Editorial Review

Scott McCloud's Read more

Reviews (8)

Amazing

Great book for establishing your comics
Scott Mccloud's Making Comics resembles a constitution for those want to establish their comics either as a hobby or as a carrier. It goes through so many details regarding creating your panels, establishing scenes, storytelling, characters designs and feelings, drawing styles, and the list goes on. Simply, the book gives you a guideline for establishing a living world in papers. What makes "Making Comics" unique is that it can teach you how to be a comic artist even if you're not good enough in drawing. The book illustrates the fundamentals of drawings comics and let you be creative for starting your own comic book. All in all, I really enjoyed reading this book, and it will help me a lot for my comics' drawings.

Disagree with review below--this is a remarkable book!
The previous reviewer accuses Scott McCloud of lacking the authority to write a guide to making comics. But McCloud's book is based on clear demonstration, not on authority.
Read more

Subjects:  1. Cartooning    2. Comic books, strips, etc.    3. Comics & Cartoons    4. Comics & Graphic Novels    5. Drawing Of Specific Subjects    6. Educational    7. Fiction - General    8. Fine Arts    9. History & Criticism    10. History: World    11. Humor    12. Technique    13. Techniques - Cartooning    14. Comic book & cartoon art    15. Comics & Graphic Novels / Comics & Cartoons   

Reviews (3)

The Get Fuzzy crew at its best
I just bought this book a couple of days ago and have already read most of it. It is another great collection of hilarious cartoons featuring Bucky, Satchel and Rob and their efforts to maintain a happy household. Of course Bucky does his best to keep that from happening. I'm glad it was finally released. It was well worth the wait.

The Best Yet
This is by far the best Get Fuzzy collection to date. It has some of the newer strips, some I've seen in the papers and more than a few that I haven't. Perhaps the funniest is when Bucky takes Smacky to get appraised at one of those traveling antique tv shows. I laughed until I cried. A definite classic Bucky moment. This is Conley at his best.

Renevatio
Sweetness is upon us my friends. life long get fuzzy fan and i tell ya, thar aint no comic out there is better than get fuzzy. es[ecially the new stuff. the new stuff isHILARIOUS.
Read more

Subjects:  1. Comics & Cartoons    2. Comics & Graphic Novels    3. General    4. Graphic Satire And Humor    5. Humor    6. Comics & Graphic Novels / Comics & Cartoons   

Editorial Review

A comic book about comic books. McCloud, in an incredibly accessible style, explains the details of how comics work: how they're composed, read and understood. More than just a book about comics, this gets to the heart of how we deal with visual languages in general. "The potential of comics is limitless and exciting!" writes McCloud. This should be required reading for every school teacher. Pulitzer Prize-winner Art Spiegelman says, "The most intelligent comics I've seen in a long time." ... Read more

Reviews (95)

Don't let the title mislead you...
If you think this is just about comics, think again!It's a book which defines and illustrates what we call "art".The presentation is so simple, yet so profoundly deep, you'll find yourself referring back to this densely packed little book for many years to come.I always keep a copy at work to pass on to colleagues.It's absolutely genius.
A Comic about Comics
Understanding Comics is simple and deep.Profound and sometimes silly.It's such a no-brainer idea, why not USE the medium of comics to best describe the tools, power and impact of comics.
STEALTH TEACHING
Mc Cloud writes and draws in such a logical, straightforward style that remains funny and entertaining. His research and organization show this to be a heavy book disguised as fluff. (not to say that all comics are shallow, but they usually do not give the first impression of "War and Peace"). I was visiting my daughter at school and saw this softcover laying on the coffee table. I thought it might be a counter- culture "People" magazine. I was sucked in to the light approach and funny quirks in animation. Soon I realized this was a serious topic and also impossible to put down. I had to have a copy of my own. (turns out it was being used as a textbook in an English/Writing class on campus). Scott is a genious if could reach me. I am a photographer and Scott opened my eyes to new visual logics.
Read more

