How to Draw Comics The Marvel Way-Propaganda or Good Advice?
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- čas přidán 21. 08. 2024
- How to Draw Comics the Marvel Way by Stan Lee and John Buscema is a classic book when it come to the art of creating comics, but how does it hold up? Is the information still relevant? Is it good advice or just Stan Lee's hyperbolic Marvel propaganda?
Let's have a look....
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I've found the book has a lot of basic drawing information that , unfortunately , a lot of comic artists are lacking in. The simple stuff that people hate to talk about , like perspective , proportions , composition. Certainly a primer for what used to be the Marvel house approach , but John Buscema was an excellent artist who knew his shit.
Whenever a pro artist reviews an amateur portfolio , seems to me it's always about the basic art problems John covers in this book pretty extensively. I think it's a valuable art book for anyone , not just superhero artists.
I agree. It’s a classic for a reason. A great introduction to comic art or art in general. It still holds up.
I concur!
I want to buy the book do you think its helpfull for begginers
@@atillagiray6457 IMO, Keys to Drawing by Bert Dodson is the best book to start with to get into the artist mindset on how to draw. The Marvel book assumes you have some basic drawing skills.
Spot on! It’s still a classic and popular for a reason 👍🏼
This book was written in 1978, way before the Internet. There was very little, if any, accessible info on how to actually draw a comic book, any comic.
Also, the "Marvel way" was not hugely different from the "DC way". Pretty straightforward. Bombastic cover sandwiched around pages of grid panels ending with a cliffhanger. Since DC didn't publish a "how to draw comics" book (well, not until much, much later), Marvel filled that space.
And since this book is aimed at kids, the idea was to show them that they could be future comic artists themselves. Obviously, once those kids grow up to the point where they would be actually becoming career artists, they would have become education with the knowledge that Marvel is not the sole pinnacle of comic art.
So I do not think it fair to characterize this book "propaganda". Its purpose was to open kids up to the possibility of becoming career artists, that art itself is a valid endeavor to pursue. It allowed the dream-seed to take root making it more difficult to be brushed aside in favor of "safe" career paths.
I can't really disagree with anything you said here. Propaganda may have been too strong a word but, it's effective in the sense that it creates an emotional reaction and gets people to check out the video.
If not propaganda I would say it's definitely "Brand Awareness" and a way for Marvel to stake the claim that they are the only comic book company that makes comics like this. Even though as you said DC was doing pretty much the same thing.
Scott Jordan can you tell me how I can bay this book because I’m from Middle East
mohamed ali look on amazon or eBay
Owned the book in hardcover since I was a boy. It simply saddens me further to see what my beloved comics have become today.
The comic industry today is definitely in trouble and there are a lot of things that need to change in order for it to get better. but having said that now is an awesome time to be a comic fan. There are more choices now than ever before, so no matter what kind of comic storytelling you're into there are creators telling those types of stories. Even if your nostalgic about how comics use to be there are creators that feel the same who are trying to recapture that feeling in the work they do.
@@ScottSerkland Is anyone creating new western comics?
If you like supernatural western, Aaron Lopestri's _Wraith of God_ scratches the itch.
i feel like the stan lee joke didn't age well.
Well it probably wasn't that funny to begin with.
i've been drawing my whole life ...i'm 46...i've had this book most of my life and i still refer to it in my moments of need...this really makes the complicated things seem simple and not overwhelming...love this book
I’m the same age. Unfortunately I didn’t get the book until I was in college, but I agree. It’s a classic!
From an artistic perspective, this book is absolute gold at teaching people how to draw effectively. If someone asked me how to learn to draw as quickly as possible, I would recommend this book over most others.
I can't argue with that. It really has stood the test of time.
The Marvel Way...back then, yes! Now, with the current "creators' in place...a resounding NO!
It would be interesting to see what this book would be like if it was written today.
I dont feel like the book is nearly as pretentious and propaganda-esc as you are making it to be. i always felt it was just good clean fun. maybe it was cause i got this book young and actually have legit nostalgia to it and you didnt get it till much much older. i found this book invaluable in my artistic development and would recommend it to any young artist.
That is possible and I agree is was all done in good fun, but I still think it gives the impression that this is the right way to make comics.
i didnt really get that as much as it was just them branding their name with quality is all, you make it out like they are doing nothing but bragging and shooting others ways down which i dont really remember it ever doing, if they do say something is better one way over another i remember it stating why aesthetically is more pleasing or at least why they prefer it... but the proof is in the pudding... John Buscema is legend. its a beginner book and a damn good one. its possible im just remembering it incorrectly though. i havnt actually read it in a long time. i do flip through it about once a year still and always enjoy and remember what i see.
I think it's still relevant. I like the old style of comics. I looked at aome comics from Marvel and most the artist today suck
Same
because a lot of modern Marvel comics suck in general. DC is doing pretty well, though, check out the more recent Batman series for some really good comic art.
@@OfficialTails69 ok !
True. Just look at Erica Henderson's art at Squirrel girl.
@@onyxt3589 I saw her art, terrible crap
The intro to this video is amazing... like... spot on... I'm out of words
Thanks Cory. That's nice to hear.
Serkworks Art Labs Paper Stan Lee needs to be a reoccurring character in the lab :)
Most modern comics artist need to study this book
I think everyone should.
