Manga Madness
Gr. 7-12. High production values and a clear, comprehensive presentation make this a wonderful book for both would-be cartoonists andmangafans. Full-color spreads treat narrow topics--from facial expressions and postures to architecture and vehicle design. In each case, Okum, an art teacher, buttresses concise, step-by-step directions with illustrations that show preliminaries through the finished creation, and after treating the array of details, including plot-line deconstruction, he discusses panels and page layout. He mentionsmanga's relationship to Japanese theater in several places, talks about the differences among stories intended for specific audiences, and packs in information aboutmangaconventions' relationship to Japanese popular culture and the differences between European and Asian mythologies. Complete with a list of culture-specific symbols, such as falling cherry blossoms, this well-executed, information-packed volume can serve student researchers as well as browsers.Francisca GoldsmithCopyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved