Draw Your Own Cartoons

I got this book for my son because it won the 2002 Oppenheimer Toy Portfolio Best Book Gold Award. For those who don't know, this is from a company that rates children's toys and books by how popular they are with the kids themselves. Anyway, this impressive book is a big hit with my son. He has practically worn it out, and goes to work on his cartoons right after his homework is done. I really can't believe the progress he has made. It's as if he has a private tutor! I got another copy of the book for his school's library, and they say it's now the most popular book there. Whatever Mr. Mayne is saying to these kids about cartooning, it's just what they want to hear. I recommend this book heartily!

Every kid, young or old, that has ever wanted to draw a cartoon has struggled with the elements of style. Anyone who has looked closely at Calvin and Hobbes, Doonesbury, or Peanuts can see that the drawings are deceptive; they seems simple, but are very complex graphically. At last, here's a book that shows the craft of cartooning in an utterly unassuming way. This book breaks down drawing cartoons to there barest elements, and by building on these elements, new artists can put together cartoons that can totally amaze. The tone is so conversational (and tongue in cheek) that the reader gets the feeling that Mr. Mayne is at their elbow, helping them to laugh at their mistakes and cherish their successes. The book refuses to take itself too seriously, at one point stating that cartoon characters routinely have four fingers because "Cartoonists are basically lazy." Although it at no point hypes itself as the "ultimate cartoon book for beginners", it is exactly that.

I purchased this book for my seven year old son, Benjamin. He loves cartoons, especially Captain Underpants, and wanted to see if he could draw his own. He didn't think he could draw well but after looking at the well laid out examples in the book, he came up with Super Embarrassed Man. He was really pleased with himself and now includes cartoonist on his list of things he'd like to be when he grows up.

My mom has bought me a lot of cartooning books, because cartoons are my hobby. My favorite is this one, because it is like a cartoon strip itself and it also helped me learn to draw good cartoons! It has funny pictures in it that I learned to draw and then I made up my own cartoon character. I bought one for my little brother for Christmas, too, and he loves it just as much as I do!

This book is fantastic! The author really knows how to communicate with children. I bought it for my daughter for Christmas and she has spent many happy hours working through the book - instead of watching TV ! You can tell that a lot of thought and planning went into this book. It is a must buy!!