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"7°:
'

“A REMARKABLE NEW BAEDEKER OF THE TOONS.”

—GARRY TRUDEAU, NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW
 A Kitchen Sink Book for
“= HarperPerennial
A Division of HarperCollinsPublishers
 WRITING AND ART
SCOTT McCLOUD

LETTERING
BOB LAPPAN A paperback edition of this book was originally
published in 1993 by Kitchen Sink Press. It is here
reprinted by arrangement with Kitchen Sink Press.

EDITORIAL ADVICE AND

SELECTIVE EGO-TRIMMING UNDERSTANDING COMICS: THE INVISIBLE ART. Copyright
STEVE BISSETTE ©1993 by Scott McCloud.All rights reserved. Printed in

KURT BUSIEK the United States of America. No part of this book may
be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever with-
NEIL GAIMAN out written permission except in the case of brief

BOB LAPPAN quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

For information address HarperCollins Publishers, Inc.,
JENNIFER LEE 10 East 53rd Street, New York, NY 10022.

LARRY MARDER HarperCollins books may be purchased for educa-

IVY RATAFIA tional, business, or sales promotional use. For
information please write: Special Markets Department,
HarperCollins Publishers, Inc., 10 East 53rd Street,
EXTRA SPECIAL THANKS New York, NY 10022.

WILL EISNER First HarperPerennial edition published 1994.

EDITOR IS8N 0-06-097625-X (pbk.)

MARK MARTIN 94 95 96 97 98 RIPON 10987654321

ANY SIMILARITY BETWEEN CHARACTERS/INSTITUTIONS IN THIS WORK

TO ACTUAL CHARACTERS/INSTITUTIONS IS UNINTENDED
ENTIRE CONTENTS COPYRIGHT SCOTT McCLOUD UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED
UNDERSTANDING COMICS IS A TRADEMARK OF SCOTT McCLOUD
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS: endorsements to the project. I'm particularly indebt-
The book you're about to read took 15 ed to Jim Valentino, Dave Sim and Keith Giffen who
months to produce and many of the ideas it con- used their own books as a forum on my behalf. In
tains had been on the back-burner for over nine the retail sector, my thanks to the generous mem-
years, so acknowledging all of those who have bers of the Direct Line Group, to the many stores
helped in its development may be next to impossi- which played host during our first tour and espe-
ble. Furthermore, since its initial publication in the cially to the Mighty Moondog himself, Gary
comics industry, I’ve received tremendous support Colobuono. Thanks, as always, to Larry Marder,
from hundreds of fellow travelers in all corners of Nexus of All Comic Book Realities, for his tireless
the publishing world. My apologies to anyone who efforts on my behalf.
is not listed below and should have been. Thank you to the legion of journalists in print,
My deepest gratitude to Steve Bissette, Kurt radio and television who have been able to talk
Busiek, Neil Gaiman, Larry Marder and Ivy Ratafia about this book without quoting sound effects from
who all reviewed my original draft in detail and the old Batman TV show; especially Calvin Reid
offered many valuable critiques. Their contribution and the whole gang at PW.
to the project cannot be overstated. | was also for- Early influences on the ideas in this book are
tunate to receive detailed analysis from the talented harder to trace, but no less important. Kurt Busiek
Jennifer Lee and beyond-the-call-of-duty proofread- introduced me to comics long ago and was my best
ing and good advice from Bob Lappan. Special guide for many years. Eclipse Editor-in-Chief cat
thanks are also due to the magnificent (and mag- yronwode helped shape my critical faculties over
nanimous) Will Eisner who offered many words of seven years on ZOT! and is one of the very few
encouragement and excellent advice in the proj- people in comics who really understood where |
ect’s later stages. Will Eisner’s work has been an was coming from. Art Spiegelman, like Eisner,
inspiration to me, and to thousands of artists, for offered me a role-model for serious inquiry into
many years. Eisner's COMICS AND SEQUENTIAL comics as an art-form and, in his short comics-
ART was the first book to examine the art-form of essay “Cracking Jokes,” clarified comics’ potential
comics. Here’s the second. | couldn’t have done it for non-fiction and made this book a possibility.
without you, Will. Thanks. Other important early influences include Syracuse
I'm deeply indebted to all of the friends and professor Larry Bakke, Richard Howell and Carol
family who offered their thoughts on the manuscript Kalish.
as it was being prepared. Among this long list are My thanks to all the fine people at Tundra
Holly Ratafia, Alice Harrigan, Carol Ratafia, Barry Publishing, Kitchen Sink Press and HarperCollins.
Deutsch, Kip Manley, Amy Sacks, Caroline Woolf,
Clarence Cummins, Karl Zimmerman, Catherine Without Kevin Eastman this book might have
Bell, Adam Philips and the legendary Dewan never seen the light of day. Thank you, Kevin.
Brothers, Ted and Brian. Without lan Ballantine, you wouldn't be hold-
In the comics world, special thanks go to ing it in your hands today. Thank you, lan.
Richard Howell, Mike Luce, Dave McKean, Rick
Veitch, Don Simpson, Mike Bannon (technical sup- And without you, Ivy, it wouldn't have been
port), Jim Woodring, and all of the wonderful clan at much fun. | love you madly. Let’s take tomorrow off.
San Diego '92. Thanks also to the numerous pro-
fessionals who have lent their support and
C Scott McCloud
 N
ODUCTIO
OF INTR
SETTING
RD
THE RECO
1
THE
VOCABULARY “s
2 OF COMICS

BLOOD
IN THE
GUTTER
2 sl
CSSa
HAA
“eu*TUR

me
4
TIME
FRAMES
©)
AD

4
S
LIVING
IN mS
LINE
5

G ie
SHOW
138
Mao.

7 &
4 =a m

STEPS m ine)

A WORD
ABOUT ra BA
e. COLOR

PUTTING
IT ALLER ae
as
a TOGETH
 —t—

}}

MY OLD PAL MA77 FEAZELL WELL, IT’S A BIT HARD NOT EXAC7Z™ NO...
CALLED THE OTHER DAY. 4 TO DESCRIBE, MATT. ITS ALTHOUGH THERE 1S SOME
SORT OF A COMIC BOOK HISTORY WV IT.., 1T’S MORE
SO, SCOTT, WHAT'S YOUR ABOUT COMICS / AN EXAMINATION OF THE
NEXT PROJECT GOING TO BE ARRT-FOR/49 OF COMICS,
NOW THAT YOU'VE FINISHED WHAT IT’S CAPABLE OF,
“ZOT"7 HOW IT WORKS.

YOU KNOW, HOW DO WE I HAVE A CHAPTER ON

DEFINE COMICS, WHAT ARE CLOSURE—ALL ABOUT
THE BASIC ELEMENTS WHAT HAPPENS
OF COMICS, HOW DOES THE THE PANELS, THERE’S ONE ON AND ITS IMPLICATIONS FOR
MIND PROCESS THE LANGUAGE HOW ZAWE FLOWS THROUGH COMICS AND FOR AR7 /N
OF COMICS --THAT SORT OF COMICS, ANOTHER ON THE GENERAL I7
THING. INTERACTION OF WORDS
AND PICTURES AND
STORYTELLING.

YOU KIND OF
YOUNG TO BE DOING
THAT SORT OF
THING 7
UNDERSTANDING COMICS
 La).

WHEN I WAS A
LITTLE KID

EXACTL
KNEW

WHAT COMICS

COMICS ERE THOSE

BRIGHT, COLORFUL READ REAL BUT WHEN I WAS IN 8f GRADE A
MAGAZINES FILLED BOOKS, NATURALLY. FRIEND OF MINE C WHO WAS A LOT
WITH BAD ART I WAS MUCH TOO SMARTER THAN IL WAS) CONVINCED
STUPID STORIES OLD For ME TO GIVE COMICS ANOTHER LOOK
AND Gt/yS /NV COMICS! AND LENT ME HIS COLLECTION.
(ORR ae\\ ee A
SOON, I WAS HOOKED’
IN_LESS THAN A BUT WHENEVER I
YEAR, I BECAME I FELT THAT
TRIED TO EXPLAIN
MY FEELING, I
TOVALLY THERE WAS SOMETHING FAILED AN/SEKABLY,
OBSESSED LURAIIVG \N COMICS...
WITH COMICS/ SOMETHING THAT HAD
I DECIDED TO NEVER BEEN DONE.
BECOME A COM/CS
ARTIST \N JOP4
GRADE AND BEGAN
TO PRACTICE,
PRACTICE,
PRACTICE!

SURE, I REALIZED THE PROBLEM

THAT COMIC BOOKS WAS THAT FOR MOST
WERE USUALLY PEOPLE, THAT WAS
CRUDE, POORLY-DRAWN, WHAT “COMIC 800K”
SEMILITERATE,
CHEAP DISPOSABLE
KIDDIE FARE --
DON'T GIMME THAT
COMIC BOOK TALK,
BARNEY’

IF PEOPLE FAILED TO
UNDERSTAND
COMICS, IT WAS A PROPER --AND
BECAUSE THEY DEFINITION, \F SHOW “THAT WHERE OUR
DEFINED WHAT WE COULD AD THE POTENTIAL JOURNEY
COMICS COULD BE ONE, MIGHT GIVE OF COMICS 1S
BEGINS.
700 NARROWLY,/ LIE TO THE LIMITLESS AND
STEREOTYPES --4 EXCITING /
 --WHILE NOT BEING
SO BROAD AS TO
INCLUDE ANYTHING
WHICH 1S CLEARLY
NOT COMICS.

“COMICS
ws

IS THE WORD
WORTH DEFINING,
AS IT REFERS TO
THE MEDIUM /7SELE
NOT A SPECIFIC
OBSECT AS “COMIC
BOOK" OR “COMIC
STRIP” DO.
WE CAN ALL
VISUALIZE A
COMIC.

THE WORLD
OF COMICS 'S A
HILIGE AND VARIED
ONE. OUR DEFINITION
MUST_ENCOMPASS
ALL THESE TYPES--

INFORMATION.
COPYRIGHT
FOR
PAGE
216
E
 HOWEVER, NOTICE THAT
MASTER WHEN PART OF A THIS DEFINITION IS
COMICS ARTIST W7ZZ SEQUENCE EVEN A STRICTLY (VEUWU7TRAZL
E/SNER USES THE TERM
SEQUENT/AL ART IS TRANSFORMED INTO
WHEN DESCRIBING
COMICS.
SOMETHING MORE:
THE= ART OF
TAKEN IWO/VIDUALLY,
COMICS,”
THE PICTURES BELOW
ARE MERELY 7HA7--
FICTURES.

FARTICULAR ARTISTS,
PARTICULAR TITLES,
PARTICULAR TRENDS.

BuT TO DEFINE
COMICS, WE MUST
FIRST DO ALITTLE

AND SEPARATE
FORIVI FROM
CONTENT’
 THE ARTFORM --THE ANMED/L/M1
-- KNOWN THE “CON7EWN7™” OF
AS COMICS IS A VESSEZ WHICH CAN THOSE IMAGES AND
HOLD ANY MLMBER OF /DEAS AND /MAGES. IDEAS 1S, OF COURSE,
UP TO CREATORS,
AND WE ALL HAVE
DIFFERENT
TASTES.

\COM eC)
Wilore
ARTISTS
Trends
GENRES
STYLES
Subject matter
THEMES

>GARKE
--FOR THE

THE 7RYCK
SWHEEEEZE IS TO NEVER
MISTAKE THE
S\CA\F! KAFI MESSAGE ~~
GLUGH- GGuH...

caraes(")
A

BUT FOR COMICS,

THIS ATTENTION
HAS BEEN
TIME OR ANOTHER RARE. *
VIRTUALLY AZZ THE
GREAT MEDIA HAVE LET'S SEE IF WE
RECEIVED CRITICAL CAN HELP REC7/FY
EXAMINATION. THE SITUATION.
IN_AND OF
THEMSELVES.

*EISNER'S OWN COMICS AVP SEQUENTIAL ART BEING A HAPPY EXCEPTION

6
 THERE
EISNER'S LET'S SEE ARE A LOT OF
TERM SEEMS IF WE CAN EXPAND DIFFERENT
LIKE A GOOD 1T TO A PROPER KINDS OF ART.
PLACE TO DICTIONARY-STYLE HOY ABOUT
DEFINITION SOMETHING A
LITTLE MORE
SPECIFIC7,

AAAS
AVIA

\)\\\\)
‘
yla ANY

7 Uff tt"- “>

g0 lle ~ ISN'T ANIMATED
i FILM JUST Y/SUAZ
ART IN SEQUENCE:
WHAT ABOUT
ANIMATION 7’
BEG
PARDON?

SEQUENTIAL (gm
i) ~ NY
SOOO
Y
j
ZY
Z

I GUESS THE BASIC EACH SUCCESSIVE FRAME OF A MOVE 1S

DIFFERENCE IS THAT PROJECTED ON EXACTLY THE SAME SPACE --THE
ANIMATION IS SCREEN-- WHILE EACH FRAME OF CO/MM/CS MUST
SEQUENTIAL IN OCCUPY A DIFFERENT SPACE.
i Cr z ; SPA ce
SUXTAPOSED™ bS : DOES FOR COMICS
COMICS ARE. ts WHAT 77MME DOES

* JUXTAPOSED= ADJACENT, SIDE-BY-SIDE

GREAT ART SCHOOL WORD 7
 DOES IT HAVE
TO SAY ‘AR7"7
ANYWAY, DOESN'T THAT IMPLY
THIS SHOULD SOME SORT OF
MAKE IT A BIT VALUE JUDGMENT 7
MORE SPECIFIC.

JUXTAPOSED
SEQUENTIAL

gt

PROJECTED,

OO)
i/

OKAY, HOW

a JUXTAPOSED JUXTAPOSED

a SEQUENTIAL
a STATIC
s° .
IMAGES
a
—~y))
AS... Now IT
r Y SOUNDS KIND OF

|
a ARBITRARY.
RE;

UU
a”

a OH, IT DOESN'T AAVE

TO CONTAIN WORDS
TO BE COMICS...
a: LETTERS ARE S7A7/C
IMAGES, RIGHT 7

JUXTAPOSED
STATIC WHEN THEY'RE
a IMAGES ARRANGED IN A
IN
DELIBERATE
“& SEQUENCE
\})

V0, NO.
I MEAN,
DOESN'T THAT
a” DEFINITION
DESCRIBE
a
WORDS 77
 NO, I MEAN IT/
WHAT AND WHAT ABOLIT
ABOUT THE XMEW AND--
M7 ~ OW! =HEY HEY’
JUXTAPOSED SHOULDN'T
IT HAVE “LET CO GLEZ,
PICTORIAL BATMAN MEY’

IMAGES IN eS
AND OTHER JUXTAPOSED

DELIBERATE aia
SEQUENCE

WELL, ANYWAY, THIS)

SHOULD DO FOR /VOW.

WE'LL JUST TYPE L ADMIT, THIS

77 UP, ADD ALITTLE ISN'T THE SORT
com.ics (kom'iks)n. plural in form, OF THING THAT
BIT ON THE LISES
OF COMICS, AND-- used with a singular verb. 1. COMES UP A LOT
Juxtaposed pictorial and other IN CASUAL
CONVERSATION --
images in deliberate sequence,
intended to convey information
and/or to produce an aesthetic
response in the viewer.
i

MOST BOOKS ABOUT

COMICS BEGIN
--AND --PERHAPS SHORTLY BEFORE
IN MOST CASES, BUT, WE CAN SHED THE TURN OF THE
THIS 1S THE OWMLY WITH A SPECIFIC SOME WEW L/GHT CENTURY, BUT I
DEFINITION WE'RE DEFINITION ON THE AY/S7ORY THINK WE CAN
LIKELY TO UNDER OUR OF COMICS. VENTURE A BIT
NEED. BELTS-- FARTHER THAN
THAT.

CS |SEQUENTIAL
 ACTUALLY,
ALOT
FARTHER!

“aX
ESN
ORNS
\a
\\
NY

HERE'S
JUST A PIECE OF THE
EPIC STORY CONTAINED THIS B6-FOOT LONG,
IN A PRE-COLUMBIAN @RIGHTZLY- COLORED, PAINTED
PICTURE MANLYSCRIPT SCREENFOLD TELLS OF THE GREAT
"DISCOVERED" BY CORTES MILITARY AND POLITICAL HERO
AROUND /S/9, &-DEER “TIGER'S-CLAW.’”*

IS IT COMICS 7 YOU BET IT

IS’ WE CAN EVEN READ SOMES

atte se

* OR “OCELOT'S CLAW" DEPENDING ON WHOSE BOOK YOU READ

THIS SEQUENCE IS BASED ON A READING BY MEXICANHISTORIAN 10
AND ARCHAEOLOGIST ALFONSO CASO
 FIRST, WE SEPARATE THEN REVERSE IT OUR HERO, S-DEER "7/GERS CLAW,
WORDS FROM PICTURES. AND STRAIGHTEN IT CONQUERS THE PLACE AND CAPTURES THE
OUT © THE ORIGINAL 9-Y¥EAR-OLD PRINCE, <-WIND "SERPENT
READ RIGHT-TO-LEFT OF FIRE.”
8-DEER AND Z/IGZAGGED. )
"TIGER'S
CLAW" AND &FG//V-
THE YEAR: /OF9 AD
(A NAME) THE DATE: MAY 3*
THE PLACE HERES

*
11 HOUSE 12 MONKEY
(A DATE )

ae des
GOD

+ B 2

(GLYPH FOR PLACE WHOSE

NAME WE DON'T KNOW.)

@-DEER ALSO CAPTURES THE PRINCE’S OLDER THE FOLLOWING YEAR, 8-DEER AND
BROTHERS, /0-DOG "EAGLE COPAL BURNING” ( PROBABLY) HIS BROTHER, DISGUISED
AND 6-HOUSE “ROW OF FLINT KNIVES” AND AS 7/GERS, ENGAGE IN SACR/FICIAL
PUTS ‘EM ON ICE. SLADITORIAL COMBAT \NITH THE PRINCE,
/O-DOG, AND ANOTHER WARRIOR DISGUISED
AS DEATH.

8-DEER KILLS THE

OTHER PRINCE,
6-HOLISE "ROW OF
FLINT KNIVES”
EIGHT DAYS LATER.

* WE KNOW THE YEAR; I'M JUST GU/ESS/VG AT THE DATE REPRESENTED BY "12 MONKEY"

11
 HUNDREDS OF YEARS THIS 230 FOOT LONG
BEFORE CORTES BEGAN COLLECTING TAPESTRY DETAILS THE
COMICS, FRANCE PRODUCED THE NORMAN CONQUEST OF
S7R/IKINGLY SIMILAR \WORK WE ENGLAND, BEGINNING
CALL THE BAYELWN TAPES. TRY. IN O66.

i ie: SY f

SS a1
FAR FROM D/SQUAL/IF YING PERENNIAL EXCEPTION W/ZZ EVSVER.
THESE AS COMICS, I THINK
MODERN COMIC BOOK ARTISTS ty FINDING
SHOULD 7AKE NO7E OF THE COMICS BEYOND
POSSIBILITIES OF SUCH WHOLE OUR OWN
FAGE COMPOS/TIONS AND MILLENNILIM
HOW FEW ARTISTS HAVE IS A BIT
MADE GOOD USE OF THEM TRICKIER.

WHICH
ONE 1S THE
PRINCE

AT FIRST GLANCE,
EGYPTIAN HIEROGLYPHICS TO INDICATE
WOULD SEEM TO FIT AT LEAST SOME
. OUR DEFINITION FESEMBLANCE
JUXTAPOSED PERFECTLY. TO THE SUBJECT.
PICTORIAL BUT THESE GLYPHS
AND OTHER BUT MUCH REPRESENT ONLY
IMAGES IN DEPENDS ON OUR USE SOUNDS, NOT
DELIBERATE OF THE WORD UNLIKE OUR
SEQUENCE “PICTORIAL.” ALPHAGE7.
?
 READING LEF7 70 RIGHT AS WITH THE MEXICAN CODEX,
WE SEE THE EVEWV7S OF THE THERE ARE NO PANEL BORDERS PER SE,
CONQUEST, IN DELIBERATE BUT THERE ARE CLEAR DIVISIONS OF SCENE
CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER BY SUB/ECT MATTER.
UNFOLD BEFORE OUR VERY

.
468 IGG ge

DUKE WI/LLIAS1 REIOVES HIS HELHIET TO RALLT HIS SOLDIERS

EGYPTIAN PAINTING |S ANOTHER

MATTER. SOME, LIKE THIS, MAY SEEM
THUS, TO BE CONCERNED WITH SEQUENCE,
THEIR REAL BUT ARE ACTUALLY SHOWING
DESCENDENT TWO DIFFERENT LOCATIONS,
1S THE WRITTEN EVENTS AND CASTS,
WORD AND NOT GROUPED ONLY BY
COMICS. SUBSET.

‘ses tu baiu
abta, hennu-nek
batfu amenta"

“FOLLOW
THEE, THE SOULS
OF THE EAST.
PRAISE
THEE, THE SOULS
OF THE
WEST."

I HAD BEEN TRYING TO FIND SEQUFAIVCE IN EGYPTIAN --HAD

PAINTINGS FOR ¥4ARS WHEN I BEGAN THIS BOOK AND ONLY BEEN
WAS READY TO CALL IT QUITS-- SHOWING ME
FAAR7 OF THE
DISCOVERED THAT PICTURE {
THE BOOKS I HAD
BEEN USING AS
REFERENCE--
 CANARY ’
ah f
KI
WAR MANSb4 tay oe
Val,

HERE'S THE
COMPLETE SCENE * ‘emai
PAINTED OVER 7A/R7¥-7WO0
CENTURIES AGO FOR
THE TOMB OF "‘MENVNVA;
AN ANCIENT EGYPTIAN
SCRIBE.
AS WOULD BE
/ DONE 2,700 YEARS
LATER IN MEXICO, THE
EGYPTIANS READ THEIR
\. COMICS ZIG-ZAG.
poe
— =
H

* MORE WEARLY COMPLETE, ANYWAY

STARTING AT THE -- THEN CARRYING IT IN BASKE7ZS TO A 7ARESHING LOCATION.

LOWER LEFT, WE CIN THE BACKGROUND TWO GIRLS FIGHT OVER BITS OF WHEAT
SEE THREE WORKERS LEFT BEHIND, AS TWO WORKERS SIT UNDER A TREE, ONE SLEEPING,
REAPING WHEAT WITH
THEIR SICKLES-~-
ONE PLAYING THE AZL/7E/)
th,
4, |Wii /

PAINTING TRACED FOR BLACK

AND WHITE REPRODUCTION
THE SHEAVES ARE THEN OXEN TREAD NEXT, PEASANTS OLD MENNA HIMSELF
THEN KAKED OL/T KERNELS OUT OF SEPARATE THE WHEAT LOOKS ON-- *
INTO A 7HICK THE HUSKS. FROM THE CHAFF.
CARPET OF WHEAT.

-- AS LOYAL SCRIBES NOW AN OFFICIAL AND AS MENNA WATCHES, FARMERS

RECORD THE YIELD USES A MEASURING LATE \N PAYING THEIR TAXES ARE BEATEN.
ON THEIR TABLETS. ROPE TO SURVEY
THE LAND AND
DECIDE HOW MUCH
WHEAT IS OWED IN

T'VE ONLY SCRATCHED

THE SL/RFACE IN THERE IS
I'LL GLADLY % THIS CHAPTER... ONE EVENT WHICH
ADMIT THAT I TRAJAN'S COLUMN, LOOMS AS LARGE THE
HAVE VO /DEA GREEK PAINTING, IN_COMICS HISTORY INVENTION
WHERE OR WHEN SAFANESE SCROLLS... AS IT DOES IN THE
COMICS ORIGINATED. ALL THESE HAVE BEEN HISTORY OF THE OF
LET O7HERS SUGGESTED AND ALL WRITTEN PRINTING.
WRESTLE WITH SHOULD BE EXPLORED.
7HAT ONE.

* FACE GOUGED OUT BY FUTURE GENERATIONS OF LEADERS

 WITH THE INVENTION
OF PRINTING? THE
ART-FORM WHICH HAD
BEEN A DIVERSION
OF THE X/CA’ AND
POWERFUL NOW
COULD BE ENJOYED
BY EVERYONE”

POPULAR TASTES
HAVEN'T CHANGED
MUCH IN F7VE
CENTURIES. CHECK
OUT “JHE 7FORTURES
OF SAINT ERASMES,”
CIRCA 1460.
WORD HAS IT THIS
GUY WAS A VERY
POPULAR CHARACTER.

~
UNCHANGED.
RESTORED
OTHERWISE
ART
CLARITY
FOR

THE SOPHISTICATION OF
l THE PICTURE-STORY DID GROW,
HOWEVER, REACHING GREAT
HEIGHTS IN THE NIMBLE HANDS OF
WILLIAM HOGARTH. A TINYHERE.
PIECEIS (ABOUT
rt ONE TWENTIETH) OF THE
SECOND PLATE FROM HOGARTH'S
SIX- PLATE PICTURE-STORY
“A_HARLOTS PROGRESS;
PUBLISHED IN 1731.

DESPITE THE
LOW “PANEL-COUNT.”
THESE LUSH, RENDEKED
PICTURES TELL A STORY
RICH IN DETAIL AND
MOTIVATED BY STRONG
SOCIAL CONCERNS.
yee A
“MAYBE T SHOULDN'T SAY "INVENT"
16 EUROPEANS WERE A BIT LATE IN
DISCOVERING PRINTING
 HOGARTH'S STORIES WERE BOTH THE PAINTINGS AND
FIRST EXHIBITED AS A SERIES ENGRAVINGS WERE DESIGNED
OF FAIVT/NGS AND LATER SOLD TO BE VIEWED SYDE-8)-S1DE
AS A PORTFOLIO OF --IN SEQUENCES
ENGRAVINGS.

‘A HARLOTS PROGRESS” THE FATHER OF THE MODERN COMIC IN MANY WAYS

AND ITS SEQUEL 1S RODOLPHE TOPFFER ,HOSE LIGHT SATIRIC PICTURE
"A RAKES PROGRESS” STORIES, STARTING IN THE MID- 1800's, EMPLOYED
PROVED SO POPULAK, CARTOONING AND PANEL BORDERS, AND FEATURED
NEW COPYRIGHT THE FIRST INTERDEPENDENT COMBINATION OF
LAWS WERE CREATED ORDS AND PICTURES SEEN IN EUROPE.
TO PROTECT THIS
NEW FORM.

+ eae (ae POEMS MK AND Ime FuTe

CHEM TIEN ATL OMONG Te HHS

[TRANSLATION BY E. WIESE

UNFORTUNATELY, “IF FOR THE FUTURE, EVEN SO, TOPFFER'S ~~ HAD CREATED AND
TOPFFER HIMSELF HE [TOPFFER] WOULD CONTRIBUTION TO THE MASTERED A FORM
FAILED TO GRASP CHOOSE A LESS UNDERSTANDING WHICH WAS AT ONCE
AT FIRST THE FULL FRIVOLOUS SUBJECT OF COMICS IS BOTH AND NEITHER.
POTENTIAL OF HIS AND RESTRICT CONSIDERABLE, IF
INVENTION, SEEING HIMSELF A LITTLE, HE ONLY FOR HIS
IT AS A MERE DIVERSION, WOULD PRODUCE REALIZATION THAT
A SIMPLE HOBBY... THINGS BEYOND ALL HE WHO WAS NEITHER
CONCEPTION.” ARTIST NOR WRITER-~

A LANGUAGE
ALL ITS OWN.
7 BRITISH CARICATURE MAGAZINES
KEPT THE TRADITIONS ALIVE AND AS
THE ZO" CENTURY DREW NEAR, THE COMICS
WE CAZZ COMICS BEGAN TO APPEAR AND
EVENTUALLY TO 7WRYVE IN A STEADY
STREAM OF WAKING DREAMS THAT
HAS YET TO ABATE.

BUT EVEN IN y SOME OF THE MOST WVSPVYRED AND /NIVOVATIVE COMICS

THIS CENTURY, OF OUR CENTURY HAVE NEVER RECEIVED RECOGNITION A§ COMICS,
OUR DEFINITION CAN NOT SO MUCH /WV SfP7Y7E OF THEIR SUPERIOR QUALITIES
HELP TO ILLUMINATE , AS BECAL/SE OF THEM.
THE WORKS OF SOME Le
UNSUNG HEROES. Shel Silverste’ FOR MUCH
OF THIS CENTURY,
THE WORD "COMICS"
HAS HAD SUCH
NEGATIVE CONNOTATIONS
THAT MANY OF COMICS MOST
DEVOTED PRACTITIONERS
HAVE PREFERRED TO
BE KNOWN AS
iat enn, ILLUSTRATORS,
JUXTAPOSED Ce : “COMMERC/AL
PICTORIAL ei A tS OR,
AND OTHER | ‘
IMAGES IN [H) (7Te} |, “CARTOONISTS /
SEQUENCE [ol[alle]
Mae

AND SO, COMICS’

LOW SELF-ESTEEM |S
SELF-PERPETUATING!
THE HISTORICAL
PERSPECTIVE
NECESSARY TO
COUNTERACT COMICS’
NEGATIVE IMAGE IS
OBSCURED @Y THAT
NEGATIVITY.
 ARTISTS LIKE WARD AND BELGIAN V. THEIR DEFVAVITION
FRANS (NASEREEL SAID MUCH THROUGH , OF COMICS, THEN AS
THEIR WOODCUTS ABOUT THE POTENTIAL OF |Wow, WAS SIMPLY TOO
COMICS, BUT FEW IN THE COMICS COMMUNITY 4 MARROWTO INCLUDE
OF THE DAY COULD GE 7WEMESSAGE. SUCH WORK.

QUITE A DIFFERENT
CASE 1S MAX ERNST’S
SURREAL “COLLAGE
NOVEL, A WEEK
OF KINDNESS.

THIS 162 PLATE

SEQUENCE OF COLLAGES
IS WIDELY CONSIDERED
A MASTERPIECE OF
20™ CENTURY ARTZ,
BUT NO ART HISTORY
TEACHER WOULD DREAM
OF CALLING IT
“COMICS“/

YET, DESPITE
THE LACK OF A
CONVENTIONAL STORY,
THERE 1S NO MISTAKING
THE CENTRAL ROLE WHICH
SEQUENCE PLAYS
IN THE WORK, ERNST
DOESN'T WANT YOU TO
BROWSE THE THING,

ie |
HE WANTS ‘YOU TO
R t WV

or
§
~ nal
as }

ve
4 |
IF WE DON'T EXCLUDE
PHOTOGRAPHY FROM
OUR DEFINITION, THEN MEANWHILE, PICTURES
HALF OF AMERICA IV SEQUENCE BRE FINALLY BEING
HAS BEEN IN COMICS RECOGNIZED AS THE EXCELLENT
AT ONE TIME OR COMMUNICATION TOOL THAT THEY
ANOTHER. ARE, BUT S77ZZ NOBODY REFERS TO
THEM AS COMICS! "DIAGRAMS"
SOUNDS MORE D/G/VW/FIED,
I SUPPOSE.

FROM SYAIMED GLASS

WINDOWS SHOWING BIBLICAL
SCENES IN ORDER TO MMOWETS
RN SERIES PAINTINGS, TO YOUR CAR
OWNER'S MANUAL, CONICS TURN UP
SSI ALL OVER WHEN SEQUENTIAL ART
IS EMPLOYED AS A DEFINITION.
W
©

YS:
ee
\
IN SOME COUNTRIES,
PHOTO-COMICS ARE, IN
FACT, QUITE POPULAR.
THAN
TO
FEA
MATT

com.ics (kom'iks)n. plural in form, SINGLE SUCH SINGLE PANELS

used with a singular verb. 1. PANELS \VIKE MIGHT BE CLASSIFIED
7H/S ONE ARE AS ‘COMIC ART’
Juxtaposed pictorial and other IN THE SENSE THAT
OFTEN LZUMPED
images in deliberate sequence, THEY DERIVE PART
/V WITH COMICS,
intended to convey information YET THERE'S NO OF THEIR WISUAZ
and/or to produce an aesthetic SUCH THING AS VOCAGULLARY
A SEQUENCE FROM COMICS--
response in the viewer.

FOR ALL
THE DOORS THAT
OUR DEFINITION OFEWS,
THERE IS ONE WHICH
IT CLOSES.

