How to Draw Stupid and Other Essentials of Cartooning

The biggest gift that Baker includes are tidbits of the attitude (philosophy) that guides and drives him. As a longtime illustrator, his advice makes enormous sense to me, but probably won't reach most timid artists who look for a safety net (if I can't make it, at least I'll have a teaching degree). That attitude all but guarantees failure whereas Baker's risk-it-all approach is the attitude winners...no fall-back position. Either make it as an artist or shrivel up. Obviously his advice is not for everyone...just the artists we'll be hearing from.

The majority of books with "How to draw..." in the title are so predictably similar they could be (and have been) drawn by almost anyone. With "How to Draw Stupid" on the other hand Kyle Baker succeeds in making a book that's uniquely his. Baker's lighthearted look at cartooning really doesn't have any concrete drawing lessons, but instead looks at the basics of communicating and being entertaining. It focuses more on how to draw feelings than figures. Most of what Baker teaches in this short but sweet book are things that should be second nature to cartoonists except for the fact that no other books ever seem to talk about them. Such as making iconic characters by designing them so simply even a 4-year old can draw them. Or drawing the pictures first and figuring out the words later. Even the seemingly redundant "To be a cartoonist you need to actually make cartoons" is a pretty profound statement when you think how many people aspire for something but never act on it. And best yet, the book actually does cover how to draw stupid. I was legitimately surprised by that. By being short on anatomy and long on character "How to Draw Stupid" easily stands out from the drawing book crowd by giving us lessons you won't find anywhere else.

This has become one of the gems in my library... Eisner, McCloud, Kyle Baker gives you a kick to become the cartoonist you want to be. A must for anyone looking at pursuing cartooning. I loved it.

An excellent and comically informative book for the novice and professional alike. Contains many universal truths of cartooning presented with empirical cartoon examples. A great read in itself and yet before you know it, you've learned all kinds of neat stuff! Perfect as a gift for the budding cartoonist, or the seasoned pro. Highly recommended!

Cheap, Quick, and Entertaining to Read I saw this one at another Book Store and bought my copy that day. I've read many books on the subject and would say this goes there with McCloud's "Making Comics". If you are a novice, the books works for a crash coarse; if you read a lot of books on the subject it's a good review. One artistic helpful hint was his small complaint on model sheets. Moreover, the book really shines in talking about the business of making comics. The only down fall is the book is short and touches on everything you need to know, but The rest you'll have to find somewhere else.