Making Comics: Storytelling Secrets of Comics, Manga and Graphic Novels

This book has two audiences. Many people will have come to this book through Scott's earlier "Understanding Comics," and read it to further their understandings of comic book history and the evolution of the comic-book language. I do not come from that direction and can not offer a review on those grounds. Where I come from is as a long-time scribbler trying to learn how to tell a story in comic-book format. I learned of this book through mention in the blogs of practicing story-board artists, and as I understand it, it is one of a very small number of books to deal in detail with that part of comic book are that is larger than a single panel (Will Eisner's book is one of, perhaps the one, standout.) There are a lot of "how to draw comics/manga" books out there. The vast majority of them deal with what is inside the panel. (The vast majority of them, particularly the Americanized Manga ones, tend to be less "Here's how to draw" than "Here's something I drew. Now just draw like that!") (Ben Edlund drew a marvellous satire of this in a filler strip titled "How to draw The Tick."; "First draw a sphere. Now draw a horizontal line bisecting the sphere. Now draw The Tick, holding a bisected sphere.") Scott is dealing with the interaction between the panels. How you break a story into parts, how you organize, how to develop moods and settings, how to pace. I could only wish for more. Perhaps the format is a bit at fault. The illustrations are lovely but too often serve more as a supporting visual for what is basically talking-head commentary. And the commentary, the meat of what he is saying, is crammed into balloons and margins and perhaps ends up being less complete than it could be. In many cases, though, the integration of text and picture is useful and elegant. There are odd surprises in what he chooses to cover with what depth. The treatment of various panel arrangements that work (and don't work) is surprisingly brief (perhaps there wasn't much more to say?) But there is an absolutely wonderful section on drawing facial emotion that is almost long and detailed enough to be a book on its own. Perhaps my greatest quibble with this book is Scott can not quite step away from a larger perspective of the evolution and purpose of sequential art. He ends too many thoughts with "But who knows what the future will bring?" How about a few more didactic pronouncements on good storytelling methods, and save the musings on Art with the leading capitalization for his other books. Scott, wisely, spends very little time on tools and perspective, and essentially no time at all on basic anatomy and drawing. However, the pages on drawing backgrounds and character design -- among others -- are great little refresher courses. But you need to know how to draw before you go into this book. You need to look elsewhere for human anatomy -- even elsewhere to find out how to lay out that perspective grid Scott shows off to good effect in several drawings. In fact, that old standby "How to Draw Comics the Marvel Way" makes a pretty good companion piece to this book as it give a good basic orientation to comic book page terminology, simple linear perspective, comic-book anatomy, pencilling and inking. All in all, not the best book there could be on figuring out how to go from a script to fifteen pages of little boxes -- but one of the best books you can find that goes into any detail on the subject. And, of course, it is a delight to read. Marvelously illustrated, cleverly scripted -- and one of those books that will send you scurrying to your own drawing pad, eager to try out some of the things he suggests.

How come it's never occurred to me that the best way to teach is by demonstration? Scott McCloud is so effective in balancing the visual and verbal in this book, providing examples and key ideas about the art of creating comics that make complete and total sense! A lot of the "how-to-make-comics" books out there are decent, and occasionally provide a paragraph or two that has some good insights into the medium, but none of it truly made sense to me until it was applied in a visual format—a literal comic, no less! While other books focus on the "how-to" part and provide an occasional visual example or step-by-step of how it's done, Scott demonstrates every aspect of comics creating he discusses in each page and panel so that the reader isn't left with any question on clarity about the information being presented—clarity being a big point in comics writing that is a recurring theme in the world of comics creation. I especially love that he ends each chapter with some optional exercises to try that helps even a beginning/aspiring comics creator to see if they have what it takes to make their own comics by applying the skills and understanding that Scott discusses throughout each chapter into short-form comics. I know that I benefitted a great deal from testing my mettle with some of the exercises in the book. I usually end up discussing what could be improved upon when it comes to product reviews, but in the case of this book, I have nothing critical to say about it. It is criminally underrated and underread for those looking to go into the world of comics creation. I am practically devouring this book like a textbook, taking notes and marking with page flags all the key takeaways that I've gained from Scott's advice and experience in comics creation—much of which was highly researched and full of thought for any kind of comic creator, whether someone wants to write a superhero comic, a webcomic, or even a manga. Hands down, *this* book has reached the top of my list of best comics-creation resources. I highly recommend this as required reading for anyone dipping their toes in the realm of writing or drawing their own comic!

This book is fantastic so far. I have been wanting for a long time to get into writing a graphic novel or a web comic, but never knew where to start. I also have a hard time sitting down and reading informative articles, posts, or other books. McCloud's book is fantastic if you're like me; the entire "book" is written as a comic book, and is also very entertaining. He goes through the various pieces of writing comics, including panel choice, transition choice, character design, word choice, etc. And in quite a bit of detail at that. Since the entire book is illustrated, there are a variety of actual EXAMPLES of the things he is talking about, as well as references from other comic and manga artists to show how they might accomplish thing A or thing B. Not to mention his own illustrations that he creates for specific examples are hilarious at times. Every chapter has a large section going into more details about specific pages and panels throughout the chapter, adding additional detail where it is needed and any clarification you might have wanted on a specific topic. Additionally, there are exercises he provides that are all helpful to reinforce the chapter topic, getting you into actually practicing writing comics. I haven't finished going through the whole book yet, have barely finished the second chapter, but I absolutely love it. It seems like an invaluable resource to anyone wanting to get into writing their own comics. I will be investing in his other two books as well once I finish going through this one!