“Mommy , why ain't I

Juxtaposed?”
BUT I SAY THEY'RE THEY ARE
NO MORE COMICS
THAN THIS STILL OF CARTOONS, ~- BL/7 THEY ARE NOT
HUMPHREY BOGART AS AM Z, THE SAWMIE THING/ ONE |S AN
AND THERE IS A APPROACH TO PYCTURE-/MIAKING-- A
LONG- STANDING SVOZE, IF YOU LIKE--WHILE THE OTHER
RELATIONSHIP 1S A MEDIUM WHICH OFTEN EMPLOYS
BETWEEN THAT APPROACH.
COMICS AND
CARTOONS.

MORE ON
THIS ZA7ER.

THIS SAME SVVGLE A GREAT MAJORITY OF MODERN COMICS OF COURSE, IF

PANEL MIGHT ALSO DO FEATURE WORDS AND PICTURES IN ANYONE WANTS TO
BE LABELLED COMICS COMBINATION AND IT’S A SUBJECT WORTHY OF WRITE A BOOK
FOR ITS JUXTAPOSITION STUDY, BUT WHEN USED AS A DEF/V/770N TAKING THE OF70S/7%
OF WORDS AND FOR COMICS, I’‘VE FOUND IT TO BEA LITTLE VIEW, YOU CAN BET
PICTURES TOO RESTRIC7T/VE FOR MY TASTE. I'LL BE THE FIRST IN
LINE TO BU/Y A
COPY’

tl

“Mommy, why ain't i|

Juxtaposed2?

IF COMICS’ AND 7A//S$ TIME,

SPECTACULARLY VARIED THE SECRET IS NOT IN
PIAST \S ANY INDICATION, WHAT THE DEFINITION
COMICS’ FY/7U/RE WILL BE SAYS BUT IN WHAT IT
VIRTUALLY WYIPOSS/EZE TO
PREDICT USING THE
DOESN'T SKY!
STANDARDS OF THE
PRESENT.
BUT OUR
DEFINITION
CAN OFFER US
SOME CLUES.
SEQUENTIAL
ART

:
2000
‘age 2020 2030 2040
J i i
 ra FOR EXAMPLE, OUR
a" DEFINITION SAYS NOTHING

;
ct ae DONNA AW TIALE Nor) HING
Ww

BIOGRAPHY ~ HORROR . ABOUT FAW7ASY/ SCIENCE-

ROMANCE SURREALISM. FICT) ne,
BLANK HISTORICAL
VERSE FICTION
* POETRY
EPIC - on i FOLK TALES ; ENRES
ae ARE LISTED IN
i Mm OUR DEFINITION,
SOCIAL st a EROTICA ' mae =6NO TYPES OF
ALLEGORY MYSTERY Ss
ADAPTATIONS RELIGIOUS yA
7 6. are OF
S7iES
STREAM é ri POETRY
OF CONSCIOUSNESS . Ce
' . SATIRE

NOTHING IS SAID ABOUT APER

AND INK. NO PRINTING PROCESS
IS MENTIONED. PRINTING /7SEZF ISN'T
EVEN SPECIFIED’ NOTHING IS SAID ABOUT
TECHNICAL PENS OR BRISTOL BQARD
: OR WINDSOR & NEWTON FINEST SABLE
i SERIES 7 NUMGER TIVO
BRUSHES 7
NO
MATERIALS
ARE RULED OUT ae 6
BY OUR DEFINITION : eae ae, - SEQUE
NO 7OOZS ARE ‘ ee ; _
PROHIBITED.

THERE IS NO MENTION OF @LACAE

LINES AND FLAT COLORED INK. NO
CALLS FOR EXAGGERATED ANATOMY
OR FOR HE, RESEN TATIONAL ART
F KI P

‘ f NO
+ oy ~. iia SCHOOLS OF ART
ARE BANISHED
“oy Pole (| BY OUR DEFINITION,
NSS 4 iN e
y =) )
NO PAVTLOSOPHIES,
NO MOVEMENTS,
NO WAYS OF
SEEING ARE
OUT OF
BOUNDS/
 THOSE OF YOU WHO HOWEVER MUCH WE MAY TRY I'LL DO MY SES7
MAKE COMICS FOR TO UVDERSTANDP THE WORLD IN THE FOLLOWING
A LIVING -- OR OF COMICS AROUND US, A 74427 OF CHAPTERS TO SHED
WOULD ZL/KE TO, THAT WORLD WILL ALWAYS LIE L/GHT ON THAT
SOME DAY-- PROBABLY IN SHADOW--A MIYS7ERY UNSEEN SIDE, BUT
KNOW THAT KEEPING AS WE FOCUS ON
UP WITH ALL THE THE WORLD OF
ADVANCES \N COMICS AS 7/7 /7S.
TODAY'S COMICS 1S 1T SHOULD BE KEPT
A FULL-TIME IN MIND AT AZZ
JSOSG. TIMES THAT THIS
WORLD IS ONLY
ONE --
THERE ARE
SO MANY COMICS
IN PRINT TODAY
THAT 1T WOULD TAKE
AN ARMY OF READERS
TO STUDY THEM
ALL.

rs}
xs S\

A NWEW GENERATION
my ATTEMPTS 10 WILL NO DOUBT REJECT
2,EF TV(E WHATEVER THIS ONE
COMICS ARE AN FINALLY DECIDES TO oS AND HERE'S
ON-GOING ACCEPT AND TRY SO THEY TO THE
PROCESS ONCE MORE TO SHOULD.
WHICH WON'T RE-INVENT
END ANYTIME COATES.
SOON.
 CHAPTER TWO

HERE'S A PAINTING i ae THE INSCRIPTION IS IN

BY MAGRITTE CALLED “7HE FRENCH. 7RANMSZLA7EZ. JT MEANS
TREACHERY OF IMAGES.” "THIS 18 NOTA PIPE”

THIS IS A
PAINTING
OF A PIPE.

SEE PAGE 216 FOR MORE INFORMATION

 WELL, ACTUALLY, THAT’S : ih NOPE. WRONG AGAIN.
WRONG. THIS 1S MOT A ouaes Hetl( It's A PRINTED COPY OFA
PAINTING OF A PIPE, THIS IS = |= + =\ DRAWING OF A PAINTING
A DRAWING OF APAINTING -— = OF A PIPE.
OF A PIPE. —s . :

SAX, IF yOu
FOLD THE PAGES
BACK.

DO YOU te EAS ryt IF YOU DO, HAVE YouR \-

HEAR WHAT I'M “"{ SARS CHECKED, BECAUSE
SAYINGZ NO ONE SAID A WORD.

TTS

See
 HODBO? THESE ARE NOT IDEAS. ;

~ THIS 1S NOT THESE ARE NOT PEOPLE.

A LEAF
THIS 1S NOT A MAN,

THIS 1S NOT A COUNTRY.

ail
THIS IS NOT MUSIC.
WELCOME
TO THE S7KANGE
AND WONDERFUL
WORLD OF THE

THIS IS NOT SOUND.

THIS 15 NOT LAW.

THIS 1S NOT ME.

THIS 1S NOT A PLANET.

THIS IS NOT A CAR.

THIS1S NOT FOOD. i

TUNDRA cn) Cv or
THIS LAoe A THESE ARE NOT SEPARATE
MOMENTS.
THIS 1S NOTA
COMPANY.

26
 NOW, THE WORD Satan SPER UV ear eS SE THAT'S A BIT BROADER
/CON MEANS NS : THAN THE DEFINITION
MANY THINGS. : FOR THE PURPOSES OF IN MY DICTIONARY,
isle THIS CHAPTER, I'M USING THE r BUT IT’S THE CLOSEST
ith] WORD ‘7CO/V" TO MEAN ANY }> 1 THING TO WHAT I
IMAGE USED TO REPRESENTA >) NEED HERE.
i'\. A PERSON, PLACE, THING OR i
IDEA. z" SYMBOL" IS A
- BIT TOO LOADED
FOR ME.

AND FINALLY, THE ICONS WE CALL PICTURES:

IMAGES DESIGNED TO ACTUALLY KESE/IBLE
THEIR SUBJECTS.
THE SORTS OF THEN THERE
IMAGES WE # ARE THE ICONS
USUALLY CAZZ OF LANGUAGE, Swf
SYMBOLS ARE 1 SC/ENVCE AND
ONE CATEGORY COMMUNICATION. |)|
OF ICON,
HOWEVER. +

AS RESEMBLANCE
VARIES, SO DOES THE
LEVEL OF ICONIC
THESE ARE THE CONTENT.
IMAGES WE USE TO
REPRESENT COMCEYTS, OF THE
IDEAS AND PRACTICAL
PHILOSOPHIES. REALM.
OR TO PUT IT
SOMEWHAT CLEMS/LY,
SOME PICTURES ARE
JUST MORE ICONIC
THAN OTHERS.
IN THE (VO/V- IN PICTURES,
PICTORIAL ICONS, HOWEVER,
MEANING 1S F/X¥ED MEANING IS
AND A@SOZL UTE. FLLIID AND
THEIR APPEARANCE VARTA BLE
DOESN'T AFFECT ACCORDING TO
THEIZ MEANING APPEARANCE
BECAUSE THEY THEY DIFFER FROM
REPRESENT “REAL-LIFE”
INVISIBLE APPEARANCE
IDEAS. TO VARYING
DEGREES.

WORDS ARE TOTALLY BUT IN PICTURES OTHERS, LIKE

ABSTRACT \CONS. THAT IS, THEY THE LEVEZ OF YOURS TRULY, ARE
BEAR NO RESEMBLANCE AT ALL ABSTRACTION VAR/ES. QUITE A BIT MORE
TO THE REAL M<Cor SOME, LIKE THE ABSTRACT AND, IN
FACE IN THE FACT, ARE VERY
PREV/OUS PANEL MUCH L/VL/KE
SO CLOSELY RESEMBLE ANY HUMAN FACE
THEIR REAL-LIFE YOU'VE EVER SEEN/
COUNTERPARTS BS
TO ALMOST 7R/ICK
; THE EYE,

THERE ARE
MANY THINGS THAT
CAN PUT THESE SET THESE APART FROM
PICTORIAL ACTUAL FACES -- THEY'RE
ICONS SMALLER, FLATTER, LESS
IN SOME SORT /% DETAILED, THEY DON'T
OF ORDER. & MOVE. THEY LACK COLOR--
BUT AS PICTORIAL ICONS
GO, THEY ARE PRETTY
COMMON “REALISTIC.”
WISDOM HOLDS
THAT THE PHO7OGRAPH
AND THE REAL/S7/7C
PICTURE ARE THE ICONS
THAT MOST RESEMBLE
THEIR REAL-LIFE
COUNTERPARTS.
 ONLY
OUTLINES
AND A HINT
OF SHADING
ARE STILL
PRESENT, BUT
WE EASILY
RECOGNIZE
SOMEWHAT THIS ASA
MORE ABSTRACT HUMAN
1S TH/S STYLE FACE.
OF DRAWING
FOUND IN MANY
ADVENTURE
COMICS.

WHY.
THEN, !S THE
FACE ABOVE SO
ACCEPTABLE
AS WE CONTINUE TO OUR EYES?
TO ABSTRACT AND WHY DOES IT
SIMPLIFY QUR IMAGE, SEEM JUST AS
WE ARE MOVING FURTHER REAL AS THE
AND FURTHER FROM THE OTHERS?Z
“REAL” FACE OF THE
PHOTO.

IS THE SECRET
OF THE ICON
WE CALL--
 WHY WOULD AVYOWE,
YOUNG OR OLD, RESPOND TO A
CARTOON AS MUCH OR MORE WHY IS OUR CULTURE SO WW
THAN A say pila THRALL TO THE SIMPLIFIED
REALITY OF THE CARTOON 7
a

PAGE
SEE
COP
FOR
216
INF

DEFINING THE
CARTOON WOULD
TAKE UP AS MUCH
SPACE AS DEFINING
COMNCS, BUT FOR
NOW, I'M GOING TO
EXAMINE CARTOONING
AS A FORM OF
AMPLIFICATION
THROUGH
SIMPLIFICATION. WHEN WE BY S7R/IPPING
ABSTRACTAN IMAGE DOWN AN IMAGE
THROUGH CAR7OOWING, TO ITS ESSENTIAL
WE'RE NOT SO MUCH “MEANING,” AN ARTIST
ELIWMMNATING DETAILS CAN AMPLIFY THAT
AS WE ARE FOCUSING MEANING IN A WAY
ON SPECIFIC THAT REALISTIC
DETAILS. ART CAW‘7-
FILM CRITICS WILL THOUGH THE TERM 1S OFTEN USED THE ABILITY OF
SOMETIMES DESCRIBE DISPARAGINGLY, \T CAN BE EQUALLY CARTOONS TO FOCUS
\ L/VE-ACTION FILM WELL APPLIED TO MANY 77/ME-7ES7ED OUR ATTENTION ON
AS A “CARTOON” TO CLASSICS. SIMPLIFYING CHARACTERS AND AN IDEA IS, L THINK,
ACKNOWLEDGE THE IMAGES TOWARD A FLZ/RPOSE CAN BE AN AN IMPORTANT PART
STRIPPED-DOWN EFFECTIVE TOOL FOR STORYTELLING IN OF THEIR SPECIAL
INTENSITY OF A MY MEDIUM. POWER, BOTH IN COMICS
SIMPLE STORY OR AND IN DRAWING
VISUAL STYLE. CARTOONING ISN'T GENERALLY.
JUST A WAY OF DRAWING,
IT’S A WAY OF

BUT I BELIEVE THERE'S

SOMETHING MORE AT
WORK IN OUR MINDS
WHEN WE VIEW A
CARTOON-- ESPECIALLY
OF A HUMAN FACE--
WHICH WARRANTS
FURTHER
INVESTIGATION.
THOUSANDS MILLIONS (NEARLY) ALL

ANOTHER |S THE
LINIVERSAL/7 ¥ OF CARTOON
IMAGERY. THE MORE CARTOONY A
FACE IS, FOR INSTANCE, THE MORE
PEOPLE IT COULD BE SAID TO
DESCRIBE.

THE FACT THAT BUT STILL MORE

YOUR MIND 1S INCREDIBLE 1S THE
ARE YOU CAPAGLE OF TAKING FACT THAT YOU
A CIRCLE, TW0 DOTS CANNOT AVOID
AND A Z/VE AND SEEING A FACE HERE.
TURNING THEM INTO YOUR MIND WON'T
A FACE |S LET you!
NOTHING SHORT OF
INCRED/IBLES

REALLY SEEING 7
 ASK A FRIEND TO DRAW MNOW-- YOu'LL FIND
YOU SOME SHAPES ONA THAT NO MATTER
PIECE OF PAPER. THEY WHAT THEY ZOOK
SHOULD BE CLOSED LIKE, EVERY SINGLE
CURVES, BUT O7HER- ONE OF THOSE SHAPES
WISE CAN BE AS WE/RD CAN BE MADE INTO A
AND /RREGULAR AS FACE WITH ONE SIMPLE
HE OR SHE WANTS. ADDITION

LET'S
SAY THE
RESULTS
LOOK
SOMETHING

YOUR MIND HAS NO

TROUBLE AT ALL
CONVERTING SUCH a --FOR
SHAPES INTO FACES,
YET WOULD IT EVER
MISTAKE 7A/S--

WE
HUMANS
ARE A
SELF-CENTERED //ie
RACE, a
 WE SEE
OURSELVES
IN
EVERYTHING

*=—2—-—"

WE
ASSIGN
IDENTITIES
AND EMOTIONS
WHERE NONE
EXIST.

AND WE
MAKE THE
WORLD OVER
IN OUR
 THAT'S
WHAT IT ZS,
THINK AFTER ALL
OF YOUR
FACE ASA
MASK.

FACING WORN FROM SLAVE TO

OL/7 WARD. THE DAY you YOUR EVERY
WERE BORN. MENTAL
COMMAND.

SEEN BY
EVERYONE
YOU MEET.
 ALL SET?

GOOD.

Wee:
‘—

GOOD. NOW, WHAT YET, You KVOW

CHANGED WHEN YOU SMILED/ NOT
C'MON, YOU SMILEDZ WHAT JUST BECAUSE YOU
NOBODY'S DID YOU SEE? FELT YOUR CHEEKS
LOOKING, COMPRESS OR THE
NOTHING, CRINKLING AROUND
RIGHT. YOouR EYES/

YOU K/VVOW You WHEN TWO PEOPLE INTERRACT, THEY USUALLY LOOK DIRECTLY
SMILED BECAUSE AA7 ONE ANOTHER, SEEING THEIR PARTNER'S FEATURES IN
YOU TRUSTED THIS
MASK CALLED YOUR
FACE TO KESPOND
BUT THE FACE YOU
SEE IN YOUR MW/ND
IS NOT THE SAME AS
O7HERS SEE!
 EACH ONE AZSO SUSTAINS A CONSTANT AWARENESS OF HIS OR SOMETHING
HER OW7V FACE, BUT 7A/S MIND-PICTURE IS NOT NEARLY SO AS SIMPLE
VIVID; JUST A SKETCHY ARRANGEMENT...A SENSE OF SHAPE... AND AS
A SENSE OF iene PLACEMENT. BASIC --

--AS A
CARTOON.

THUS, WHEN YOU BUT WHEN YOu I BELIEVE THIS IS THE PRIMARY CAUSE OF
LOOK AT A PHOTO OR ENTER THE WORLD OUR CHILDHOOD FASCINATION WITH CARTOONS
REALISTIC DRAWING OF THE CAR 700N-- THOUGH OTHER FACTORS SUCH AS UM/VERSAL
OF A FACE-- IDENTIFICATION, SIMAPLICITY AND THE
CHILDLIKE FEATURES OF MANY CARTOON
CHARACTERS ALSO PLAY A PART.

———————— errr)
4, Se
rey ?

--YOU SEE IT
AS THE FACE -- YOU SEE
OF ANOTHER. YOURSELF

THE CARTOON IS A AN EMPTY SHELL

VACUYLMN THAT WE INHABIT
WHICH ENABLES THAT'S
INTO WHICH OUR US TO TRAVEL IN WHY TL YOU HAVE
IDEN7/7¥ AND ANO7HER REALM. DECIDED TO DRAW LISTENED TO ME
AWARENESS ARE MYSELF IN SUCH \F L LOOKED
PULLED... A SIMPLE LIKE TANS 77
STYLE.

ms ar WE DON'T JUST
OBSERVE THE CARTOON,
WE BECOME '1/
I B71! YOu APART FROM WHAT \T WOULD NEVER EVEN
LITTLE I TOLD YOU OCCUR TO YOu To
ABOUT MYSELF IN WONDER WHAT MY I'M JUST
THE EYMES. 4 CHAPTER ONE, I'M POLITICS ARE, OR A LITTLE VOICE
TO FULLY RECEIVE PRACTICALLY A WHAT I HAD FOR INSIDE YOUR
THE MESSAGE /”_/ LANK SLATE’ LUNCH OR WHERE I
GOT THIS SLY
HEAD.
OLTFIT / A CONCEPT.

YOU GIVE ME LIFE WHO T AM 1S BUT IF WHO I AM

BY READING THIS IRRELEVANT. I'M MATTERS LESS,
BOOK AND BY JUST A LITTLE MAYBE WHAT I SAY
"FILLING Lip” PIECE OF YOU WILL MATTER
THIS VERY /COM/C
CCARTOONY) FORM.
i}

SO FAR, WE'VE ONLY DISCUSSED AACES, BUT THE PHENOMENON THERE'S

OF WOW-VISUAL SEL F- WOMENS S CAN, 10 A LESSER DEGREE, MORE,
STILL APPLY TO OUR LE BODIES. AFTER ALL, DO WE NEED TOO’
TO SEL OUR HANDS TO KNOW WHAT THEY'RE DOING?
 THE LATE GREAT (MARSHALL
IMELUHAN OBSERVED A SIMILAR
FORM OF MOW-VISUAL AWARENESS WHEN DR7V/NG, FOR EXAMPLE,
WHEN PEOPLE INTERACT WITH WE EXPERIENCE MUCH MORE THAN
INANIMATE OBJECTS. OUR F/VE SENSES REPORT.

THE WHOLE CAR-- NOT JUST THE PARTS THE VEHICLE BECOMES AN EX7EWS/ON
WE CAN SEE, FEEL AND HEAR--IS VERY OF OUR BODY. IT ABSORBS OUR SENSE
MUCH ON OUR MINDS AT ALL TIMES. OF JDEW7/7¥% WE BECOME THE CAR.

IF ONE CAR A//7$ ANOTHER, THE DRIVER OUR IDENTITIES AND AWAREIWVESS ARE
OF THE VEHICLE BEING S7RUCK IS MUCH INVESTED IN MANY /WAN/IMATE OBJECTS
MORE LIKELY TO SAY: EVERY DAY. OUR CLO7HES, FOR EXAMPLE,
CAN TRIGGER WUMEROUS TRANSFORMATIONS
IN THE WAY OTHERS SEE US AND IN THE
WAY WE SEE OURSELVES.

THAN "HE HIT My CAR 7"

OR "HIS CAR HIT MY CAR", FOR THAT MATTER.
OUR ABILITY TO PIECES OF METAL PIECES OF PLASTIC
EXTEN OUR TO BECOME PIECES
IDENTITIES INTO HANDS... OF GLASS
INANIMATE OBJECTS TO BECOME
CAN CAUSE PIECES EYES.
OF WOOD TO

>

8” GILG

AND IN EVERY CASE, AND JUST AS OUR

OUR CONSTANT AWARENESS OF OUR
AWARENESS OF SE&ZF-- BIOLOGICAL SELVES
ARE SIMPLIFIED
CONCEPTUALIZED
IMAGES --

--SO TOO 1S OUR AWARENESS OF 7HESE sf ALL THE THINGS WE

EXTENSIONS GREATLY SHWIPLIFTED. EXPERIENCE |N LIFE
CAN BE SEPARATED INTO
Ih) } VY UT YY 7WO REALMS, THE |
REALM OF THE
CONCEPT -- A>
 QUR IDENTITIES BELONG PERMANENTLY TO THE GRADUALLY
CONCEPTUAL \WORLD. THEY CAN'T BE SEEM AEARD. WE REACH
SMELLED, TOUCHED OR TASTED. THEY'RE MERELY /DEAS. BEYOND
AND EVERYTHING ELSE--AT THE START--BELONGS TO OURSELVES
THE SEWVSUAL WORLD, THE WORLD OUTSIDE OF US

THE SIGHT, SMELL, in : . — : DISCOVER THAT

TOUCH, TASTE AND vaPISMISKPRER UR SCARS ETRE ER OR ENN OBJECTS OF THE
SOUND OF OUR FSAI Ny ese PEER SIS ER Ty PHYSICAL
OWN BODIES. ARRAS tS WORLD CAN
of iT) ALSO
CROSS OVER--

--AND POSSESS ~-WITH THE

IDENTITIES LIFE--
OF THEIR
OWN.
 pee 2 | THROUGH TRADITIONAL
RA |REAL/SM, THE COMICS
--WE ZE/VD BY DE-EMPHASIZING THE AFPEARAVCE ARTIST CAN PORTRAY
TO THEM. OF THE PAYYS/CAL WORLD IN FAVOROF & THE WORLD
THE /DEA OF FORM, THE CARTOON a WITHOLT--

i--AND THROUGH
THE CARTOON,
THE WORLD
WITHIN.
WHEN
CARTOONS
ARE USED
THROUGHOUT
A STORY, THE
WORLD OF
THAT STORY
MAY SEEM TO
PULSE WITH

INANIMATE OBJECTS BUT IN EMPHASIZING IF AN ARTIST --REALISM OF

MAY SEEM TO POSSESS THE COMCEPTS OF WANTS TO PORTRAY SOME SORT |S
SEPARATE /DENTITIES OBJECTS OVER THEIR THE BEAUTY AND GOING TO PLAY A
SO THAT IF ONE PHYSICAL APPEARANCE, COMPLEXITY OF THE
JUMPED UP AND MUCH HAS 0 BE PHYSICAL ee
STARTED SYVGING OMITTED. WORLD-- Fares —=
IT pore hoe GANT A Hert Ze
|it Ta
4
 WHEN DRAWING THE FACE AND
FIGURE, NEARLY AZZ COMICS ARTISTS
APPLY AT LEAST SOME SMALL MEASURE --ARE A FARK CRY FROM
OF CARTOONING. EVEN THE MORE FHOTO-REALISTS
REALISTIC ADVEWV7URE ARTISTS--

STORYTELLERS IN AZZ MEDIA

KNOW THAT A SURE INDICATOR OF
AUDIENCE INVOLVEMENT-- AND SINCE WEWER-/(DEN7IFICATION
IS A SPECIALTY OF CARTOONING,
“1S CARTOONS HAVE HISTORICALLY HELD
THE DEGREE AN ADVANTAGE 'N BREAKING N70
TO WHICH THE WORLD POPULAR CULTURE.
AUDIENCE
IDENTIFIES
WITH A STORY'S
CHARACTERS.

ON THE OTHER HAND, NO

ONE EXPECTS AUDIENCES TO
IDENTIFY WITH BRICK WALLS IN SOME COMICS, THIS SPLIT 1S
OR LANDSCAPES AND /VDEED, FAR MORE PROWVOLINCED. THE
BACKGROUNDS TEND TO BE BELGIAN “CLEAR-LINE” STYLE
SLIGHTLY MORE REAL/S7/C. OF HERGES 7/NV7/N COMBINES
VERY ICONIC CHARACTERS WITH
UNUSUALLY REAL/S7/C BACKGROUNDS,

TINTIN © EDITIONS CASTERMAN

THIS COMBINATION ALLOWS READERS TOMA SK THEMSELVES IN A
CHARACTER AND SAFELY ENTER A SENSUALLY TIMULATING WORLD.
<a YS ee
ONE SET OF
*
ea LINES TO SEE.
ANOTHER SET OF
LINES 10 &E.

IN THE WORLD OF IN EOROPE IT CAN IN AMERICAN COMICS, THE EFFECT 1S USED

ANIMATION, WHERE BE FOUND JN MANY FAR LESS OF7E/WV, ALTHOUGH JT HAS CREPT UP
THE EFFECT HAPPENS POPULAR COMICS, IN THE WORKS OF ARTISTS AS DIVERSE AS
TO BE A PRACTICAL FROM AS7ER/X TO CARL BARKS, JAIME HERNANDEZ AND IN
NECESSITY, DISNEY 7/N77N OQ WORKS OF THE TEAM OF DAVE S/M AND GERHARD.
HAS USED IT WITH SACQUES TARDI.
IMPRESSIVE RESULTS
FOR OVER SO YEARS/

CER
SIM
DAV
©

THANKS TO THE BUT, IN

SEMINAL INFLUENCE RECENT| DECADES
IN JAPAN, ON THE OTHER HAND, THE OF COMICS CREATOR JAPANESE FANS ALSO
MASKING EFFECT WAS, FOR A TIME, OSAML TEZUKA, DEVELOPED A TASTE
VIRTUALLY A WA7/ONAL STYLES JAPANESE COMICS HAVE FOR ALASHY, PHOTO-
A LONG, RICH HISTORY REALIS7/C ART.
OF ICONIC CHARACTERS

ART © HAYASI! AND OSIMA

 SOON, SOME OF THEM
THE RESULTANT HYBRID STYLES BUT REALIZED THAT THE
HAD TREMENDOUS ICONIC RANGE, FROM JAPANESE OBSECTIF YING POWER
EXTREMELY CARTOONY CHARACTERS 10 COMICS ARTISTS OF REALISTIC ARTS
NEAR-PHOTOGRAPHIC BACKGROUNDS. TOOK THE IDEA COULD BE PUT TO
A STEP OTHER USES
FURTHER.
as fa
—

"MONA GOES TOKYO'

FOR EXAMPLE, WHILE --OTHER CHARACTERS

MOST CHARACTERS WERE DRAWN MORE ;
WERE DESIGNED REALISTICALLY IN ORDER LIKE THIS SWORD TO THE “LIFE”
SIMPLY, TO ASSIST IN TO OBSECTIFY THEM, MIGHT BE VERY IT POSSESSES AS
READER-IDENTIFICATION-- EMPHASIZING THEIR CARTOONY \N ONE AN EXTENSION OF
“OTHERNESS” FROM SEQUENCE-- MY CARTOON
THE READER IDENTITY/

ART
OSIMA.
AND
HAYAS!
©

IN JAPANESE COMICS, THE SWORD MIGHT VOW IN THIS AND IN O7HER

BUT BECOME VERY REAZL/S77C, NOT ONLY TO SHOW US WAYS, COMICS IN
SUPPOSE THE DETAILS, BUT TO MAKE US AWARE OF THE JAPAN HAVE EVOLVED
I NOTICE SOME SWORD AS AN OB/EC7, SOMETHING WITH WEIGHT, VERY DIFFERENTLY
MYSTERIOUS TEXTURE AND PHYSICAL COMPLEXITY. FROM THOSE IN THE WEST.
WRITING CARVED i‘ : 7
ON THE SWORD'S Zz
HILT. LAA

WE'LL RETURN
TO THESE DIFFERENCES
SEVERAL TIMES
DURING THIS BOOK,
 I L/KE THE MANY STILL, I HOPE THE JAPANESE
MASKING EFFECT, OF MY PERSPECTIVE ON CARTOONING HELPS
PERSONALLY, BUT IT’S FAVORITE DEMONSTRATE THAT ONE'S CHOICE
JUST ONE OF MANY ARTISTS USE OF STYLES CAN HAVE CONSEQUENCES
POSSIBLE APPROACHES IT VERY FAR BEYOND THE MERE “LOOK”
TO COMICS ART. OF A STORY.

--

PAGE
SEE
INFORMATION.
COPYRIGHT
FOR
216

AS I WRITE THIS, THE PLATONIC IDEAL BUT SIMPLE ELEMENTS

IN 1992, AMERICAN OF THE CARTOON CAN COMBINE IN
AUDIENCES ARE JUST MAY SEEM TO COMPLEX WAYS, AS
BEGINNING TO REALIZE OMIT MUCH OF ATOMS BECOME
THAT A SIMPLE STXZE THE AMBIGL/TY MOLECULES AND
DOESN'T NECESSITATE AND COMPLEX MOLECULES BECOME
CHARACTERIZATION LIFE.
WHICH ARE THE
HALLMARKS OF
MMODERIV
LITERATURE,
LEAVING THEM
SUITABLE ONLY
FOR CH/LOREN.

A SURVIVORS rate
art spiege/man—

© 125575;
ART
T.M.
AND
MAUS =SES
rise
SPIEGELMAN.

AND 2/KE THE ATOM,

GREAT POWER IS
LOCKED IN THESE
FEW SIMPLE LINES.

THERE'S
A LOT MORE TO
CARTOONS
THAN MEETS
THE EYE’

RELEASEABLE ONLY
BY THE READER'S MIND.
 REDUCED THIS FACE
TO 7WO DOTS ANP
7WO LIVES. \S OUR
ICONIC ABSTRACTIOV
SCALE COMPLETE 7

THE SCALE CAN ANY

SHOWS SEVERAL CONFIGURATION
SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT OF VK ON PAPER
PROGRESSIONS. LET’S BE MORE ABSTRACTED
CONCENTRATE ON OWE FROM ‘REALITY*--
AND SEE IF WE CAN
TAKE IT ANY
FURTHER.

OBJECTIVE—> SuBLECTIVE |—

SPECIFIC———> UNIVERSAL
--YET STILL REPRESENT
A FACE AS CLEARLY
IMI
AS T?/S ONE 7

I SAY
JHE ANSWER JUST DRAW
A LINE S7KA/IGHT
DOWN FROM EACH
OF THE DOTS TO
HERES A THIS HEIGHT FOR
PART OF THE THE ANSWER.
SOLUTION,
 ca
JR SCORE AND SEVEN YEARS AG
MOST AMERICAN
a a a p CK

MEANING COMICS, NOTABLY

COMIC BOOKS, HAVE
RETAINED. LONG EMPHASIZED THE
DIFFERENCES
BETWEEN WORDS
WHY IS CHOCOLATH AND PICTURES.
ETAL BOLTS AND OTHER SUBS
IVING A GRAY PLYMOUTH RELI. Se:
NEW FRIEND UNDERNEATH MY PI
ITLED THE STORY OF MARGERI
MISTOOK HIS WIFE FORA HAT

--ARE THE
ULTIMATE
ABSTRACTION.

-- AND "GOOD" COMICS WORDS, PICTURES AND

Me RTTING : ABTHOSEhe OTHER ICONS ARE THE
WIN OF
AEE SEEN AS : Jee Rls - A get iste Ae
DISCIPLINES, FORMS OF EXPRESSION COM ic Ss.
WRITERS AND 1S THOUGHT TO BE
ARTISTS AS HARMONIOUS.
EPARKAT:
SORELDS-
BUT
JUST HOW

dy Lite. \||fTeer
A SINGLE WITHOUT SEVERAL
WILL

smceunen ]||igy eee ||||Ronen | |ous

LANGUAGE 10 LMP ALONG AGAINS7 Comics

VOCABULARY. WORDS AND IDENTITY INSTINCTS.

