get started drawing right away. Manga Monsters also provides a wide range of examples of different types of monsters to give the reader's imagination a jumpstart. As part of the Kids Draw series, this book's primary audience is young, budding manga artists. However, adults who want to learn the basics of drawing these creatures will find this book useful as well.

Reviewed by Zareh Artinian October 2007

Hi Yah!
Hi Yah!
How to Draw Manga Book Review

Whether you're making a movie or a videogame, sooner or later someone's throwing a flying kick, and it had better look right or the audience isn't buying it. In this new book by Steve Miller, great care was taken in researching the martial arts, although Miller notes: "I'm not interested in presenting only what is physically possible."

Hi Yah!He uses the martial arts as a springboard to the realm of extraordinary and even superhuman - which is perfect for anime, manga, videogames, and even today's ultra-CGI-enhanced live action movies. He includes ninety step-by-steps for developing compelling martial arts combatants whose kinetic energy leaps off the page.

A brief history of martial arts around the world and an overview of the Tao of drawing are followed by detailed lessons on fluid anatomy, dynamic poses, pressure points, punches, hard strikes, jumping, kicks, blocks, throws, weapons, and of course, the flying kick. Miller has earned his black belt as an illustrator and teacher, and I certainly wouldn't want to go up against anyone in this book!

Reviewed by Brian Cirulnick, September 2007

Draw Manga: How to Draw Manga In Your Own Unique Style
Draw Manga:
How to Draw Manga
In Your Own Unique Style

How To Draw Manga Review

This is the first book to address how to draw Manga emphasizing your own unique abilities, rather than just copying what you think everyone else wants to see. It's one thing to be able to draw like the Japanese, and it's another thing entirely to be able to bring your own artistic flair to the style and make a unique contribution to the overall art form. This is the difference between merely being an illustrator and being a real "artist".

Man is it hard to find an illustration from 'Draw Manga: How to Draw Manga In Your Own Unique Style' by Bruce Lewis...Bruce Lewis, one of the first professional cartoonists to bring the manga-style to the United States, takes an entirely fresh approach to the subject that's perfect for beginners. First, the book explains manga and its roots, teaches the conventions of manga illustration (i.e. girls have big eyes), but encourages the reader to develop their own unique style. Why ape manga when you can develop its exciting conventions in your own way?

"Draw Manga" then builds YOUR skills, from drawing the basic figure, creating believable characters and setting the scene, to developing a story and creating dramatic lettering. By the end of the book you will know how to create your own manga and how to publish your work on paper or online. By the time artists have worked their way through this essential guide, they'll feel confident drawing their own manga works and know how to get them published too.

This comprehensive approach to thinking and drawing manga is the ultimate handbook to success in the exploding field of manga and comics.

Reviewed by Brian Cirulnick, May 2007

Discover Manga Drawing: 30 Easy Lessons for Drawing Guys and Girls
Discover Manga Drawing:
30 Easy Lessons for Drawing Guys and Girls

How To Draw Manga/Comics Book Review

Discover the secrets to drawing manga and have fun creating dozens of guys and girls in a variety of costumes. The easy lessons in this book make drawing manga as easy as picking up a pencil. just start with the basics of drawing heads and bodies, then learn ways to customize your characters, from the looks on their faces to the clothes they're wearing. Make your people old or young, happy or angry, sweet or sinister.

Discover Manga Drawing: 30 Easy Lessons for Drawing Guys and Girls In a guide featuring thirty essential 'demos' that cover all of the basics of drawing people in manga style, such as facial features, body structures, props and poses, first-time manga artists learn the popular style through projects arranged with a progressive approach and will be inspired by a gallery of characters with hundreds of illustrations.

Put it all together to create popular character types including bishoujo and bad boys, space samurai, sorceresses, spies, skateboarders and more! Before long, you'll be drawing cool, cute and 100 percent original characters of your own creation.

Author Mario Galea is a character designer and animator living in Northeastern Pennsylvania. He is a published manga comic artist with Antarctic Press (Ninja High School Yearbook), and he has been drawing cartoons for most of his life.

