Cartoons Books

Do you feel a fondness in your heart for old black and white cartoons? Do you know that the original Tom and Jerry were not a cat and a mouse but two loopy guys? If you can answer yes to those questions you will like this book which was originally published way back then.
It's actually full of good information that is still relevant today. I own a number of animation how-to-do-it books and one thing about this book is that all its numerous illustrations are unique and different from any other book. And it covers a few things that I've never seen covered in any other book - like exactly how to draw all the frames for the smoke coming from the tailpipe of an old jalopy. The emphasis of this book is different from modern books and the tone is more bright-eyed and awestruck. It's refreshing to read something written at the very beginning of animation when it was still viewed with amazement.
If watching Betty Boop fills you with warm nostalgia then I think this book will do the same for you.

Maybe I will not read every word of this book, but just knowing it is on my shelf makes me give it 5 stars, being a landmark in the history of animation, also being the book Walt started out with...
For animators then, it was comparable to, what Frank & Ollie's 'The Illusion of Life' is now (if you are looking for THE book on animation, start here), or Preston Blair's book (when there only was one) when I started in animation in the 70's...

This book is the best place to start actually making animation. Equipment construction is explained well enough to start a professional studio. Techniques are clearly described and perfect for students of the art. Extras are the theory of what is funny and why, but mostly, the uses animation may serve in education. Many great old illustrations of walks pepper this volume. If you like to draw in ink, this book is for you.

Some clarification is needed here - this book is a reprint of a book from 1920, and although you might glean some tips on how to animate that are still relevant, this is NOT the book to buy if you're looking to learn the craft - it has been reprinted purely for historical interest. There's nothing here that is not outdated or superseded. If you want to learn animation, the books you really need are Tony White's 'Animator's Workbook', and Richard Williams's 'Animator's Survival Kit'. That said, if you're already a clued-up animator, or interested in the history of the craft, this is a fascinating book, representing as it does the state of the art just a few years before Disney appeared on the scene and set new standards. Historically - wonderful. Instructionally - look elsewhere.

I loved this book, read it four times. It covered all types of animation
including stop motion. It was organized by decade, by country. There were
many contributors who chose what they were most interested in and I guess
their passion rubs off because it is hard to put down and very informative.
If you want a course in animation history, just read this and save your
tuition money. I don't know how Jerry Beck does it all but we all
benefit from his dedication. Thank you, Jerry. Keep up the good work.

Animation Art is a comprehensive look at the history, development and cultural effects of animation and cartoons.

From the early days up to the latest blockbusters of the 21st century, the authors have covered all concepts, genres and media. Including European, Asian and Canadian cartoons, stop motion, CGI and more.

Beautifully presented with many colour pictures and written by experienced contributors it leaves no stone unturned.

The only disappointment is the amount of text devoted to one of my all time favourites, Tom & Jerry.

Otherwise a comprehensive tome that will provide for anybody interested in animation.

Informative and entertaining,another good effort by Mr. Beck. I recommend this for any fan of animation.

This is a magnificent achievement. Serving as General Editor, Jerry Beck has brought together in a single volume a riveting narrative which examines the history of cartoon, anime, and CGI with stunning full-color illustrations of that history. As he explains in his Introduction, "We have assembled an international team of animation authorities to tell the tales behind the toons. -The story is told in chronological sequence with choice images that enhance its history...From popular Disney characters to obscure personal films, it is all covered: Hollywood hits and Japanese anime, as well as Russian masterpieces and Asian artfilms. Looking it over, it is quite a wild ride." Indeed it is. The material is skillfully organized within twelve chapters which range from "The Origin of the Art" to "The New Century." By no means do I claim to be an expert on the subject of animation art but I presume to observe that I cannot imagine what has been left out. The illustrations are stunning; the prose narrative is crisp and lucid.

