How to Draw and sell Comics [Paperback]

Alan McKenzie (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 1, 2005

-Expertly written in an entertaining and easily accessible way

-Contains detailed instruction on how computers are applied to the creative process

-Includes step-by-steps and finished examples by legendary artists Chester Gould, Will Eisner, Steve Ditko, Winsor McCay, Robert Crumb, and Tod McFarlane

Artists will discover how to create great comics and make a career out of doing so with this completely revised and updated classic. Written by Alan McKenzie, a renowned expert in the comics industry, and packed with superb illustrations by other leading industry professionals, How to Draw and Sell Comics takes readers step by step through the entire comics-creating process. Readers will learn to:

-Develop dynamic characters

-Understand comic book storytelling conventions

-Pace a story, lay out the page, and add dialogue

-Grasp techniques for penciling, inking and coloring-by hand or computer

-Apply their work to different genres, from newspaper strips to graphic novels

McKenzie also features essential information on going pro, and including setting up one's own magazine, budgeting, and copyright issues.

How to Draw and Sell Comics is the complete guide to creating comics, from writing the story and designing the characters to lettering and coloring the final artwork.

Product Details

• Paperback: 144 pages
• Publisher: Impact; 3 edition (August 1, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1581807163
• ISBN-13: 978-1581807165
• Product Dimensions: 11.3 x 8.4 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #736,669 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent, though overlooked., December 28, 2006

By 

Jesse Hamm (Portland, OR) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: How to Draw and sell Comics (Paperback)

McKenzie's book is excellent and thorough, and belongs on the shortlist of good "how to draw comics" books, alongside COMICS AND SEQUENTIAL ART, MAKING COMICS, and the underrated HOW TO DRAW COMICS THE MARVEL WAY. I'm not sure why it hasn't garnered more attention; perhaps it's because McKenzie isn't well-known on the American side of the pond. The nuts-and-bolts, hands-on advice is especially useful as a supplement to the more theoretical advice often found in other books. Good tips from a seasoned artist. I learned from this book as a teen, and now I draw comics professionally.

(Note: I haven't read the updated 2005 edition, with advice about computers and examples by American cartoonists like Todd McFarlane, so I couldn't say how it stacks up against the first edition.)

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars One book, two editions, many uses, June 1, 2007

By 

Brian Gill "Conan the Philosopher" (Minnesota, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: How to Draw and sell Comics (Paperback)

I bought two books with this title: McKenzie's original (used, hardcover); and McKenzie's third edition (new, paperback). Either would be a very good resource for an aspiring cartoonist (or manga-ka). The third edition includes an expanded history of comics section, covering what happened since the first publication date. The newer book also has a new layout. For me, the best feature of the newer edition was the updated graphics, particularly the illustration of a typical 32-page American comic. The older book appeals to me more, probably because I remember quite a few of the historical comics used as examples. The older of the two editions also focuses on the black-on-white styles of older American comics: making it a source of information and inspiration for manga-ka wannabes like me, who want to fuse Eastern and Western graphic styles (think Cowboy BeeBop meets Flash Gordon).

Both books introduce traditional pigment-on-paper graphic techniques and materials, and give a survey of the culture and economics of the comics culture.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the best in its field, January 15, 2007

By 

George (Texas) - See all my reviews

This review is from: How to Draw and sell Comics (Paperback)

I don't know why this book on comic art is not more popular than it is. For anyone who wants to enjoy drawing comic art, I can't think of another title I would rather have.

I bought the first edition several years ago, and thought it was excellent at the time. I recently came across the third edition in the library -- at first I didn't recognize it because of the new cover and format -- and was blown away. It is even better then the original version.

It includes discussions of subjects that are rarely seen in other, more basic titles -- script writing, the pacing of a single issue (which I've never read anywhere else), and the creation of memorable, likable characters.

All in all, highly recommended.