Review by Brian Cirulnick, March 2007


e frontier Manga Studio Debut 3.0
eFrontier Manga Studio Debut 3.0
Anime/Manga Software Review

This may be the most exciting product we've seen in quite some time. If you ever wished that Photoshop did more, and combined the power of Quark Xpress and Adobe Illustrator in one complete package, this is the software you have been wishing for.

Manga Studio, created by a leading software manufacturer specializing in 3-D tools, allows you to create your own comics and manga right on your PC or Macintosh. The "Professional Version" is actually used by many Japanese artists to produce Manga in the fast-paced industry that keeps everyone in a constant state of caffeine buzz.

Manga Studio 3.0, the worldís leading manga and comic art software, gives you the power and flexibility to easily create professional-quality comics, manga and illustrations. Draw naturally using a tablet and recreate the incredible sensation of drawing on paper. Save time with thousands of built-in tones. See your projects come to life when you choose from dozens of special effects and image adjustment features.

Import and export to many common file formats including layered PSD (photoshop), BMP, JPG, TGA and PNG. Manga Studio 3.0 is your all-in-one solution for professional, ready-to-publish manga and comics from start to finish, all with easy-to-use tools, filters and special effects.

With Manga Studio, you can toss most of your other software, as this specialized package is pretty much all you'll ever need to craft cutting-edge comics.

Manga Studio Screenshot

Reviewed by Brian Cirulnick, August 2006

Manga Mania Chibi and Furry Characters
Manga Mania Chibi and Furry Characters
How To Draw Manga/Comics Book Review

Chibi covers a wide range of hyper-cute characters, from the insanely distorted, super-deformed "large head, tiny body" versions of existing anime characters (used to make funny wisecracks) to the specially designed characters that are *supposed* to look that way within the anime show (Sailormoon's Chibi-usa comes to mind). Chibi style monsters spawned the incredible world of Pokemon, creating a world-wide phenomena.

Now get the handle of how to draw these, as well as sexy cat-girls and other furry (but humanoid) creatures in this new book from Chris Hart. Laced with clear, step-by-step instructions, Chris leads you into this strange world and shows how to induce both diabetic shock from the sweetness of chibi, as well as stir your libido from sultry furry vixens. As with all of his work, it's good reference material as well as a good how-to book because he covers the material in depth. Worth every penny!

Reviewed by Brian Cirulnick, March 2006


How to Draw Manga
How to Draw Manga: Bishoujo/Pretty Girls
How To Draw Manga/Comics Book Review

At least half of all anime fans are male. And of that half, most of them think that anime chicks are hot. What makes these Bishoujo so adorable? Learn the secrets of cute girls as you learn to draw.

How to Draw MangaWith detailed sections on faces, hair, eyes, bodies, clothing, etc., the book explains how to draw all the basics, and also shows different bishoujo themes like school girls, nurses, etc. One particularly cool segment is the "Out of this world" section where there's amazing examples and tips for drawing wings, mermaids, robot girls, cat girls, other animal girls plus more!

If you can draw a few circles, pretty soon you'll be belting out drawings of hot babes. And that's what separates the fanboys from the really popular fanboys!

Reviewed by Brian Cirulnick, November 2003

Manga Mania Bishoujo
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Manga Mania Bishoujo
How To Draw Manga/Comics Book Review

Bishoujo (bee-sho-jo) translates as "Beautiful Girl" or "Pretty Girl". In anime and manga, Bishoujo are female characters that are usually cute and/or sexy and attractive. Learning to draw Bishoujo is a requirement for anyone wanting to do manga or anime art.

Manga Mania BishoujoWith Christopher Hart’s clear, step-by-step drawings and dynamic, easy-to-follow text, Manga Mania Bishoujo shows aspiring artists exactly how to handle anatomy and muscles, hands and nails, seductive outfits, extreme hairstyles, body language, and facial expressions — everything to create manga women that will strike fear in the hearts of the enemy — and inspire love in the heart of the hero.

