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Understanding Comics by Scott McCloud
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I picked this up because it's this month's IndieWeb Book Club pick, decided upon by Joe Crawford. I'm so glad he chose this! I never would've read it otherwise, let alone knew it even existed. If you've got a place on the internet, why don't you join us in reading? Or, even choose a book for a future month?
Review
It’s comics all the way down, folks, and be glad of it! This ingenious book uses the form itself to interrogate it. Meta-analysis done in the best possible way.
He explores the history, vocabulary, and methods of making ‘sequential art’ (even the way he comes to this definition is fascinating) in an erudite manner.
What I found most intriguing was his concept of ‘closure’, which is how readers fill narrative gaps between panels. His explanation of how time, imagery, and the spaces between panels create meaning fascinated me. Turns out it’s become foundational in understanding how comics work!
Even though I’ve never written a comic in my life, and don’t plan to (never mind wanting to, I’ve got hundreds of things still unfinished)…I’d argue it’s required reading for all storytellers.
Believe me when I say you’ll never read comics the same way again.
Links Elsewhere
Get A Copy: Amazon | Bookshop.org | Libro.fm
Links: Open Library | Wikipedia | Worldcat
Reviewed On: Goodreads | LibraryThing | The Storygraph
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