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The Comic Books #3
Making Comics: Storytelling Secrets of Comics, Manga and Graphic Novels
"Magnificent! The best how-to manual ever published." — Kevin Kelly, Cool Tools
Scott McCloud tore down the wall between high and low culture in 1993 with Understanding Comics, a massive comic book about comics, linking the medium to such diverse fields as media theory, movie criticism, and web design. In Reinventing Comics, McCloud took this to the next level, charting twelve different revolutions in how comics are generated, read, and perceived today. Now, in Making Comics, McCloud focuses his analysis on the art form itself, exploring the creation of comics, from the broadest principles to the sharpest details (like how to accentuate a character's facial muscles in order to form the emotion of disgust rather than the emotion of surprise.) And he does all of it in his inimitable voice and through his cartoon stand–in narrator, mixing dry humor and legitimate instruction. McCloud shows his reader how to master the human condition through word and image in a brilliantly minimalistic way. Both comic book devotees and the uninitiated will marvel at this journey into a once–underappreciated art form.
Scott McCloud tore down the wall between high and low culture in 1993 with Understanding Comics, a massive comic book about comics, linking the medium to such diverse fields as media theory, movie criticism, and web design. In Reinventing Comics, McCloud took this to the next level, charting twelve different revolutions in how comics are generated, read, and perceived today. Now, in Making Comics, McCloud focuses his analysis on the art form itself, exploring the creation of comics, from the broadest principles to the sharpest details (like how to accentuate a character's facial muscles in order to form the emotion of disgust rather than the emotion of surprise.) And he does all of it in his inimitable voice and through his cartoon stand–in narrator, mixing dry humor and legitimate instruction. McCloud shows his reader how to master the human condition through word and image in a brilliantly minimalistic way. Both comic book devotees and the uninitiated will marvel at this journey into a once–underappreciated art form.
264 pages, Paperback
First published September 5, 2006
About the author
Scott McCloud
133 books1,478 followersScott McCloud (born Scott McLeod) is an American cartoonist and theorist on comics as a distinct literary and artistic medium.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 415 reviews
March 26, 2007
The frustrating thing about how authoritative McCloud is is the fact that he's essentially right about everything. I've read it half-a-dozen times, and I'm doing the chapter exercises, and I'm very angry about how correct he often is.
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August 12, 2020Жила-була і переклала (для Рідної мови).
Від автора "Зрозуміти комікси" - книжка про те, як створювати комікси (теж у форматі коміксу, власне кажучи): як вибудовувати взаємодію між словами й малюнками у творі, як композиція кадру впливає на кінцевий ефект, як між собою відрізняються різні регіональні традиції, які інструменти обирати для малювання, тощо тощо. Дуже дотепно.
Від автора "Зрозуміти комікси" - книжка про те, як створювати комікси (теж у форматі коміксу, власне кажучи): як вибудовувати взаємодію між словами й малюнками у творі, як композиція кадру впливає на кінцевий ефект, як між собою відрізняються різні регіональні традиції, які інструменти обирати для малювання, тощо тощо. Дуже дотепно.
March 28, 2011
I've always wondered why the master of explaining comics has never achieved the status of master of creating comics. Scott McCloud admits as much in the first few pages of "Making Comics," and I assumed for most of the book that it's a case of "those who can't do teach." If he had the innate ability to put great ideas on paper, maybe he wouldn't have the time (or the ability) to analyze comics so well. Towards the end, though, McCloud mentions another factor that may be holding him back when he describes the four comics camps: classicists, animists, formalists, and iconoclasts. "I'll confess to the sins of the formalist [understanding of, experimentation with, and loyalty to the comics form]. I can point to any number of comics that I've drawn in which experimental ideas were pretty much their only virture. Anybody calling such comics 'dry,' 'academic' or 'unreadable' won't get much resistance from me.... But formalists like me can screw up badly when we try to tell a story straight. We keep getting distracted by all the formal possibilities along the way, and wind up with a stiff, fill-in-the-blanks comic where individual panels are just bored excuses to get to the next big idea.... It's hard to just tell a story straight when there are so many possibilities in the air." While McCloud wants to give the formalist camp as much importance as the classicists and animists, it's hard for me to believe that you can create compelling comics that people want to read and be invested in by focusing on the form instead of the content.
In theory, this book helps comic book writers, but I feel like it is much more geared toward artists. Even though I have no artistic talent, and therefore no chance of trying out anything McCloud suggests in this book, it was still a worthwhile read.