PICTURES. IT WEEDS.
 BOTH ARTIST AND WRITER BEGIN, HANDS THE ARTIST KNOWS THE WRITER KNOWS
JOINED ACROSS THE GAP, WITH A COMMON THAT THIS MEANS THAT THIS MEANS
PURPOSE: TO MAKE COMICS OF ‘QL/AL/7Y” MORE THAN JUST MORE THAN JUST
S7/CK-FIGURES AND OOF’ POW! BLAMS
CRUDE CARTOONS. AND OWE-A-DAY
HE SETS OFF IN SEARCH GAGS. SHE SETS OFF
OF A HIGHER PARI. IN SEARCH OF
SOMETHING DEEPER.

IN MUSEUMS AND IN SHE 700 FINDS WHAT

LIBRARIES, THE ARTIST SHE'S LOOKING FOR, IN FINALLY, THEY'RE READY. BOTH HAVE
FINDS WHAT HE'S LOOKING THE GREAT MASTERS OF MASTERED THETR ARTS. HIS BRUSHSTROKE
FOR. HE STUDIES THE WESTERN LITERATURE. IS NEARLY /VV/S/6ZE_ IN ITS SUBTLETY,
TECHNIQUES OF THE GREAT SHE READS AND WRITES THE FIGURES PURE M/CHAELANGEZO.
MASTERS OF WESTERN CONMSTANTLY, SHE HER DESCRIPTIONS ARE DAZZL/NG
AR7, HE PRACTICES SEARCHES FOR A VOICE THE WORDS FLOW TOGETHER LIKE A
MGH7 AND DAY. UNIQUELY HERS. SHAKESPEAREAN SONNET.

THEY'RE READY TO JOIN HANDS ONCE MORE

AND CREATE A COMICS MASTERPIECE.

TWOEYES,
=> ONE NOSE,=>Pibligg<
ONE MOU. 9 6725 ze07
 pictures ARE RECEIVED wreitinec 1s PERCE/VED
INFORMATION. WE NEED NO INFORMATION. IT TAKES TIME
FORMAL EDUCATION 10 ‘GE7 7HE AND SPECIALIZED KNOWLEDGE 70
MESSAGE.” THE MESSAGE IS DECODE THE ABSTRACT SYMBOLS
INSTANTANEOUS. OF LANGUAGE.

WHEN PICTURES WHEN WORDS

ARE MORE ABSTRACTED ARE BOLDER, MORE DIRECT,
FROM “REALITY! THEY THEY REQUIRE LOWER LEVELS
REQUIRE GREATER’ LEVELS OF PERCEPTION AND ARE
OF PERCEPTION, RECEIVED FAS7ER,
MORE LIKE MORE LIKE
WORDS. PICTURES.

OUR NEED FOR A BUT OUR NEED FoR BOTH ARE WORTHY I SAY THE ANSWER
UNIFIED LANGUAGE SOPHISTICATION ASPIRATIONS. 1S YES, BUT SINCE
OF COMICS SENDS US IN COMICS SEEMS BOTH STEM FROM A THE REASONS BELONG
TOWARD THE CENTER TO LEAD US LOVE OF COMICS AND IN A DIFFERENT
WHERE WORDS AND OUTWARD, \NHERE A DEVOTION TO ITS CHAPTER, WE'LL
PICTURES ARE LIKE WORDS AND PICTURES FUTURE. HAVE TO COME BACK
TWO SIDES OF OWE ARE MOST SEPARATE. TO THIS LATER.
CAN THEY BE
RECONCILED7
 ICONIC
ABSTRACTION
IS ONLY OWE
FORM OF
ABSTRACTION
AVAILABLE TO
COMICS ARTISTS.

TWO EYES, Tig yates4

e pb naa © om
peeks
90goe
on! now

USUALLY THE WORD

“ABSTRACTION” REFERS TO THE THE TYPE OF
MNON-ICONIC VARIETY, WHERE ART WHICH OFTEN
NO ATTEMPT IS MADE TO CLING PROMPTS THE QUESTION:
TO RESEMBLANCE OR MEANING. “WHAT DOES 1/7
MEAN>”

EARNING
THE REPLY
“IT MEANS’
WHAT IT
 THIS 1S BELOW ME,
THe REALM OF. THE: The siteAREA DESCRIBED
r Y THESE 3 VERTICES--

COLORS CAN BE us REPRESENTS THE TOTAL

THEMSELVES AND PICTORIAL VOCABULARY
NOT PRETEND van OF COMICS OR OF AVY
OTHERWISE OC) OF THEVISUAL

me
/, e \

/
/ *:
/" \
/ se \
/ \
/ \
/ £= \
4 ay \
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TWO EYES,
ONE NOSE,
ONE MoUm

MOST COMICS ART

LIES NEAR THE
NEAR
NOT
THE LINE, BUT
NECESSARILY
IF WE
LANGUAGE
INCORPORATE
AND -- OF THE
B0770M-- THAT 1S, ON IT! FOR EVEN OTHER ICONS 70 UNIVERSE
ALONG THE /COM/C THE MOST S7KA/GA7- THE CHART, WE CAN
ABSTRACTION SIDE
WHERE EVERY LINE
FORWARD LITTLE
CARTOON CHARACTER
BEGIN TO BUILD A
COMPREHENSIVE
HAS A MEANING. HAS A’MEANINGLESS’
LINE OR TWO/
MAP --
1. MARY FLEENER at her most abstract. 2. tealistic anatomical base, Simpson distorts and SWAIN. 35. CHESTER GOULD's DICK ("Wolf and Cub") © Koike and Kojima. 46. MISTY. © Marvel Entertainment Group, Inc. 71.
MARISCAL's Piker, 3. DAVE McKEAN exaggerates M.M.'s features to the brink of TRACY © Chicago Tribune-New York Syndicate, EDDIE CAMPBELL's ALEC. Realistic in tone, RIYOKO IKEDA's Oscar from THE ROSE OF
employing one of the many styles found in his abstraction. 23. MICHAEL CHERKAS from Inc. 36. JACK KIABY's Darkseid, © D.C but also gestural and spontaneous. The process VERSAILLES. 72. GEORGE McMANUS.
series CAGES. 4. MARC HEMPEL's SILENT INVASION, © Cherkas and Hancock. Comics. 37. BOB BURDEN. 38. DANIEL of drawing isn't hidden from view. 47. ALEX BRINGING UP FATHER © International Feature
GREGORY. 5. MARK BEYER. 6. LARRY 24. RICK GEARY. 25. PETER KUPER. TORRES's Rocco Vargas from TRITON. 39. TOTH. Zorro © ZorroProductions, Inc. Art © Service, Inc. 73. CHARLES SCHULZ's
MARDER's Beanish from TALES OF THE 26. GARRY TRUDEAU's DOONESBURY. PETER BAGGE's Buddy Bradley from HATE. Walt Disney Productions. (Zorro created by Charlie Brown from PEANUTS © United Features
BEANWORLD. “Resembling” nothing ever seen 27. LYNDA BARRY. 28. SAMPEI Compare to 11. 40. SETH. 41. MARK Johnston McCulley). 48. HUGO PRATT's Syndicate, Inc. 74. ART SPIEGELMAN from
(hence all the way to the right), Marder’s beans SHIRATO. 29. CHARLES BURNS's BIG MARTIN. 42. JULIE DOUCET. 43. CORTO MALTESE © Casterman, Paris-Tourmai MAUS. 75. MATT FEAZELL's CYNICALMAN
walk the line from design to meaning. 7. SAUL BABY. 29 1/2. (Whoops) CLIFF EDWARD GOREY. 44. CRAIG 49. WILL EISNER from TO THE HEART OF 76. The company Logo. The picture as symbol
STIENBERG. 8. PENNY MORAN VAN- STERRETT. The character pictured here (from RUSSELL's Mowgli from Kipling’s THE JUNGLE THE STORM. 50. DORI SEDA. 51. R. 77. Title Logo. The word as object. 78. Sound
HORN from THE LIBRARIAN. 9. LORENZO POLLY AND HER PALS) might belong a bit lower, BOOKS. Russell's characters are as finely CRUMB swings between realistic and cartoony Effect. The word as sound, 79. TOM KING's
MATTOTI in FIRES (© Editions Albin Michel but Sterrett's art, like Fleener's often heads observed and realistically based as Hal Foster's characters, usually staying about this high but SNOOKUMS, THAT LOVABLE TRANSVESTITE,
S.A.) combines deeply impressionistic lighting upward toward the wildly abstract. P.A.H.P. is © or Dave Stevens’ but with an unparalleled sense occasionally venturing upward, 52. STEVE a photo-comic. 80. DREW FRIEDMAN. 81.
with iconic forms and strong, design-oriented Newspaper Features Syndicate, Inc. 30. of design that draws them toward the upper DITKO. 53. NORMAN DOG. 54. DAVE STEVENS. 82. HAL FOSTER.
compositions. In other words, he’s a hard one to SERGIO ARAGONES'’s GROO THE vertex. Lately, Russell has been moving a bit VALENTINO’s NORMALMAN sits a bit to the TARZAN created by Edgar Rice Burroughs. 83.
place. 10. ALINE KOMINSKY-CRUMB. WANDERER. Simple, straightforward,
but witha higher and toward the right in some cases. 45. right and up from his current SHADOWHAWK ALEX RAYMOND. Flash Gordon © King
11. PETER BAGGE's Chuckie-Boy from strong gestural quality that always reminds us of GOSEKI KOJIMA from KOZURE OKAMI (whose iconic mask made him a bit harder to Features Syndicate, Inc. 84. MILO
NEAT STUFF. Compare to 39. 12. KRISTINE the hand that holds the pen (also true of place). 55. ROZ CHAST. 56. JOOST MANARA. 85. JOHN BUSCEMA. The
KRYTTRE. 13. REA IRVIN. THE SMYTHES 14,28,31,41). 31. ROBERTA GREGORY's SWARTE's Anton Makassar. 57. ELZIE Vision © Marvel Entertainment Group. 86.
© Field Newspaper Syndicate. 14. STEVE Bitchy Bitch from NAUGHTY BITS. 32. DAVID SEGAR's POPEYE © King features Syndicate, CAROL LAY’s Irene Van de Kamp from GOOD
WILLIS's Morty, 15. PHIL YEH'’s FRANK MAZZUCCHELLI from BATMAN: YEAR ONE. Inc. 58. GEORGE HERRIMAN's “Offissa GIRLS. A bizarre character, but drawn in a very
THE UNICORN. 16. JERRY MORIARTY's Commissioner Gordon © D.C. Comics. 33. Pupp" from KRAZY KAT. © International feature Straightforward style. 87. GILBERT
“Jack Survives”. Based closely on real world JOSE MUNOZ trom “Mister Conrad, Mister Service, Inc. 59. JIM WOODRING's FRANK HERNANDEZ. 88. JAIME HERNANDEZ.
light and shadow, but decomposed into rough Wilcox”, © Munoz and Sampayo. 34. CAROL 60. NEAL ADAMS. from X-MEN © Marvel 89. COLIN UPTON. 90. KURT
shapes. Similar effects are found in no.s Entertainment Group, Inc. (X-Men created by Lee SCHAFFENBERGER, Superboy © D.C.
8,18,19,20 and 34. 17. JEFF WONG's art for sod Kirby). 61. GIL KANE from ACTION Comics. 91. JACK COLE’s PLASTIC MAN, ©
Scott Russo's JIZZ. 18. ROLF STARK's COMICS © D.C. Comics, Inc. 62. MILTON D.C. Comics. 92. REED WALLER’s OMAHA
expressionistic RAIN. 19. SPAIN's CANIFF's STEVE CANYON. 63. JIM LEE. THE CAT DANCER © Waller and Worley. 93.
TRASHMAN. 20. FRANK MILLER’s THE Nick Fury appearing in X-MEN © Marvel WENDY PINI's Skywise from ELFQUEST. ©
DARK KNIGHT RETURNS. Batman © D.C. Entertainment Group, Inc. 64. JOHN BYRNE. WaRP Graphics. 94. DAN DE CARLO.
Comics. Batman created by Bob Kane. 21. Superman © D.C. Comics, Inc. (Superman Veronica © Archie Comics. 95. HAROLD
WILLIAM MESSNER-LOEBS’s Wolverine created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Schuster). 65. GRAY's LITTLE ORPHAN ANNIE. © Chicago
MacAlistair from JOURNEY. 22. DON JACQUES TARDI from LE DEMON DES Tribune- New York News Syndicate. 96.
SIMPSON's MEGATON MAN. Beginning trom a GLACES © Dargaud Editeur. 66. JEAN- HERGE's TINTIN © Editions Casterman. 97.
CLAUDE MEZIERES. Laureline from the FLOYD GOTTFREDSON. Mickey Mouse ©
VALERIAN series. © Dargaud Editeur, 67. Walt Disney Productions. 98. JEFF SMITH's
BILL GRIFFITH's ZIPPY THE PINHEAD. 68. BONE. 99. Smile Dammit. 100. COLLEEN
JOE MATT. 69. KYLE BAKER trom WHY | DORAN’s A DISTANT SOIL. 101, ROY
HATE SATURN.70. TRINA ROBBINS's CRANE's CAPTAIN EASY © NEA Service, Inc
102. DAN CLOWES. 103. WAYNO. 104.
V.T, HAMLIN'’s ALLEY OOP © NEA Service,
ALL COPYRIGHTS Inc. 105. CHESTER BROWN. 106. STAN
HELD BY THE SAKAI's USAGI YOJIMBO. 107. DAVE
CREATOR UNLESS SIM's CEREBUS THE AARDVARK. 108.
WALT KELLY's POGO © Selby Kelly. 109.
OTHERWISE RUDOLPH DIRKS's HANS AND FRITZ © King
Features Syndicate, Inc. 110. H.C. “BUD™
FISHER's Jeff from MUTT AND JEFF ©
McNaught Syndicate, Inc. 111. MORT
WALKER's Hi AND LOIS © King Features
Syndicate, Inc. 112. OSAMU TEZUKA's
ASTROBOY. 113. CARL BARKS. Scrooge
McDuck © Walt Disney Productions. 114.
CROCKETT JOHNSON's Mister O'Malley
from BARNABY © Field Newspaper Syndicate,
Inc, 115. PAT SULLIVAN’s FELIX THE CAT
© Newspaper Feature Service. 116. UDERZO.
ASTERIX by Goscinny and Uderzo © Dargaud
Editeur

7
—E 7
fc
4 Keep in mind that
aay 4 these are my copies of
J the original drawings.

PLEASE NOTE: ARTISTS IN THIS

CHART ARE NOT NECESSARILY
CHOSEN FOR ARTISTIC MERIT.
SOME VERY IMPORTANT
CREATORS ARE NOT INCLUDED.
 | The ]
AMAZING
MOST OF THE EACH CREATOR SOME,
PRECEDING EXAMPLES EMPLOYS A KAWVGE LIKE MATT
WERE PLACED ON OUR OF STYLES, THOUGH, FEAZELL’S
CHART BASED ON THE AND MANY OCCUPY CYNICAL MAN.
DRAWING STYLES USED SEVEKAL PLACES ON KEEP TO ONE
ON SFECIF/C THE CHART DURING A AREA
CHARACTERS. GIVEN PROJECT. CONSISTENTLY.

THE COMBINATION OF EX7KEMELY /COM/C WE'VE ALREADY

CHARACTERS AND EMV/RONMENWV7TS, MIXED DISCUSSED THE ©
WITH SWMPLE, DIRECT LANGUAGE AND A oY OTHERS RANGE \' RANGE OF HERGE
SOUND EFFECT OR TWO WOULD GIVE US CONSIDERABLY AND OTHERS WHO
A SHAPE SOMETHING LIKE 7A7S.- FROM ONE END CONTRAST /CONWIC
OF THE CHART /’, CHARACTERS WITH
\.TO THE OTHER, AZ’: REALISTIC
BACKGROUNDS.

roACELL.
MAI!
©
VINTCALMAN

HERGE STRETCHES
NEARLY FROM LEFT 70 R/GH7--
FROM REAL/SM TO CARTOON/IVG--
BUT VENTURES VERY Z/77ZLE INTO
(| view
(/ . .
THE LPPER WORLD OF VON-
ICONIC ABSTRACTION.

ART © EDITIONS CASTERMAN

54
 MARY FLEENER, ON
THE OTHER HAND, VARIES ONLY
SZ/GH7LY IN HER LEVEL OF /CONIC
CONTENT, WHILE THE LEVEL OF
NONGICONIC ABSTRACTION GOES
NEARLY FROM 70? 70 BO7TOM/

ART © MARY FLEENER.

THAT'S RIGHTIFHE'S STILL IN THE MID-SIXTIES, JACK

OO ATLL HAPPEN KIRBY, ALONG WITH S7AN LEE,
3 STAKED OUT A MIDDLE GROUND OF
ICONIC FORMS WITH A SENSE OF THE
REAL ABOUT THEM, BOLSTERED BY
A POWERFUL DESIGN SENSE.

\)
>
f pe
al=ee a
ART: JACK KIRBY AND JOE SINNOTT (MY FACSIMILE)
SCRIPT: STAN LEE.

TODAY, MANY AMERICAN

MAINSTREAM COMICS STILL FOLLOW
KIRBY’S LEAD FOR STORYTELLING, BUT
THE DESIRE FOR MORE KEAZL/S77C ART
AND MORE ELABORATE SCRIPTS HAS
PUSHED ART AND STORY FURTHER
AFAR7T \N MANY CASES.

ART FROM COLOR PANELS TRACED FOR REPRODUCTION. ART: JIM LEE AND SCOTT WILLIAMS (FACSIMILE)
© MARVEL ENTERTAINMENT GROUP, INC. 55 SCRIPT: CHRIS CLAREMONT.
 IN THE EIGHTIES AND NINETIES,
MOST OF THE COUNTERCULTURE OF
INDEPENDENT CREATORS, WORKING MOSTLY
IN BLACK AND WHITE, STAYED TO THE R/GA7
OF MAINSTREAM COMICS ART WHILE
COVERING A BROAD RANGE OF
WRITING STYLES

THIS FOLLOWS THE LEAD OF IRONIC THAT THE

THE POST-KURTZMAN GENERATION ¢ TWO BASTIONS OF
OF UNDERGROUND CARTOONISTS WHO CARTOONY ART ARE
USED CARTOONY STYLES TO PORTRAY fact YNDERGROUND AND
ADULT THEMES AND SUBJECT MATTER > CHILDRENS COMICS!
PRETTY FAR AFART
AS GENRES GO/

INFORMATION
COPYRIGHT
FOR
216
PAGE
SEE

SOME ARTISTS, SUCH AS THE OTHERS, SUCH AS DAVE MSKEAN.

IRREPRESSIBLE SERG/O AKAGOWNES, ARE FOREVER OW 7HE MOVE,
STAKED THEIR CLAIM ON A PARTICLILAR EXPERIMENTING, TAKING CHANCES,
AREA ZOMG AGO AND HAVE BEEN WEVER SATISFIED.
QUITE HAPPY SINCE.

SERGIO AND GROO © SERGIO ARAGONES ART (LEFT) © DAVE McKEAN, (RIGHT) © D.C. COMICS.
 WHEN AN ARTIST IS DRAWN THOSE WHO APPROACH THOSE
TO ONE END OF THE CHART OR THE LOWER LEF7, AT THE 7OP
ANOTHER, THAT ARTIST MAY BE FOR EXAMPLE, ARE BY THE
REVEALING SOMETHING ABOUT HIS PROBABLY ATTRACTED BEAUTY OF
OR HER STRONGEST VALLES AND BY A SENSE OF THE ART.
LOYALTIES \N ART. BEAUTY OF WA7ZE

re
~46

FOR COMICS TO WA7LRE BUT EACH ARTIST

AND AS A MEDIUM, \T MUST BE HAS LYFFERENT INNER
THOSE ON CAPABLE OF EXPRESSING EACH NEEDS, DIFFERENT POINTS
THE RIGHT ARTIST'S IVVERMOS7T OF VIEW, DIFFERENT
BY THE BEAUTY WEEDS AND /DEAS. FASSTONS, AND SO NEEDS TO
OF JDEAS. FIND DIFFERENT FORMS
OF EXPRESSION. *

THE ENTIRE
HISTORY OF VISUAL ARTS AND NEARLY
BELONGS IN THIS SPACE EVERY MOVEMENT OR
MONET SET UP HIS EASEL MANIFESTO PLANTED ITS
ALONG THE ZEF7 FACE, FLAG AND LOUDLY PROCLAIMED
MONDRIAN AT THE 7OF THE DISCOVERY OF THE
REMBRANDT LOWER LEFT, ONLY PATCH OF GROUND
MATISSE RIGHT ABOVE WORTH BUILDING ON.
WHERE 1’M STANDING,

* CHECK OUT WASSILY KANDINSKY'S TERRIFIC I9I2 ESSAY, "ON THE PROBLEM OF FORM’

57
 BY DRAWING
SORDERS AROUND THE
VOCABULARY OF COMICS, L
HOPE I HAVEN'T MADE IT
SEEM SUNT ER THAN

COMICS
ARTISTS HAVE
A UMIVERSE OF
ICONS TO CHOOSE

AS THE 7WEN7T>—
FIRST CENTURY
APPROACHES, V/SUAZ
/CONOGRAPHY MAY
FINALLY HELP US
IT’S EXPANDING REALIZE A FORM OF
ALL THE TIME! UNIVERSAL
COMMUMCATION.

SOCIETY
IS INVENTING VEW
SYMBOLS REGULARLY,
JUST AS COMICS
ARTISTS DO.
 ICONS
DEMAND OUR THERE 1S NO LIFE HERE
PARTICIPATION EXCEPT THAT WHICH YOU
TO MAKE THEM GIVE TO IT.
WORK.

ITS YOUR JOB TO IT’S BEEN OVER 7WEWTY YEARS SINCE | AS IT HAPPENS, ONLY
CREATE AND RECREATE MSLUHAN FIRST OBSERVED THAT THOSE PEOPLE | 7WO POPULAR MEDIA
ME MOMENT BY GROWING UP IN THE LATE TWENTIETH CENTURY WERE IDENTIFIED BY
MOMENT, NOT JUST DIDN'T WANT GOALS SO MUCH AS THEY MELUHAN AS "COOL"
THE CARTOONIST’S. WANTED ROLES,” AND THAT'S WHAT VISUAL MEDIA-~- THAT JS,
> ICONOGRAPHY 1S ALL ABOUT, MEDIA WHICH
COMMAND AUDIENCE
INVOLVEMENT THROUGH
ICOIVIC FORMS.

\'
limy

Wh.
in

ONE OF THEM --AND FOR BETTER

TELEV/S/ON. OR WORSE, ALTERED
HAS REACHED INTO THE COURSE OF THE FATE
THE LIVES OF EVERY HUMAN AFFAIRS OF THE
HUMAN BEING ON FROM HERE ‘TIL O7HER ONE,
DOOMSDAY. COMICS--

SEQUENTIAL
ART
WHEN I WAS VERY YOUNG, I HAD A RECURRENT DAYDREAM THAT THE WHOLE WORLD
WAS JUST A SHOW PLT ON FOR MY BEWVEFI/7, THAT UNLESS I WAS PRESENT TO :
SEE THINGS, THEY JUST-- press eQrrg cee

hp SW
LATER \N LIFE, L FOUND OTHERS WHO HAD SYLAR DAYDREAMS AS CHILDREN.
NONE OF US EVER REALLY BEL/JEVED THESE THEORIES, BUT WE HAD ALL BEEN :
FASCINATED BY THE FACT THAT THEY COUL USPROVED,! -
a

Rh Sew IE tig?

EVEN ZODAY AS I WRITE AND DRAW THIS I'VE NEVER BEEN I'VE NEVER SEEN
PANEL, I HAVE WO GLUAKANTEE THAT TO MOROCCO, BUT THE EARTH FROM
ANYTHING EXISTS OUTSIDE OF WHAT MY I TAKE IT ON FA/7¥ SPACE FIRSTHAND,
FIVE SENSES REPORT TO ME.* 44 THAT THERE JS'A YET I TRUST THAT
S—— MOROCCOS THE EARTH IS

I'VE NEVER BEEN IN THIS PANEL

IN THE HOUSE YOU CAN'T EVEN
ACROSS THE STREET, SEE MY ZEGS,
YET I ASSUME IT YET YOU ASSUME
HAS AN /W7ER/OR, THAT THEY'RE
THAT IT ISN'T JUST THERE.
SOME BIG MOVIE

* NOT TO SAY OUR SENSES ARE ANY KIND

OF GUARANTEES
ALL OF US PERCEIVE THE YET OUR SENSES CAN
WORLD AS A WHOLE THROUGH ONLY REVEAL A WORLD
THE EXPERIENCE OF OUR THAT IS FRAGMENTED
SENSES. AND /NCOMPLETE.

EVEN THE MOST W/DELY OUR PERCEPTION OF

TRAVELLED MIND CAN ONLY "REALITY" IS AN ACT OF
SEE SO MUCH OF THE WORLD FAITH, BASED ON MERE
IN THE COURSE OF A LIFE. FRAGMENTS.

-..-
a

J.

AS VFANTS, WE'RE LIVABLE THE GAME ‘FEEK-A-&B00" PLAYS

TO COMMIT THAT ACT OF FAITH. ON THIS IDEA. GRADUALLY, WE ALL
IF WE CAN'T SEE IT, HEAR IT, LEARN THAT EVEN THOUGH THE SYGAY7
SMELL IT, TASTE IT OR TOUCH NT, OF MOMMY COMES AND GOES,
IT ISN'T 7HEREZ MOMMY KEMAINVS.
 THIS PHENOMENON OF IN OUR DAILY LIVES, WE OFTEN
OBSERVING THE PARTS BUT COMMIT CLOSURE, MENTALLY
PERCEIVING THE WHOLE COMPLETING THAT WHICH IS
HAS A MAME.
IT'S
CALLED
CLOSURE.

SOME FORMS OF CLOSURE ARE OTHERS HAPPEN AUTOMATICALLY,

DELIBERATE INVEIV7/ONS OF WITHOUT MUCH EFFORT,,, PART
STORYTELLERS TO PRODUCE OF BUSIVESS AS USUAL.
SUSPENSE OR TO CHALLENGE

6s
AUDIENCES. he

IN RECOGN/ZING AND RELATING

70 OTHER PEOPLE, WE ALL IN AN
DEPEND AHEAV/ZY ON OUR LEARNED INCOMPLETE
ABILITY OF CLOSURE, WORLD, WE
MUST DEPEND
ON CLOSURE
FOR OUR VERY
SURVIVAL.
 CLOSURE CAN TAKE
MANY FORMS. SOME
SIMPLE, SOME COMPLEX.

we im, Ly ja re

SOMETIMES, A MERE SHAPE OR THE MENTAL PROCESS DESCRIBED

OUTLINE \S ENOUGH TO IN CHAPTER TWO WHEREBY
TRIGGER CLOSURE. THESE LINES BECOME A FACE
COULD BE CONSIDERED CLOSURE

EVERY TIME WE SEE OUR EYES TAKE IN

A FHOTOGRAPH THE FRAGMENTED, y --AND
REPRODUCED IN A BLACK-AND-WHITE Pay OUR MINDS &
NEWSPAPER OR IMAGE OF THE a TIZANSFORM IT 8 --OF THE
MAGA ZIIVE, \NE “HALF -TONE” INTO THE PHOTOGRAPH,’
COMMIT CLOSURE. PATTERNS-- "REALITY -f, >
roe
 da / IN FULM, CLOSURE TAKES PLACE CON7IVUOUSLY--
ELECTRONIC O}f TWENTY-FOUR TIMES PER SECOND, IN FACT-- AS OUR
oT Cone | MINDS, AIDED BY THE PERSISTENCE OF VISION,
ON ae” FA TRANSFORM A SERIES OF S7/ZL PICTL/RES INTO
POWERING / _A STORY OF CONTINUOUS MOTION.
‘Zt iS = sy = =

A MEDIUM REQUIRING EVEN (MORE CLOSURE 1S 7TELEV/S/ON, BETWEEN SUCH

WHICH, IN REALITY, IS JUST A S/NGLE POINT OF L/GHT, AUTOMATIC
RACING ACROSS THE SCREEN SO FAS7 THAT IT'S DESCRIBED ELECTROMC
MY FACE HUVDREDS OF TIMES BEFORE YOU CAN EVEN SWALLOW CLOSURE AND THE
THAT CORN CHIP IT" : SIMPLER CLOSURE
/ OF EVERYDAY
LIFE--

-- THERE LIES . . A MEDIUM WHERE THE AUDIENCE IS

A MEDIUM OF A WILLING AND CONSCIOUS COLLABORATOR
COMMUNICATION AND CLOSURE IS THE AGENT OF CHANGE,
AND EXPRESSION 77ME AND (10770N.
WHICH USES CLOSURE
LIKE WO O7HER...

* MEDIA GURU TONY SCHWARTZ DESCRIBES THIS 65

AT LENGTH IN HIS BOOK MEDIA, THE SECOND GOD,
ANCHOR BOOKS, 1983.
 THAT
SEE
BETWEEN WHE
SPACE

PANELS? THAT'S
AFICIONADOS
NAME HAVE
D “7HE
GLUT TER
”

ITS UNC
7ITLE, THEEREMOMIOUS
HOST TO MUCH GUT TER PLAYS
AND MYS7ERYOF THA THE MAGIC
T RT
ARE
AT THE VERY AVEA

THE HERE
Z/M&OIN OF THE
GUTTER, HUMAN
IMAGINATION
TAKES
IMAGESTWOANDSEPARATE
7RAWS-
fll

m hih
FORMS THEM INTO ELIE
el =

" l
li in
INEAAAUNANHAI
1
 NOTHING
\S SEENV BETWEEN
THE TWO PANELS,
BUT EXPERIENCE -A-Boo! aoa
TELLS YOU SOMETHING Peek-A-Boo! Peek-A-Boo!
MUST BE THERE!

COMICS PANELS FRACTURE BOTH Z/ME AND SYACE, OFFERING A JAGGED,

STACCATO RHYTHM OF LIVCONNECTED MOMENTS.

BUT CLOSURE ALLOWS US TO COMWVECZ THESE MOMENTS

AND MIENWTALLY CONSTRUCT & CONTINUOUS, UMIFIED REAL/ITM

\—F VISLIAL AND SINCE OUR ~- THEN, IN A

ICONOGRAPHY \s DEFINITION OF VERY REAL SENSE,
THE VOCABULARY OF COMICS HINGES ON COMICS I$
COMICS, CLOSURE |S THE ARRANGEMENT CLOSURE’
ITS GRAMMAR. OF ELEMENTS--

ICONOGRAPHY
 THE CLOSURE OF BUT CLOSURE IN COMWCS JS
ELECTRONIC MEDIA FAR FROM CONTINUOUS AND
IS CON7TINLOUS, LARGELY ANYTHING BUT /VVOLUNTARY”
INVOLUNTARY AND
VIRTUALLY
IMPERCEPTIBLE.
x

EVERY
ACT COMMITTED
TO PAPER BY THE
COMICS ARTIST 1S
AIDED AND ABETTED
BY A SENT
ACCOMPLICE.

I MAY HAVE DRAWN AN AXE BEING

RAISED IN THIS EXAMPLE, BUT IM ALL OF YOU
AN EQUAL NOT THE ONE WHO LET It DROP PARTICIPATED
PARTNER OR DECIDED HOW HARD THE BLOW, INTHE MURDER.
HHO SCREAMED, OR WHY.
IN CRIME st es a THE AXE AND
KNOWN
oe AS CHOSE YOUR SPOT.
READER.

-
LN
a
‘
Ly

THAT, DEAR READER, WAS YOUR

sane SPECIAL CRIME, EACH OF YOU
COMMITTING IT IN YOUR OWN §7}7ZE.

68
 TO KILL A MAN PARTIC/PATION
BETWEEN PANELS
IS A POWERFUL FORCE
IS TO CONDEMN
IN AVY MEDIUM.
HIM TO A FILMMAKERS LONG AGO
REALIZED THE IMPORTANCE
THOUSAND
DEATHS.
OF ALLOWING VIEWERS f
TO USE THEIR
IMAGINATIONS.

