Character Design For Graphic Novels

Character Design for Graphic Novels provides an introduction to an essential element of graphic novels - how to create believable, vivid characters. Good character design contributes as much as to a character's pesonality and role in the story as it does to his or her visual form. Character Design for Graphic Novels illustrates how popular characters, from an international range of traditional and digital artists, evolved from sketches, drawings, and initial inspirations, through fine-tuning, discussion and alternative proposals, to on-screen debut and first publication on the printed page. It examines how design and storytelling elements, including personal histories, dialogue and behavior, visual styles and icons all come together to form a complete character.

A sumptuously illustrated adaptation casts the powerful imagery of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s great American novel in a vivid new format. From the green light across the bay to the billboard with spectacled eyes, F. Scott Fitzgerald’s 1925 American masterpiece roars to life in K. Woodman-Maynard’s exquisite graphic novel—among the first adaptations of the book in this genre. Painted in lush watercolors, the inventive interpretation emphasizes both the extravagance and mystery of the characters, as well as the fluidity of Nick Carraway’s unreliable narration. Excerpts from the original text wend through the illustrations, and imagery and metaphors are taken to literal, and often whimsical, extremes, such as when a beautiful partygoer blooms into an orchid and Daisy Buchanan pushes Gatsby across the sky on a cloud. This faithful yet modern adaptation will appeal to fans with deep knowledge of the classic, while the graphic novel format makes it an ideal teaching tool to engage students. With its timeless critique of class, power, and obsession, The Great Gatsby Graphic Novel captures the energy of an era and the enduring resonance of one of the world’s most beloved books.

Every kid worries about making friends at a new school, but when nine-year-old Bud accidentally catches the wrong bus and finds himself launched into deep space, new friends are the least of his problems! At Cosmos Academy, Bud learns that Earthlings are the most feared creatures in the galaxy, and even Earth's location has been hidden! With the help of his new friend, Gort, Bud goes undercover as a Tenarian exchange student. Unfortunately that means everyone thinks he's a pro at anti-gravity Zero-Ball (even though he's really only a pro at watching sports). And with paranoid Principal Lepton threat ening to expel any Earthlings (into outer space) and only Gort's hacked Blip computer to help them determine Earth's co-ordinates, will Bud ever find his way home?

This classic guide by a master animator and cartoonist — and long time Disney artist — is now available for the first time since its original publication in 1946. Author Ken Hultgren instructs by example in a guide that's suitable for beginners and advanced students alike. The comprehensive range of instruction covers features and expressions, animals, foreshortening, perspective, lettering, caricature, animation, and various other aspects of cartooning. All subjects include step-by-step guides, several examples, and helpful hints and suggestions. Blank pages allow lots of room for drawing practice. Professional and amateur animators, cartoonists, caricaturists, and artists dealing with characterization will find this timeless manual an excellent and instructive companion.

From Snow White to Shrek, from Fred Flintstone to SpongeBob SquarePants, the design of a character conveys personality before a single word of dialogue is spoken. Designing Characters with Personality shows artists how to create a distinctive character, then place that character in context within a script, establish hierarchy, and maximize the impact of pose and expression. Practical exercises help readers put everything together to make their new characters sparkle. Lessons from the author, who designed the dragon Mushu (voiced by Eddie Murphy) in Disney's Mulan—plus big-name experts in film, TV, video games, and graphic novels—make a complex subject accessible to every artist.

A Map to the Sun is a gripping YA graphic novel about five principle players in a struggling girls' basketball team. One summer day, Ren meets Luna at a beachside basketball court and a friendship is born. But when Luna moves to back to Oahu, Ren’s messages to her friend go unanswered. Years go by. Then Luna returns, hoping to rekindle their friendship. Ren is hesitant. She's dealing with a lot, including family troubles, dropping grades, and the newly formed women's basketball team at their high school. With Ren’s new friends and Luna all on the basketball team, the lines between their lives on and off the court begin to blur. During their first season, this diverse and endearing group of teens are challenged in ways that make them reevaluate just who and how they trust. Sloane Leong’s evocative storytelling about the lives of these young women is an ode to the dynamic nature of friendship. *Lettering by Aditya Bidikar

Broxo, the only surviving member of a tribe of barbarians, spends his time on a mountain hunting and avoiding the man-eating walking dead. Everything changes when Zora, a foreign princess, arrives on the mountain seeking Broxo's lost tribe.

Traces the 3,000 year history of storytelling through pictures, discussing the language and images used.