Understanding Comics, if you haven’t read it already, is one of the books that all artists interested in comic books should read. It doesn’t matter if you’re into manga, American, indie, zines, doujinshi, online or European comics, try to get your hands on a copy and read one. If you have the money, buy a copy for yourself. So, what’s Understanding Comics all about to deserve this kind of recommendation?
Understanding Comics is written by Scott McCloud who took the daunting task of dissecting comics from it’s many forms across the globe and then explaining it to the average Joe and Jane in graphic format that makes it easy to understand and comprehend. Anyone can read this book!
As I mentioned, this book is a graphic novel. McCloud talks about comics in a chibi-esque version of himself throughout the book starting with, of course, what a comic is and continuing from there to how comics are “read” or communicates to readers, time, pacing, and all the things you can think about that make a comic. McCloud is entertaining and informative throughout the whole book and brings up topics that you may or may not have noticed before. He also covers the differences between Western and Eastern comic styles or at least how that have grown apart through isolation and shows samples from various artists to make his point more potent.
Though the book talks about a subject that should be boring and dry in text format, in this graphic novel version it is much easier to digest. It’ll probably take a person less than a day to read this book but there’s so many topics covered that you’ll have to read it several times to really internalize what was said. There’s a little bit of of everything for everyone from those interested in learning about comics, those who are interested in making comics, and those who are just curious. Regardless, after reading this book, it’ll make your head buzz with so much thought about comics that you’ll become more appreciative of this art format, more enthusiastic in creating comics, and probably make you search out McCloud’s successive books Reinventing Comics and Making Comics.
I recommend this book to anyone though I believe the youngest readers won’t understand all of the topics that McCloud covers such as Magritte’s “The Treachery of Images”. Heck, it didn’t take me till a second read years later that I fully comprehended that little segment. All in all, I can’t talk enough how much this book will have an effect on you as it did me and every other artist who’ve read it. If you aren’t itching to read it right now, then you’re terribly missing out!
Understanding Comics
by Scott McCloud
ISBN#006097625X
216 pp
b&w and color, softcover
MSRP$22.50
Contents
Introduction
1 Setting the Record Straight
2 The Vocabulary of Comics
3 Blood in the Gutter
4 Time Frames
5 Living in the Line
6 Show and Tell
7 The Six Steps
8 A Word About Color
9 Putting it All Together
