COMICS JOURNAL 13: Understanding Comics (Ch 5-9)

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Title: Understanding Comics: The Invisible Art
Author: Scott McCloud
Pages 118-215:
   Chapter 5 Living in Line (118)
   Chapter 6 Show and Tell (138)
   Chapter 7 The Six Steps (162)
   Chapter 8 A Word About Color (185)
   Chapter 9 Putting It All Together (193)

(Page 121) McCloud says,  "The idea that a picture can evoke an emotional or sensual response in the viewer is vital to the art of comics". 

However, he reminded that we all live in a state of profound isolation. Then, how can the comics artists communicate effectively with their audience through the sequential art which has only words and pictures?

Page 194, Understanding Comics

Every individual is unique. We can only assume others will think or behave in a certain way based on our experience, knowledge, and inferences. In order to communicate with each other, we must use media such as sound, words, pictures, and body language to deliver our message to others. In comics, there is no sound or body language. Artists must make use of lines, background design, negative space, and color to represent some concepts and ideas.

(Page 195) McCloud says, "In comics the conversion follows a path from mind to hand to paper to eye to mind".  

To ensure audience get the message the artist expressed in his or her artwork accurately, the comics artist must anticipate the audience's ability of understanding of each panel and the ability to fill the missing parts (closure) between panels to make sense of the sequential art. Therefore, to become a successful comics artist, we must master the medium so that it can perfectly reflect our inside thinking. When the medium such as comics makes our invisible mind visible to the audience. We can break through the obstacle of "understanding" and evoke readers involvement. 

(Page 196) McCloud says, "There's only one power that can break through the wall which separates all artists from their audience - the power of understanding".  

Page 196, Understanding Comics

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