Schools and Instruction Books

You don't wanna miss this lesson guys. Mccloud just forgo himself. A must-have book for all comic readers.

This is an important book that everyone should read. I would give it twenty stars if I could.

I've long been interested in both art and comic books (I have collected them for over 50 years). While the library shelves are full of wonderful books that explain what traditional artists are trying to do and why they succeed, I've often found the books to be pretty boring. In recent years, such books have gotten bogged down into abstruse language that is much less appealing than the art which is the subject.

But in those years, I've never seen anything that was very helpful in discussing the rules of comic art, except some books about pop art when that was popular that examined how the pop art was different from comic art. Naturally, I was blown away when I found that Understanding Comics is a far more comprehensive, thoughtful, and accessible book about interaction with art than I have ever read. Although the subject is ostensibly comic strips and comic books, it's clear to me that that Mr. McCloud has a deep and powerful understanding of all art. Some of his conceptual displays of where different forms of art fall in different dimensions of choice (degree of realism, abstraction, and message) are unbelievably powerful.

I hope that some art historian will stumble on this book and recast the history of art to explain and relate different styles to one another using this book's methods. There would be a lot more art lovers if that were the case.

Ultimately, the book's main benefit is to help the reader appreciate that comic art can be a higher and more effective form of art than either pure images or written words by requiring a mastery of more elements . . . elements that are more powerful in grabbing attention and conveying meaning.

Yet the book stays in humble form, a comic book. The powerful ideas sneak up on you as Mr. McCloud deconstructs the elements of comic art expression into chapters on defining what kind of art comics are ("sequential art" for short); explaining where various comics fall on the spectrum of reality, story, and abstraction; the way we fill in the spaces around the lines and between panels with our minds, allowing us to participate in creating the story and the experience; how time is expressed in various ways; the role of lines in creating our understanding and responses; how words and images can interact; a conceptual look at creating comic art; the effect of color; and a synthesis of the book in historical and conceptual terms.

If you want to enjoy both traditional art and comic art more, read this book. It's the Rosetta stone for non-artists in appreciating the images, stories, and messages that artists want to share with us through these media. You'll never be the same . . . and the change will be good for you!

Bravo, Mr. McCloud!

This is the type of book that looks at a genre and sees it's roots clearly in the basic structure of art and human perception. This is not a book about costumes and secret identities, but about how comics use the basic human archetypes and symbolic language to speak to us in metaphor. THIS BOOK WILL SHOW YOU HOW TO APPRECIATE ART, NOT JUST COMICS. Every art student should have this in their library.

Understanding Comics is a very, very deep dive into the history, meaning and creative processes involved in creating comics. The author, Scott McCloud, has clearly studied his topic. You will not walk away from reading this book without a deeper appreciation for the medium.

Yet, I found I lost interest pretty quickly in what the book was teaching. There are four reasons for this. First, I was thrown by the fact that the book, itself, is a comic. I can count on, well, one finger how many comics I've read that attempt to convey scholarly information. While Mr. McCloud's illustrations are very well drawn, the medium itself caused me to expect a lighter approach to the subject matter. Second, the author occasionally goes beyond teaching to preaching. Third, many of the book's concepts are confusingly conveyed. For example, Mr. McCloud uses a pyramid to show the range of different comic authors' styles. Unfortunately, this explanatory vehicle is hard to follow to start with, let alone when it's abbreviated and repeated quite often in subsequent pages. Fourth, Mr. McCloud goes on too long with some of his arguments. I often felt the urge to skim or skip past particularly long discourses where little new information was being added to earlier information provided.

If you're looking for a deep, scholarly analysis of comics, this book is for you. If you're looking for an easy to read, interesting new perspective on comics, you will probably not enjoy this book.

good stuff, though i felt 'making comics' was better all around. easier read, and more pertinent information... though this is a nice companion book.

Purchased this for my 12 year old. I am going to wait a short while to give to her, as some material is slightly more explicit than I realized, otherwise, I could sit with her and read or look through for now. Very, very informative & concise. I am glad to see the honesty in the presentation of some very "hot" topics.

