Mean 'n' Messy Monsters follows the introductory title in the Cartooning for Kids series, Crazy, Zany Cartoon Characters, expanding on its core concepts and teaching young artists to draw a range of fun and unique monsters in true cartooning style. Children will love learning how to reinterpret their favorite popular monsters in cartoon form, as well as design their own menacing characters, all with a colorful, silly touch. Featured sections cover characteristics, expressions, and gestures that make a cartoon monster come to life on the page, as well as creative ideas and techniques for rendering a monster in an unexpected costume, disguise, or location--all to scare and surprise, of course! Projects include widely recognized monsters from classic stories, movies, and legends, including beasts such as Godzilla, King Kong, Frankenstein, Mummies, zombies, and more-- reinterpreted in a fun and whimsical kid-friendly style! Each lesson begins with a simple shape and progresses to a colorful final piece of art, making it easy for budding artists of all skill levels to follow along. Along the way, tips and tricks from a professional cartoonist are included to guide their efforts, making this book an experience that is sure to create a new favorite pastime.

Dave Garbot is an experienced illustrator who enjoys working with clients to create fun and engaging images for a variety of projects. Relying on his whimsical imagination, humor, and attention to detail, Dave is often called upon for assignments in children's publishing, advertising, character development, stylish lettering, games, and fun maps. His list of clientele includes Barnes & Noble, Harper Collins, Penguin Press, Scholastic, Klutz Press, Sterling Publishing, Addison Wesley, Parenting Press, Carrabba's Restaurants, Hyatt Hotels, McDonald's, the Tribeca Film Festival, and Arnold Worldwide.