90 pages • 3 hours read
Understanding Comics: The Invisible Art
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Book Brief
224
Graphic Novel/Book • Nonfiction
1990s
1993
Adult
12-18 years
Super Short Summary
Understanding Comics, a graphic nonfiction work by Scott McCloud, explores the history, theory, and potential of comic art, discussing its definition as "sequential art," its iconography, and storytelling techniques. McCloud examines concepts like closure, time manipulation, motion depiction, and synaesthetics, while defending comics as a legitimate and powerful art form.
Informative
Contemplative
Humorous
Reviews & Readership
124,519 ratings
Loved it
Mixed feelings
Not a fan
Review Roundup
Scott McCloud’s Understanding Comics is lauded for its insightful analysis of comic art, blending humor and academic rigor. Reviewers appreciate its clarity and innovative approach to the medium. Some critique it for occasional repetitiveness, but overall, it is highly regarded as an essential work for both comic enthusiasts and scholars.
Who Should Read Understanding Comics?
Readers who delight in exploring the intricate blend of art and narrative in graphic storytelling will enjoy Scott McCloud's Understanding Comics. Fans of Will Eisner’s Comics and Sequential Art and Art Spiegelman's Maus will find McCloud’s analytical yet accessible approach particularly engaging.
124,519 ratings
Loved it
Mixed feelings
Not a fan
Rudolphe Töpffer
Rudolphe Töpffer
A Swiss artist credited with pioneering the use of borders and the integration of images and words in comics. His work, although initially seen as frivolous, laid important groundwork for the development of comics as a serious art form.
Marshall McLuhan
Marshall McLuhan
A Canadian social philosopher whose ideas about media, famously encapsulated in the phrase “The medium is the message,” influenced McCloud’s exploration of comics and their unique qualities as a medium.
224
Graphic Novel/Book • Nonfiction
1990s
1993
Adult
12-18 years
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