''Making Comics: Storytelling Secrets of Comics, Manga, and Graphic Novels'' is a book by

comic book A comic book, also called comicbook, comic magazine or (in the United Kingdom and Ireland) simply comic, is a publication that consists of comics art in the form of sequential juxtaposed panels that represent individual scenes. Panels are of ...

writer A writer is a person who uses written words in different writing styles and techniques to communicate ideas. Writers produce different forms of literary art and creative writing such as novels, short stories, books, poetry, travelogues, p ...

and

artist An artist is a person engaged in an activity related to creating art, practicing the arts, or demonstrating an art. The common usage in both everyday speech and academic discourse refers to a practitioner in the visual arts only. However, th ...

Scott McCloud Scott McCloud (born Scott McLeod; June 10, 1960) is an American cartoonist and comics theorist. He is best known for his non-fiction books about comics: ''Understanding Comics'' (1993), '' Reinventing Comics'' (2000), and ''Making Comics'' (200 ...

, published by

William Morrow Paperbacks William Morrow and Company is an American publishing company founded by William Morrow in 1926. The company was acquired by Scott Foresman in 1967, sold to Hearst Corporation in 1981, and sold to News Corporation (now News Corp) in 1999. Th ...

in 2006. A study of methods of constructing comics, it is a thematic sequel to McCloud's critically acclaimed books ''

Understanding Comics ''Understanding Comics: The Invisible Art'' is a 1993 non-fiction work of comics by American cartoonist Scott McCloud. It explores formal aspects of comics, the historical development of the medium, its fundamental vocabulary, and various ways in ...

'' and '' Reinventing Comics''. As with its two predecessors, ''Making Comics'' is itself in comic book form, with McCloud's avatar (now "aged" 13 years since ''Understanding Comics'') leading the reader through the pages. The book details the processes behind storytelling, character design, and other challenges specific to the medium, with illustrative examples drawn from the history of comics. Complex topics are frequently boiled down to a few principles, such as classifying cartoonists into four types, or identifying the "six basic emotions". The book is dedicated to

Will Eisner William Erwin Eisner (March 6, 1917 – January 3, 2005) was an American cartoonist, writer, and entrepreneur. He was one of the earliest cartoonists to work in the American comic book industry, and his series ''The Spirit'' (1940–1952) was no ...

Development

McCloud drew ''Making Comics'' digitally on a

Cintiq () is a Japanese company headquartered in Kazo, Saitama, Japan, that specializes in manufacturing graphics tablets and related products. Headquarters locations The main headquarters are located in Kazo, Saitama, Japan. Its office in the USA ...

monitor. He was dealing with

tendinitis Tendinopathy, a type of tendon disorder that results in pain, swelling, and impaired function. The pain is typically worse with movement. It most commonly occurs around the shoulder (rotator cuff tendinitis, biceps tendinitis), elbow (tennis elb ...

in his hands during the early production of the book, and McCloud found that the monitor worked very comfortably, as it allowed him to draw with his forearm rather than with his wrist.

Publication history

McCloud thought of ''Making Comics'' as the true successor to ''Understanding Comics'', with ''Reinventing Comics'' being more of an outlier. He felt compelled to the book as he was working on improving his own skills as a cartoonist. In contrast to ''Understanding Comics'' and ''Reinventing Comics'', ''Making Comics'' was drawn entirely on a digital tablet.Yarbrough . Beau
MCCLOUD GETS BACK TO BASICS WITH "MAKING COMICS"
''Comic Book Resources'' (June 12th, 2006). McCloud promoted the book with a Making Comics 50 State Tour, which also included visits to Canada, England, and France, and ended in September 2007.Furey, Emmett
"SCOTT MCCLOUD'S "MAKING COMICS" TOUR CONCLUDES IN HOLLYWOOD"
Comic Book Resources (September 4, 2007).

Summary

''Making Comics'' is divided into five main sections: # ''"Writing with Pictures"'' – topics include "Clarity and Persuasion", "The Five Choices", "Choice of Moment", "Choice of Frame", "Choice of Image", "Choice of Word", "Choice of Flow", "Working Methods", "Clarity vs. Intensity" and "Intensity vs. Persuasion" # ''"Stories for Humans"'' – topics include "Symmetry and Recognition", "3 Steps to Believable Characters", "Character Design", "Facial Expressions" and "Body Language" # ''"The Power of Words"'' – topics include "Balance and Integration", "The 7 Types of Word/Picture Combinations", "Word Balloons", "Sound Effects", "Writer/Artist Collaborations", "Picking Your Story" and "Heritage and Strengths" # ''"World Building"'' – topics include "Being There", "Revisiting the Establishing Shot", "Regional Variations", "Comic Strip Minimalism", "Perspective", "Reference and Research", and "Not Just Backgrounds" # ''"Tools, Techniques, & Technology"'' – topics include "The Only Essential Tools", "Drawing on the Cheap", "Traditional Tools", "Digital Tools", "Lettering and Fonts", "Equipment" and "Publishing Alternatives" The first four sections conclude with notes and exercises.

Awards and honors

''Making Comics'' was nominated for the 2007

Harvey Award The Harvey Awards are given for achievement in comic books. Named for writer-artist Harvey Kurtzman, the Harvey Awards were founded by Gary Groth in 1988, president of the publisher Fantagraphics, to be the successor to the Kirby Awards that were ...

for Best Biographical, Historical or Journalistic Presentation."2007 Harvey Award Nominees and Winners"
Hahn Library Comic Book Awards Almanac. Retrieved November 16, 2011. It was named the Favourite Comics-Related Book at the 2007

Eagle Awards The Eagle Awards were a series of awards for comic book titles and creators. They were awarded by UK fans voting for work produced during the previous year. Named after the UK's ''Eagle'' comic, they were launched in 1977 for comics released in ...

. In addition, it was a 2007

Quill Award The Quill Award was an American literary award that ran for three years in 2005-2007. It was a "consumer-driven award created to inspire reading while promoting literacy." The Quills Foundation, the organization behind the Quill Award, was support ...

-winner for Best Graphic Novel.

References

External links