Understanding Comics
Understanding Comics: The Invisible Art is a 215-page non-fiction comic book, written and drawn by Scott McCloud and originally published in 1993. It explores the definition of comics, the historical development of the medium, its fundamental vocabulary, and various ways in which these elements have been used. It discusses theoretical work on comics (or sequential art) as an artform and a communications medium. It also uses the comic medium for non-storytelling purposes.
Understanding Comics received praise from notable comic and graphic novel authors such as Art Spiegelman, Will Eisner, Alan Moore, Neil Gaiman and Garry Trudeau (who reviewed the book for the New York Times), and was called “one of the most insightful books about designing graphic user interfaces ever written” by Apple Macintosh co-creator Andy Hertzfeld [1]. Although the book has prompted debate over many of McCloud’s conclusions, its discussions of “iconic” art and the concept of “closure” between panels have become common reference points in discussions of the medium. Cleverly disguised as an easy-to-read comic book, Scott McCloud’s simple looking tome deconstructs the secret language of comics while casually revealing secrets of Time, Space, Art and the Cosmos.
Contents |
[edit] The Six Steps
In the book's seventh chapter, "The Six Steps,"[2] McCloud outlines a six-part process of artistic creation (Idea/Purpose, Form, Idiom, Structure, Craft, Surface). He also notes that artists tend to fall into two classes, depending on which of the first two steps they emphasize more. Those who emphasize the second step "are often pioneers and revolutionaries--artists who want to shake things up,"[3] while those who emphasize the first are "great storytellers, creators who...devote all their energies to controlling their medium...to convey messages effectively."[4] With these ideas, McCloud anticipates the artistic theory of David Galenson, which divides all artists into two groups with qualities similar to those McCloud notes.
[edit] Publishing Notes
Understanding Comics was first published by Tundra Publishing; reprintings have been released by Kitchen Sink Press, DC Comics’ Paradox Press, DC’s Vertigo line, and HarperPerennial. The book was edited by Mark Martin, with lettering by Bob Lappan.
[edit] Sequels
Scott McCloud has written two follow-up books in the same format: Reinventing Comics: How Imagination and Technology Are Revolutionizing an Art Form (2000), in which he suggested ways for the medium to change and grow, and Making Comics (2006), a study of the elemental methods of constructing comics.
[edit] Awards and honors
The book was a finalist for the 1994 Hugo Award for Best Non-Fiction Book.
[edit] See also
- Comics & Sequential Art—a similar book by Will Eisner
- Comics Studies
[edit] References
 |
Constructs such as ibid. and loc. cit. are discouraged by Wikipedia's style guide for footnotes as they are easily broken. Please improve this article by replacing them with named references (quick guide), or an abbreviated title. |
- ^ Understanding Comics
- ^ McCloud, Scott. Understanding Comics: The Invisible Art.Northampton, MA: Kitchen Sink Press, Inc., 1993. 162-84.
- ^ ibid. 179.
- ^ ibid. 180.
[edit] External links
- McCloud speaks at TEDtalks about "Understanding Comics"
- In-depth summary and analysis of Understanding Comics at Wikibooks
- McCloud’s page on Understanding Comics
- Softcover: ISBN 1-56389-557-9 from DC; ISBN 1-56862-019-5 from Tundra; ISBN 0-87816-243-7 from Kitchen Sink; ISBN 0-06-097625-X from Harper. Hardcover: ISBN 0-87816-244-5 from Kitchen Sink; ISBN 1-56389-759-8 from DC.
