Understanding Comics: The Invisible Art

That, of course, is an impressive achievement, especially since he deals with functions as well as forms. To that we add McCloud's knowledge of art history, which allows him to go back in time and find the origins of comics in pre-Columbian picture manuscripts, Egyptian hieroglyphics and the Bayeux Tapestry. Topping all of this off is McCloud's grand and rather obvious conceit, that his book about the art of comic books is done AS a comic book. This might seem an obvious approach, but that does not take away from the fact that the result is a perfect marriage of substance and form.

This volume is divided into nine chapters: (1) Setting the Record Straight, which develops a proper dictionary-style definition of "comics"; (2) The Vocabulary of Comics, detailing the iconic nature of comic art; (3) Blood in the Gutter, establishing the different types of transitions between frames of comic art, which are the building blocks of how comics work; (4) Time Frames, covers the ways in which comics manipulate time, including depictions of speed and motion; (5) Living in Line, explores how emotions and other things are made visible in comics; (6) Show and Tell, looks at the interchangeability of words and pictures in various combinations; (7) The Six Steps, details the path comic book creators take in moving from idea/purpose to form to idiom to structure to craft to surface (but not necessarily in that order); (8) A Word About Color, reminds us that even though this particular book is primarily in black & white, color has its uses in comic books; and (9) Putting It All Together, finds McCloud getting philosophical about the peculiar place of comic books in the universe.

"Understanding Comics" works for both those who are reading pretty much every comic book done by anyone on the face of the planet and those who have never heard of Wil Eisner and Art Spigelman, let alone recognize their artwork. Which ever end of the spectrum you gravitate towards McCloud incorporates brief examples of some of the artwork of the greatest comic book artists, such as Kirby, Herge, Schultz, etc., as well as work by more conventional artists, including Rembrandt, Hokusai, and Van Gogh. "Understanding Comics" is a superb look at the form and functions of the most underexplored art form in popular culture.

I am using Spider-Man comic books in my Popular Culture class this year and will be using some of McCloud's key points to help the cherubs in their appreciation of what they are reading. If you have devoted hundreds of hours of your life to reading comic books, then you can take a couple of hours to go through this book and have a better understanding and appreciation of why you take funny books so seriously.


Deep and Clear   March 3, 2000
David M. Chess (Mohegan Lake, NY USA)
45 out of 51 found this review helpful

I expected this book to be a witty and well-done presentation of mostly stuff that I already knew; but it was much more than that. McCloud has a deep understanding of art and society and people, and a completely lucid presentation.

There are neat and useful new ways of thinking about comics here (his comparisons of American and Japanese comics, his theories of panel transitions and why comic characters are sometimes drawn more simply than the backgrounds, his comments on the psychological impact of color), and for that matter ways of thinking about art in general, and design in general. And he makes masterly use of the comic medium itself to present the material in a way that never drags or confuses.

I hope someone programs the Orbital Mind Control Lasers so that McCloud extends this book into a whole series on the theory and practice of comics, and another on general visual design. The world needs it!


A profound book about more than comix   December 22, 1999
Eric Lee Smith (Philadelphia, PA United States)
10 out of 10 found this review helpful

This is one of my favorite books and one of the most insightful, unique, and enjoyable books that I've ever read. I have recommended it to many people, bought copies for several of them, and own two copies myself so that I can lend out one. I recommend it VERY strongly to anyone who's involved with designing Internet sites. Although it's not about that subject directly, it has more wisdom about the design of sites than any Web design book I've ever read or seen. Afterall, the Web is basically a 'page' structure, with text and graphics, just like a comic. Also, you'll learn more about art history from this book than you will from most art history classes (I know, I went to art school...). And did I mention that it's funny too! -E


Wonderful book for everyone. MUST READ :)   October 28, 1999
15 out of 17 found this review helpful

I first read this book when it came out in 1993, I guess the demand was unanticipated as I could not find a copy to purchase for myself until the second printing was finished.

Scott McCloud brilliantly and thoughtfully examines not just comic books, but how we view ourselves, how society views comics (And how comics influence society!) and goes in depth into storytelling, form and substance.

I'd recommend this book for anyone who is interested in comic and cartooning as a profession, or as a passing interest, and I recommend it to those who are skeptical about the comic storytelling medium as it contains insights that I've never seen discussed so eloquently. All schools should have a copy of this in their library :)

Don't let the comic book format fool you, this is a great book! (My favourite chapter is the one on icons.. and how we see ourselves in everything.. :) )


STEALTH TEACHING   July 9, 2006
Steve P. Maulin (St. Louis, MO USA)
8 out of 8 found this review helpful

Mc Cloud writes and draws in such a logical, straightforward style that remains funny and entertaining. His research and organization show this to be a heavy book disguised as fluff. (not to say that all comics are shallow, but they usually do not give the first impression of "War and Peace"). I was visiting my daughter at school and saw this softcover laying on the coffee table. I thought it might be a counter- culture "People" magazine. I was sucked in to the light approach and funny quirks in animation. Soon I realized this was a serious topic and also impossible to put down. I had to have a copy of my own. (turns out it was being used as a textbook in an English/Writing class on campus). Scott is a genious if could reach me. I am a photographer and Scott opened my eyes to new visual logics.
Steve Maulin