Customer Reviews

The Naked Cartoonist: A New Way to Enhance Your Creativity

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

 

 

Me, laughing my head off as I read this book. But this book also filled my head before I laughed it off. I thought it would be a hilarious collection of some of the best New Yorker cartoons, and it is, but it's also a complicated theory of creativity, humor, and art. The author keeps things light, but there are some serious points made as he investigates the links between cartooning, dreaming, surrealism, and so on.

As a longtime reader of the New Yorker -- and, more importantly, a longtime reader of its cartoons -- I was happy to see that the cartoon editor of the magazine had written a book. To be honest, I expected more about the inside dealings of the magazine: the idiosyncracies of famous cartoonists, the backstage intrigue that led to my favorite cartoons. That's not exaactly what this book is. It's more a solo performance by Robert Mankoff, who writes at great length about his own internal creative process. This was offputting at first, but by the end of the first chapter, I was hooked. He has an engaging voice and a real talent for illustrating his ideas (as you would expect), so the result is a pretty wonderful guidebook to human creativity and humor.

This book fails at the stated task -- showing a process of generating cartoon and general creative ideas -- but succeeds nonetheless. Although I read the book cover-to-cover, I didn't find it very educational about the process of creating new ideas or even evaluating existing ones. If you define comedy as `I'll know it when I see it,' this book doesn't do much to expand beyond that. There is a brief section near the end where the author describes (with examples) the order of punch lines, but that's about it.

Nonetheless, the book is chock-full of cartoons from the New Yorker that are exceptional in their breadth of humor and subtlety. You may learn only a few things from the text, but you'll get a lot of smiles from the cartoons.

If you want to create cartoons and don't know where to start, I would suggest picking up "The Cartoonist's Workbook: Drawing, Writing Gags, Selling" by Robin Hall. Hall's book is excellent at providing the mechanics of cartooning. Mankoff's book then acts as an excellent companion volume of real world examples that strike the funny bone.

Robert Mankoff, the Cartoon Editor of the NY Times has written the book purportedly as a learning guide for prospective cartoonists. Well, I don't want to be a cartoonist, but I do love cartoons, especially those found in the New Yorker. In leafing through the book I began having doubts that the text of the book would provide much help for a fledgling cartoonist. After awhile you simply become oblivious to the written material and hone in on the many delightful cartoons. As the book says there are 400 of them in this volume, and, to me, that justified the purchase price.

This book is certainly as good as any of the other books that form part of the New Yorker cartoon book library, and if you are a devotee of pictorial humor do pick up a copy.

Robert Mankoff, the Cartoon Editor of the New Yorker has written the book purportedly as a learning guide for prospective cartoonists. Well, I don't want to be a cartoonist, but I do love cartoons, especially those found in the New Yorker. In leafing through the book I began having doubts that the text of the book would provide much help for a fledgling cartoonist. After awhile you simply become oblivious to the written material and hone in on the many delightful cartoons. As the book says there are 400 of them in this volume, and, to me, that justified the purchase price.

This book is certainly as good as any of the other books that form part of the New Yorker cartoon book library, and if you are a devotee of pictorial humor do pick up a copy.

This is a book on creativity in a given area that is at its best on any given page. I have much to learn from such an artists help.

The people who draw comics or comic strips on a daily basis know that coming up with new ideas is not always the easiest thing to do. For anyone entering into the comics field...you will find this out.

Comic characters: check. Coloring for the comic: check. Storyline: check. Creating new ideas for the comic day in and day out: NOT SO SURE...Uh,Oh. This book will help you come up with fresh new ideas that will help drive your comic.

Although there are a lot of cartoons in this book;its purpose is not only to give a collection of cartoons.
Mankoff attempts to analyze cartoons and show what it takes to make a cartoon funny.He goes through the process he uses in developing a cartoon.Obviously creative thinking is fundamental in any cartoon.
An approach of showing a drawing without a caption;and letting others create a caption.This can be a lot of fun and I have often tried it.As a matter of fact,I like to put aside the caption and come up with another.You don't really need a cartoon drawing to do this. Any picture with people in it will sufice.
He also stresses that the cartoon should be viewed from left to right and the simpler the better.
I notice that there are mixed reviews on this book.I guess that is little wonder.Mankoff tries to disect a cartoon as one would using the scientific approach.He really proves that it is not possible ;because the human element takes over.No two humans are alike;therefore how different people see a cartoon will likewise vary.
Nonetheless,this is a good attempt by a professional cartoonist to show what makes a good,average,mediocre or excellent cartoon and after understanding what he talks about;you will be better equipped to enjoy a cartoon.

I come to United States to visit a cousin and took this book from his table. It is a wonderful amusement that will remain in my mind for many years.

This book bored me to tears. Its not insightful - it doesnt really tell you ho wto be funny or how to come up with great cartoons. It just gives you a bunch of the authors cartoons and has the author waffle on about how good he is and what he was doing when he drew it etc. If you've ever read a book and thought - well did he actually say anything there then this is it. Terribel book. I was very disappointed. There are some great books on cartooning and this sure isnt one of them.