Understanding Comics: The Invisible Art by Scott McCloud
, 215 comics
Understanding Comics is absolutely a must-read for any comics fan (and I know there are several of those who post to this blog). Published twenty years ago, McCloud’s treatise holds up well in 2014, though I’d love to see an updated edition that covers the rise of webcomics, interactive comics (e.g. Homestuck) and plots more recent publications like Chris Ware’s
Building Stories and Shaun Tan’s
The Arrival on the various comics continuum maps that McCloud develops throughout the volume. I'm hoping that some of these topics will be covered in his follow-up volume
Reinventing Comics.
A whole college course could be pulled from the ideas and examples that McCloud covers. I’ve already requested a whole host of graphic novels that are referenced in
Understanding Comics. For anyone interested in the history, philosophy, iconography and mechanics of comics, this one is a can’t-miss.
You mentioned Homestuck... have you read it, or just read about it?
ReplyDeleteI've read some of it (but only a small percentage of the total).
DeleteOK, so I haven't read this book, but your review reminded me a bit of The Comic Book History of Comics, which is exactly what it sounds like. Having everything in comic form is really useful for learning about different styles. I highly recommend it.
ReplyDeleteI'll add that one to my to-read list. McCloud's book is less a "history" book and more of a... comics philosophy book? It reads a lot like an art-theory text book (I wish ALL text books were graphic novels and as well written as Understanding Comics).
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