Flip through starts around 7 minutes. But don't skip ahead. Good observations.
Thanks, I probably should have gave people a heads up to when I actually flip though the book, I guess I had a lot of stuff to say before I actually cracked the book open.
Being an indie comics creator, the old Marvel house style has actually played a big part in my work, in particular the Silver Age comics that put them on the map. About the only thing I don't do is have the narration take up more than the actual dialouge. Otherwise, I do my stuff quite similar to Silver Age comics, even handlettering on pretty much EVERYTHING I do, a practice I will NEVER abandon. Even my color pallete is limited to the old 64 color one.
Great video btw!
That's Awesome! We need more creators doing what your doing!
Great episode. I remember a friend showing me this book in middle school around 1990, when I was first getting into comics. I was already taking an art class but we we're learning through repetition, drawing hands, feet, heads, eyes, still life, etc. I don't even remember learning shapes. Nothing fun at all. This book opened my eyes. Still relevant today. Especially for beginners of any age. It's very basic and easy to follow. The first few chapters are helpful for any art style. After that it becomes more for comic books. I gave up drawing for many years but a few years ago I got back into it and I felt very rusty. I went back to this book and had quite a few aha moments that I needed. I think it's fair to say at one time there was this very distinct Marvel Way which was essentially, Jack Kirby's way, and John Buscema emulated it well. It's very true that before Kirby's Marvel run, comics were very basic and the shots were always from the side. More like a story board or thumbnails. Kirby at Marvel began using all kinds of dynamic angles, perspectives, etc which had not been done before. This book breaks down the basic formula for making a comic in an accessible way. There are still many people who prefer traditional methods or start out with traditional tools. This book will be extremely helpful. It's also a nice piece of history. I believe the book is based on John Buscema's curriculum when he taught at his own school.
Well said, I can't even imaging trying to teach drawing or comics without first braking objects and figure into shape and like you this is where I first learned to do that. This book is an absolute eye opener to many beginning comic artists. Great to hear you got back into drawing and returned to this book for a refresher.
This book was updated a few years ago. They have the newer art styles and include a section on photoshop and other digital drawing techniques.
I teach drawing classes for youth & adults now - and after taking into account everything I've learned both high and low about drawing, setting up scenes, designing characters and even from across the way in cinematography , animation and even fine art - there is very little out there that sets up in simple terms the basics of how to get started as a narrative visual artist. Stan's "Huckster" personality bears its stamp on every Marvel product. Bullpen Bulletins appeared in Every Marvel book until their bankruptcy in the late 90's. *HOWEVER* - the undeniably great Comics Masters -John Buscema and Jack Kirby - never published their own "How To" books outside of "The Marvel Way", thus: Stan's narrative is secondary to the sheer fact that both Buscema and Kirby's high bar of achievement for comics art (and frankly, Fine Art, illustration, cartooning and Animation - as imitated by a Everyone from Jeff Koons to Bruce Timm, Bill Watterson, Alex Ross, etc.) left their trade secrets from decades of experience here in excellent, enduring form. The basics of their innate knowledge of Classical Geometry, for illustrators & visual artists are all neatly organized & understood, complete with great examples of Marvel Comics Panels, which could not have been published outside of Marvel - (due to their unique work-for-hire policies). If you read this in College - I feel badly for you. I learned EVERYTHING as a young artist in Elementary & Middle school that would set me up to later study and, for the most part, merely RE-LEARN the basics of Classical Painting (proportions, spacial geometry, dynamism, perspective & foreshortening) in an atelier-style apprenticeship, years later as an adult. But as a kid - you could learn pretty much everything from this book by looking at the pictures. NOT by getting hung up on reading Stan the Man's huckster sales pitches LOL ;)
Well said! Stan's personality made this book fun, but the fundamentals of making comics are all here. I still thinks this is as relevant an introduction to making comics today as it was when it was written 40 years ago.
What I don't understand as a complete begginer is how do I use a book like this. Read it cover to cover? Just copy every picture on each page in a sketch book until you can do it by heart?
How do I go about aquiring skills from this?
This book is a good introduction to drawing comics in that it covers a lot of basic info, but in order to learn to create comics it will take a lot of practice and repetition. I would suggest reading the book cover to cover. Even if you aren't able to do what to book is suggesting at first, it will help you to understand the basic principles of making comics.
The start practicing your drawing, first people then, environments etc. after that you can move onto storytelling. If you're just beginning you have a long road ahead of you, be prepared for that. The good news is you have the internet and there are tons of beginning drawing tutorials to help you along the way. Good luck!
Serkworks Art Labs Thanks so much for that, now I have more of an idea how to use a book in terms of practice /study.
On a side note and I know this is a terrible thing to ask. :)
How long do people generally take to draw decent looking comic characters like they did in the 70s? Are we talking years or decades. My only reference point is physical training where it's taken me 6 years to finally start feeling like I'm where I want to be in terms of physical fitness, bodyfat percentage etc. As far as art I wonder if the process is similar.
I wish I had a better answer for you, unfortunately there is no definitive answer, some people pick it up quickly and for some people it takes longer. I'm in my 40's and I've been drawing since I could hold a pencil and there's still plenty of things I need to work on. This is a marathon not a sprint. The important thing is that you love doing it and that includes the learning part, if you don't you will most likely get frustrated and quit or go mad.
