Kawaii is a Japanese word meaning 'super-cute', and it's a trend that's sweeping the globe. Anything can be drawn in the kawaii style, from animals, people, vegetables and flowers to food, vehicles and household items. Here, expert comic book and manga artist Yishan Li shows you how to draw amazingly adorable animals in just a few simple steps. Draw the cutest rabbit you've ever seen, a playful panda, koala, fox, sheep and more. There are 28 different drawings to choose from, all full of personality and bubbling over with charm. Each one is developed in 8 easy stages from a rough sketch of the basic shapes through to the finished, coloured drawing, making this book suitable for adults and children of all ages and abilities.

This guide introduces aspiring manga artists to drawing chibi characters--wide-eyed caricatures beloved for their cartoonish exaggeration. Drawing Cute Manga Chibi walks you through the steps needed to draw these adorable characters, while sidebars offer expert tips, pointers on the pitfalls to avoid, and how to use details to bring your drawings to life. In this book, readers will learn how to imagine and express: Facial expressions Body posture Hairstyles Different ages Poses Bringing your characters into full-color Different character identities--from a punk rocker to a samurai Author and Japanese manga artist Ryusuke Hamamoto (Ryu Moto) is best known for his design and creation of the Petit Eva character--who even makes an appearance in this book! In Drawing Cute Manga Chibi, he shares his personal tips, showing you how to break the "rules" of figure drawing in order to create these bobbleheaded cuties. Artists of all ages and levels will have fun creating original characters or reimagining their friends and family as kawaii chibi drawings.

From the bestselling author of Quiet Girl in a Noisy World comes a gently humorous and poignant collection of comics about anxiety and depression-because sometimes even the simple things like getting out of bed every day feel like an uphill battle. Everything Is OK is the story of Debbie Tung's struggle with anxiety and her experience with depression. She shares what it's like navigating life, overthinking every possible worst-case scenario, and constantly feeling like all hope is lost. The book explores her journey to understanding the importance of mental health in her day-to-day life and how she learns to embrace the highs and lows when things feel out of control. Debbie opens up about deeply personal issues and the winding road to recovery, discovers the value of self-love, and rebuilds a more mindful relationship with her mental health. In this graphic memoir, Debbie aims to provide positive and comforting messages to anyone who is facing similar difficulties or is just trying to get through a tough time in life. She hopes to encourage readers to be kinder to themselves, to know that they are not alone, and that it's okay to be vulnerable because they are not defined by their mental health struggles. The dark clouds won't be there forever. Everything will turn out all right.

In America, comics and comic books have often been associated with adolescent male fantasy-muscle-bound superheroes and scantily clad women. Nonetheless, comics have also been read and enjoyed by girls. While there have been many strong representations of women throughout their history, the comics of today have evolved and matured, becoming a potent medium in which to explore the female experience, particularly that of girlhood and adolescence. In Girls and Their Comics: Finding a Female Voice in Comic Book Narrative, Jacqueline Danziger-Russell contends that comics have a unique place in the representation of female characters. She discusses the overall history of the comic book, paying special attention to girls' comics, showing how such works relate to a female point of view. While examining the concept of visual literacy, Danziger-Russell asserts that comics are an excellent space in which the marginalized voices of girls may be expressed. This volume also includes a chapter on manga (Japanese comics), which explains the genesis of girls' comics in Japan and their popularity with girls in the United States. Including interviews with librarians, comic creators, and girls who read comics and manga, Girls and Their Comics is an important examination of the growing interest in comic books among young females and will appeal to a wide audience, including literary theorists, teachers, librarians, popular culture and women's studies scholars, and comic book historians.

Engaging some of the most ground-breaking and thought-provoking anime, manga, and science fiction films, "Tokyo Cyberpunk" offers insightful analysis of Japanese visual culture. Steven T. Brown draws new conclusions about electronically mediated forms of social interaction, as well as specific Japanese socioeconomic issues, all in the context of globalization and advanced capitalism. Penetrating and nuanced, this book makes a major contribution to the debate about what it means to be human in a posthuman world.

The end of the twentieth century and the turn of the new millennium witnessed an unprecedented flood of traumatic narratives and testimonies of suffering in literature and the arts. Graphic novels, free at last from long decades of stern censorship, helped explore these topics by developing a new subgenre: the trauma graphic novel. This book seeks to analyze this trend through the consideration of five influential graphic novels in English. Works by Paul Hornschemeier, Joe Sacco, Art Spiegelman, Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons will be considered as illustrative examples of the representation of individual, collective, and political traumas. This book provides a link between the contemporary criticism of Trauma Studies and the increasingly important world of comic books and graphic novels.

Steve Gerber (1947-2008) is among the most significant comics writers of the modern era. Best known for his magnum opus Howard the Duck, he also wrote influential series such as Man-Thing, Omega the Unknown, The Phantom Zone, and Hard Time, expressing a combination of intelligence and empathy rare in American comics. Gerber rose to prominence during the 1970s. His work for Marvel Comics during that era helped revitalize several increasingly cliched generic conventions of superhero, horror, and funny animal comics by inserting satire, psychological complexity, and existential absurdism. Gerber's scripts were also often socially conscious, confronting, among other things, capitalism, environmentalism, political corruption, and censorship. His critique also extended into the personal sphere, addressing such taboo topics as domestic violence, racism, inequality, and poverty. This volume follows Gerber's career through a range of interviews, beginning with his height during the 1970s and ending with an interview with Michael Eury just before Gerber's death in 2008. Among the pieces featured is a 1976 interview with Mark Lerer, originally published in the low-circulation fanzine Pittsburgh Fan Forum, where Gerber looks back on his work for Marvel during the early to mid-1970s, his most prolific period. This volume concludes with selections from Gerber's dialogue with his readers and admirers in online forums and a Gerber-based Yahoo Group, wherein he candidly discusses his many projects over the years. Gerber's unique voice in comics has established his legacy. Indeed, his contribution earned him a posthumous induction into the Will Eisner Comic Book Hall of Fame.

Never before have comics seemed so popular or diversified, proliferating across a broad spectrum of genres, experimenting with a variety of techniques, and gaining recognition as a legitimate, rich form of art. Maaheen Ahmed examines this trend by taking up philosopher Umberto Eco's notion of the open work of art, whereby the reader-or listener or viewer, as the case may be-is offered several possibilities of interpretation in a cohesive narrative and aesthetic structure. Ahmed delineates the visual, literary, and other medium-specific features used by comics to form open rather than closed works, methods by which comics generate or limit meaning as well as increase and structure the scope of reading into a work. Ahmed analyzes a diverse group of British, American, and European (Franco-Belgian, German, Finnish) comics. She treats examples from the key genre categories of fictionalized memoirs and biographies, adventure and superhero, noir, black comedy and crime, science fiction and fantasy. Her analyses demonstrate the ways in which comics generate openness by concentrating on the gaps essential to the very medium of comics, the range of meaning ensconced within words and images as well as their interaction with each other. The analyzed comics, extending from famous to lesser known works, include Will Eisner's The Contract with God Trilogy, Jacques Tardi's It Was the War of the Trenches, Hugo Pratt's The Ballad of the Salty Sea, Edmond Baudoin's The Voyage, Grant Morrison and Dave McKean's Arkham Asylum, Neil Gaiman's Sandman series, Alan Moore and Eddie Campbell's From Hell, Moebius's Arzach, Yslaire's Cloud 99 series, and Jarmo Makila's Taxi Ride to Van Gogh's Ear.

In October 1931, Dick Tracy made his debut on the American newspaper pages. Through extensive research and interviews with Chester Gould (the creator of ""Dick Tracy""), his assistants, Dick Locher (the current artist), Mark Allan Collins (who scripted the stories for 15 years), and many others associated with the strip, Dick Tracy as a cultural icon emerges. The artists are fully revealed and Dick Tracy paraphernalia and the 1990 movie Dick Tracy are discussed. Dick Tracy's appearances in other media - books, comics, radio, movie serials, ""B"" movies, television dramas, and animated cartoons - are fully covered.

This book is an analysis of the Amar Chitra Katha genre, historical comic-books that capture and promote a middle class masculine identity, as culture became the new site for right-wing hegemonic politics in India over the last 4 decades of the 20th century.

Creator of the famous pear as a symbol for King Louis-Philippe, Charles Philipon was also the most influential editor of illustrated newspapers in nineteenth-century France. This book examines the role and influence of political caricature under the July Monarchy through a study of his two principal newspapers, La Caricature and Le Charivari.