I was 13 when i first purchased this book for myself through the teen people book club they had way back when, because my mom didn't really talk to me a whole lot about the topics they discussed in this book like periods,sexual diseases,bra types, etc. Without this book, I would have been lost! It helped me grow and mature,and unfortunately because of my constant flipping and reading, my copy has fallen to pieces, but it's information will stay with me for a lifetime!

I got this book from my local library and i just have to say that its wonderful! [...]. Even better, they have other girls opinions and advice in just about every page! They even stuff like what a model's picture goes through before it gets put in a magazine or something. This fantastic book covers just about everything you need to know! They explain why you have suckish feelings. They have pages about peer pressure. They give you facts about STDs too.

[...] First of all, RATE this book properly! I know this stuff must disgust you, but what about the other wonderful things they tell you that teens need to know? Also, you could just cut out the pages you dont want your kid to see. How dumb are you people??? [...]

I get why parents wouldn't want their daughters getting answers to the questions this book addresses. But the fact is, girls get answers, just not always the right ones. To the mom worried about the bj, someday someone else will give those instructions, don't fret. The fact is, this book offers some life-saving information. Perhaps not all moms are close enough to their daughters to buy them this book, but that's exactly why there are aunts and big sisters out there.

This book is what we should be giving to our daughters. In conservatively blinded America their is a guise saying that lying to our children and keeping them ignorant will save their souls. The truth is this, we are sexual creatures, sex is a gift, we should celebrate it, learn about it, and practice it as safely as possibly. For the mothers who thought this book was filth you put your children in danger, I asked one thing of my own mother, tell me the truth, the whole truth. This book kept me from makign a lot of mistakes growing up and it made me feel rpoud and comfrotable with my own body. Wheras the "Christian Sex Book" my mother had originally given me taught me nothing. It made me feel ashamed like my body was bad and unholy. I told my mom this and she was sincerely sorry, having thought that a book bought from the christian book store would have a higher sense of truth telling.

This book is wonderful, every teen girl should be given one by her mother.

Definitely a discussion starter, not something to sit down and read all at once! I love the chapters because it's easy to flip to the section that will answer specific questions as they come up. Perfect for our inquisitive seven year old.

I have read mostly positive reviews about this book and I agree. We used this book for my daughter's Kindergarten body project when she wanted to know about where babies come from and I had no problem reading it to a 5 year old and a 7 year old, mixed genders.

Though I know some have suggested that there is a political agenda in the book regarding abortion and homosexuality, I feel this book is unbiased and promotes proper family values for the following reasons:

1. There is a focus on the love aspect of relationships along with the physical aspects of sex and reproduction. There is no way a child will walk away from this book thinking sex is appropriate between strangers. It is clear, from the writing, that this is something to share within a serious relationship.

2. There is a mention of homosexuality. It is very brief. It does not encourage homosexuality and more than it discourages homosexuality. It does not go into graphic detail of how two men or two women have intercourse. It simply points that some people in same sex relationships have children together. This is fact and is stated as such.

3. Abortion is not glorified. It is mentioned that some people end their pregnancies through abortion. Again, this is stated as fact- not glorified or demonized. It is reality and is mentioned as such.

4. There is also a part that describes sexual abuse. It is very sensitive and is written to encourage children to seek out help if they are in a bad situation.

These are difficult, often controversial, issues. They are handled with loving care by the authors. Two thumbs up!

I have 4th and 5th grade girls. Although not quite ready to cover this subject with them, they were approaching the time when it would be taught in their school. I sat them down and went through the book with them, it answered their questions and the drawings seemed to satisfy their curiosity. Both girls have asked to look at the book again on their own and have come to me with questions. I highly recommend it as a gateway to discussions and better communication with your child.

This book has kept my children reading and asking questions. The language is simple, yet not condesending. The graphics are excellent. I would recommend this book any child hitting the puberty years.

