Comics Grinder

“Michael Midas Champion: Book One” is an all-ages comic that takes superhero tropes thoughtfully and lovingly to a high level of entertainment. It has distinctive characters who not only walk and talk naturally. There’s a genuine quality that will make you want to follow their story. Michael is the good guy who is always bullied by Truck who is always muscling in on Danielle, the girl of Michael’s dreams. But push comes to shove, and Michael must stand his ground.

At the heart of this story is young adult nirvana. Tapping into the classic nice guy behind the superhero mask mythos, Jordan B. Gorfinkel has written a powerful story about youth finding the courage to act. And, hey, it doesn’t hurt that there’s a nice romance going on once Michael is brave enough to court Danielle. Scott Benefiel is totally in step with his artwork which further humanizes an already compelling narrative. Every superhero has that one villain that knows him a little too well and who is most capable of taking everything he holds dear away from him. That is the dynamic between Michael and Truck. It’s a story you’ll want to check out for yourself. And, by the way, it ends on a perfect cliffhanger.

“Michael Midas Champion: Book One” is a 144-page trade paperback, brought to you by Avalanche Comics, InkLit, and Penguin Random House, and is available as of August 4th.

Whether you are an artist, or would like to be, being able to draw without a model, but from memory, can be a challenge. With David H. Ross, you are definitely learning from the best. Mr. Ross has worked with all the major North American comic book publishers including Marvel Comics, DC Comics, and Dark Horse Comics. I can tell you, as an artist myself, that he knows numerous techniques that do indeed make it possible to work from memory. Look no further than his new book, “Freehand Figure Drawing For Illustrators: Mastering the Art of Drawing from Memory,” published by Watson-Guptill Publications, an imprint of Penguin Random House.

Here you will find the time-honored methods and practical guidelines that you need. In a lot of ways, it all seems rather easy and Ross makes that possible with very clear examples, one step at a time. I believe that clearing all the clutter is essential in art instruction. You address one aspect, focus on that, and move on to the next. Ross begins with the first place you need to go and that’s the space that your model inhabits. If you’ve ever felt a need for a refresher on perspective, you’ll find it here.

The basics and then some, that’s what this book offers. I have fond memories of art school and having my trusty little wooden mannequin as well as a skeleton and skull to keep me company. But, with this book, you find ways to internalize that reference. That’s a key point. So, when you do have your model in the flesh, you can work faster as you go deeper into your interpretation. Anatomy, posture, bone structure, all of this will already be stored away and allow you to concentrate on the unique character of your model. And, of course, with this book’s guidance, you can always work without a model at all.

“Freehand Figure Drawing” is a 208-page trade paperback, published by Watson-Guptill, an imprint of Penguin Random House, and is available as of July 28th. For more details, visit our friends at Penguin Random House right here.

August 3, 2015 · 2:00 am