In the 1940s and '50s, comic books were some of the most popular-and most unfiltered-entertainment in the United States. Publishers sold hundreds of millions of copies a year of violent, racist, and luridly sexual comics to Americans of all ages, until a 1954 Senate investigation led to a censorship code that nearly destroyed the industry. But this was far from the first time the US government actively involved itself with comics-it was simply the most dramatic manifestation of a long, strange relationship between high-level policy makers and a medium that even artists and writers often dismissed as a creative sewer. In Pulp Empire, Paul S. Hirsch uncovers the gripping untold story of how the US government both attacked and appropriated comic books to help wage World War II and the Cold War, promote official-and clandestine-foreign policy, and deflect global critiques of American racism. As Hirsch details, during World War II-and the concurrent golden age of comic books-government agencies worked directly with comic book publishers to stoke hatred for the Axis powers while simultaneously attempting to dispel racial tensions at home. Later, as the Cold War defense industry ballooned-and as comic book sales reached historic heights-the government again turned to the medium, this time trying to win hearts and minds in the decolonizing world through cartoon propaganda. Hirsch's groundbreaking research weaves together a wealth of previously classified material, including secret wartime records, official legislative documents, and caches of personal papers. His book explores the uneasy contradiction of how comics were both vital expressions of American freedom and unsettling glimpses into the national id-scourged and repressed on the one hand and deployed as official propaganda on the other. Pulp Empire is a riveting illumination of underexplored chapters in the histories of comic books, foreign policy, and race.

Draw Fabulous Furries

Furries are so much fun to draw, people have been doing so for thousands of years. By crossing animal traits with human, you can create some fantastic characters with distinct personalities.

The authors of "Draw Furries" bring you more of the best step-by-step lessons for creating anthropomorphic characters. You'll learn everything from furry anatomy, facial expressions and poses to costumes, coloring and settings You'll also learn how to create characters that convey the various personalities and spirits of the animals they resemble. "Draw More Furries" is packed with 20 new furries, "scalies," and mythological creatures with lessons covering everything from drawing mouths and muzzles to paws, feathers and fur. The anthropomorphic creatures you can create with these easy-to-learn lessons are limitless

But you won't just stop there. Lindsay and Jared take you to the next level by showing you how to build a scene from start to finish. From dinosaur warriors to snow leopard pirates, you'll be drawing all kinds of fun, furry friends in no time

• Loaded with more than 50 step-by-step demonstrations for a variety of characters from furries to mythological creatures.
• Extended demonstration shows how to build a scene from initial concept drawings and character development to a final colored scene.
• See a variety of different styles of art from guest artists who share their processes for creating lively characters.

The essential guide to drawing manga figures. Ideal for seasoned comic artists or complete beginners, this fantastic book is packed with clear instructions and inspiration for drawing manga figures. It begins with the basics and contains galleries of body parts, expressions and hair styles to inspire and encourage the reader, along with step-by-step guides to mastering fundamentals such as anatomy and hands and feet. A range of profiles, characters, genders and ages is included. Build up skill through drawing and inking and then experiment using different colouring media - including markers, watercolour acrylics and pencils - to achieve outstanding results. This title was previously published as Manga - The Mega Guide (9781782210764)

