In his first two chapters of his book titled, “Understanding Comics” Scott McCloud outlines the definition as to what exactly a comic is. Using the art of comics as his actual narrative (so maybe its not a book, just a collection of comics?) he defines comics as sequential art. McCloud compares comics to film and clears up the misunderstanding that comics come in all sorts of art forms that don’t necessarily feature them on a “comic strip.” McCloud further notes that comics date back much farther than one might think. In fact, comics were the first form of narrative history used by our ancestors. McCloud analyzes ancient pieces discovered by Cortes as well as the Bayeux Tapestry and Egyptian hieroglyphics. In chapter 2 McCloud further analyzes comic by breaking down the vocabulary that comics contain. He proves the point that the images act as symbols for certain things. A sketch of a cow is not simply a cow, even though we may perceive it as that. This printed image of a cow acts as an icon.
So far, I enjoy how McCloud is presenting his data in “Understanding Comics.” This is the first time that I have ever had information presented to me this way, especially in “comic” form. The author highlights the fact that our culture is so symbol-oriented that may things that we view daily fall under the category of comics.
No comments:
Post a Comment