How to Draw Comics the Marvel Way
Stan Lee and John Buscema
Simon & Schuster
Nonfiction, YA? Art
Themes: Heroes
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Description
From the Fantastic Four to Spider Man, from Doctor Doom to Magneto, nobody does comic book heroes and villains like Marvel. This book offers examples, instructions, and pointers for aspiring comic book artists hoping to create their own Marvel-worthy graphic novels. Everything from tools and terminology to "camera" angles and shading is covered.
Review
Like Christopher Hart's Manga Mania, this book works best if you have already gained a basic grasp of anatomy, perspective and form from other sources. A page at the back lists sources that will help further the artist's abilities and interest, a list which could've been a little longer. Lee and Buscema cover basic anatomy and perspective, but focus on action and exaggeration to create the Marvel, larger-than-life comic book feel. On the whole, it's a wonderful visual exploration of how to make comic books and comic book characters interesting and dynamic. It also makes a decent starting point for those who want to dip their toes in the deeper waters of art with anatomy and such, but find traditional books on the subject overly intimidating; having fun usually makes learning easier, and books like this can help one build up the nerve to tackle the subject full-force.