In the Foreword, Jeffrey Katzenberg observes that animation art provides a unique opportunity "to remember to know who has gone before, to really know the stories, take lessons from them, and bring that knowledge to the future. My hope is that, one day, other people will feel the same way about about those of us who are making animated films now. While it is an amazing thing to have the opportunity to create films and to bring these enormous enterprises to the world, it is something entirely different and entirely more rare to have our work remembered and considered part of the continuing evolution of an art form." Thanks to Beck, those who work their way through this magnificent volume will not only remember what has been achieved in animation art thus far; they will also understand what can yet be accomplished as others who have yet to reveal themselves through their art.

I highly recommend this volume to anyone interested in animation art, of course, but also to those who have an interest in the creation and evolution of comic books. Also to those who share my high regard for illustrators such as Al Hirschfeld whose art is celebrated in Hirschfeld on Line, now available from Amazon in both book and DVD formats.

I read this book over a decade ago and it was full of practical tips to help me realise my dream of making a living by drawing cartoons. It stops you from making a lot of common mistakes. I'm now syndicated, drawing Arctic Circle for King Features and even though I've been a full time cartoonist for 9 years, I have still referred back to this book often.

Mort Gerberg, longtime New Yorker cartoonist, has created the reference book to beat all reference books. Notice I said "reference book" and not "instruction book"--those wishing to learn how to draw cartoons will be disappointed here.

Originally published under the title "The Arbor House Book of Cartooning", Gerberg's book aims for aspiring professionals, those who are serious about pursuing cartooning. He is brutally honest about the pitfalls of the business, yet avoids the "sour grapes" approach of other cartooning-book authors such as Ken Muse (in other words, the "this business is tough and the editors are idiots, so it's hardly worth bothering" attitude).

Unlike authors of similar books, Gerberg lets the reader know that there are more markets for cartoonists than just comic books and comic strips. He not only covers the aforementioned subjects but delves into greeting card production, spot illustration, and magazine gags.

Gerberg is one of the few to write at length about gag writing for comic strips and magazine panels, and makes good use of his vast experience in both fields to examine the anatomy of the gag. The section on comic-strip creation is filled with common-sense knowledge that took me some twenty years to discover on my own. Gerberg even goes so far as to discuss the making of a winning comic character without descending into vague generalities. He compares today's comic characters (such as Garfield, Dilbert, and Beetle Bailey) to radio and TV comedians of the past. The best such characters, he says, were those with clearly defined comic personas (such as Jack Benny). Older readers can probably remember Benny's reaction when told by a robber, "Your money or your life!" The line was not funny in and of itself, says Gerberg, but if you understood Benny's comic persona, it was hilarious. (You Gen-X and Gen-Y folks might want to rent a few tapes to understand references like the above.)

At the rear are addresses of greeting-card companies, comic-book publishers, and comic-strip syndicates, but be warned--even the latest version is full of out-of-date information. Those wishing to find addresses are better off consulting Artist's Market.

If you're an aspiring cartoonist, keep this book within arm's reach. Gerberg even had the foresight in the paperback edition to underline those passages he felt noteworthy, so the reader can examine important points at a glance. My own copy, sadly lost now, was well worn after several years' use. My suspicion is, yours will be too.

I checked this book out of the Library and once I read it I had to have it in my collection!

Gerberg pulls no punches in writing about the difficulities of breaking into cartooning. But he also writes about the pleasure and satisfaction of this deceptively simple art form. From cartoonists' tools to how to generate ideas, from comic books to greeting cards and editorial cartooning, this one book probably answered all my questions about the profession. Lots of cartoons from a smorgasbord of cartoonists are a treat to study -- and chuckle over. Thanks, Mort.

