Any tween, teen, or adult who is interested in writing or illustrating their own manga could not possibly be disappointed by the breadth of knowledge and number of subjects they will find covered in the extravagantly thorough How to Be a Manga Artist.
Italian publisher and author Balthazar Pagani and Japanese graphic novelist Fumio Obata team up with Japanese translator and manga expert Asuka Ozumi to provide a manga primer that is itself a graphic novel. The nonfiction work is broken into six chapters that discuss the history of manga, life as a mangaka, what to do before you begin writing, how to get started in the field, manga icons, and must-read series. Italian comic artist Silvia Vanni exuberantly illustrates the title and expertly depicts the artistic styles of manga, visual effects, and fundamentals of storytelling discussed in the text. Backmatter includes recommended reading, a glossary, and an index to help creatives get a better grasp on the topics included. How to Be a Manga Artist is a perfect read for the manga-obsessed. --Siân Gaetano, children's and YA editor, Shelf Awareness