If you want to shelter your child from having knowledge about the variety of human sexuality, don't give this book to them.

This is sort of a classical text, focused on covering the various aspects of drawing comics.

Though drawing comics involves a lot about learning to draw, I would think that an ability to draw whether inherent or acquired would be a necessary starting point to effectively use this book. On the contrary one might as well get started here and then hone the necessary drawing skills.

As in any specific form of art, such as Illustration, Fine art, Animation art, Commercial art etc, Comics art has its own set of skills that need to be honed.

This is a book written by Stan lee and John Buscema, one a great story teller and the other a fine artist. It does cover several aspects of the trade.

As the title suggests the genre is more towards the 'Action' side, as opposed to a style such as Disney, Asterix or that of Herge's Tintin.

A significant amount of the book focuses on the figure and its action, which is so vital to this type of comics, and these are real gems. The quick setup of a pose, the dynamism needed for convincing action, the looseness of the approach, and then the focus on the form, the details of the figure the head and so on are very effectively presented.

the other important ingredients of composition, perspective, foreshortening are covered in detail.

There are of course couple chapters that deal with comic book covers, and the all important comics inking.

Though obviously this was written in a pre-digital period, all the information can be readily applied to today's all-digital comics creation.

Coming from successful practicing veterans, the entire book is packed with practical information.

I bought this for my 11 year old son for his birthday. He's been trying to draw superheroes lately. When I began flipping through it, I recognized many of the images. I then remembered I had this book when I was a boy. I checked the original publish date and found it to be 1978. Yep, this was it. It's a very good book for those who need some structure with regards to their pencil drawing. The concepts of human form, perspective, dimension etc. are easy to understand with many, many examples. Step by step instructions make it easy. Even those with limited artistic abilities will be able to draw well using this book. I recommend it highly!

I am a professional artist, fine art not comics, and bought this for my son who wants to be an artist working for marvel one day. Don't get me wrong I am oldschool, I grew up on heavy metal, epic (marvel's answer), ec, 2000 A.D. (rogue trooper, and the man himself, Judge Dredd), the watchmen, etc, etc... so once it showed up in the mail, I read it myself and came to the conclusion that it is a perfect book for my son.

What better source to get an idea of what marvel wants than from stan the man himself? And John Buscema, a veteran of Marvel really added to this book. He has always been one of my favorite artists (especially liked his savage sword work when I was a kid.)

This is the place to begin for anyone who wants to break into the comics industry or maybe submit a portfolio to Marvel. I believe (could be wrong) they are still one of the few houses which still accept inquiries and portfolios whereas DC asks people to go to conventions to network.....kinda hard when you are a starving artist or living abroad.

How to draw comics the Marvel Way is a good book but it's very old information. I think that Marvel comics and the comic book industry has changed since this book was published in 1978 and 1984. Don't get me wrong! I like this How to draw comics the Marvel Way! book written by Stan Lee with artwork by John Buseama, but the books information is too old. I think comic book artists today use better materials besides paint brushes and india ink. You buy Markers with india ink in them at an artsupply store. there are other things in this book that do not appy to comic books in 2008 as well. If your a begining artist, I will recommend this book but It's not for advance artist. B+

Some of you folks writing reviews are, like me, graphic designers. And, yes, I too have owned this wonderful book. I even laughed at the publication date at the top of the page because mine is from 1978!

Lee and Buscema are two of the foundation blocks of Marvel Comics and I wouldn't expect anything less from this wonderful work. If you are a beginning or almost intermediate comic book artist, I can't think of a better place to start than this book. I still refer to it, sometimes, for reference tips.

I won't bore you with a diatribe of what can be learned here... just buy the book. I think you'll be surprised that, in 30 years, you'll still own your dog-eared, yellowed, frayed-out copy. I've still got mine.

Oh, and when you're done with it, do yourself a favor and take a look at some Burne Hogarth books.

Enjoy!

This is a wonderful book, I am studying for the Art praxis and found this book very helpful. Good crash course in art history.