My mother had bought all nine volumns of The Saga for a person we knew who was struggling with peer pressure and drugs. She used these Christian comics as a tool to reach him and save him. The day she brought them home I sat down to read volumn 1. After that I couldn't stop until I read them all. I spend the entire evening reading them to my daughter as well. Soon I was at the book store buying all nine volumns for myself to keep as a collection. Some of the pictures are graphic and scary but the reality is that it's TRUE, not only are we at war in the Middle East but there is a closer war right here among us all. It's a spiritual WarFare. These comics explain in scripture and how we have a choice not to be victimized by evil. These comics are an excellent tool to express how much you care about someone by sharing this colorful illustrations and true to life story line with them. Highly recommended.

really enjoyed these comic books. Would love to see more!!!! Great for teenagers and adults alike. Hurry with the next issues!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I think archangels is great. It show the lives of many teenagers who have difficult times in their lives and they usually turn away from everything even God! Then angels come in from god to help them. I recommend this book to teenagers.

These comic books have good Messages and morals for teenagers,and adults alike.A great comic series!

When I first read the book I thought it was all abpout the roman gods but then I found out what it was about, it was an exiting and comical book and I look foward to readindg more.

First published in French in 1971, as Le domaine des Dieux
This album was first published in English in 1973.

Julius Caesar comes up with a new plan to try and bring the little village, on the Armorican coast, that we know so well, to heel.
He decides that the forest surrounding the village will be destroyed and replaced with blocks of flats, inhabited by well to do Romans.

He commissions Rome's most talented young architect, Squareontheyhypotenus, for this task.
A battle of wills ensues between the Gauls and Romans until wise old Druid Getafix comes up with a plan, which will teach the Romans a lesson, after making it, seem like they have got what they wanted.

Asterix and Obelix get up to some really fun tricks again, and as in `Asterix and The Normans'; Cacofonix the Bard is instrumental in saving the day.

Once more we are treated to an amusing satire on both Ancient Gaul and Europe at the time the book was written.
As the Romans bring in a multi-national force of slaves to cut down the forest and build the flats, we get to meet Iberians (Spaniards), Lusitanians (Portuguese), Numidians (North Africans) , Belgians and Goths (Germans).
An essential part of your Asterix collection!

One of the best Asterix adventures, with a very inventive plot, hilarious one-liners. Cacofonix steals the show at the end of the book, with the reactions from the residents of the Mansion of the Gods funny beyond words.

This is one of my favourate ASTERIX books with many laughs along the way, ideal for childrean and a perfect christmas present! Kids are bound to love it! We find out that Ceasar and his young architect (squarontheypotenus) are planning to build a new city surrounding asterixs' peaceful village. So asterix and his trusty freind obelix decide that something has to be done, so with a bit of magic along the way the story unveals, giving the romans a headache, the gauls some fun and us well a good laugh!

As part of my job as an English Professor, I am a comix scholar. Lloyd Dangle's "Axis of Trouble" is one of the best contributions to the comix genre that I have ever read. Whether the subject is politics, education, religion, or sex, Dangle's insightful drawings and narrative bring the reader to the core of the issues. While this is a collection of strips and not a classic graphic novel, Dangle alerts us to the fragility of American culture and the hilarious behaviors of individuals in a society whose pluralism gets questioned at every turn. In summary, "Axis of Trouble" is funny and very, very smart. I recommend it without hesitation to any reader. One might call it an edgier version of Michael Moore's narrative satire.

Lloyd Dangle's newest collection of Troubletown cartoons, "Axis of Trouble", finds one of America's best political cartoonists in top form. These cartoons illuminate the subtleties of the lying, cheating and stealing of America's power elites in politics, business, and entertainment. I just love the cartoon on page 74, for example, where Dangle nails Donald Rumsfeld engaging in doublespeak, intentionally obfuscating his evil actions.
Lloyd is equally adept at poking fun at the absurd failings of us regular joes in daily life.
All this is executed in a user friendly shaky wiggly line that beautifully and succinctly describes the artist's exact intent.
Lloyd Dangle is hands down the smartest cartoon satirist working today.

