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Scott McCloud's Understanding Comics was published in 1993, just as "Comics Aren't Just for Kids Anymore!" articles were starting to appear and graphic novels were making their way into the mainstream, and it quickly gave the newly respectable medium the theoretical and practical manifesto it needed. With his clear-eyed and approachable analysis--done using the same comics tools he was describing--McCloud quickly gave "sequential art" a language to understand itself. McCloud made the simplest of drawing decisions seem deep with artistic potential.
Thirteen years later, following the Internet evangelizing of Reinventing Comics, McCloud has returned with Making Comics.
Designed as a craftsperson's overview of the drawing and storytelling decisions and possibilities available to comics artists, covering everything from facial expressions and page layout to the choice of tools and story construction, Making Comics, like its predecessors, is also an eye-opening trip behind the scenes of art-making, fascinating for anyone reading comics as well as those making them. Get a sense of the range of his lessons by clicking through to the opening pages of his book, including his (illustrated, of course) table of contents (warning: large file, recommended for high-bandwidth users):
Book Description
Scott McCloud tore down the wall between high and low culture in 1993 with Understanding Comics, a massive comic book about comics, linking the medium to such diverse fields as media theory, movie criticism, and web design. In Reinventing Comics, McCloud took this to the next level, charting twelve different revolutions in how comics are generated, read, and perceived today. Now, in Making Comics, McCloud focuses his analysis on the art form itself, exploring the creation of comics, from the broadest principles to the sharpest details (like how to accentuate a character's facial muscles in order to form the emotion of disgust rather than the emotion of surprise.) And he does all of it in his inimitable voice and through his cartoon stand–in narrator, mixing dry humor and legitimate instruction. McCloud shows his reader how to master the human condition through word and image in a brilliantly minimalistic way. Comic book devotees as well as the most uninitiated will marvel at this journey into a once–underappreciated art form.
Customer Reviews:
Fun to read and very informative.......2007-08-25
I read Understanding Comics and liked it so much I decided to check this book out as well, and found it to be even more enjoyable. McCloud's artwork is very fun and whimsical, his writing is humorous and he puts many concepts about the writing and drawing of comics in very easy-to-understand language. I never thought about making comics before, but this volume was so inspiring I'm convinced it might be fun to try!
A Great Learning Tool.......2007-08-15
If you've ever wondered about the finer points of crafting a comic this is the book for you. This is not a how to draw book and if thats what you are looking for than this isn't for you. It IS a very intelligent and thought provoking insight into the story telling aspects of the creation of comics. This is a MUST HAVE for anyone serious about comics.
Scott McCloud is the Alton Brown of Comics.......2007-08-07
Alton Brown is not a world-class chef but 'Good Eats' is indispensible educational television. It's the same thing with Scott McCloud, reviewers who say he hasn't produced anything earth shaking in the comics medium are missing the point. Making Comics is a wide-ranging, free-wheeling and passionate examination of what makes comics (and much visual art) tick, and provides a toolbox we can use to create our own stories. This is the best thing since Understanding Comics and goes more into the details of visual storytelling, the chapter on facial expressions alone is worth the price of admission. I want to send this book to Edward Tufte. Anyone interested in visual communication needs to read this book, and that goes double for aspiring comics creators.
Must-Have for Aspiring Artists.......2007-07-05
You need to own Understanding Comics to accompany this one. Understanding Comics: The Invisible Art
Making Comics is a complete book that refers to many of the topics that Understanding Comics expands upon. It is a great starting point for aspiring artists to look at approaching their own comic. McCloud explains the mutlitude of styles involved and how each of them works to engage the reader. He is truly a master of his craft.
He strips away the layers of superhero masculine fantasy to reveal comics as a storytelling vehicle. Not your typical how-to-draw book.
Review of book.......2007-05-28
Excellent book - very well presented and detailed. Well worth the price. Our kids (9 and 7) are using it to create better comics
Book Description
Video Shooter is a guide to both the mechanics of the video camera and the craft of shooting. Written by a veteran in the industry and utilizing an engaging, conversational style (including illustrative anecdotes from the author's many years of experience), the book takes the reader beyond "button pushing" to teach the complete range of skills required to capture compelling images. Topics include equipment selection, camera setup and operation, shooting techniques, and working with lighting and audio. Although the techniques illustrated in Video Shooter are appropriate for users of a wide range of camera models, the book focuses on the most popular 3-CCD DV and HDV cameras. A chapter on issues and techniques relating to DVD output makes the book especially suitable for industrial, educational, and government video producers. The book also features a companion DVD with tutorials, footage demonstrating storytelling techniques, and technical matter such as a comparison of various filters.
Written by a veteran in the industry, Video Shooter is a guide to both the mechanics of the video camera and the craft of shooting.
Customer Reviews:
Listen to the wisdom of great experience.......2007-08-13
Video production is a complex and expensive process. Barry's book takes the mystery out of the craft and SAVES YOU MONEY by telling you just what you need...and what you don't. I loved his wonderful, meaningful stories and personal shooting experiences mixed within his narrative of the craft and its myriad toys, gadgets and gear, all laid out clearly for the reader's benefit. Those willing to take the plunge into this artform will find this book an indispensable companion. A gifted shooter giving us all the clues we need to tell real and compelling stories of our own, available at a glance...awesome. It's like having a DP angel on your shoulder. You will find other reference books out there, but none are so beautifully laid out, comprehensive or complete as this one. Buy it. Read it. You'll be glad you did.
