The Comic Book Lesson

July 25, 2022
Crilley (Mastering Manga) returns with an accessible but simplistic guide for readers keen on making their own comics. Instead of a textbook format, Crilley disguises his teachings through a narrative focused on Emily, a naive young teen eager to bring her pet detective story to life. While looking for a book that will show her “how to make comics” she finds Trudy, who is “working on a comic book project” herself. She offers to help Emily get started and quickly introduces her to Madeline, an outgoing zinester—or as Trudy puts it, “the real deal.” Between these two expert figures, Emily and therefore the reader are provided lessons on paneling, character designs, and scripting. However, the plot lacks much propulsion aside from being a vehicle for cartooning basics. Crilley’s art style has a YA feel, and employs some clever devices, such as leaving his sketch layer under the panels to hint at how students of the volume could letter and draft objects in their own projects. But compared to exemplar comics explainers such as Scott McCloud’s Making Comics or Lynda Barry’s Syllabus, this feels more like a companion or junior version. It’s best for younger readers wanting to dip their toes into comics creations.