Understanding Comics

A look at the history, meaning, and art of comics and cartooning. Using comics to examine the medium itself, the author takes the form of a cartoon character and explains the structure, meaning, and appeal of comics, and provides a running analysis of comics as art, literature, and communication.

Reviews

"If you read, write, teach or draw comics; if you want to; or if you simply want to watch a master explainer at work, you must read this book." -- Neil Gaiman "McCloud's masterwork is not just an indispensable treatise on comics, it's also the best primer around on visual literacy and the mechanics of storytelling. A must-read for anyone interested in narrative of any kind." -- Alison Bechdel "Cleverly disguised as an easy-to-read comic book, Scott McCloud's simple-looking tome deconstructs the secret language of comics while casually revealing secrets of time, space, art and the cosmos! The most intelligent comics I've seen in a long time. Bravo." -- Art Spiegelman "Reading Understanding Comics blew my teenage mind, and gave me a toolbox full of ideas that I still use today." -- Raina Telgemeier "The best analysis of the medium that I have ever encountered." -- Alan Moore "BRAVO!! ... A landmark dissection and intellectual consideration of comics as a valid medium. ... Anyone interested in this literary form must read it." -- Will Eisner