Reviewed by Brian Cirulnick, September 2005

Manga Mania Shoujo: How to Draw the Charming and Romantic Characters of Japanese Comics
Manga Mania Shoujo:
How to Draw the Charming and Romantic Characters of Japanese Comics

How To Draw Manga/Comics Book Review

Shoujo is basically "girls manga", but don't be put off by that. Shoujo has become the hottest style of Manga/Anime within the last few years. shoujo is based on stories that focus on peer pressure, romance, and friendship, and occasionally, magical girl adventures. Anime mega-hits Card Captor Sakura and Sailor Moon had their start as Shoujo.
Manga Mania Shoujo: How to Draw the Charming and Romantic Characters of Japanese Comics
Best-selling author Christopher Hart once again reveals the secrets and techniques that go into building all the basics of the shoujo style - the big eyes, the miniscule noses, and the cute or angst-ridden expressions. In addition, artists learn to draw teen clothing styles and also different character types, from school kids and cute pets to "pretty boy" heartthrobs (Bishonen!). This book truly has it all and is a great reference as well as a fantastic "How-To".

Reviewed by Brian Cirulnick, September 2004

Let's Draw Manga - All About Fighting
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Let's Draw Manga - All About Fighting
How To Draw Manga/Comics Book Review

Although the artwork is kind of stiff-looking, what make this particular book worth having is that it covers a huge amount of ground in the area of setting up a scene and playing through combat with the most dramatic poses and camera angles.

Of particular interest were the sections on weapons use and the different types of genres that fight scenes take place in. while not so much of a "how to draw" book, it's a fabulous reference for the times your characters need to get heavily into the action.

Reviewed by Brian Cirulnick, February 2005

Mecha Mania - From MECHA MANIA by Christopher Hart. © 2002 Art Studio LLC.
Mecha Mania: How to Draw Warrior Robots, Cool Spaceships, and Military Vehicles
How To Draw Manga/Comics Book Review

Christopher Hart has a line of these books and they are all excellent. Aimed at both the novice and the expert, "How to Draw..." provides a useful base for the beginner to get his hands dirty drawing mecha, while at the same time giving useful tips for detailing those drawings that even someone who's been doing it for years would get something useful from.

Mecha Mania: Our kinda Art School!    From MECHA MANIA by Christopher Hart. © 2002 Art Studio LLC.  Walking that fine line between inundating a newbie with too much information, yet giving all of us a good lesson in creating cool-looking artwork, Hart strikes just the right blend of information, and of course, the book is full of some kick-ass illustrations, as well as break-downs of just how they were done.

If you've been inspired by anime and want to start making your own films, this book is a great guide to getting started doing the type of illustration you'll need to create your own anime. Combined with some books on the art of animation, you'll have a start at figuring out what it takes to make the anime we admire so much.

Reviewed by Brian Cirulnick, February 2003

Manga Mania Villains
Manga Mania Villains: How to Draw the Dastardly Characters of Japanese Style Comics
How To Draw Manga/Comics Book Review

Author/Artist Christopher Hart presents the subject matter in a great level of detail, discussing various "bad guy" types and characteristics that make a villain, villainous - all in a humorous style that is a joy to read. The techniques he teaches are easy to understand and very clever, allowing you to interpret the temperament of the evildoer and spirit of the scene, making for a great "storyboard" effect.

Manga Villans...If you can't even draw a circle yet, you should first look at one of Hart's other books, Kids Draw Anime, which starts off much simpler with basic techniques. If you're more advanced, check out Hart's Human Anatomy Made Amazingly Easy for tips on making your characters all the more realistic.

Reviewed by Brian Cirulnick, December 2003

How to Draw Manga: Costume Encyclopedia
How to Draw Manga: Costume Encyclopedia
How To Draw Manga/Comics Book Review

Although it is part of the "How to Draw Manga" series of books, this is no regular 'how to' book. Instead it is an encylopedic reference guide to hundreds of different fashions and pieces of clothing as seen in manga and anime. Anyone who draws should have this book. Within it's packed pages are all the little details that will help make your art more accurate and alive. Every sleeve, skirt, coat, workboot and high-heel pump is cataloged, diagrammed and described for easy reference.

Aspiring manga artists, animators, fashion students, illustrators, and casual doodlers alike will all benefit from the plethora of material found in this amazing and diverse reference resource.

Reviewed by Brian Cirulnick, June 2004

How NOT To Draw Manga: Supersize Special
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How NOT To Draw Manga: Supersize Special
How To Draw Manga/Comics Book Review

BWAHAHAHAHAHA! 'Nuff said. The comic geniuses at Antartic Press have compiled a book that *exactly* covers the genre, with tongue planted firmly in cheek.

