Making Comics Storytelling Secrets of Comics Manga and Graphic Novels
Scott McCloud’s Understanding Comics was published in 1993, just as “Comics Aren’t Just for Kids Anymore!” articles were starting to appear and graphic novels were making their way into the mainstream, and it quickly gave the newly respectable medium the theoretical and practical manifesto it needed. With his clear-eyed and approachable analysis–done using the same comics tools he was describing–McCloud quickly gave “sequential art” a language to understand itself. McCloud made the simplest of drawing decisions seem deep with artistic potential.
Thirteen years later, following the Internet evangelizing of Reinventing Comics, McCloud has returned with Making Comics.
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Designed as a craftsperson’s overview of the drawing and storytelling decisions and possibilities available to comics artists, covering everything from facial expressions and page layout to the choice of tools and story construction, Making Comics, like its predecessors, is also an eye-opening trip behind the scenes of art-making, fascinating for anyone reading comics as well as those making them. Get a sense of the range of his lessons by clicking through to the opening pages of his book, including his (illustrated, of course) table of contents (warning: large file, recommended for high-bandwidth users):
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User Ratings and Reviews
5 Stars Great if you’re starting in comics or want to know where you might be going wrong
Great book for beginning comic artists. You will not be taught technical details for how to draw or lay out panels, but you will be shown how to pace comics, shown some basic face anatomy in the context of emotion, given a few inspirational tips on choosing characters, and so on. Probably an interesting read even for people who aren’t sure that they want to get into comics.
5 Stars Best Cartoon Instruction
This is the best cartooning and illustration
book that has EVER been created. It accomplishes cartoons and
illustrating and explains everything. THIS is
the only book you will ever need. Don’t let this
book escape you, you will NEVER forgive yourself if
you let this treasure get away. It is total visual
instruction. Easy to understand. Easy to attempt.
It is the book I keep on the drawing desk next to me
because it is so complete. Wow!!!!!!—- Luisa Felix
5 Stars As usual, high quality stuff
Well thought out, well written, quality throughout. I like this book the best so far; the previous weren’t as appealing as this but were still very well done. The author really practices what he preaches as far as his message and the book speaks for itself. You won’t be disappointed. Looking forward to the new books!
5 Stars This book is not just for comic artist..
What I like about this book is the fact that it is not only instructional for comic book artists but also for all artists. He writes and draws to enhance what he is teaching so that it is not even noticed by the reader that he is being taught. I have met Scott and he is as entertaining and funny in person as he is in his book.
5 Stars An Excellent Book For Everyone
When my grandparents got me this book, I didn’t think it could help me. I was looking for a “How to Draw” not a “How to Write”. This book proved me so wrong. I couldn’t believe how much fun it was to read, and it helped me a lot too. Almost everything I thought I knew was proved wrong and after reading it I felt like I understood comics so much better. As well as making me better at writing comic books, it made me a better writer altogether. I strongly recommend this book for anyone who is interested in comics or in just plain writing or art.
