Customer Reviews

Adventures in Cartooning: How to Turn Your Doodles Into Comics

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

It sounds like a how-to--and in its own way, it is--but it's also a really funny, laugh-out-loud story that, on top of being just plain a good read, teaches the basic tropes of graphic novels/cartoons in the cleverest possible way. It would inspire any kid to pick up a pencil (in fact, it worked for me!) It's going to be my go-to birthday gift for sometime to come, along with a pad, pencils and erasers. I just ordered a spare copy and sent one to a friend.

I read the book and when I finished it I was so happy. I didnt want it to end. Its very funny and entertaining. I think all kids will enjoy it. It teaches you alot about cartooning and the characters are so funny that I laughed out loud. I think everyone in the world should buy it. I give it 5 stars. If 1000 more came out I would buy all of them. Buy it today!!!

When a princess throws down her pencil and exclaims that she doesn't draw well enough to make comics, the Magic Cartooning Elf comes to her rescue, offering to show her how it's done. He begins by introducing the story of a brave knight who sets out to rescue a beautiful princess from a dragon. A bubblegum-chewing dragon that flies, breathes fire, and drools in its sleep.

But before the brave knight can save the princess from the dragon, he must first establish himself in space, and to do this, he needs to be in a panel. And in the panel, he must move and communicate with the reader through dialog and thought balloons and sound effects, and the layout of each panel must flow in the direction the reader reads. Basic art lessons like these are layered effortlessly into the story and the reader quickly forgets that this is a how-to book. The simple Ed Emberley-type shapes used to create the knight, dragon, elf, and backgrounds are all unintimidating and easily imitated by novice artists.

As the story progresses, the concepts are less frequently explained using dialog. Instead, the techniques are illustrated, showing rather than telling how to create depth and motion via shadow or speed lines. The knight is wearing a helmet, so he has no facial expressions. Therefore, the artist uses body language and expressive symbols to convey emotion, including tilting the head to show laughter or using wavy lines where the knight's legs once were to indicate fear.

Plenty of emphasis is placed on imagination and storytelling. The story is told and the instruction given with plenty of humor that will appeal to kids. That the plot is farfetched and childlike serves the book's purpose, giving kids permission to tell their own story rather than trying to write one that will satisfy the adults around them. An example of a child-drawn comic is at the back of the book and is the perfect end note, as it makes clear the point that anyone, even a seven-year-old, draws well enough to make comics. Adventures in Cartooning is highly recommended for kids. It's also recommended for adults who aren't sure why comics work the way they do or who are afraid to make stories of their own.

-- Eva Volin

If you've ever wanted to draw comics, but don't think you have any talent, this book might make you think again. Everyone has been known to doodle on paper now and then, especially during math class. There are many simple shapes that can be utilized to make a more complicated cartoon than you ever thought possible. Take for example, a tower. It consists of a rectangle with a triangle on top. Slap on a simple window toward the top and you have a tower. That is very difficult. Other little items to consider (easy does it here!) are fish, trees, candy, clouds, rocks, a shield a sword, bats, mountains, water and an onion. Doesn't that just sound like a recipe for success? Just a step at a time and you'll be a novice graphic artist in no time.

You'll follow along with "a BRAVE and EAGER knight" and a "MAGICAL ELF!" The elf made a pact with the knight. In exchange for a dragon, he asked the knight to let him tell him "about comics and cartooning." The first things he taught him about were panels, or the "little picture boxes" that comics are made up of. Those little boxes keep down the clutter and enable the reader to "see how things happen over time." You'll learn about the purpose of panels, how they indicate time or scenery changes and how they can change size. You'll learn that "words are as important as pictures," what thought balloons are, the purpose of long panels and more!

This book does not specifically instruct the budding graphic novelist in a step by step manner, but rather incorporates the instruction in the story line. The magical elf and the knight may not inspire the upper age range of its intended audience, age 12, but would grab the eight or nine-year-old immediately. The story was fun and will encourage the comic lover to pick up his or her drawing supplies and attempt to recreate some of the work in this book. If you purchase this book, you might want to pick up a nice art kit and PLENTY of paper. The recipient will be sure to have a ROARING good time with this book!

Too often a kid will walk into a library, ask for a book on drawing, and be taken to the requisite "How to Draw a [Blank:]" section on the shelves. These books are the usual standard fare. They all begin by saying you should draw a circle over another circle, etc. etc. Sometimes you'll get something a little more high end like Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain and once in a while an old book on drawing comics will be stuck in between the books on the shelves, dilapidated and well worth replacing with something new and fresh. So it is that I am mighty pleased to announce the following: something new and fresh. When three cartooning experts got together to teach kids about cartoons, the result became Adventures in Cartooning. Fun, funny, and strangely informative, you can just consider this as a kind of Understanding Comics" for the under twelve set.

