Making Comics: Storytelling Secrets of Comics, Manga and Graphic Novels Paperback – Illustrated, 2 Nov. 2006

Fun and informative

If you are interested at all on how to build comics and all of the unspoken techniques that go into creating them, this is simply the best resource available as the core starting point. Not only is it highly detailed in it's approach, but the entire book is a comic book itself, and every technique it describes is demonstrated inside the book, so nothing is left nebulous or undefined. Certainly I have found this an invaluable resource for my own work, and I have yet to have any other artist speak of this book with anything other than high praise.

I didn’t realise how much I needed to read this until I read the first page. From there? I was hooked.In addition to being an amazing cartoonist, Scott has an incredibly engaging manner that informs without patronising and presents a wealth of knowledge without shoving it down your throat, (as I write this, I’m imagining the evocative panels he might draw to illustrate those metaphors).It doesn’t matter if you’re a prospective comic creator or just interested in the medium, this book is an absolute page-turner. Think of it as an incredibly well-thought out stream of consciousness or a journey guide than a list of do’s and dont’s.Hopefully that’ll help you decide whether this is the book for you.

This.Is.Great.Now let me explain why:I remember picking up this book ages ago, taking one look at the cartoony interior and putting it back on the shelf. I was very much unimpressed with the drawing style inside and it was far beneath my discerning tastes.Of course...I was an idiot back then.Now being a little bit older and a lot wiser, I've finally cottoned on to what exactly this book is about.It's not there to teach you how to draw, there are a gazillion other ways to learn how to do THAT, this is here to teach you how to 'draw words and write pictures' and it delivers on that promise and then some.You can take this book in two ways. You can either; a) dip in here and there and extract the bits of information that you need (though i would recommend reading it all once through at least once) or b) take it as it was intended and work through it as you would any other course. Each chapter is similarly laid out to a tutor's lecture and it followed up with a set of 'homework' assignments.Sounds boring and a lot of hard work but -hey- if you're doing comics, hard work is the way to go. The effort is worth it. Nearly everything in this book is just the sense your mother raised you with but you will find yourself reading it and saying "oh, RIIIIIGHT...". It makes sense of things that can otherwise be undefinable and helps you learn things that you might otherwise have dismissed as being purely instinctive and impossible to learn.I could go on like this for quite some time, but i do beleive there is a word limit, so i shall finish with this:If you're serious about getting into comics and learning the art for what it is -seemlessly combining good writing with good art- then you need this book.BUY IT!

A well thought out and organized book about the creational process of comic production, rather than a book about "how to draw comics". Anyone who is into visual arts as a way of transferring information - or indeed just as a form of entertainment - would do well to read this book.Be advised that this book is a graphic novel about comics and graphic novels. Well... could it have been written any other way?

Bought for a sixteen year boy who was unaware that there were books that enabled you learn the art of creating comic drawing. He was thrilled with the book.

After reading Understanding Comics, I took another punt and bought Making Comics and again it paid off. I definitely feel like I have learnt so much more than I thought I would. From interesting facts to ways to incorporate certain features of a comic into my own, the book really has blown me away. The series Scott McCloud has produced is definitely a must buy before delving into the world of creating comic books. Like a fool I jumped straight in with no research a except a few comic books I own, instant regret after reading these.

Ever so useful not only for aspiring comic book writers but for any author. People interested in how stories are constructed would also find this interesting. I loved it.