A new theoretical framework that critiques many of the assumptions of comics studies It has become an axiom in comic studies that "comics is a language, not a genre." But what exactly does that mean, and how is discourse on the form both aided and hindered by thinking of it in linguistic terms? In Comics and Language, Hannah Miodrag challenges many of the key assumptions about the "grammar" and formal characteristics of comics, and offers a more nuanced, theoretical framework that she argues will better serve the field by offering a consistent means for communicating critical theory in the scholarship. Through engaging close readings and an accessible use of theory, this book exposes the problems embedded in the ways critics have used ideas of language, literature, structuralism, and semiotics, and sets out a new and more theoretically sound way of understanding how comics communicate. Comics and Language argues against the critical tendency to flatten the distinctions between language and images and to discuss literature purely in terms of story content. It closely examines the original critical theories that such arguments purport to draw on and shows how they in fact point away from the conclusions they are commonly used to prove. The book improves on the field's use of existing scholarly disciplines and furthers the ongoing sophistication of the field. It provides animated and insightful analyses of a range of different texts and takes an interdisciplinary approach. Comics and Language will appeal to the general comics reader and will prove crucial for specialized scholars in the fields of comics, literature, cultural studies, art history, and visual studies. It also provides a valuable summary of the current state of formalist criticism within comics studies and so presents the ideal text for those interested in exploring this growing area of research. Hannah Miodrag, Leicester, United Kingdom, is a postdoctoral fellow of English at the University of Leicester. Her work has been published in the International Journal of Comic Art, Studies in Comics, and PEER English: The Journal of New Critical Thinking.

Drawing Cartoons provides invaluable support for anyone who has ever dreamed of drawing cartoons, but lacks the confidence. Taking the approach that anyone can draw, the author leads the reader through the steps of putting together cartoon figures, showing, for example, how a simple box shape can be transformed into a cartoon dog, or how a basic stick figure can convey a range of emotions. The book contains interviews with professional cartoonists who are household names, such as 'Mac' of The Daily Mail, 'Matt' of The Telegraph and Gerald Scarfe.

Works by the great artist of "Luther Arkwright," "The Tale of One Bad Rat" and, most recently, "Alice in Sunderland." From illustrations, covers to comics, Talbot presents his best.

Nowadays, pretty much anyone with a computer and a working copy of Photoshop can call themselves an artist. That's very nice, but compared to one of the grand masters of fantasy art, they might as well be fiddling with an Etch-A-Sketch! Ken Barr is old-school masterful, and defines what it is to create whole new worlds of wonder. His storied career is filled with outstanding movie and television projects, science fiction and fantasy book covers, and many iconic images from the glory days of "Marvel Comics". Long before the emergence of such superstar painters as Alex Ross and Joe Jusko, Ken Barr was blazing a trail of acrylic glory, giving fanboys a clear picture of what their heroes would look like in the real world. For the first time ever, a massive collection of Ken's favorite pieces have been assembled for this personal showcase.If you appreciate the intense quality and power this man brings to his work, or just have a fond memory of seeing your favorite character brought to life for the first time, then this book will be a pure pleasure!

Amid the controversy surrounding immigration and border control, the work of California cartoonist Lalo Alcaraz (b. 1964) has delivered a resolute Latino viewpoint. Of Mexican descent, Alcaraz fights for Latino rights through his creativity, drawing political commentary as well as underlining how Latinos confront discriminationon a daily basis. Through an analysis of Alcaraz's early editorial cartooning and his strips for La Cucaracha, the first nationally syndicated, political Latino daily comic strip, author Hector D. Fernandez L'Hoeste shows the many ways Alcaraz's art attests to the community's struggles. Alcaraz has proven controversial with his satirical, sharp commentary on immigration and other Latino issues. What makes Alcaraz's work so potent? L'Hoeste marks the artist's insistence on never letting go of what he views as injustice against Latinos, the fastest growing ethnic group in the United States. Indeed, his comics predict a key moment in the future of the United States-that time when a racial plurality will steer the country, rather than a white majority and its monocultural norms. L'Hoeste's study provides an accessible, comprehensive viewinto the work of a cartoonist that deserves greater recognition, not just because Alcaraz represents the injustice and inequity prevalent in our society, but because as both a US citizen and a member of the Latino community, his ability to stand in, between, and outside two cultures affords him the clarity and experience necessary to bea powerful voice.