This book is just what is says it is: "a crash course in Art History" and it is great! Carol Strickland is a top flight writer and art historian. She covers the most important artists and movements in a concise and readable manner. Her side-bars that appear throughout the text add interesting anecdotal material that is always worthwhile. There are plenty of art reproductions, many in color, that illustrate the text.

I have used this book (1st edition) for several years in a one semester high school Art History course and it is perfect. It is also makes for very pleasant and informative personal reading. I recommend it very highly.

This book is well worth the price! I feel like I need to memorize every word written! Full of relevant information!

I bought this book to review for the Art Content Praxis. It's been about 20 years since my art history classes so I definitely needed a refresher. Although, I did remember a lot and reviewed other books, this book put me over the top.

It's fast paced and easy to read! Short highlights to remind you of things you may have forgot and adds what you may have missed.

This is a valuable companion to the standard college text for the art history student. It is short yet complete, and makes art history entirely accessible. It is clearly written, entertaining, and is a great overview for the novice or serious student of art history.

I have taught elementary art for over 20 years... I wouldn't be without this book. It is a fantastic resource on some of the more famous artists. I highly recommend this book

This is a great book to have on hand to teach art or for a rainy day. I love how she goes through various artistic means of expression: buildings, sculpting, painting, etc. She talks about an artist (and includes a picture & some info) and then you create! Very, Very clever! LOVE it! But then again, I love all of the Mary Ann Kohl books we've bought!

Filled with information on both artists and schools of art with simple projects for each, this book will be very useful at home or in the classroom.

As the author and publisher, I've listened to what some folks have said about wishing for color in this book. If only it were that simple -- and I agree it should be in color. When it was published, that wasn't an option. Hopefully, in time, I can go back and redo the "Discovering Great Artists" in color. It's expensive and challenging for a small company, but I will try.
What I've done for the time being is offer an online list of color images, in book page order, on my website at: [...] Viewing images for each great master is only one click away. Enjoy the online supplement!
And now, "Great American Artists for Kids" is coming (July 2008) and it is going to be FULL COLOR. See samples of the pages at: [...]
You'll love the color. I'm really excited about it! I'm glad that my company has progressed enough to finally offer a book in full color for parents, teachers, and kids. It makes the artwork hands-on clear and beautiful. Thank you!! MaryAnn Kohl, author and publisher

This book is exactly what they say, "hands-on". It has a wonderful selection of artists, starting with Giotto in 1266 ending with Van Allsburg in 1949. It covers such greats as Da Vinci, Michelangelo, Rembrandt, Monet, Degas, Renoir,Cezanne,Matisse,Kandinsky, Picasso, Grandma Moses, Rockwell,Pollock, Warhol and many others all in chronological order by date. It also includes a brief description of each artist and easy to follow instructions for using that artists style. It also shows examples of each artists artwork, along with icons telling what art technique is being used, how much planning and preparation will be needed and the artist style. Highly recommended for home or school.

I am a new Porcelain painter and wanted to develop the skill of drawing my own subjects instead of tracing them on my china.
I have enjoyed learning the history of this program, the drawing tips and lessons.
The book is well written and easy to understand and is just as helpful for an adult as a child.

I am looking forward to purchasing the next book,"Drawing With Teenagers."

Kelda

This book was very informative and useful in teaching a basic drawing class. I really liked the layout of the book, it was pretty cohesive.

Hi, when I went through this book I was excited with it. It really teaches theory and gives great lessons to develop your skills. If I was using it to teach my own children or just one or two kids at a time I think it would be great. But it seems to need a lot of one on one time with the child, or at least several more sessions than I had available for my class.
Be aware that this book requires a lot of preparation (in my opinion)to be able to sit down and teach a child even if you only have one or two children. This is a great book if you have the time to first teach yourself, then you will be prepared to teach children.

This book captures wonderfully the spirit of art instruction: a simple method + supportive non-judgmental attitude + respect and encouragement of individual creative expression.

