Rating: ![5 stars](http://www.reviewfocus.com/images/stars-5-0.gif) Summary: The way Comics once were. Review: This book was and still is a good guide on how to write and draw comics, and to do so through hard work and effort. That's what Stan and John did all their careers at Marvel. It was also a time when drawings had more life and more soul to them, then the useless artwork that they call manga now, It stinks. But this book does not.
Rating: ![4 stars](http://www.reviewfocus.com/images/stars-4-0.gif) Summary: good book for beginers Review: this book well written. i got it when i was very young and it helped me quite a bit. a must have for any aspiring comic artist with limited experience
Rating: ![4 stars](http://www.reviewfocus.com/images/stars-4-0.gif) Summary: Super book for guys that wanna make Superheros Review: This is an exellent book for anybody just starting in the comicbook biz or if u just wanna trace a picture of spider-man. It goes through all the steps of making a hero to getting it published including a great section that walks u through perspective and characture design. And I would like to recommend this book 4 any aspireing comic book dreamer!
Rating: ![4 stars](http://www.reviewfocus.com/images/stars-4-0.gif) Summary: Good Reference Review: This is not a good book for serious artists and is now a bit outdated with the advent of the use of computers in comics. However, it is an interesting reference on how the Marvel way works. John Buscema is one of the legends of the business and is an excellent teacher. There are useful lessons here on story construction and perspective and this is one of the best books on how to draw comics if you are just starting out. You will probably need something more advanced if you want to take your comic art to a professional level.
Rating: ![4 stars](http://www.reviewfocus.com/images/stars-4-0.gif) Summary: Absolutely incredible.... Review: This is not only the best and most comprehensive book in learning to draw comic book style art, this has some of the most basic, yet most critical drawing techniques, techniques such as the vanishing point, character swatches, layouts and breaking figures down into shapes, for example... I did not have this advantage when I was learning to draw. When I started out as a child, I discovered all of these techniques the difficult way, through trial & error...A process that regrettably takes years. I wish I knew about this book when I was a kid. If I had, I would have advanced so much more as an artist, I couldn't even imagine where I'd be today. Anyways, I strongly recommend this book to anyone who is interested in learning how to draw, period. This really is THE book, people. Search no more. It LITERALLY contains everything I know on drawing techniques (& I've been drawing since I've been old enough to hold a pencil). And not only is it informative, it's extremely fun! The way they present thier lessons, reading & practicing along with it makes you feel like you're goofing off with a comic book, as if you weren't learning anything (although you are). Ideal for those with a 30 sec.(or less) attn. span. The only thing that keeps me from rating it 5 stars, however, is that they should encourage readers to take up more of an interest in drawing real life, things around you, as well as comics. Because it's real life elements that serves as inspiration for the true comic book artist. Real life drawing is the foundation for comic book style art.
Rating: ![5 stars](http://www.reviewfocus.com/images/stars-5-0.gif) Summary: it's not about learning how to draw! Review: To me it seemed that the intention of the book was not to teach anyone how to draw, despite the complaints of most readers, but simply how to draw comics with the overral structure of Marvel comics. The chapter about the angles of the scenes and how they position the characters shows how people at Marvel would do it and how other people would and at that intent the book is absolutely perfect. It is actually, in my humble opinion, more useful as reference to experienced artists than to people who don't know how to draw. If we have a look at most comic books we find on a newstand we will have in our hands works of very experienced artists yet with not nearly as much "intensity" as Marvel's.
Rating: ![4 stars](http://www.reviewfocus.com/images/stars-4-0.gif) Summary: A good book for the starting artist. Review: Upon opening the book, you are immediately hit by how dated it looks. The art is from the days of Kirby (and Buscema), and reflects a time when color seperation was one color per block. Once over your possible reaction against (or in favour of) the arts age, you start to realise just how good a book it is. The book starts you of gently, and gives you a good learning curve, adding new techniques chapter by chapter, encouraging you to experiment with new ways of doing the same thing. There is a definate emphasis on Marvel Superheroes, but seing as may will not be recogniseable (often due to depiction rather than modern day obscurity) to all but the most knowledgeable comic buff, that really shouldn't bother anyone. The format takes a simple step by step approach, with an entertaining commentry from Stan Lee. In many ways, it is Stan's writing that make this book work. The book could so easily have been an incomprehensible, boring textbook, instead of an enjoyable, easy read. If it's fun, you learn better, and in this respect, the book is absolutely perfect. Since I've been so gushing about the book, why haven't I given it 5 crowns you may be wondering? Well, the answer is simple, It deserves 5 crowns for the starter, but if you have already advanced sufficiently (and that amount is not particularly "loads") it rapidly becomes useles, due to the fact that it doesn't go into great depths about technique. It quickly outlives it's usefulnes. Mind you, for that price, Idon't think you'd be lamenting it all that much.
Rating: ![4 stars](http://www.reviewfocus.com/images/stars-4-0.gif) Summary: The Marvel Way is excellent Review: Very good book for beginners, or if you've been at it for awhile. Great examples of how to make drawings more interesting/exciting. Good instruction in 1, 2 & 3 point perspective. Excellent explanation of body and face proportions. Lots of right vs wrong examples. Worth having in the library if you want to make interesting drawings.
Rating: ![2 stars](http://www.reviewfocus.com/images/stars-2-0.gif) Summary: SORRY, STAN Review: When I was a teenager, this book was the bible for any kid wanting to get into comics. In retrospect, I wonder why--I mean, it's not really informative and it doesn't give anything away--i.e., give you any details on the finer point of comic book storytelling and drawing. In short, it's as instructional as a Lee Ames book, and that's not saying much. Besides, in light of the new direction that comic books are going these days, it's a bit dated. If you really want to get into comics, here are four great books to get you started: The Encyclopedia of Cartooning Techniques (an overview of cartooning, from technical stuff to business aspects), The Encyclopedia of Fantasy and Science Art Techniques, Chris Hart's How To Draw Animation (because animation helps a lot, kids!), and let's not forget Wil Eisner's great book that started it all! Sorry, Stan. My verdict--2 stars; but add an extra star if you're a 12 year old aspiring comic book artist just for it's inspirational benefits.
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