This richly illustrated work is a history, critical analysis, and celebration of the Halas and Batchelor Cartoon Studio, Britain's leading and most influential animation company from 1940 to 1995. This lavish study draws on the archives of the Halas & Batchelor Collection and looks at the studio's key works, including "Animal Farm," Britain's first full-length animated film; "The Tales of Hoffnung," with the legendary Peter Sellers; and the cult classics "Butterfly Ball," featuring the work of Beatles illustrator Alan Aldridge, and "Autobahn," with the music of Kraftwerk. The book includes an autobiographical account by Vivian Halas, daughter of the company's founders, as well as critical insights by animation professor Paul Wells. Animation worldwide is indebted to John Halas and Joy Batchelor for their outstanding work. This book explores their legacy.

They are heroes and villains, Sith and Jedi, senators and scoundrels, mothers, mercenaries, artists, pilots... The women of the Star Wars galaxy drive its stories and saga forward at every level.

This beautifully illustrated, fully authorized book profiles 75 fascinating female characters from across films, fiction, comics, animation, and games. Featuring Leia Organa, Rey, Ahsoka Tano, Iden Versio, Jyn Erso, Rose Tico, Maz Kanata, and many more, each character is explored through key story beats, fresh insights, and behind-the-scenes details by author Amy Ratcliffe.

Also showcasing more than 100 all-new illustrations by a dynamic range of female and non-binary artists, here is an inspiring celebration of the characters that help create a galaxy far, far away.

Of those things in life one finds unavoidable - death, taxes, middle-aged spread - there's at least one bright spot to look forward to: a new Little Black Book from the fevered minds of Steve Fastner and Rich Larson! Once more, these two purveyors of pulpy goodness compile new full color works that reflect the highest quality of low-brow tastes! Scantily-clad cuties running from foul-tempered monsters, aliens, interdimensional time demons... did we mention the girls are not wearing much? And in the fine tradition of the Little Black Book series, an all-new full color tale from the House of Haunted Lingerie is also included! It's a yearly showcase of paintings, projects, and pretty girls from the team of Fastner and Larson, and a must-have for anyone with a sense of humor and/or adventure!

Contributions by Kenneth Baker, Jaqueline Berndt, Albert Boime, John Carlin, Benoit Crucifix, David Deitcher, Michael Dooley, Damian Duffy, M. C. Gaines, Paul Gravett, Diana Green, Karen Green, Doug Harvey, Charles Hatfield, M. Thomas Inge, Leslie Jones, Denis Kitchen, Jonah Kinigstein, John A. Lent, Dwayne McDuffie, Andrei Molotiu, Alvaro de Moya, Kim A. Munson, Cullen Murphy, Gary Panter, Trina Robbins, Antoine Sausverd, Rob Salkowitz, Art Spiegelman, Scott Timberg, Carol Tyler, Brian Walker, Alexi Worth, Joe Wos, and Craig Yoe Through essays and interviews, Kim A. Munson's anthology tells the story of the over-thirty-year history of the artists, art critics, collectors, curators, journalists, and academics who championed the serious study of comics, the trends and controversies that produced institutional interest in comics, and the wax and wane and then return of comic art in museums. Audiences have enjoyed displays of comic art in museums as early as 1930. In the mid-1960s, after a period when most representational and commercial art was shunned, comic art began a gradual return to art museums as curators responded to the appropriation of comics characters and iconography by such famous pop artists as Andy Warhol and Roy Lichtenstein. From the first-known exhibit to show comics in art historical context in 1942 to the evolution of manga exhibitions in Japan, this volume regards exhibitions both in the United States and internationally. With over eighty images and thoughtful essays by Denis Kitchen, Brian Walker, Andrei Molotiu, Paul Gravett, Art Spiegelman, Trina Robbins, and Charles Hatfield, among others, this anthology shows how exhibitions expanded the public dialogue about comic art and our expectation of "good art"-displaying how dedicated artists, collectors, fans, and curators advanced comics from a frequently censored low-art medium to a respected art form celebrated worldwide.

This tale takes place just prior to CATWOMAN No.1, as Selina is presumed dead and desperate for cash. Can her assembled crew of thieves pull off one big heist?

