Design Meme

Last year Steven Withrow asked me to contribute to a book he was putting together on webcomics. I was flattered to be asked, and wrote what I thought would be good advice for someone getting started with using a computer to publish their comics. At the time I thought the book would probably be small press or self-published, and after a few months I forgot about it entirely.

A few weeks ago I was at Chapters, our local bookstore, and saw a really nice book called… Webcomics : Tools and Techniques for Digital Cartooning... by Steven Withrow and John Barber! It wasn’t a small press book after all—it was a high quality, full-colour coffee table book. But what impressed me the most was the the number of talented cartoonists who had also contributed advice and artwork. Some like Nate Piekos, Joey Manley and Amy Ganter I knew quite well. Others like Shaenon Garrity and Joe Zabel I knew of, but hadn’t really read much of their work. As I flipped through the pages I realized it wasn’t just a book that I’d pick up because I’d contributed to it—it was actually the sort of book I’d want to have on my shelf next to my copy of Understanding Comics.

I spent some time reading through my copy today, and it makes me want to pick up my sketchbook and pencils again.