Understanding Comics: The Invisible Art

It really makes you appreciate comics and give them the respect they deserve. McCloud is funny and a good teacher.

Great, informative, engaging read. I highly recommend it to anyone who likes enjoys learning about art history and theory

Great for understanding how storytelling using comics

I purchased this item, along with McCloud's other book Making Comics, to teach a course on comics in English to art students at Cheongju University in South Korea. Both of these books really lend themselves to teaching, each one is divided into chapters which discuss specific comic concepts and elements. Two excellent chapters:The first chapter in Understanding Comics is great because it discusses the history of comics, and some great activities can be done having students think about and search for comics in the real world and instances of comics in history. This chapter really validates the fact that comics are interesting and useful, rather than just being treated as a 'fake' art or a 'not really real' subject.Chapter three is excellent because it breaks down transitions not only in American comics, but European and Asian comics as well, and explains his thoughts as to why these differences exist. This allows students to compare the differences and broaden their understanding of how different cultures think differently. This chapter also discusses how comics are subtractive, and lends itself to an excellent lesson whereupon students can draw comics with many pictures, then keep subtracting and combining pictures until they have the miminum number of pictures that tells the gist of their story.In other chapters: Chapter two discusses word choice and flow in comics, four discusses time, chapter five discusses displaying emotion by using different types of lines (and similarities and differences between comics from different cultures), chapter six discusses how words and ideas complement each other in comics, and chapter seven discusses six steps to making comics.In my opinion, each book is worth its weight in gold alone for a comic class, but they have a synergistic effect when used in tandem with each other. Concepts from one book flow into the other book, and vice-versa, giving the students in-depth knowledge of both how to make comics and how to understand comics from other authors better. All of the concepts from the chapters can be seen easily in comics online or from newspapers, and so each week I first do the lecture, then use a few examples on the overhead that I have found from other comics, then give the students homework pertaining to the concepts discussed.Through use of the two books, the students' work is really improving, and it is fun to see them working specifically with each comic element. Each of the concepts discussed in the chapters is a great starting point to get the students' creative juices flowing. I would recommend this book to any teacher or lecturer interested teaching comics at almost any level and to any audience.

I was required to read this book for multiple comic courses. Yes, this book is useful, especially for those with a limited understanding of comics. The advice on flow, pacing, etc is invaluable. However, because comics are such a complex medium, this book is not the all-or-nothing guide it pretends to be and can even come off as pretentious at times. If you'd like to truly understand comics, observe the comics that you read rather than relying solely on this book.

I happened across this book in the library, and was _that_ close to putting it back on the shelf. I was looking for art books to teach sketch drawing. I went back to the shelf for a second look, then couldn't put it down.The comic book method of combining words and pictures to convey a message was amazingly effective in this book. It's a book about how to understand comic books, and it is itself a comic book. What opened my eyes was just how powerful a medium it is.The medium hasn't even remotely been explored completely. It's wide open. This book is itself an amazing poster child for the art itself. McCloud's artwork is beautiful, and absolutely effective in every line. His range of capabilities is astounding. It's a pleasure experiencing this book. When my kids get older, I want them to read it and I hope they'll get excited about drawing.Anyway if you're interested in creating comic books of your own, or are interested in learning about comic books themselves, this book is a must read. It is certainly McCloud's best work. The drawings are clearly drawn by hand with pen and paper. McCloud's later work is clearly done on computer, and something precious is lost in the translation. I'm sure the computer saves a great deal of time, but the end result is...just not the same. This book spoke to me in a very profound way. Get a copy for yourself.

I didn't really start getting serious with comics until I was in college, oddly enough. This work would be my first foray into the comic art, and it was a great one at that. McCloud's Understanding Comics offers something for both the novice and veteran of comics, giving the layout, history, and nuances of it to the former and revealing new insights to the latter.The thing that really strikes me about this work is that it is clearly a product of McCloud's experience with comics. He offers some really good points about why comics work, why they are popular, and what they say about us humans. With the writing style Scott employs, there is a healthy dose of comedy and knowledge, and he easily strings along the reader throughout the comic. We become familiar with some of the deepest mechanics at play in comics and the different regional variations. In truth, the fact that the book itself is written in comic form is partly why it is so effective. The reader learns about the medium while getting used to reading it in its natural format.The insight McCloud gives about art in particular is something that really stuck with me. His interpretation was something new for me, and, upon further reflection, highlights why this comic is so enjoyable. It is polished, well-founded, fun, and a true learning experience that will stay with you long after you have finished reading it. A must have for any person who enjoys comics, graphic novels, etc.

Great insight for anyone looking to create comics or just understand the medium better as a fan. Reading this will allow you to appreciate your favorite stories on a whole new level!