Subjects:  1. Art    2. Art & Art Instruction    3. Authorship    4. Comic books, strips, etc.    5. Comics & Cartoons    6. Humor    7. Juvenile literature    8. Periodicals, Publishing of    9. Techniques - Cartooning    10. Comic book & cartoon art    11. Comics & Graphic Novels / Comics & Cartoons    12. History Of Art / Art & Design Styles   

Reviews (2)

Uproarious And Seditious - What I LIKE About The Funny Pages!
This comic isn't to everyone's taste.Let's get that right out of the way.It likes to talk about what the comics usually doesn't - death, sex, cynicism, other comics - and yet it does so in a way that you can't help but love.
Lot of laughs
This had to be great. I mean just the cover made me laugh and with Stephan Pastis's commentary and introduction, it was about the best comic treasury i have ever read. I have forty different comic treasuries and this is the crown of my collection. Thank you Stephan Pastis; you have made me laugh uncontrollably several times! Something that only the sarcasm, exagerration, and satire in Pearles Before Swine can do. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Comics & Cartoons    2. Comics & Graphic Novels    3. Graphic Satire And Humor    4. Humor    5. Topic - Animals    6. Comics & Graphic Novels / Comics & Cartoons   

Reviews (6)

'Thought I'd Died and Gone to Cartoon Heaven
Like many of my peers, as I grew up, my interest in animation gravitated toward the full animation of the Golden Age: Robert McKimson, Bob Clampett, Chuck Jones, et al, for a long while disdaining any form of animated minimalism, even the kind represented in this book. By the age of 7 or 8, we had come to associate Top Cat, Deputy Dawg, The Flintstones, The Jetsons and all the minimal animation that had once been among our favorites with shoddy cheapness. (Even as a small child, I remember several of us sitting around talking about cartoons, and laughing to scorn at the way the same background tree kept passing every couple of seconds in Hanna-Barbera chase scenes. We wondered, did they think we weren't catching that?!) 'Limited animation', those dread words, became poision for all us growing young animation fans.
For moderns only!!
Because the style was bastardized by budget-minded network television to grind out cheesy Saturday-morning fare, modern animation has severely negative connotations for a great swath of the general public. Indeed, much of the production work beginning in the 1960s was farmed out to sweatshops in Mexico and Korea where the animation fell into the hands of lowly paid, barely competent novices. (That practice continues to this day, with such eyesores as The Simpsons.) However, in the "complacent" 1950s, when the style was developed, it was highly original and sophisticated and brought into movie theaters and television ads by Disney expatriates and left-leaning malcontents looking for a new edge. This highly anticipated book by Amid Amidi is a visual feast and an incredibly well-researched documentation of "cartoon modern" and comes with the highest recommendation. For companion videos, I also recommend some titles from Something Weird Video, notably Beer Commercials From The Golden Age Of Television, which features some priceless Mister Magoos and other "off beat" ad shorts. Also from SWV, check out their series of Hey Folks!-It's Intermission Time for other great modernistic stuff. But at Amazon's discounted price, put this wonderful book in your hands first.

Every bit as good as expected...plus!
The author, through his blog and elsewhere, has made a passion of the brilliant, colorful, and grandly stylized types of cartooning and animation that came to prominence largely in the 1950's. This book--intelligently written and organized, and magnificently illustrated--strikes me as having been a genuine labor of love. It's just about perfect.
Read more

Subjects:  1. Animated films    2. Animation    3. Art    4. Art Criticism    5. Film & Video - Amateur Production    6. General    7. History & Criticism    8. History - Contemporary (1945- )    9. History and criticism    10. Photography    11. Techniques - Cartooning    12. United States    13. Comic book & cartoon art    14. Comics & Graphic Novels / History & Criticism   

Subjects:  1. Artists, Architects, Photographers    2. Biography    3. Biography & Autobiography    4. Biography / Autobiography    5. Biography/Autobiography    6. Cartoonists    7. Friends and associates    8. Graphic Satire And Humor    9. Great Britain    10. Personal Memoirs    11. Steadman, Ralph    12. Techniques - Cartooning    13. Biography & Autobiography / Personal Memoirs   