In theory, this book helps comic book writers, but I feel like it is much more geared toward artists. Even though I have no artistic talent, and therefore no chance of trying out anything McCloud suggests in this book, it was still a worthwhile read.
May 25, 2007
I really enjoy Scott McCloud. He is insightful and funny and his analytic method is always useful in dissection of concept. I find that the conscientious author tends to be the superior author, and for this reason, McCLoud is indispensable.
Another thing that is refreshing about McCloud is that he takes the medium very seriously, and reminds us, as creators, that we have a responsibility to the art to do everything we can with it, and not simply accept the given standards.
In a lot of ways, this book feels like an update of Understanding Comics, but with a greater mindfulness of the creator, and less for the pure history and development of the art. 'Making Comics' is an inspirational work which avoids treading the ground of other 'how to's, instead focusing on asking 'how might you'?
My Suggested Reading In Comics
Another thing that is refreshing about McCloud is that he takes the medium very seriously, and reminds us, as creators, that we have a responsibility to the art to do everything we can with it, and not simply accept the given standards.
In a lot of ways, this book feels like an update of Understanding Comics, but with a greater mindfulness of the creator, and less for the pure history and development of the art. 'Making Comics' is an inspirational work which avoids treading the ground of other 'how to's, instead focusing on asking 'how might you'?
My Suggested Reading In Comics
February 7, 2017
Honestly, I don't really know how to review a book like this, so all I'm gonna say is... I absolutely loved it. It entertained me, it taught me something, and it inspired me. It also had some really great art by Scott McCloud here and there. I have nothing bad to say about it.
Read this whether or not you actually have an interest in making your own comics. You'll learn a lot about how the medium works, and it'll make you appreciate your already favorite books even more.
R͟E͟C͟O͟M͟M͟E͟N͟D͟E͟D
Read this whether or not you actually have an interest in making your own comics. You'll learn a lot about how the medium works, and it'll make you appreciate your already favorite books even more.
R͟E͟C͟O͟M͟M͟E͟N͟D͟E͟D
September 15, 2012
Scott McCloud propone con Making Comics una visión para aspirantes a profesionales del cómic que ojalá todos leyesen. También sus lectores, ya que proporciona un marco de referencia nada dogmático pero inestimable para comprenderlos y valorarlos. Y lo hace con màs claridad expositiva, espíritu didáctico y modestia que ningún ensayista de cualquier tema que haya leído nunca.
Sólo por esta lección sería obligado, pero además sus reflexiones son acertadas, ¡y sentatas!. Autor de la apreciada y exitosa Understanding Comics, con la que inauguró esta serie teórica, McCloud insiste en que el libro no es una manual sino una reflexión sobre el medio, también para él mismo. Bien podría serlo. Un ensayo/manual/reflexión sobre la técnica de creación de cómics, explicado como un cómic que insiste en el aspecto de comunicación del proceso. Además de un repaso a narrativa, expresión, detalle, texto y otros aspectos más técnicos, hace una impecable argumentación en su sección sobre géneros y abordaje que es totalmente extensible a cualquier otro medio. Y que otros medios podrían aprovechar mucho.
Cuántos quisieran tener tan claras en lo fundamental, en este u otros formato de narración como McCloud, que parte de una regla básica: no hay reglas pero en realidad quieres que te entiendan.
¿Para cuando un volumen sobre guión?
Sólo por esta lección sería obligado, pero además sus reflexiones son acertadas, ¡y sentatas!. Autor de la apreciada y exitosa Understanding Comics, con la que inauguró esta serie teórica, McCloud insiste en que el libro no es una manual sino una reflexión sobre el medio, también para él mismo. Bien podría serlo. Un ensayo/manual/reflexión sobre la técnica de creación de cómics, explicado como un cómic que insiste en el aspecto de comunicación del proceso. Además de un repaso a narrativa, expresión, detalle, texto y otros aspectos más técnicos, hace una impecable argumentación en su sección sobre géneros y abordaje que es totalmente extensible a cualquier otro medio. Y que otros medios podrían aprovechar mucho.
Cuántos quisieran tener tan claras en lo fundamental, en este u otros formato de narración como McCloud, que parte de una regla básica: no hay reglas pero en realidad quieres que te entiendan.
¿Para cuando un volumen sobre guión?