On November 18, 1928, the world's most famous Mouse made his very first public debut. Today, we celebrate 90+ years of Mickey in one of the most expansive illustrated publications on the Disney universe. Starting with the first sketches of a character who was almost named Mortimer, we trace the career of Walt Disney's and Ub Iwerks's most famous creation, one met with an explosion of worldwide popularity preceded only by the earlier successes of Charlie Chaplin. With unlimited access to Disney's vast historical collections as well as public and private collections, the authors bring Mickey's success story to life: concept art, story sketches, background paintings, and animation drawings as well as historical photographs trace the origins and evolution of such timeless favorites as Steamboat Willie, The Band Concert, and Brave Little Tailor. They also follow Mickey as he builds on this legendary library of short cartoons by appearing in two historic feature-length films, Fantasia and Fun and Fancy Free. Extensive archival research sheds new light on little-known chapters of Mickey's career, the origins of the Mickey Mouse Club, and his use as a patriotic icon during World War II. Along the way, we encounter the work of all major Mickey artists in both film and comics, including such greats as Ub Iwerks, Win Smith, Ferdinand Horvath, Fred Moore, Floyd Gottfredson, Carl Barks, Manuel Gonzales, Paul Murry, Romano Scarpa, Giorgio Cavazzano, Byron Erickson, and Cesar Ferioli. Mickey Mouse has left an indelible mark on everyday culture as well as high art, becoming a favored subject for Pop artists such as Andy Warhol, Keith Haring, and Roy Lichtenstein. As Walt Disney once said: "I only hope that we never lose sight of one thing-that it was all started by a mouse." And an end to the success story is nowhere in sight. Today, 90+ years after his creation, Mickey remains as lovable and popular as ever. Let's pay tribute to the little fellow, his legend, and his legacy with a monument to the one and only Mickey Mouse. Copyright (c) 2020 Disney Enterprises, Inc. About the series TASCHEN is 40! Since we started our work as cultural archaeologists in 1980, TASCHEN has become synonymous with accessible publishing, helping bookworms around the world curate their own library of art, anthropology, and aphrodisia at an unbeatable price. Today we celebrate 40 years of incredible books by staying true to our company credo. The 40 series presents new editions of some of the stars of our program-now more compact, friendly in price, and still realized with the same commitment to impeccable production.

Life comes full circle as another Doonesbury Gen Nexer heads for college. With Zipper way-too-deeply embedded at Walden, Alex boldly opts for MIT, 'the nerdfarm', where 30-hour study binges arede rigeur. Daily 911 calls home and a sense of doom gives way as Gal Doonesbury finds fellowship among the similarly exhausted: 'No nerd left behind', explains roomie Drew. The indomitable Granny D struggles with a life-change as well - a move from Oklahoma to live with Mike and Kim in Seattle. Then there's the on-air unravelling of Mark and Chase's marriage, with Joanie handling the technicalities of dissolving a legally nonexistent union. Equally traumatic is Uncle Duke's change of status, emerging from a months-long stupor to find himself pulling down six figures as a K Street lobbyist - and re-registered as a Democrat.

R. Sikoryak is the master of the pop culture pastiche. In Masterpiece Comics, he interpreted classic literature with defining twentieth-century comics. With Terms and Conditions, he made the unreadable contract that everyone signs, and no one reads, readable. He employs his magic yet again to investigate the very framework of the country with Constitution Illustrated. By visually interpreting the complete text of the supreme law of the land with more than a century of American pop culture icons, Sikoryak distills the very essence of the government legalese from the abstract to the tangible, the historical to the contemporary. Among Sikoryak s spot-on unions of government articles and amendments with famous comic-book characters: the Eighteenth Amendment that instituted prohibition is articulated with Homer Simpson running from Chief Wiggum; the Fourteenth Amendment that solidifies citizenship to all people born and naturalized in the United States is personified by Ms. Marvel; and, of course, the Nineteenth Amendment offering women the right to vote is a glorious depiction of Wonder Woman breaking free from her chains. American artists from George Herriman (Krazy Kat) and Charles Schulz (Peanuts) to Raina Telgemeier (Sisters) and Alison Bechdel (Dykes to Watch Out For) are homaged, with their characters reimagined in historical costumes and situations. We the People has never been more apt.

