Build your own gag with Osamu Tezuka!

Build your own gag with Osamu Tezuka! I don't even WANT to know the translation...this page makes my head spin in wonderful ways :)

Click image for full-size scan

“Tack’s Cartoon Tips for the Aspiring Cartoonist” (1923) Vintage Book on How to Draw Cartoons

Brand-new high-res scans from “Tack’s Cartoon Tips for the Aspiring Cartoonist” (1923) — I’ll be posting the whole book on my “How to Draw Cartoons” page at https://www.facebook.com/CartoonTips

"Popeye's How to Draw Cartoons" (1939) Complete scans from a great cartooning book

I love collecting old "How to Draw Cartoons" books, and this one is among my favorites: "Popeye's How to Draw Cartoons" by Joe Musial from 1939. I finally got a giant scanner, so now I can share this really fun vintage cartooning book!

The thumbnail below gives you just a hint of what's inside; There's about 40 full-sized pages of classic cartoon art and "How to draw cartoons" instruction. Click on the picture to jump to the photo album.

or you can find it here: http://bit.ly/PopeyeCartooningBook

“Tremendous Urgent Demand for Cartoonists” and other Vintage Art and Cartooning School Ads

“Regardless of how little you know
about cartooning now, you can easily qualify
for a position in this attractive,
high-salaried business.”
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“New Method Makes Cartooning
Astonishingly Easy to Learn!” -------

“You will be amazed at how quickly it teaches you to draw salable work…”

”Enjoy the fascinating life of a successful cartoonist – easy hours, freedom from routine, your own boss, and $3,000 to $15,000 a year for this work that is play!”
…and that’s in 1925 dollars! Sign me up!

…and see more ads like this at:

http://bit.ly/ArtistsMakeBigMoney
http://bit.ly/MasterCartooningAtHome
and http://bit.ly/AnimatorsNeeded
and http://bit.ly/HiddenTalent

How to Draw Cartoons the "Old-School Way" by animator Bill Nolan

A couple years ago, our pals at the ASIFA-Hollywood Animation Archive scanned in this "how-to-draw" book by animation pioneer William C. Nolan: "Cartooning Self-Taught"

Update: seems like all the old links to the Archive site are broken, so I'm posting all the images right here until they return to the Asifa Archive blog.

Bill Nolan is one of the hugest unsung heroes and animation -- is often credited with creating the rubber hose style of cartoons. It was Bill Nolan that helped Otto Messmer refine Felix the Cat into the bouncy, round, cartoony character that he became in the mid-20s.

I just love the giant hands on all these characters, reminding me of Bud Fisher's Mutt& Jeff, Elzie C. Segar's Thimble Theater (Popeye) and George Herriman's Stumble Inn. It's kinda strange how different decades have different cartooning styles. I wouldn't mind at all if this old-timey "bigfoot" style started to make a comeback!

This book is a quick survey of the most basic building blocks of how to draw cartoon characters: There are different mini lessons on how to draw the head, hands, feet, full figures, action poses, animals and kids. Like a lot of books of this type, it doesn't go into great detail, but it's fun for what it is!

“Make Big Money - Become an Artist” 1950’s Correspondence Art & Cartooning School Ads

“Make Big Money - Become an Artist”

“No Skill Needed!”

“Plastic template with cut-out spaces and holes
lets you make over 200 different cartoons”

“Be popular – wow your friends!”

…and see more ads like this at:
http://bit.ly/MasterCartooningAtHome
and http://bit.ly/AnimatorsNeeded
and http://bit.ly/HiddenTalent

“If YOU Have Hidden Talent, Your future is Secure!” More 1950’s Art School Ads

 

If YOU have hidden talent, your future is secure!

See How Easy It Is!

…and finally three different variations on an ad from The Cartoonists’ Exchange

More like this at http://bit.ly/MasterCartooningAtHome 
and http://bit.ly/AnimatorsNeeded

“Trained Animators Needed in Hollywood!” Animated Cartooning School of America Ads 1954-1955

“Written, illustrated and taught by top experts.”

Master Cartooning at Home in a Few Short Weeks -- Vintage Ad from Popular Mechanics 1960

"Draw Cartoons..for a wonderful pastime or excellent earnings. Master cartooning at home in a few short weeks without waste of time or effort!"

Here are some ads for cartooning schools that ran in the 1930's

 …and here's a cool image from a Honda ad from the 1960 issue:

You can check out these high-quality scans

of vintage Popular Mechanics magazines at:

http://bit.ly/Vintage_Popular_Mechanics

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This has nothing to do with cartooning, but it's a pretty cool image: