The Art of Cartooning with Flash

Adam Tracksler, CreativeCOW.net
"If you are serious about making cartoons with Flash... you should definitely read this book."


Steve Landis, Help 4 Flash
"The book, combined with the CD, is an excellent resource that will give you a fast start to Flash Animation."


Book Description
An indispensable resource for those interested in cartooning with Flash! This unique book contains superb coverage of proper animation technique and practice, focusing on cartooning using Macromedia Flash. Written by professional animators, cartoonists, and computer artists and presented in a beautiful, full-color package, this book offers real-world examples, step-by-step explanations, and helpful diagrams. The CD includes lesson tutorials (using sample animated characters), a trial version of Flash 5, Flash toys and games by Twinkle, sound and graphics tools, and links to studios as well as learning and job resources.


Sybex
Face it, funny doesn't come in the Flash box. Alas, there's no "make funny" button. At long last, here's a book with the pure intent of helping you squeeze more entertaining bits out of Flash. If you've ever dreamt of creating your own animated cartoon, this book is a must read.

FROM OUR EDITORS

The Barnes & Noble Review
The 12 fundamental principles Disney animators discovered in the 1930s still apply, but Disney's animators would've flipped out if you handed them a copy of Flash 5. They'd need this book to show them how to apply their age-old ideas with this newfangled tool.

The Art of Cartooning with Flash comes from the animators at Twinkle (don't know their work? Hop over to www.twinkleland.com/gallery2.html -- we'll wait). You'll discover how they've learned to meld technology and creative imagination, and learn a raft of "secret" details that make the difference between "run-of-the-mill" and superb animations. Some of this is technical (nested symbols and motion tweening aren't optimized for character animation; you'll need more manual adjusting than you'd like.) Much of it isn't: how to tell a good animated story, for example. After observing that "funny can't be taught," the authors come as close as anyone ever has.

The book's climax is a walk-through of an entire episode of Jickett's Speed Shop: 145 shots, each explained, shortcuts, cheats, trick angles, and all (the episode itself's on the accompanying CD-ROM). You'll enjoy every second of it -- and every page of this book. (Bill Camarda)

Bill Camarda is a consultant, writer, and web/multimedia content developer with nearly 20 years' experience in helping technology companies deploy and market advanced software, computing, and networking products and services. He served for nearly ten years as vice president of a New Jersey–based marketing company, where he supervised a wide range of graphics and web design projects. His 15 books include Special Edition Using Word 2000 and Upgrading & Fixing Networks For Dummies®, Second Edition.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

—The Art of Cartooning with Flash is Sybex's unique new book about using Flash's animation powers. This unique book covers character animation, focusing on cartooning.

—The Art of Cartooning with Flash's strength is in it's superb coverage of proper animation technique and practice. It is written by professional animators, cartoonists, and computer artists, and is in full color throughout so you will see exactly what would appear on screen.

—CD includes lesson tutorials (using sample animated characters), a trial version of Flash 5, Flash toys and games by Twinkle, and job resources! All this makes this book an indepensable resource for those interested in cartooning.