Subjects:  1. American wit and humor, Pictorial    2. Art & Art Instruction    3. Comics & Cartoons    4. Editorial And Political Cartoons    5. Form - Cartoons & Comics    6. General    7. Graphic Satire And Humor    8. Humor    9. New Yorker (New York, N.Y. : 1925)    10. Art / General   

Reviews (6)

AN EYE OPENER

THOMAS PROVES WHY HE IS THE CONAN EXPERT
On the back dust jacket, former Editor-in-Chief Tom DeFalco refers to Roy Thomas as the world renowned expert on Conan the Barbarian and it's hard to argue that claim.Outside of Robert E. Howard himself, no one knows Conan like Roy Thomas...and Roy wrote about him for far longer than Howard to boot!I still remember the first Conan comic I ever read.It was issue #42 in 1974 and the cover showed Conan battling a gargoyle in mid air.I quickly became a huge Conan fan.And now DK books have released this absolutely gorgeous over-sized hardcover book, "Conan-The Ultimate Guide to the World's Most Savage Barbarian" written by Roy Thomas.
A letter to Roy Thomas..
First off, EXCELLENT book. Now I think it's time you picked up where Robert E. Howard started, L. Sprague DeCamp and Lin Carter continued, and now YOU MUST FINISH. ONE MORE STORY, is all I (And maybe a million more fans) ask. It's time to take off from where" 'Conan Of The Isles' left off. You ARE the ONLY AUTHORITY LEFT ALIVE. Please consider this, as I have been reading Conan since I was 13.(Now 35) Thanks!!! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Cartoons and comics    2. Children's All Ages - Fiction - General    3. Comics & Graphic Novels    4. Conan (Fictitious character)    5. Fantasy Illustration    6. Fine Arts    7. History & Criticism    8. History: World    9. Juvenile literature    10. Literature - Classics / Criticism    11. Movie Tie - In    12. Techniques - Cartooning    13. Performing Arts / Film / Guides & Reviews   

Editorial Review

Hunter S. Thompson, in his drunken, rambling introduction to this volume of paintings and illustrations, calls Ralph Steadman "the Albert Gore of twentieth century art." It's hard to imagine a less apt appellation: Steadman's drawings and paintings are the wild antithesis of the notoriously stiff V.P. His pop art is also the opposite of Warhol's clean lines and soulless imagery; it screams with pain and nightmare power. While Steadman is best known for his illustrations to Thompson's Read more

Reviews (14)

One of His Best!
I love his work, have since he did the cover art and animation for Pink Floyd The Wall. This book is worth grabbing if you respect the artistic value of total insanity and the furthering of freedom of expression.

Gonzo forever!
May the ghost of Hunter S. Thompson come down and become the next President of the United States - and may Ralph Steadman be his Art Director!

Plastered from the master.

Read more

Subjects:  1. Art    2. Art & Art Instruction    3. Comics & Cartoons    4. Graphic Satire And Humor    5. Individual Artist    6. Steadman, Ralph    7. Humor / Cartoons   

Editorial Review

"A is for Amy who fell down the stairs. B is for Basil assaulted by bears. C is for Clara who wasted away. D is for Desmond thrown out of a sleigh..." The rhyming couplets of this grim abecedarian are familiar, of course, to devotees of macabre humor, but the darkly crosshatched drawings are (as Poe put it) "the soul of the plot." Several years went by during which Read more

Reviews (80)

Satisfied customer!
I was very pleased with the product that I ordered as well as the time it took to receive it - hardly any time at all!

Great book - fast read ;o)
One of the most imaginative books I've ever read - I put it out when friends come over so we can laugh and talk about the images.I'll definitely be getting Gorey's other books!

