Until reading this book - a beginner's handbook on the basic building blocks of drawing your own manga - I had forgotten about Walter Foster. When just a kid, I remember that name being attached to a number of art and how-to books you could buy, for all ages, all of which (from what I could remember) were always pretty darn fairly thorough in approach to their subject matter. This one is pretty comprehensive and a great starting place, as well; there are tons of books on learning to draw, and the art of, this unique form of Japanese comics, but this slim volume literally starts from the beginning of how to draw shapes to materials to use when drawing, right up to the various body types, styles, facial expressions, inking and shading even the kind off trope-y characters that tend to inhabit the manga world. Full-color illustrations and step-by-step instructions make this a valuable tool for any age, and for manga fans like me who might just like the idea of "fiddling" with their own story or book, this is the ideal guide to start down that road. Even storytelling and scripting are touched on, making this an all-in-one that could keep a fan of this one-of-a-kind, fascinating style of animation and storytelling happy for hours. Loved it, and what a nice surprise to find Walter Foster books are still alive and well and helping creative types to exercise their skills and dreams. 4.5/5 stars
NOTE: I received a free ARC of this title from NetGalley and the publisher, in exchange for an honest review.
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