July 21, 2014
I picked up this book because, as a student of animation, I believe firmly that knowing how comics work and what makes them work is essential to being able to make a good animated film or series. After all, animation as we know it was born of comics. What I discovered in this book was not just a guide to making great comics, but to telling great stories.
In Making Comics, McCloud lays down the fundamentals of storytelling through text and pictures--everything from character design to world building to formatting of text and word balloons. It's basically a crash course in comic book authorship from a master. But, in breaking down how to make great comics, the author also teaches the reader how to make great visual art and tell a great story. Many of the lessons contained in this book (as well as Understanding Comics) can be applied to all forms of storytelling media, from animation to live action film and television to literature.
So, if you are an artist or storyteller of any kind, I seriously recommend this book. No matter what style you write or draw in, no matter what your genre, no matter what your medium, this book holds valuable lessons for all creators and storytellers.
In Making Comics, McCloud lays down the fundamentals of storytelling through text and pictures--everything from character design to world building to formatting of text and word balloons. It's basically a crash course in comic book authorship from a master. But, in breaking down how to make great comics, the author also teaches the reader how to make great visual art and tell a great story. Many of the lessons contained in this book (as well as Understanding Comics) can be applied to all forms of storytelling media, from animation to live action film and television to literature.
So, if you are an artist or storyteller of any kind, I seriously recommend this book. No matter what style you write or draw in, no matter what your genre, no matter what your medium, this book holds valuable lessons for all creators and storytellers.
March 20, 2015
I really loved this book. I can't count the times that McCloud said, "A complete understanding of this topic is beyond the scope of this book, buuuut let me do all the hard work and give you the highlights." And so he did. I am a theory-minded person so his breakdown was particularly helpful to me and those who think in more abstract terms. But of course the entire book is one big comic so there are tons of illustrative pictures and comparisons for those who want to see a more concrete example! I highly recommend this book for those interested in creating comics, especially if you've had no formal training. (I'm not sure how much of this ground gets covered in art classes, because as a writer, I am a complete novice to the art side.)
I'm going to go find all McCloud's comics now.
I'm going to go find all McCloud's comics now.
August 14, 2023
Funny and interesting insight on how to make comics. I read manga since I was about twelve, but there are things explained in this book, I never thought about before. Great read and still kind of up to date, even if some things definitely have changed, especially on the web comics. Anyway, I would recommend it to upcoming comic artists, to understand the necessary basics.
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March 27, 2023so awesome 🫡
May 6, 2018
This is the third in Scott McCloud’s nonfiction trilogy on the semiotics of sequential art, nee, comics. All three books consider comics literacy: how comics “work” from the standpoint of cultural reference and mental shorthand. His first book, Understanding Comics, makes this an explicit theme and is essential reading. His follow-up, Reinventing Comics, tries to turn the idea on its head by suggesting a variety of experimental forms. As such, the book is a curious exploration of counterintuitive narrative and artistic approaches an artist might deploy while still using the basic comics tropes of sequenced illustrations and text arranged in (and out of) framed borders. It’s a well-intentioned effort, but not nearly as insightful, useful, or interesting.
This, McCloud's latest metawork, represents the author’s version of a how-to guide for aspiring artists. However, in lieu of a more traditional "draw Snoopy like a professional artist" approach, McCloud's subject matter is purposed to promote conscious, authorial decisions about story and style, subdividing what he regards as the most important-to-master aspects of the media in the service of communicating with emotional impact. Over five sections he illustratively addresses: (1) coherence (respectively achievable via appropriate pacing, shot selection, balance between realism and abstract representation, textual content, and page layout); (2) figure drawing (with a focus on Jungian emotional classification as interpreted by the muscles of the face and basic posture); (3) the interplay of images, words, and words as images in showing vs. telling; (4) the function of landscape and perspective; and least of all, (5) the strengths and weaknesses of various tools of the trade (an aspect of the book most likely to become obsolete). The work concludes with an essay about literary form and the increasing cross-pollenization of manga, superhero, independent/underground, and Euro long-form styles that would be right at home as an art appreciation appendix in the first book of his series.
You don’t need to be a comics wannabe or devotee to appreciate this, irrespective of whether you are persuaded by all of McCloud’s analyses. One of his farther-fetched fancies is an entertaining passage that translates psychologist Paul Ekman's six emotional "primaries" into expressive colors you can mix for variation and shade for intensity (joy + sadness = pity, anger + sadness = betrayal, etc.).
