“I shudder at the thought of having to compete with a whole new gaggle of graphic novel creators! I tremble because if anyone can bring out the writer and artist hidden within society’s somnambulant psyche it’s the titanically talented Barbara Slate. So please don’t read this book. I have a family to support!”
-Stan Lee, Chairmain, POW! Entertainment and Chairman Emeritus, Marvel Entertainment
You Can Do A Graphic Novel is an exceptional How-To book for those wishing to create graphic novels. Barbara Slate gives advice in a very fair and complementary way that is quite attractive and easy to understand. I originally decided to review You Can Do A Graphic Novel for my son who likes to draw cartoon figures with stories, I wanted to show him he could express himself in a more fundamental way; starting from the ground up, so to speak. He already had the creative desire, why not give it more form and fill it in with substance?
I actually personally learned a few things from reviewing You Can Do A Graphic Novel. As a writer I am always finding stumbling blocks in my creativity and am not very organized! Barbara Slate shows you techniques on how to overcome these blocks and provides tips on how to plot things out with index cards and sticky notes, something very simple that for one reason or another I had never thought of! Most of the information in You Can Do A Graphic Novel can apply to any form of writing, which is why I love it.
The illustrations in You Can Do A Graphic Novel are extremely appealing and often very funny. The “tutorial” on illustrations is very fun and engaging for young people and the fact that the entire book is broken down in steps is wonderful. I honestly believe this would be a great book for a Junior High English or Creative Writing Class and also a wonderful gift for any tween or young teen that is into comics. I have always believed that art, stories and music are the best ways we can teach our children to express themselves in a way that is not harmful. This book provides a wonderful way for young people to learn something new and to expand what is within them. It is well rounded, it feels natural to learn from and it really is something amazing to see what your child comes up with.
Barbara Slate has done it all. Her first character, Ms. Liz, appeared on millions of greeting cards, in a regular comic strip for Cosmopolitan magazine, as a spokesperson for Dupont’s Lycra and as the star in a series of animated segments on NBC’s Today Show. Her big break in comics came when she created Angel Love for DC Comics. From there, she created, wrote and drew Yuppies from Hell, and Sweet XVI for Marvel and put her own spin on the Disney classics Beauty and the Beast, Pocahontas, Archie’s Betty and Veronica, and Mattel’s Barbie. Barbara’s art has been exhibited in many galleries and reviewed by The New York Times. She is profiled in the seminal work A Century of Women Cartoonists. Stan Lee, Chairman, POW! Entertainment and Chairman Emeritus, Marvel Entertainment, calls Barbara “titanically talented.” She is currently busy being a mom, doing a graphic novel titled, I Got Married and Other Mistakes, and teaching.
Barbara Slate also has Graphic Novel Workshops, check to see if she will be in your area!
Connect:
You can connect with Barbara Slate, @BarbaraSlate on Twitter!
Buy It!
You can buy the You Can Do A Graphic Novel by Barbara Slate for $14.56.
I received samples for the purpose of reviewing. Opinions expressed are my own or my families and are not influenced by any form of compensation. Take it or leave it. Click here to view my full acknowledgment policy.