Kase-san and Bento is the second release from Hiromi Takashima's ongoing yuri series about a high school romance between the clumsy, flower-adoring Yamada and the exuberant Kase-san, the school's track and field star. This multi-volume yuri manga series consists of stand-alone volumes that can be read in any order, making this the perfect edition for one-shot readers and series collectors alike. Yamada may be shy and rather clumsy, but the flower gardens at her school have always brought her happiness. Suddenly, a different sort of beauty catches her eye - the vivacious track star Kase-san. Although the two girls don't seem to have much in common, they soon start a romance where each must learn an important lesson in tending their budding relationship. Can the two girls, so different from each other, learn how to make their first love blossom?

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.

While Romantic-era concepts of childhood nostalgia have been understood as the desire to retrieve the ephemeral mindset of the child, this collection proposes that the emergence of digital media has altered this reflective gesture towards the past. No longer is childhood nostalgia reliant on individual memory. Rather, it is associated through contemporary convergence culture with the commodities of one's youth as they are recycled from one media platform to another. Essays in the volume's first section identify recurrent patterns in the recycling, adaptation, and remediation of children's toys and media, providing context for section two's exploration of childhood nostalgia in memorial practices. In these essays, the contributors suggest that childhood toys and media play a role in the construction of s the imagined communities (Benedict Anderson) that define nations and nationalism. Eschewing the dichotomy between restorative and reflexive nostalgia, the essays in section three address the ethics of nostalgia in terms of child agency and depictions of childhood. In a departure from the notion that childhood nostalgia is the exclusive prerogative of narrative fiction, section four looks for its traces in the child sciences. Pushing against nostalgia's persistent associations with wishful thinking, false memories, and distortion, this collection suggests nostalgia is never categorically good or bad in itself, but owes its benefits or defects to the ways in which it is brought to bear on the representation of children and childhood.

Perfect for fans of Liz Pichon's Tom Gates series! 'Highly recommend for reluctant readers' SCHOOL READING LIST 'A big-hearted, comic-style adventure full of thrills, spills and laughter' LANCASHIRE EVENING POST Finn loves drawing comic strips featuring his two cartoon heroes, Arley and Tapper. But after being teased at school, he finds he can't draw them any more - and is shocked to see them climbing out of his sketchbook for real! With the help of his friend Isha, Finn needs to find a way to draw them back to their comic world - and quickly ... A brilliant action-packed comic series for readers aged 8-12, illustrated by Phil Corbett! A big-hearted adventure about celebrating individuality, friendship and true loyalty. Deals with children's insecurities, worries and the debilitating effect of anxiety with a lightness of touch. Author Tom Ellen is the co-author of three books for teens, including Lobsters, shortlisted for the YA Book Prize.

In this comprehensive textbook, editors Matthew J. Brown, Randy Duncan, and Matthew J. Smith offer students a deeper understanding of the artistic and cultural significance of comic books and graphic novels by introducing key theories and critical methods for analyzing comics. Each chapter explains and then demonstrates a critical method or approach, which students can then apply to interrogate and critique the meanings and forms of comic books, graphic novels, and other sequential art. Contributors introduce a wide range of critical perspectives on comics, including disability studies, parasocial relationships, scientific humanities, queer theory, linguistics, critical geography, philosophical aesthetics, historiography, and much more. As a companion to the acclaimed Critical Approaches to Comics: Theories and Methods, this second volume features 19 fresh perspectives and serves as a stand-alone textbook in its own right. More Critical Approaches to Comics is a compelling classroom or research text for students and scholars interested in Comics Studies, Critical Theory, the Humanities, and beyond.