(Both illustrations from page 86)
Strictly from a drawing standpoint, I'm not sure how practical the idea would be as against capturing your own face from a mirror or selfie, but you can play with the app someone built to animate the idea if you have an iPhone and a dollar. Whatever. Making Comics reveals the author as a talented artist and master essayist in his element unpacking the ways and means of visual communication, replete with delicious examples. It won’t take you long to read, and is well worth your time.
Incidentally, for a broader taste of Scott McCloud's work in this area check out the author's companion Chapter 5½, published contemporaneously and exclusively online (but IMHO not quite as good as the rest of the book).
This, McCloud's latest metawork, represents the author’s version of a how-to guide for aspiring artists. However, in lieu of a more traditional "draw Snoopy like a professional artist" approach, McCloud's subject matter is purposed to promote conscious, authorial decisions about story and style, subdividing what he regards as the most important-to-master aspects of the media in the service of communicating with emotional impact. Over five sections he illustratively addresses: (1) coherence (respectively achievable via appropriate pacing, shot selection, balance between realism and abstract representation, textual content, and page layout); (2) figure drawing (with a focus on Jungian emotional classification as interpreted by the muscles of the face and basic posture); (3) the interplay of images, words, and words as images in showing vs. telling; (4) the function of landscape and perspective; and least of all, (5) the strengths and weaknesses of various tools of the trade (an aspect of the book most likely to become obsolete). The work concludes with an essay about literary form and the increasing cross-pollenization of manga, superhero, independent/underground, and Euro long-form styles that would be right at home as an art appreciation appendix in the first book of his series.
You don’t need to be a comics wannabe or devotee to appreciate this, irrespective of whether you are persuaded by all of McCloud’s analyses. One of his farther-fetched fancies is an entertaining passage that translates psychologist Paul Ekman's six emotional "primaries" into expressive colors you can mix for variation and shade for intensity (joy + sadness = pity, anger + sadness = betrayal, etc.).
(Both illustrations from page 86)Strictly from a drawing standpoint, I'm not sure how practical the idea would be as against capturing your own face from a mirror or selfie, but you can play with the app someone built to animate the idea if you have an iPhone and a dollar. Whatever. Making Comics reveals the author as a talented artist and master essayist in his element unpacking the ways and means of visual communication, replete with delicious examples. It won’t take you long to read, and is well worth your time.
Incidentally, for a broader taste of Scott McCloud's work in this area check out the author's companion Chapter 5½, published contemporaneously and exclusively online (but IMHO not quite as good as the rest of the book).
May 22, 2014
I'm not going to make comics, but I still find it interesting to read about storytelling. Remember, symmetry means life.
All done. If you liked Understanding Comics, it's pretty much more of the same. Plus he references a ton of indie comics and they're indexed in the back. He also has Reinventing Comics, but that seems to be unpopular, heh.
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February 3, 2016(I don't do stars.)
Not an artist, not a cartoonist. I just love reading guides for creative activities that aren't my own.
Making Comics concerns itself with decisions about the form that can happen organically or chosen deliberately. As a "happen organically" type, I really appreciate anything I can soak up on the other side. The section on Stories for Humans should be required reading for anyone who tells them. The rest is excellent for any writer who wants to take on the challenge of thinking MUCH more visually.
Not an artist, not a cartoonist. I just love reading guides for creative activities that aren't my own.
Making Comics concerns itself with decisions about the form that can happen organically or chosen deliberately. As a "happen organically" type, I really appreciate anything I can soak up on the other side. The section on Stories for Humans should be required reading for anyone who tells them. The rest is excellent for any writer who wants to take on the challenge of thinking MUCH more visually.
October 5, 2009
I once wrote a 6-page comic and was blessed to have someone illustrate it. I don't think I'll ever do get involved with such a thing again, but this book is very interesting regardless. The information on emotion is influenced by Dr. Eckman's studies and worth a read all on its own. I can't wait to read Understanding Comics.
February 28, 2016
I got this book when I was really young, and it's what got me into comics. I have to get a new copy, because the one I have is falling apart from so much reading, re-reading, and referencing.
If you want to get into writing and/or drawing comics, this book is essential. Every time I read it I notice a new gold nugget of information or philosophy that inspires me to go and make more comics.
If you want to get into writing and/or drawing comics, this book is essential. Every time I read it I notice a new gold nugget of information or philosophy that inspires me to go and make more comics.
