School Library Journal Review
Gr 5-8-Hart offers budding cartoonists a mix of basic instructions and savvy technical advice for creating a wide variety of generic giant robots, robotlike craft, cyborgs of both sexes, and bad-guy types ("Evil Scientist," "Corporate Villain," etc.), then posing them for maximum visual effect. Starting in the traditional way, with blocky geometric shapes, each figure proceeds through two or three stages to finished model, surrounded by pithy observations, comments, or general encouragement. In a tangentially relevant closing interview, Heinz Schuller, art director at Microsoft's Fasa Studio, delivers generalities about how to break into the field of digital-game design. Though Hart has little to say about drawing on screen rather than paper, his "can-do!" tone and cogent instructions, as well as the gallery of chiseled, heavily armed, hypercomplicated machines, will make this volume appealing to both casual browsers and serious young artists.-John Peters, New York Public Library (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Booklist Review
Gr. 4^-8. Granted, these aren't graphic novels, but they fit right in as many kids want to draw their own comics and create their own stories. By a familiar writer of how-to-draw books, these large-format paperbacks explain the basics of drawing in the style of anime (Japanese animated films) and manga (Japanese comics). Hart's enthusiastic approach energizes the texts, and both books are loaded with full-color illustrations that will surely attract readers. Kids, for the younger end of the audience range, moves quickly through the preliminaries of sketching "big-eye" characters' physical attributes, then goes on to demonstrate how to put figures in motion and, using a few successive drawings, how to create some typical characters. Kids who want detailed anime instructions will need to look elsewhere; those who just want some basics will find plenty here. Mech Mania, aimed at older readers with more art experience, focuses on the futuristic robots, vehicles, and weapons found in anime and manga scenes as well as in video games. From the blueprints for a spaceship to advice on showing characters in action or revealing a robot's mood through its posture, this dynamic book offers a useful mix of creative inspiration and practical advice. Hart ends with an informative interview with the art director of Microsoft's Fasa Studio. Slick, heavy paper, vibrant colors, and sharply defined lines in the finished illustrations add to the appeal and make these books sturdier than most paperbacks. --Carolyn PhelanRBBReviews
