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Mangaka America: Manga by America's Hottest Artistsx$9.59
  (4 reviews)
Best Price: $9.59
"Mangaka" is a term for someone who creates manga. The artists in MANGAKA AMERICA represent the newest dynamic talents in the field and are professionally creating it for an American audience, something that was unheard of 20 years ago. MANGAKA AMERICA showcases a selection of these US–based mangaka, highlighting each artist's unique contibution to the genre. Manga fans are often anxious to learn new skills and techniques, and this book also provides mini–tutorials in which each artist provides instruction on character design, layouts, digital inking, and coloring.
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Customer Reviews
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Average Rating due to Average format
By A392BGTO28EN6V on 2007-02-22
Please keep in mind my perspective upon reviewing this book: I've been around the industry over 10 years now watching fanartists renaming themselves and branching out using the internet and other sources to realize their dream of becoming mangaka/comic book artists.
The book uses quality paper in presenting a number of artists that use the Japanese influence commonly referred to as manga in this book. I did enjoy the introduction by Adam Warren, and I did find some useful information with some of the artists. I actually went to find this book because some of the artists I've known online and one such artist mentioned being featured in this book on her Deviant Art account.
There is some dispute if the book is covering manga influenced artists, because some don't seem like their style is inspired by it, however, manga is a VERY broad term since I've seen many Japanese artists use different styles than the BESM (Big Eyes Small Mouth) formula many people attribute to manga.
What bothers me most about this book is the format. The interview questions are actually more fitting for a monthly webzine. Allow me to explain. In a book featuring artists, it's imperative to keep the interviews unique and fresh, and to make sure you ask questions relative to the artist you're interviewing. By having a stale format of the same questions you ask every artist you actually end up losing your readers. You take away a perspective that could make each artist shine and be unique. You may as well be reading a person's application. At a certain point I don't care if they like an Eva over a Gundam. You lost me. Formatted questions are best kept in monthly serials, that way the reader doesn't feel like they're being spoon fed redundancy.
The other problem with this book is that I felt it was more of a push for Tokyopop. Granted, TP is one of the few areas where artists were able to self publish with a larger distribution, however, Adam Warren mentioned there were other forms, such as web comics. A real benefit would have been adding some of those artists and asking how things changed with them.
Duc Tran/Locke should have been in this book in my opinion
Mal: Impromanga was an essential stepping stone for artists to learn how to storyboard.
Joshua Lesnick should have also been in this book. He helped change a lot of how webcomics were viewed including helping host a server for artists to use the internet to be a mangaka.
Having said this, there were still quite a few artists I found interesting to read about and some of the tutorials were interesting especially in their presentation. None of these tutorials aren't something you'll find online by the way, but as I said some of them are nicely presented.
Overall the book isn't horrible, and actually exceeded expectations in quality in printing and paper choice.
Also, it's kind of silly to note but people should be rating reviews on their helpfulness on whether or not to buy the book, not if they agree with the review due to their personal tastes. It seems lately people just vote negative to disagree. Even if you disagree does the review help a customer with a buying decision?
Visual Candy & Valuable Tips
By A2AUEPRITPK7XP on 2006-11-26
I have been anticipating this book since the start of the year - and pre-ordered it months ago. It was everything I expected/wanted, and more.
I expected a few tutorials, much like how I see online, for colouring bit by bit. The techniques, etc.
This book, much like those, takes you into the artist's perspective. And then some. They give you so many hints along the way, and explain things simply, so someone who knows only the very basics of painting programs [like me], could understand. And then comes the fun part:
Not all the tutorials were the expected 'Then you do this, and that...' screen-shot steps. Christy Lijewski takes an interesting approach to character design. Then you get Felipe Smith's hilarious 'comic-tut' on facial expression. Most artists got a tutorial in, which I was very pleased with.
There's interesting quiz-style biographies, with questions/points varying between artists, and it was very interesting reading responses.
I particularly liked two tutorials. Not because I already admired the artists, but because of the insights they gave me.
I doubt I saw two artists who had the same approach/style to art, whether it was more anime-like, or manga, and it was great seeing their works in print.
I recommend this book to both those who want to look at some beautiful artwork, and those who want an insight into how these achieve their means.
Brilliant idea, perfectly presented
By AFJ1ZWV1XZZK4 on 2006-12-11
The book's idea was to showcase the work of a dozen North American manga artists, including "how to" interviews, which many of these artists turned into original pieces of manga (see especially the great outrageous chapter by Felipe Smith). The book is exceptionally well printed and has sewn signatures, so it opens flat and is durable (you will go back to it often). The book is edited by two strong young graphic designers and editors, Tania del Rio, a widely published manga artist herself (one chapter is devoted to her work), and Will Staehle, who has, among other things, designed the covers for three books by Michael Crichton, including Next, the current bestseller. Mangaka America is already in the collection of a major art museum. It's museum quality. And it's fun.
My beautiful book of knowledge.
By A1BJOK7EUQNFD on 2007-01-20
I love Anime and Manga, and I have for a long time. When I found this book in a book store I thought that it was fascinating. Definitely a great source of inspiration, but not worth 25 bucks. Then I saw one of the tutorials. That book was mine before it knew what happened to it. As an aspiring Graphic Designer and someone who has be trying to teach herself how to draw Manga for years now, this book is indispensable. The artists in this book showed me how to do things I just didn't know how to do before, gave me new ideas and a sense of perspective. Make no mistake, this isn't a "how to draw manga" book, it's more of a "get to know the artists and learn all the tricks you wish was in all those how to draw manga books" kind of book. I couldn't stop reading it and I just can't stop looking at it! Highly recommended for lovers of Anime and Manga, as well as aspiring artists.
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