Understanding Comics: The Invisible Art, by Scott McCloud. amazon
Xah Lee, 2006-05
The following are some random notes in reading Scott McCloud's Understanding Comics.
Understanding Comics: The Invisible Art, by Scott McCloud. amazon
This book is largely a analysis on the nature and form of comics, with a brief exploration of its history.
First, he defines what is comics. Namely, that of Sequential Art.
Maus (1972), is a holocaust memoir written in the form of comics. By Art Spiegelman (b1948). Maus won a Pulitzer Prize Special Award.
The following are some random notes in reading Scott McCloud's Understanding Comics.
Reinventing Comics, by Scott McCloud. amazon
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (b1984) started out as a random mocking crotchet, and by happenstance became a instant mega hit that made its creators: Kevin Eastman (b1962), Peter Laird (b1954), millionaires.
It spurred a era of comics speculation by investors and growth of comics.
There is a The Creator's Bill of Rights, as a attempt to put more power to artist than comics corporations.
A opportunistic moralist moron: Fredric Wertham (1895-1981).
Dr. Fredric Wertham (March 20, 1895 – November 29, 1981) was a German-American psychiatrist and crusading author who protested the purportedly harmful effects of mass media—comic books in particular—on the development of children. His best-known book was Seduction of the Innocent (1954), which led to a U.S. Congressional inquiry into the comic book industry and the creation of the Comics Code.
The ignorance and persecution of the masses based on moral psychology lead to the creation of: Comics Code Authority, which are basically self-censorship by the mainstream comics industry.
William Gaines, the publisher of EC Comics, which eventually become the publisher of Mad (magazine).
Reed Waller, creator of Omaha The Cat Dancer (1986), has been a victim of moralists's obscenity charges.
Olympia (1863), by Edouard Manet (1832-1883). ❐ This painting arose a brouhaha among moralists in its time. See Olympia (painting).
Mike Diana, a underground artist persecuted by the moralists and convicted of obscenity.
The Comic Book Legal Defense Fund (http://www.cbldf.org/), was created to fend off mass ignorance and censorship that can check comic's growth.
Ariel Dorfman (b1942) and Armand Matterlart wrote “How to Read Donald Duck: Imperialist Ideology in the Disney Comic” (1984). She also wrote Death and the Maiden (play), which made into a film. (btw, i haven't read the play but the film is excellent!) The subject of the film is about sex torture and confession.
Related essays:
