ALL-AGES READS: ALEXA KITCHEN

[MattBrady]

by Tracy, Sarah and Shelby Edmunds

Welcome to All Ages Reads. Our review crew consists of Tracy (mom, teacher, and avid comic reader), Sarah (third-grader, age 8) and Shelby (fifth-grader, age 11). Our mission is to seek out comics and graphic novels that both kids and adults can enjoy and tell you all about them so you can enjoy them, too.

Drawing Comics is Easy (Except When It’s Hard) by Alexa Kitchen (DKP)

Alexa Kitchen, age nine, is the youngest person ever nominated for an Eisner award. Her book, Drawing Comics is Easy (Except When It’s Hard), edited and published by her father, Denis Kitchen, was written when she was seven. It’s a how-to book on creating comic strips, written by a kid for kids, but it’s punctuated with so many moments of clarity and brilliance that even the most seasoned comic creator will benefit from Alexa’s insight. Everything looks different through the eyes of a child. The book is most definitely inspirational – immediately upon finishing the book, both Shelby and Sarah grabbed pencils and paper and got to work. I was amazed at the improvement in Sarah’s work in particular from before reading the book to after; Alexa is not only a great cartoonist, she’s a great teacher!

Sarah says: It’s about how to make comic strips and sometimes how to draw realistic pictures. I liked when she tells you the color setups, like which colors work for walls and which colors work for sunsets and which colors work for characters. After I read the book I decided I that I wanted to make my own little comic strip. I used the part where she helps you decide what clothing to give to the character; where she helps you design your characters; and where she helps you with colors. I don’t think I could have done as well without her help because I followed her steps: sketch, clean, pen, color. Without that mine wouldn’t have been as good. Some adults would like it if they are comic lovers because they’d like to see a little bit of a kid’s point of view of comics. I think it would even help famous comic book writers because it helps them organize their work. Kids that really want to be famous writers or artists (maybe even both) when they grow up should read it because it helps with both.

Shelby says: Alexa’s book is about how to create a comic strip or a graphic novel. She gives you lots of tips on where to place the words in the panel and what colors to use. She has gotten a lot better since she was 7 (when she wrote the book) to now. Now she does more detailed drawings and comic strips. I like the way she shows you how to draw the backgrounds and the characters separately so you can cut out the characters and paste them in. I used the idea of just the background and did drawings of my dream house. This is a book for almost anyone even if they’ve never read comics before. It’s good for kids because she’s speaking mostly to them. It helped me understand how to do funny comics, because I’m not really the funny kind of writer.

The girls found Alexa’s work so interesting that we just had to interview her. We began with Alexa answering some of the girls’ questions via email:

Shelby: How do you get the ideas for your comic strips?

Alexa: Well, I’m a daydreamer. I just daydream and ideas pop into my head!

Shelby: How long every day do you spend working on your comics?

Alexa: Maybe about 30 minutes total. Sometimes lots more. It depends.

Shelby: Do you do any other activities?

Alexa: Oh, sure. I read, play outside, play on the computer, etc. It’s not just drawing.

Sarah: Do the kids at school know you do comics? Do they all want to talk to you about it?

Alexa: Everybody in my school knows about it. Some have even tried it themselves.

Sarah: What's it like when people ask you for sketches and autographs and stuff?

Alexa: Sometimes it can be kind of stressful. At the conventions, everybody wants a drawing, and eventually I run out of ideas.

Sarah: Do you base your characters on real people and animals, and if you do, do they like being in your comics?

Alexa: Well, my character Denis the cat is named after my Dad. Truthfully, Denis the cat was mostly inspired by Garfield. My Dad doesn’t like having a fat, lazy cat named after him.

Later, the girls and I spoke to Alexa by phone. When asked where her inspiration comes from, Alexa said, “I daydream a lot, especially in the car. I just stare out the window. Sometimes ideas just pop in from Pluto!” She also draws from her own life; anything from a visit to the doctor to a fight with her mom is fair game for a strip.

I asked Alexa why she doesn’t finish many of her comics, and she said, “Well, sometimes I start drawing but I don’t plan out where I’m going to go so I just stop. And sometimes I just get bored.”