BUT WHILE FZZAV MAKES FROM THE 7OSSIVG OF A BASEBALL

USE OF AUDIENCES’ IMAGINATIONS TO THE DEATH OF A PLANET, THE
FOR OCCASIONAL EFFECTS, READER'S DELIBERATE, VOLUVTARY
COMICS MUST USE IT CLOSURE |S COMICS’ FRIVARY MEANS
FAR MORE Q°7EN7 OF SIMULATING 7/ME AND MOTION.

CLOSURE LET’S
IN COMICS FOSTERS TAKE A LOOK
AN INTIMACY SURPASSED AT THE
ONLY BY THE WR/77EVV CRAF7-
WORD. A SHENT, SECRET
COVV7RACT BETWEEN
CREATOR AND
AUDIENCE.

HOW THE CREATOR

HONORS THAT CONTRACT
IS AMATTER OF BOTH
AR7 AND CRAFT.
 MOST
PANEL-7O-PANEL NEXT
TRANSITIONS IN COMICS ARE THOSE
CAN BE PLACED IN ONE TRANSITIONS
OF SEVERAL DISTINCT FEATURING A SINGLE
CATEGORIES. THE F/RST SUB/ECT\N DISTINCT
CATEGORY-—- WHICH WE'LL AC7/ON-TO-AC7/ON
CALL MOMEN7-70 PROGRESSIONS.
MOMEN7--REQUIRES
VERY L/77LE
CLOSURE
 THE WEXT DEDUCTIVE
TYPE TAKES US FROM REASONING \S
SUBISECT-T0-SUBSECT OFTEN REQUIRED IN
WHILE STAYING WITHIN A READING COMICS SUCH
SCENE OR IDEA. NOTE AS IN THESE SCEIVE~
THE DEGREE OF READER -7O-SCENE TRANSITIONS,
INVOLVEMENT NECESSARY WHICH TRANSPORT US
TO RENDER THESE ACROSS SYGM/FICANT
TRANSITIONS DISTANCES OF 7IME
MEANINGFUL. AND SPACE.

HE CAN'T
OUTRUN US
FOREVER!

NO ONE COULD
HAVE SURVIVED
THAT CRASH! A
 A FIFTH AND
TYPE OF TRANSITION, FINALLY, THERE’S
WHICH WE'LL CALL THE MON-SEQU/TUR,
ASPEC7-TO-ASPEC7, WHICH OFFERS NO
BYPASSES 7/ME FOR THE LOGICAL RELATIONSHIP
MOST PART AND SETS A BETWEEN PANELS
WANDERING EYE ON WHATSOEVER /
DIFFERENT ASPECTS
OF A PLACE, IDEA
OR MOOD
THIS ZAS7 CATEGORY PERSONALLY, I --ALCHEMY
SUGGESTS AN INTER- DON'T 7A/VK SO. AT WORK IN THE
ESTING QUESTION. SPACE BETWEEN
IS [T POSSIBLE FOR NO MATTER PANELS WHICH CAN
ANY SEQUENCE OF HOW DISS/MVI/LAR HELP US FIND
PANELS TO BE ONE IMAGE MAY 8E MEANING OR
TOTALLY LNRELATED TO ANOTHER, THERE KESONAIVCE IN
TO EACH OTHER? IS A KIND OF-- EVEN THE MOST
VARRING OF
COMBINATIONS.

SUCH TRANSITIONS BY CREATING A -- OVERR/IDING

MAY NOT MAKE SEQUENCE WITH IDENTIT, AND
"“SEMSE” IN ANY TWO OR MORE FORCING THE VIEWER
TRADITIONAL WAY, IMAGES, WE ARE TO CONSIDER THEM
BUT STILL A ENDOWING THEM WITH AS A WHOLE.
RELATIONSHIP OF A SINGLE--
SOME SORT WILL
INEVITABLY
DEVELOP.

HOWEVER
DIFFERENT
THEY HAD BEEN, CLOSURE
THEY NOW BELONG FOR BLOOD,
TO A SINGLE
ORGANISM.

FN
 THIS SORT OF
4 MOMENT- CATEGORIZATION
Y 70- IS AN JVEXACT SCIENCE
AT BEST BUT BY USING
| MomENVT OUR TRANSITION SCALE
AS A ZOOL --
-- WE
CAN BEGIN
TO UNRAVEL SOME
OF THE MYSTERIES
SURROUNDING THE
INVISIBLE ART
OF COMICS
S7ORY TELLING /

MOST MAINSTREAM ALTOGETHER, I COUNT

COMICS |N AMERICA NINETY-FIVE
EMPLOY STORYTELLING PANEL-TO-PANEL
TECHNIQUES FIRST TRANSITIONS.
INTRODUCED BY LET'S SEE HOW
SACK KIR8Y, SO THEY BREAK DOWN
LET’S START BY PROPORTIONATEL Y,
EXAMINING THIS
LEE-KIRBY COMIC
FROM \966.
eae ASPECT-
“WEE 70-
4 ASPECT

6.
NON-
18,
AA
OE
ee

WES Ryaelba7 4

BY FAR, THE MOST COMMON TYPE OF SUBSECT-TO-SUBIEC7T TRANSITIONS

TRANSITION IN KIRBY'S ART IS AC7/ON- ACCOUNT FOR AN ADDITIONAL V//VE7EEW--
-TO-AC7TION. I COUNT S/X7¥-7WO OF ABOUT 7WEN7Y PERCENT OF THE TOTAL NUMBER.
THEM IN THIS STORY-- ABOUT SYY7>-
FIVE PERCENT OF THE TOTAL NUMBER

[TRACED AND SIMPLIFIED FOR CLARITY'S SAKE]

ART
MARVEL
ENTERTAINMENT
©
INC.
GROUP,
 AND SINCE AZZ AS A BAR GRAPH THIS EMPHASIS ON
OF THE REMAINING IT WOULD LOOK ACTION-TO-ACTION
TRANSITIONS ARE FROM SOMETHING LIKE STORY TELLING SUITS
SCENE-TO-SCENE, 7TH. MOST PEOPLE'S IDEAS
WE HAVE THE ABOUT K/REY, BUT
FOLLOWING IS HE UM/QUE
BREAKDOWN. IN THIS RESPECT?

APPARENTLY WO7/ HERE’S A GRAPH OF NOW, HERGE’S AND 1S THERE SOME KIND
PANEL TRANSITIONS IN HERGE'S V/A/77/V KIRBY'S STYLES OF UMIVERSAL
AND THE PROPORTION ARE VERY ARE WO7 SIMILAR’ PROPORTION AT
SIMILAR TO KIRBY'S IN FACT, THEY'RE WORK HERE, OR
RADICALLY IS THERE ANOTHER
DIFFERENT 7 COMMON LINK
MAYBE A SIMILARITY
OF GENRES 7

“HEARTBREAK SOUP” BETTY 2 VERONIA

A RANDOM
SAMPLING OF
VARIOUS AMERICAN
COMICS SHOWS THIS
SAME PROPORTION
PRETTY @ Z
COMSISTENTLY. G. HERNANDE? DOYLE £DECARLO

FIRANK IN THE RUVER A CONTRACT WITH GoD DONAW DUCK

=}
_
sd
—
Yd
EISNER
 SQUERK THE MOUSE ASTERIX WELCOME TO AFLOLOL THE LONG TOMORROW

A SURVEY
OF WELL-KNOWN
EUROPEAN ARTISTS
YEILDS SIMHAR,
IF NOT QU/7E AS
UNIFORM,
RESULTS.

MANARA JOOsT SWARTE

IF WE CHOOSE TO
SEE STORIES AS
ARE THESE CONNECTED SERIES
THREE TYPES OF OF EVENTS, THEN
TRANSITIONS ALL THE PREDOMINANCE
ANYONE SHOULD EVER OF TYPES 2-4 ARE
NEED TO TELL A STORY EASILY EXPLAINED
IN COMICS 7

TYPES 2-4 SHOW

THINGS AHAPPEMING SHOWS AC7/0"VS
IN CONCISE, LIKE TYPE 2, BUT
FFFICIENT VVAYS. IT TENDS TO REQUIRE
SEVERAL FANEZS TO
DO WHAT TYPE 2
DOES IN 7Wwo--

NEST
SORAR
&
 ~~ WHILE IN THE AND, OF COURSE,
FIFTH TYPE, BY NON-SEQUITURS
DEFINITION, NOTHING
“HAPPENS” AT ALL! Sige
yy...)
ARE UNCONCERNED
WITH EVE/V7S OR
ANY NARRATIVE
PURPOSES OF ANY

SOME EXPERIMENTAL BUT BEFORE WE TEZUKA IS AFAR

COMICS, LIKE THOSE OF CONCLUDE THAT TYPES CRY FROM THE
ART SPIEGELMAN'S 2-4 HAVE A MONOPOLY EARLY SPIEGELMAN.
EARLY PERIOD, EXPLORE ON S7KAIGHTFORWARD HIS STORYTELLING
A FULL RANGE OF STORYTELLING, LET'S IS CLEAR AND
TRANSITIONS-- TAKE ANOTHER LOOK STRAIGHTFORWARD.
AT OSAMU JEZUKA
FROM JAPAN.
--THOUGH
GENERALLY
IN THE SERVICE OF
EQUALLY RADICAL
STORIES AND
———}_ _ia
STORIES FROM SPIEGELMAN'S SUBJECTS.
ANTHOLOGY BREAKDOWNS:

“DON'T GETAROUND INTRODUCTION “MAUS”

MUCH ANYMORE” (ORIGINAL)

“SKINLESS “PRISONER ONTHE “CRACKING

PERKINS" HELL PLANET” JOKES"

FRONT AND
BACK COVERS
“ACE-HOLE,MIDGET
DETECTIVE’
"REAL
OREA/"I975
red
P< “il
JUST WHAT IS GOJVG OW HERE?
NINY
‘WIN
LHV
9
 ACTION- sy) IN FACT, SUBSEC7-70-
-7O-ACT/ION S : SUB/ECT TRANSITIONS
TRANSITIONS = 4 ACCOUNT FOR NEARLY
STILL DOMINATE AS MANY AS AC7/0N.

THOUGH THE LATTER

TYPE ONLY ACCOUNTS
HERE ALSO WE SEE FOR FOUR PERCENT
OUR FIRST EXAMPLES OF THE TOTAL, SUCH
OF MOMEN7-70-MOMENT SEQUENCES CONTRAST
TRANSITIONS. STRIKINGLY WITH THE
WESTERN TRADITIONS
EXEMPLIFIED BY
KIRBY AND HERGE.

ASWAWSsa
LO
T34L\
AIOHL
ASVd
LO

BUT, MOST STRIKING

OF AZZ 1S THE SUBSTANTIAL
PRESENCE OF THE AIF 7H
7YPE OF TRANSITION, A
TYPE RARELY SEEN
IN THE WEST.

TEZUKA.
OSAMU
ART
©
 ASPECT-
-AS. PeEcT
TRANSITIONS
HAVE BEEN AN
INTEGRAL PART
OF JAPANESE
MAINSTREAM
COMICS ALMOST
FROM THE VERY
SEGINNVING.

OLov
NYSO
‘DINZ

MOST OFTEN USED TO ESTABLISH A A400D OR A SEMSE

OF PLACE, TIME SEEMS TO STAND S77ZZ IN THESE QUIET,
CONTEMPLATIVE COMBINATIONS.

EVEN
SEQUENCE, WHILE
STILL AN ISSUE, SEEMS
FAR LESS IMPORTANT
HERE THAN IN OTHER
TRANSITIONS.

ART
TEZUKA.
OSAMU
©

a
THAN ACTING J
AS A BRIDGE
BETWEEN rH
SEPARATE
MOMENTS, THE
READER AEKE
MUST ASSEMBLE
A SIVGLE
MOMENT USING
SCA7T7ERED
FRAGMENTS.

‘OL
LuV
‘HO
 IN EXAMINING
SEVERAL JAPANESE ARTISTS,
WE FIND SIMILAR
PROPORTIONS TO TEZUKA'S,
INCLUDING A HIGH INCIDENCE
OF THE -F/F7H 7YPE.

750 River FATHER 2 som WOLF RCUB

CaRvex?) HAYAS) BOSIMA KOIKE 2 KOJIMA

C1BQ0RG OO4
SHOTARO ISHirto

EN ashes Lu i) aa, PS

LENGTH MAY BE ONE OF WHEN INDIVIDUAL FEATURES ARE

THE FACTORS AT WORK HERE. MOST COLLECTED, THEY MAY RUN FOR
JAPANESE COMICS FIRST APPEAR IN HOUSANDS OF PAGES.
ENORMOUS AW7AOLOGY TITLES WHERE
THE PRESSURE ISN’T AS GREAT ON z | Thy:
ANY ONE INSTALLMENT TO SHOW i
A LOT “AAFPFENMING.”

AS SUCH, BUT I DON'T THINK

DOZENS OF PANELS LONGER STORIES ARE
CAN BE DEVOTED THE OWZY FACTOR, I BELIEVE THERE'S SOMETHING A
TO PORTRAYING OR EVEN THE MOST BIT MORE ALWZAMENTAL TO THIS
SLOW CINEMATIC IMPORTANT ONE. PARTICULAR EAST/WEST SPLIT.
MOVEMENT OR TO
SE77TING A MOOD.
 Pr

NN
Xo

LS,
oe
7
Lf

aos
a
6
I SSORRE
A ‘ , 2 ‘

TRADITIONAL BUT, IN THE EAS7,

WESTERIV ART THERE'S A RICH
AND LITERATURE TRADITION OF CYCLICAL
DON'T WANDER MUCH. AND LABYRINTHINE
ON THE WHOLE, WE'RE WORKS OF ART.
A PRETTY
GOAL-ORIENTED
CLLTURE. :

(YW
h se) i
‘B

3°
3 +) (\)

i = :
Oth

JAPANESE COMICS THROUGH THESE AND

MAY BE HE/RS TO OTHER STORYTELLING
THIS TRADITION, IN TECHNIQUES, THE
THE WAY THEY SO JAPANESE OFFER A MORE THAN
OFTEN EMPHASIZE VISION OF COMICS ANYWHERE
BEING THERE OVER VERY DIFFERENT FLSE, COMICS
ING THERE. FROM OUR OWN. IS AN ART--
 - +, THE IDEA THAT ELEMENTS
= : OMITTED FROM A WORK OF ART
INTERVALS. }* ARE AS MUCH A PART OF THAT WORK
mF AS THOSE IWCLUDED HAS BEEN
A SPECIALTY OF THE EAS7 FOR
CENTURIES.

IN THE GRAPHIC ARTS THIS HAS MEANT IN MUSIC TOO, WHILE THE WESTERN
A GREATER FOCUS ON F/YGURE/GROLUIND CLASSICAL TRADITION WAS EMPHASIZING
RELATIONSHIPS AND “WEGATIVE SPACE.” JHE COW7IVLUOLS, CONNECTED WORLDS OF
MELODY AND HARMONY, EASTERN CLASSICAL
MUSIC WAS EQUALLY CONCERNED WITH THE
ROLE OF SLLENWCE”

“THE GREAT WAVE OFF KANAG’AWA" BY HOKUSAI (.1629)

C TURN THIS PICTURE UPSIDE DOWN TO SEE THE O7HER
WAVE OF NEGATIVE SPACE...NATURE'S Y/N AND YANG.)

IN THE LAST CEW7U/RY OR TWO, AS FROM DEBUSSY TO STRAVINSKY TO

WESTERN CULTURAL INFLUENCES SWEPT COUN7 BASIE, WESTERN MUSIC HAS
THE FAS7, SO TOO HAVE FAS7ER/VV AND GRADUALLY INCORPORATED A STRONG
AFRICAN \DEAS OF FRAGMENTATION AWARENESS OF THE POWER OF
AND KHY7HM SWEPT THE WES7. FRAGMENTATION AND IV7TERVA
 IN THE VASVAZ
ARTS, THE IMPACT
OF EASTERN
IDEAS WAS BOTH
POWERFUL AND
LASTING.

THE TRADITIONAL EMPHASIS IN WESTERN

ART UPON THE PRIMACY OF FOREGROUND
SUBJECTS AND WHAT pO YOU THINK THIS *
CONTINUOUSNESS PAINTING BY AL HELD
OF JONES
GAVE WAY TO
IS CALLED?*
FRAGMENTA7/ON
AND A NEW
AWARENESS OF
THE PICTURE
PLANE.

FACSIMILE
OF “FIGURE”
BY PABLO PICASSO
1948

IN THEATRE, THE (DEA THAT — THE MASTERY OF AVY MEDIUM

"LESS (8 MORE” HAS REAL PRACTICAL s(( USING MINIMAL ELEMENTS HAS
IMPLICATIONS. ONE OF THE MOST LONG BEEN CONSIDERED A MOBLE
SUCCESSFUL SHOWS IN HISTORY IS ASPIRATION.
THE FANTASTICKS-- A PLAY WHOSE
ENTIRE SE7 CAME IN 7HREE PIECES--
A TATTERED BANNER, A STICK iI
AND A CARDBOARD MOON.

"ANSWER: “THE BIG '‘N"

[SEE PAGE 216]
PROMISE ME YOU I BETTER
WON'T DRINK AND GO NOW/
DRIVE, CARL. y =
4,

Y A = % $
; A

OKAY. THEY'RE
iN MY PURSE

a,
WJ

DARN TRAFFIC ¥ I'LL TAKE A

SLOWDOWN. A beg SHORT-CUT7”

(7A

I'M SORRY, CARL,

BUT I CAN'T GO OUT
WITH YOU TONIGHT

TOMORROW
IT 1S/

) 4
SAY, DO You KNOW

Oo
BILL'S LAST NAME?

ral i he
THAT'S WHAT I'M ¥ | I DON'T KNOW
ASKING YOU. ANY "BILLS"

ca i

v
am 3s
! 5C) U
 PROMISE ME YOU PROMISE ME YOU
WON'T DRINK AND WON'T DRINK AND
DRIVE, CARL. DRIVE, CARL.

I'M SORRY, CARL,

BUT I CAN'T GO OUT
WITH YOU TONIGHT

I'LL BUY SOME =

L SEERS.

ie “
:

THE ART * SS FINDING THE

OF COMICS 1S BALANCE BETWEEN
AS SUBTRACTIVE 700 MUCH AND
AN ART AS ITIS 700 LITTLE \S
ADDITIVE. CRUCIAL TO
COMICS CREATORS
THE WORLD
OVER.

acl PROMISE ME YOU B

WON'T DRINK AND
DRIVE, CARL.

TO STRIKE THAT BALANCE, CREATORS

REGULARLY MAKE ASSUMPTIONS ABOUT FAA]
THEIR READERS’ EXPERIENCES. 3HT FI (2! TAHT
TW2I00 JOUSIQUA
SOME SEEM PRETTY SAFE, QV VASA TAR
LIKE THE ASSUMPTION THAT NABAN
THIS WILL BE PERCEIVED
By AUDIENCES AS ANEYE
CLOSING.
WE ASSUME AS READERS THAT WE WILL AS CLOSURE BETWEEN PANELS BECOMES
KNOW WHAT ORDER TO READ PANELS IN, MORE INTENSE, READER INTERPRETATION
BUT THE BUSINESS OF ARKANG/IVVG THOSE BECOMES FAR MORE EZAS7/C.
PANELS 1S ACTUALLY QUITE COMPLEX.
SO COMPLEX,
IN FACT, THAT
EVEN SEASONED
PROS WILL
SOMETIMES
BLOW 17.

AND MANAGING \T BECOMES

MORE COMPLICATED FOR THE CREATOR.

SOME ARTISTS CAN BE CLOSURE CAN BE A POWERFUL

DELIBERATELY AMBIGUOUS. FORCE WITHIN PANELS AS WELL AS
OF COURSE, AND OFFER US NO STRICT BETWEEN THEM, WHEN ARTISTS CHOOSE
INTERPRETATION TO GO ON. ss TO SHOW ONLY A SMALL PYECE
OF THE PICTURE,

BY
SHOWING OFFERING ARTIST CAN
LITTLE OR ONLY CLUES To TRIGGER ANY
VAGUE ABOUT NOTHING THE READER-- NUMBER OF
WHAT IT OF A GIVEN IMAGES IN
SHOWS SCENE -- THE READER'S
IMAGINATION.
 READERS FACED BY CONSTRUCTING WHOLE
WITH PANELS LIKE 7AESE MAGES BASED ON THESE
WILL HAVE SU/@S7ANV77ALLY FRAGMENTS, READERS ARE
DIFFEREN7 \NTERPRETATIONS. PERFORMING CLOSURE,
JUST AS--

UH-- JUST AS
READERS COMPLETE >AHEMS.= 1 SHY,
AN ACTION OR JUST AS READERS
IDEA BETWELWV-- COMPLETE --

~-AN
ACTION OR--
OW! OW!
STOP THAT!
 WHATEVER THE MYSTERIES “THERE'S SOMETHING
WITHIN EACH PANEL, IT'S THE STRANGE AND WONDERFUL
POWER OF CLOSURE BE 7WEEN THAT HAPPENS IN THIS
PANELS THAT I FIND THE MOST BLANK RIBBON OF
INTERESTING. FAPER.

WE ALREADY KNOW THAT COMICS ASKS LET'S TAKE ANOTHER LOOK AT

THE MIND TO WORK AS A SORT OF THE F/F7H TYPE OF TRANSITION,
IN-BETWEENER-- FILLING IN THE GAPS THE ONE SO POPULAR
BETWEEN PANELS AS AN AW/MATOR IN JAPAN.
MIGHT-- BUT I BELIEVE THERE'S STILL
MORE TO IT THAN THAT. HERE'S
A FOUR- PANEL
ESTABLISHING
SHOT OF AN
OLD-FASHIONED
KITCHEN SCENE,
 NOW, MOST OF WITH A AGH BUT THE SCENE YOUR LOOK AGAIN.
YOU SHOULD HAVE DEGREE OF MIND CONSTRUCTS
NO_ TROUBLE CLOSURE, YOUR MIND FROM THOSE FOUR
PERCEIVING 1S TAKING FOUR PANELS IS A VERY YOU'VE BEEN IN
THAT YOU'RE IN A PICTURE FRAGMENTS DVIFFERENT PLACE KITCHENS BEFORE,
KITCHEN FROM AND CONSTRUCTING FROM THE SCENE YOU KNOW WHAT A
THOSE FOUR PANELS AN ENTIRE SCENE CONSTRUCTED FROM POT ON THE BOIL
OL/T OF THOSE OUR TRADITIONAL SOUNDS LIKE; DO
FRAGMENTS. ONE-FANEZL YOU ONLY HEAR IT
ESTABLISHING SHOT/ IN THAT F7RS7-

AND WHAT ABOUT COMICS IS A MONO-SENMSORY WE REPRESENT

THE CHOPPING MEDIUM. IT RELIES ON ONLY SOUND THROUGH
SOUND 7 DOES THAT ONE OF THE SENSES TO CONVEY DEVICES SUCH AS
ONLY LAST A PANEL A WORLD OF EXPERIENCE. WORD BALLOONS.
OR DOES IT PERSIST7
CAN YOU SMEZLZ THIS
KITCHEN ¥ FEEZ
IT? ZASTE IT?

BUT WHAT OF THE OTHER

FOUR 7

WITHIN THESE
PANELS, WE CAN PANELS, NONE OF WHICH IS
ONLY CONVEY OUR SENSES ARE WHY AZZ OF
INFORMATION REQUIRED AT ALL. OUR SENSES
VISUALLY. ARE
ENGAGED!

wan
a

BUT
WN
/9
/
\+"_
ALL IN ALL, I(T IS
AN ZACLLS/VELY
TSUAL
REPRESENTATION.
 SEVERAL TIMES SHEN CALGA7 CAUGHT QUICKLY BUT IS IT POSSIBLE
ON EVERY PAGE BY THE OUTSTRETCHED SO AS NOT TO LET THAT CLOSURE CAN
THE READER IS AKMS OF THE EVER- THE READER FALL BE SO MANAGED IN
FELEASED-- LIKE A PRESENT NEXT INTO CONFUSION SOME CASES--
TRAPEZE AR 7I§7-- FAWEL ‘ OR BOREDOM. innards
INTO THE OPEN AIR
OF /MAG/NATION...

IN CHAPTER TWO, WE DISCUSSED

VARIOUS TYPES OF ICONIC AND NON-ICONIC
THE READER DRAWING STYLES
MIGHT LEARN

DO THESE
AFFECT
CLOSURE?

SINCE CARTOONS ALREADY EXIST AS CONCEPTS FOR THE

READER, THEY TEND TO FLOW EASILY THROUGH THE
CONCEPTUAL TERRITORY SBE7WEEY PANELS.

<)
ies
IDEAS FLOWING INTO ONE ANOTHER SEA/ILESSL™”.
 BUT KEZAL/S77C IMAGES HAVE A BUMPIER RIDE. THEIRS 1S
A PRIMARILY V/SU/AZ EXISTENCE WHICH DOESN'T PASS EASILY
INTO THE REALM OF IDEAS.
“10 MEN
ANYWAY. THESE
THINGS ARE ALL
SUBJECTIVE’ },

AND SO, WHAT SEEMED LIKE A CONTINUOUS SERIES OF

MOMENTS IN THE LAST EXAMPLE, HERE LOOKS A LITTLE MORE
LIKE A SERIES OF S722 YCTURKES...

SIMILARLY, I THINK WHEN COMICS ART VEERS CLOSER TO A GOOD RULE OF

CONCERNS OF THE PYC7TL/RE PLAIVE, CLOSURE CAN BE MORE THUMB IS THAT
DIFFICULT TO ACHIEVE, THOUGH FOR DIFFERENT REASONS. IF READERS ARE
PARTICULARLY AWARE
OF THE ARTIN A
GIVEN STORY--

NOW IT'S THE LIMIF YING PROPERTIES OF DESIGN THAT

MAKE US MORE AWARE OF THE PAGE AS A jJWAOLE, RATHER
THAN ITS INDIVIDUAL COMPONENTS, THE PANELS.

OF COURSE, MAKING THE READER WORK A LITTLE

-- THEN MAY BE JUST WHAT THE ARTIST IS 7RYVVG TO DO.
CLOSURE IS ONCE AGAIN, IT'S ALL A MATTER OF
[ PROBABLY NOT FERSONMAL TASTE.
‘| HAPPENING
.\ WITHOUT SOME

WOOO,”

q
TIN | >: IS f
i] 7 ie, |S 2.
 THE COMICS
CREATOR ASKS US
TO JOIN IN A SILEVVT

THIS DANCE IS L/MWW/QUE THIS IS WHY I THINK IT’S

TO COMICS. NO OTHER ARTFORM A MISTAKE TO SEE COMICS AS
GIVES SO MUCH TO ITS AUDIENCE A MERE AYG6R/D OF THE
WHILE ASKING SO MUCH GRAPHIC ARTS AND PROSE
FROM THEM AS WELL FICTION.

BETWEEN THESE
PANELS IS A
KIND OF MAGIC
ONLY COMICS
CAN CREATE.
 |(||
(ll
HERE IN =
THIS STUDIO, I'VE
Tr Y
THAT PROCESS AND
USE IT TO MAKE

{|wl
B, Y’ BUT L

TT
i / CAN ONLY PO/NT
f
h HE WA.~ I
A(| CAN'T TAKE YOU
\ I ANYWHERE YOU

il
Ht Mn DON'T WANT TO
CS.

fat nlf

=
>
|—*

ALL I CAN DO IS MAKE ASSUMP7/OMS

ABOUT YOU AND HOPE THAT THEY'RE
CORREC7--

-- JUST AS WE AZZ ASSUME, EVERY DAY, | | ALL I ASK OF You

THAT THERE'S MORE TO LIFE THAN MEETS= IS A LITTLE
THE EYE, Ss FAITH--

--AND A WORLD
OF IMAGINATION.
 CHAPTER FOUR

SO/ LET'S SEE: AND BETWEEN

EACH PANEL OF A THOSE FROZEN
COMIC SHOWS A MOMENTS-- BETWEEN
SINGLE MOMENT \ THE PANELS-- OUR
IN TIME. | MINDS FILL IN THE
INTERVENING MOMENTS, |)"
CREATING THE ILLUSION
OF VIME ANP MOTION.

LIKE A LINE DRAWN

BETWEEN TWO POINTS.

ueanooues | K\\
WEIRDER THAN \
THAT 7 " an ! mh

DP@
ia
‘i?

Li:
(7
 OH, HEV WELL, IF
AAGH/ PUT THAT CAMERA OL' HENRY IS
THAT FLASH AWA» WILL GONNA HAVE MUCH

Fe
IS BL/NZING, YOu? JVIORE FUN, WE
UNCLE MAY HAFTA
HENRY! LOCK UP THE
LET HIM \ \. WINE CELLAR.
BE, MOM. SURE YOU
HE'S JUST Le CHECKS _{ WANTTO Move
THERE,

EVEN THE BRIEF FAR SLOWER |S LIKEWISE, THE NEXT

SOUND OF A FLASA- THE DURATION OF BALLOONS COULD HAVE
SINGLE BULB HAS ACERTAIN THE AVERAGE WORD. ONLY FOLLOWED
DURATION, SHORT UNCLE HENRY ALOWE THE BURST OF THE
TO BE SURE, BUT NOT BURNS UP A GOOD FLASHBULB, THUS
INSTANTANEOLS £ SECOND IN THIS ADDING STILL MORE
PANEL, ESPECIALLY TIME.
SINCE “SMILE/”
UNDOUBTEDLY
PRECEDED THE
AAGH!
FLASH. THAT FLASH
1S BLINDING,
UNCLE
HENRY!

JUST AS PICTURES AND THE INTERVALS BE7WEE/WV THEM CREATE THE ILLUSION OF TIME
THROUGH CLOSURE WORDS \NTRODUCE TIME BY REPRESENTING THAT WHICH CAN ONLY
EXIST JV TIME --SO“W2.

WITH ALL ITS AC7/0NS AND REAC77ONS,

A PANEL SUCH AS THIS COULD LAST A
GOOD HALF MIMLTE OR SO.
 BUT HOW COULD THIS BE ANYTHING BUT A SWVGLE MOMENT 7
OUR EYES HAVE BEEN WEZZ-7RAIVED BY THE PHOTOGRAPHY
AND BY REPRESENTATIONAL ART TO SEE ANY SINGLE
CONTINUOUS IMAGE AS A SIVELE IVSTAIVT IV TIME.

IM
BUT THE ACTIONS THAT WE SEE
OCCURRING SEEMINGLY AT THE SAME
TIME OBVIOUSLY CAM'7 8E/ WAY TO LOOK AT
IT: LET'S THINKOF }]||
TIME ASA

r]

SUCH A ROPE SIMPLIFIED AND SINCE EACH

EACH INCH MIGHT BE SAID OF COURSE, FACE AND FIGURE
REPRESENTS A JO WIND SOME- SINCE EACH IS DRAWN TO MATCH
BALLOON HAS HIS/HER OWN
ITS OWN TWISTS
AND TURNS.
AAGHS
THAT FLASH
1S BLINDING,
 -- THOSE FIGURES, THE PROPERTIES OF THE SINGLE PORTRAYING TIME
FACES AND WORDS CONTINUOUS J/MAGE, MEANWHILE, TEND ON A LINE MOVING
.| ARE MATCHED IN TO MATCH EACH FIGURE WITH EVERY LEFT 70 RIGHT,
7TIME AS WELL. OTHER FIGURE. THIS PUTS ALL THE
JINMAGES ON THE
SAME VERTICAL AXIS.

SINGLE
"WAGE.

SINGLE

la
\
Ag

||
aa
Bae

PERHAPS WE'VE BEEN TOO

CONDITIONED BY PHOTOGRAPHY TO
PERCEIVE SINGLE IMAGES AS S/VGZLE
MOME/V7'S. AFTER ALL, IT DOES
TAKE AN EYE 7/ME TO MOVE ACROSS
SCENES IN KEAL LIFES

EACH FIGURE IS IN SOME RESPECTS THIS PANEL BY ITSELF ACTUALLY F77S OUR
ARRANGED FROM DEFIN/T/ION OF COMICS/ ALL IT NEEDS IS A FEW GLU/77ERS
LEFT 70 RIGHT IN THROWN IN TO CLARIFY THE SEQUEIVCE.
THE SEQUENCE WE
WILL “READ” THEM, Y OH, HENRYS
EACH OCCUPYING A PUT THAT CAMERA
AWAY, WILL
DISTINCT 7/ME You? JVIORE FUN, WE
MAY HAFTA
LOCK UP THE
WINE CELLAR_J
 NOT AZZ PANELS IF SOUND
ARE LIKE THAT, A | IS INTRODUCED,
OF COURSE. HE'S GIVING Qn THIS CEASES TO BE
THIS ALZ, TRUE--
A SILENT PANEL
SUCH AS THIS COULD
INDEED BE SAID TO
DEPICT A SINGLE
MOMENTS

HE WAS GIVING IT THESE VARIOUS

AN OTHERWISE HIS AZZ, WHEN-- SHAPES WE CALL
SILENT CAP7/0VED FANELS HOLD IN
PANEL, THE SINGLE EMU
ME mn ere THEIR BORDERS ALL
MOMENT CAN no
OF THE ICONS THAT
ACTUALLY BE ADD UP TO THE
VOCABULARY OF
COMICS.