It took me years to get to a point where I considered my work to be between competent or good. Even someone with natural talent will take years to develop unless you happen to be a prodigy. This time however can be reduced significantly if you dligently draw every day. In 1996 I got fired up and started working on a comic for myself mostly for fun. I drew 2 1/4 issues before I got burned out on in. The level of art produced in each seperate issue was dramatically different. There was a clear and significant increase in my ability as I worked. Keep grinding away at it. Draw things you dont like drawing and reward youself by drawing fun stuff as well. The thing about doing comics is that you have to be able to draw pretty much anything.
beaglegod1 upwards of four years. I’ve been drawing since I was like three, but I wasn’t consistent until 5th or 6th grade, when I challenged a friend to a draw-off of sorts. I’m now a Junior in High School, but I’m still not drawing how I’d like to. To be honest, I don’t really draw as much as I should.
Marvel NEVER knocks DC in this book. The "wrong way" doesn't mean DC. The only propaganda here is yours!
First I want to say in case it wasn't perfectly clear I do love this book. The reason the title of this video is presented as a question is because I want the viewer to decide for themselves based on the information given. I'm not making a definitive claim one way or the other.
If you don't feel that the information in the book is presented in a way that is biased towards Marvel or that the book is not used to promote a Marvel Agenga then you are perfectly welcome to that opinion. But make no mistake Marvel and DC have always had a friendly rivalry and Stan Lee in particular has a history at taking jabs at DC. When Stan Lee refers to "Our Distinguished Competition" or "The Other Guys" he is absolutely referring to DC. Case in point: czcams.com/video/JmJ-t60ywL4/video.html&t=504
ok
He opens the book at 6:25 if this was helpful leave a like
Nowhere in either the title of this video or it's a description does it even state that this is a book flip-through, and although that does happen anyone who comes to this video expecting that is just making assumptions. The title and description state that this is a review and that there will be an opinion on whether the advice in the book is good or if it's mostly Marvel propaganda and that discussion starts before the book is even opened. So if you came to this video for the content that was promised in the title of the description the video starts at 0:00. If this was helpful please leave a like.
So what I took away from this is... It's a great beginner's book for comics art, and something that Liefeld should have read before he ever picked up a brush. :P
Ha ha, Yes and no. It teaches you the basics but it's all solid information. If I remember I think it does touch on drawing feet. Not sure if Liefeld skipped that part.
Well, he sure skipped the part on proportions and perspective...
I know I'm late but there's a segment on the book where it says that you have to draw heroes a little bit more muscular, I think he took really, really, really serious that part
Great Stan Lee impression! Love this book, flick through it often! Been fortunate enough to illustrate for a UK magazine "Draw The Marvel Way". Similar title but no-one can beat JB! Great channel BTW - just subscribed :)
Thanks Russ! That’s cool! I’ll have to look into the UK book.
I did the same thing when I was a kid. I had a 3 ring binder full of photocopied pages of this book from the library. Later on, someone bought me Burne's Dynamic Figure Drawing and his Dynamic Anatomy books. Really top-notch stuff. Can't recommend them enough.
Yep, that sounds a lot like me and my experience. Funny I figured I was the only one.
The Framed books are awesome. I bought one to try it out, then another in the series, now I own them all. Framed Inking 1 & 2, Framed Perspective 1 & 2, and Framed Drawing techniques.
Another amazing book is, How to Draw Noir Comics.
Thanks Keith, I'm not familiar with that series, I'll have to look into it. The Noir comics sounds interesting as well.
The only place that I've found where "How to Draw Comics The Marvel Way" is flat-out wrong is where it says the normal human figure is six and a half heads high. It isn't - it's SEVEN and a half heads high, but usually gets rounded up to eight. Eight can be halved three times, which makes blocking out a figure easy.
The 1970s art looks retro now, but any book like this is going to look a bit dated after a few decades. Andrew Loomis's books are highly recommended, even with the 1940s-1950s style. At least it's not the anime/manga style, which is stiff, insect-like and hasn't changed all that much since the 1970s, at least.
But, yeah, excellent foundation book but nothing beats drawing from life. Add anything by Andrew Loomis, Burne Hogarth, or George Bridgman.
The trifecta for artists - Loomis, Hogarth and Bridgman! Need to get your hands on Loomis' books - they are always worth looking into.
I agree that while the Marvel Book is a good book for beginners but beyond that, you need other resources to help you out like inking. I was disappointed that the Marvel Book did not cover the parts I wanted to know, especially inking folds and shadow. I'm glad you brought out the Art of Comic Book Inking book because that's exactly the one I got and it helped me immensely.
I think HTDCTMW is one of the best introduction for drawing comics, but it's a spring board. You defintly need to follow up each chapter with more in depth studies.
It's like that everywhere if you spent enough time with it.
I wish I could have taken one of John Buscema's art classes. He was a great artist beyond the realm of comics. He was a good illustator!!
That would have been a great to have taken a class taught by John Buscema.
This is great information. Thank you, and I look forward to more of your tips.
Thanks, more to come!
I like how you recommend the books for further study that the Marvel book introduces.
Thanks, I think HTDCTMW is a great introduction to drawing comics but there's a lot to explore after that.