Author Michael Chabon described Ben Katchor (b. 1951) as "the creator of the last great American comic strip." Katchor's comic strip Julius Knipl, Real Estate Photographer, which began in 1988, brought him to the attention of the readers of alternative weekly newspapers along with a coterie of artists who have gone on to public acclaim. In the mid-1990s, NPR ran audio versions of several Julius Knipl stories, narrated by Katchor and starring Jerry Stiller in the title role. An early contributor to RAW, Katchor also contributed to Forward, the New Yorker, Slate, and weekly newspapers. He edited and published two issues of Picture Story, which featured his own work, with articles and stories by Peter Blegvad, Jerry Moriarty, and Mark Beyer. In addition to being a dramatist, Katchor has been the subject of profiles in the New Yorker, a recipient of a MacArthur "Genius Grant" and a Guggenheim Fellowship, and a fellow at both the American Academy in Berlin and the New York Public Library. Katchor's work is often described as zany or bizarre, and author Douglas Wolk has characterized his work as "one or two notches too far" beyond an absurdist reality. And yet the work resonates with its audience because, as was the case with Knipl's journey through the wilderness of a decaying city, absurdity was only what was usefully available; absurdity was the reality. Julius Knipl, Real Estate Photographer presaged the themes of Katchor's work: a concern with the past, an interest in the intersection of Jewish identity and a secular commercial culture, and the limits and possibilities of urban life.

One of the most distinctive voices in mainstream comics since the 1970s, Howard Chaykin (b. 1950) has earned a reputation as a visionary formal innovator and a compelling storyteller whose comics offer both pulp-adventure thrills and thoughtful engagement with real-world politics and culture. His body of work is defined by the belief that comics can be a vehicle for sophisticated adult entertainment and for narratives that utilize the medium's unique properties to explore serious themes with intelligence and wit.

Beginning with early interviews in fanzines and concluding with a new interview conducted in 2010 with the volume's editor, "Howard Chaykin: Conversations" collects widely ranging discussions from Chaykin's earliest days as an assistant for such legends as Gil Kane and Wallace Wood to his recent work on titles including "Dominic Fortune," "Challengers of the Unknown," and "American Century." The book includes 35 line illustrations selected from Chaykin, as well. As a writer/artist for outlets such as DC Comics, Marvel Comics, and "Heavy Metal," he has participated in and influenced many of the major developments in mainstream comics over the past four decades. He was an early pioneer in the graphic novel format in the 1970s, and his groundbreaking sci-fi satire "American Flagg " was an essential contribution to the maturation of the comic book as a vehicle for social commentary in the 1980s.

The curiously relatable inhabitants of Nathan W. Pyle's New York Times bestselling phenomenon Strange Planet are at it once again!

Illustrated with art from the Strange Planet collections, Nathan W. Pyle's guided journal takes a fresh, self-reflective look at the behaviour that makes us human.

Strange Planet: Existence Chronicle explores favourite themes from the Strange Planet social media stream and books, including emotions, recreation, and cultural traditions. Filled with prompts from the Strange Planet universe, and showcasing the signature characters in pastel hues of pink, blue, green, and purple, this guided journal can help fans explore and better understand the "strange planet" they inhabit.

Simply magical manga in watercolor! Learn how to create beautiful manga art from pencil sketch to finished painting, with this comprehensive guide. As the popularity of Manga art continues to soar, manga and comic book artist Lisa Santrau shows beginners how to create subtle and beautiful manga pictures using pencil and watercolors - the simplest of art materials. Lisa explains the materials and tools needed and then explores the fundamentals of how to draw manga - from color theory and breaking down drawings into basic shapes, to body proportions and faces for both classic manga and chibi manga figures. You will learn how to sketch, how to create depth in your work with shading, and a range of watercolor techniques including washes, wet-on-wet and layering, as well as special techniques involving masking fluid and an innovative 'film' technique for creating texture and patterns. The exercises that follow the basics explore a wide range of techniques including manga poses, hair and eyes, then learn about backgrounds, textures, gradients and more. Finally, there are 12 step-by-step painting projects to perfect your manga art skills, with downloadable templates if you want to skip the drawing and get straight to the painting. The projects are varied and fun, and comprise: Sweet chibi girl on a slice of cake, using the dry technique Steampunk chibis against a bright background, using the wet-on-wet technique Chibi sorcerer's apprentice in a flying teacup, with a galaxy background Chibi Harry, aka a world-famous wizard, teaching you character design Young girl framed by a romantic floral design, using a monochrome palette Sailor boy in a symbolic sun circle, created with masking fluid Girl in a kimono backlit by a window with flowers, using the white of the paper Historical heroine in a voluminous ballgown, using the film technique Melancholic schoolgirl against a fluorescent background, with the film technique Silhouette in the evening sunset, using the wet-on-wet technique Food overload boy in the land of plenty, featuring surface textures Girl's face with expressive eyes, exploring cool versus warm colors This easy-to-follow book by the creator of the popular Mechanical Princess comics, contains all you need to successfully paint your own watercolor manga art.