FOR JUST AS THE

BODY'S LARGEST ORGAN --§O TOO IS THE PANEL /7SELE
--OUR SK/NV-- OVERLOOKED AS COMICS’ MOST
IS SELDOM 7HOUGHT IMPORTANT /CO/V,7
OF AS AN ORGAN--
 THESE ICONS WE NOR IS THEIR THE

en
CALL PANELS OR MEANING AS AZL//D PANEL ACTS AS
AND MALLEABLE A SORT OF
N OR AS THE SORTS OF GENERAL
ABSOLUTE MEANING, ICONS WE CALL INDICATOR
LIKE THE ICONS OF PICTURES. THAT 7/ME OR
LANGUAGE, SCIENCE SPACE IS
AND COMMUNICATION. BEING
DIVIDED.

THE DURATIONS OF THAT 77ME AND THE

DIMENSIONS OF THAT SPACE ARE
DEFINED MORE BY THE COW7ZENTS OF
THE PANEL THAN BY THE PANEL /7SEZLFE *

i HE WAS GIVINGIT
i HIS AZZ, WHEN--
i TE
jaEEE Hal,ae
y = Ved|

PANEL SHAPES VARY CONS/DERABLY THOUGH, AND WHILE WHICH BRINGS US

DIFFERENCES OF SHAPE DON'T AFFECT THE SPECIFIC "YFA/VIVES” TO THE STRANGE
OF THOSE PANELS VIS-A-VIS TIME, THEY CA/AV AFFECT THE RELATIONSHIP
READING EXPERIENCE. BETWEEN TIME

ol
AS DEPICTED |N
COMICS AND TIME
AS PERCEIVED
BY THE READER.

Of
EISNER DISCUSSES THIS UNDER THE HEADING “FRAMING TIME“
IN COMICS AND SEQUENTIAL ART
99
 IN LEARNING TO READ COMICS
WE ALL LEARNED TO PERCEIVE
TIME SPATIALLY, FORIN AG WORLD
OF COMICS, TIME AND SPACE
ARE OWE AND THE SAME.

SO, AS READERS,
WE'RE LEFT WITH ONLY
THE PROBLEM THE FEW CENTIMETERS A VAGUE SENSE
\S THERE'SNO WHICH TRANSPORT US FROM THAT AS OUR EYES
CONVE: SECOND 70 SECOVO INONE
SEQUENCE COULD TAKE US A
AIUNDRED MILLION YEARS MOVING THROUGH
IN ANOTHER. TIME-- WE JUST
DON'T KNOW BY
HOW MUCH

itz
it

IN MOST CASES IT’S NOT HARD TO FROM A £/FETIME

MAKE AN EDUCATED GUESS AS TO THE OF CONVERSATIONS,
DURATION OF AGIVEN SEQUENCE, SO WE CAN BE SURE
LONG AS THE ££ EMENW7S OF THAT THAT A “FALSE ”
SEQUENCE ARE FAM/L/AR TO US. PANEL LIKE THIS
LASTS FOR NO MORE
THAN SEVERAL
SECONDS.
T ALWAYS FIGURED
MARY-ANNE WOULD
GO FOR GILLIGAN.

100
 BUT IF THE CREATOR OF THIS SCENE
WANTED TO LEMG7HEN THAT PAUSE, HOW
COULD HE OR SHE DO SOY ONE OBVIOUS
SOLUTION WOULD BE TO ADD MORE PANELS,
BUT IS THAT THE ONLY WAY?

IS THERE ANY WAY TO MAKE A WE'VE SEEN HOW

SINGLE SILENT PANEL LIKE THIS ONE TIME CAN BE
SEEM LOVGER,7 HOW ABOUT WIDENING CONTROLLED THROUGH
THE SPACE BETWEEN PANELS 7 THE CONTENT OF
ANY DIFFERENCE7 PANELS, THE WUMBER
OF PANELS AND
CLOSURE BETWEEN
PANELS, BUT THERE'S
STILL OVEMORE.

AS UNLIKELY AS IT SOUNDS, THE PANEL SHAPE CAN

ACTUALLY MAKE A D/FFERE/VCE IN OUR PERCEF7/O/VV
OF TIME. EVEN THOUGH THIS LONG PANEL HAS THE SAME
BASIC "MEANING"AS ITS SHORTER VERSIONS, STILL IT
HAS THE FEELING OF GREATER LENGTHY

THAT MADONNA,
MAN, SHES ONE HOr

101
 THE PAVEL BORDER
EVER
NOTICED HOW THE
WORDS “SHORT” OR
“LONG” CAN REFER
EITHER TO THE
FIRST DIMENSION

IN A MEDIUM |
WHERE TIME AND
SPACE MERGE SO
COMPLETELY, THE
DISTINCTION OFTEN
VAM'SHES/

AS MENTIONED, MOST OF US ARE SO USED TO

PANELS COME IN THE STANDARD REC7ANGULAR
MANY SHAPES AND FORMAT THAT A“BORDERLESS”
SIZES, THOUGH THE PANEL SUCH AS THIS CAN TAKE
CLASSIC RECTANGLE ON A ZIMELESS QUALITY.
IS USED MOST OF 7EN.

WHEN THE COW7ZENWT ae to! 1 BECAUSE OF ITS AND ITS PRESENCE

A | | QWRESOLVED NATURE| | MAY BE FELT IN
SUCH A PANEL MAY THE PANELS WHICH
ZINGER \N THE FOLLOW IT.
READER'S MIND.
 ==
UNI:
TIME IS
NO LONGER
USED -- L.E., CONTAINED
WHEN A PANEL BY THE
FAMILIAR ——_
ICON OF THE LASSE
CLOSED PANEL, eee.

MALLS
SASS Seok
oN GATE

Vas
SSA
= “¥

ek
ax | —j/
ONCE AGAIN, THIS
Sy IS_A TECHNIQUE
=P 29 USED MOST OFTEN

By 58
=| oN
==
 IN COMICS, ANY PANEL
AS IN F/ZM, THIS BEFORE THis--
TELEVISION AND PANEL AND THAT LAS7 ONE,
‘REAL LIFE,” 7S. PANEL FOR INSTANCE--
IT IS ALWAYS ALONE REPRESENTS THE
NOW. REPRESENTS THE FAST.
PRES:

A h-
; te
a ALISS SIN "|
MA AT
NIALL
Wic4 40 8m & P |

LIKEWISE, ALL BUT LIVL/KE WHEREVER YOUR

PANELS S7/ZL 70 OTHER MEDIA, IN EYES ARE FOCUSED,
COME--THIS MEXT COMICS, THE PAST FUTURE ARE THAT'S AVOW._ BUT
PANEL, FOR INSTANCE-- IS MORE THAN JUST REAL AND AT THE SAME TIME
REPRESENT THE MEMORIES FOR VISIBLE AND YOUR EYES TAKE IN
FUTURE. THE AUDIENCE AND THE SURROUNDING
THE FUTURE IS LANDSCAPE OF
MORE THAN JUST PAST AND FUTURE/
POSSIBILITIES /

LIKE A S7ORM FRONT, THE EYE MOVES

OVER THE COMICS PAGE, PUSHING THE
WARM, HIGH-PRESSURE F2/7U//RE AHEAD WHEREVER
OF IT, LEAVING THE COOL, LOW-PRESSURE THE EYE HITS
PAST IN ITS WAKE. LAND, WE EXPECT ¥
IT TO BEGIN
MOVING
FORWARD
ONE BEER WON'T
HURT.

THE IDEA THAT THE

READER MIGHT CHOOSE
A DIRECTION IS STILL
CONSIDERED EXO7/C.

I'LL Just co BORNEO

HOME NOW. =|

I'LL JUST DRIVE OH My GoD/IM

AROUND AWHILE IN THE PWRONG
+ “1
HOUSE/

ae TE
_— mae

ae
HMM... A FORK. WHAT ARE YOU SOSH, I JUST DO YOU HAVE
TO THE RIGHT IS DOING HERE 77 WANTED TO RENT CARNIVAL OF
THE W/DEO STORE. ANOTHER VIDEO, SOULS?

bg

NAAHS I'LL
GO LEFT.

THIS MAY, IN PART, CONDITIONED AS WE ARE TO READ

LEFT-TO-RIGHT AND L/P-7O-DOWN,
A MISCHIEVOUS CARTOONIST CAN
PLAY ANY NUMBER OF 7R/CKS ON US.
THE THE END oF Itt JusT
INCREDIBLE] THE MONTH...

MY ComPLIMENTS
Ho THE CHEF ANDRE!
THE CHECK, PLEASE
 COMICS READERS
ARE ALSO CONDITIONED
“REAL TIME” OF EVERYDAY
LIFE TO EXPECT A VERY
L/NEAR FROGRESS/OM. JUST
A S7KAIGHT LIVE FROM
POINT A 10 POINT &.
BUT 1S THAT
NECESSARY 7

FOR NOVY, THESE BUT WEWER HOW COMICS

QUESTIONS ARE THE FARTIC/FAT/ONMV ADDRESSES THIS
TERRITORY OF IS ON THE VERGE ISSUE-- OR FA/LS
GAMES AND OF BECOMING AN TO--COULD PLAY A
STRANGE LITTLE FIVORMOL'S /SSUE CRUCIAL PART IN
EXPERIMENTS. IN OVHER MED/A. DEFIIV/NG THE ROLE
OF COMICS IN THE
NEW CENTUR™
|AAA
AS MENTIONED EARLIER,
y AS ARESULT,
7IME AND SFHACE IN THE WORLD OF SO TOO ARE THE
COMICS ARE CLOSELY L/NKED. ISSUES OF 77ME |||
AND MO7/0N. {|||

--USUALLY
BY TRANSITION
Ret a
wiiiea
Wieden eet did
TYPES OWE
7WO...BUT LET'S
NOT at INTO
AS DISCUSSED IN CHAPTER
THREE, MOTION IN COMICS
IS PRODUCED BE7TWEEWV
PANELS By THE MENTAL
PROCESS CALLED CLOSURE--

ALT
ReRNS |TA
(line

DESPITE COMICS’ 7AKEE ZFHOL/SANMD

VEAR HISTORY, \T WASN'T UNTIL WITHIN
TOPFFER’S (W/D-/800$ DOODLINGS A FEW YEARS,
THAT SFYEC/F/C MOTIONS WERE HOWEVER,
PORTRAYED IN COMICS IN THE NOW- MOTION WAS A
FAMILIAR FAWVEL-70-PANMEZ FORM. O7-
INDEED!

How,
1 A SUPERIOR MAK Es4
, SKE, ONE SUMPS UP WITH
A ROAR OF LAUGHTER
Sense ;N Gevuerat.
 COPIED FROM PHOTOGRAPHS TAKEN BY EADWEARD MUYBRIDGE
LAST QUARTER OF
THE MINETEENV7H
CENTURY IT SEEMED BY #880, INVENTORS THE WORLD OVER KNEW EVENTUALLY DUCHAMP, MORE
LIKE EVERYONE THAT "MOVING PICTURES” WERE JUST AROUND THOMAS EDISON, IF YOU'RE CONCERNED WITH
WAS TRYING TO THE CORNER. EVERYONE WANTED TO BE F/RS7/ THAT OLD SCALLYWAG, GOING TO -- FILLED ~-THEN THE /DEA OF
CAPTURE MOTION FILED THE FIRST WITH BE PREPARED MOTION THAN THE
MY S7TROBOSCOPE \S SUPERIOR (NV EVERY PATENT ON A SEMSATION, \NOULD
WAY 70 THE OBSOLETE ZOETROPE’ PROCESS USING STRIPS EVENTUALLY REDUCE
OF CLEAR PLASTIC SUCH CONCEPTS AS
PHOTOS AND F/ZM MOTION TO A
WAS OFF AND
RLUNMING/

)rl
4 |
AS THE MOVIVG PICTURE BEGAN ITS SPECTACULAR RISE, A FEW OF DUCHAMP SOON MOVED ON, THE FUTURISTS
THE MORE RADICAL RAIVIERS OF THE DAY EXPLORED THE IDEA THAT DISGANDED AND FINE ARTISTS GENERALLY
MOTION COULD BE DEPICTED BY ASIWVGZE IMAGE ON CAMIAS. LOST INTEREST IN THIS OTHER TYPE OF I'M SURE
"MOVING PICTURE.” YOU CAN ALL
TAE FUTURISTS \N \TALY AND MARCEL DLUCHAMP BAD IDEA! GUESS WHICH
IN FRANCE BEGAN THE SYS7EMA7IC DECOMPOSITION OF BUT THROUGHOUT THIS SAME PERIOD MEDIUM TI
MOVING IMIAGES IN A STA7/C MEDILIM. \ ANVO7HER MEDIUM, LESS COMSFYCLUOL SLY,
HAD BEEN INVESTIGATING THIS
SAME AREA.

Girl Running on a Balcony - :

by Balla Nude Descending a
Staircase #2 by
Duchamp

108 109
 AND
FROM ITS EARLIEST DAYS, THE MODERN IN COMICS,
COMIC HAS GRAPPLED WITH THE PROBLEM UNLIKE
OF SHOWING MOTION IN A S7A7/C MEDILM. PAINTING, IT
WAS MORE THAN
JUST A
THEORETICAL

HOW DO YOU SHOW THIS ASPECT OF TIME

IN AN ART WHERE 77VE STANVOS S77L27

THOUGH SEQUENTIAL ART SURVIVED FOR MANY CENTURIES HOV7HOL/T

DEPICTING MOTION, ONCE THE GENIE WAS OUT OF THE BOTTLE IT WAS PERHAPS
INEVITABLE THAT MORE AND MORE EFFICIENT MEANS WOULD BE SOUGHT.
AT FIRST, THIS SEARCH CENTERED ON MILZ7/PLE IMAGES IN SEQUENCE.

BUT JUST ASA SOMEWHERE BETWEEN THE FUTURISTS’

SINGLE PANEL CAN --SO TOO DYNAMIC MOVEMENT AND DUCHAMP’S
REPRESENT A SAV CAN A SINGLE DIAGRAMMATIC COVCEPT OF MOVEMENT
OF TIME THROUGH PANEL REPRESENT LIES COMICS’ POTION LINE.”

AEE ENES
SOLIND-- A SPAN OF TIME
THROUGH
PICTURES /
 IN THE BEGINNING, MOTION LINES--OR “2/7-R/8BONVS” AS SOME CALL THEM--
WERE WILD, MESSY, ALMOST DESPERATE ATTEMPTS TO REPRESENT THE PATHS
OF MOVING OBJECTS THROUGH SPACE.

DIE|Foo. THAT You

ARE, TO MATCH “TOUR
STRENGTH AGAINST THAT
OF THE REDOUBTABLE
BRACGO THE MONK!

OVER THE YEARS, THESE LINES BECAME EVENTUALLY, IN THE HANDS OF AERO/C
MORE KEFIVED AND S7XZ/ZED, EVEN FANTASY ARTISTS LIKE B/LL EVERETT
INC.
THE
KING
“POPEYE“AND
“BRAGGO
MONK”
FEATURES
©SYNDICATE,DIAGRAMMATTC. AND JACK K/RGY--
Non VA Js) if) )

% \\; Ay

~-THOSE SAME LINES BECAME §0 STYLIZED AS JO ALMOST HAVE A L/FE

AND FHYXS/CAL PRESENCE ALL THEIR OWN,

ART (CENTER AND ABOVE RIGHT) © D.C. COMICS. (LEFT AND RIGHT)
© MARVEL ENTERTAINMENT GROUP INC. 111
 SPECIALTY FOR XEARS. ;

IN THIS APPROACH, be eget OTHER ARTISTS TRIED

BOTH THE MOVIVG Vm ADDITIONAL EFFECTS SUCH
OBJECT AND THE AS MULTIPLE IMAGES OF
SACKGROUNOS ARE THE SUBJECT, ATTEMPTING TO
DRAWN IN A CLEAR, YW
jd
WY
TY
MOTION IS IMPOSED
OVER THE SCENE. Ui
A

STILL OTHERS, SUCH AS —peppers

\
MARVEL'S GEWE COLANV, BEGAN
INCORPORATING PHOTOGRAPHIC
STREAKING EFFECTS WITH
SOME INTRIGUING RESULTS
IN THE SIXTIES AND
SEVENTIES.

* MULTIPLE IMAGES CAN BE FOUND IN THE

WORK OF KRIGSTEIN, INFANTINO AND 112
COLAN, WHO WAS ALSO A FZLM-BUFF,
WAS OF COURSE AWARE THAT WHEN A
CAMERA'S SHUTTER SPEED IS TOO SLOW TO
FULLY FREEZE A MOVING OBJECT’S IMAGE,
AN INTERESTING BLUKRIVG EFFECT OCCURS.

MOH EIEL CESS

BUT \F THE CAMERA MOVES Y/TH THE MOVING OBJECT,

| ARTISTS TOOK
THAT OBJECT WILL REMAIN FOCUSED WHILE THE LITTLE OR NO INTEREST
BACKGROUND WILL NOW BE S7REAKED. IN THIS KIND OF
PHOTOGRAPHIC
TRICKER™.

AND IN E&/ROPE BUT IN {AKAN ONCE

WHERE MOTION AGAIN, A VERY D/FFERENT — |
LINES WERE USED COMICS CULTURE EMBRACED ——__—_—_
ONLY SPARINGLY THIS VERY DIFFERENT a
IT WAS LIKEWISE CONCEPT OF MOTION AS AW——————_—
IGNORED.
OS Oe ee
 “SUBSECTIVE
MOTTON, AS IT CALL
IT, OPERATES ON THE
ASSUMPTION THAT IF
OBSERVING A MOVING
OBJECT CAV BE
INVOLVING, BEING
THAT OBJECT SHOULD
BE MORE SO.

JAPANESE
ARTISTS, STARTING
IN THE LATE 60%,
BEGAN PUTTING THEIR
READERS “/V THE
DRIVER'S SEAT” WITH
PANELS LIKE 7AESE.

AND
STARTING IN THE
MID -EIGHTIES,
A FEW AMERICAN
ARTISTS BEGAN TO
ADOPT THE EFFECT JN
THEIR OWN WORK,
UNTIL BY THE EARLY
NINETIES \T HAS
BECOME FAIRLY
COMMON.

W24
OQs

ARE THESE
THE OWLY WAYS
WE CAN PORTRAY
MOTION IN A
 --THE ~-SUCH AS
MEDIUM WHERE STORYTELLER THE POLYPTYCH,
TIME AND SPACE HAS SOME UNUSUAL WHERE A MOVING
MERG: TOOLS AT HIS/HER FIGURE OR
DISPOSAL-- FIGURES--

BY INTRODUCING HERE, THE

TIMAE |NTO THE COMPOSITION OF
EQUATION, COMICS THE PICTURE 1S -- AND THE
ARTISTS ARE JOINED BY THE COMPOSITION }f
DIFFERENT SET OF ARRANGING THE COMPOSITION OF OF MEMORY. |i
RULES THAN IN : PAGE IN WAYS NOT CHANGE, THE
MOST GRAFAIC ALWAYS CONDUCIVE COMPOSITION OF
TO TRADITIONAL
PICTURE-MAKING,

IF THE COMPOSITION THE WATURAZL WORLD CREATES GREAT

OF A SINGLE PANEL GEAUTY EVERY DAY, YET THE ONLY RULES
IS TRULY PERFECT,” OF COMPOSITION IT FOLLOWS ARE THOSE COMICS,
DOESN'T THAT IMPLY OF FLINCTION AND CHANCE. AT ITS BEST,
THAT IT CAN--OR SHOULD DO
EVEN Se SAND ~ :
NO LESS.
 AS WE'VE SEEN, THE INTERACTION OF 7WME AND

aig
COMICS GENERALLY LEADS US TO ONE OF TWO SUBJECTS:
SOUND OR MOTION.

(YO ty

BOTH TYPES ADD TO THE DL/RA7T/ONV MOTION ALSO

OF A PANEL, PARTIALLY THROUGH THE BREAKS DOWN INTO
NATURE OF SOUND /7SE&Z AND BY TWO SUBSETS.
INTRODUCING ISSUES OF AC7/O/VV AND THE FIRST TYPE--
REACTION. PANEL-TO-FANEL
CLOSURE -- WAS
IMPORTANT ENOUGH
TO MERIT ITS OWN
CHAPTER.

THE O7HER TYPE -- MOTION KOV7A/V

PANELS --CAN BE FU/R7HER DIVIDED THE WORKINGS OF
INTO SEVERAL DISTINCT S7*ZES. I'VE TIME IN COMICS SHOULD
COVERED THE ONES .Z KNOW, BUT THERE BE AS SIMPLE AS--
MAY BE MANY O7HERS. TIME WILL TELL.

116
||| I'VE BEEN TRYING 0euRe our | :
WHAT MAKES COMIC “ FOR
YEARS AND I'M STILL AMAZED NO_MATTER HOW
BY THE S7RANGEIVESS OF IT ALL. prance bla
IN COMICS IS--_4

I7THEPRESENTS:
READER--]
TO OF SIMPLE
NORMALITY.

OR THE ALL
ILLUSION OF IT, DEPENDS ON
ANY WAY. YOUR FRAME
OF MIND.

Z >|
4
= u
 ee es
CAN IS THIS ANGER 7
EMOTIONS
a
p
IE
4% lu INTIMACY?
 CAN ONE th
SENSE SPEAK FOR )/”
ALL FIVE 7

QUIET?

SI
Ce
ne
 THE IDEA THAT
A PICTURE CAN EVOKE
AN EMO7/ONAL OR SENSUAL
RESPONSE IN THE VIEWER
IS VITAL TO THE ART
OF COMICS.

IN CHAPTERS JAREE AND FOUR THE INVISIBLE

WE INVESTIGATED THE VARIOUS WAYS WORLD OF SENSES
TIME AND egies COULD BE PORTRAYED, AND EMOTIONS
BOTH PBEFWEEWV PANELS, THROUGH CAN ALSO BE
CLOSURE -- PORTRAYED EITHER
BETWEEN OR
WITHIN PANELS.

HOW. CAN A
WE'VE SINGLE (MAGE
TOUCHED UPON THE REPRESENT THE
FORMER CATEGORY SENSES AND CAN TURN TO
IN CHAPTER THREE. EMOTIONS AND THE WORLD
BUT WHAT ABOUT HOW DOES THIS OF “FINE
THE LAT7ER7 IDEA APPLY TO ARTS” FOR
COMICS 7 SOME IDEAS.

121
 —.~
~

IN THE ZA7E NO SOONER HAD

THE HUFPRESS/ONISTS
ZARLY TWENTIETH FINALLY CONVINCED
CENM/LRIES, THEIR PEERS THAT
SOMETHING KIND THE WORLD 7HEY
OF SCARY SAW WAS THE WORLD
AS IT IS 7RUZLY
WAS GOING ON...
SEEN --

--THAN ANOTHER | |
UNSEEN |
WORLD BEGAN TO
MAKE ITSELF
VISIBLE.
x
)
z
>
c

3
>
2
rT)
>
2
z=

$
2
c
2
wv

3
x
<
2y
a
¥
‘Fs

IN THE WORKS OF EQVARD MLINCH EXPRESSIONISM,

AND WINCENT VAN GOGA/L, THE AS IT CAME TO BE
OBJECTIVE STUDY OF LIGHT SO PRIZED CALLED, DIDN'T START SC/EMCE OF IT
BY THE (MPRESSIOMIST MAIVSTREAM AS A SCTENV77F/IC WASN'T FAR
WAS BEING ABANZOVED IN FAVOR OF A ART, BUT RATHER BEHIND
NEW, FRIGHTENINGLY SL/BSECTIVE THOLUGH/
APPROACH
AS THE VEW CENTURY GOT UNDER WAY, COOLER HEADS SUCH ANGRY REDS...
AS WASS/ILY KANDINSKY TOOK GREAT INTEREST IN THE PLACID BLUES...
POWER OF LIVE, SHAPE AND COLOR TO SUGGEST THE INNER ANXIOUS ZEXTURES...
STATE OF THE ARTIST AWVD TO PROVOKE THE F/VE SENSES. LOUD SHAPES...
QUIET Z/VES...
COLD GREENS...

THESE WERE
STRANGE (DEAS
IN I9IZS

KANDINSKY AND HIS PEERS WERE -- AND IN DO/NG SO, UNITE THE
SEARCHING FOR AN ART THAT MIGHT DIFFERENT ARTFORMS WHICH APPEALED
SOMEHOW SMITE THE SENSES-- TO THOSE DIFFERENT SENSES.

Ne Sse,

NoT SwRPRISING, |"Art does not

TIDEAS were. | reproduce the ART HISTORIANS
visible; rather, HAVE GENERALLY HELD THAT
it prakes WHILE PANV7ERS, MUSICIANS AND
FIELDS SUCH AS isible.” POETS HAVE GRAPPLED WITH SUCH
RICHARD WAGNER vis1Die. IDEAS, PRACTITIONERS OF THE

7
AND THE FRENCH "LOW" ART OF COM/CS HAVE
POET BAUDELAIRE. REMAINED &2L/SSFULLY (GWORANT
OF THEM.

1880 1890
 IN SURVEYING A CENW7URY MOST HAVE WORKED IN A
OF COMICS, ONE FINDS CREATORS LIKE FAIRLY STRAIGHTFORWARD STYLE.
THE UNDERGROUND'S KORY HAYES, W HO ICONIC, MAYBE, BUT NOT FILLED WITH
ARE SLATAIV/LY EXPRESSION/STIC, THE EXPRESSIVE LINES OF A MUNCH OR
BUT SUCH ARTISTS ARE FEW AND THE COLORS OF A VAN GOGH.
FAR BETWEEN.

CAN WE SAY,
THEREFORE, THAT ONE
OF THESE TWO CREATORS
IS EXPRESSING MOOD
AND EMOTION AND THE
OTHER 1S (VO7-7 OR DOES
THE DIFFERENCE LIE
IN WZAAT |S BEING
EXPRESSED?

INC.
U.F_
OF
PER
BY
REP
PE

IF THESE LINES -~THEN COULDN'T

ARE EXPRESSIVE OF THESE LINES BE
FEAR, ANXIETY SAID TO PORTRAY IN TRUTH,
AND (MADNESS-- CALM, REASON AND DON'T AZZ LINES
IVTROSPECTION 7 CARRY WITH THEM
AN EXPRESSIVE
POTENTIAL?

124
BY D/REC7T/ONV <1 By ITS
DYNAMIC SHAPE, \T
AND CAN BE
PASSIVE AND CHANGING & UNWELCOMING
TIMELESS -- AND SEVERE --

--OR --OR BY ITS --OR WEAK

WARM RATIONAL CHARACTER AND LIVS7ASLE --
AND GEW7LE-- AND IT MAY SEEM
CONSERVATIVE. SAVAGE AND
\ DEADLY --

--OR HONEST THE MOST BLAND FAFRESS/ONMLESS” AND WHILE FEW

AND 2/REC7. LINES ON EAR7A CAN'T HELP BUT COMIC ARTISTS MAY
CHARACTERIZE THEIR SUBJECT CONSIDER THEMSELVES
IN SOME WAY.
THAT THEY CAN'T TELL
OWE LINE FROM
ANOTHER (

125
 IN DICK TRACY, FOR -- WHILE THE IN & CRUMB'S -- WHILE IN
EXAMPLE, CHESTER GENTLE CURVES WORLD, THE CURVES KRYSTINE KRYTTRE'S
| GOULD USED BOLD AND OPEN LINES OF OF /VVOCEIVCE ARE ART, THE CURVES OF
LINES, OBTUSE ANGLES CARL BARKS’ UNCLE BETRAYED 8Y THE CHILDHOOD AND THE
AND HEAVY BLACKS SCROOGE CONVEY NEUROTIC QUILL-LINES MAD LINES OF A
TO SUGGEST THE MOOD A FEELING OF OF MODERW ADULTHOOD, MUNCH CREATE A
OF A GRIM, DEADLY WHIMSY, YOUTH AND LEFT PA/NFLLLY CRAZY TODDLER
WORLD OF ADULTS -- AND /VNOCENCE. OUT OF PLACE -- LOOK.

BUT WHEN MARVEL'S FOR DECADES OF ~- WHILE JULES

READER BASE GREVY COLOR COMIC BOOKS, FETFFER'’S UNEVEN
INTO THE ANX/ETIES OF THE S/GWATURE LINES DID BATTLE
STYLES OF INDIVIDUAL WITH THEMSELVES
ARTISTS LIKE WICK IN A FAN7TOMIME
USED DYNAMIC BUT OF A ROB LIEFELD CARDY HAVE INFUSED OF THE /WVER
FRIENDLY LINES STRUCK A MORE PERSONAL EXPRESS/O STRUGGLES OF
ALA KIRBY/SINNOTTI- RESPONSIVE CHORD. INTO EVERY STORY - MODERN LIFE.

IN JOSE MUNOZ'S -~-WHILE J/OOS7 IN SPIEGELMAN'S AND IN EISNER’S

WORK, DENSE SWARTE'’S CRISP “PRISONER ON THE MODERN WORK
PUDDLES OF JNK AND ELEGANT LINES HELL PLANET,” A FULL
AND JAZZY DELIBERATELY OF LINE STYLES
DESIGNS SPEAK EAPRESSIONM(S77C- CAPTURE A FULL
OF COOL LIVES DEPICT A RANGE OF
SOPAISTICATIONVV 7RUE-LIFE HORROR MOODS AND
AND /RONY. EMOTIONS.

&

INFORMATION.
COPYRIGHT
FOR
216
PAGE
SEE
 NOw, IN FACT, WHAT
IF PICTURES DISTINCTION WE'RE SEEING IN
CAN, THROUGH BETWEEN THE Z/V/NG LIVES
THEIR RENDERING, PICTURES AND OF THESE PICTURES
OTHER TYPES OF IS THE PRIMORDIAL
ICONS LIKE S7L/FF FROM WHICH
LANGUAGE WHICH
AS EMO7/0NS SPECIALIZE
AND THE IN THE INVISIBLE
OTHER MAY SEEMA
SENMSES-- BIT BLURRX

I'LL GIVE LET'S

SAY I WANTED TIS A TLITAT
TO SMOKE WITH A MATCH
THIS PYPE -- LIKE $0:
 NOW, YOU'LL NOTICE THIS IS THE ARTISTS
7 COWGH = 7AHEM = CARTOONY WAY OF
you’LL NOTICE A TELLING YOU THERE'S
FEW WAVY LIVES SMOKE COMING FROM
RISING FROM THE THE PIPE, YOU'VE
PIPE. ALL SEEN IT BEFORE,
RIGHTY

NOW, LET'S SUPPOSE THE STRONG SMELL

THAT MY PIPE AND I OF RO7TEN GARGAGE
HAVE GONE FOR A COME ACROSS CAN'T BE SEEW,
LITTLE WALK-- AN OVERTURNED YET HERE’S AWO7THER
GARGAGE PRETTY SIMILAR
CAN. SET OF WAVY
LINES,

fg
Pao Poe,

DESPITE THEIR SUPERFICIAL RESEMBLANCE, NOT REALLY A

THESE ARE TWO VERY DIFFERENT SETS OF PICTURE ANYMORE,
LINES. ONE REPRESENTS A W/S/@LE THESE LINES ARE SYMBOLS ARE
PHENOMENON, SMOKE, WHILE THE OTHER MORE A VW/SU/AL THE BASIS OF
REPRESENTS AN JVV/S/BLE ONE, OUR LANGL
SENSE OF SMEZLZ.
TAKEN OUT OF THEIR OR/G/NVAL CONTEX7, EVEN THE AZ/ES WHENEVER AN ARTIST
THEY CAN NOW BE APPLIED AWYWHEKE HAVE OVER THE YEARS INVENTS A NEW WAY
AND THE READER WILL INSTANTLY KNOW BEEN APPROACHING TO REPRESENT THE
WHAT THEY MEAN. THE ABSTRACT STATUS INVISIBLE, THERE IS
OF LINGLIST/C ALWAYS A CHANCE
SYMBOLS.

