Telling the Story in Your Graphic Novel

April 1, 2012

Gr 5-8-This collection goes beyond many how-to-draw books. In Villains, Heroes, and Action, Lee focuses on creating superhero cartoon characters in both classic comic-book and anime styles. Young artists are encouraged to start with basic forms and then define their subjects, gradually adding details until the picture is complete. As he demonstrates the drawings, the author explains how to use posing, angle of perspective, and careful composition to make illustrations have more impact. The remaining three titles focus on other aspects of creating graphic novels, including storyboarding, designing a catchy cover, page layout, and inking and coloring techniques. Despite a few small typographical errors, this series is likely to be a popular choice for aspiring graphic-novel artists.

Copyright 2012 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

March 15, 2012
Grades 4-6 The new How to Draw Your Own Graphic Novel series effectively differentiates itself from the herd by leaning towards the conceptual end of comics creation. This entry, for instance, is not about the dos and don'ts of character building or narrative construction, nor is it about how to sketch characters and backgrounds (though there is a handy guide to choosing the right art supplies). What you get here is the nitty-gritty on how to unfold a story and create drama in the language of sequential art. How, for example, to compose a page and the action within a panel, how to pose figures in the most dynamic shapes, how to end a page with maximum suspense, and how to let the colors of good guys, bad guys, and environments play off each other and create atmosphere. Lee offers step-by-step page creation in three different genres (superhero, crime, and science fiction) and explanations for his choices to help those with basic art and story-telling skills under their belts take the next step.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2012, American Library Association.)