August 26, 2019
Scott McCloud has become the go-to guy for comic book theory. This is a title well-deserved as he has proved in not one but three accessible books dedicated to showing and explaining this exciting and still relatively new artistic medium.
I was educated by his first nonfiction title Understanding Comics and Making Comics goes into even greater detail on how to apply what I learnt. The most creditable part of McCloud's teaching style here is his honesty. He is not claiming that there is one perfect approach; if there is one then he hasn't discovered it for himself yet. Instead he only aspires to show every method of characterisation, storytelling and world-building that he can think of so that both he and his readers can learn their own way. There are no hard rules in this book but there are plenty of handy tips.
While most of this is written with the artist's perspective in mind, McCloud does also have some invaluable suggestions for writers, especially when it comes to forming a healthy writer-artist relationship. The trick here is to avoid one-upmanship and instead make sure you do what is best for the comic book or graphic novel that you will eventually create.
I'm not sure if I will ever write a comic book myself (I'm fairly certain I won't draw or ink one) but I am very glad to have Making Comics in my home library just in case. As such I recommend it to those aspiring to the craft, preferably with an early draft of your own comic book ready for improvement.
I was educated by his first nonfiction title Understanding Comics and Making Comics goes into even greater detail on how to apply what I learnt. The most creditable part of McCloud's teaching style here is his honesty. He is not claiming that there is one perfect approach; if there is one then he hasn't discovered it for himself yet. Instead he only aspires to show every method of characterisation, storytelling and world-building that he can think of so that both he and his readers can learn their own way. There are no hard rules in this book but there are plenty of handy tips.
While most of this is written with the artist's perspective in mind, McCloud does also have some invaluable suggestions for writers, especially when it comes to forming a healthy writer-artist relationship. The trick here is to avoid one-upmanship and instead make sure you do what is best for the comic book or graphic novel that you will eventually create.
I'm not sure if I will ever write a comic book myself (I'm fairly certain I won't draw or ink one) but I am very glad to have Making Comics in my home library just in case. As such I recommend it to those aspiring to the craft, preferably with an early draft of your own comic book ready for improvement.
March 18, 2023
Possibly one of the most useful books I’ve ever read! Excellent at quantifying abstract ideas and brilliant at breaking down layered techniques into logical smaller chunks. Also felt it was a very well rounded and comprehensive approach to the whole field and even covers more niche areas I wouldn’t have expected.
The comic format is definitely responsible for the vast amount of useful information that can be distilled and delivered in a relatively short page count which beautifully demonstrates the validity of the author’s theories on curation of moment/info/image/flow etc. McCloud very clearly wants to maximise the learning potential of this book for his audience and has taken the time to meticulously log source (of vague concepts/influences as well as solid facts), artwork, provide chapter notes/exercises and a really excellent bibliography of recommended reading to take your learning forward too. In short it feels like reading a labour of love from an expert in the field.
This was the resource I needed :)
The comic format is definitely responsible for the vast amount of useful information that can be distilled and delivered in a relatively short page count which beautifully demonstrates the validity of the author’s theories on curation of moment/info/image/flow etc. McCloud very clearly wants to maximise the learning potential of this book for his audience and has taken the time to meticulously log source (of vague concepts/influences as well as solid facts), artwork, provide chapter notes/exercises and a really excellent bibliography of recommended reading to take your learning forward too. In short it feels like reading a labour of love from an expert in the field.
This was the resource I needed :)
June 5, 2024
Z pewnością jest to absolutny must have dla każdej osoby, która chciałaby stworzyć własny komiks. Scott McCloud opisuje wszystkie tajniki, zasady i technikalia sztuki komiksowej bardzo dogłębnie i wyczerpująco, nie pomija niczego i podaje odpowiedź na każde pytanie jakie mogliby zadać adepci tego medium.
Dla osoby z zerowym talentem kreatywno-plastycznym, której nawet przez sekundę nie przyszłoby do głowy próbowanie sił w komiksie momentami podręcznikowy charakter tego albumu był męczący, dużo atrakcyjniejszy jest „Zrozumieć komiks”. Ale na pewno warto było przyjrzeć się procesowi powstawania komiksu od wewnątrz, poznać triki i sztuczki, dzięki czemu łatwiej będzie mi rozumieć wybory twórców i patrzeć krytycznie. Na pewno doceniam ogrom pracy, którą McCloud włożył w przygotowanie tego dzieła i zobaczyłam też jaki ogrom wysiłku musi włożyć w swoją pracę każda osoba tworząca komiks.
Dla osoby z zerowym talentem kreatywno-plastycznym, której nawet przez sekundę nie przyszłoby do głowy próbowanie sił w komiksie momentami podręcznikowy charakter tego albumu był męczący, dużo atrakcyjniejszy jest „Zrozumieć komiks”. Ale na pewno warto było przyjrzeć się procesowi powstawania komiksu od wewnątrz, poznać triki i sztuczki, dzięki czemu łatwiej będzie mi rozumieć wybory twórców i patrzeć krytycznie. Na pewno doceniam ogrom pracy, którą McCloud włożył w przygotowanie tego dzieła i zobaczyłam też jaki ogrom wysiłku musi włożyć w swoją pracę każda osoba tworząca komiks.
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January 23, 2020Making Comics continues McCloud's view of comic and its form. This time is playing how to use the techniques studied in Understanding Comics, all to create a comic and story that will deliver on the artists plan and interpretation. Focusing mostly on the art form rather than literary merit he continues his peculiar form of teaching, educating the more open minded followers that Understanding Comics generated and teaching a form difficult to many, as it is a medium too different from any singular form known prior to most readers. It's education on the specifics and their ties to conveying information and familiarity with the images along with their ties to psychology and our brains form of recognition and how to manipulate and create for the purpose of conveying the right ideas.
November 11, 2019
So many notes! I kept either taking pictures of certain pages and balancing taking notes on paper to internalize and reflect on what he was sharing. Truly a "storytelling secrets", he's like the magician giving away the secrets but we all benefit-- how else can you better discuss comics, manga, and graphic novels if you don't have some basic understanding and that's what he does with intelligence, humor, and aptitude.
I was blown away by this one.
I was blown away by this one.
March 26, 2021
This has been extremely helpful in broadening my understanding of all the things that go into comics. It's nuts. I have a much deeper appreciation for the comics, manga, and graphic novels I love. Hopefully it will give me a better foundation for future projects.
April 21, 2021
As good as I remember.
November 14, 2021
Great! A fantastic deep dive into the inner workings of comic creation.
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April 13, 2023Overwhelming and inspiring and still fun to read
July 30, 2021
I've said it before and I'll say it again: Scott McCloud is a genius. Every page blew my mind with his incredible insights. Somehow a book on the mechanics of comics-making managed to make me laugh and cry.
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February 28, 2024Цю книжку я читала, але чомусь не позначила. Основне враження: комікси мені читати важко. Мені важко опрацьовувати все це візуальне і змістове одночасно. Але чимало важливих ідей там взяла, наприклад, про ототожнення читача себе з персонажем залежно від рівня візуальної безликості персонажа.
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August 28, 2024Może nie tak otwierający oczy jak Zrozumieć komiks jednak bardziej dogłębna i nadal świetnie podana wiedza. Do mnie zdecydowanie trafia to w jaki sposób swoje przemyślenia przekazuje McCloud, myślę że niedługo sięgnę po jego komiksy fabularne.
April 13, 2020
Libro predecesor de "Entender el cómic". Si en la primera versión el autor nos hablaba de la esencia interna del cómic en este segundo volumen nos muestra los elementos necesarios con los que contamos para contar nuestras historias de una manera clara, humana y profunda. La importancia de la combinación equilibrada entre las palabras y las imágenes para conseguir un mayor efecto.
Dentro del libro nos describe conceptos para narrar historias humanas y crear personajes creíbles y que nos marquen. Desde el diseño de estos personajes, pasando por las expresiones faciales, su anatomía y el lenguaje del cuerpo. Como crear mundos y escenarios que encajen con la historia y los personajes, enfatizando en la importancia del uso de la perspectiva para una completa inmersión dentro de estos.
En los últimos capítulos del libro nos describe más en detalle cómo funciona la industria del cómic, siempre desde su visión personal, así como las herramientas y técnicas, tanto tradicionales como más actuales que se usan a la hora de la realización de los cómics. Reconociendo que nuestras herramientas más importantes fundamentales son nuestra mente y nuestra mano.
En definitiva "Hacer Cómics" complementa de una manera perfecta el primer libro del autor "Entender el cómic".
