Pop Manga Myths And Monsters Coloring Book by Camilla d’Errico

I have really been in the mood to make low-commitment art lately, so what a pleasure it was to finally crack open this coloring book and give it a whirl!

Camilla d’Errico is a fine artist globally renowned for her pop-surrealist oeuvre. Her vision translates beautifully to coloring books, of which this is her latest (I want to say tenth.) I had the privilege of reviewing her Pop Manga Paint And Ink Coloring Book earlier this year and adored it, so was very excited to try out a more industry-standard version of her work, printed on the more usual non-watercolor-friendly paper.

The art, ofc, continues in the same fantastical genre, tho focusing more specifically on the titular myths and monsters. These are absolutely not coloring books for young children, btw, as some of the art leans heavily into the scary side of the latter. But anyone who can handle PG-13 monstrosities will be delighted at the variety of manga-esque mythic art available here, of which a half-colored sample graces the front and back covers.

Spanning 80 pages, there’s no shortage of appealing art in this volume. Several of the pieces are double-page spreads, and many also have patterned backgrounds. You can get as detailed or as minimalist as you like with the wide array of line work here. I was a little surprised that everything was double-sided, discouraging the removal of pages for display. Otherwise, this adhered to the same high standard of quality that I’ve come to expect from contemporary adult coloring books.

What did exceed my expectations was the quality of the paper inside. The book itself doesn’t specify what media you should use, and while the artist’s website recommends dry media only, the thickness of the smooth paper tempted me to try a variety of markers and paint pens. I was further egged on by the publicity materials that promise paper so thick it qualifies as no-bleed. At left, you can see my first pass at coloring in a princess on a pegasus. In addition to colored pencils, I used my usual arsenal of Posca paint pens, Pitt artist pens and Albrecht Durer watercolor markers, which aren’t supposed to bleed on paper but sometimes can. I was pleased that they and the book lived up to expectations.

The real test came when I not only layered colors with the wet materials but also used my IKEA Mala felt-tip markers, which have already defeated other coloring books. The paper here is so thick, however, that it absorbed even multiple light layers of Mala ink with aplomb, leaving not even a shadow on the illustration overleaf, much less bleed. While I still wouldn’t try watercolors or similar mediums on this book — and am a little leery of Ms d’Errico’s suggestions to try pastels. Sure, they won’t bleed but they will mess up your facing pages if you don’t slap in some glassine or other barrier paper — I was highly impressed with the way it handled markers. And while the paper did have very little tooth, my colored pencils did very much enjoy gliding over the smooth surface.

This book is an absolute treat for the adult coloring enthusiast who loves the whimsical and the grotesque in equal measure. I am, admittedly, a bit of a wimp, hence why I chose one of the prettier illustrations to test run for this review. There are a lot of teeth and eyes and fangs and bones in this volume otherwise, but there’s also a lot of heroic fantasy and chibi joy, all on high-quality paper that’s a dream to color on.

Pop Manga Myths And Monsters Coloring Book by Camilla d’Errico was published June 9 2026 by Watson-Guptill and is available from all good booksellers, including