Manga Mania Fantasy Worlds

by Chris Hart

Published 1 September 2003
Manga fantasy is the swords-and-sorcery Japanese animation style featured in the most popular video role-playing games on the market. Christopher Hart's latest tutorial reveals the secrets and art techniques that go into creating these worlds of wonder. An increasingly fashionable style among both digital and traditional animators, manga enjoys unrivalled popularity. "Manga Mania Fantasy Worlds" throws down the gauntlet for people interested in creating these scenes for themselves. Artists will learn how to illustrate detailed backdrops and landscapes, rugged weaponry and, of course, fearsome creatures - gargoyles, griffins, minotaurs, faeries, ogres and much more. In straightforward style that is his trademark, Christopher Hart teaches the basics and the intricacies of creating manga fantasy illustrations that practically jump off the page!

Mecha Mania

by Chris Hart

Published 1 November 2002
Mecha, a generic term well known in the manga and anime community, is short for mechanically-based humanoids - as well as anything else mechanical, high-tech and really cool. If it can fly, swim, fire a weapon, explode, or destroy stuff, it's mecha. Comic book and animation fans hunger for mecha. From the Gigantor animated TV series in the early '60s to today's Neon Genesis Evangelion, mecha is the king of anime. Most Japanese mecha animation features giant robots in epic battles. These giant robots are as tall as buildings - and teenage heroes enter the robot's cockpit and navigate it like a fighter jet. Mecha is also popular in such Nintendo, Playstation and Sega Dreamcast computer games as Mech Warriors, Battletech and Combar Assault Vehicle. While some budding artists may not have a feel for human anatomy or drawing the expressive faces of cartoon characters, anyone who can draw blocks and circles can draw mecha. "Mecha Mania" demonstrates how easy it is to draw fantastic mecha vehicles, robots, space stations, and more.
The 300 step-by-step illustrations make it simple for anyone to master this wildly popular comic book genre and achieve dramatic results, "Mecha Mania" features all of the coolest mecha designs and variations, along with outrageous battle scenes. Also included are informative interviews with a company that creates mecha-based games and a Japanese publisher of mecha. Whether one's a beginning or professional artist, "Mecha Mania" is the best how-to reference ever published for mastering this hot, hot comic book art.