Dentro del libro nos describe conceptos para narrar historias humanas y crear personajes creíbles y que nos marquen. Desde el diseño de estos personajes, pasando por las expresiones faciales, su anatomía y el lenguaje del cuerpo. Como crear mundos y escenarios que encajen con la historia y los personajes, enfatizando en la importancia del uso de la perspectiva para una completa inmersión dentro de estos.
En los últimos capítulos del libro nos describe más en detalle cómo funciona la industria del cómic, siempre desde su visión personal, así como las herramientas y técnicas, tanto tradicionales como más actuales que se usan a la hora de la realización de los cómics. Reconociendo que nuestras herramientas más importantes fundamentales son nuestra mente y nuestra mano.
En definitiva "Hacer Cómics" complementa de una manera perfecta el primer libro del autor "Entender el cómic".
January 24, 2009
Although I was never a huge fan of his retro-esque work on the 80s Zot!, Scott McCloud has become – in my eyes – the hero of modern comic book structural theory and analysis. And one heck of an effective writer and artist at conveying the hidden truths of this ever-developing medium, I might add. He is neither condescending nor intellectually ambiguous – despite his evident braininess.
As the author/artist of two earlier ground-breaking works – Understanding and Reinventing Comics (both of which I devoured a decade back when they were first published) – McCloud does what few in this arena have done before (with the sole exception of the late great Will Eisner): Deconstruct the medium of comics and graphic novels through the medium itself. Which, I might add, he uses in a brilliant and clever way when he illustrates – quite literally – its myriad structural techniques.
The first three chapters detail his theory behind the five structural choices (moment, frame, image, word, and flow) that the writer and artist must consider, human expression and body language that the artist must attend to, and then to the written word that the author must select for greatest effect (which may be maximized by using no words at all). These chapters, in my estimation, comprise the brainiest and most theoretical portion of the book – which may just put artistic and intellectual novices to sleep.
The last half of McCloud’s treatise focuses on world building (best exemplified in manga and more modern American comics like Watchmen and most Vertigo and indie titles), the tools of the trade (which whet my appetite for those care-free days of the 80s when I would sit down at my drawing table and pen and ink voluminous tales of super-heroics and science fiction), and genres of the three over-lapping mediums (comics, manga, and graphic novels).
If you ever held the disparaging opinion that comics are the daytime trash of the publishing industry, think again. Pick up any of McCloud’s three volumes deconstructing this under-praised and –acknowledged medium. And then pick up any one of the Eisner or Harvey winners in recent times (The Sandman, Bone, Eightball, et al.), and prepare to be awed.
As the author/artist of two earlier ground-breaking works – Understanding and Reinventing Comics (both of which I devoured a decade back when they were first published) – McCloud does what few in this arena have done before (with the sole exception of the late great Will Eisner): Deconstruct the medium of comics and graphic novels through the medium itself. Which, I might add, he uses in a brilliant and clever way when he illustrates – quite literally – its myriad structural techniques.
The first three chapters detail his theory behind the five structural choices (moment, frame, image, word, and flow) that the writer and artist must consider, human expression and body language that the artist must attend to, and then to the written word that the author must select for greatest effect (which may be maximized by using no words at all). These chapters, in my estimation, comprise the brainiest and most theoretical portion of the book – which may just put artistic and intellectual novices to sleep.
The last half of McCloud’s treatise focuses on world building (best exemplified in manga and more modern American comics like Watchmen and most Vertigo and indie titles), the tools of the trade (which whet my appetite for those care-free days of the 80s when I would sit down at my drawing table and pen and ink voluminous tales of super-heroics and science fiction), and genres of the three over-lapping mediums (comics, manga, and graphic novels).
If you ever held the disparaging opinion that comics are the daytime trash of the publishing industry, think again. Pick up any of McCloud’s three volumes deconstructing this under-praised and –acknowledged medium. And then pick up any one of the Eisner or Harvey winners in recent times (The Sandman, Bone, Eightball, et al.), and prepare to be awed.
April 6, 2021
«Створити комікс» Скотта Макклауда стала наступною книгою з теорії коміксів, написаної вищезгаданим автором, яка вийшла українською. Це трохи дивно, бо фактично вона третя від цього автора.