Celebrated during his lifetime as much for his personality as for his paintings, Andy Warhol (1928-1987) is the man who invented Pop Art, the notion of 15 minutes of fame and the idea that an artist could be as illustrious as the work he creates. With a unique, focused look at Warhol's life, this graphic novel biography offers insight into the turning point of Warhol's career and the time leading up to the creation of the Thirteen Most Wanted Men mural for the 1964 World's Fair, when Warhol clashed with urban planner Robert Moses and architect Philip Johnson. In Becoming Andy Warhol, New York Times bestselling writer Nick Bertozzi and artist Pierce Hargan showcase the moment when, by stubborn force of personality and sheer burgeoning talent, Warhol went up against the creative establishment and emerged to become one of the most significant artists of the 20th century.

The Art of the Wind Rises is the latest in the perennially popular line of Studio Ghibli artbooks, which includes interviews, concept sketches, and finished animation cels from the studio behind such classics as Spirited Away and My Neighbor Totoro. The film is both Miyazaki's final film, and his love letter to the power of flight and the imagination, an examination of the rise of Japan's military might in the years leading up to the Second World War, and a call for worldwide peace and harmony in the face of destruction. This book captures the art of the film, from conception to production, and features in-depth interviews with the filmmakers.

Since the creation of the comic book, there has been a lot of legal conflict and confusion where concepts such as public domain, unincorporated entities and moral rights are involved. As a result, comics creators are frequently concerned about whether they are protecting themselves. There are many questions and no single place to find the answers - that is, until now. Entertaining as it instructs, this book seeks to provide those answers, examining the legal history of comics and presenting information in a way that is understandable to everyone. While not seeking to provide legal advice, or case history this book presents the legal background in plain English, and looks at the stories behind the cases. Every lawsuit has a story and every case has lessons to be learned. As these lessons are explored, the reader will learn the importance of contracts, the precautions necessary when working with public domain characters, and the effects of censorship.

Celebrate Spidey's 60th anniversary by discovering the wonderful world of webs in this epic official Marvel Spider-Man colouring book! Colour your way through the spider-verse and bring all of the different iterations of Spider-Man to life, including Miles Morales, Spider-girl, Scarlet Spider and many more. With original artwork and illustrations from giants like Steve Ditko and Jack Kirby all the way to John Romita Jr. and Todd McFarlane, this epic colouring book will keep you glued to the page for hours! Also available: - Spider-Man Museum: The Story of a Comic Book Icon - Marvel Museum - Marvel Heroes & Villains - Marvel Universe: An Atlas of Marvel - What Would Spider-Man Do? - What Would Hulk Do? - What Would The Mighty Thor Do? (c) 2022 MARVEL

Brian Blomerth first fused his singularly irreverent underground comix style with heavily-researched history in 2019's Brian Blomerth's Bicycle Day, a Technicolor retelling of the discovery of LSD. Now, the illustrator and graphic novelist continues his wild and woolly excursions into the history of mind expansion with Mycelium Wassonii, an account of the lives and trips of R. Gordon and Valentina Wasson, the pioneering scientist couple responsible for popularizing the use of psychedelic mushrooms. A globetrotting vision of hallucinatory science and religious mysticism with appearances by Life Magazine, the CIA, and the Buddha, Mycelium Wassonii is a visual history and a love story as only Blomerth's Isograph pen can render it.

100 iconic images to celebrate 50 years of the Mr Men and Little Miss! The Mr Men and Little Miss have been delighting children for 50 years with their charming and funny antics. This unique collection contains 100 postcards, each one featuring a different image from the Mr Men and Little Miss books created from 1971 onwards. From Mr Tickle's extraordinarily long arms to Little Miss Naughty's cheeky grin, there are lots of fun postcards to send, share and enjoy.