Comic Books 101: The History, Methods, and Madness!

Back in April I gave a brief preview or "heads up" on Comic Books 101: The History, Methods, and Madness, a cool new book co-written by my pals Scott Tipton and Chris Ryall. I was brought into the project to create several interior illustrations and chapter intros, which I didn't want to say too much about until the book officially hit the shelves.

Well, now that June's finally here, I can fill you in on the details behind Comic Books 101, as well as post some of my artwork. Having written about comic books for years, Tipton (comic book writer and proprietor of the Comics 101 website) and Ryall (Editor-In-Chief of IDW Publishing) pooled their vast knowledge and created a user-friendly overview of comic books that the newbie and hardcore fan alike could find informative and fun.

Part of that fun is the easy-going tone set by Tipton and Ryall, as personal opinions and asides make their "lessons" feel more like a conversation between friends than a dry, pedantic slog. As a continuation of that lighter tone, the authors wanted cartoon versions of themselves to appear in several of the book's illustrations...and that's where I came in! Creating a total of 11 color illustrations (all of which tie into various topics throughout the book), I was honored to play a part in such an entertaining project.  

And that was before I found out who else would be contributing to the book! 

Using their contacts throughout the industry, Tipton and Ryall managed to get commentaries and personal musings from several high profile comic geeks like Clive Barker, Gene Simmons, Mark Waid, Paul Dini, Marv Wolfman, Harlan Ellison, and even Stan "The Man" Lee!  Who'd have thought me and Stan would ever (sort of) work on a project together? Certainly not ME!

So, here's just some of the stuff I did for the book (click on the artwork for a larger view)...

What's going on in these illustrations?  Well, that would be telling, wouldn't it?  You'll just have to buy the book to find out!  Seriously, consider picking up a copy for either yourself or someone you'd like to introduce to the wonderful world of comic books! Click on the link below to order one from Amazon.com!

Comic Books 101: The History, Methods and Madness

Comments

[Sushil]

The book looks great, Mark!

I really love Gene Simmons's very pro-America attitude in a time when it feels like so many people are more comfortable expressing shame in this country.

[Wes C]

Very nice work!

I really like the "Big gun" one ( I hope that's in a chapter on the 90's) and the Mickey Mouse styled one, the expressions
on their faces are perfect.

I'll be keeping my eye out for it in the local bookstores.

Tell Stan the Man I said hi.

[Shar]

I happened to come across this book about a week ago and bought it immediately. Great work throughout--kudos to all involved. And I really loved your tribute to Stan and Jack at the start of the Creators chapter.

[Mark Engblom]

Hey, thanks, Shar! Glad to hear you enjoyed the book. Although the illustration was requested by Scott and Chris, I certainly share their awe of Stan and Jack.