The Lexicon of Comicana

Mort Walker, Chris Ware, Brian Walker

$65

Paperback

Forthcoming
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English

New York Review Comics
14 October 2025

Graphic novels

A new edition of Beetle Bailey creator Mort Walker's riotous and immensely influential handbook for drawing and reading cartoons-a book that's both a parody of humorless how-to guides and a genuine (and genuinely instructive) ode to the art of making comics.

A new edition of Beetle Bailey creator Mort Walker's riotous and immensely influential handbook for drawing and reading cartoons-a book that's both a parody of humorless how-to guides and a genuine (and genuinely instructive) ode to the art of making comics.

In a cartoon, what do you call the sweat drops shooting off a character's head? Those are ""Plewds."" What about when you see a character wagging their tongue out of their mouth? Oh, that's a ""Protusilation."" How about the lines coming off a freshly baked pie? That's ""Waftarom."" This sort of playful comics nomenclature abounds in The Lexicon of Comicana, the revered 1980 cartooning handbook authored by Mort Walker, creator of the legendary daily comic strip Beetle Bailey.

Both a send-up of lofty how-to-draw books and a sincere and hilarious love letter to the art of drawing cartoons, the Lexicon is a joyously exhaustive cheat sheet to key comics visuals that has been referenced and treasured by generations of cartoonists. This new edition includes an introduction by Chris Ware-who keeps a copy of the Lexicon next to his desk-and a meticulous appendix by Mort's son Brian Walker, who delves deep into the visual language of comics.

With the help of The Lexicon of Comicana, you'll come away a better, wiser, richer, and funnier artist. Plus, you'll learn what a ""Morf"" is-Mort's favorite part.

By: Mort Walker, Chris Ware
Appendix by: Brian Walker
Imprint: New York Review Comics
Country of Publication: United States
Dimensions: Height: 305mm, Width: 216mm,
Weight: 369g
ISBN: 9781681379562
ISBN 10: 1681379562
Pages: 135
Publication Date: 14 October 2025
Audience: General/trade , ELT Advanced
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Forthcoming

Mort Walker (1923-2018) was the creator of several iconic American comic strips, mostly famously Beetle Bailey and Hi and Lois, both of which are still in newspaper syndication today. Chris Ware is the author of the Acme Novelty Library series and several highly regarded graphic novels, among them Jimmy Corrigan- The Smartest Kid on Earth and Rusty Brown. Brian Walker is the son of Mort Walker and part of the creative team that now produces new strips of Beetle Bailey and Hi and Lois.