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jexjthomas's review
4.0
[a:Scott McCloud|33907|Scott McCloud|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/authors/1231113775p2/33907.jpg] distills [b:Understanding Comics: The Invisible Art|102920|Understanding Comics The Invisible Art|Scott McCloud|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1328408101s/102920.jpg|2415847] down to the bare necessities, the points that are most important for comics creators. He adds in a few technical details, protips, and some inane rambling about genre which could have been excised. Honestly, I do think this book is pretty good, especially if you have read Understanding Comics, but while it starts out strong, it kind of peaks somewhere in the middle, and then drops off HARD at the end. His musings about style and genre in particular feel out of place and without a whole lot of insight. Maybe I'm being a little harsh, I don't know, but I felt in particular his attempts to boil down genre into four distinct "tribes" to be really simplistic and not especially helpful. I think that's McCloud's approach to comics theory in a nutshell, though--in boiling comics down to the essence, you risk losing some of the profundity. Anyway, if I want a more in-depth analysis/exploration of genre in comics, I can go elsewhere, and all said, Making Comics offers some really good tips and McCloud drops some practical knowledge that young artists would otherwise only come across through years of trial and error. I would recommend this book to people who are serious about creating comics -- artists and writers both -- but if you're merely a comics fan, I would skip it. Understanding Comics is a much more comprehensive look at comics as a medium and the theory behind comics; in focusing on the practical, Making Comics only scratches the surface of that stuff, and if you're approaching this thinking that it's further exploration of comics theory, you're going to be left wanting. It lacks any of the revelatory moments of its predecessor -- which, for a young comics fan, really felt IMPORTANT, you know? -- but that doesn't mean its without merit.
I don't know what it says about me, but I enjoyed the section about pens the most.
I don't know what it says about me, but I enjoyed the section about pens the most.
rhyslindmark's review
5.0
Damn. Scott McCloud writes THE books you want to read if you're making visual ideas of any form, especially comics.
Highly recommended.
Highly recommended.
huckleberryrk's review
informative
medium-paced
5.0
There’s a reason I keep coming back to this book.
jonbrammer's review
5.0
McCloud's series explaining the ways of graphic storytelling is an invaluable resource for anyone wanting to teach, create, or discuss comics and graphic novels. Understanding Comics is more about theory of visual art; Making Comics is a primer on technique. Regardless, I found the vocabulary / terminology useful if you want to teach visual analysis. I also really appreciated the sections on manga, which goes into the genre's history and web of influences.
marobbins's review against another edition
5.0
I loved this book, and the section entitled "Understanding Comics Culture" made me feel emotional at times. Anyone who wants to study, write, or draw comics will understand it and why we love comics so much as artists and/or scholars. Scott McCloud's passion comes through for the whole book, and it's a good mix behind the theory of Understanding Comics and the more pragmatic aspect of creating comics. As a comics scholar, I think it helped me understand the medium better. As someone who has aspirations to also write comics scripts, it was also helpful for me in that regard. I appreciate his discussion about collaborating with visual artists, which I will need to continue to do, since that is not my forte. Sometimes, I feel like the universe played a cruel joke on me by giving me an artist's soul, but not quite the pipes to sing well, the body joints to dance for a living (although I enjoy it as an occasional hobby and a way to exercise), or the fine motor skills to draw well. But fortunately, I can write stories and write scholastic commentary on this awesome visual media, and Scott McCloud continues to teach me about it. Well done!