Great review! I agree there isn't really an exact Marvel Way that is implemented in today's comic books. And it is a fantastic book to reference back for a refresher. Stan Lee and John Buscema offer some great advice and I made a couple videos that provide further insight in how to practice what they recommend. Hope it helps anyone out there!
Thanks! I do love the videos that Stan and John did and furtunatly I belive thay are still on You Tube for anyone looking for them.
I found you five years late! I hope you're well! I just got this book...it is marvelous! I also purchased Bridgman's complete guide to drawing from life. It's a great book but "dry." But i you hang in there bridgman has great advice that comic book artist and illustrators use
Thanks. Both books are great. I have each of them on my bookshelf.
You said in one video that you recommended a book of illustrations by DK or Dover. But I forgot which video? Do you remember the book you recommended. It was a book of tons of pictures for drawing anything pretty much, like a pictorial encyclopedia
Yes, there are a couple , not sure if they are still in print but they are the Macmillan Visual Dictionary and The Ultimate Visual Dictionary published by DK
@@ScottSerkland thank you so much.
Its on dvd I own it.
Awesome! I didn't know that.
My friend lent me this back in the early 90’s- we were in our early teens.
He said it was a good introduction although we both thought John’s art style looked dated compared to the new and modern style of Bagley (haha- yeh we old now!).
Anyway- my friend went on to head the animation team that did all of the cgi for Spider-Man in Civil War.
He said it was really exciting/challenging as Marvel were very particular about what they wanted- to the extent that they even analysed real spider’s webs under microscopes!
Who can blame them though- it was their most popular character’s debut in the MCU.
Very cool. It’s amazing what goes into creating those big blockbuster special effects.
Not sure why you would say it's propaganda when the Title of the book is How To Draw THE MARVEL Way.
I could have titled the video a number of things that wouldn't have made it interesting enough for people to click on it. Yes, It's The Marvel Way and Stan Lee can't help but to hype Marvel and how the Marvel way is the best, It's kind of his thing, It's what people love about him. It's still propaganda. It doesn't mean it's bad or that it's untrue. The two ideas aren't mutually exclusive. The book can be propaganda and good advice at the same time, personally I think it's both.
The video is still available on CZcams I watched it the other day. I found it by looking up how to make comics. Just thought I’d let you know that it’s not dead.
Thanks! I've watched a few times on CZcams, It's great!
Meh. If you read a book on how to do Manga it teaches you to draw the Manga way. So does that make it propaganda? Yeah, its full of Stan Lee's bombast, but, that's part of its charm I guess. *shrugs*
I have a newer version of Stan Lee's How To Draw Comics, and it mentions Sketchup which I recommend to people who struggle with perspective. All the current Marvel comics use Sketchup and they have a full model of their New York City. Complete with the Baxter Building etc. They have free older versions on oldversion.com
Another piece of software that I sometimes find useful and is free called MakeHuman which is a free app for making human meshes for 3D, with built in poses and clothes, and you can change the age and body types with simple sliders. Its kind of like Poser only more basic.
Hardly any 3D program can help you with curvilinear projections (I remember seeing a tech paper showing it _could_ be done, but almost all available programs don't). This had a sweeping effect on comic art, where fisheye type perspective distortion used to be very common as a way of exaggerating the impact of a scene (or action), but with so many illustrators using 3D references now it's become almost unseen anymore.
At least in American comics. Hong Kong comics are still mostly littered with amazing architectural renders in curvilinear perspective.
So you sort of just said it but I wanted to confirm.
You would say if someone was starting from scratch or wanted to start from beginning and "unlearn what you have learned" you would say start with Draw Comics The Marvel way, read it section by section and reenforce those sections with other more in depth books to expand my practicing? Am I sniffing down the right Marvel path?
Yes, I feel this book is the best place to start. Then I would go deeper into each topic with books dedicated to those topics.
@ScottSerkland Thank you sir.
It was Fundamentals ... Before the Age of Digital Coloring
Yeah, the coloring section is bit out of date, but the rest of the book is still solid in my opinion.
I got my first copy I think in 1979. This book and the first Star Wars Sketchbook (which I think I got for Christmas of 1978) were the 2 books that got me started in drawing. I have owned 3 physical copies since then. The third is proudly sitting on my bookshelf. As a primer or introduction to comic book art I think it is great!
Hey Chris, I'm pretty sure I had that Star Wars sketch book too, I know I had the making of Star Wars or the Art of Star Wars books and they were a huge influence on me as well.
Is this the one that published in simon & schuster company or titan books ltd company? Im not sure which one to buy, do you think its the same?
This one is published by Simon and Schuster, but they my be the same.
Another great book to check is Drawing Crime Noir: For Comics and Graphic Novels. A lot of it has to do with creating a mood, and effective use of shadows and light, which we all know, when a comic lacks shadows and light where there should be some, (as in A History Of Violence, where a panel shows 2 men with shadows on their forms while a character in the middle with absolutely NO shadows on him. Kind of jarring and distracting to the reader).
I'm not familar with that bok but it sounds awesom!
Can't thank you enough for recommending Vanishing Point, I absolutely love that book, I've been obsessing on the Train exercise in the beginning part of the book, just totally awesome.
That's great, Glad the book was helpfull. We had David Chelsea on the Artcasters show a couple of weeks ago who wrote some really highly recommended books on perspective that I want to check out as well.
I will be checking out that video for sure!!