I must note that this is a guide for self-exploration, learning and growth rather than a step-by-step instruction manual for mastering a skill. If you are interested in the latter, you should rather get the "Draw Write Now" or related books.

My stepmother taught me to draw with this book when I was 7 and now I'm using it with my homeschooling cirriculum for my kids. It's a terrific tool to de-mystify the artistic process and help find your own artistic voice. As an adult, I found the refresher course extremely useful. My 9 year old son, who is notoriously technical-minded, immediately understood the five families of shape and started breaking down the objects he saw into manageable mediums to put onto paper. He had been frustrated with his drawing until I found the copy I had used as a child and began using it in our curriculum.

The best thing about the book is that it teaches you to accept your creative voice. Children's pictures are often primitive and they get frustrated that it isn't an exact copy, but (as the book states) if they really want it that perfect they could just take a picture. Their creative voice is what makes a drawing special, after all.

I would definitely recommend this product and the use of resources like the addendum lesson plans here: http://www.redshift.com/~bonajo/dwclp.htm

Jerry's the new kid in town. He's met a girl he likes. She's into piano,and he claims he is too! Taking lessons at the "Shriek School," Jerry learns something unusual is going on, when his teacher will not let him go, and he encounters a ghostly teacher who warns him to stay away!

I was very impressed with this goosebumps book. This is one of the scarier ones in the series. This book is about a boy named Jerry who just moved into a new house with his mom and his dad. His parents thinks that he should do more, so he decides to take piano lessons. His piano teacher, Dr.Shreek is kind of creepy to. Ever since Jerry started taking piano lessons he hears the piano playing every night by its self. This book is scary and its one that you don't want to put down after you start reading it. I also liked the ending to this book.

When Jerome and his family move to Cedarville, he's not too happy to have left behind his old friends...or that they are moving into a much bigger house. As he begins to explore the house he warms up to the idea slowly when he discovers an attic and in the attic is an old piano. He decides that it might be fun to learn...but that's before he hears it playing itself at night and before he meets Dr. Shreek, the very hand obsessed music instructor who runs the music school outside of town. He doesn't think too much of it until he meets Kim his schoolmate and neighbor and she practically runs screaming from the area when he tells her he's studying piano with Dr. Shreek...shortly afterward he notices that the music school is weird, and he keeps running into Mr. Toggle, the maintenance guy at the school who is apparently some sort of mechanical genius...will Jerome be able to figure out what's going on at the school before he winds up as one of those students who goes in for a lesson and never comes out!

Overall, not bad for the series, the characters are lightly drawn and the plot moves along quickly. Like all books in this series, this one has the signature Twilight Zone-esque ending. I give it three stars; it's entertaining and has a few genuinely creepy moments.

My daughter thoroughly enjoyed this book. A real page turner. The last page of each chapter made you want to read one more. Hard to put down!

I had been taking piano lessons since a young age and when I heard about this book I thought it would be creepy, but then later on I began to read the goosebumps series and I really really loved them, so once I familiarized myself with the books and realized they are not frightening, but just entertaning thrillers catered to preteens, I got this book and I still pull it out time to time 10 years later! I liked jerry's character a lot and the descriptions of the story, I almost felt like I was watching a movie. I recall there being an episode about this book but I never got a chance to watch it. But don't ever let this story keep you from taking music lessons though I wouldn't blame you if this book made you giggle over them

I have given this book to a dozen teens over the years. I wish I had access to this information while going through such a confusing time. Besides, would you rather them gather answers to all those questions through TV and friends??

I purchased several books for my teen, and this one was one that didn't interest her as much - but I have learned a lot from it! It has a lot of insight into the teen mind, and as much as we think we remember what it was like to be a teen, it's easy to forget about all the fears and insecurities they have. I highly recommend this book as a refresher course for parents of teens. My teen preferred the perspectives offered in the books Cycle Savvy and S.E.X. for information that pertained to her.

A great resource for teens, but the pictures are a bit dated. An updated edition is in need. However, the information is still relevant and necessary for all teens.