A comic geniuses at Antartic Press?If you know anything about manga and anime, you'll find something that'll make you smirk, and downright laugh out loud.With totally on-target illustrations augmenting their biting satire, this wonderfully humorous book deserves a treasured spot next to your legitimate "how to draw" books — except that you'll see how trite and preachy those other books are by comparison. This one has it right on. Oh, and HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

Reviewed by Brian Cirulnick, June 2005

Drawing Cutting Edge Fusion
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Drawing Cutting Edge Fusion
Art and Animation Book Review

Manga is eclipsing everything from the traditional comics industry to newspaper strips. More and more American artists are plying their trade in the manga realm. Christopher Hart's amazing book illustrates in vivid detail the combination of two styles - American comics and manga - into the new comic art form known as fusion.

Hart shows the reader the basics of fusion through numerous illustrations that help to convey the dynamic, exciting nature of this artistic style. This book is certain to get the creative juices flowing. Don't miss out on this new art form that is the rage in comics today. Pick up a copy of Drawing Cutting Edge Fusion, and expand your horizons as a comic book artist!

Reviewed by Saul Trabal, January 2006


How to Draw Stupid
How to Draw Stupid
How To Draw Manga Book Review

When I was in High School, I started running into Kyle Baker on the Q5 Bus in Queens NY and even back then he was drawing crazy cartoons with weird characters and some really atrocious puns. But Kyle can draw anything. With a career than includes Marvel Comics, DC, and a successful series of his own creations, he can do anything he puts his mind to, and do it better than just about anyone.

So, when Kyle's new book showed up in my inbox, I pawed through it with glee and it did not disappoint. Kyle imparts the reader with his wisdom regarding how to draw, and how to create characters that emote, think, and how important it is to apply the principles of comedy to make a gag work properly. It's a fast-paced and entertaining foray into a world of secret tips and tricks, and can be enjoyed by those who aren't necessarily looking for a "how to", but Baker's enthusiasm for the medium shines through, and becomes contagious. I found myself wanting to pick up a pencil and draw before I was halfway through the book.

Not since Scott McCloud's Understanding Comics has there been a book this important to the world of cartooning. The concepts and principles illustrated here can be applied to manga, animation, funny cartoons and fine art. Plus, any book that includes a dedication to Howard Beckerman gets points with us!

Reviewed by Brian Cirulnick, September 2008


Japanese Comickers: Draw Anime and Manga Like Japan's Hottest Artists
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Japanese Comickers: Draw Anime and Manga Like Japan's Hottest Artists
How To Draw Manga/Comics Book Review

This is not a beginner's "how-to" manual. This is more of a tips and tricks primer for people who already have a style and want to improve their look to match the incredible art offered within these pages of this book. If one does not have a basic understanding of most traditional and CG mediums, they will probably be lost.

Where else can you find such an incredible collection of 14 young comic, anime and manga artists willing to share the secrets of their techniques? Each artist includes a brief biography, the most representative work and a gallery of their best work with step-by-steps on how to create the look of their style. The last chapter features a who's who in the industry or "Tree of Japanese Comickers" and information about the art materials used by each artist along with a glossary of terms unique to Japanese comic/anime illustrations.

Reviewed by Brian Cirulnick, March 2005


Understanding Comics
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Understanding Comics
How To Draw Manga/Comics Book Review

Scott McCloud takes on the genre as only Joseph Campbell could have done. Within this informative, eye-opening investigation he disassembles what makes the comic book what it is and why it works as a medium. In so doing, he's also created one of the most important reference works of our era.

Understanding ComicsIf you have even a passing interest in comics you must read this book.McCloud, using a comic-book format within the book itself, picks apart the visual language of storytelling – concepts that make this a valuable work for multimedia artists and film-makers alike. You'll understand after this read just *why* anime has such dramatic impact.

Reviewed by Brian Cirulnick, December 2004

Dynamic Figure Drawing
Dynamic Figure Drawing
How To Draw Manga/Comics Book Review

Burne Hogarth is the master of drawing the human figure in visually exciting manner. Figure drawing is the most essential (and the most difficult) of all skills for the artist to learn. This book introduces Hogarth's revolutionary system of figure drawing, which makes it possible to visualize and accurately render the forms of the human body from every conceivable point of view.