Fun fact: A lot of animals are shaped like potatoes. Another fun fact: Potatoes are easy to draw. Another another fun fact: If you can draw a potato, you can draw animals. Master of cute Katie Cook teaches you how to draw everything adorable in her first tutorial book with quick and easy-to-follow step-by-step lessons. All you need is a pencil and paper...or a napkin or a wall, depending on how confident you are in your drawing ability. Learn how to turn curvy blobs, shapes and squiggles into more than 200 different things, including fuzzy animals, cute food and inanimate objects like yarns balls, luggage and a toaster. Add nubbins, swishy bits, and little smiley faces to anything and everything to transform it into something really, really cute. How to draw lots of cats: fluffy cats, non-fluffy cats, cats in boxes, Polaroids of cats on refrigerators* How to draw food like ketchup delivery sticks, spicy dragon claws and tiny broccoli trees Perfect for doodling during class or in meetings For fans of drawing turkeys from hand outlines (gobble, gobble) or Ed Emberley's super simple drawing instruction books that use shapes, letters and even thumbprints as starting points, Drawing Cute with Katie Cook is a must-own adorable drawing manual, complete with Doctor Who references, fun facts and bad puns. "If you know how to draw a potato, the art world is an open door." --Katie Cook * Don't worry, there are lots of dog drawings, too!

Its with a keen sense of humour and wondrous attention to detail that these two warped geniuses have created hundreds of magnificent fantasy illustrations. With the team of Fastner & Larson, good girls never looked so naughty -- so tantalisingly helpless -- or so well armed! It is the best/worst of American pop culture, as viewed through their unique prism. Contains many colour works which document their airbrush technique.

Learn how to reflect the beautifully diverse world around you in the manga-style characters you draw, guided by the talented team of artists at Saturday AM. Saturday AM is the world's leading showcase of diverse anime and manga stories. How to Draw Diverse Manga features the comics brand's most popular artists, who themselves represent racial identities, ethnicities, and cultures from all over the world, as well as diverse gender identities. Our perceptions of the world are shaped by how the media presents it. With this guide, you will be able to tell inclusive stories about heroic, beautiful, strong, intelligent, and courageous heroes from all backgrounds that are relatable to all and represent the true diversity of our world. The reader-friendly, step-by-step presentation, which is accessible even to beginning artists, shares drawing guidance for: Diverse faces, features, and expressions Bodies, proportions, and body positivity Hair, including afros, braids, and waves Developing character design through the language of shape, silhouette, and color schemes Avoiding stereotypes and caricatures Perfect for beginning to intermediate manga and anime artists, character designers, fantasy illustrators, animators, and cartoonists, Saturday AM Presents How to Draw Diverse Manga offers an insider's point of view and expertise on how to design and draw authentic manga characters that reflect the diverse identities and backgrounds of our world. Find even more inspiration for diverse manga characters in Saturday AM TANKS, which collect Saturday AM's comics in graphic novel format. The Saturday AM TANKS series include:Apple Black, Clock Striker, Gunhild, Hammer, Henshin!, The Massively Multiplayer World of Ghosts, Oblivion Rouge, Saigami, Soul Beat, Titan King, Underground, and Yellow Stringer.

***NATIONAL JEWISH BOOK AWARD WINNER***
Visually and emotionally rich, "MetaMaus" is as groundbreaking as the masterpiece whose creation it reveals.
In the pages of "MetaMaus," Art Spiegelman re-enters the Pulitzer prize-winning "Maus," the modern classic that has altered how we see literature, comics, and the Holocaust ever since it was first published twenty-five years ago.
He probes the questions that "Maus" most often evokes--Why the Holocaust? Why mice? Why comics?--and gives us a new and essential work about the creative process.
"MetaMaus" includes a bonus DVD-R that provides a digitized reference copy of "The Complete Maus" linked to a deep archive of audio interviews with his survivor father, historical documents, and a wealth of Spiegelman's private notebooks and sketches.
Compelling and intimate, "MetaMaus" is poised to become a classic in its own right.

Designed and outlined by Will Eisner before his death in 2005, this posthumous masterwork, the third and final book in the Will Eisner Instructional Series, finally reveals the secrets of Eisner s own techniques and theories of movement, body mechanics, facial expressions, and posture: the key components of graphic storytelling. From his earliest comics, including the celebrated Spirit, to his pioneering graphic novels, Eisner understood that the proper use of anatomy is crucial to effective storytelling. His control over the mechanical and intuitive skills necessary for its application set him apart among comics artists, and his principles of body grammar have proven invaluable to legions of students in overcoming what is perhaps the most challenging aspect of creating comics. Buttressed by dozens of illustrations, which display Eisner s mastery of expression, both subtle and overt, Expressive Anatomy for Comics and Narrative will benefit comics fans, students, and teachers and is destined to become the essential primer on the craft."