Drawing Comics is Easy!

by Alexa Kitchen

DRAWING COMICS IS EASY (Except When It's Hard) is entirely ?and remarkably? the work of a 7 year-old prodigy cartoonist. This idiosyncratic How-To book has already inspired countless peers to write and draw comics, but it also appeals widely to readers of any age, especially those interested in cartooning and the creative process. Alexa Kitchen at only 8 years old was prominently featured in The Sunday NEW YORK TIMES Arts section (7/06) and has been acclaimed in Publishers Weekly, TIME for KIDS and other publications. Alexa's work has been highly praised by Robert Crumb, Will Eisner, Neil Gaiman, Patrick McDonnell and a host of other prominent creators. Nominated in 2007 by the two highest awards in the comics industry: an Eisner Award ("Best Publication for Young Readers") and a Harvey Award ("Best New Talent").

Genres: Art, Writing, Comics, Childrens, Graphic Novels

176 pages, Hardcover

First published July 25, 2006

About the author

Now known as Violet Kitchen:
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...

Reviews

[Viv · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is incredibly charming. I bought it for my daughter but I love looking through it. Her insights are remarkable for an artist her age. I've owned it for years and still keep it on the shelf to revisit. Read it if you're looking for the begining stages of creativity and how a very young artist sees the world. Gift it to someone young who loves to draw and create. Ignore the really odd low reviews by the readers perplexed on how to read a book by a young artist.

[ComicNerdSam · Rating 3 out of 5]

I mean, it’s a comic by a 7-year-old. It’s weird and nonsensical, and also very cute.

[Ezma · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'd probably give this a 3.5, but man, it's hard to give this a fair judgement when I'm clearly not in the target audience.

On the one hand, her tips on how to draw are inspiring for all ages. They're simple but helpful, making even me feel like I could actually draw, and her own artwork isn't bad at all for a 7-year-old

On the other hand, her own comics are...well, they're what you'd expect out of a 7-year-old. The art is fine, but the dialogue and punchlines are often obtuse to anybody past elementary school. Again, it's hard to really judge because of that, but considering that I picked this up because it was in 500 Essential Graphic Novels, all I can do is give my own interpretation of it.

It's probably a nice drawing guide for kids to have, and I'm sure they'd love the hell out of it, but adults will probably just find it cute.