Klaus Janson - The DC Comics Guide to Pencilling Comics

Dedicated to my mother ,
who teaches by example .

I first became aware of Klaus Janson while I was the editor at Charlton Comics in Derby, Connecticut, and Klaus was a young comics fan and prolific letter-writer living in Bridgeport, Connecticut, who directed his comments to the letters pages that appeared in our comics. As editor I read all letters and replied to the best ones in the columns. I cannot now recall how many of Klauss letters saw print, but I do know that I began to look forward to reading his letters each month. They were intelligent, sensitive, and well-informed responses to the work we were publishing at Charlton at that time. After reading a particular emotional letter that hed written (not about comics but a sad real-world event), I was moved to invite him to Derby to show him a bit of the publishing world and maybe chat a bit.

So we met and became friends. That friendship has endured for more than three decades, despite our separate activities rarely placing us in the same place at the same time. When we do get together, we have that capacity to pick up where we left off that is common between friends.

Our bond? A mutual respect for each other as individuals and as fellow professionals, a mutual love of the comics art form, and a mutual desire to better the form and derive greater satisfaction from practicing it.

I believe that this book is an extension of Klauss love of the art form of comicsa method of giving something back and sharing with others the knowledge that he has acquired through decades of intense study and hard work. It is written in straightforward, clear, readily understandable, and informative text. The numerous illustrations illuminate and highlight the key portions of each chapter. It was a monumental task to present all this information in such an easily digestible form that is intended for both the individual preparing for a career in comics and the individual loathe to give up amateur status but wishing to take a hobby to another level. Additionally, although the information is specifically slanted to the budding comics artist, it also serves a function in instructing those interested in pursuing careers in illustration or advertising art. Drawing is, after all, drawing.

So, my friend, without further ado, read the book you hold in your hands. It is written by a veteran professional who has risen to the top of his field. Read it, enjoy it, and, most of all, learn from it. The more focused you are, the more you will learn. Remember, there is no fast track to becoming a good artist. Becoming tops at what you do is almost always a triumph of perspiration over inspiration.

It may be a slow trip but since the trip is half the fun, have a good trip.

Dick Giordano

From Gordon of Gotham #1 (June 1998). Script by Dennis ONeil and art by Dick Giordano and Klaus Janson.

So you think you want to be a comic book artist? Youve been reading comics for years and you want to draw your own stories? Congratulations! Youve just chosen one of the most difficult art forms available.

Have you ever looked carefully at the drawings of young children? Although interesting on many other levels, they do not fulfill the requirements needed to be effective drawings. They do not include any knowledge of perspective, anatomy, or composition. Kids drawings have no structure.

Artwork in the first comic books was often crude and uninformed. Yet in those early years, when most artists were struggling with basic drawing skills and the language of storytelling, a number of pioneers stood out. Will Eisner, Jack Kirby, Harvey Kurtzman, Joe Kubert, Milton Caniff, Alex Toth, and others led comics into a more visually exciting era. Why? Because they understood the skills and language of drawing.

Drawing involves more than a pencil and a sheet of paper. It requires study. Understanding the various components and disciplines of effective drawing demands a conscious decision and effort on the part of the artist. These will not develop by wishful thinking. Art is a language. To understand a language is to dedicate yourself to the task with resolve and commitment. The following chapters will give you a glimpse of where to begin.

ONE

MATERIALS

When I was starting out in the comics industry in the early 70s, I often heard the saying, A poor artist blames his tools. For the longest time I thought this meant that a good artist could overcome his or her lack of proper equipment and make good art out of anything. It seemed that a passionate and dedicated artist could make art with a stick and some pudding.

I still agree with this theory in general, but it doesnt hold up when it is applied to comics. Comic books add a dimension to the creative process that neutralizes that idea. The fact that comic books are reproduced on a mass scale requires a less casual approach to the work than using any old thing thats lying in the back of your closet. Im sure someone can make art with a stick and some pudding; its just not the best approach to use for comics.