Popular how-to-draw author Chris Hart has moved from his longtime publisher, Watson-Guptill, to Sterling Publishing and will launch a new line of drawing books for Sterling’s crafts/DIY imprint Sixth & Spring. Scheduled to be released this May are Drawing the New Adventure Cartoons, Cartooning: The Ultimate Character Design Book and Manga Mania: Romance. In August, look for two more titles, Manga Mania: Shonen and Wizards, Witches and Warlocks. And in the fall of 2008, Hart and Sixth & Spring will also debut a new series of how-to-draw books aimed at very young children.
Best known for publishing titles on knitting, crocheting and beading, Sixth & Spring is distributed by Sterling Publishers, which is owned by the national book retail chain Barnes &Noble. Sterling plans to promote the books in stores and at trade shows, as well as at art supply and crafts stores and through in-store promotions at Barnes & Noble. Sterling also plans to target librarians and the manga market as well.
Although Hart started out as a cartoonist, over the course of nearly 20 years he has authored and illustrated more than 60 bestselling how-to-draw titles for Watson-Guptill. His books range from teaching the ins-and-outs of comics and cartooning to detailing the subtleties of manga and anime. Indeed, Hart is a powerhouse author in the how-to-draw category and virtually all his Watson-Guptill books remain in print. Last year, he decided to part ways with Watson-Guptill and moved to Sterling in an effort to start anew and create a new line of how-to-draw books.
“I have ideas for new areas that I want to go into, and Sixth & Spring is excited to do that,” Hart said. Hart also plans to be more involved in the production of his books. “They want my input [and oversight] on all my books, on coloring, on the layout, the packaging,” Hart said. “I’ve been given more responsibility and control, and [the line will be] a great collaborative effort,” Hart said, emphasizing Sterling’s strength in the how-to book market and its relationship to B&N, one of the largest book retailers in the country. “Sterling is a powerhouse,” said Hart. “Their distribution system was very appealing to me.”
Hart said that his new line of books will be more “character-based” than his previous works. “Manga is all about the relationships between the characters,” explained Hart, describing his method of teaching as “personality-driven art instruction.” He said, “[Readers] don’t just want an image—they want to draw someone with a backstory.”
Hart said that while Watson-Guptill will continue to publish his Manga Mania backlist, he has launched a new version of the ongoing series at Sterling. The new Manga Mania titles will feature a fresh, current look that includes the art styles that are trendy in Japan. He has also collaborated with Japanese artists on these books in order to give them “authenticity” in a U.S. manga market that is very much focused on what’s happening in Japan. His new books will also have more step-by-step instructions instead of his former emphasis on illustrated examples. “My readers are inspired by the art but want to really get the hands-on, gritty instruction for the image,” said Hart, adding that he’s out to give his readers the tools to create their own graphic novels. “That may seem like a reach,” Hart said, “but it’s what manga fans want to do.”
In the fall of 2008, Hart is launching a series of drawing titles geared to children ages 4—8. The titles include Draw a Circle, Draw Anything; Draw a Square, Draw Anything; and Draw a Triangle, Draw Anything. “These books will give a kid confidence,” Hart said. “Start with a shape and you can draw anything. You don’t have to draw a particular face or body, just draw a square and go from there.”
In addition to his how-to-draw books, Hart is teaming up with the Indonesian manga artist Anzu to publish an original, manga-influenced graphic novel entitled The Reformed, which will be released in May from Del Rey Manga. Hart, who wrote the story, describes the work as “a tortured vampire story.” The book will be illustrated by Anzu.
