Drawing Cutting Edge Anatomy

A good understanding of anatomy is essential for any comic artist, and while this is not the most comprehensive or accurate anatomy references I've seen - the 'Ultimate Reference Guide' subtitle is not appropriate - Hart's book will be a boon to young cartoonists by making anatomy relevant to their interests. Best suited to those who already have some experience in drawing, as it assumes some understanding of drawing and representing three-dimensional form.

Generally I'm not a big fan of Christopher Hart, as his style can be a bit forumlaic. However, 'Drawing Cutting Edge Anatomy' covers a lot of ground and gives useful tips that young cartoonists can easily apply to their work. 'Cutting Edge Anatomy' is broken up into sections, covering classic comic book types and basic anatomical structure, then looks at each section of the body in isolation - for example, the structure of the shoulder muscles and how they look in different poses. The intended audience of younger readers - perhaps young teens - means that Hart has handled most of the work tastefully. In typical comic style the females all have silicone-loaded chests barely held by the bikini strings, while most of the musclebound male figures have crotch bulges vaguely sketched around or hidden by clothing. 'Cutting Edge Anatomy' is packed with images, many in color, so will be enjoyed by those who aren't fond of reading. An added bonus is a section by Christopher Hart on beginning a cartooning career, including several interviews with leading cartoonists from Marvel and Dark Horse comics. I'd recommend this book for a young cartoonist just getting into anatomy, perhaps used in conjunction with a more traditional anatomical text for detailed reference.