Brian Fairrington 
Drawing Cartoons and Comics For Dummies 

A unique reference for creating and marketing original cartoons
and comics

An original American art form, comics thrill millions of people
across the globe. Combining step-by-step instruction with expert
tips and advice, Drawing Cartoons & Comics For Dummies
is a one-stop reference for creating and marketing original
cartoons and comics. While many books tend to focus on specific
characters or themes, this thorough guide focuses instead on
helping aspiring artists master the basic building blocks of
cartoons and comics, revealing step by step how to create
everything from wisecracking bunnies to souped-up super villains.
It also explores lettering and coloring, and offers expert
marketing advice. The book’s color insert provides guidance on how
to add color to cartoon creations.

Table of Content

Introduction.

Part I: Drawing Inspiration: Getting Started with Cartoons
and Comics.

Chapter 1: The Skinny on Cartoons and Comics.

Chapter 2: Looking at the Different Cartooning Genres.

Chapter 3: Getting Your Workspace Ready to Go.

Chapter 4: Starting with the Drawing Basics.

Chapter 5: Coming Up with Ideas.

Part II: Creating Cartoon Characters.

Chapter 6: Starting from the Top.

Chapter 7: From the Neck Down.

Chapter 8: Designing Human Cartoon Characters.

Chapter 9: Giving Inanimate Objects Personality.

Chapter 10: Exploring Anthropomorphism: Creating Animals and
Other Creatures That Talk.

Chapter 11: Drafting Editorial Cartoon Characters.

Part III: Cartoon Designs 101: Assembling the Parts.

Chapter 12: Putting Everything in Your Comics in
Perspective.

Chapter 13: The Art of Lettering.

Chapter 14: Directing the Scene.

Part IV: Cartooning 2.0: Taking Your Cartoons to the Next
Level.

Chapter 15: Cartooning in the Digital Age.

Chapter 16: Making Cartooning Your Livelihood.

Part V: The Part of Tens.

Chapter 17: Ten Steps to a Finished Comic Strip.

Chapter 18: Ten Secrets to Breaking in to a Cartooning
Career.

Index.

About the author

Brian Fairrington is a nationally syndicated cartoonist whose work has appeared in The New York Times, USA Today, and Time magazine, as well as on CNN, Fox News, and MSNBC. Fairrington has won many awards, including the Charles M. Schulz award for college cartooning and the John Locher Memorial Award, given annually by the Association of American Editorial Cartoonists (AAEC).