Lloyd Dangle's newest collection of Troubletown cartoons, "Axis of Trouble", finds one of America's best political cartoonists in top form. These cartoons illuminate the subtleties of the lying, cheating and stealing of America's power elites in politics, business, and entertainment. I just love the cartoon on page 74, for example, where Dangle nails Donald Rumsfeld engaging in doublespeak, intentionally obfuscating his evil actions.
Lloyd is equally adept at poking fun at the absurd failings of us regular joes in daily life.
All this is executed in a user friendly shaky wiggly line that beautifully and succinctly describes the artist's exact intent.
Lloyd Dangle is hands down the smartest cartoon satirist working today.

Axis of Trouble, like Lloyd Dangle's syndicated comic Troubletown, is smart, cynical and fun. I highly recommend it. Dangle's take on city hipsters, parenting and government provide great entertainment for the left leaning among us. No one is immune from Dangle's pen, but hypocrites take the biggest fall. If you are annoyed with George W. and corporate crooks, you will love Axis of Trouble. ....

Bernard Krigstein is most famous as one of the pantheon of extraordinary artists working for EC comics in the Fifties. However, this volume shows that EC was just one facet of this comics genius. This is a thorough biography, plus a wonderful analysis of Krigstein's life's work. This book, along with the companion volume "B.Krigstein: Comics," belongs on the shelf of anyone interested in comics history and sequential art.

Greg Sadowski's biography of Bernard Krigstein, who possessed one of the most innovative minds---and pens---in comic book history, is a labor of love that is revealed as such on every page. From the high quality of the paper to the superb graphic design, from the sharp reproductions to the text that details his life, career, and reputation, B. KRIGSTEIN is a book that would grace any library. But it covers not only his comic book work. For here are also his many book illustrations, his World War II field sketches and paintings, his canvases and gallery works (among them portraits of his wife and family), urban vignettes and rural landscapes, even greeting cards, gum cards,
and advertising art. He was truly a modern-day Renaissance man, fully deserving of this highly focused, incredibly beautiful tribute. There have been many innovators in comic art over the decades (George Herriman and Art Spiegelman, to name just two), but none of them had Krigstein's range of powers and depth of creativity. His was a name that the centuries will remember.

This book will show you all the reasons for my title. Mr.Krigstein was truly a master at pacing and design on the comic page.
His art speaks far better than I can write so I'll just tell you if you buy this book you will not be disapointed.
The comic Master Race alone is worth the price of this book.

the world was not ready for the work of bernie krigstein when he hit his stride in comics in the early 50's. a fine artist at heart, he became obsessed with the art form of comics and the possibilities that it held. few were attempting to take comics so seriously and in those days, they were just above pornography as far as respectability goes. he produced some brilliant works, but the book reveals just how much of a struggle it was to get these masterworks in print. the artwork speaks for itself, but i was really drawn into the text which details the inner workings of the comics machine of the 1940's-50's and how ridiculously it was run. although he begged and pleaded with management, he was never able to bring a story out further than 9 pages, and had to threaten leaving in order to even ink his own work rather than have it butchered by someone else. considering the roadblocks that constantly stood in front of him, it was amazing that he was able to experiment as much as he did.

among his more famous experiments was panel subdivision, breaking away from the standard 6-9 panels per page and, in one instance, producing some 75 panels in 6 pages. this brought an entirely new dimension to comics, introducing the break down of time and space within the page. he also brought a style of cinematography that was never thought of in comics before that must have influenced filmmakers years down the road.

greg sadowski has assembled a truly staggering biography. he had direct access to the artists collection and publishes for the first time many works that have never seen the light of day. rare artist photostats of pencil artwork that went on to be mutiliated by someone else's inks. original panels that were ordered by management to be covered up with different artwork. exhaustive research with coworkers, friends and family, as well as unbelievably wise words from the artist himself given in various interviews many years ago that gives a definitive look into the workings of this man's artistic mind.

it must [stink] being the pioneer, you never get to see the fruits of your labor. but all who charged through the door that b krigstein kicked down acknowledge him as the man who started it all.