Scott McCloud is a master at presenting features, jargon, and process for making stories into comics. This book is amazing for the beginning writer as well as the comics lover and cartoonist. The table of contents is a guide with the headings that explain the structure of this "manual." Many hours of enjoyment as I plan a chapter book of paragraphs and panels. If you are interested in graphic novels, but need background foundation this is the book for you.

I first came across this book in my junior year of college - it was assigned to my animation class as a textbook. When I opened it, I was caught off guard by the fact that the entire book is done in a comic format. As I read, however, the decision to teach visually could not have been more justified. "Making Comics" is one of, if not the, best-written sources for understanding visual storytelling that the market has to offer. McCloud begins by explaining the nature of comics - what they are, what different kinds of comics there are - and branches into incredibly detailed coverage of every aspect of the process of creating a comic. McCloud walks the reader through the mechanics of comics (how to frame, write, and illustrate comics most effectively) into the more tricky technical area of facial expressions and how to draw them with clear, practical, and humorous voice. Often, he will illustrate the points he makes within his own comic panels, or in a didactic side panel next to his own commentary. McCloud's guidance extends to how words interact with the art, how to create believable settings, understanding the available tools for creating comics, and a final overview of understanding the world of comics and the many different genres they branch into. To wit, this is a book I've returned to time and time again for reference - and I'm not a professional comic artist by any stretch. This is a valuable piece of reference material for anyone interested in storytelling, expression through visual means, and even some basic human psychology. Whether you're brand new to graphic novels or a longtime fan, this book will forever change how you experience comics in all their shapes and forms.

Book arrived early and in great condition. I was recommended this book by a comic artist, despite his high regard of the book I was still surprised at it's quality. It is a wonderful reference that even includes exercises to help drive home the concepts in each chapter. Most useful to comic artists, regardless of format, but also a good reference for sequential art in general.

Before picking this book up, I have already stumbled in the dark and put out a few self published graphic books. During this blind stumbling, I have managed to get decent enough art skills to try putting together a graphic novel. However, I have no idea where to dip my toes in this vast ocean of story telling through pictures. I have the skills to draw pictures, but yet still very green in terms of how to organize a page, different techniques, and how to make a story flow in pictures. This book opened my eyes to a lot of different ideas and save my “toes” from having to stumble blindly like I have historically done. Scott McCloud has a vast library of knowledge in comics, mangas, and graphic novels; and he imparts his knowledge so eloquently in this book. The best part is that this book is in the form of a comic, and you know what they say, a picture is worth a thousand words, so any concept that are in the book can be easily grasp through illustration. I highly recommend reading it, for those of us who are aspiring to elevate our art.

McCloud's book does not pretend to give you ALL of the answers, nor does it pretend to be a textbook or an all-encompassing guide. There are other, more expensive books for those purposes. McCloud's book is engaging, thorough, concise, entertaining, and well-planned. It is clear that he put this together with a lot of passion and thought. The concepts are straightforward (if sometimes "dumbed-down" a bit), and he provides theories, concepts, and practical knowledge about making comics. This is a GREAT place for beginners. To clarify, there are books out there about how to draw, but this is NOT one of them. This is designed to help you learn to tell a story using pictures, words, and impressions. There are drawing tricks and suggestions, but they are presented within the larger goal of teaching you to convey emotions and provide meaning. He does not give you a step-by-step guide of how to draw objects or people. The emphasis of this book is to give you advice for flow, framing, transitions, angles, word use, combinations of words and pictures, and tools to need to provide a good balance of clarity and intensity so the reader will understand your meaning and empathize with it. This book is a great place to start, it is a great reference, and his other books are also great references. If you want to kick your story up a notch, read Understanding Comics by McCloud, and use some of the tools he explains. It will allow you to use the tricks of the trade to convey deeper meaning.

Es simplemente la guía más completa que vas a encontrar para adentrarte en el mundo de la creación de cómics y similares. Si bien puede llegar a beneficiarse de juntarlo con sus obras hermanas, creo que por si solo se mantiene perfectamente bien pues abarca un poco de ellas. Totalmente recomendado para cualquier nivel de experiencia de forma didáctica e incluso como lectura recreativa.

An excellent book for understanding visual storytelling and comics. A great follow up to Understanding Comics. I highly recommend both books, even if you aren't an artist / maker.

Overall pretty happy with my purchase is a very informative book!

Making Comics by Scott McCloud is an essential guide for anyone serious about storytelling in the comic medium. Unlike traditional how-to books, McCloud transforms his insights into a comic itself, making complex concepts easy to grasp and visually engaging. This book goes beyond just drawing—it dives deep into the why behind great storytelling, covering panel composition, character expression, pacing, and how to create emotionally compelling narratives. Whether you're a beginner or an experienced artist, Making Comics challenges you to think critically about your craft and refine your storytelling techniques. McCloud’s passion for the medium is infectious, making this more than just a reference book—it’s an inspiring roadmap for bringing your stories to life. If you’re serious about comics or manga, this belongs on your shelf.

Si vous avez aimé "Understanding Comics", du même auteur, vous adorerez le troisième livre de la série (je ne possède pas le deuxième tome, ce n'est pas forcément nécessaire). C'est en anglais, mais les références culturelles utilisées sont généralement connues, et d'ailleurs parfois européennes ou manga. L'auteur maîtrise son art et ses connaissances culturelles sont pour le moins solides. L'auteur est agréable a lire : tout est en BD, par exemple. Un très bon livre pour fans de BD, mais aussi pour toute personne souhaitant renforcer ses compétences en graphisme et composition d'image.