A childs' first ABC book
What can you say about the quintessential Edward Gorey book that hasn't already been said?
Read more

Subjects:  1. Alphabet    2. American wit and humor, Pictor    3. American wit and humor, Pictorial    4. Art & Art Instruction    5. English language    6. General    7. Humor    8. Individual Artist    9. Techniques - Cartooning    10. Techniques - Pen & Ink Drawing    11. Art / Cartooning    12. Cartoons & comic strips   

Reviews (1)

Holy Moley!!
I knew this book would be great, but I didn't quite imagine it would be THIS amazing.
Read more

Subjects:  1. 20th century    2. American wit and humor, Pictorial    3. Anthologies    4. Art & Art Instruction    5. Cartooning    6. Comic books, strips, etc.    7. Comics & Graphic Novels    8. General    9. Graphic Novels    10. History    11. Humor    12. Techniques - Cartooning    13. United States    14. Art / Cartooning    15. Cartoons & comic strips    16. Other graphic art forms   

Reviews (7)

Nice Packaging, not much substance
Even without text, this book would've earned 4 stars, just for the impressiveness of Gogos' work. Within this book are large, crystal-clear repros of his most famous monster cover paintings, as well as samples of his illustration work.
THE JOY OF BEING A MONSTER KID!
If you were fortunate to have been born between 1950 and 1970 or so, you're lucky to be a part of a wonderful fraternity.Like me, you are a "monster kid".Monster Kids are the generation that grew up with Shock Theater and campy horror movie hosts, old Aurora model kits, classic Universal horror films on 8MM, and...a fantastic magazine called Famous Monsters of Filmland.Famous Monsters was edited by legendary collector and Sci-Fi sage Forrest Ackerman and one of the great attractions throughout the years were the magnificent magazine covers painted by Basil Gogos.From Vanguard Productions comes "The Famous Monster Movie Art of Basil Gogos."Basil Gogos has rightfully been called, "The World's Most Famous Monster Artist."His bold, expresionistic use of color is what caught the eye of little ghouls like myself and my friends.Edited by Kerry Gammill and J. David Spurlock and with an introduction by Rob Zombie, the book provides a dazzling display of Gogos' art not only from Famous Monsters, but from many other magazines, books, and films.
GORGEOUS RETROSPECTIVE FOR GOGOS & FAMOUS MONSTERS FANS!
For any old school FAMOUS MONSTERS OF FILMLAND collector (and I mean the true ORIGINAL ~Forry Ackerman~ helmed FM *ahem*ahem*), this is like recieving a Holy Grail from those issues. I have both the Deluxe LE 600 copy signed, slipcased hardcover as well as this softcover ordered from Amazon.
Read more

Subjects:  1. Art & Art Instruction    2. Cinema/Film: Book    3. Film & Video - General    4. General    5. Horror Films    6. Performance Art    7. Performing Arts    8. Popular Culture - General    9. Sociology    10. Comic book & cartoon art    11. Individual artists   

Reviews (2)

Readers involved in comic history, evolution and art simply must have
Any involved in the comics must have ART OUT OF TIME: UNKNOWN COMICS VISIONARIES, 1900-1969: it celebrates the lesser-known work of Bob Powell, Astan MacGovern, Boody Rogers and others who proved eccentric but influential comic visionaries before the rose of underground comics in the late 1960s. These artists created their own versions of western, romance, humor and horror genres and worked within the confines of popular comics of their times to provide visionary works. Some became famous, others remained obscure. ART OUT OF TIME reprints complete comic book and strip stories: many appear here for the first time since their first appearance. A thematic organization allows for quick access while surveys of pre-underground stars makes for a winning collection. Another big plus: the strips appear in full color, capturing all the nuances of the originals and losing nothing in translation. Readers involved in comic history, evolution and art simply must have ART OUT OF TIME.
VERY GOOD COMPILATION OF UNKNOWN ARTISTS
The edition and compilation of material is brilliant, and also is the reproduction of old pages. It's a fantastic purchase for comic lovers. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Comic books, strips, etc    2. Comics & Cartoons    3. Comics & Graphic Novels    4. Fiction - General    5. General    6. Graphic Novels    7. Humor    8. Comic book & cartoon art    9. History of art & design styles: from c 1900 -    10. Humor / Cartoons   

Reviews (3)

