Artbook Review: Scribbles Vol. 1

Kaoru Mori is best known for her historical manga Emma and A Bride’s Story. For those who love her detailed illustrations, Yen Press has released Scribbles, a collection of Mori’s sketches and the thoughts behind them!

Back Cover Blurb

In this stunning volume, Kaoru Mori―author of award-winning series A Bride’s Story and Emma―shares works from her personal collection of sketches and concept drawings. From familiar characters and settings to illustrations drawn from Mori’s own interests, Scribbles is a fascinating glimpse behind the scenes and into the sketch books of one of Japan’s most beloved creators.

The Review

If you’re a fan of Kaoru Mori’s artwork, Scribbles is worth checking out. It’s a collection of sketches that Yen Press has packaged in fine fashion. There are no color drawings – the vast majority are pencil sketches with eight ink drawings thrown in. However, the book has been released as a hardcover, and when I compared it to Yen Press’ volumes of A Bride’s Story, I found the specs to be nearly identical. Both have dust jackets, the same dimensions, and the same brown covers with gold lettering on the spine. The weight and texture of the matte paper are also the same, as near as I can tell. The only difference is that the color used for the inner covers of A Bride’s Story are red, and Scribbles has a teal inner cover. Basically, Yen Press has maintained consistency with their Kaoru Mori titles so that they can all be shelved harmoniously together.

And the effort is worth it. Scribbles is not a manga with a story, but Mori-sensei’s artwork and commentary have a lot to offer to those familiar with her work.

If you’re acquainted with her historical works Emma and A Bride’s Story, you know that her illustrations are both a treat for the eyes and packed with exquisitely researched detail. Only a few of the drawings in Scribbles can be deemed polished, and some sketches Mori-sensei herself describes as “doodles.” Even so, the contents of this book are gorgeous, and the captions are an entertaining blend of research facts, thoughts about the subject matter, and the context in which she created her drawings.

In terms of organization, Scribbles has none. Drawings are not grouped by category, nor is there a table of contents. So it’s kind of a disordered, widely ranging collection. There are, as you might expect from the maid-obsessed mangaka, drawings of maids aplenty. However, the collection also includes bunny girls, cancan dancers, ballet dancers, and images inspired by operatic works such as Carmen. There are quite a bit of Victorian-era illustrations, but Edwardian and 20th-century business fashions are also included. Japanese garb is also featured, including Heian, Meiji, Taisho, and Showa styles along with a range of school uniforms. Subject matter includes humans, animals, and backdrops, but Mori-sensei definitely has a strong preference for female figures, from child to mature woman. And yes, there are a few nude sketches in the mix.

If you’re an Emma or maid fan, there’s a lot to like. Drawings related to the Emma series are featured on pages 2 through 13, 40 through 67, and 85 through 100. Illustrations include concept drawings for the Yujin figures series created for Emma, and captions include details that didn’t make it into the manga and Mori-sensei’s thoughts about the characters. Sketches from Mori-sensei’s other maid manga Shirley take up pages 74 through 84. And finally, the book includes an unexpected maid-related treat. Apparently, Mori-sensei still had maids on the brain after Emma concluded, so she sketched a three-part maid mini-manga for herself, and you can find it on pages 168 through 177.

To fans of A Bride’s Story, I’m sorry to say there isn’t nearly as much material related to that series. Only ten concept drawings are included in the collection. However, their captions provide an interesting glimpse of the early stages of that work.

In Summary

Kaoru Mori is best known for her Victorian romance, Emma, and her Central Asian slice of life, A Bride’s Story. However, her repertoire isn’t limited to the 19th century, and Scribbles provides a glimpse of her wide-ranging interests. This collection contains ten pages of A Bride’s Story concept drawings and about a hundred pages of Emma and maid-related material, but the remaining half of the book is populated by illustrations ranging from bullfighters to military personnel to figures from Japanese folklore. The contents are almost entirely pencil sketches, but they brim with charm, and Mori-sensei’s notes are a lot of fun, too.

First published at the Fandom Post.

Bravest Warriors: The Search For Catbug Art Book Review

If you’re a fan of the Bravest Warriors animated series, chances are you’re also a fan of the cutest member of its cast, Catbug! Absolutely adorable with his squeaky voice and somewhat ADD personality, he’s now the star of an art book: Bravest Warriors: The Search for Catbug!

Back Cover Blurb

Four teenage travelers traverse the universe saving those in need…though not always in the way you’d expect…in fact…never! Along the way they meet aliens, phantoms and other interdimensionals—including everyone’s favorite, Catbug. Sometimes…they even meet themselves!

Featuring more than 25 artists, this is a new one-of-a-kind art book in the style of a classic seek & find from Perfect Square featuring the Bravest Warriors.

The Review

The Search for Catbug is a collaboration between Cartoon Hangover and Viz Media. What they’ve done is take the cast of Bravest Warriors, twenty-eight artists, and a simple prompt and created a book that’s part game, part art collection, and part Bravest Warriors merchandise.

This hardcover opens with a two-page intro in comic book format that lays the premise for the rest of its contents. In short, Catbug eats foodstuff cubes from Chris’ dreams, which cause him to lose control over his jump abilities. The Bravest Warriors can’t let him go careening through dimensions so they take off to find him.

What follows is not so much a cohesive story as it is twenty-eight separate graphic interpretations of what the Bravest Warriors’ search might look like. Each drawing is presented as a two-page spread in full color. Those looking for a collection entirely rendered in the cartoon’s style may be disappointed. Character designs and art media are as varied as the artists participating, ranging from Leong’s anime interpretation to Kuhn’s CG illustration to Hillburn’s watercolor candyland to Monlogo’s Escher inspired piece.

However, two things unify this collection. Every illustration features the four Bravest Warriors, and each has Catbug hidden somewhere in the details. And of course, the game is to locate Catbug in each picture. It’s very similar to Where’s Waldo?, but unlike the Where’s Waldo? illustrations which hide Waldo among crowds of people, these artists use a variety of tactics to hide Catbug, ranging from making him super tiny to placing him against a backdrop of ladybugs.

That aside, the artists don’t appear to have had any constraints with the subject matter. Most depictions include other characters, objects, and places from the animated series, and several feature the foodstuff cubes that caused Catbug’s uncontrollable jumping in the first place. Some have the Bravest Warriors in battle mode, while others are more pastoral. In keeping with the tone of the show, the pieces are generally fun with a heavy dose of randomness. And for those who search and search but just can’t seem to locate Catbug, the book includes a handy answer key in the back along with artist credits and their self-portraits.

In summary

The Search for Catbug can be summed up as a playful artist tribute to Bravest Warriors. If you are completely unfamiliar with the Cartoon Hangover series, this book probably isn’t the best introduction. While the artwork is entertaining and it is possible for newbies to have fun locating the Bravest Warriors’ cute little mascot, this collection will be best appreciated and enjoyed by those who are already fans.

First published in The Fandom Post.