Winner, 2021 Katherine Singer Kovacs Book Award, given by the Society for Cinema and Media Studies Winner, 2021 Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards for Best Academic/Scholarly Work Honorable Mention, 2021 Harry Shaw and Katrina Hazzard-Donald Award for Outstanding Work in African-American Popular Culture Studies, given by the Popular Culture Association Winner, 2020 Charles Hatfield Book Prize, given by the Comic Studies Society Traces the history of racial caricature and the ways that Black cartoonists have turned this visual grammar on its head Revealing the long aesthetic tradition of African American cartoonists who have made use of racist caricature as a black diasporic art practice, Rebecca Wanzo demonstrates how these artists have resisted histories of visual imperialism and their legacies. Moving beyond binaries of positive and negative representation, many black cartoonists have used caricatures to criticize constructions of ideal citizenship in the United States, as well as the alienation of African Americans from such imaginaries. The Content of Our Caricature urges readers to recognize how the wide circulation of comic and cartoon art contributes to a common language of both national belonging and exclusion in the United States. Historically, white artists have rendered white caricatures as virtuous representations of American identity, while their caricatures of African Americans are excluded from these kinds of idealized discourses. Employing a rich illustration program of color and black-and-white reproductions, Wanzo explores the works of artists such as Sam Milai, Larry Fuller, Richard "Grass" Green, Brumsic Brandon Jr., Jennifer Crute, Aaron McGruder, Kyle Baker, Ollie Harrington, and George Herriman, all of whom negotiate and navigate this troublesome history of caricature. The Content of Our Caricature arrives at a gateway to understanding how a visual grammar of citizenship, and hence American identity itself, has been constructed.

'I really have a secret satisfaction in being considered rather mad.' The name of William Heath Robinson has entered the national vocabulary as a by-word for eccentric inventions and makeshift solutions - and with good reason. His world of cogs, bits of string, magnets and precarious tipping points holds a universal appeal. Whacky machines and bemusing solutions to everyday problems are brought to life in this hilarious collection of cartoons from Heath Robinson. From wart removers to potato peelers to an early version of the holiday selfie, this much-loved classic illustrator and would-be inventor shows us that there really can be a gadget for everything!

Howard Cruse is the first biography to tell the life story of one of the most important figures in LGBTQ+ comics. A preacher's kid from Alabama who became "the godfather of queer comics," Cruse (1944-2019) was a groundbreaking underground cartoonist, a wicked satirist, an LGBTQ+ activist, and a mentor to a vast network of queer comics artists. His comic strip Wendel, published in The Advocate throughout the 1980s, is considered a revolutionary moment in the development of LGBTQ+ comics, as is his inaugurating the editorship of Gay Comix with Kitchen Sink Press in 1979, which furthered the careers of important artists like Jennifer Camper and Alison Bechdel. Cruse's graphic novel Stuck Rubber Baby, published in 1995, fictionalizes his own coming out in the context of the civil rights movement in 1960s Birmingham and was a significant forerunner to contemporary graphic novels and memoirs. Howard Cruse draws on extensive archival research and interviews and covers Cruse's entire body of work: the cute and zany Barefootz, the unexpected innovations of the Gay Comix stories, the domestic intimacies of Wendel, and the complexity and power of Stuck Rubber Baby. The book places Cruse's art in the context of his life and his times, including the historic movements for gay rights and against the AIDS crisis, and it celebrates this extraordinary and essential figure of LGBTQ+ comics and American comics art more broadly.

Sidney Harris, acclaimed Dean of Scientific Humor, presents his most recent collection of cartoons. No scientific or technical topic is safe from the scope of his humor. Harriss cartoons have appeared in American Scientist, Playboy, The New Yorker, Discover, and Science, among many other popular magazines. Previous collections include Einstein Simplified, "You Want Proof? Ill Give You Proof," and From Personal Ads to Cloning Labs. "The humor in science that is most widely laughed at comes from nonscientists, like the cartoonist, Sidney Harris." NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW

Illustrator and cartoonist W. Heath Robinson is renowned for his ingenious and haphazard contraptions. His witty drawings of complicated machines, are ironically designed to simplify everyday life, but always manage to make everything appear more complicated! His work is steeped in the humour of calamity and his name soon became synonymous for absurd and makeshift devices. This delightful new book is packed with his madcap designs and the delicate watercolour illustrations which continue to delight us all today.

In this book, comics icon Lee provides aspiring comics artists with the modern tools they need to succeed in the world of comic-book creation. Focusing on topics like anatomy, perspective and character design, as well as brand-new topics like manga art styles, digital art and more, this is the next step for those looking to perfect their superhero rendering and create fantastic worlds perfect for today's modern comic-book audience. With examples from his classic collaborations at Marvel Comics and from today's top comics artists, Lee builds on concepts only touched upon in his previous instructional offerings and provides a pathway for aspiring artists to bring their comic-book artwork to professional-quality levels.