This is not a "how-to" book for beginners, this is for people who already know anatomy and can draw. With over 300 drawings & diagrams, the author uses a "superhuman" anatomy as the basis to explain foreshortening and other tricks of the trade to make your images come to life with kinetic realism. Understanding these principles is the secret between sub-standard "anime" and kick-ass anime.

Reviewed by Brian Cirulnick, April 2004

The DC Comics Guide to Inking Comics
The DC Comics Guide to Inking Comics
How To Draw Manga/Comics Book Review

For the budding illustrator and animator, learning to ink, and ink *properly* is an essential skill. Even with all the fancy computer coloring, nothing adds dimension to illustrations like good use of line weight, textures, and light & shadow.

Using DC characters and comics as examples, Janson's lively, step-by-step instructions are informative, exciting — and clear enough for even a beginner to follow. In addition, every technique shown in the guide conforms to actual industry standards (i.e. learn this book, and get a job!). Even seasoned professionals will find something to learn here. It is crammed with great art and excellent examples of the art of inking, and is easily the best book we have seen on the subject.

Reviewed by Brian Cirulnick, October 2003

The DC Comics Guide to Coloring and Lettering Comics
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The DC Comics Guide to Coloring and Lettering Comics
How To Draw Manga/Comics Book Review

DC Comics' comprehensive guide to coloring and lettering comics is peppered with examples of creating a mood to a scene with colors, and how one way will differ from another. Using actual comic art panels, the authors use color in a variety of ways within the same art to illustrate their points.

Super Coloring for Superman!Authors Mark Chiarello and Todd Klein provide the nuts of bolts of the medium, from the nubs of the pens and the indian ink to tips and tricks of photoshop settings and professional, industry-standard techniques needed to provide dynamic and powerful comic art . If you want to properly ink the noirish hues of the Dark Knight, or paint the steely sheen of the Man of Steel, check this book out.

Reviewed by Brian Cirulnick, January 2005

Cartoon Cool: How To Draw New Retro Style Characters
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Cartoon Cool: How To Draw New Retro Style Characters
How To Draw Manga/Comics Book Review

Chris Hart's latest "How-To" book examines the current trend of 50's look in animation, with hits such as Dexter's Lab, Atomic Betty and the PowerPuff Girls. Now the zingy, stylized look can be yours to master once author Hart reveals the secrets to this quirky and innovative niche.
A retro lookin' character...
This book is the first of it's kind to cover the retro "almost 50's" look that was also successfully used in Pixar's latest hit The Incredibles. Older fans may also recall the style used by Don Bluth for the arcade game hit "Space Ace".

Reviewed by Brian Cirulnick, April 2005


How to Self-Publish Your Own Comic Book
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How to Self-Publish Your Own Comic Book
How To Draw Manga/Comics Book Review

This amazing reference work is the only one of its kind, providing complete information on all aspects of the comic book industry and the publishing process. Covering everything from "Getting started" to "Buying and selling secondary rights", it also covers Securing trademarks and copyrights, Comic book creation, printering and color separators, Contracts, Distribution and sales, Marketing strategies, Promotions and public relations, Budgeting and bookkeeping, Acquiring needed capital and MORE!

Rounding out the volume is a helpful appendix listing that includes the names and addresses of recommended printers, distributors, foreign publishers, comic book industry publications, domestic and foreign comic specialty shops, and related computer resources, making this a truly unique reference that no self-publisher should be without.

Reviewed by Brian Cirulnick, November 2004


How to Draw and Sell Digital Cartoons
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How to Draw and Sell Digital Cartoons
How To Draw Manga/Comics Book Review

No doubt about it. Computers have revolutionized everything and even comic books are being put together with digital technology. Leo Hartas gives you an idea how it's all done while also pointing out that you still need to have the skills of the artist in order to make it all work.

The book makes a good intro to the field for up-and-coming anime talent. Examples from different graphic novels are used to lavishly illustrate this colorful tome.

