Draw With Jazza - Creating Characters: Fun and Easy Guide to Drawing Cartoons and Comics
At a glance
LuvemBooks Verdict
Best for
Beginner and intermediate cartoonists — especially fans of Josiah Brooks's Draw with Jazza YouTube channel — who want a structured, repeatable, genre-flexible method for inventing and drawing original characters for comics, cartoons, and video games.
Worth it if
You want a fun, accessible, step-by-step system for character design that works across wildly different genres and styles, and you value a self-taught creator's practical, tutorial-minded approach over formal academic instruction.
Skip if
You are already comfortable with character design fundamentals, or you are seeking advanced anatomy instruction, classical technique, or deep comic book storytelling craft — the book's deliberately accessible scope will cover ground you have already crossed.
What readers & critics say
Publisher and bookseller descriptions, as reproduced across Barnes & Noble and Biblio, consistently highlight the book's easy-to-follow, repeatable method for inventing original characters across genres. A reader quoted on AllBookStores praised the book's style-agnostic approach, noting that "once you understand the simplified shapes of the body you can apply those techniques to generate all sorts of characters and art styles, from flat cartoons to 3D characters."
“It is not so much a how to draw book as how to create characters for your stories, comics, and illustrations.”
— AllBookStores (reader review)“Once you understand the simplified shapes of the body you can apply those techniques to generate all sorts of characters and art styles.”
— AllBookStores (reader review)“An easy-to-follow method that will help you to invent and draw original characters time and time again.”
— Barnes & Noble“Josiah created his channel to share his self-taught techniques for character design, illustration and animation, and the channel grew rapidly in popularity.”
— BiblioLook inside the book
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- Is it worth reading?
- For beginners and intermediate artists who want structured, accessible guidance on character design, the book earns a strong recommendation — BestViewsReviews reported approximately 100% positive sentiment across 32 analyzed reviews, a notably uniform reception. Its greatest strength is the genre-flexible, repeatable framework applicable to comics, video games, sci-fi, steampunk, and more. The key caveat is scope: readers seeking deep instruction in anatomy, formal technique, or advanced comic book storytelling will find its ambitions deliberately modest, as the subtitle — 'Fun and Easy Guide' — plainly signals.
- Similar books
- Readers drawn to Draw With Jazza – Creating Characters for its accessible, structured approach to cartooning and comics may also want to explore Cartooning: Philosophy and Practice by Ivan Brunetti, which offers a concise and opinionated framework for the cartoonist's craft, or You Can Draw in 30 Days by Mark Kistler for another beginner-friendly, step-by-step drawing system. For those curious about the broader world of comics and manga as a cultural form, Manga! Manga! The World of Japanese Comics by Frederik L. Schodt is a foundational text. Drawing Words and Writing Pictures by Jessica Abel addresses the intersection of visual storytelling and comics-making for those wanting to develop narrative alongside drawing skills. For readers who want to build core observational drawing skills before tackling character design, Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain by Betty Edwards remains a widely recommended starting point.
- Who should read this?
- The book is squarely aimed at beginners and intermediate artists who want structured, repeatable guidance for inventing and drawing original characters — particularly those interested in genres like sci-fi, steampunk, comics, and video game art. Fans of Josiah Brooks's Draw with Jazza YouTube channel will find the book a natural, tangible extension of the instructional approach they already know. It is less well-suited to advanced artists or those seeking deep instruction in anatomy, classical technique, or formal comic book storytelling — the guide is designed to be accessible and fun, not exhaustive.
- What age is it for?
- Best for ages 12 and up, though motivated younger readers with an interest in drawing will also find it approachable. The guide is structured around an accessible, fun-first method — consistent with Brooks's YouTube teaching style aimed at a broad audience — and requires no prior formal art training. No notable content concerns apply.
- About Josiah Brooks
- Josiah Brooks is an Australian illustrator, YouTuber, and entrepreneur known online as 'Draw With Jazza.' He is the author of Draw With Jazza – Creating Characters: Fun and Easy Guide to Drawing Cartoons and Comics, in which he breaks down an easy-to-follow method for inventing and drawing original characters across genres such as sci-fi, steampunk, and comics.
- What's the reading level?
- The book is written at an accessible level consistent with its 'Fun and Easy' subtitle and Brooks's YouTube teaching style, making it readable for motivated teens and adults alike without requiring prior art training or technical vocabulary. Its instructional design prioritizes clarity and repeatability over technical depth, so readers do not need a strong art background to follow along.
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Age & Reading Level
Recommended age
Ages 12–18
Reading level
Young adult
Best for: Ages 12+ — text and instructional complexity suit independent teen and adult readers; younger motivated readers can engage with some support.
Skip if you're an advanced artist seeking deep instruction in anatomy, formal classical technique, or comic book storytelling theory.
Editorial Review
Published by IMPACT Books in November 2016, Draw With Jazza – Creating Characters: Fun and Easy Guide to Drawing Cartoons and Comics is a how-to instructional guide by Josiah "Jazza" Brooks — the self-taught artist and animator behind the popular YouTube channel Draw with Jazza — designed to walk aspiring cartoonists and comic artists through a repeatable method for inventing and drawing original characters across genres including sci-fi, steampunk, fantasy, and more. This review covers the book's content, design intent, and reception from published sources; it does not reflect hands-on use or testing.
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