THE ART OF MAKING COMIC BOOKS
by Michael Morgan Pellowski & illustrated by Howard Bender
In an entry in the Media Workshop series, Pellowski shows young enthusiasts how to do it like the pros. It's not all superheroes either—Archie, the Simpsons, and animal figures put in appearances; romances, underground comix, humor magazines, and graphic novels receive nods, too. The book opens with a colorful, coherent history of comic books, from the Yellow Kid to Art Spiegelman's Maus and the Ninja Turtles, then charts the process of making a comic book: how writers and editors develop ideas; the roles of pencillers, inkers, and letterers in visual design; preparation of the art; creation of a cover. This is aimed at amateurs, so mass production and marketing techniques are barely mentioned, but the advice on fleshing out characters, arranging panels, creating continuity, etc., comes with specific examples; a light tone makes the whole enterprise less intimidating, more play than work. Aside from pointless full-color photos of teens drawing or reading, the illustrations are generally helpful examples of classic or newly created comic art. A sturdy, how-to companion to Elaine Scott's Funny Papers: Behind the Scenes of the Comics (1993). (glossary, bibliography, index) (Nonfiction. 10-13)