Reviewed by Lawrence Sufrin, May 2005

Drawing Crime Noir
Drawing Crime Noir:
For Comics And Graphic Novels

How To Draw Manga/Comics Book Review

Navigate the mean streets of the tough city, filled with gunmen in the shadows, while sultry vixens look on from the darkness of the alleys. This awesome book from Christopher Hart and Watson Guptill Publishers shows how to take advantage of cutting-edge imagery of the "noir" comics scene - to make crime pay.

Drawing Crime NoirPerfect for anyone interested in drawing for comic books or graphic novels, this book is a stronger, better look at tough guy artwork than most, and, serves as a good alternative for anime/manga artists who want to create a more "fusion" style of artwork, where the graphic novel approach meets the anime universe, such as was first seen in the wildly successful "Batman: The Animated Series" or "Gargoyles".

With more than 400 illustrations, Drawing Crime Noir leads the aspiring artist (as well as those with drawing experience) down the path to creating the stylish, moody look of the crime-infested underworld. Extensive instruction is offered in the use of shadows and light to create suspense and intensity. And then there are the darkly charismatic sunglasses, the hit men, the sexy women in skintight outfits, and the craggy men with crooked-eye stitches. Chris Hart's text and graphics details how to bring them all to rich life with step-by-step points on nuances, shading, props and poses.

With so much of the graphic style resting on what's black and what's white on the paper, special attention is given (at least half the book) regarding lighting, shading, angle, and inking of a scene to create the most intensity and impact (i.e. close-ups are good!). Even the "Ridley Scott" Venetian blind lighting effects are covered, as well as how to draw the windswept streets and moonless night scenes of the harsh city. And of course, what noir book would be complete without a costumed, caped superhero with a dark side, a streak of uncontrolled vengeance, and a tormented soul? This book truly has it all and is a bargain at any price.


Reviewed by Brian Cirulnick, July 2006


Simplified Anatomy for Comic Book Superheros
Simplified Anatomy for Comic Book Superheros
How To Draw Review

It all started with Alex Toth. Whilst character-designing for Hanna-Barbera, he essentially created a new artform, the "simplified" superhero, which gave rise to masterpieces such as Space Ghost and The Herculoids. Comic artists such as Steve Rude fought tooth and nail to legitimize the style as valid for the printed page during a time when ultra-realism was the 'look' Marvel and DC wanted. Twenty years later, the artform was again revolutionized by "Batman: The Animated Series", which extrapolated what Toth began and made it more extreme, with exaggerated pointy chins, extra curvaceous femme fatales, and a stark look that became more than the sum of its parts.

Pixar took that look and gave us "The Incredibles" cementing the style and raising it to high art. Now, almost all the characters in comic books and on TV have a fresh, new look simplified, streamlined, edgier, with a hint of anime/cartoon design, and appealing to kids and adults alike.

Now everyone wants that "retro" look that is both modern, cartoony, and yet harkens back to the days of Alex Toth, and this is the book that shows you how to achieve that style — easily, and with aplomb. Taking the pain out of learning anatomy, Chris Hart's awesome book breaks down the look and presents a solid foundation on which to build in-your-face action poses that leap off the page.

Reviewed by Brian Cirulnick, August 2007


Drawing Animals Made Amazingly Easy
Drawing Animals Made Amazingly Easy
How To Draw Review

Best-selling author Christopher Hart continues his highly-successful drawing series with a wonderful and unique addition for budding manga and anime artists with Drawing Animals Made Amazingly Easy.

After all, a manga series isn't just populated by girls with big eyes and ninja warriors, the average anime or manga character may have a cat, ride a horse, or, turn into a panda when drenched with water. Or, if you're considering your own production of Happy Feet (or perhaps you know a Linux advocate), you can draw a penguin.

By breaking down each animal's anatomy and comparing it to a human's, the author realizes a simple concept that helps beginning artists render animals in a realistic manner. Additionally, the book doesn't rely on static poses; instead, each creature is shown in a action pose specific to their type -- bears and lions hunting prey, while kittens and puppies play in a adorable manner. Using simple building blocks, concepts like perspective and volume are quickly and painlessly solved.

Readers will marvel at their sketchbooks as they see for themselves how amazingly easy drawing animals can be.


Reviewed by Brian Cirulnick, June 2007






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