Book Review

Comics and Sequential Art by Will Eisner

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Genre: Art, Nonfiction

Back in November 2015, I reviewed Understanding Comics by Scott McCloud. At the time, a lot of people suggested that I read Comics and Sequential Art by Will Eisner, and I’m so glad they did. Understanding Comics is a wonderful Comics 101 course and Comics and Sequential Art kicks it up to the next level.

Comics and Sequential Art presumes that the reader has a working definition of what a comic is and that the reader has a certain comfort with the material. The chapters originated as a series of essays and also came out of the curriculum of a class Eisner taught at the School of Visual Arts in New York City. The language isn’t so academic that it’s difficult to read, but it’s definitely pitched towards a serious reader, writer, or artist.

This book covers basic concepts and then uses stories from The Spirit ( A | BN | G ), Eisner’s most famous comic, to illustrate them. Here are a few things that jumped out at me:

In comics, “text reads as an image.” The font, the spacing, the placement, the visual aspects to how the text is written become another kind of illustration. Similarly, the illustrations change the meaning of the text. Here’s an example, from the section on expressive anatomy:

An illustrated man saying I'm Sorry with ten different physical poses ranging from a shrug to looking at his fingernails to pulling his hair in agony conveying different meaning of the phrase

 

There’s a huge section on panels – how they are constructed, panels within panels, the page as a panel, and why we have them (also, why we sometimes get rid of them). Eisner is very interested in using panels in innovative ways as part of his style. I especially enjoyed his explanation of how perspective within a panel can change from panel to panel to affect the reader in different way:

The primary function of perspective should be to manupulate the readers orientation fora purpose in accord with the narrative plan. Eye level vs overhead vs ground level vs character POV are important determinations to make

 

I’ve never understood what it means when someone says they “write” comics. It’s not that I downplay the work of the writer or the artist; it’s just that I never understood the mechanic of how the process works. So it was especially exciting for me to read the section on the process of making a comic for the writer and the artist (sadly, Eisner doesn’t address the people who do the inking or coloring, who are often different people).

The writer writes something like a detailed screenplay, not just words and plot. The writer will describe what’s happening in the panels, the number of panels, and their placement. Each panel is written like its own little scene. Eisner points out that if the writer and the artist are different people, it’s important to give the artist enough leeway to tinker with the writer’s directions so that the work can be as artistically effective as possible.

For instance, in one example the writer describes two panels as even rectangles. By splitting the panels into four, uneven rectangles, the artist can heighten the feeling of tension and claustrophobia that the writer is trying to convey in a way that the writer had not thought of.

 

The script as written called for four rectangles but Eisner drew them as rectangles of varying width to create tension and a sense of timing to the sequence

 

Other topics include facial expression, posture, how to indicate timing, and how to use not only the panel but also the frame around the panel as an expressive device.

A Contract with God
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I haven’t read many of Eisner’s comics, and I suspect that I would not be a huge fan of their content, as much as I admire Eisner’s technique. Based on my very limited reading sample, his comics to tend be noir, with the dark and sometimes misogynistic worldview that noir entails. However, his legacy in the comics industry can’t be overstated. He consistently pushed comics, his own and others, to be more sophisticated in terms of both art and writing. His book A Contract With God was one of the first graphic novels. Having the opportunity to learn from one of the pioneers of comics is incredibly exciting. It’s also one of those occasions when revealing how the magic trick is done makes the magic trick more, not less, interesting. While this is a must-read for comics writers and artists, I think readers will enjoy it as well!

On last note – the edition of the book that I read was written in 1985 with an addition regarding computers added in 1990. It’s hilarious to read Eisner’s take on graphic novels – he likes them, in fact he pioneered them, but will they take off? He’s dubious. It’s also very, very funny in hindsight to read his thoughts on computers and comics. Computers haven’t ruined comics, Eisner. We’re all good here.

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Comics and Sequential Art by Will Eisner

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  1. Vasha says:

    Yes, this is a fascinating book; although it’s rather idiosyncratic, so that most comic creators would find that not all of it suits their style. I also really like Thierry Groensteen’s Comics: A User’s Guide, which is addressed to readers rather than creators.

  2. Rhoda Baxter says:

    Thanks for this. I’m a casual fan of comics and graphic novels (as in, I really like them, but only read on an ab hoc basis). I really enjoyed Understanding Comics. I had thought this one might be a little too academic.
    Sounds like it’s more accessible than I thought.
    I shall go have a look at the Groensteen book too. Hadn’t heard of that one.

    On a tangential note, have you read Go! By Chip Kidd? Not graphic art, but the basics of design – aimed at kids, so just about my level. 🙂

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