Highly recommended
Featuring a foreword by General Richard B. Myers (USAF, Ret., Former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff) The War Within: One More Step At A Time is a unique collection of G. B. Trudeau's Doonesbury newspaper comics that is not only humorous, but also cutting-edge relevant . The strips follow the daily life Vietnam, Gulf War, and Iraq War veteran B.D., whose tour of duty was cut short by a near-death experience, the loss of his leg, and perhaps most shockingly, the loss of his iconic helmet. Far more life-altering than the physical damage is the post-traumatic stress disorder that leaves him increasingly disoriented, hostile, withdrawn, and turning to alcohol to self-medicate. When B.D. is on the verge of mistaking friends and family for mortal enemies, the turning point comes when he overhears his own daughter say that she has become afraid of him. Help comes in the form of the local Vet Center, and the skillful aid of counselor and fellow Vietnam vet Elias. The War Within brims with classic Trudeau wit, yet also reveals the author's resolve to accurately portray the harrowing pressures America's armed forces are subject to during and after risking their lives in the service. Highly recommended. Proceeds from "The War Within" are to benefit Fisher House, a "home away from home" for families of patients receiving medical care at major military and VA medical centers.

Worth the wait!
Received and read "The War Within" last week but find it hard to characterize this one.While BD was the central figure in "The Long Road Home" I think this one has a cast offigures with equally important stories to tell.BD continues his journey but one gets a much deeper understanding of his pain and struggles as well as those of his family.
A service to our country's fighting men and women
These are some most heart-rending yet funny cartoons I have ever read. For a man who has never "been there" Trudeau does an outstanding job of showing the long road that a miltary man has to walk to "recover" from war. B.D. is wounded both on the outside and the inside and as Trudeau shows in a daily comic strip, sometimes it's the hidden wounds that are the worst. If any comic strip is worthy of a Pulitzer, it is the current run of Doonesbury with the ongoing journey of B.D. If you have any empathy for the American fighting man/woman these strips will bring tears to your eyes. They are Art with a capital A. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Comics & Cartoons    2. Comics & Graphic Novels    3. Graphic Satire And Humor    4. Humor    5. Topic - Political    6. Comic book & cartoon art    7. Comics & Graphic Novels / Comics & Cartoons   

Reviews (49)

Remarkable. Gripping. Superb story and artwork.
Let me give you the bottom line first: buy this book.
What if?
The name Neil Gaiman on a comic book sets expectations high.Although largely out of the business nowadays, instead concentrating on his novels, he is still considered one of the best comic writers in the history of the medium, and his reputation is well-deserved.Although it is not always genius, he rarely fails to deliver something great.
An inventive reimagining by one of the best (4.5 stars)
Neil Gaiman, renowned for his classic series The Sandman, moves to Marvel to create one of the most interesting tales the company has had in ages.The premise of Marvel 1602 is as deceptively simple as the title suggests: the iconic characters of the Marvel universe are placed into Elizabethan England.The story involves the usual crusading associated with Marvel characters but halfway through the book the problems take on a much grander scale and the reason for the series to exist finally becomes apparent.Gaiman's reimagining of characters and Kubert's excellent art provide heroes that are decidedly familiar and yet distinctly different, a great asset when trying to mask the identities of certain heroes until given turning points in the book.The characters are all fleshed out perfectly and act exactly as they should within the different context and the references to their powers and origin stories within the framework of this book are done masterfully.The ending is also highly rewarding and ties in the events of 1602 to the rest of the Marvel universe without destroying the continuity or any of the resonance of the original story arcs.Marvel 1602 is a perfect vehicle for Neil Gaiman to jump back into the comics world and Marvel will definitely benefit from his presence. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Action & Adventure    2. Comics & Graphic Novels    3. Fiction    4. Graphic Novels    5. Graphic Novels - General    6. Graphic Novels - Superheroes    7. Comic book & cartoon art    8. Comics & Graphic Novels / General   

Reviews (8)