IF ENOUGH ARTISTS
BEGIN L/SING THE
SYMBOL, IT WILL
ENTEK THE LANGUAGE
FOR GOOD--

--AS MANY
HAVE THROUGH
THE YEARS.
 IN DEALING THE CARTOON SOME INDICATORS
WITH THE FACE FACE IS AN OF EMOTION ARE
/7SELF, THE ABSTRACT, BUT IT ALSO VISUALLY
LINE BETWEEN 1S BASED UPON BASED, SUCH AS
THE V/S/6LE AND VISUAL DATA. THE FAMILIAR
INVISI@LE SWEAT BEAD.
WORLDS BECOMES
EVEN ZESS

BUT WHEN SUCH --THEY DRIFT /V70

IMAGES BEGIN THE IVV/S/BLE
TO DRIFT OL/7 OF WORLD OF THE THIS DRIFT FROM V/S/BLE
THEIR VISUAL TO JVVIS/BLE HAS BEEN THE BASIS
SYMBOL. OF ALL WRITTEN LANGUAGES
CONTEXT--
SINCE CIVILIZATION BEGAN.

FN

130
SUMERIANS IN THESE FIRST SYMBOLS -- CARTOONS, . “AND EVENTUALLY
ANCIENT MESOPOTAMIA REALLY-- GRADUALLY EVOLVED AWAY TO OUR ZO7ALLY
GOT THINGS ROLLING FROM ANY RESEMBLANCE TO THEIR ABSTRACT SOUND-
OVER 000 YEARS SUBJECT, TOWARD THE HIGHLY ABSTRACTED BASED SYSTEM.
AGO WHEN A NEED FORMS OF MODERN LANGUAGES...
WAS FOUND TO RECORD
C ERTAIN COMMODITIES.

THE LONGER ANY THE MODERN COMIC AND THIS W/SU/AL WITHIN A GIVEN
FORM OF ART OR IS A YOUNG LANGUAGE, VOCABULARY HAS CULTURE THESE
COMMUNICATION BUT IT ALKEADY HAS AN AN YNMLIMNITED SYMBOLS WILL
EXISTS, THE MORE IMPRESSIVE ARRAY POTENTIAL FOR QUICKLY SPREAD
SYMBOLS IT OF RECOGNIZABLE GROWTH. UNTIL EVERYBODY
ACCUMULATES. SYMBOLS. KNOWS THEM AT
eeGLANCE.
ae

THE ANSWER, OF COURSE,

IS THAT MORE THAN ONE
WHAT HAPPENS SET OF SYMBOLS WILL
WHEN A LANGUAGE EVOLVE!
EVOLVES IN MORE
THAN ONE DISTINCT SO IT WAS,
CULTURE AT ONCE AGAIN,
A TIME?

DEVELOPED ANGER DEMENTIA

FOR YEARS
IN RELATIVE
/SOLA7TION
FROM THEIR
WESTERN
COUSINS,
 BACKGROUNDS CAN BE EVEN WHEN THERE IS LITTLE OR NO
ANOTHER VALUABLE TOOL DISTORTION OF THE CHARACTERS INA
FOR INDICATING /NV/S/BLE GIVEN SCENE, A DISTORTED OR EXPRESSIONISTIC
IDEAS... PARTICULARLY THE BACKGROUND WILL USUALLY AFFECT
OUR "READING* OF CHARACTERS’
INNER STATES.

BUT FOR SOME

\ > REASON, READERS
CERTAIN WILL ASCRIBE THOSE
\ PATTERNS CAN FEELINGS, NOT TO
if PRODUCE AN ALMOST THEMSELVES, BUT TO
FA YSIOLOGICAL THE CHARACTERS
EFFECT IN THE THEY /DENTIFY
VIEWER. WITH,

WHEN A STORY HINGES MORE

INTERNAL ON CHARACTERIZATION THAN
fFFECTS ARE, COLD PLO7, THERE MAY NOT BE
OF COURSE, BEST A LOT TO SHOW EX7ERNALLY--
SUITED TO STORIES
ABOUT /V7ERNAL
MATTERS. --BUT THE
LANOSCAPFE
OF THE
CHARACTERS’
MINDS CAN
 THIS PRINCIPLE 1S EVIDENT
IN MANY EUROPEAN COLOR
COMICS AND IN AFANESE
ROMANCE COMICS WHERE
EXPRESSIONISTIC EFFECTS
HAVE BEEN DEVISED FOR
ALMOST ANY EM0770/V
IMAGINABLE *

INF
COP
FOR
216
PAG
SEE

Zz ¢ EXPRESSIONISM BUT A LACK OF CLARITY

ae AND SYNAESTHETICS ARE CAN ALSO FOSTER GREATER
DISTOR7T/VE BY THEIR MATURE. PARTIC/FPATION BY THE READER
IF STRONG ENOUGH, THEIR AND A SENSE OF /WVOLVEMENT J":
EFFECTS CAN O8SCUKE \. WHICH MANY WRITERS AND _/. 33°
THEIR SUBJECTS. ARTISTS PREFER.

NYE
AYA
ES CREATORS
7?)
WHO EITHER THROUGH
SN \ USE THESE EFFECTS THE CON7ZENT OF
SN MAY NEED TO CLAR/FY
NN) NGS
SURROUNDING SCENES
WHAT IS BEING SHOWN OR, OF COURSE,
THROUGH WORDS.
“|

NN es,
RWS
Kh N
 OVER THE YEARS,
COMICS CREATORS
HAVE STRUGGLED WITH
DOZENS OF VARIATIONS
BY FAR, IN THEIR DESPERATE
THE MOST WIDELY-LUISED, ATTEMPTS * TO DEPICT
MOST COMPLEX AND MOST SOUND 'N A STRICTLY
VERSATILE OF COMICS’ MANY VISUAL MEDIUM.
SYNAESTHETIC ICONS IS THE
EVER-PRESENT, EVER-POPULAR
WORD BALLOON’

VARIATIONS IN BALLOON SHAPE ARE MMAVY AND WHILE /VS/DE THOSE BALLOONS, SYMBOLS
NEW ONES ARE BEING INVENTED EVERY DAY. ARE CONSTANTLY BEING APPROPRIATED
OR EVEN /VWVENV7ED TO COVER THE
VON-VERBAL.
I WILL BE--

EVEN THE VARIATIONS OF LETTERING S7YZES, BOTH IN AND OUT OF

BALLOONS, SPEAK OF AN OWGO/IVG STRUGGLE TO CAPTURE THE
VERY ASSENWCE OF SOUND. AND
AS FOR THE
ESSENCE OF
THOUGHT..._5
MAAY-BEE : 8
I DON'T EVEN
LGBT
SHRIMP FOR
DINNER

a 1

1 34 * FISNER DESCRIBES THE WORD BALLOON

AS A “DESPERATION DEVICE
 WORDS CAN TAKE EVEN SEEMINGLY
OF COURSE WORDS = NEUTRAL IMAGES AND INVEST THEM
THEMSELVES, MORE THAN ALL THE \® WITH A MEAL7TH OF FEEL/IVGS AND
OTHER VISUAL SYMBOLS, HAVE THE EXPERIENCES.
POWER TO COMPLETELY DESCRIBE
THE /VV/S/BLE REALM! OF
SENSES AND EMOTIONS.

a0 SAT BY THE OPEN WINDOW, HOPING

TO CATCH A WHIFF OF THE OLD CHARCOAL or NOTED, PICTURES CAN INDUCE
GRILLS. FROM NEXT DOOR CAME THE STRONG FEEL/NGS IN THE
READER, BUT THEY CAN ALSO LACK
OTHERWORLDLY HUM OF TELEVISION. THE SPECIFIC/7T Y OF WORDS.
THE OLD CLOCK STRUCK A LAZY EIGHT.

WORDS, ON THE OTHER HAND, OFFER BUT WE'LL GET

THAT SPECIFICITY, BUT CAN LACK THE TO THAT IN THE
IMMEDIATE EMOTIONAL CHARGE OF AND PICTURES CAN NEXT CHAPTER.
PICTURES, RELYING INSTEAD ON A WORK MIRACLES.
GRADUAL COUMULAT/VE EFFECT,
 PERHAPS : pie BUT WE MAKE
7 I1’STOO MUCH TO X: “- THAT PROCESS WORK
ASK OF OWE SENSE -] BY BRINGING THE FULL
THAT IT BE POWER OF OUR OWN
RESPONSIBLE FOR \tty EXPERIENCES TO BEAR
CONVEYING SUCH A : ON THE WORLD OUR
WIDE WORLD OF /.- ey EYES REPORT.
EXPERIENCES. 7-

|i
IN THIS
CHAPTER, WE'VE
DEALT WITH THE
INVISIBLE WORLDS
OF SEVSES AND
ZMOTIONS, BUT IN
FACT AZZ ASPECTS
OF COMICS SHOW IT
TO BE AN AR7 OF
THE INVISIBLE.

SHRIMP FOR
DINNERS

WHAT You
SEE 1S SELDOM
WHAT YOU GET IF
ALL YOU'RE SEEING
(SEEING EVEN OW)
IS JUST JVC
AND PAPER.

136
1 37
 & SHOW AND TELL. f-

WHAT CAN YOU

TELL US ABOUT
YOUR ROBOT,
TOMMY 7

(TS
UH...I LIKE GOT ONE OF
IT ‘CAUSE... TA
. ‘CAUSE, UH... THINGS. /

138
 [ THEHEAD *\
FLIPS BACK.
Y >—<q]

CAN DO JAIS
AND IT GOES L/P
AND YOU FLIP
TAIIS.

7 WE ALZ STARTED OuT X IT'S CONSIDERED

LIKE THIS, DIDN'T WE 7 NORMAL \N THIS
USING WORDS AND IMAGES SOCIETY FOR CHILDREN
R CHANGE: : TO COMBINE WORDS
DIDN'T REALLY MATTER AND PICTURES, SO
WHICH WE USED, SO LONG LONG AS THEY
AS |\T WORKED. GROW OU7 OF (7.
 TRADITIONAL THINKING HAS LONG HELD THAT TRULY GREA7Z™ Dow
WORKS OF ART AND LITERATURE ARE ONLY POSSIBLE WHEN THE Z +

SH)
so
2sPwHo>

WORDS AND PICTURES JOGE7TAVER ARE CONSIDERED, AT BEST,

A DIVERSION FOR THE MASSES, AT WORST A PRODUCT OF
CRASS COMMERCIAL KSM.

AS CHILDREN, OUR THEN, AS WE GREW, --AND FINALLY TO

FIRST BOOKS HAD WE WERE EXPECTED ARRIVE AT “REAL”
FICTURES GALORE TO GRADUATE TO BOOKS -- THOSE OR PERHAPS,
AND VERY FEW BOOKS WITH MUCH WITH NO PICTURES AS IS SADLY THE
WORDS BECAUSE MORE TEXT AND AT ALL. CASE THESE DAYS,
THAT WAS "EASIER" ONLY OCCAS/OWVAL
PICTURES --
 bps AND PICTURES ARE
AS POPULAR AS EVER, BUT THIS
MEANWHILE, WORDS AND MOVING i {4 WIDESPREAD FEELING THAT THE
PICTURES HAVE HALF THE WORLD f COMBINATION IS SOMEHOW SASE
IN THRALL TO THEIR CHARMS, Uf OR SWMPLIS7/C HAS BECOME A
BUT MUST STRUGGLE TO MAKE
THEIPe POTENTIAL UNDERSTOOD.

od
|!) wer Ki
com

AS NEAR AS WE CAN
TELL, PICTURES PREDATE THE
ROOTS OF WRITTEN WORD BY A LARGE
THIS ATTITUDE MARGIN. HERE ARE SOME BIG
RUN PRETTY HITS FROM THE GOLDEN AGE
DEEP OF CAVE PAINTING, ABOUT
15,000 YEARS AGO.

Sty

Ate
saeR
Ss

SOME OF THIS ART SHOWS ; si] BUT OTHERS WERE VERY /COM/C,
a4 CONSIDERABLE ATTENTION TO : #1 ACTING AS YMEOLS RATHER THAN
3) DETAIL, VERY MUCH CONCERNED ; i PICTURES ~~ MORE LIKE A
WITH PICTORIAL REPRESENTA : PRIMITIVE LANGUAGE’
¢ . &, 4° Fate
 AS MENTIONED IN ¥
OUR LAS7 CHAPTER,”
THE EARLIEST WORDS
\. WERE, IN FACT,
S7YL/ZED

AS SEEN, MOST
OF THESE EARLY
WORDS STAYED
CLOSE BY
THEIR PARENTS,
THE PYCTURES.

IT DIDN'T TAKE ZOVG, THOUGH-- SOME WRITTEN LANGUAGES

RELATIVELY SPEAKING -- SURVIVE TO THIS DAY, BEARING
BEFORE ANCIENT WRITING STARTED TRACES OF THEIR ANCIENT
TO BECOME MORE ABS7KACT. PICTORIAL HERITAGE.

*«
SEE PAGE 127. 142
 BUT, IN TIME, MOST
MODERN WRITING WOULD
COME TO REPRESENT SOUN'WD
Y AND LOSE ANY
LINGERING RESEMBLANCE
TO THE icasegie sti
Oo

THE INVENTION
OF PRINTING, THE ted
WRITTEN WORD TOOK JREREIRT?
A GREAT LEAP £ rt
FORWARD--

SS ite cepie elle 1D- WORDS AND

PICTURES DID STILL
BUT 7HOS
INSTANCES WERE

rvs te
Dim et aera
Im wero permit lu-
Naabin 3 nepdu.
COEXIST AT THIS
STAGE IN WESTERN
CIVILIZATION *
BECOMING THE
EXCEPTION,
NOT THE
RULE.
A843 ec challuim de
Bnbilittiyn 2 capthu
aan Wao genuit fone
TH Mierticum quog;
Un of antdreey rt geegeleum
‘aracheum 2 afineum ara:
Dium gud: etfamareum ec emathe-
ure. sFiltj ferwt : ela ec allure . Fr arfa-
rad-et lud 3 aram. jFily aramchues
“IN ILLUMINATED MANUSCRIPTS, FOR EXAMPLE.
143
 Dein (laff ull id werfumen/ Wilt da lautere Die rock ; r
Wol auf du mb dae bettraumen. Wirtfdoffe wirfl da did vermegen, 8 Dab me bergen eens fin.
D Tid foll no} meman™ mobens 7) Go maflve gerenbi3ifet (elt
aa fag vee Groffen mdtens Wie foll i mid nun began/ ' Clement alle fament war/
Lo if nod gar vil5G febpen, mich hongere 1Sdien, 8 {TG teh von meinen fpinnen lan. } Se will midy endldffen gar.

— > =
> Fherill Dein flat mit fess” -
‘ Das id der garfldsrinn md,
bose. jemevouen /IPORTANTLY.
______ ffWHEN THEY WERE THE WRITTEN WORD
ra ey COMBINED, AS JN THIS WAS BECOMING
f 81) GERMAN COMIC MORE SPECIAL/ZED,
s/\) FROM THE 1400's, MORE ABS7KAC7, yf LESS AND
\1 WORDS AND PICTURES MORE EZ ABORATE-- LESS LIKE
STAYED SEPARATE, PICTURES. /
REFUSING TO MIx--
LIKE OL AND

= Tuerfid,
Fh verdirg mid du findefl mid nit,
Binderbelffencallercdens
Dd ih mein led muige (Hechen,

FACSIMILE DETAILS OF PORTRAITS BY DURER

(1519) REMBRANDT (1660) DAVID (1788) AND INGRES 144
(1810-15).
 John Keats 1819
Ode on a Grecian Urn

1
Thou still unravish'd bride ofquietness,
Thou foster-child of silence and slow time,
Sylvan historian, who canst thus express
A flowery tale more sweetly than our rhyme:
What leaf fring’d legend haunts about thy shape
Of deities or mortals, or of both,
In Tempe or the dales of Arcady?
What men or gods are these? What maidens loth?
What mad pursuit? What struggle to escape?
What pipes and timbrels? What wild ecstasy?

EARLY 1800's,
WESTERN ART
AND WRITING HAD
DRIFTED ABOUT AS
FAR APART AS
WAS POSS/BLE.
THE
OTHER RICH IN
ONE WAS INVISIGLE
OBSESSED WITH ; TREASURES,
RESEMBLANCE, ; SENSES, EMOTIONS,
Z/GHT AND COLOR, 7] SPIRITUALITY,
ALL THINGS i PHILOSOPHY...
VISIBLE...

VOLTERRA"(1838).
“A
COROT'S
JEAN-BAPTISTE-CAMILLE
NEAR
OF
FACSIMILE
VIEW STA
FIRS
POEM
KEAT
OF

PICTURES
AND WORDS,
ONCE 7OGETHER
IN THE CENTER OF
OUR ICONIC
ABSTRACTION
CHART, HAVE AT
7A/S POINT
DRIFIED TO
OPPOSITE

145
 IN A WAY, PICTURES
AND WORDS HAD REACHED FOR
THE END OF A 5,000 YEAR PICTURE PLANE
PICTURES,
JOURNEY. IF THEY WERE THERE WAS
TO CONTINUE MOVING, ONLY £477
WHERE COULD THEY
GO?

RESEMBLANCE MEANING

UVIPRESSION/SM IMPRESSIONISM, WHILE IT COULD BE THOUGHT OF

SENT WESTERN ART AS THE FIRSTJMODERINV MOVEMENT, WAS
TOWARD THE A®S7RACT MORE A CLLMINATION OF THE OLD. THE
VERTEX, BUT IN A WAY LLIMIATE S7UOY OF L/GHT AND COLOR.
THAT CZU’VG TO WHAT ee PS =)
THE EYE SAW,

OF
DETAI
FACSI
AFTE
SUNDA
THE
OF
“A
ISL
LA
BY
J
GR
GEO
SEU

SOON AFTER CAME THE EXFZOS/ON/ STRICT REPRESENTATIONAL STYLES

EXPRESSIONISM, FUTURISM, WERE OF LITTLE IMPORTANCE TO THE
DADA, SURREALISM, NEW SCHOOLS. A&S7KAC7/0N, BOTH
FAUVISM, CUBISM, ICONIC AND MVO/V-ICONIC MADE A
ABSTRACT EXPRESSIONISM, SPECTACULAR COMEBACK”
NEO-PLASTICISM,
CONSTRUCTIVISM,

EVERY WHICH
WAY BUT

FACSIMILE DETAILS OF PORTRAITS BY PICASSO,

146 LEGER AND KLEE.
 BUT THE MA/V THRUST WAS A RETURN
TO MEANING | ART, AWAY FROM
SOME ARTISTS HEADED LPHARD RESEMBLANCE, BACK TO THE REALM OF
TO THE SUMMIT OF THE PICTURE
PLANE, WANTING NEITHER
IDEAS.
RESEMBLANCE NOR EXTERNAL
“MEANING.”

RESEMBLANCE MEANING

MEANWHILE, THE WRITTEN WORD WAS IN PROSE, "MEANING" WAS

ALSO CHANGING, POETRY BEGAN LANGUAGE WAS NOT ABANDONED
TURNING AWAY FROM THE ELUSIVE, BECOMING EVEN MORE BY ANY MEANS,
TWICE-ABSTRACTED LANGUAGE OF OLD DIRECT, CONVEYING BUT AUTHORS
TOWARD A MORE 2/REC7Z7 EVEN MEANING SYMPLY WERE DEFINITELY
, COLLOGQLIIAL, STYLE. AND QUICKLY, MOVING LEF7--
MORE LIKE
FICTURES.

John Keats 1819

Ode on a Grecian Urn
1
Thou still unravish'd bride of quietness,
Thou foster-child of silence and slow time,
Sylvan historian, who canst thus express
A flowery tale more sweetly than our rhyme.
What leaf fring'd legend haunts about thy shape -
Of deitiesor mortals,-or of both, /
NY In Tempe or she dales of Aready?
Whatwien op Sedsee thesel Whac maidens doth. -
Walt Whitman 1890
Facing West from California’s Shores
Facing west, from California’s shores,
Inquiring, tireless, seeking
what is yet unfound, -- AND HEADED FOR
1, a child, very old, over waves, towards the
house of maternity, the A COLLISION’
land of migrations, look afar
Look off the shores of my Western sea, the
circle almost circled:
f] For starting westward from Hindustan,
61 from the vales of Kashmere, From Asia,
#4 from the north, from the God, the sage,
my and the hero, From the south, from the
fy flowery peninsulas and the spice islands,
fA Long having wandered since, round the
fa earth having wandered,
a Now | face home again,
Ba very pleased and joyous;
4 (But where is what I started for,
RESEMBLANCE MEANING
@ so long ago?
And why is it yet unfound?)

147
H’*tre per MIISHEL |Porsit de TRISTAN TZARA
#225 par
FRANCIS PICABIA

AND VARIOUS
INOIVIDUAL
ARTISTS OF
THE MODERN
ERA BREACHED
THE FRONTIER
BETWEEN
APPEARANCE,
AND
MEANING 4

Saonitsve?

LLUsiOoNs
DADA POSTER FOR THE PLAY
“THE BEARDED HEART"

WHILE SOME ARTISTS ADDRESSED THE

PAINTINGS INCREASINGLY TOOK ON ia PONS a
SYMBOLIC, EVEN CALLIGRAPHIC. !
MEANINGS...

’ Ai AZz—ZB
SmSt
A

SWEETNESS"
PAUL
BY
“ORIENTAL
(1938)
OF
KLEE.
FACSIMILE
 AND \N POPLAR CULTURE NOWHERE IS THIS COLLISION
THE TWO FORMS COLLIDED MORE THOROUGHLY EXPLOKED THAN
AGAIN AND AGAIN WITHOUT THE MODERN COMIC. AND IT’S
ANY PRETENSES OF A/GH” ART.
28 x
LET’S
GO BACK TO
THE EARLY [800's
BEFORE ANY OF
THIS HAPPENED,
WHEN WORDS AND
PICTURES HAD
DRIFTED AS FAR
APART AS
FOSSIELE.

UP TO THAT POINT, EL/ROPEA/V BUT AGAIN IT WAS KRODOLFHE

BROADSHEETS HAD OFFERED REMINDERS TOPFFER \NHO FORESAW THEIR
OF WHAT WORDS AND PICTURES COULD INTERDEPENDENCY AND BROUGHT
DO WHEN COMBINED. THE FAMILY BACK TOGETHER AT LAST.

ve

FD
) xX

PARIS E

WIE
E.
BY
TR

I'M SURE THAT --BUT THE FACT AND PERHAPS THIS ©AN INSTINCT
THESE IDEAS WERE THAT THE MODERN COMMON THREAD OF WHICH SAID THAT
THE AURTHEST THING COMIC WAS BORN LINIFICA7T/ON WE HAD REACHED
FROM TOPFFER'S JUST AS ART AND DID GROW OUT OF
MIND WHEN HE WRITING WERE A SHARED INSTINCT
PUT PEN 70 PREPARING TO OF THE DAY... THAT IT WAS TIME
PAPER-- CHANGE DIRECTION AT LAST TO AZAD
IS AT LEAST FOR HOME.
INTRIGLING.
 o UNFORTUNATELY FOR
NO SOONER HAD
THE FINE ARTS RED/SCOVERED J... Raed DAUGHTER CAN PAI
THE LINK BETWEEN WORDS /.....:| p. N° BETTER THAN THAT,
AND PICTURES-- oe Poe Si ae
Je
cae
be 's ek B eee DO
PEOPLE
--THAN £2. i ie. ; REALLY PAY
MODERN ART \om.*.-
/TSELF BECAME

TO THE AVERAGE
VIEWERS

IN FACT, THE GENERAL PUBLIC’S PERCEPTIONS OF

"GREAT" ART AND "GREAT" WRITING HASN'T CHANGED
MUCH IN 150 YEARS.* ANY ARTIST WISHING TO DO IN OTHERS
GREAT WORK IN A MEDIUM 248%VG WORDS AND AND IN
PICTURES WILL HAVE TO COW7END WITH THIS THEMSELVES...
ATTITUDE.

Thou still unravish’d bride

Thou foster-child of sile
Sylvan historian, who cang
A flowery tale more sweetl
What leaf fring’d legend h¢
Of deities or mortals, or
In Tempe or the dales
What men or gods are t
What mad pursuit? What s
Din and ub re

“BECAUSE, DEEP DOWN INSIDE, MANY COMICS CREATORS STILL MEASURE ART AND
WRITING BY DIFFERENT STANDARDS AND ACT ON THE FAITH THAT
“GREAT” ART AND “GREAT” WRITING WILL COMBINE HARMONIOUSLY
BY VIRTUE OF QUALITY ALONE.

TWOEYES, = s—
=> ONE NOSE,=>willy
ONE MOUTH. 07> meu,

* NOT AS MUCH AS WE LIKE TO

THINK Vt HAS, ANYWAY. 150
 THE ART FORM OF
COMICS IS MANY CENTURIES THE CURSE OF
OLD, BUT IT’S FERCE/VED BEING JUDGED By
AS A RECENT INVENTION THE STANDARDS OF
AND SUFFERS THE CURSE THE OLD.
OF AZZ NEW MEDIA,

ak
EVER SINCE THE INVENTION OF THE EACH NEW MEDIUM BEGINS ITS LIFE
WRITTEN WORD, NEW MEDIA HAVE BY IMITATING ITS PREDECESSORS.
BEEN AW/SUNCERSTOOD. MANY EARLY MOVIES WERE LIKE
FILMED S7AGE PLAYS, MUCH EARLY
CAREFUL, 7ELZEV7IS/ON WAS LIKE KAD/O W/7H
JACOB! IF you FICTURES OR REDUCED MOVES.
KEEP DOING THIS, 8 a
YOU'LL STOP S/ GS)
USING YOUR

ak SHUR

At te

FAR TOO MANY COMICS AND AGAIN, AS LONG AS WE VIEW

CREATORS HAVE NO HIGHER GOAL COMICS AS A GENRE OF WRITING OR
THAN TO MATCH THE ACHIEVEMENTS A S7YZE OF GRAPHIC ART THIS
OF OTHER MEDIA, AND VIEW ANY ATTITUDE MAY MEVER DISAPPEAR.
CHANCE TO WORK IN OTHER /
MEDIA AS A S7EP LJ

Te
wy

“AA
 WORDS AND PICTURES IN A HUGE RANGE OF AS A RESULT--AND
COMBINATION MAY NOT BE MY HUMAN EXPERIENCES DESPITE ITS MANY
DEFINITION OF COMICS, BUT CAN BE PORTRAYED OTHER POTENTIAL
THE COMBINATION HAS HAD IN COMICS THROUGH USES -- COMICS
TREMENDOUS INFLUENCE EITHER WORDS OR HAVE BECOME
ON ITS GROWTH. PICTURES. FIRMLY IDENTIFIED
WITH THE ART OF
STORYTELLING.
com.ics (kom’'iks)
used with a singulay
Juxtaposed pictoréa
images in deliber
intended to conv
and/or to prods

AND /WDEED, WORDS

AND PICTURES HAVE GREAT
POWERS TO TELL STORIES SO FAR, WE'VE
WHEN CREATORS FULLY £3felcj-¢\ aang Te)1:40) ONLY SEEN THE
EXPLOIT THEM S077. A
SURREALISM 7/P OF THE
(CEBERGS
HISTORICAL
FICTION

POETRY
FOLK TALES
SOCIAL
EROTICA
ALLEGORY MYSTERY
ADAPTATIONS 144 (ele) BS)
TOPICS
STREAM
OF CONSCIOUSNESS
‘ . SATIRE

AS CHILDREN, WE "SHOW
AND TELL" W7EKCHANGEAELY,
WORDS AND IMAGES COMBINING DIFFERENT WAYS
TO TRANSMIT A COMVMETTED IN WHICH WORDS TO BREAK IT
SERVES OF /DEAS. AND PICTURES CAN DOWN INTO
COMBINE |N COMICS SOME DISTINCT
IS VIRTUALLY CATEGORIES,
UNLIMITED.

152
 THE LWITED STATES
FIRST, CONSTITUTION WAS
WE HAVE THE ADOPTED BY THE
WORD SPECIFIC SECOND CONTINENTAL
WE STUMBLED BACK TO THE CONGRESS |N \787
COMBINATIONS, APARTMENT SHORTLY BEFORE
WHERE PICTURES AND bil INTO EFFECT
DAWN, VOMITING EVERY 20 9
ILLUSTRATE, BUT
DON'T SIGNIFICANTLY YARDS.
ADD TO A LARGELY
COMPLETE

JUDY GAVE ME HER

KEYS AND SMILED.
~ \ill

THEN
THERE ARE
PICTURE SPECIE
COMBINATIONS
WHERE WORDS DO
LITTLE MORE THAN
ADD A SOUNDTRACK
TO A VISUALLY
TOLD SEQUENCE,

AND, (BUT THE CAPTAIN'S MIGHTY

OF COURSE, BLOW VIISSES /78 INTENDED
TARGET! _
DUO-SPECIHIC
PANELS IN WHICH
BOTH WORDS AND
PICTURES SEND ORIM-FACED,
ESSENTIALLY GEORGE LIFTED
THE SAME HIS LOLLYPOP.

||

q
—
 ANOTHER
TYPE IS THE
ADDITIVE MY HEAD FEELS
COMBINATION LIKE A SMASHED
WHERE WORDS PUMPKING
AMPLIFY OR
ELABORATE ON
AN IMAGE OR
VICE VERSA.
1S THIS THE Z
SAME SUP/TER |.
OF MY YOUTH?
Ca

IN SS eo
FARALLEL LJ “THE 7ES7 RESULTS CAME
COMBINATIONS, WHY?" BACK. ALL NEGATIVE."
WORDS AND PICTURES
SEEM TO FOLLOW
VERY DIFFERENT :allRY |
COURSES-- WITHOUT 8 «REALLY7 THAT'S GREAT
INTERSECTING.

[cexen

STILL
ANOTHER
OPTION IS THE
MONTAGE
WHERE WORDS
ARE TREATED
AS INTEGRAL
FARTS OF THE
PICTURE.
 PERHAPS
THE MOST
COMMON TYPE
OF WORD/PICTURE
COMBINATION
IS THE II7ER-
DEPENDENT,
WHERE WORDS AND
PICTURES GO
HAND /N HAND
TO CONVEY AN IDEA
THAT NEITHER
COULD CONVEY
ALONE.
LI ASK YOu,
DOES THIS GUY
LOOK LIKE A

"AFTER COLLEGE, I PURSUED

A CAREER IN A/GH FINANCE.”

INTERDEPENDENT GENERALLY
COMBINATIONS AREN'T SPEAKING, THE MORE
ALWAYS AN FQL/AL IS SAID WITH WORDS,
BALANCE THOUGH AND THE MORE THE PICTURES
MAY FALL ANYWHERE CAN BE FREED TO GO
ON A SCALE BETWEEN EXPLORING AND
TYPES ONE AND TWO, VICE VERSA.
 IN COMICS AT ITS BES7 = NEPe>—] a,
Ia
WORDS AND PICTURES ARE LIKE \ 5. el

PARTNERS IN A DANCE AND FA‘ WHEN SO7H PARTNERS TRY TO LEAD,

EACH ONE TAKES TURNS a THE COMPETITION CAN SWBVERT
LEADING. THE OVERALL GOALS...

... THOUGH A LITTLE PLAYFUL

COMPETITION CAN SOMETIMES
PRODUCE FN/OYABLE RESULTS.

--COMICS CAN MATCH AWY OF THE

ART FORMS IT DRAWS SO MUCH OF
ITS STRENGTH FROM.
 IY LET'S SAY I SHOW YOU A
yy “t

WHEN PICTURES, CARRY THE WEIGHT

OF CLARITY IN A SCENE, THEY FREE WOMAN WALKING ACROSS THE
WORDS TO EXPLORE A WIDER AREA. STREET IN THE RAIN, BUYING A
PINT OF ICE CREAM AND EATING
IT IN HER APARTMENT--

--ALL IN
_ PICTURES.

AUT
VJ

mi
if
My,i

ne
ain WMMALL
IL LLL LLL LALO
Pay,

Ifhi | Ay y mM TU BLUE Li

WISIN
/// / /
i/ (7) wee
JL/0/11Le
Pa —_,
| a a
—,
fh y}
7] a te atla (ieS
‘

f. fi;
wis

TAIT UTR ULE Dep aa S CV A PRET ER

157
 WHEN A SCENE SHOWS YOU ALL
YOU “WEED” TO KNOW, LIKE 74/8 ONE,
THE LATITUDE FOR SCRIPTING
GROWS E/VVORMOLISLY.

Oram cmracsant
‘ 1 - — a Sn {
v7en Saal | y
1 PRESETS.