This book was more an education than my four years of collage. It was my main information that led me to a 27 year career in storyboarding.
It’s sad about the collage part. But awesome that you were able to use the info in the book as a foundation for a lasting career!
@@ScottSerkland I graduated in 1990 so state schools didn't bury you in debt back then. The general education I'm thankful for having, but those fine art courses were largely a waste of time.
I have the hardcopy of this book and VHS tape and DVD.
That's awesome! I've seen the videos on You Tube , They're great! Stan Lee is in rare form.
Good quick review of the book. This is still one of my go to's for drawing. Another good book that the late great John Buscema recommended to me was the Power of Perspective. It taught me all I know about perspective.
I’ll have to check that out, although it would be hard to beat David Chelsea’s books on perspective.
Sorry i'm new but, is he normally that hairy?
Typically, yes, sometimes more.
Reminds me that I should dig out Understanding Comics: The Invisible Art. More an overview of comic theory, communicating through the medium, and how comics relate to other mediums. Received it as a gift and been meaning to read it for a while.
The point you make here about not taking any art instruction book as the whole or right way to draw is definitely an important one. They can be great for introducing some fundamentals, ways to approach creating art or specific subjects, and giving some baseline understanding for how things are structured; but they can't really provide everything you get from studying from life, from other artists, and experimenting. The philosophy doesn't do you much good if you don't give yourself anything to apply it to and aren't willing to refine it as you go.
I'm ashamed to admit I haven't read any of the Scott McCloud Books. It's just one of those things I should do but I keep putting off.
i think the best thing i got from this book is the idea of the 'action line'. it improved my drawings by a huge leap.
Yes, That was an eye opener for me too.
I have this bhook and like any book of it's type it's a good spring board for how to draw dynamic figures. The Marvel "Style" is kind of funny because if you look at a Marvel book from the 70s to now you'll see a really HUGE change in the art style and composition. Like I said it's a good start but it's really here just for you to develop your own dynamic style. It's worth a look .
Right now I’ve brought 4 George Bridgeman books I’ve been drawing every day and I’ve been doing the 1min, 2min, 5min and 10min times poses everyday right now I’m focusing on just getting good at drawing the figure from memory I really want to draw comics and I don’t care how long it takes me to get to a level where I can draw my own comics
That’s awesome! You have the right attitude! Just remember the three “Ps” Patience, Practice and Persistence!
@@ScottSerklandthanks man one day at a time. I’m an engineer but I’d give it up to draw for a living
I was waiting for you to open the book. But once you did I like the fact that you thumbed through it page by page. I agree with your assessment. The book is an introduction. I didn't realize as a young person that I need it too read other books. I'm glad you had some of the Hogarth books available. It really is not a book for beginners. It's a book for somebody who has been drawing for a few years.
I agree I think How To Draw Comics The Marvel Way is an excellent place to start, but you shouldn't let your comic book education end there.
It's a brilliant perspective . It is more of the insights of the art standard practiced by artists of a bygone era than of how to draw in "a Marvel way. " Though that company that now uses the name, Marvel (1962-1986 R.I.P) certainly could use that books help.
Definitely but I still think a lot of it is still relevant.
If only Marvel could go back to this
I would love that!
Thanks for the awesome video, It was very helpful and really informative.
+J Bravo Thanks! Glad you liked the video. I️ had fun making it.
Thanks for the recommendations. I didn't know about a few of these!
You're welcome! Glad it was useful.
There is one main reason I still like non-electronic medium. You don't need electricity to create your work. It's only a matter of time when electricity is rationed because of American energy policies. All I need is sunshine, a table, paper (printer paper in a pinch), and a pencil. With that I can still draw and create art.
Very true.
I learnt how to draw from that book. When I went to art school my ability to draw in perspective was head and shoulders above the other students largely because I learnt how to draw from that book. Is it propoganda? Sure. Is it a college level textbook? No Is it a great book for a 7th grader to learn how to draw dynamically from the ground up. Absolutely. It's a spectacular book!!
I agree with everything you said, I would even add that it is a great book for anyone of any age who wants an awesome intro into making comics and the Propaganda isn't really a bad thing. It's all in good fun in a hammy Stan Lee sort of way.
@@ScottSerkland Fer Sure!
I want the book, it's still relevant, along with the ones you mentioned on perspective and inking. Great episode I love it. I have the Dynamic anatomy and Light and Shade by Burne Hogarth.
These are all great books! If you don't alrready have How To Draw Comics The Marvel Way definetly check it out!
Good book, Buscema did a great job of simplifying and summarizing everything to make it easy to understand.
Absolutly he did!