This is a primer for younger teenagers. It is well written, although it needs to be updated in 2006. It is a textbook more than a think piece. It is a good starter book for parents and younger teenagers.

I was very disapointed with the book. Expanded third edition was deceiving because I thought it was new - my oversight. The book is out of date - I oversee a Center that teaches sex education and this was not helpful.

If you're looking for the definitive guide to sex and sexuality, and everything that it entails, then look no further than Heather Corinna's fact-filled book. With straightforwardness, humor, insight, and directness, the founder and editor of Scarleen delves into every aspect of sexuality, and presents it in a way that teens and young adults (and us old adults, too!) can truly understand.

Everything -- and I mean everything! -- is covered within the pages of S.E.X. From Your Body: An Owner's Manual to To Be, Or Not To Be...Sexually Active, Ms. Corinna puts everything into perspective, for both girls and guys. There are thirteen main chapters included, along with appendixes that cover sexually transmitted diseases and infections and a bibliography and list of recommended sources (which include phone numbers and websites, as well as books).

If you've ever had questions of any type about sex, or about your sexuality, then this is the book to use as a reference. There's nothing silly or embarrassing in this book -- just straight questions and straight answers. There are parts that are humorous, but underneath it all is just frankness for the seriousness of the subject matter. Heather Corinna knows that sex is serious business, and that staying both healthy and happy is, too.

This is a great book! Give it to your sons and daughters, your nieces and nephews, your friends. Read it with them, and don't be afraid to discuss what you've read. If everyone -- regardless of age -- is informed, then sex and sexuality will never have to be a taboo subject.

Reviewed by: Jennifer Wardrip, aka "The Genius"

I need several hundred copies of this book to give out to everyone I know! My mom and I read it together, my sister and I read it together, then I gave it to a friend and her mom, and never got it back! Now I have to buy another copy!!! It's amazing, as expected, with SO much information!!!! A must read for anyone over 12.

Note: I'm 19, sister is 16, friend is 16... associated parents are in their 40s. Just so you don't think I'm not in the target age group :)

It's a very detailed book. Not for your average 13 year old, but may be ideal for someone a little older, or begining to be or already sexually active. An instruction manual, really, for what to do, what not to do, and what you can do now, if you did what you wern't supposed to do!

Teens, this book will answer your questions about sex and relationships. You can trust the author Heather Corinna to care about you and tell it to you straight.

Adults, if you care about the teens in your life, buy them a copy. Ignorance will not protect them from pregnancy, relationship violence, disease, or the pain of being different and alone. And it certainly won't teach them to have fun and healthy sex when they're ready. For that matter, if you're not happy with any aspect of your own relationships or sex life, check this book out for yourself. You'll probably learn quite a few things that you wish someone had told you sooner.

When you give a teen this book, some suggestions:
- If you already have a great healthy dialogue about sex, by all means wrap up a copy and hand it over as a gift.
- If not, leave it around in a not too obvious place and never say anything when it disappears.

I'm not a teenager anymore, but in some ways I think some of my attitudes about sex are still rooted in what a learned about it as a teen. I was influenced by the ingrained shame and fear that was thinly veiled in my parents' attempts to infuse me with clinical knowledge about sex, and carried away by my own generation's sexual experimentation and freedom.

It was a funky mix, and my god, I wish I'd had this book when I was young. Heather Corinna's book is open and progressive, but doesn't hold one or the other form (kinky or not, straight or not) as sacrosanct. Heather clearly sees sex as an individual thing - yours, not anyone else's, so you get to own it. She comes from a grounding in the idea that sex is a natural and beautiful part of our lives.

I got this book because I was invited to the Seattle release party and have been impressed with Heather and Scarleteen for a long time now, but I find I refer to it even as an adult who has supposedly figured much of this stuff out. It always reminds me to respect myself, to bring my boundaries and desires to the table, and to have fun with sex.

I sincerely think that how we handle our sexuality has ripple effects into how we handle the rest of our lives. I think this book is a gift to society. Seriously.