Understanding Comics
August 21st, 2002by Scott McCloud
ISBN: 006097625X
Comics has always been on the periphery of my interest, so I’ve never gotten around to reading them. But I felt compelled to read this book for two reasons: reading The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay stoked my interest in comics, and there has been some buzz about this book from web design/information architecture folks.
McCloud’s premise is simple: use comics to explain comics. This works very well, as he can literally illustrate his points while creating a more interactive experience than a (probably much drier) traditional book would.
Chapters cover a brief history of comics; the (visual) vocabulary of comics; transitions and the importance of the space between panels; time frames; the importance of lines; the balance between what is drawn and what is read; the six steps (idea/purpose, form, idiom, structure, craft, surface) involved in any creative endeavor; the use of color; and a closing section bringing everthing all together as he sees it.
In terms of web design, I think it is good to look at the use of color and space from a different perspective. The space between panels discussion made me think about the cognitive leaps being imposed on web surfers by site navigation. I can see why there was buzz about it.
I really enjoyed this book. The real question I’m left with now is what should I go read for comics?
August 28th, 2002 at 7:58 am
I’m not the world’s biggest reader of comics, but it’s well worth reading the Sandman series by Neil Gaiman (Kate re-read them recently, which will spare me typing out a guide to the series: http://www.steelypips.org/weblog/2002_08_01_archive.php#link_85369453). I’d also recommend Alan Moore’s Watchmen and The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen.
Others can provide more recommendations.
August 30th, 2002 at 1:35 pm
Thanks for the recommendations, I think I will look for those titles if I can convince myself to go on a book-shopping spree for the holiday weekend.
September 3rd, 2002 at 9:15 am
Re: book shopping sprees: yes, that’s a problem with _Sandman_ I forgot to mention–it’s an expensive addiction, and as a result I had to spread out reading it for the first time for much longer than usual for me.
_Watchmen_ is sort of the other canonical “even if you don’t usually read comics, read this” recommendation. _League_ is much lighter.