When asked about her Eisner nomination, she perked up considerably and gushed on about how great it was and how she couldn’t believe she had to wait all the way until July to find out if she won, followed by, “but my dad says it’s an honor to be nominated.” I found it interesting that Alexa doesn’t know who her competition is for the Eisner and when I offered to tell her, she declined – she said she’d rather be surprised.

Shelby: It seems that Alexa is just like me when it comes to school; she says that math is boring and reading and writing is fun. I totally agree. We are both writing chapter books, too. When Alexa has a bad day or she’s feeling sad or angry, she draws about it and it makes her feel better. I just throw things at the wall (not anything dangerous, of course). It was funny that her mom doesn’t always see some of her work about her mom getting mad at her because all her drawings are in piles on the coffee table and around the house. Her dad sorts through them all and picks the ones that go into her books.

Sarah: Sometimes her dad puts stuff in that she doesn’t like. I would not like that to happen to me. Alexa is exactly like me – we both like to have chocolate and we both daydream and we both get in fights with our friends sometimes. Alexa says she likes Calvin and Hobbes, Mutts, and Peanuts. And she says her Denis the cat is based on Garfield the cat.

When Sarah told Alexa about the comic she had drawn after reading the book, Alexa said she’d like to see it but she hoped it was different than her work. “After all,” she said, “the best thing about comics is being original.”

Alexa’s website, maintained by her mother, Stacy, documents Alexa’s growth as an artist from age 5 to the present and is well worth your time.

Email the authors: allagescomics@hotmail.com
The Big All Ages List at ComicsintheClassroom.net
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[adamcasey]

This is a nifty little book. The childhood innoncence it takes to artistic expression and comics production means every page gives you a smile.

Definitely take a look at this one.

[ShinAkuma666]

Great article ! Only 9 years old and nominated for an Eisner award, that is SO incredible !

Good luck to her and it will be interesting to see where this young smart and talented artist will take her ART in the future.

It also helps that her parents are 100% behind her.

[Illustr8r]

(shaking head) The industry is doomed.

http://blog.myspace.com/index.cfm?fu...0-102e1761ca1b

[John Gallagher]

Originally Posted by Illustr8r

(shaking head) The industry is doomed.

Not if we have new creators, with new ideas around. Alexa has a bright future ahead, and I will reccomened this book to the many poarents and kids who ask for guidance at a younger reading level.

I'm ordering on for my five-year-old daughter Katie right now.

Thanks for the review, gang!

And look for Buzzboy/Rboy red #0 on Free Comic Book Day!

[MattBrady]

Originally Posted by Illustr8r

(shaking head) The industry is doomed.

Why? Even your diary entry only says it's doomed again and again, without any reason or rationale.

Very curious too hear...

MattB

[JimmyKitty]

Doomed? Not on this planet - in my opinion.

I'm glad to see Alexa up to bat this early - I only wish more kids of this generation stepped up to the plate in this manner. Nice interview, too. Quite interesting to see how her mind works at this stage (works in piles, ideas like bolts of lightning, et.)

Good luck on the Eisner award. As her father implies, just the nomination alone is worth it.

[CitC]

I can hardly wait to show this to my grade 1 - 2 students when this comes. I have been using comics as a way to get kids writing for a couple of years, and I am sure that this will really spark a few of my kids to become better storytellers with their art. I hope the binding holds up to repeated readings.

[Jeremy Bear]

It seems to be a sweet little book by a thoughtful young lady. Not sure I'd buy it as anything other than a curiosity, but, then, I'm probably not the right audience for it. Anyhow, good for her.

The Eisner nomination, on the other hand, is a puzzler (to put it politely). I don't think it's a reflection of the future of the industry or the medium. I don't think it's a testament to the power of the work in question, either (no offense to Ms. Kitchen). Rather, sadly, I think it's a demonstration that an Eisner nomination isn't the honor it's made out to be and maybe it's a little more about who you know than what you've done.

I guess Alexa's getting a life lesson early on!

I agree with earlier posters, though, that there is a silver lining: it's a testament to the world that you're never the wrong age to imagine and create. While I don't think this book is worthy of an Eisner nom, I'm glad it's out there. Hopefully other young'uns will be inspired by her effort.