The History of Wally
In the introduction Scott Adams talks about his time at Pacific Bell and the management decisions that resulted in the real-life Wally, an employee that worked hard to be in the bottom 10% so that he could be laid off with a substantial severance package.From there we move to the strips which cover most of the range of the Dilbert Years right from the early, unpolished days of Wally.Reading the collection we can see hoe the coffee mug carrying character has developed over the years.
Another wonderful collection
Fans of the cartoon strip Dilbert have another wonderful collection packed with black and white and color cartoons alike. This is the author's 26th Dilbert book, but it doesn't lesson the impact of describing office politics, ironies, and inconsistencies. Cubicle cartoons are hilarious and continue to remark on work life with its favorite characters joined by a few new faces.
More Great Dilbert
What makes it funny is that everyone knows a Wally where they work? It is funny because there is so much truth in it. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Comics & Cartoons    2. Form - Cartoons & Comics    3. Graphic Satire And Humor    4. Humor    5. Non-Classifiable    6. Nonfiction    7. Topic - Business and Professional    8. Comics & Graphic Novels / Comics & Cartoons   

Reviews (4)

Herriman's line
There are precious few draughtsmen that can put line to paper in all of low/high art than he. he is a master. Take a look at "Archie and Mahitabel"; authored by the great Don Marquise.It simply does't get any better than his exquisite line

FINE ART? YOU !!! DECIDE
The mere act of arguing that comic art qualifies as "fine art" somehow legitimizes such nonproductive and ultimately meaningless distinctions. Yet this catalogue's obvious purpose is to somehow elevate, by force of such argument, the reputations of comic strip and comic book artists. As the early twentieth century cultural critic, Gilbert Seldes, stated in his review of George Herriman's Krazy Kat:
THE COMICS AS "ART" ... IT'S ABOUT TIME THEY'RE ACCLAIMED!
I grew up with "Sunday funnies," as we called them way back then.It was a form of pleasure for the whole family to pass the comics back and forth, with Dad getting first reading, of course. At times I grow nostalgic for the "good old days," but I noticed it more when my kids were growing up. After church, when I sat down to read the "funnies," they were already out the door--to soccer, football, and other sporting events--either as participants or observers.
Read more

Subjects:  1. 20th century    2. American - General    3. Art    4. Art & Art Instruction    5. Cartoonists    6. Comic books, strips, etc.    7. Commercial - Illustration    8. Exhibitions    9. History    10. Popular Culture - General    11. United States    12. Art / Popular Culture    13. Comic book & cartoon art    14. History of art & design styles: from c 1900 -    15. USA   

Editorial Review

One of the beautiful things about comics is that it is possibly the best medium for combining education and entertainment. No one knows this better than Larry Gonick, whose Cartoon History series spans many subjects.Whether you are a fan of history, comics, or Gonick's books, Read more

Reviews (46)

Great Classroom Library Addition
I bought this book for my 6th grade classroom and ended up reading it myself.It's a favorite with the students though there is a bit of nudity that I had to censor with a black marker.

superb
Larry Gonick's book on statistics inspired me. I still don't understand probability but I was amused. His history text shows again that he is smarter then I am but I understoond the text and learned about the time it took to get here from the beginning of time and the maze of attorcities that leads from one powerful kingdom to another. Cartoons help make powerful messages more tolerable. I may buy all of his work.

More Informative Than A Semester In World Civ 101
The first and best volume in Mr. Gonick's history series (just when IS the fourth book coming out???) truly does present more practical information about the history of our planet and the rise of the human species, than any history class I was ever in. And whatsmore, the author has made it fun to learn all this. I understand this book was edited by the late Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, and what a gem she found to give us! Not only would I enthusiastically recommend this and all works in Larry Gonick's series to historian or casual reader alike, I would go so far as to say these are all masterpieces of erudition and intelligent presentation. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Caricatures and cartoons    2. Cartoons and caricatures    3. Comics & Cartoons    4. Graphic Satire And Humor    5. History - General History    6. History: World    7. Reference    8. World history    9. Cartoons & comic strips    10. Comics & Graphic Novels / Comics & Cartoons   

Subjects:  1. Comics & Cartoons    2. Comics & Graphic Novels    3. Graphic Satire And Humor    4. Humor    5. Comics & Graphic Novels / Comics & Cartoons