Making Comics - by Scott McCloud

This is about the coolest book I've ever seen on comics. No wasted pages here. Not a wasted frame. Mr. McCloud lays out all the fundamentals of writing and drawing comics. You read along, wondering how he could have possibly done it, then you come to the chapter breaks where he presents exercises and practice tips. You realize that this guy really wants you to learn this stuff. I love his clear, logical presentation, his understatement, and his ability to give you an appreciation for the form while learning its techniques. And his drawings are wonderful too. Every time I pick this book up I want to make my own comic book.

Check it Out on Scott McCloud's Web Site

NY T imes Best Illustrated Books of 2006

The New York Times Book Review has announced its selections for the top 10 illustrated books of the year. They have a slide show of illustrations and information about the books.

See the Slideshow

Disney Haunted Mansion Halloween Audio Treat

Doombuggies, an unofficial fan site devoted to Disneyland's Haunted Mansion ride, will premier a new audio production that tells the story of how the Haunted Mansion got haunted. The file will be available on on Halloween day! That's October 31st in case you didn't know.

The mythic, haunting history of Disneyland's Haunted Mansion will finally be told by voice talent Kat Cressida, the artist whose performance as the gothic "Black Widow Bride" was added in early 2006 to the Disneyland version of the Haunted Mansion attraction as part of park-wide enhancements made to the attractions during Disneyland's 50th anniversary festivities.

Visit Doombuggies site to get the audio.

Single-Handed Feature Animation!

Romeo & Juliet: Sealed with a Kiss is a 77-minute feature animation by former Disney animator, Phil Nebbilink. He spent 4 1/2 years animating the entire film in Flash. It is the story of two star crossed seals from warring families that fall in love against the wishes of their parents.

This is where it's at folks. When a guy can animate an entire feature alone using readily available software and his own drawing and storytelling talents, well then you've simply got the future of 2D animation right in front of you.

Visit the film's web site and see a trailer

Thank you to Cold Hard Flash for originally posting this.

The Making of a Comic Strip

42 pages of excellent how-to stuff all about Lynn Johnston's For Better Or For Worse daily comic strip. There's tons of information and images about the strip's writing, drawing, inking, toning, and final delivery for printing. There are specifics on what tools are used and how character poses are rendered using photos for reference. Really cool stuff.

Go Learn About How the Strip is Made

Thank you to The Daily Cartoonist for originally posting this.

Miniscule - An Amusing Action Short About Bugs

A blend of live-action with CG animation, Miniscule is a short action film about bugs that's very amusing. It is from a French production company called Futurikon and serves as the first episode of a new Disney Channel show coming soon.

Watch 'Miniscule.'

Thank you to Cartoon Brew for posting this.

A Little Critique - Flash Animation

Animator Sam Chi has posted a new film that he made in Flash. It is a quiet, unrushed film with fluid movement and a nice setting.

Watch 'A Little Critique.'

Thank you to Cold Hard Flash for posting this.

Ook the Book - The Making Of

Artist Shannon McNeill has posted a web page about how her new book, 'Ook the Book' was made. Plus there are plenty of illustrations and greeting card designs on her site.

Thank you to Drawn for posting this.