Wednesday, February 24, 2016

Comics A Global History, 1986 To The Present and Comics Sketchbooks

I've always been fascinated by comic books.  When I was young I aspired to be a comic book artist.  That didn't happen, but my love of comic books never waned.

At first my interest was strictly in American comic books (primarily superhero) and then I discovered underground comic books and from there comic books from all over the world.

Dan Mazur and Alexander Danner, along with publisher Thames & Hudson, share my love of comic books and demonstrate it with their book: Comics A Global History, 1968 To The Present.

Inside the authors tackle the last five decades of comic books as they have appeared in countries all over the world.

From superheroes to cute animals to underground comics to manga each and every genre is explored in extreme detail.

Artists are profiled along with fellow creative types, publishers and every facet of producing comic books.

Comprehensive and filled with insider details and interesting historical text the book examines comic books from all sides from traditional to digital, self expression to corporate titles and intertwines comic book production from regions across the globe.

Speaking as an artist, graphic designer and cartoonist I can tell you that the hardest part about creating any piece of art is coming up with ideas, sketching out those ideas and thinking on paper.

Often the final art is the easy part.  Planning is where blood, seat and tears prevail.

Comics Sketchbooks compiles drawing and sketches from the private sketchbook of some of today's top cartoonists. 

Pages are filled with every conceivable type of technique from the ultra realistic to the abstract absurd.

Whatever your preference, you're sure to find an artist's style that will please you.

Get into artists' heads, discover their thought and creative processes and take away a new insight into the creative process courtesy of writer Steven Heller.