When a princess is determined to be missing from her tower, there's only one place she could have gone. Clearly an evil dragon has kidnapped her. So it is that a brave knight and the brave knight's not particularly brave horse Edward set forth to find the dragon and rescue the lady fair. Aiding them is a Magic Cartooning Elf who strikes up a deal with the knight. If the elf is allowed to tell the knight about making comics then he will also lead the rescue party to the dragon. The result is that the elf teaches the knight and the readers about elements like panels, the size of text, backgrounds, and the fact that a reader will only believe what a character tells them to believe. By the end the knight (who is revealed to be the princess in disguise) rescues a batch of enchanted knights from the dragon and even Edward helps to save the day in the end.

What's so great about this book is that it is directed towards those kids with limited skills. Don't get me wrong... it's also useful for those kids who are superb artists and need an introduction to the world of cartooning, but what I find so remarkable is that the book makes it clear that anyone can be a cartoonist. Child readers aren't limited by their artistic skills but by their imaginations. So the lesson to be learned from this book is basically that if you're willing to take the time to learn the basics, you too can make your own original cartoons. There's even an example in the back that's childish enough to make kids feel okay about making their own cartoons, but that also makes use of backgrounds, different sized panels, and a coherent little story. This isn't to say that Sturm, Arnold, and Frederick-Frost don't belie the seemingly simple format with some clever touches of their own. Pay close attention and you'll see the panels moving downward to suit the story or zeroing in on specific details to set a scene. It's a subtle mix of looking easy while being sophisticated.

At the back of the book there are easy sections on "cartooning basics". These pages cover panels, word/thought balloons, and the ways in which certain styles are recognized (in America anyway) as emotions or states of being. Edward is a particular good model for these moods since he is essentially expressionless. Without much in the way of a mouth, his emotions are conveyed through scribbles and lines around his body (or through his eyebrows, which appear periodically). Of course, it doesn't spell everything out. For example, when Edward is feeling particularly frightened his legs will become wiggly lines. And that's an unspoken symbol we all can understand, even if it isn't translated at some point.

If this book does well it might be worth hoping that the creators pursue it into other avenues. Adventures in Cartooning could lead to something like Adventures in Manga, for example. Though it may initially confuse kids (to say nothing of easily confused adults) with its mix of fiction and fact, Adventures in Cartooning has the ability to convince anyone reading it that making your own cartoons is not only fun but also achievable. A great addition to any collection, whether in a library or in a home.

I don't often write reviews, but I really must recommend this book to anyone who has an elementary aged child interested in drawing cartoons. My son is very interested in creating his own comics and characters, thanks in large part to Captain Underpants (and Dav Pilkey). This book reads like a story with asides to the reader about how the message is being communicated in comic form. I don't always enjoy what my son enjoys reading, but this was really fun, and I wished it was longer.

My son is 8 and my daughter 5. They loved this book, and it was a great starter to get their creative juices flowing. It didn't overwhelm them with how to draw. It merely taught them the parts and progression of a comic, in a funny (to the younger crowd) format.

In a brilliant move, three cartoonists associated with the Center for Cartoon Studies come together to create a graphic novel about drawing cartoons. It begins with an overly enthusiastic elf popping up to encourage a princess to draw a comic despite her insistence that she cannot draw (if you can draw *these* things, he insists, you can draw a comic!). At that point, the focus shifts into the comic, where the elf helps a knight and a cowardly horse find a dragon, all while explaining panels and dialogue and action. The comic is fun and engaging, and does instruct kids in the fundamentals of drawing a comic. Plus, an appendix in the back includes helpful tips and an extra story. Fans of Ed Emberley's drawing books may find this a natural progression into cartooning. Adds a comedic touch to a subject many kids are already interested in.

I purchased this and gave it to my 11-year-old son after picking him up from school one day. He said "oh, thanks Mom!" and opened the book. We drove home and I heard nothing but gleeful giggles and all-out laughter, from the back seat, as he and my other 5-year-old son read the entire book before we arrived home. It is absolutely one of their most favorite books and they've learned some great cartooning skills that they get lots of compliments on, as well. Would absolutely recommend! It's great! Oh, and the seller shipped right away and would do business again, for sure! Thanks!

Very FUN and Funny. I liked this book a lot. This book is about a magic elf, a knight, and a candy loving horse. The horse loves candy a little too much!