THIS BOOK IS ABSOLUTELY ESSENTIAL FOR ANY COMIC ART FAN, AS WELL AS ANY ARTIST OF ANY TYPE. IT IS VERY INSPIRING AND IS A GREAT READ.

This book was great. After purchasing this, I went back and bought the original Duplex. I'm looking forward to Duplex3.

This really did make me laugh out loud, and it has something for everyone. If you don't like this book, you have no sense of humor.

I wish there were more like it. If this doesn't make you laugh you might want to seek professional help.

If you have the time to look, you'll see that Glenn McCoy's other "Duplex" Book either can't be purchased, or when it is available, sells for $75 or more. Yes, $75.00. That should tip you off to how funny he is and how good the books are. This one doesn't disappoint!

Thanks Jerry! I've been a fan for years. This is the kind of humor that can be visited time and again without getting old. (Do not keep a copy in the bathroom without a seat belt.) I recognize so many of the characters depicted in these pages and many of them are me. (Going to have to work on that.) As a frustrated cartoonist (no talent) and self proclamed humorist (no laughing) it is to Jerry's alter that I bring my offerings. Just don't raise prices. I give these books to people I know well. I don't loan my collection anymore, because they never come back. (I'f your reading this Leonard, I know where you live.) And a warning; be very careful which ones you show to your wife. The last time it cost me flowers and a long dry spell (get it). I'f you've never purchaced a cartoon book before (I can only imagine your kind of person) now is your chance to hit one out of the park. If you like to put on a Snoopy suite and your wife gets a rolled up news paper and play "bad doggie", you'll like this book.

I have his previous books and believe them to be unique and worth having in any personal library. This new book is exactly like the others. If you liked his Neighborhood books, you'll like this one. Its more of the same, which is exactly what I was looking for.

In my humble opinion, Jerry Van Amerongen is a comic genius. His "The Neighborhood" and "Ballard Street" panels take everyday phrases and/or situations and he turns them into absurdity when combined with his detailed, exaggerated drawings. During my day-to-day activities I am constantly reminded of his cartoons and I can't say that about any other cartoonist. Jerry (along with Gary Larson) completely changed the nature of the comics because before them the drawing was secondary to the humor of the panel or strip whereas they made the picture an integral part of it. Today, there are many comic panels that are of this type, but Ballard Street is still unique. My only criticism is that Jerry now focuses almost exclusively on dumpy old people in his panels, whereas in his old "The Neighborhood" panels he frequently used animals (particulary chickens which are really absurd creatures!) or inanimate objects which would seem to allow more creative possiblities. Anyway, enjoy!

J Amerongen entertains us by divulging the home life, and inner musings of the folks who go through life being totally ignored. They have hum drum jobs, and share their boredom with a boring spouse. One man enjoys talking to his weeds, while Jocelyn posts household hints on her front window. Aaron sits stunned in his office as he realizes an original thought just passed through his brain. Others engage in a battle of wits with their dogs. They generally lose. Some find their world too stressful and drive up to the drive in therapy window for help.

Strange humor? You bet, but to me its the most hilarious stuff in the world. I was very disappointed when I bought the book, though, because at 144 pages I thought, "Oh no, I can read this at one sitting." My solution? I limited my reading of it to 6 pages a day. That way I could keep laughing for over three weeks.

I read JvA's Ballard Street daily newspaper cartoon in the LA Times for years, but then moved to humorless Atlanta. This book was a godsend, and I hope JvA comes out with a new one every other month. I'll buy them all.