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.

Focal Press' Pocket Lawyer series serves as a legal toolkit for independent producers and artists in the creative industries. The Pocket Lawyer for Comic Book Creators is designed to help emerging artists and veteran professionals in the comic book industry build a solid foundation of business and communication practices that they need to thrive in today's ever-changing, uncertain world of indie comics. Readers will learn to protect their copyrights, negotiate publishing deals, hire artists so everyone wins, and learn the ins and outs of key contracts with this helpful resource.

""Calvin and Hobbes "both defined its time and yet floated above it. Read it today and it hasn't aged a day; read it today, and tell me you wouldn't drop everything to play Calvinball just once."
---"Entertainment Weekly"
"Exploring Calvin and Hobbes" is the catalogue for an exhibit by the same name at the Billy Ireland Cartoon Museum at Ohio State University, which opened in March 2014. The exhibit is Bill Watterson's personal exploration of how the wonder of "Calvin and Hobbes" came to be. It include soriginal art of" Calvin and Hobbes," along with Watterson's original commentary on each. The show will also include art from cartoonists who Watterson has identified as influential in the development of his art, including "Peanuts, Pogo, Krazy Kat, Doonesbury," Pat Oliphant, Jim Borgman, "Flash Gordon, Bloom County," and Steadman.
The Billy Ireland Cartoon Museum and Library is the repository of the Bill Watterson Deposit Collection (including the entirety of Watterson's "Calvin and Hobbes" artwork).

We think we know Betty and Veronica from Archie comics, but we don't. Far more than just Archie's girlfriends, this book shows how the girls adapted to be compelling, relevant characters for each new generation over the past eighty years. Betty, Veronica, and the rest of the Riverdale gang appear to be frozen in time in Archie comics. They are perpetual high schoolers, recycling the same basic plotlines over and over in their wholesome, small-town American world. However, there is much more to Betty and Veronica than the broad archetypes and cliched storytelling suggests. In Betty and Veronica: The Leading Ladies of Riverdale, Tim Hanley explores the complexity behind these two iconic characters. We know Betty and Veronica as Archie's girlfriends, but that's just the beginning-they are their own women with evolving motivations and aims. From fighting over Archie to tackling women's lib to chasing down serial killers on Riverdale, their friendship has endured and grown through decades of shifting characterizations and social change. Exploring their past offers unique insights into the ways life has progressed for young women over the past eighty years, and shows us the hidden strengths and secret depths of these pop culture icons. Featuring full-color comic book cover art that spans nearly eight decades of publishing-along with behind-the-scenes accounts of creative decisions, historical insights, and examinations of their different incarnations-this book provides a vibrant exploration of Betty and Veronica's many adventures along their long, intriguing journey in popular culture.

At once familiar and hard to place, the work of acclaimed Canadian cartoonist Seth evokes a world that no longer exists-and perhaps never existed, except in the panels of long-forgotten comics. Seth's distinctive drawing style strikingly recalls a bygone era of cartooning, an apt vehicle for melancholy, gently ironic narratives that depict the grip of the past on the present. Even when he appears to look to the past, however, Seth (born Gregory Gallant) is constantly pushing the medium of comics forward with sophisticated work that often incorporates metafiction, parody, and formal experimentation. Forging the Past offers a comprehensive account of this work and the complex interventions it makes into the past. Moving beyond common notions of nostalgia, Daniel Marrone explores the various ways in which Seth's comics induce readers to participate in forging histories and memories. Marrone discusses collecting, Canadian identity, New Yorker cartoons, authenticity, artifice, and ambiguity-all within the context of comics' unique structure and texture. Seth's comics are suffused with longing for the past, but on close examination this longing is revealed to be deeply ambivalent, ironic, and self-aware. Marrone undertakes the most thorough, sustained investigation of Seth's work to date, while advancing a broader argument about how comics operate as a literary medium. Included as an appendix is a substantial interview, conducted by the author, in which Seth candidly discusses his work, his peers, and his influences.

