Reinventing Comics: How Imagination and Technology Are Revolutionizing an Art Form 
asked by ivan on November 8, 2006 6:11 AM
Scott McCloud's Reinventing Comics, the sequel to his groundbreaking work Understanding Comics, is a study of two revolutions: a failed one and a potential one. His 1993 book was not only a chronicle of the potential breakthrough of comics (which he redefined as "sequential art") into a legitimate art form but a sterling example itself of the medium's astonishing untapped potential. Now, seven years later, he chronicles the failure of the comic book industry to fulfill that promise, but also explores how the movement can be restarted, particularly by utilizing the resources of another spectacularly successful revolution, the Internet. In the first half of Reinventing Comics, an elegantly clean example of comic art in McCloud's trademark bold black-and-white style, the author outlines how hype, speculation, and artistic burnout led to the genre's decline. He then lays out 12 paths toward a new revolution of comics, including creators' rights, industry innovation, public perception, gender balance, and diversity of genre, which are then explored with such innovative intelligence that, as with his earlier work, the conclusions he comes to are fascinating for both artists and nonartists alike.
Three of his paths, however, are of particular interest to anyone who wants to know how the Internet will affect both our lives and the livelihoods of future artists. Understanding Comics, with its brilliant how-to guide on marrying image and language, has become an indispensable reference for many Web designers. Now McCloud returns the favor by focusing on how the digital revolution will influence production, delivery, and the art form of comics itself. Informative without being pedantic, controversial without being argumentative, and always entertaining, this is both a worthy sequel to the author's brilliant original and a work that opens up the potential for an entirely different direction for sequential art in the realm of cyberspace. --John Longenbaugh
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No other word for it. Mcloud strikes again with another amazing insite to comics, specifically to comics' future. The ideas presented in this book are feasible and inspiring for comic artists and readers. The possibilities are endless and Mcloud gives a good fertile starting ground.
reviewed by ctj on November 15, 2006 12:41 PM
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In the 1950s, television filled the void left by the Senate inquiries and the imposition of the comics code. A new resurgence in the 60s, comic books were exciting again, carrying into the 70s spurred by superhero AND horror/mystery comics. Bottoming out again in the eighties, this time the culprit- video games.
Today the enemies, television and gaming, are still with us vieing for our time. Comics are not truly accessable to the buying public. They've become the property of an exclusive club that seems to revel mostly in some artist's wet dreams. How nice to know they can excercise his or her artistic rights and freedom. But no one is buying it! It's dead for all intents and purposes. Comic shops have to fill their shelves with collectible toys to make it.
The comics I buy are at liest more than 30 years old. The new ones just are not interesting and even with all of this self-examination and navel probing, the quality just isn't there. It's my opinion that it doesn't have to read like Shakespear and look like Rembrant to be a good comic. But it must entertain.
The effort has been underway for years to leave the lowly comic book in the dust, replaced by the Graphic Novel. All in the name of impoving (the perception anyway) of the comic book market! Even HBOs Tales From the Crypt" opening credits state 'Adapted from the comic MAGAZINE...'
The internet will not save comic books. It isn't a 'book' in the first place. Illegal downloading will kill it. Scanning comic books is already a problem. The salvation of the medium is in the hands of something that is not real? If you cannot hold it and carress it in your hands like a lover then it will not satisfy (oops, better watch my own dreaming!). I do have a love affair with comic books.
The only salvation I believe are two things:
1) Comic books must be put back into the public eye through stores or what have you. Recruitment to comic books through casual 'walk by' customers who are not necessarily seeking out comics, they just happen upon them out in public stores. Yes, the great unwashed and 'unenlightend' masses parting with their three bucks is the only thing that will help save the comicbooks!
2) The superhero must die! And artists and writers must excercise self control or face the imposition of a new comics code!
Today the enemies, television and gaming, are still with us vieing for our time. Comics are not truly accessable to the buying public. They've become the property of an exclusive club that seems to revel mostly in some artist's wet dreams. How nice to know they can excercise his or her artistic rights and freedom. But no one is buying it! It's dead for all intents and purposes. Comic shops have to fill their shelves with collectible toys to make it.
The comics I buy are at liest more than 30 years old. The new ones just are not interesting and even with all of this self-examination and navel probing, the quality just isn't there. It's my opinion that it doesn't have to read like Shakespear and look like Rembrant to be a good comic. But it must entertain.
The effort has been underway for years to leave the lowly comic book in the dust, replaced by the Graphic Novel. All in the name of impoving (the perception anyway) of the comic book market! Even HBOs Tales From the Crypt" opening credits state 'Adapted from the comic MAGAZINE...'
The internet will not save comic books. It isn't a 'book' in the first place. Illegal downloading will kill it. Scanning comic books is already a problem. The salvation of the medium is in the hands of something that is not real? If you cannot hold it and carress it in your hands like a lover then it will not satisfy (oops, better watch my own dreaming!). I do have a love affair with comic books.
The only salvation I believe are two things:
1) Comic books must be put back into the public eye through stores or what have you. Recruitment to comic books through casual 'walk by' customers who are not necessarily seeking out comics, they just happen upon them out in public stores. Yes, the great unwashed and 'unenlightend' masses parting with their three bucks is the only thing that will help save the comicbooks!
2) The superhero must die! And artists and writers must excercise self control or face the imposition of a new comics code!
reviewed by scanner on November 21, 2006 2:39 AM