Rating: ![5 stars](http://www.reviewfocus.com/images/stars-5-0.gif) Summary: A great foundation for comic book artists Review: I bought the book under influence from a friend of mine who said it was essential if you wanted to draw superhero comics. I can tell you, I was NOT disappointed. It starts off with the basics. Later going into the obvious subject, how to draw great superhero comics. I learned alot from this book, e.g.the human head and the vital information on the stance of the character you draw or create.If there is a down side to the book, you could say it is also it's greatest aspect. It is the variety of subject it goes into. This book will help you become good at ALL (or at least most) of the subjects it goes into. Which is a great thing. But it doesn't teach you to be great at any of them. Which is pretty obvious since this is a book that teaches you every aspect of drawing great comics. After you've read this book (and you want to keep progressing), you really should check out the books which the authors suggest on each subject "touched upon in this volume" (quoting the book). A must buy, an essential if you will.
Rating: ![3 stars](http://www.reviewfocus.com/images/stars-3-0.gif) Summary: A LIGHT LUNCH Review: I bought this book when I was a teenager, and found the content very helpful when drawing comics and cartoons - the Marvel Way. The Stan Lee Humour and John Buscema art work were truly inspirational. All the sections from figure drawing, through to layout, inking and perspective were simple and straightforward, making it easy for a novice to understand. That, however, was also the book's downfall. Overall, it tended to lack depth and I was always left with the feeling that there should have been more. If your looking for a 'starter' - buy it. But if you want a 'main-course', look elsewhere.
Rating: ![5 stars](http://www.reviewfocus.com/images/stars-5-0.gif) Summary: Great Book Review: i decided to start trying to draw American style comics instead of manga style. When I first picked up this book I loved it. Buy this book.
Rating: ![5 stars](http://www.reviewfocus.com/images/stars-5-0.gif) Summary: Make Mine Marvel!!! Review: I finished reading this book today (December 21, 2002) and I found equal to Tom Alvarez's book (reviewed separately). While this book didn't discuss clothing and drapery like Tom's book, it did discuss foreshortening the human figure more. Like Tom's book though, it didn't have a chapter on bone and muscle structure which I believe are important (i.e. what if you have to draw for a horror or fantasy book where zombies or skeletons are the norm?). The book does refer to you anatomy books in the bibliography including reference to animal drawing books. I'm now window shopping at Amazon for a good step-by-step anatomy book suited for comics-art. I think I'm going to get Figure Drawing Without a Model by Ron Tiner (I wanted to get Jack Hamm's How to Draw The Head and the Figure but Ron's book has more pages plus it's more recent - Jack's book was published in 1983 and one of the reviewers said that his characters look like 50's cartoons).
Rating: ![5 stars](http://www.reviewfocus.com/images/stars-5-0.gif) Summary: One of the Best Review: I first came across this book several years ago, but at first wasn't interested (I'm not much of a Marvel fan...though Spidey is always cool). But upon inspection, it's easy to see that this book is far more usual than for just sketching spandex-clad super guys (and gals). From the basics to a more mature level, HTDCTMW is a friendly, easy to reference, awesome volume on perspective and application. Drawing comics, like any other art form, is a gift and there's nothing that can 'teach' you that. Maybe a more 'acclaimed' book can teach you to copy, but it can't teach you to draw. This one comes pretty darn close.
Rating: ![4 stars](http://www.reviewfocus.com/images/stars-4-0.gif) Summary: The book for poeple who think they know how to draw comics Review: I first read this book in the 7th grade, it was prehaps the most informative and eye opening book on the comic art. Unlike some comic illustration instructional books, How to Draw Comics the Marvel way handles more than just charater design. They show budding artist how to make comic panels interesting. This book keeps you from becoming a copy-cat artist.
Rating: ![4 stars](http://www.reviewfocus.com/images/stars-4-0.gif) Summary: SKleefeld's Assesment Review: I have yet to see one book succinctly and intelligently teach someone how to draw well. This book is no exception. While Stan Lee and John Buscema do an excellent job of explaing the basics behind comic book art, there will never be a good substitute for years and years of practice.
The book does have it's good points: why some things work better than others, details on different approaches to drawing, etc. Layout and composition are also handled fairly well, as well as some of the commercial reasons behind why a comic sometimes appears the way it does. As far as drawing books go, this was done very well. However, simply reading it will not help your talent withouta vast amount of practice.
Rating: ![2 stars](http://www.reviewfocus.com/images/stars-2-0.gif) Summary: This book has its place on any beginner's shelf. Review: I owned this book many years ago and have access to a copy. I even own the recently released digital version.
What Lee and Buscema have brought forth is fine for the aspiring but unskilled artist. You learn the very basic method of producing comics in an old style used decades ago by the 'greats' in comic artistry. Unfortunately, for those hoping this book provides a modern foundation, things have progressed significantly and almost unabatedly.
Those seeking to create comics have to understand the market will not bear another Stan Lee, or even a Jae Lee, imitation. To survive in the tight economics of comic book rendering, an artist must produce something original in style, form and imagination. Rehashing Buscema line work will not 'make the grade', to use a cliche.
That being said, this book has its merits for those willing to start somewhere other than 'real' art books. This volume provides the basic infrastructure to create artwork reminiscent of Spiderman 1975.
My suggestion to all would-be comic artists: eschew this book, learn the human form from all perspectives, poses and attitudes. Learn from non-idealized, non-stylized drawing sessions based on real life. From there, drawing a superhero, in your own way, will become a task far more advantageous commercially and artistically. You will be capable of producing a genuinely original and attractive style, capturing the attention of potential employers.
Other than that, it makes for a decent rainy Sunday hobby.
That's my two cents, here's your change.
Rating: ![5 stars](http://www.reviewfocus.com/images/stars-5-0.gif) Summary: Great! Review: I read this book, and after only having read half of it, i was a much better drawer than i was in the beginning. It takes no time to learn how to draw like they ask you to, and the book gives you great easy tips to make your characters more real. It covers everything, from the faces to inkin to layout of a cover! I can only recomend this, and can't say anything bad about this book!
Rating: ![5 stars](http://www.reviewfocus.com/images/stars-5-0.gif) Summary: Nice progression with the tasks Review: I remember when this book came out years ago, and was always curious about it. But other of life's callings caused me to never pursue it. Now that I have a six-year-old boy who likes to draw, it renewed it's interest with me, and yes, I picked up a copy from Amazon.com. I'll review it on two fronts. First, I looked through it myself. I was impressed with the way they started you off with the basics, and got progressively harder. One could say "Duh!" to this, but the good point about it is that it gets you into actually drawing the famous Marvel characters relatively early. Like with the second lesson. It also takes you into the world of the things to look out for if you were involved in putting an actual comic book together. So not only do they cover how to do the action figures, it shows how to draw backgrounds to provide prospective, covers the topic of inking, and even has a chapter on drawing covers! So it does cover the entire spectrum. Second was how the boy took to it. While he has a busy schedule, and while no, he doesn't spend every waking hour with it, when he does he has been known to spend a couple hours per sitting practicing the drawing. Once I got him past the idea that the first one had to be perfect, and that practicing over and over again was what made you a good illustrator, he took to it very well.
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