I enjoyed drawing iconic cartoon characters, just like the characters in 'Draw 50 Famous Cartoons'.
Fred Flintstone, Felix the Cat and Yogi Bear are all very distinct. What is it that makes them so distinct, so unforgettable? How is it that their personalities pop off the page? Is it their expression? Is it what they're wearing? Maybe it's in their posture? Or is it just how they're drawn?
And isn't it amazing how a simple line can convey an emotion? This is something else I learned from Ames' books. You have to get that line just right. If you don't, the whole picture is off.
Sometimes all it takes is a tiny mark of the pencil to turn a grumpy face into a, well, less grumpy face.
So, yeah, these were the books that helped me learn to draw better when I was a kid, and they made quite an impression on me.