Scott McCloud's Making Comics

Scott McCloud has done it again. Not only did he help me to understand how to better read comics, he now is providing me with the tools needed to make my own! In Making Comics, McCloud breaks down the various aspects that make a good comic book. I tagged pretty much every page for more review. I have a feeling by the end of this course, Making Comics and Understanding Comics will be extremely well worn in! While I by no means thought creating a comic book, graphic novel or manga was easy, I was not aware of just how much thought must go into every single detail. His emphasis on how even the smallest details in the background of a panel can reveal a lot about the character or plot line really struck a chord. The study of facial expressions is going to be extremely helpful when it comes to character design, as well as his ideas for creating a character and basing them upon concepts. I had never thought of doing so before, but it certainly provides another interesting dimension to their persona. Body language was something I've noticed in movies or pictures, but I had not realized just how much it could express in comics until I read this book.
I also really liked the exercises and notes he has at the end of each chapter. I have yet to do the exercises, but I am sure I will before I begin to create my own comic. I've never taken a class where I've had to create something completely of my own imagination, and I was really nervous when it came time to write the proposals. I've always liked to doodle and daydream, but to share my ideas with others was a terrifying thought! My main fears were, "can i make something interesting???", "what makes a good comic book story??" McCloud put these fears to rest when he explains that there is no right story for comics, and that one should write what they would want to read. His comment that even if all else fails there will be at least one loyal reader really made me smile.
On a side note, I'd really like to see the results that come of the 24 hour comic creation. Maybe we can get the class together for an all day (literally) event... ; )

Understanding Comics: Part II

Thank you, Scott McCloud. Thank you for explaining so beautifully what I've been trying to tell my parents for years - comics are an artform! And a wonderful, limitless, complex one at that. As cliche as this may sound, McCloud really changed the way I read and understand comics. Understanding Comics had my brain working harder than it has in awhile (honestly). I learned so much about comics, and art in general while reading this book.

One of the concepts I found most interesting was that of the balance between pictures and words, and the different moods and emotions that can be evoked by something as seemingly simple as a line.

Scott McCloud's "Understanding Comics"

Fifteen years ago, Scott McCloud undertook the daunting task of explaining the medium known as "Comics." The result of his efforts was Understanding Comics: The Invisible Art.
What many view as a simple form of expression is actually far far from it. Branching from Will Eisner's original idea of comics as "sequential art," McCloud provides a definition of comics before further delving into every sensory and imaginative process that goes into a comic creation. I thought Understanding Comics would be easy to read through, as it is designed as a comic book itself (an easily accessible form)! However, I found myself enthralled by all the different theories McCloud presented, and it took me more than a few minutes to truly grasp what he is trying to convey. I read and studied each page thoroughly and was excited by the way McCloud is able to capture and explain the beauty and potential of comics. The way in which he breaks down and explains various techniques (such as different panel transitions) provided a number of insights into both reading and creating comics. I read The Spirit: Umbrella Handles after reading Understanding Comics and found myself analyzing the changes in action over panels, the dialogue, the use of icons. However, McCloud conveys his knowledge in a way that doesn't take the fun out of comics but rather enhances a reader's experience.
There are many terms McCloud defines in his book, the first and foremost being "comics" itself. The following are a list of important vocabulary and "comics language":
Comics (as defined by Scott McCloud): "Juxtaposed pictorial and other images in deliberate sequence, intended to convey information and/or to produce an aesthetic response in the viewer."
Splash page: a full page drawing, often including the title and credits as the first page of a comic book
Thought balloon: internal character dialogue, usually represented in a bubble
Narrative box: narrative boxes are used to convey information not easily understood through thought or speech bubbles and drawings
panel: bordered images, each usually representing a different subject, scene or action; often aligned in a grid format
closure: the mental process that allows readers to imaginatively fill in the spaces in between the panels
gutter: the spaces in between the panels which serve just as important a role as the panels themselves