How NOT To Draw Manga Supersize Special (How to Draw Manga) [Paperback]

Chris Reid (Author), John Kantz (Author, Artist)

Book Description

Series: How to Draw Manga | Publication Date: October 26, 2004

All your manga are belong to us!! Any book can show you "How to" - this book shows you how not to. Join the only tongue-in-cheek instructional guide you will ever need to Anime Bimbos, Loners with Huge Swords, and Big, Gad-dumb Robots. Draw, Otaku, Draw!

Product Details

• Paperback: 144 pages
• Publisher: Antarctic Press; Supersize special ed edition (October 26, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1932453601
• ISBN-13: 978-1932453607
• Product Dimensions: 11 x 8.4 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,290,586 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars This book is exactly what it's trying to be., July 19, 2006

By 

A. L. Webb - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: How NOT To Draw Manga Supersize Special (How to Draw Manga) (Paperback)

Firstly, don't think that you're getting something similar to the title that this book spoofs - this book gives almost NO technical information about drawing. That's not the point of this book, and it makes that point clear.

Neither is this book meant to be a the final source on how manga-style comics should be done. It's a spoof, a parody, a satire. It pokes fun at what the manga genre is today, and it pokes fun at itself.

What this book does do is it provides a fresh, funny look at Japanese comics, and the stereotypes they often follow. Caricatures of the artists/writers lead the reader on a journey of several aspects of manga, from everything from the absurd and often-used plotlines to the asinine and overdriven sexuality found too often in the comics. All of this is done in a humorous light, through crude but still well-done drawings that fit the book's tone.

For anyone who says that there is nothing to be learned from this book, there is PLENTY, though it's all presented in same way as the its off-hand humor. From repeatedly sticking generic protagonist "Guy Iconic" in the hero role of every mini-story, to the characters playing "Samurai Shodown" to research their historic period comic, this book is loaded with pitfalls that often befall would-be manga-style comikers. "Come up with fresh characters!" "Do REAL research!" Things that may seem obvious but are overlooked by mangaka hopefuls all the time.

This book definitely isn't for everyone. It was written by a group of guys who had something to say about the mediocrity and lack of originality of manga today. They put what they had to say in the form of a comic -- a snarky, quirky one at that. It won't help you draw manga any better than you did before you bought it, but it'll give you several things to think about in the creation of your own. Plus, you'll have fun reading this along the way.

10 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Don't be fooled, it's actually helpful., October 7, 2005

By 

Heather Hilburn "Prince of Dolls" (Someplace Warm) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: How NOT To Draw Manga Supersize Special (How to Draw Manga) (Paperback)

It's very true that it's helpful. By reading the six main characters profiles and exmaining them you can find almost every character in an story. By using this book and a little thought you can prevent yourself from becoming a second-rate rip-off or sterotype. The world doesn't need another Pokemon/Yugi-O, we need original designs.
I can unerstand the need for a comfort zone, but also the need to think. Break free of the chains of mediocrity and create an original character! I don't know how man Goukous and Gukos I can take anymore.

0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars How NOT to Draw Manga is totally AWESOME!, January 30, 2010

By 

Kelli S. Arendt - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: How NOT To Draw Manga Supersize Special (How to Draw Manga) (Paperback)

"While maybe this book isn't the best out there it IS TOTALLY SWEET ANYWAYS - so if you don't like it, you can go straight to hell!"

This is a good example of what How NOT to Draw Manga represents. While the common theme of "How [insert common phrase here] Manga" books is that they break down simple and obvious examples into even MORE simple and obvious step-by-step tutorials, that is not the theme of THIS book.

Instead, you are checking into what is more of a manga (weak-minded westerners read: comicbook) than a how-to-draw technical book. It takes the most common stereotypes of manga and makes them even more abundantly stereotypical in haphazardly-drawn and completely rediculous ways. There is a lot of 20/30-year old "man humor" that involves women, alcohol, proliferant swearing and - you guessed it - being B.A.!

The contents of the manga include:
- Why the manga industry sucks
- Your favorite character stereotypes
- How to enhance your boring characters with stereotypical items
- How to perfect "the panty shot"
- Stereotyped genres (Sci-Fi and Traditional)
- How to make people look like mechs
- How to make your mechs SEXY
- A picture of C3P0 doing the robot and R2D2 saying "Shizzle Dizzle"

If you aren't interested by now... then go read your latest Shonen Jump! Otherwise, this might be your #1 manga (that is, until you get into the next latest and greatest slice of life story...)