Keiji Nakazawa, Barefoot Gen: Life After the Bomb (New Society, 1989)

Volume 3 of Nakazawa's justly famous four-volume series sees life settling down for Gen Nakaoka and family, but "settling down" is a relative term. Gen's mother decides, like most of her neighbors, to flee Hirsohima and go to Eba, the nearest town of any size, to see if the family can find shelter, work, and food by staying with an old school friend of hers. The friend is more than happy to take them in, but her mother-in-law and two children take an instant dislike to the Nakaokas, and set about finding ways to drive them out. Gen gets a job caring for a bomb victim in town, and life, as much as it can, settles into a routine. Ryuji, who first made an appearance in The Day After, pops up again, as well.

Unlike The Day After, New Society prefaced this one with only a "the story thus far" sheet, having presumably learned their lesson with volume 2, and Life After the Bomb is a far better book for it. Nakazawa's story is presented here unadorned, leaving the reader to ferret out the deeper meanings while watching Gen's transformation from the exuberant, but somewhat thoughtless, child of the first volume into the caring, responsible individual he becomes by the end of the series. It is a feature of good series that the characters tend to get stronger in their characterization as the series goes along, and Barefoot Gen is no exception to this rule; Gen, who started out (by design, one thinks) as something of a caricature, has become a real, three-dimensional character here, and that's a wonderful thing. *** ½

This is not really a children's book- I would recommend this book to anyone from age 12 and up.

I am Japanese, and I was given this book by my dad in Japanese when I was eight years old. I have not been able to forget this book since, so I was thrilled to come across this book in English and I had to get it!!! Having not read the book in almost two decades, it was like reading it all over again with a much more mature (hopefully) perspective. This book reduced me to tears again as it did the first time.

This is a work about the universal theme of love, family, peace, hope, and war. Although it is set in World War II Japan, it is really not about "the" war and does not take any sides but rather represents war and its devastation from a very personal point of view, as seen by a young boy living in Hiroshima during world War II. In fact, this book was harshly criticized for being anti-patriotic in Japan when it was first published for refusing to take the Japanese side. Those criticisms disregard the whole point of the book, which is about war in general and the devastation of the people involved in it regardless of the side they are on. I was never able to forget this book after reading it as a child, and I can't recommend this book highly enough. Powerful. Riveting. I can read this a hundred times and be reduced to tears every time by its poignant message of peace.

A poignant story in cartoon form that brings home the horrors of the atomic bombs dropped on Japan in 1945 yet manages to show the love and courage that survived through the story of Gen. 7 years old Gen and his mother survives the bombing but see the father and two brothers die before their eyes. Homeless, starving and ill they struggle to survive but never lose their humanity.

An excellent book for children and adults.

Barefoot Gen: Life After The Bomb is volume three of a four part series. The atom bomb has been dropped on Hiroshima, destroying most of the city, killing many people, and causing others to become sick with radiation sickness. Gen's hair is falling out from radiation exposure. He, his mother, and his newborn sister have to leave to survive. His mother can think of only one person to turn to, Kiyo, her childhood friend in the town of Eba. But the people of Eba are afraid the Hiroshima survivors have a strange contagious illness. Kiyo's family and the whole town treat them with suspicion and contempt.

As refugees, Gen and his mother have to find food, money, and shelter in a hostile environment. He takes a job caring for a rich man's brother who has been quarantined and left to die by the family because he has radiation sickness. Gen's compassion, humanity, and determination make this an inspiring book about the strength of the human spirit. The close loving values of his family are in sharp contrast to the narrow-minded self interest of the people in the Eba community.

The work has been wonderfully translated from the Japanese original: Hadashi no Gen. It was originally published in serial form in 1972 and 1973 in Shukan Shonen Jampu, the largest weekly comic magazine in Japan, with a circulation of over two million. The drawings are all in black and white. This US edition was published as part of a movement to translate the book into other languages and spread its message. It is a powerful testimony to the strength of the human spirit and the horrors of nuclear war. There are a few introductory essays at the front of the book that help to put this book into perspective. It is a tragic but uplifting story that I highly recommend for anyone interested in the topic. This and the other volumes in the series are important books for their message on the dangers of nuclear war.