| Making Comics: Storytelling Secrets of Comics, Manga, and Graphic Novels | |
| Author: | Scott McCloud |
| Cover Artist: | Scott McCloud |
| Country: | U.S.A. |
| Language: | English |
| Subject: | Comic books |
| Publisher: | William Morrow Paperbacks/HarperCollins |
| Pub Date: | September 2006 |
| Pages: | 272 |
| Isbn: | 0-060-78094-0 |
| Oclc: | 71225478 |
| Preceded By: | Reinventing Comics |
Making Comics: Storytelling Secrets of Comics, Manga, and Graphic Novels is a book by comic book writer and artist Scott McCloud, published by William Morrow Paperbacks in 2006. A study of methods of constructing comics, it is a thematic sequel to McCloud's critically acclaimed books Understanding Comics and Reinventing Comics.
As with its two predecessors, Making Comics is itself in comic book form, with McCloud's avatar (now "aged" 13 years since Understanding Comics) leading the reader through the pages. The book details the processes behind storytelling, character design, and other challenges specific to the medium, with illustrative examples drawn from the history of comics. Complex topics are frequently boiled down to a few principles, such as classifying cartoonists into four types, or identifying the "six basic emotions".
The book is dedicated to Will Eisner.
McCloud drew Making Comics digitally on a Cintiq monitor. He was dealing with tendinitis in his hands during the early production of the book, and McCloud found that the monitor worked very comfortably, as it allowed him to draw with his forearm rather than with his wrist.[1]
McCloud thought of Making Comics as the true successor to Understanding Comics, with Reinventing Comics being more of an outlier. He felt compelled to the book as he was working on improving his own skills as a cartoonist. In contrast to Understanding Comics and Reinventing Comics, Making Comics was drawn entirely on a digital tablet.[2]
McCloud promoted the book with a Making Comics 50 State Tour, which also included visits to Canada, England, and France, and ended in September 2007.[3]
Making Comics is divided into five main sections:
The first four sections conclude with notes and exercises.
Making Comics was nominated for the 2007 Harvey Award for Best Biographical, Historical or Journalistic Presentation.[4] It was named the Favourite Comics-Related Book at the 2007 Eagle Awards. In addition, it was a 2007 Quill Award-winner for Best Graphic Novel.