PERHAPS SOMETHING WILDLY

/NCONGRUOUS
I MAY BE ALONE
LIKE THIS FOR A
VERY LONG TIME. IT COULD
REARS BECOME AN
INTERNAL
MONOLOGLE. MISSION CONTROL, MISSION
CONMTROL, DO YOU READ ME"

(INTERDEPENDENT)

( PARALLEL)

MAYBE IT’S ALL JUST A BIG OR A CHANCE TO RUMINATE ON

ADVERTISEMENT? BROADER TOPICS.

THIS |S THE
WAY THE
WORLD ENDS...
=—

THIS IS THE —2
WAY THE

ett ey

CINTERDEPENDENT » (INTERDEPENDENT)

158
 iaE
ON THE O7#ER HAND, IF THE WORDS MAA tH |Mee
Vile

LOCK IN THE “MEA/V/ING” OF A SEQUENCE, | PANAMA AATOH He

THEN THE PICTURES CAN REALLY TAKE OFF | |!/|\)/!)/|) SAME HHA an
‘lf SCENE NOW, mun
BUT THIS TIME
ALL IN WORDS/

I CROSSED THE I FOUND THE

STREET TO THE LAST PINT OF
CONVENIENCE STORE. CHOCOLATE
THE RAIN SOAKED CHOCOLATE CHIP
INTO MY BOOTS. IN THE FREEZER.

THE CLERK TRIED TO PICK ME UP. I SAID

/VO THANKS. HE GAVE ME THIS CREEPY LOOK...

I WENT BACK TO JHE --AND FINISHED IT ALL IN AN HOUR.

APARTMENT-~
ALONE
AT LAST.

159
 NOW, ONE COULD
I CROSSED THE I FOUND THE JUST COMBINE THE --BUT WHAT
STREET TO THE
CONVENIENCE STORE
LAST PINT OF
CHOCOLATE FICTURES FROM PAGE ARE SOME O7HER
THE RAIN SOAKED CHOCOLATE CHIP
INTO MY BOOTS IN THE FREEZER . 157 WITH THE WORDS OPTIONS 7
TT meeX
See
—— FROM PAGE 159 --

THE CLERK TRIED TO PICK ME UP I SAID

VO THANKS. HE GAVE ME THIS CREEPY LOOK

~- AND FINISHED IT ALL IN AN HOUR

Scam 16, MdFORM
tee AT LAST, SOT 22
4
SUS"
= fore!

SOO ee ( ‘
<A a

OR MOVE TOWARD GREATER

LEVELS OF ABS7RAC7/ONV OR
I CROSSED THE IF THE EXPRESSION.
STREET TO THE
CONVENIENCE STORE ARTIST
THE RAIN SOAKED WANTS TO,
INTO MY BOOTS
HE/SHE
CAN NOW
THE CLERK TRIED TO PICK ME UP. I SAID.
SHOW ONLY
FRAGMENTS
OF A
SCENE.

© WORD
SPECIFIC)

C AMPLIFICATION »

PERHAPS THE ARTIST CAN GIVE US

SOME IMPORTANT E£M07/O/VAL OR SHIFT AHEAD OR
INFORMATION. BACKWARDS IN TIME.

--AND FINISHED IT ALL IN AN HOUR.

TMENT--

i) i)

CINTERDEPENDENT ) ( WORD SPECIFIC)

160
 THE MIXING
THE PICTURE PLANE OF WORDS AND
HOWEVER PICTURES 1S MORE
MUCH WE MAY ALCHEMY THAN
CHART THESE SCIENCE.
THINGS, THEY'RE
ALL LL7T/MATELY
BEST LEFT TO
THE CREATOR'S
INSTINCTS.

RESEMBLANCE

SOME OF THE SECRETS OF THOSE F/RS7

ALCHEMISTS MAY HAVE BEEN LOST
IN THE ANCIENT PAST.
7 THE RICHNESS OF
MODERN LANGUAGE IS Vf
AN /RREPLACEABLE
COMMODITY’ din

-- WHEN TO TELL WAS

THIS JS AN EXCITING STILL, I DO FEELA
TIME TO BE MAKING CERTAIN WAGLE TO SHOW--
COMICS, AND IN LONGING FOR THAT
MANY WAYS TI FEEL TIME OVER 30
VERY LUCKY TO CENTURIES AGO --
HAVE BEEN BOR
WHEN LI WAS.

--AND TO SHOW
WAS TO 7EZZ.
 me THE SIX STEPS. AY
>
; A
a*

L2e
‘in?

COMICS IS
JUST OVE OF
MANY FORMS OF
SELF-EXPRESSION
AND COMMUNICATION
AVAILABLE
 SO FAR, WE’VE MOSTLY DEALT | 5 BUT THERE
WITH THE SPAIQUE PROPERTIES ARE PROPERTIES
OF COMICS. "“ THAT COMICS SHARE
Mitt — . rt A WITH AZZ O7HER
eed we | ART FORMS.

tee Maer
~ 3 i %,

THOUGH IT SEEMS INNOCUOUS

ENOUGH VOX THERE WAS A TIME
WHEN SUCH A SIMPLE IDEA
WAS RIDICULED.
--I'M SORRY--
EVEN
7ODAY, THERE
ARE THOSE WHO
ASK THE QUESTION, A REALLY
"CAN COMICS S7LIPID
BE AR7 7" QUESTION’

BUT ESPECIALLY
IF WE MUST IF YOUR
ANSWER IT, THE DEFINITION OF ART
IS AS BROAD AS
MINES

163
 R7, AS I SEE IT, IS ANY HUMAN
ACTIVITY WHICH DOESN’T GROW
OUT OF EVTAHIER OF OUR SPECIES’
TWO BASIC INSTINCTS: SURVIVAL
AND REPRODUCTION/

TT Me:
) { niTatt ||

| ik a9 Tit
ole WAHT]
PEP aT

eh CHIT iat
eS Ads 9
ArT) Cu {\
He 4 3 Sed .
~
=a
HAS = “7 - =

LA
wre

EXAMPLE: HERE'S SO S7RKONG |S THIS

INSTINCT THAT IT
MALE Cheeine A
GS
PREHISTORIC FEMALE.
GOVERNS HIS EVERY
MOVE’ NOT ONE
THE Fé LE--AFRAID FOR HER
Z-- MANAGES TO ADE. ees

STEP IS WASTED IN | NOW, DEPRIVED OF HIS GOAL, THE

WITH ONLY ONE THING MALE STANDS /MDECTSIVE.
ON HIS MIND -- THE PURSLIT OF SEL

REPRODUCTION: = HIS GOAL’ Pp

od
Pe
=
ha
ane
oT

Sir
ae

\\ VOW ALL OF HIS AGAIN HIS LEGS

rSciseaR mar ||EFFICIENC

Sapatinauinn>,”
THOUGHTS AND PROPEL HIM
TRAPPED ON
THE EDGE OF A
CLIFF, HIS
MIND CAN

PK t=
3 4 y/o

AND SURVIVES. HIS NEXT MOVE

MIGHT BE TO LOOK
i) Fh FOR FOOD (SURVIVAL)
OR PERHAPS ANOTHER
FEMALE (REPRODUCTION?

IVS A SAPPY FACT OF HUMAN EXISTENCE THAT. WE SIMPLY CAN’T SPEND OUREVER.
WAKING HOUR EATING AND HAVING SEX/ NO MATTER HOW FRANTICALLY WE
PURSUE OUR GOALS, THERE WILL /WEV/7A8LY BE TIMES WHEN WE J/U/S7 DON'T
AAVE A THING 7O DO’ :
or) WHAT MAY LOOK LIKE A TRIBE pan SEE THAT OLD TODAY SHE HAS A
MY OF BORED, INACTIVE CAVE-DWELLERS \~ WOMAN WITH THE STOMACHACHE
BELOW US IS, IN FACT, A 7HR/VING & S7ICK 7?NOTICE THE AND HER LINES
IRT COLONY LIVES SHE'S MAKING ARE 77GH7T AND
IN THE 2/R77 ANGULAR. YESTERDAY
SHE FELT BE7TER
AND HER LINES
WERE OFEN AN

AND OVER 7HERE NEARBY, A BOY TODAY HE LOST A FIGHT WHILE OVER HERE,
A MAN BEATS A KICKS UP PEBBLES WITH HIS BROTHER. A LITTLE GIRL
SIMPLE RHYTHM AND D/RT AND NOW ALL HE CAN DO SINGS HER SONG
WITH A FAIR OF FPUNMIMELS THE AIR IS DANCE AWAY OF YOUTH”
STONES. HE DOESN'T WITH HIS F/S7- HIS FRUSTRATION.
KNOW WHY, BUT THE Dooe? °? RRoo oov* Nest

SOUND AZEASES HIM. YB- BIP- Bip. IP!

1! Py | || TT
Me|! HAL
||
}

BECAUSE OF ITS INDEPENDENCE OF COURSE, THE

FROM OUR EVOLUTION-BRED INSTINCTS, GENIUS OF “MOTHER
ART IS THE WAY WE ASSERT OLR NATURE" |S SUCH
IDENTITIES AS IVDIVIDUALS AND THAT EVEN 7HESE
BREAK Ol/7 OF THE WARROW THINGS DO HAVE
FOLES NATURE CAST LIS IN. THEIR USES FROM AN
EVOLUTIONARY
S7ANDPOIN]-
FIRST, THEY PROVIDE SECOND. THEY THIRD AND PERHAPS --TO USEFUL
EXERCISE FORK MINDS PROVIDE AN OU/7LE7 MOST /MPORTANTLY DISCOVERIES
AND BODIES NOT FOR EMOTIONAL TO OUR SURVIVAL AS
RECEIVING OU7S/DE IMBALANCES, AIDING A RACE, SUCH RANDOM
S7TIMILLLS. IN THE RACES MEN7AL ACTIVITIES OFTEN

THIS FUNCTION ART AS SELF ART AS DISCOVERY AS THE PURSUIT

WOULD ALSO BE EXPRESSION, THE OF 7RUTH, AS EXPLORATION; THE SOUL
PERFORMED IN LATER ARTIST AS HERO; FOR OF MUCH (MODERN ART AND THE
CENTURIES BY SPORTS MANY, ITS AVGHES7 FOUNDATIONS OF ZANGLAGE, SCIENCE
AND GAMES. PURPOSE. AND FPAILOSOPHY.

A LOT HAS CHANGED IN HALF A MILLION THE PROCESSES ARE MORE COMPLEX NOW,
YEARS, BUT SOME THINGS WEVER CHANGE. BUT THE INSTINCTS*REMAIN THE SAME.
SURVIVAL AND REPRODUCTION STILL
ssi UU HOLD THE L/PPER HAND.
OH NO/ I'M
GONNA BE LATE FOR
THAT JOB /N7TERVIEWS

* ALONG WITH THEIR MANY RELATED

FEELINGS AND CUSTOMS.
 YET IN ALMOST PERHAPS A LITTLE OR THE PER SONAL OR JUST THE WAY
EVERY THING WE DO UNNECESSARY STYLE OFA WE SIGN OUR
THERE IS AT LEAST CHOREOGRAPHY BICYCLE MESSENGER.
AN ELEMENT ON THE ASSEMBLY
LIVE.

|a
imam.

IN SOME OCCUPATIONS, THE LATITUDE I THINK IT’S FAIR LIFE 1S A SERIES OF

FOR SELF-EXPRESSION IS GREATER. TO SAY THAT SOME MINUTE DECISIONS,
SURVIVAL -- MAKING A LIVING-- GOES ACTIVITIES HAVE SOME MOTIVATED BY
HAND IN HAND WITH CREATIVE DESIRE. MORE ART JV THEM SURVIVAL, SOME NOT,
THAN OTHERS. AND PROPORTIONS
DO VARY

ZZz
Z
Z
Z
Z
Z

ASS

fU/7 10 RARE IS THE ... AND RARE IS

PROCLAIM, AS SO PERSON IN AMY THE AR7/S7 WHO
MANY SO OFTEN L— OCCUPATION WHO CARES NOTHING
DO, THAT-- EXPRESSES FOR SL/ICCESS,
NVOTHING.., LE, SURVIVAL
 BUT THE JDEAZ OF THE LATTER IS ALIVE THE “AVVE ART/ST*--THE PURE
IN THE HEARTS OF MANY ARTISTS WHO AR7/IS7-- SAYS TO THE WORLD: "I
MAY AYOFE FOR SUCCESS, BUT WON'T DIDN'T DO THIS FOR MONEYS I DIDN'T
ALTER THEIR WORK TO O&87A/W/ IT. DO THIS TO MATCH THE COLOR OF
YOUR COUCHES/
"I DIDN'T DO
THIS TO GET LA/D/
I DIDN'T DO THIS
FOR FAME OR
POWER OR GREED
OR ANYTHING ELSES
I DID THIS FOR
ARTS"

IN O7HER’ WORDS:
“MY ART HAS NO "BUT IT’S
PRACTICAL VALUE IMPORTANT!” AND SOMETIMES
IT 4S’, THOUGH
WHATSOEVER!” IT MIGHT TAKE A
CENTURY OR TWO
FOR THE RES7 OF
THE WORLD TO
FIND QUT/

THIS IS AS TRUE IN COMICS

AS IT IS _IN FA/N7T/ING, WRITING,
"PURE" ART THEATRE, FILM, SCLULLPTURE,
IS ESSENTIALLY OR ANY O7HER FORM...
TIED TO THE QUESTION
OF PURPOSE--
OF DECIDING WHAT ... BECAUSE
YOU WANT OUT THE CREATION OF
Y WORK IN
ANY MEDIUM WILL
ALWAYS FOLLOW
A CERTAIN
FATH.

169
 I
IDEA/ 2
PURPOSE

AP. ATH CONSISTING OF

pone STEPS.

I THE /MIPULSES, THE

IDEAS, THE EMOTIONS,
THE PY/LOSOPHIES, THE
SECOND:
THE FORM? 'T WILL
TAKE... WILL IT BE A
BOOK” A CHALK
IDEA/ PURPOSES OF THE DRAWING? \CHAIR?
PURPOSE WORK...THE
“CONTENT.”
WORK’S
A POT HOLDER,” A
COMIC BOOK”
es A

THIRD: FOURTH:
THE “SCHOOL” OF FUTITING 17 ALL
ART, THE VOCABULARY ZTOGETHER... WHAT
OF S7ZES OR GESTURES TO MCLUDE, WHAT TO
OR SUBJECT MATTER, LEAVE OL/7.. HOW TO
THE GENRE THAT THE ARRANGE, HOW TO
WORK BELONGS TO... COMPOSE
MAYBE A GENRE WORK
OF ITS OWN.

170
 FIFTH: SIXTH:
CONSTRUCTING FRODUCTION
THE WORK, APPLYING VALVES, FINISHING...
SA/LLS, FRACTICAL THE ASPECTS MOST
SURFACE APPARENT ON FIRST
SUPERFICIAL
EXPOSURE TO
THE WORK.

Ww,

IN ALL THE ARTS IT’S THE SURFACE THE LATEST “FAN FAVORITE” OFTEN
THAT PEOPLE APPRECIATE MOST ZAS/Z LOOKS BETTER AT A GLANCE THAN THE
LIKE AN APFFZE CHOSEN FOR ITS OLDER ARTISTS WHO HAD THE /DEAS
SHINY SKIN. AND CREATED THE /D/JOMS, BUT WERE
SURFACE LESS INTERESTED IN SURFACES.
~

BUT OFTEN TSA

IF WE &/7E CYCLE AS OLD
/IVTO THAT AS ART

SEPPLE CRUE ITSELF.

2,0
 YOUNG READERS D/SCOVER COMICS FOR THE FIRST TIME
AND IN A FEW CASES, BEGIN TO DEVELOP A LOVE FOR COMICS
THAT WILL LAST A LH E7/ME/

Ta

IN THIS EARLY STAGE, THESE READERS BUT IN SOME, AN AWARENESS OF THE

ARE EXPERIENCING THE CHARACTERS, FORM BEGINS TO DEVELOP, AN
IDEAS, EVENTS AND EMOTIONS OF THE AWARENESS THAT ALL COMICS ARE JUST
STORY DIRECTLY INK ON PAPER--
COMICS IS ACTING AS
AN IV7ERMED/ARY -- THAT MAKING
BETWEEN THEM ONLY
STORYTELLER REQUIRES
AND ALDIENCE, CERTAIN
SKILLS--

--AND THAT
THOSE SKILLS
CAN BE
LEARNED/
 ONE OF THEM--FULL OF 8/6 /DEAS-- HE’S OFF TO ALOGICAL START. HE HAS
MAKES THE &/G DEC/S/ON. THE /DEAS AND HE'S CHOSEN COMICS
AS HIS FORM OF EXPRESSION. MAYBE
I'M GONNA NOW HE’LL CONSIDER WHAT 7¥PES OF
MAKE COMICS }, COMICS ARE RIGHT FOR HIM.
~
WHEN T(GROW
UP! &é

oe
BUT PRO

MORE LIKELY HE POSTPONES HIS OWN

IDEAS AND BEGINS TO STUDY THE CRAFT
OF O7HER ARTISTS IN HIS ATTEMPT TO LOOK, JACKS
BECOME A PROFESSIONAL. I CAN DRAW AS
WELL AS A
PROFESSIONALS
HE BUYS THE
“RIGHT” BRUSH,
THE "K/GH 7”
PENS AND THE
‘RIGHT ” PAPER
AND BEGINS TO
PRACTICE.

BUT WHEN HE BRINGS THE WORK TO A SO HE BUYS SOME BOOKS ON AMATOMY

KEAZL PROFESSIONAL AT THE LOCAL CO/V: AND PERSPEC7/VE, STUDIES A VARIETY
OF DRAWING TECHNIQUES AND PRACTICES,
/ _.. ANATOMY IS VERY POOR... SEE HOW FRACTICES, PRACTICES FOR MONTHS.
THAT MUSCLE CONNECTS ?,. AND THAT
PERSPECTIVE, YEESA/7,.DO YOU KNOW
WHAT A VAMISHIVG POINT \S7
..AND AS FOR FACES...
 BUT SOMEHOW, IT NEVER QUITE ‘CZ/CKS”
FOR HIM. MAY8E HE JUST DOESN'T HAVE
ENOUGH SAK7ZZ,.. MAYBE HE LOSES
INTEREST... MAYBE LIFE JUST GETS /V
THE WAY...BUT FOR WHATEVER REASOW--

HAVE UNDERGONE
SIMILAR
EXPERIENCES
AND AAVEM'7
GIVEN UP
YET?

-- HE LEAVES HIS DREAMS A

A OF MAKING COMICS BEA//IVD. GAZAAA
aie
= —

ONE OF THEM 1S NOW READY TO TAKE

THE WEXT STEP/ SHE'S STUDIED HER
CRAFT ALL THE WAY THROUGH HIGH <I THINK I’VE
SCHOOL AND INTO COLLEGE REALLY MADE A
BREAKTHROUGHT>

BUT WHEN [ < YOU'RE A SKILLED SCR/PTER HER SKILLS CAM GET HER WORK AT
SHE SHOWS| AND DRAF7SPERSON, BUT THIS POINT, BUT ONLY AS AN ASS/YS7TANVT
HER WORK | YOUR S7ORY7ELZL/NG ISN'T JO OTHERS. UNTIL SHE UNDERSTANDS THE
GOOD ENOUGH, YOU HAVE NO STRUCTURE OF COMICS BEIVEATH THE
SENSE OF FACING,,, THESE CRAFT, THIS IS AS FAR AS SHE CAN GO.
LAYOUTS ARE VERY MLU/DDY.,,
YOU HAVE TO COMPOSE YOUR
STORIES,,,>
 BUT MAYBE THIS IS ENOUGH FOR THIS BUT ELSEWHERE, ANOTHER CREATOR
PARTICULAR ARTIST, ENOUGH TO JUST BE HAS BEEN THROUGH THE SAME SORT OF
PART OF THE AR7, BUSINESS, |AND PROCESS AND HE WANTS MORE’
COMMLUNM/TY OF COMICS WITHOUT
NECESSARILY CALL/ING THE SHOTS.

HE SPENDS HIS EVERY WAKING HOUR HE DISCOVERS THAT HIS JAVOR/7TE AR7/ST
WORKING OUT THE DIFFICULT PRINCIPLES WAS ACTUALLY JUST A WA7ZERED-DOWIV
OF COMICS COMPOS/TION AND STORYTELLING, VERSION OF AN OLDER, LESS-POLISHED
THE KIND THEY 20N'7 TEACH IN BOOKS/* ARTIST WHOM HE HAD ALWAYS
7AKEN FOR GRANTED.

Gh,
Pm
/
Ca
thors
Mbir»~
Vx?

HE LEARNS TO SEE @EWEATH THE CRAFTS

OF DRAFTSMANSHIP AND SCRIPTING “IO SEE
THE WHOLE PICTURE -- PACING, DRAMA,
AUMOR, SUSPENSE, COMPOSITION,
THEMATIC DEVELOPMENT, (RON Y--
SOON THEY’RE ALL AT HIS CUMMAND/

* WELL, OKAY, OVE BOOK! EISNER’S, AGAIN

175
 AND LET'S SAY IT’ WORKS HE DOES HIS WORK ISN'T PARTICULARLY OR/G/NALZ,
LAND HIS OWN BOOK AND SOON IS THE CRITICS DON'T PAY MUCH ATTENTION
ESTABLISHED AS A CREATOR OF GREAT TO HIM, BUT HE MAKES A DECENT LIVING
SA/ZZ. HE UNDERSTANDS COM/CS FOR HIMSELF AND HIS FAIVIILY AND
STORYTELLING BETTER THAN MOST, THAT'S ENOUGH FOR HIM...

< THAT GUY'S ART IS

ALL JUST '‘SURFACE7> ..ENQUGH THAT FOR
WHAT HE DOES, HE’S
ONE OF THE BEST.

NA/& A Tt it | —

BUT ANOJHER AR7787 HAS MADE IT SHE WONDERS IF HER SUCCESS REALLY
THROUGH THE SAME SORTS OF HURDLES MEANS ANYTHING WHEN THERE ARE SO
AND REACHED THE SAME LEVELS OF MANY OTHERS DOING THE SAME 7H/INGS
IN THE SAME WAYS. SHE WANTS AN JDEW7/7T¥
~. (ss

SHE BELIEVES THAT THERE’S SOMETHING SHE BEGINS TO INVENT WEW WAYS OF
MORE--SOME PIECE OF THE PUZZLE-- SHOWING "7HE SAME OLD THIIVVG.” SHE
THAT SHE S7/LL HASNT FOUND. DEVELOPS /WWOVATIVE NEW TECHIVIQUES.
AND STARTS DOING AWAY WITH "THE
SAME OLD THING" AL7TOGE7HERS
es oytyer

SURFACE
AS SHE CREATES HER OWN PERSONAL LET'S SAY THAT FXVANCIAZL SUCCESS AND
/DIOM OF COMICS, SHE FINDS THE WHOLE OF THE RESPECT OF HER PEERS SOON FOLLOW.*
HER WORK CHANGING TO SY//7 THAT IDIOM.
I WANT
TO THANK
ALL OF THOSE
WHO HELPED
ME TO ACHIEVE

* HOSTILITY, REJECTION
AND POVERTY ARE ALSO
POSSIBLE, OF COURSE.

YOUNG ARTISTS BEGIN TO IW1/7A7E HER AND MAYBE SHE'LL BE SA7/SFVED WITH
STYLE, BUT MOST OF THEM ONLY SEEM THAT KIND OF SUCCESS, SECURE IN _
THE
TO APPRECIATE THE “SURFACE.” KNOWLEDGE THAT WHATEVER SHE DOFSW'7
KNOW, SHE'S ON T
FIND OUT.

BUT ELSEWHERE, ANOTHER CREATOR HAS «SOMETHING ALIVODAMENTAL, SOMETHING

MADE IT TO THIS SAME PLACE AND STILL FEELS AT THE CORE OF WHO HE IS AS AN ARTIST.
DISSATISFIED. HE FEELS THAT SOMETHING WITH THESE THOUGHTS ON HIS MIND, IT’S ONLY
VERY /MPORTAIV7 HAS BEEN NEGLECTED,,. A MATTER OF 7/ME BEFORE HE ASKS THAT
ONE SIMPLE QUESTION:

4/5] 6
STRUCTURE} CRAFT | SURFACE
 IDEA/ STRUCTURE} CRAFT | SURFACE
PURPOSE

uN
— :
Y AND NOW, THE BIGGEST QUESTION V/
\{ OF ALL: DOES THIS ARTIST WANT TO SAY
\ SOMETHING ABOUT LIFE 7HROUGH HIS ART
\ OR DOES HE WANT TO SAY SOMETHING
ABOUT ART /7 SELF 7

ANYTHING
TO SAY
AT ALLY

ASSUMING HE DOESN'T LET 7AAT

STOP HIM, HERE'S WHAT THESE
PERSONALLY,
THINK I
WE AZZ HAVE TWO CHOICES COULD MEAN...
SOMETHING TO SAY
TO THE WORLD.
THE
REAL QUESTION
IS "WILL ANYONE
LISTEN7” AND
UNFORTUNATELY
THERE'S NO WAY
TO KNOW THAT
IN ADVANCE. 1

IDEA/
PURPOSE

178
 AND HIS ART WOULD NOT ZACK FOR /DEAS
OR FOR A PURPOSE.
BY
CHOOSING FORM,
HE'D BE SETTING UP
TO BECOME AN
EXPLORER. 1 6

HIS GOAL: PURPOSE rier

TO DISCOVE:
ALL ‘THAT THE
ART FORM IS

HIS ART WOULD

JUST BECOME HIS PURPOSE AND THE IDEAS
WOULD ARRIVE IN TIME TO GIVE IT SUBSTANCE

CREATORS WHO TAKE THIS PATH ARE OFTEN PIONEERS AND REVOLLUTIONARTES-- ARTISTS WHO
WANT 10 SHAKE TH/NGS UP CHANGE THE WAY PEOPLE 7A/VK> QUESTION THE FLUUNDAMENTAL
LAWS THAT GOVERN THEIR CHOSEN ART.

CIN O7HER ART FORMS: STRAVINSKY, PICASSO, VIRGINIA WOOLF, ORSON WELLES, ETC.>

NOW “7EZLING THE STORY” COR IN THE

ON THE CASE OF WON-FICTION, "DELIVERING THE
OTHER HAND, IF MESSAGE”) TAKES PRIORITY OVER
HE CHOOSES THE INVENTION.
FIRST STEP AS HIS
GOAL, THEN HIS
ART BECOMES A
7O0L.

ART WILL RELY

ON THE POWERS
OF THE IDEAS
WITHIN.

BUT TELLING A STORY

AS EFFECTIVELY AS POSSIBLE MAY
REQUIRE SOME \NVENTION. IT OFTEN DOES.

179
THIS IS THE PATH OF GREAT S7ORY7EZLERS, CREATORS WHO HAVE SOMETHING TO SAY
THROUGH COMICS AND DEVOTE ALL THEIR ENERGIES TO COV7ROLLING THEIR MEDIUM,
REFINING ITS ABILITY TO CONVEY MESSAGES EFFECTIVELY

;
'G
7
A

CIN OTHER ART FORMS: CAPRA, DICKENS, WOODY GUTHRIE, EDWARD R. MURROW, ETC.)

(O WORK OF ART CAN BE ZO7AZLY

FORTUNATELY, WITHOUT “CONV7EWV7” ANY MORE THAN
THIS CHOICE IT CAN EXIST WITHOUT A FORM’ BUT
NEVER HAS TO BE ~
T DOES HELP TO SET SOME PRIORITIES.
FPERMAIVEN7. —~

IT
CAN CHANGE NO,7M
AS OFTEN AS DRIVING’
AN ARTIST
CHANGES
PROJECTS {

NOT THAT WE “CREA7OR/WRITER/ARTIS7”

TYPES NEVER RUN INTO THIS PROBLEM...
CREATIVE SPECIALIZATION HAS
"SCRIPTERS;/ "PENCILLERS AND IVKERS” DANIN«
ALL WORKING AT CKOSS-FURPOSES NEEDED TO
IN THEIR ATTEMPTS TO GET HAVE SOME MORE
NOTICE: DIALOGUE HERE,
BUT I REALLY
WANT TO DRAW
THAT SNAZZY

180
 THE MORE AN ARTIST DEVOTES ART SPIEGELMAN'S AGGRESSIVELY
HIM/HERSELF TO EITHER OF THESE TWO EXPERIMENTAL WORK OF THE SEVEWZIES
FOCAL POINTS, THE MORE DRAMATIC THE AND EARLY EVGA7IES LEFT NO ONE PREPARED
CHANGE IF HE/SHE DECIDES TO SW/7CH, FOR THE UNASSUMING “REPOR7™ STYLE
OF HIS LANDMARK BIOGRAPHY MALS”

Come Fil ~ ) AO... REALLY. 1D

STAIRS ETTER. GET Goins
UTILE COFFEE. MT AWAY,..

IOAN
Ts

SCRI
AND
ART
ART
SPIE
©

PEKHAPS IF STRIPPED DOWN FAR ENOUGH, AND WHEN ART BECOMES A JOB
MOST ARTISTS’ ULTIMATE GOALS ARE NOT OK A MATTER OF SOCIAL STATUS
THAT DIFFERENT FROM ANYONE ELSE'S. THE POTENTIAL FOR CONFUSING ONE’S
EVEN FOR THOSE WITH A/G /DFALS, BASIC . GOALS GOES UP CONSIDERABLY.
INSTINCTS EXERT A POWERFUL ATTRACTION.

SURVIVAL > REPRODUCTION

BUT EVEN IF WE TAKE LIFE’S OF COURSE, NOT EVERYBODY TAKES THE

DISTRACTIONS \NTO ACCOUNT, IT'S LONG WAY AKOUND. SOME ARTISTS HAVE
STILL AMAZING HOW MUCH 7/M1E NO TROUBLE SETTING GOALS AND ACHIEVING
AND EFFORT |S SPENT BY COMICS THEM WITHOLIT ANY ZE7OURS...
CREATORS TRYING TO GET WHAT
THEY WANT OUT OF COMICS --

EVEN KNOW DREW ABOUT

MY DOG
BUSTER!

..-ESPECIALLY
IF THEIR GOALS
ARE MODEST ONES.
 I 6
IDEA/ SURFACE
PURPOSE

Wy
a
ANY
ARTIS7 CREATING
ANY WORK IN
MEDIUM WILL ALWAYS AND AZZ ASPECTS OF COMICS
FOLLOW THESE SVX STEPS HAVE THE POTEWTZ/AL
WHETHER THEY REALIZE FOR SELF-EXPRESSION,
IT OR WO7- EVEN WHEN FCONVOMIC
SURVIVAL \S THE
ALL ARTIST’S MAIN
WORKS BEGIN CONCERN.
WITH A PURPOSE,
HOWEVER ARG/7RARY;
ALL TAKE SOME FORM;
ALL BELONG TO AN
/DIOM CEVEN IF IT'S
AN IDIOM OF OVE); ALL
POSSESS A STRUCTURE;
ALL REQUIRE SOME
CRAFT; ALL
PRESENT A
SURFACE. THERE'S
ALWAYS ROOM
FOR A CERTAIN
AMOUNT OF “ART.”

BUT THE MORE A CREATOR LEARNS TO COMMAND THE ORDER OF THE SIX STEPS
ASPECT OF HIS/HER ART AND TO IS JMWWAZE. LIKE THE ARRANGEMENT
UNDERSTAND HIS/HER RELATIONSHIP 7@ IT, OF BONES IN A DINOSAUR’S SKELETON,
THE MORE “AR7/S7/C” CONCERNS ARE THEY CAN BE DISCOVERED \N ANY ORDER,
LIKELY TO GET THE L/PPER HAND. BUT WHEN SKOUGAT TOGETHER, THEY
WILL ALWAYS FALL INTO PLACE
SURFACE

182
IN PRACTICE, ANY ASPECT OF COMICS STILL, THE LEARNING PROCESS FOR MOST
MAY BE THE ONE WHICH FIRST DRAWS ARTISTS IS A SLOW AND STEADY JOURNEY
AN ARTIST INTO ITS ORBIT. FROM END 10 SEG/NNING,

WoeA/ | FORM STRUCTURE] CRAFT |SURFACE

PURPOSE
as

AND IT’S AT THE CORE OF ART THAT

THE MOST IMPORTANT QUESTION IS
FINALLY ASKED:

IDEA/ FORM
PURPOSE
“WHY AM Z DOING THIS 7"
i]

WHEN FORM RULES THE WORK, IT MAY BUT SUCH WORKS DON’T TAKE THE
SEEM SOMEWHAT ARZ7F/CIAL AT THE SHAPE OF ART FOR GRANTED AND
CORE, LIKE A SEEDLESS FRL//7. BY QUESTIONING OUR FLIVDAMENTAL
ASSUMPTIONS --
SURFACE
 Z)
Y,
YD

VPC CONL Legphate

WHILE IF (DEAS
RULE THE WORK AND
Be ee
DETERMINE ‘TS AND THE CYCLE CAN BEGIN AGAIN
‘SHAPE, COMICS CAN
HELP PLANT THOSE
IDEAS FAR AND WIDE
1,

“
Pe
~ { Wi.
alba
/
i/ACI
Tpit
Apts
PARRISH
M.
TO
APOLOGIES cz
 ee
eesee e@esese
eseeee

IN CHAPTER FIVE WE DEALT THROUGHOUT ART SOME, LIKE GEORGES

WITH THE EXPRESSIONISTIC POTENTIAL HISTORY, COLOR HAS SEURAT, DEVOTED
OF Z/VES AS ANTICIPATED BY ARTISTS THEIR L/VES TO ITS
AT THE TURN OF THE CENTURY, BUT STUDY.
C OF COURSE IT WAS COLOR WHICH CONCERN OF FINE
MOST CAPTIVATED ARTISTS ARTISTS EVERYWHERE,
OF THAT ERA.

i
NS

OTHERS, LIKE COLOR CAN BE A YET IN COMICS THERE ARE MANY

KANDINSKY, PORMIDABLE THE CAREER OF REASONS FOR THE
BELIEVED THAT ALLY FOR ARTISTS COLOR HAS BEEN, STORMY RELATIONSHIP
COLORS COULD HAVE IN ANY V/SZ/AL BETWEEN COMICS
PROFOUND PHYS/CAL AND COLOR, BUT MOST
AND EMO7/IOWAL CAN BE SUMMED UP
eee ON PEOPLE, WORDS.
@ oS THESE vewor
WALLS Maye NE
UN COMFORTABLES
M-m-MAR™
 TECHNOLOGY.

NOW AZZ ASPECTS BUT COLOR IN THE TECHNOLOGY OF COLOR REPRODUCTION

OF COMICS HISTORY COMICS HAS ALWAYS WAS FIRST ANTICIPATED IN /86/ WHEN
HAVE BEEN AFFECTED BEEN UNUSUALLY SCOTTISH PHYSICIST SIR JAMES CLERK-
BY COMMERCE. MONEY SENS/71IVE MAXWELL \SOLATED WHAT WE NOW CALL
HAS A TREMENDOUS TO THE SH/FTING THE THREE ADDITIVE PRIMARIES.
EFFECT ON WHAT 1S ZIDES_ OF.
AND /SN’7 SEEN. TECHNOLOGY. ‘La oo

THESE COLORS-- ROUGHLY, KED, BLU/E AND THEY WERE CALLED EIGHT YEARS
GREEN--WHEN PROJECTED TOGETHER ON A YTIVE BECAUSE LATER, FRENCH PIANI
A_ SCREEN !IN VAR/OUS COMBEBINATIONS, THEY LITERALLY LOUIS DUCOS DU
COULD REPRODUCE EVERY COLOR IN THE ADDED UP 10 PURE HALURON “* DEVISED
VISIBLE SPECTRUM. WHITE LIGHT. THE IDEA OF THREE
SUBTRACTIVE
PRIMARIES.

* WHOM 1 DOW’7 HAVE A

186 PICTURE OF.
 THESE COLORS -- CYAN, MAGENTA AND
YELLOW *--CAN ALSO MIX TO PRODUCE
ANY HUE IN THE VISIBLE SPECTRUM
BUT RATHER THAN JA. WING LIGHT, THESE
THREE DO IT BY PXZLTERING /7 OUTS

COLOR COMICS HIT COLOR BOOSTED SALES, AND THE STANDARD

THE NEWSPAP, BUT IT ALSO BOOSTED “FOUR COLOR”
INDUSTRY LIKE AN COSTS / MEASURES PROCESS 700K
ATOMIC BOMB! WERE TAKEN TO OVER.
STREAMLINE THE
PROCESS AND

THIS PROCESS THE LOOK OF THESE SO, WHILE THE EXPRESSIVE ART OF Z/VE
RESTRICTED THE COLORS, HELD By WAS SUBJECTED TO THE SUS7RACTIVE
INTENSITY OF THE BOLD, SIMPLE OUTLINES, FILTER OF COMMERCE ON ITS WAY TO
THREE PRIMARIES TO AND REPRODUCED ON COMICS, WAS SUBJECTED TO THE
100%,50% NDZOX%, CHEAP NEWSPRINT FILTERS OF BOTH COMMERCE AND 7ECH/VOLOG”
USING BLACK INK EVENTUALLY BECAME
FOR THE LINE WORK. THE LOOK OF COMICS
IN AMERICA.

om
— |e
>~lc|§
$
~ |o

4 FOR OPAQUE PIGMENTS: RED, YELLOW AND BLUE.

I KNOW, IT’S TOTALLY WEIRD. 187
 TO COUNTERACT THE DULLING EFFECTS
OF NEWSPRINT AND TO STAND OUT FROM THE
COMPETITION, COSTUMED HEROES WERE CLAD IN
BRIGHT, PRIMARY COLORS AND FOUGHTINA /
BRIGHT PRIMARY WORLD’

THE COLORS WERE WITHOUT THE -- WAS OFTEN AS ALWAYS,

PICKED FOR S7RENG7H EMOTIONAL IMPACT CANCELLED OUT THERE WERE SOME
AND CONTRASTED OF SIVGLE-COLOR TO AN EXCEPTIONS, BUT
STRONGLY WITH ONE SATURATION, THE EMOTIONAL THIS WAS THE
ANOTHER, BUT ON EXPRESSIVE POTENTIAL GREY. OVERALL TREND.
MOST PAGES NO ONE OF AMERICAN COLOR
COLOR DOMINATED, COMICS --

HOWEVER, WHILE COMICS COLORS WERE LESS MANY SEE THE AWOTHER PROPERTY
THAN AYPRESS/OWVIS7/C, THEY WERE FIXED SUPERHERO AS A OF FLAT COLORS 1S
WITH A NEW JCOM/C POWER. BECAUSE FORM OF MODERN THEIR TENDENCY TO
COSTUME COLORS REMAINED EXACTLY THE MYTHOLOGY. \F SO, EMPHASIZE THE
SAME, PANEL AFTER PANEL, THEY CAME TO THIS ASPECT OF COLOR SHAPE OF OBJECTS,
SYM@OLIZE CHARACTERS IN THE MIND MAY PLAY A PART. BOTH AM/MATE AND
OF THE READER. INANIMATE --
SYMBOLS ARE
THE STUFF OF
WHICH GODS ARE
MADE.

(ee
ft
=

ACTIV TA

188
--AS ANY CHILD THESE COLORS OBSECTIFY.
WHO HAS EVER THEIR SUBJECTS. WE BECOME
WORED-BY-NUMBERS” MORE AWARE OF THE PHYSICAL
KNOWS INSTINCTIVELY. FORM OF OBJECTS THAN IN
BLACK AND WHITE.
A GAME
IN MOTION
BECOMES
A BALL IN AIR.
A FACE
SHOWING
EMOTION
BECOMES A
HEAD AND
TWO HAND:

THE WORLD TAKES ON THE CHILDHOOD

REALITY OF THE PLAYGROUND AND
RECALLS A TIME WHEN SHAPE PRECEDED OF FLAT-COLOR
MEANING. OBLONG SWING SETS. COMICS ARE, ABOVE
CYLINDRICAL JUNGLE GYMS. THE ALL, MASTERS OF
WONDER OF 7A//MGS/ FORM AND

SHAPES PERSISTS IN WORLDS

FAIRLY GLOWING WITH THE MYSTERY
OF FIRST ENCOUNTERS.
ANY WONDER
THEN THAT COMICS
IN AMERICA HAS
BEEN SO RELUCTANT

Ca
 HERGE CREATED A
KIND OF DEMOCRACY
OF FORM \N WHICH
NO SHAPE WAS ANY
LESS IMPORTANT THAN
THE MAGIC OF THER-- A
SUCH FLAT
COLORS WITH
UNPRECEDENTED
SUBTLETY.

COMICS PRINTING WAS BUT OTHERS SUCH AS CLAVELOUX, CAZA SOME OF THIS WORK
SUPERIOR \N EUROPE AND MOEBIUS SAW IN THEIR SUPERIOR BEGAN REACHING
AND FOR HERGE. FLAT PRINTING AN OPPORTUNITY TO EXPRESS AMERICA IN THE 70%
COLORS WERE A THEMSELVES THROUGH A MORE INTENSE INSPIRING MANY
PREFERENCE, NOT A SUBSECTIVE PALETTE. YOUNG ARTISTS TO
NECESSITY. LOOK BEYOND THEIR
FOUR-COLOR WALLS.
FSGS.

SUDDENLY COLORS
IT SEEMED COULD TONES
POSSIBLE FOR EXPRESS A AND MODELLING | SCENES COULD
COLOR TO TAKE ON DOMINANT COULD ADD BE VIRTUALLY
A CENTRAL MOooD. ABOU7 COLOR!
ROLE.
 SINCE THE LATE SOME PUBLISHERS
70's, MORE AND AT THE BEGINNING
MORE “U/PSCALE* TRIED APPLYING
COLOR PROJECTS THE TRADITIONAL
HAVE BEGUN "FOUR-COLOR™ PROCESS
APPEARING IN TO BETTER PAPER
AMERICA. WITH GAR/SY
RESULTS.

COLOR AS
SENSATION,
COLOR AS
ENVIRONMENT.

WHEN MODELLING THE SURFACE WAS

AND MORE SUB7ZLE CHANGING, BUT NOT
HUES WERE APPLIED, THE CORE. FOR ALL
THOUGH, THEY SEEMED THEIR SUBTLE HUES,
OWT OF PLACE ON THE COMICS WERE STILL
OLD SHAPE-SENSITIVE BEING WRITTEN IN
LINE DRAWINGS. PRIMARY COLORS!

UNFORTUNATELY, THIS JS BEGINNING TO CHANGE

THE NEW COLOR IS STILL AN AS I WRITE THIS, BUT IT’S STILL THE
FORMA REQUIRED EXPENSIVE OPT/ON ZACEPTION, NOT THE KLE. COMIC]
THE CREATION AND HAS HISTORICALLY YA ARTISTS WANTING TO CONDUCT 2022 Jam
BEEN IN THE HANDS NEW EXPERIMENTS |N COMICS ART-~_ 297
OF LARGER, MORE ZA
CONSERVATIVE
PUBLISHERS.
HAVE TO LEARN
IN MOST CASES
TO BE BOLD IN
BLACK AND
WAITES
 IN BLACK AND WHITE, IN FLAT COLORS
THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE IDEAS BEA/VD FORMS 7HEMSELVES
BLACK-AND-WHITE AND COLOR THE ART ARE TAKE ON MORE
COMICS ARE VAS7 AND PROFOUND, COMMUNICATED MORE SIGNIFICANCE. THE
AFFECTING EVERY LEVEL OF DIRECTLY. MEANING WORLD BECOMES A
THE READING EXPERIENCE. TRANSCENDS FORM. PLAYGROUND OF
ART APPROACHES
LANGUAGE.

A
°3;o

» ‘Os HM

THE SURFACE QUALITIES OF COLOR WILL WE LIVE INA

CONTINUE TO ATTRACT READERS MORE WORLD OF COLORS,
EASILY THAN BLACK AND WHITE, AND THE NOT JUST BLACK AWD
STORY OF COLOR WILL NO DOUBT CONTINUE WHITE. COLOR COMICS
EN TO BE INTERTWINED WITH THE FORCES OF WILL ALWAYS SEEM
SENSATIONS THAT COMMERCE AND 7ECHNVOLOG” MORE “ZEAL” AT
ONLY COLOR CAN FIRST GLANCE,

BUT COMICS READERS ONE THING'S FOR

LOOK FOR MAWY THINGS SURE, THOUGH.
BESIDES “REAL/7Y* WHEN USED WELL, -- AMOUNT TO
AND, TECHNOLOGY COLOR IN COMICS FAR MORE THAN
NOTWITHSTANDING, CAN --LIKE COMICS THE SUM OF
COLOR WILL NEVER ITSELF-- ITS PARTS.
REPLACE BLACK AND
. WHITE ENTIRELY.
aieibtt cl
 ait
YW uy’ "lig

a
uN WM 447

\N “Vas
\\ \\
\
ica Mit tEI re: AN
SOVAR WEA Pa
N\
etal ||\\\WW
2
PS

i=
~=587
<2.

CONDITION. \

RSS4,1,
lA P| || \W Yin \
193
 L
S |

s WE ALL LIVE IN A STATE OF NO OTHER HUMAN BEING CAN

is
FROFOLNP ISOLATION. EVER KNOW WHAT IT’S LIKE TO

3s
= BE YOU FROM THE IWWSYDE.

ZY
“4
|.

fe
:

N D NO AMOUNT OF KEACH/VG
OWT TO OJHERS CAN EVER MAK E
HEM FEEL EXACTLY WHAT
YOL/ FEEL.
7»

os
a
é

=
So SSK

i
PEW

ALL MEDIA OF COMMUNICATION

ARE A 8Y-FPRODUCT OF OUR SAD
T|

INABIL/7Y TO COMMUNICATE
DIRECTLY FROM MIND TOMI: ‘D.

1
|
 {
SAD, OF COURSE, BECAUSE NEARLY EACH MEDIUM (THE TERM COMES
ALL PROBLEMS IN HUMAN HISTORY FROM THE LATIN WORD MEANING

ii
S7EM FROM THAT INABILITY. MIDDLE ) SERVES AS A BRIDGE
SETWEEN MINDS.

SPOKEN. WORD

THOUGHTS
roo WRITTEN WORD
TRAVERSE THE
PHYSICAL WORLD
AND BE
KE-CONVERTED
BY ONE
OK MORE SENSES /
SACK INTO
A.” THOUGHTS. 454

CINEMA

IN COMICS THE CONVERSION IDEALLY THE ARTIST'S "MESSAGE ”

FOLLOWS A PATH FROM MINE WILL RUN THIS GAUNTLET WITHOUT
TO HAND 10 9 1 il TO EM BEING AFFECTED By IT, BUT IN
TO MIND. PRACTICE THIS |S RARELY THE CASE.

195
 THE COMICS T “SFE” ASK ANY WRYTER
IN MY MIND WILL VEVER OR A/LMMAKER OR
BE SEEN IN THEIR ENTIRETY FAINTER JUST HOW
BY ANYONE ELSE, NO MUCH OF A GIVEN
MATTER HOW HARD PROJECT TRULY
REPRESENTS WHAT
HE/SHE EWV/S/ONED
IT TO BE.

YOU'LL HEAR --OR, FOR SOME

TWENTY PERCENT... : ARTISTS, THE
7EN.., FIVE... THE MIASTERY OF ONE'S MEDIUM DEGREE TO WHICH
IS THE DEGREE TO WHICH THAT THE INEVITABLE
FEW WILL PERCENTAGE CAN BE JWCREASED, DETOURS ARE MADE
CLAIM MORE THE DEGREE TO WHICH THE ARTIST’S USEFUL BY THE
THAN 7H/R7¥. IDEAS SU/RV/VE THE JOURNEY-- ARTIST.

ERA
PPPOE
|
OR
RYALS
naadiaaaaiell
AS I SAID
IN CHAPTER SEVEN,
I BELIEVE WE AZZ HAVE
SOMETHING TO SAY TO
THE WORLD. I'M A F/R
[i THERE'S ONLY ONE POWER THAT
CAN BREAK THROUGA THE WALL
WHICH SEPARATES ALL ARTISTS

a
BELIEVER \N THE /NHERENT, FROM THEIR AUDIENCE--THE POWER
vA WORTH OF ALL (WNER
ia)
i
OF LINDERSTANDING.

ae i
|
||
\ at

196
 yO) |

YZ|>
Lg
TODAY, COMICS IS ONE OF THE
UNDERSTANDING S
VERY FEW FORMS OF (MASS
COMICS IS SER/OUS COMMLVICATION IN WHICH
BUSINESS. ta JIVD/V/IDUAL VOICES STILL
XY HAVE A CHANCE TO BE AEARD.
|S

4
at”
firag
yt

hy
‘
? We hema
¢:

if
( i(grant je
a”

it ii ro
)
| i.

THOSE OF US WHO TACKLE THE

ih, SULUSINESS OF COMICS HAVE MANY
OBSTACLES TO OVERCOME--
GHH
sss
4,‘iy
--BUT THEY FALE
IN COMPARISON TO
WHAT A FILMMAKER
S OR PLAYWRIGHT
nal
HAS TO CONTEND
4

nat
~
a
«
nN
~
=
mo
*
.
, ——~

:
Con
EO
— Seer
wee,
AR
aA
woe,
Aer
ALTO OOe
R~
Ne <0 een TO
OPO DP DPPAP PSA
Ss ISOS
ord

COMICS
WELCOMES
ANY WRITER OR
ARTIST TO STEP INTO
ITS WORLD, A WORLD
AS CLOSE AS PEN
OR y Hte AND

TYPES
THESE
BE
TO
HAVE
DON'T
THEY
NO,
AND
PENS
OF
PENCILS
 <}e g Sv S

iCn

e'O@
F Ww =Ke O Ww N 8)Wy a & fi tv Ww > Wu Zz i w Uv)12) = < Z ~ es = = < Zz

eT

a
er

BEINGS FROM SEEING EACH OTHER CLEA RLY CAN ONLY BE

@
Np - bono
BREACHED BY een baie

\ 4

a,(
itty
‘Ane

‘gt
weer

i
Vineinlt (|
"iais
ae

}
ff
sali:
;
i

vm
nl
“a
‘ene
4

s<S=sa=-
=a
ane".
'=
iy

i
iM
Ll&

1
HE FORMS THAT I'VE BEEN
COMMUNICATION TRYING TO
CAN TAKE. UNDERSTAND
‘.

COMICS FOR
ABOLIT 15 YEARS
HERE'S WHAT T'VE
COME UP WITH
4

SO FAR
 > i 7
ie T | THIS MEANS LEARNING TO
y’ST EP IN ANY SUCH SEPARATE THE FORM OF
EFFORT IS TO CLEAR COMICS FROM ITS OFTEN
OUR MINDS OF ALL [y-! INCONSISTENT. COWZENTS.
PRECONCEIVED A
NOTIONS ABOUT ;
COMICS.

a 7 YN.

A Ce) renee
se
4 N
Ny, a CAN
CV64
‘WE DISCOVER THE
| : FULL RANGE OF
ag} POSSIBILITIES
QW 4 COMICS OFFER.

THE BEST DEF/WV/7/0N

FOR COMICS WILL, I THINK
BE THE MOST EXPANSIVE.

5
Yr} Uy
SEQUENTIAL
216 :x.
FOR
PAGE
SEE
INFORMATION.
COPYRIGHT

-- AND FAR INTO THE PAST

BEYOND THE ARTIFICIAL “S7AR77NG
DEFINITION CAN TAKE POINT"OF 1896 ANDTHE YELLOW KID’ J—|
COMICS FAR INTO
THE FUTURE--

AND OTHER AND OTHER

IMAGES IN DELIBERATE
DELIBERATE SEQUENCE
SEQUENCE

199
 OVER
THREE THOUSAND
YEAR'S BEYOND!

THERE’S AN
7 \NCREDIBLE WEALTH
¥ OF ANCIENT COMICS
AND SOME MAY YET
HOLD THE KEY
TO COMICS’
FUTURE!

DISCOVERING
AND CA7ALOGUING
THIS WORK HAS
ALREADY BEGUN."
BUT THERE'S MUCH
MORE THAT MEEDS
TO BE DONES

THERE'S
D/A BIG GAPING
AIOLE \N THE
OFFICIAL H/STORY
OF ART AND IT'S A/GH

DS
\ r;

Ne 4

200 *SEE PAGE 216 FOR FURTHER INFORMATION

 THROUGH THE WORKS AND W@/77NGS OF THESE --AND THE ATTITUDES THAT WERE TO
NEGLECTED MASTERS, WE SEE THE A7RST GLIMPSES OBSCURE THAT POTENTIAL FOR
OF COMICS’ L/MITLESS POTENTIAL AS AN ART FORM-- MANY YEARS TO COMES

*““...the picture- ae |
story, which critics addition, the
disregard and picture-story
scholars scarcely appeals
notice, has had mainly to
great influence at children and
all times, perhaps the lower
even more than classes...”
written literature.”
Rudolphe Topffer
Rudolphe Topffer 1845
1845
E.
BY
TR
WIES

ATTITUDES WHICH HAVE ALLOWED SOME OF ELEVATED ND

MODERN COMICS’ MOST PROMIS/NG ARTISTS THEIR HERITAGE BY A
TO BE SEGREGA7ED FROM THEIR ML/CH- |
MALIGNED COLUSIVS.

i WA he r cl fen yu
i
iatl
UNNI
Mi? ceyefF sil alemg Viye
py y') (i
HEX yeu: 2

SEE PAGE 216 FOR COPYRIGHT INFORMATION.

201
COMICS THE WHOLE
IS A Woe eve UAL
S/GHT- IEONOGRAPH,
IS AT THE DISPOSAL
BASED OF COMNCS
MEDIUM. CREATORS S

TWO EYES §Tay youth's

ONE Moun Zoe tivery,
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HAS HARNESSED THE
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TO COMMAND WEWER
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BUT NOWHERE IS THE BALANCE eS 44
BETWEEN THE VAS/BZE AND THE
INVISIBLE MORE COMSPICLOUS
THAN IN PICTURES AND WORDS...

-- AND GROWN WIDER AND WIDER FOR

CENTURIES UNTIL EVENTUALLY, ALL
CONNECTION WAS LOST--

207
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REDISCOVERED
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TODAY'S COMICS
DO THEIR DANCE
WIT? THE INVISIBLE
BETTER THAN
FEVER BEFORE.

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LANGUAGE OF
COMICS CONTINUES
TO EVOLVE --
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BUT EVOLUTION ISA
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DEVELOPED IN RELATIVE
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SOCIAL e
‘ ALLEGORY MYSTERY
ADAPTATIONS | RELIGIOUS
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POSSIBILITIES FOR
COMICS ARE-- AS
THEY ALWAYS
HAVE BEEN--

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EMENDOU. RANGE AND
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WITH ALL THE
AND ARTISTS: O POTENTIAL IMAGERY
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CONTROL, A FAINTING
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-- AND THE
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 IS THE WORLD
OF COMICS AS
I UNDERSTAND
IT SO FAR.

214
 I’VE LEARNED A £07 ABOUT COMICS => HOWEVER YOU THINK ABOUT IT.
INCE BEG/MNING THIS PROJECT AND I EXPERIENCE COMICS--
KNOW ZI HAVE A LOT ZEF7 TO LEARN. R AND THANKS —
FOR L/STENING.
I HOPE
you’LL ALL
CONSIDER
EXPLORING --

DID I TAKE
THAT LONG? I'M
SORRY. I BETTER
LET you GO!
wor wordswordswor wordswordswor wordswordswor

Selected Bibliography. eee Carol Tyler © herself; Morty the Dag © Steve
illis.
Chip, Herschel B., editor: Theories of Modern Other Art © Sampei Shirato, Koike-Kojima, Mary
Fleener, Matt Groening, Riyoko Ikeda, Joost Swarte,
Art(Berkele : University of California Harold H. Knerr, Albin Michel S. A., Dr. Seuss, O.
Press, 1968} low, Jose Munoz and Krystine Kryttre.
Eisner, Will: Comics and Sequential Art age 12: To the Heart of the Storm © Will Eisner.
(Princeton, Wi: Kitchen Sink Press, Inc., Page 24: The Original painting “The Treachery of
1992 Images” by Rene Magritte resides at The Los Angeles
Kina David: The Early Comic Strip County Museum of Art. Our thanks to the museum for
a University of California Press, allowing us to imitate the Enage
Page 30: As on page 4, plus Kermit © Henson
1973). Associates; Bugs Bunny © Warner Brothers; Bart ©
McLuhan, Marshall: Understanding Media 20th Century Fox; Mrs. Potts © Walt Disney
(New York: McGraw-Hill Book Co., 1964). Productions; hy le © Archie Comics; Casper ©
Schwartz, Tony: Media: The Second Go Harvey Comics; tle Bailey © King Features.
(New York: Anchor Books, 1983). Page 45: Savage Dragon © Erik Larsen;
Wiese, E., editor, translator: Enter: The Tumbleweeds © King Features; Gizmo © Michael
Comics-- Rodolphe Topffer’s Essay on Dooney; Jenny © Ivan Velez; Nancy © United Features
Syndicate, Inc.; Shadow Hawk © Jim Valentino; Bob ©
Physiognomy and the True ony of Terry Laban; Portia Prinz © Richard Howell; Dr. Radium
Monsieur Crepin (Lincoln, Ne: University of © Scott Saavedra; Spawn © Todd McFarlane; Mr.
Nebraska Press, 1965). Monster © Michael T. Gilbert; Cutey Bunny © Joshua
Special note: Kunzle’s book (see above) has Quagmire; The Maximortal © Rick Veitch; Raphael ©
gone virtually unnoticed by the comics Mirage Licensing; Panda Khan © Monica Sharp and
community but is an enormously important Dave Garcia.
work, covering nearly 400 years of Page 56: As on pages 4, 50 and 51 plus: Steve ©
Gilbert Hernandez; Art © Mary Fleener; Checkered
forgotten European comics. Check it out! Demon © S. Clay Wilson; Bear © Rory Hayes; Micky
Rat © R. Amst ; Art © Kim Deitch.
Copyright Information. Page
83: AL HELD. The Big N. (My facsimile). The
original is synthetic polymer paint on canvas, 9'3/8" x
Page 4: El Borba © Charles Burns; Mister 9'. Collection, The Museum of Modern Art, New York.
O’Malley, Buster Brown, Miss Peach and Nemo © Mrs. Armand P. Bartos Fund.
Field Newspaper Syndicate, Inc.; David Chelsea © Page 126: As on pages 4, 50 and 51 plus: Reed
himself; Cynicalman © Matt Feazell; The Dragon Lady, Richards and Cable © Marvel Entertainment Group;
Little Orphan Annie, Dick Tracy and Uncle Walt © The Teen Titans © D.C. Comics; Tantrum © Jules
Chicago Tribune -- New York News Syndicate; E. Z. Feiffer; and art © Munoz and Sampayo, Jooste Swarte,
Mark, Flash Gordon, Jiggs, Hi and Popeye © King Art Spiegelman and Will Eisner.
Features Syndicate, Inc; Alley Oop and Bull Dawson © Page 133: The Rose of Versailles © Riyoko Ikeda;
NEA Service Inc.; Felix the Cat, Polly and Her Pals © other art © H. Sato and (7).
Newspaper Feature Service; Li'l Abner, Charlie Brown, Page 199: Daredevil, Ghost Rider, The Punisher, X-
Gordo and Nancy © United Features Syndicate; Factor, The Amazing Spider-Man, Thor, X-Force,
Shazam! (Captain Marvel), Death, Superman, Wonder Wolverine, X-Men, Hulk and Iron Man © and tm Marvel
Woman, Batman, Plastic Man and Alfred E. Neuman © Entertainment Group; Superman, Batman, Robin,
D.C. Comics; Gen © Keiji Nakazawa; Colin Upton © Sandman and Lobo © and tm D.C. Comics; Aliens ©
himself; Betty © Archie Comics; Beanish © Larry and tm 20th Century Fox; Dark Horse Presents © Dark
Marder; Danny © Terry Laban; The Snowman © Horse Comics; Spawn © and tm Todd McFarlane; The
Raymond Briggs; Adele Blanc-Sec and Tintin © Pitt © Dale Keown; Youngblood © and tm Rob Liefeld.
Casterman; Arale © Akira Toriyama; Alec © Eddie Page 201: As on pages 4, 50 and 51.
Campbell; Groo © Sergio Aragones; Dan Clowes © Page 208: Batman returns tm Warner Bros.; Linus ©
himself; Cerebus the Aardvark © Dave Sim; Micky U.F.S., inc.; Action Comics © and tm D.C. Comics.
Mouse and Scrooge McDuck © Walt Disney The Yellow Kid © Scripps-Howard Newspapers
Productions; Jack © Jerry Moriarty; Cardinal Syn ©
Steve Bissette; The Spirit © Will Eisner; Mike © Garry Originals for Sale / Letters of Comment.
Trudeau; Heraclio © Gilbert Hernandez; Asterix and
Laureline © Dargaud Editeur; Reid Fleming © Boswell;
Theodore Death Head © Pascal Doury; The Torpedo © For information on original art, write to:
Catalan Communications; Frank © Jim Woodring; Scott McCloud, Box 798, Amherst, MA 01004.
Viadek and Art © Art Spiegelman; Omaha © Reed Letters of comment are appreciated (if
Waller and Kate Worley; Krazy Kat © International seldom answered due to overwhelming
Features Syndicate; The Thing, Wolverine and Spider- commitments), but | would especially
Man © Marvel Entertainment Group; Harvey Pekar © appreciate a public discussion of these issues
himself; Maggie © Jaime Hernandez; Astroboy ©
Osamu Tezuka; Cutter © WaRp Graphics; Leonardo in comics’ trade journals, art magazines,
© Mirage Licensing; R. Crumb © himself; Zippy © Bill computer nets and any other forum. This book
Griffith: Arzach © Moebius: Wendel © Howard Cruse; is meant to stimulate debate, not settle it.
Flaming Carrot © Bob Burden; Ricky © Kyle Baker; Ed
© Chester Brown; Julie Doucet © herself: Amy © Mark I've had my say.
Beyer; Concrete © Paul Chadwick; Pogo © Selba Now, it’s your turn.
Kelly; Bitchy Bitch © Roberta Gregory; Piker © Mariscal;
A. Mutt © McNaught Syndicate, Inc.; Mark Martin ©
CARTOONS/ART HISTORY
“If you've ever felt bad about wasting
“In one lucid; well-designed chapter after another, he guides your life reading comics, then check
us through the elements of comics style, and . . . how words out Scott McCloud’s classic book
combine with pictures to work their singular magic. When immediately. You still might feel
the 215-page journey is finally over, most readers will find it you've wasted your life, but you'll
know why, and you'll be proud.”
difficult to look at comics in quite the same way ever again.” — MATT GROENING
—GARRY TRUDEAU
NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW “Understanding Comics is spellbind-
ing! Scott McCloud’s witty and loving
analysis of comics should be in every
TAKE A MAGIC CARPET RIDE
WITNESS A HISTORY MORE bookstore, every library, every teen
THROUGH THE HIDDEN WORLDS
THAN 3,000 YEARS OLD. center, every waiting room, every uni-
OF COMICS STORYTELLING.
versity, and most especially every
home. McCloud is the McLuhan of
comics!”
— JAMES GURNEY, DINOTOPIA
HURRY UF; WILLYA PS
“Cleverly disguised as an easy-to-read
comic book, Scott McCloud’s simple-
looking tome deconstructs the secret
language of comix while casually
revealing secrets of Time, Space, Art
and the Cosmos! The most intelligent
comix Ive seen in a long time. Bravo.”
— ART SPIEGELMAN
EXPLORE THE SECRETS FEEL THE ENERGY OF
BETWEEN THE PANELS. LINE AND COLOR. “...@ rare and exciting work that
ingeniously uses comics to examine
the medium itself.”
— PUBLISHERS WEEKLY

“... one of a kind, a combination of

everything funny and profound, cool
and quirky.”
— CHICAGO SUN-TIMES

“. . @ fascinating illumination of a
major aspect of the rapidly progress-
ing visual revolution.”
TAP INTO THE POWER GET A RING-SIDE SEAT FOR THE — IAN BALLANTINE
OF SYMBOLS. BATTLE OF WORDS AND PICTURES.
“BRAVO!! . .. Understanding Comics is
a landmark dissection and intellectual
consideration of comics as a valid
medium. Everyone . . . anyone interest-
ed in this literary form must read it.”
— WILL EISNER

“If | knew half as much as Scott, this

would be the book I'd write!”
— JIM LEE

AND MOST OF ALL, SEE WHY COMICS CAN BE AS VITAL AND IMPORTANT ISBN 0-0b-09?b25~-X
AS FILM, PROSE OR ANY OTHER ART FORM, THROUGH THE FASCINATING 90000
PROCESS THAT LEADS TO REALLY UNDERSTANDING COMICS.

A Kitchen Sink Press Book for

9"780060"976255
& HarperPerennial USA $20.00
A Division of HarperCollinsPublishers CANADA = $26.75 Cover design by Steve Vance & Cindy Vance