Books by Ben Caldwell

Fantasy! Cartooning

by Ben Caldwell

The sizzling hot author of Action! Cartooning (100,000 copies sold!) has created a truly "fantastic" second book: a visually eye-popping, covers-it-all manual on drawing and understanding fantasy art.

A former Marvel cartoonist and one of the most talented young artists in this very hip field, Ben Caldwell now delivers his thrilling follow-up to Action! Cartooning. Fantasy! Cartooning is ideal for all kids and adults who love the Lord of the Rings movies, anticipate the Christmas 2005 release of The Chronicles of Narnia film, or have ever read a Harry Potter book. As before, Ben does not merely teach readers how to draw a line here or a circle there; he provides much, much more. Artists will find true insider tips on how to create mind-blowing scenes, awe-inspiring monsters, bigger-than-life heroes, and really incredible, magical landscapes. And because Ben Caldwell knows the fantasy genre inside out, he explains all the complex stories and legends behind each image, too.

All-Action Classics: Tom Sawyer (Volume 4)

by Mark Twain, Ben Caldwell

An exciting approach to the classics: vibrant, appealing graphic novels that bring beloved stories to a new generation of kids.

With its lively, fun narrative and irrepressible hero, Tom Sawyer is tailor-made for the graphic novel form. Just imagine such classic moments as Tom and Becky in the bat-filled cave or the hilarious fence-painting incident captured in bright and atmospheric images. The stunning art endows each character with personality and each scene with movement and energy. Every frame is filled with such breathtaking detail—from the buildings to the carefully created backgrounds—that readers will feel as if they could step right into Twain’s wonderful world.

KAOS Theory The Afrokosmic Ark of Ben Caldwell

by Ben Caldwell, Robeson Taj Frazier

A brilliant, multi-media work about artist, filmmaker, and community organizer Ben Caldwell.

“Caldwell’s restlessness of spirit is mimicked in the book’s elaborate, frenetic design. It is one of the most beautiful objects I held in my hands this year, a coffee-table book as much as a rigorous monograph, full of archival images, photographs, flyers, and documents telling the story of Caldwell’s life...”—The New Yorker

2023 Finalist for Biography, Foreword INDIES Book of the Year Awards

Finalist, 2023 Golden Poppy Awards, California Independent Booksellers Association

California Book Award Gold Medal Winner for Contributions to Publishing

KAOS Theory: The Afrokosmic Ark of Ben Caldwell tells the story of filmmaker, educator and community activist Ben Caldwell and KAOS Network, the media-arts center he founded in Los Angeles’s Leimert Park neighborhood. Through vivid illustrations, archival media, and engaging storytelling, KAOS Theory shows how Ben crafted a life centered around the power of fellowship, community, and the use of art and media as a social force. The text takes a journey through history and time, beginning with Ben’s ancestors in the American southwest, up through Ben’s childhood in New Mexico, his experiences in Vietnam, his work as a filmmaker and pioneer of the L.A. Rebellion Film Movement, and as founder of KAOS Network.

But KAOS Theory is more than just the story of one man’s life. It is a work of art, remembrance, and tribute. Encompassing music, film, art, and performance, KAOS Theory honors the vibrant and influential communities that continue to shape the cultural landscape of Los Angeles, the African Diaspora, and beyond.