The Gorillaz Art Book is here! Featuring brand new artwork by Jamie Hewlett, who has invited more than 40 creators to offer new interpretations of 2D, Murdoc Niccals, Noodle, and Russel Hobbs in one expansive volume of original artwork. Contributing artists include Ruff Mercy, Kim Jung Gi, Robert Smith, Kerbscrawler Ghost, Robert Valley, Craig McCracken and Tim McCourt & Max Taylor. Celebrating 20 years of Gorillaz, this latest Z2 partnership sees Hewlett expand the band’s collaborative vision to fellow visual artists in The Gorillaz Art Book, a stunning visual feast of 306 pages.

Learn the Tricks of the Trade for Drawing Irresistibly Cute Manga-Style Animals and Chibis The world of manga is filled with strange creatures and adorable sidekicks. Just about every manga hero and heroine has an animal mascot, and all the most popular ones have a cute "chibi" form. This book teaches aspiring manga artists how to create the funny critters that populate girls' manga and the more gritty, gothic creatures found in boys' manga. It starts with the basics of creating manga-style characters--everything from drawing heads and faces to eyes and expressions, to creating incredibly cute chibis. Part two features a valuable reference section on the mythological and real animals that have shaped Japanese artwork and stories. The final section has step-by-step demonstrations on using computer programs such as Photoshop and Corel Painter to create manga art and comics. So whether you're just starting out and want to draw a cute, simple mascot, or would like to try something more complex like an Asian dragon, or are ready to create your own otherworldly adventure, this book has something for you no matter what your skill level.

This beautiful and engaging volume charts the evolution of manga from its roots in late 19th-century Japan through the many and varied forms of comics, cartoons and animation created throughout Asia for more than 100 years. World authority on comic art Paul Gravett details the evolving meanings of the myths and legends told and retold by manga artists of every decade and reveals the development and cross pollination of cultural and aesthetic ideas between manga artists throughout Asia. He explores the explosion of creativity in manga after the Second World War with the emergence of such artists as Osamu Tezuka, whose pioneering Astro Boy spawned a new and much imitated visual dynamic. He highlights how creators have responded to political events since 1950 in the form of propaganda, criticism and commentary in manga magazines, comics and books. There have been many remarkably powerful and sophisticated graphic novels, although some sexually explicit and emotionally dark adult manga has also attracted criticism, raising questions about taste and acceptability. Gravett discusses the influence of censorship on manga and concludes with a survey of current multi- platform offerings of manga in Asia and the transition from cut-price rental libraries to the booming specialist emporia and comic conventions that champion the kaleidoscope of creativity apparent in the digital age.

CREATE BEAUTIFUL MANGA PEOPLE AND ANIMALS IN 10 SIMPLE STEPS If you love drawing manga but don't know where to start, this is the book for you! 10 Step Drawing: Manga will help you turn simple shapes into beautiful manga drawings in just 10 steps. Create over 30 different portraits, from cute chibi people to a multicoloured manga unicorn, by following the instructions inside. Learning to draw has never been so simple!

This inspiring book provides a detailed guide to drawing, colouring and manipulating your own digital cartoons. It is packed full with professional advice, fantastic examples and practical step-by-step techniques showing how to create amazing characters and worlds. The book begins by introducing the essential equipment and types of computer software needed. A useful guide to digital techniques follows, which explains how to colour a scanned image, how to combine different media, add speech bubbles and much more. The main section features a range of projects that offer the opportunity to practice the techniques, and produce a variety of cartoon styles, such as graphic novel, manga, and science fiction. There are over 200 amazing drawings and 70 step-by-step exercises which show the artist how to build and develop their skills and also to polish their existing abilitiesand gives hope to endless visual possibilities.

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."