На відміну від мальопису «Як зрозуміти комікси» який був написаний для широкого кола читачів, «Створити комікс» розрахований більше саме на художників та авторів коміксів. Звісно, любителі цього виду мистецтва теж можуть почерпнути для себе багато цікавого, але це окремі частинки. Мені, наприклад, як звичайному читачу, який фанатіє від мальописів, було неймовірно нудно у розділі де розповідалося про те, як намалювати обличчя персонажів, та як працює міміка. Я, просто нахуй, вмирав від йобаної нудьги. Але коли оповідь йшла про створення місця, де відбуваються події, то я не встигав рахувати час, бо він якось пролетів дуже швидко. Це було не просто цікаво та захопливо розказано, а й дуже пиздато намальовано. Так само й в розділі, де автор говорить про вибір кадрів та ракурсів, при побудові сітки фреймів. Це теж цікава річ, яка допоможе не лише авторам придумати щось пиздате та нове, а й читачам для того, щоб більш цілісно «відчувати» події, які відбуваються на сторінках. Чим крутий цей мальопис – це теорія, яка відразу показує практичні приклади. І це пиздато, бо набагато легше сприймається та засвоюється, ніж сухий текст.
Ті, хто читав «Як зрозуміти комікси», той знає, що автор дуже добре годен гратися з малюнком. Те ж саме і тут. Різноманіття ілюстрацій вражає, як і різноманіття їх подачі. Тут як самі малюнки можуть змінюватися залежно від стилістики, яку потрібно показати, так і фрейми та їх контури. Правда місцями Скотт пройобується й ліпить щось не дуже відповідне до тексту, який йде в цей момент, але загалом все дуже й дуже пиздато.
Всім тим, хто хоче малювати (навіть не обов'язково комікси) рекомендую. Тут багато чого можна почерпнути (на мою повністю профанську думку). Також цікаво буде тим, хто знайомий з цим видом мистецтва та хоче дослідити його закулісся. Всім іншим краще за цей твір не братися, а якщо й буде бажання, то краще спочатку пробувати попередню роботу автора – «Як зрозуміти комікси».
Сюжет: ха-ха, смішно) який в пизду сюжет у нонфікшні?)
Малюнок: 9/10
Оцінка: 8/10
#ррцз #безцензури #комікс #коміксрецензія #нонфікшн #скоттмаклауд
На відміну від мальопису «Як зрозуміти комікси» який був написаний для широкого кола читачів, «Створити комікс» розрахований більше саме на художників та авторів коміксів. Звісно, любителі цього виду мистецтва теж можуть почерпнути для себе багато цікавого, але це окремі частинки. Мені, наприклад, як звичайному читачу, який фанатіє від мальописів, було неймовірно нудно у розділі де розповідалося про те, як намалювати обличчя персонажів, та як працює міміка. Я, просто нахуй, вмирав від йобаної нудьги. Але коли оповідь йшла про створення місця, де відбуваються події, то я не встигав рахувати час, бо він якось пролетів дуже швидко. Це було не просто цікаво та захопливо розказано, а й дуже пиздато намальовано. Так само й в розділі, де автор говорить про вибір кадрів та ракурсів, при побудові сітки фреймів. Це теж цікава річ, яка допоможе не лише авторам придумати щось пиздате та нове, а й читачам для того, щоб більш цілісно «відчувати» події, які відбуваються на сторінках. Чим крутий цей мальопис – це теорія, яка відразу показує практичні приклади. І це пиздато, бо набагато легше сприймається та засвоюється, ніж сухий текст.
Ті, хто читав «Як зрозуміти комікси», той знає, що автор дуже добре годен гратися з малюнком. Те ж саме і тут. Різноманіття ілюстрацій вражає, як і різноманіття їх подачі. Тут як самі малюнки можуть змінюватися залежно від стилістики, яку потрібно показати, так і фрейми та їх контури. Правда місцями Скотт пройобується й ліпить щось не дуже відповідне до тексту, який йде в цей момент, але загалом все дуже й дуже пиздато.
Всім тим, хто хоче малювати (навіть не обов'язково комікси) рекомендую. Тут багато чого можна почерпнути (на мою повністю профанську думку). Також цікаво буде тим, хто знайомий з цим видом мистецтва та хоче дослідити його закулісся. Всім іншим краще за цей твір не братися, а якщо й буде бажання, то краще спочатку пробувати попередню роботу автора – «Як зрозуміти комікси».
Сюжет: ха-ха, смішно) який в пизду сюжет у нонфікшні?)
Малюнок: 9/10
Оцінка: 8/10
#ррцз #безцензури #комікс #коміксрецензія #нонфікшн #скоттмаклауд
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