Hey Scott, havent spoke to you in a while, but I was on CZcams strangely enough watching the video of how to draw Comics the Marvel way. I've had the book sense summer of 1983 I think and I saw the video when I picked it up at a Comic-Con in the late 80s. I think I've drawn almost every drawing in the book 20 or 30 times weather was in notebooks at school on the backs of comic book backing boards you name it. This is the book that I discovered light boxes and how to use them although I don't think the book really tells you how to use it per say. I really love the book and I really love that classic comic book style. I agree there a lot of talented artists nowadays and a lot of great books, however, Classics up until the big crash in the 90s which even some of that stuff isn't that great either, is the best comic book art of all time. I'm still constantly trying to look at every little minut detail whether it's the Feathering lines coming off of a shoulder or a knee cap to those sort of straight line that meet up around the instep which denote a little bit of shading and for shortening. I also agree when you were talking about breaking the panels and as people describe Jack Kirby's art of Leaping off the page which you can't really do when you're trying to draw comic with that cinematic look. Another thing that I think nobody does anymore which I try to do some times are those really exaggerated poses where it looks like somebody's spleen just gave out their hunched over with their torso twisted. Or you push standing where there knees are hyper-extended and it looks like their legs are about to snap off and they're so stiff and rigid get really Dynamic and Powerful looking. I guess I could go on and on but I just wanted to say I really enjoyed your video and that this book is on my collection and probably the single most important book I've ever had that in not just taught me but inspired me to do comics. I read a few comments from other people talking about how to use this book and where do I go what should I do I'm just a beginner, my personal advice to those people is it doesn't matter how you get there just have a project, something that you want to create. And then just use creative thinking tricks and whatever you classically can do to get to that point. If you have to trace a photograph, you have to look at other examples and sort of mimic those, or take photographs, watch films, basically do it all. The biggest thing you can't do is quit or give up., is the best comic book hurt of all time. And still constantly trying to look at every little my new detail weather it's the feather in Lyons coming off of a shoulder or a knee cap to those shirt of straight line that meet up around the in step which Dino a little bit of shading and for shortening. I also agree when you are talking about breaking the panels and as people describe Jack Kirby's art of sleeping off the page which you can't really do when your trying, is the best comic book hurt of all time. And still constantly trying to look at every little my new detail weather it's the feather in Lyons coming off of a shoulder or a knee cap to those shirt of straight line that meet up around the in step which Dino a little bit of shading and for shortening. I also agree when you are talking about breaking the panels and as people describe Jack Kirby's art of sleeping off the page which you can't really do when your trying to draw comic with it Cinemagic look. Another thing that I think nobody does anymore which I tried to do sometimes are those really exaggerated poses were it looks like somebody's splean just gave out and they're hunched over with their torso twisted. Or equal standing weather knees are hyper extended and it looks like they're legs are but the snap off and they're so stiff and Ridgid get really dynamic and powerful looking. I guess I could go on and on and on and on, what just wanted to say I hate really enjoyed your video but I just wanted to say really enjoyed your video and that is book is on my collection and probably them single most important book I've ever had that in that just thought me but inspired me to do comics. I write a few comments from other people talking about how to use this book and where do I go what should I do I'm just a beginner, my personal advice to those people is it doesn't matter how you get there just have a project, something that you want to create. And then just use creative thinking tricks and whatever you possibly can do to get to that point. If you have to trace photograph, you have to look at other examples answered of mimic those, or take photographs, watch films, basically do it all. The biggest thing you can't do is quit or give up. Just keep at it.
Good to hear from you again Timothy. It has been a while. I don’t think you are alone in your love for this book. I’m sure many others share your sentiments. Myself included, I wish I would have discovered it earlier. Although I always wanted it as a kid I didn’t read it until I was in college. the closest thing I had as a kid was The Marvel Tryout Book. But it’s true what you said about How To Draw Comics The Marvel Way. It is truly a classic. I often give beginning artist the same advice, If you really want it stitch with it. It takes a lot of time. But you can’t give up.
Propaganda or not, it's still one of my favorite books on comics creation. Aleways been more of a fan of "The Marvel Look" than DC. You may say there are similarities, but there are also a lot of BIG differences.
Agreed, Propaganda isn't always a bad thing especilly when Stan Lee does it.
18 years old. I just started drawing. Can you recommend this book to me
Yes! it's a classic and a good place to start. It may seem to rush though some of the process. (It's a short book) but you can fill in the gaps watching you tube tutorials.
btw, if anyone wants either of the Marvel drawing comics books I think you can get them cheaper on Edward R. Hamilton than you can even on Amazon. Its like 7 and 8 USD respectively. Just passing it along. Also in the "art of illustration" and artist manuals section they have some books that may or may not be useful.
Thanks for all the great resources! That Sketch Up model of NYC sounds awesome! I didn't even know about the updated version of How to Draw Comics by Stan Lee. I will have to track that down. And just for the record I still highly recommend How To Draw Comics The Marvel Way and love Stan Lee in all of his braggadocio.
You can buy another copy of our tape, we won't mind a bit 😉
Which tape Albert?
It really is a good book! I had it as a kid and I learned a lot from it. I do kind of wish I took the time however to really practice what was in that book more at that time. It was fun watching you go through it! It's funny though I actually like the propaganda in it. The whole part where Stan is talking about finding more Dynamic poses because that's the Marvel way always stuck with me. Also the Marvel method of writing Comics always stuck with me and encourage me that I don't have to basically be a novelist to write comics! Even though my method of writing has become kind of a variation of the Marvel method. Fun video man!
I don't mind it either. It's a super fun book and a perfect intro to making comics. I want everyone to know there is no one way to make comics.
Do you have any experience with "Perspective for Comic Book Artists" by David Chelsea?
I haven't read the book but have been meaning to pick it up. We have had David on as a guest on The Artcasters show that I do with Joshua Kemble. czcams.com/video/dRP9JAqY91E/video.html
im 14 and i just got this book today and im really scared to start, how should i use it?
It may sound cliché, but start at the beginning, it's a great book and a very good introduction to making comics. Read it all the way through and keep practicing what it teaches. If you want more advice on creating comics I have a free course on my CZcams channel called Making Comics 101.
@@ScottSerkland Thanks!
How to draw comics the marvel way is one of the best books that i have ever bought. My drawing aptitude improved to incredible proportions within a week. More than that I applied the principles to all forms of art portraits included. A great great book.
Those are some great results and quite a testament to the value that the book offers.
I finally got my copy like 25- 30 years ago and still have it. It’s actually very entertaining and light and formulaic ... like marvel movies. Will Eisner’s books take it to another level,
Yeah I haven't read Eisner's book since collage, I may have to hunt it down.
that was a pretty amazing impression :D now for the video !
Thanks Yann. I wasn't sure how well that would go over.
I feel like the book is a good beginner book for kids who want to draw comics. I think it still has some merits.
Absolutly, It's the prefect intoduction to drawing comics IMO.
Hmm, good video, but there is nowhere any judgement made about the "only, right or better" way to draw. It´s simply the Marvel-Way as it says on the cover... on some pages there is movement- and action-poses discussed and they show which action-movements a Marvel-Artist would choose in favor of an expressive action-figure gesture.... or for example what to look for If you want a dynamic perspective, rather than a flat view on figures or objects.
Look up the video to this book again, Stan Lee mentioned multiple times that there are a lot of other great ways to draw comics, but if you want to draw them the Marvel way, this was the Go-To. So why do you come up with that ´propaganda´-stuff? Of course, there are other ways and therefore other books on how to draw comics... the Marvel-Eye for example does not show individual eyelashes. What is wrong with speaking on something that fits that drawing style?
So, my intention with this video was not necessarily to offer a definitive judgment, but rather present the information, along with my opinion and have the viewers decide one way or another or possibly fall somewhere in the middle of the debate.
For the record, I did not come up with the notion that the book might be viewed as "propaganda" This is a criticism that has been leveled at the book and a topic of discussion put forth by many comic book artists. I do agree that it is propaganda, but I'm not saying that's a bad thing. It fits with the narrative that Marvel and Stan Lee perpetuate that Marvel makes the best comics and is better than their distinguished competition (DC) This is all presented in good fun and with the good-natured ribbing that Stan Lee does so well and is part of his charm.
In summary, yes the book is propaganda, but it's also a classic and great course on drawing comics, the two are not mutually exclusive.
@@ScottSerkland I see and get that point. Agreed...
But, to support the propaganda then: I also agree with Stan Lee that the Marvel Style really is the best; f*´k the rest .LOL
I have this book and I highly recommend it. It helped me to draw action poses a lot better without references.
Yeah it’s a fantastic introduction to comics.
I have that book, it was my very first book on the subject of comics and yes, that video is still here on youtube in 2 parts, I watched it
That video is so fun to watch, I miss Stan :(
I could get it till year 2000, prior to that year you couldn´t get anything about drawing techniques speacilly here in my country(México)the only one I got was Drawing the human head and body by Jack Hamm(very good indeed), and lots of xerox copies of "crash course" section of Wizard Magazine. Nowadays I ´m buying books that I found interesting and essential to master the skill of drawing and inking. Nice video.
Thanks Francisco. That's the good thing about the internet. It's much easy to find the references we need now. It sounds like you had it a little tougher finding this stuff in Mexico, but I remember having to Xerox a copy of How to Draw Comics The Marvel Way from the school library.
This is a great book in my opinion! it's not supposed to be an anatomy book or,light and shade, or perspective ! But what I get from it it emphasizes form and scribbles,(think Boris Vallejo pencils) and then it gives references to further your studies , one of the best books to give you a foundation at becoming a draftsman!
Absolutely, I can’t argue with that.
I was in tears to see Stan Lee
R.I.P. Stan The Man
Even Stan Lee is gone
He is still in our hearth
Excelsior
I've been a professional artist and illustrator for over 30 years and have given this book away too many times to remember over the years. It is a simple but fantastic constructive drawing book. That said the best books by far , in my opinion, are the ones by Andrew Loomis.
Absolutely!
C
Speaking as someone who once illustrated for the likes of Len Wein and a top Vertigo author, the book is absolutely still relevant and useful to the learning of real/proper comics-storytelling, but an aspiring comics-artist should have real life-drawing classes/experience to go along with it*. However, for Cal Arts cartoony sausage people which any 2nd-grader could draw - e.g. Cal Arts - it is unnecessary.
* - which, like movie-going, won't be possible anywhere until a certain "global crisis" has settled down, sadly .
I'm not too familiar with the Cal Arts "sausage people" style but I agree with your other assertions.
@@ScottSerkland 😂 Thanks. "character work" from Steven Universe is an example of "sausage-people style". I imagine you've seen glimpses from that show over recent years. A highly successful style, and very economic for animation-companies, but it has nothing to do with comicbook art per se.
However it can make a lot of money for people very easily, so it has a place, a place for people whom can't really draw in an impressive way (unlike comic-book art which was designed to impress-the-eye). And unlike proper comic-book art, it doesn't take over 6 years of real effort to become good at it.
I’m ordering it from Amazon in a few minutes. When I was younger I loved to draw. Hoping I can get back into it again, but it does look a bit hard.
It's a classic and it still holds up. I won't lie, it is hard but if you love it you'll stick with it and improve along the way.
Your right. I have to put the work in. Just wished if I started it years ago.
Hello I want to get into the comic writing. Is book named Comics and Squential Art useful for me??
+Charlie Champion Yes, I haven’t read it in a while, but Will Eisner is a master a visual storytelling. The book may be a a bit out of date, but I’m pretty sure most of the principles discussed are still relevant.
Can you tell me names of some useful books then?
RIP STAN LEE 🙁
No doubt.
RIP, THE GREAT LEGEND
Considering the SJW garbage fake artists that are in the industry today,this book is a resounding YES!
John Buscema was one of the best Marvel artists in the medium,so this book is a great starting tool for beginners.
And yes i do have this book.
I don't know much about an SJW garbage or what a fake artist is but I agree John Buscema was an amazing artist and HTDCTMW stands the test of time as a classic!
Look, the propaganda is there, but that’s just part of selling the brand. Otherwise the advice is pretty solid. I’ve watched the video and it’s really helped me with my drawing. Just try to substitute “Marvel” for “professional” and the sense of propaganda loosens up. I also think it’s meta as in they’re aware that they’re being too self promotion, especially how Stan does a cheesy grin when he cheekily exclaims “Marvel!”, or even John’s clearly emphasised eye rolling expressions, haha!
Ps. If you watch the video then I’d recommend taking a shot of vodka every time Stan says “Marvel!”, you’ll be drunk before the first segment is over.
Ha Ha, Yes that would be the ultimate drinking game. So you know, I agree with everything you said, hopefully that came across in the video.
. . . Have you watched any movies that came out after the 70s?
Of course, but I don't remember talking about movies on this video so curious why you asked.
I had the book as a kid a 30 years later bought it again.
It's a timeless classic!
Yes other comics use the same technique but the best explanation came from this book with very enjoyable dialogue. I read other books which are good but they are a sort of imitation. This book was the first and best.
It's a fantastic book, that stands the test of time.
rip stan lee
He was one of a kind. He will be missed.
@@ScottSerkland yes he was a legend
I have that book and have had it for a very long time and it's really discouraged me a good amount of times, so much so that I locked it away lol.
I can see that. It's hard not to be discouraged by John Buscema's art
In short is it worth or nah???
Worth every penny. It’s a classic!
@ScottSerkland how do you actually apply the things in thr book to real life drawing and what are other books that you recommend the thing o really want to draw is a very detailed tree
I must have copied each drawing ten times. It's dated but a very good course in drawing comics. It's a good foundation to build on. Especially if you can't afford art school and you have to teach yourself.
I totally agree.
Just ordered this yesterday... Miss you, Stan...
Awesome! It’s a great book!
John Buscema was probably the best artist working in comics during his day. In fact, most professional artists would say that if he were still alive, he would still be the best draftsmen in comics. He used to run a school, and that is what gave Stan Lee the idea to cash in on his instruction. John Buscema makes the book an indispensable book in any aspiring comic book artist's library.
I can’t argue with that. Thanks for that bit of history. I didn’t know that.
As far as recommending other really outstanding comic art books, I have found that How to draw great looking comic book women by Christopher hart is also an excellent reference how to draw comic art figures, costumes, poses etc.
Thanks, with so many Christopher Hart books out there I may have overlooked that one. I'll have to look into it.
believe or not , i used to go to marvel comics in NY along time ago , to leave my porfolio , and i met a editor that actually told me that , that book wasnt really good if you want to draw , for the comic book field , he did told me that the best way is to , studie from life and take some art classes and he did recomend me , and old school teacher , Andrew Loomise and to read his book , loomise was a good way to draw people , so that book is not that good , 🤔🤔🤔
I think it's so cool that you use to be able to just drop your portfolio at the Marvel offices.
I agree with the art director that you should draw from life and, take art classes, and that Andrew Loomise is awesome for learning figure drawing, but there's so much more to comics than figure drawing or drawing from life. HTDCTMW touches on subjects, like panel layout, lettering, visual storytelling etc. I wouldn't say it's a bad book. It's an excellent starter point, but it's just an introduction.
Serkworks Art Labs yes my friend there alot to learn , you must know perspective , facial expressions positions , and draw other things like cars towns buildings trees signs ex exr theres alot to comic book drawing ,
Rest In Peace Stan Lee
Nuff Said
you look like Happy Hogan..sure you don't need the badge? love the tutorial:d
Ha ha, yeah if I had a dollar for everyone that said I look like Jon Favreau or Mark Ruffalo.
I believe John Buscema (in the DVD) "wasn't having it" because he wasn't a professional speaker. Also, there's a moment when Stan leaps into the camera with a "Make Mine Marvel" type exclamation, and Buscema's frown looks like it's meant in good fun.
No doubt, the two of them create a fun and interesting dynamic.
"This classic work is one of, if not the best intro's into the craft of being an ACTION..sequential artist!. It is a great starting point with a general overview of the craft, its production mechanics and unique visual language created by JACK KIRBY!. " "The only thing that the book did not focus on, which is key to this craft is the value of analytically studying cinema, and the use of reference!.
I agree, that this is probably the best intro to creating comics. And now that you mention it, I don't think there was a single mention of using references. I can imagine Stan Lee with all his braggadocio not wanting to let on that even Marvel artist use references.