A Must Have Item.......2007-08-12
For a video shooter this is a "must have book". Impaired vision is corrected with appropriate eye glasses, impaired video-knowledge with Video Shooter...
Fast shipping, affordable price. Thank you.
Lots of Real-World Insights.......2007-06-26
Although I'll never reach the level of shooter that Barry is, this is a great book for learning about the issues a real-world shooter faces. Lots of examples and stories, photos, and musings on equipment. This is probably the best of the many books I have on learning to shoot.
Excellent intermediate info -- glad I read it as a beginner.......2007-06-23
I'm a neophyte to videography, and although this book went a tad over my head at times, and was certainly more than I needed as an amateur who wants to make quality videos for personal use, I greatly appreciated the comprehensive introduction to this complex art form. Because of this book, I've jumped into my new hobby with more respect and appreciation for what's involved in a quality production. I did pick up some great tips that even a beginner can use, and probably more useful, I understand the point of hiring a professional. Now that I'm a MUCH more savvy consumer of video services I will know how to judge the quality of their work.
A book about hardware.......2007-06-16
The subtitle of this book is Storytelling with DV, HD, and HDV Cameras. What I saw, when I read that, was the word Storytelling. I thought it would be a book about how to tell a story with images and sound to get across a "message". I should have read further along the sentence. This book is not about storytelling. It's about DV, HD, and HDV Cameras and their supporting equipment. The book is aimed at amateur videographers who have aspirations of turning professional and think that professional equipment will make that happen. And who have a 5 or 6 figure bank account. There are equipment recommendations on all sorts of things that make a professional shoot. All of the equipment ranges from slightly expensive to horrifically expensive. Of course this tight focus on the latest equipment means that the book will soon be out of date. If you need some equipment, have a healthy bank account, and want to buy now, this book is a good choice. If you want to learn how to tell a story with video, keep looking.
Book Description
This is a book of ideas and of choices. Knowing which choices to make is not teachable. It's part of that creative instinct we call talent whose secret voice guides us every time we sit down at the keyboard. All stories are not identical. They are shaped by all those unique facets of the human beings who write them. All any writer can do when he wants to share his knowledge with others is be as open and giving as possible; and hope others can learn from that. You hold in your hands most of what I know about writing for games and much of what I believe and practice no matter what kind of writing I'm doing. It is meant to inform, to instruct, and maybe even inspire. It is as much about game design as it is writing for games. The two are virtually inseparable. The book itself has been designed as a quest. We are all of us on a journey toward a destination for which there is no single road. --Lee Sheldon, Author
Customer Reviews:
Breaking through barriers.......2007-07-05
I am working on forming a game development studio, and our team is in the middle of producing our flagship title, an RPG entitled "Revolution's Dawn." I am the main writer of the script, and I just recently finished reading this book. Where I thought my duties as a writer were finished, I now see new openings to provide dialogue and sidequests to fill in the backstory, plot gaps, and other means of enrichment that I didn't see before. Because of having read this book, my team and I can now take this game and bring it into the realm of what we intended it to be-a vehicle for telling a story.
While the title of the book is "Character Development and Storytelling for Games," the book really focuses more heavily on the latter. I was expecting the former, but by no means am I complaining! I have been able to break through blocks in my own role as a writer for this project.
If you are looking for the "right" way to write your story, you won't find it here. What this book does instead is to open doors, and then let you decide whether to walk through them or not. And even then, you still have to choose for yourself what to do once you've walked through them. If you are looking for new openings in crafting your game _and_ writing your story(and synthesizing them both together), this is the book for you.
Very interesting, but could have been shorter.......2006-06-26
I really enjoyed this book, and I think it's definitely worth considering if you're interested in how stories can be told in video games. I've bought plenty of books about video game design and storytelling. (I'm a programmer who's been making video games professionally for about 10 years -- I wish more people would include their personalbackground in their book reviews...) Some books on game design are written by people who obviously have more "static media" backgrounds like books or movies, and don't understand the fundamental problem of making a story in a situation where the audience has freedom to do what they want. Another problem that a lot of people don't understand is that people playing a video game don't necessarily WANT a story, in the sense that they are playing a video game because of the interactivity, and not to watch a 10 minute cutscene to learn some back story. If they wanted to watch a movie they'd pop in a DVD.
I think the author really understands these difficulties. You want to make an emmersive worl, but you need to do it very quickly. So he talks about dialog, and how to convey as much information as possible in as few words as possible. He talks about how to get the player to sympathize with a chaacter, from the situation that characetr is in, to the design of the character art, to the words that the character says. All of the information is very practical, not like some books that leave you with a bunch of high-level nonsense that doesn't work in a real game. I really appreciated that he wasn't one of these "video games are mindless because they don't tell a story" type of guys. Or acting as if video games need to learn how to tell a story in order to "grow up" like movies or TV have. In a straight up action game or fighter, you don't need as much of a story as you do in a more adventure game. Playing a video game is a just a different experience, and the story has a different role, it's NOT the holy grail like some people think. Rather than trying to tell you how to convert video games into novels, he describe ways that you can inject story without taking away from the inetraction. I think he makes a good case that in almost any game, you can introduce just a bit of characetr depth and relationships, without stopping for a ten minute cutscene, and it adds value to the game.
This author's background was originally in TV, but he also has considerable experience in video games. I felt like he has a good background to be writing the book, and was speaking from experience.
The only negative comment about the book is that I found several of the chapters to be very similar. Like you'd be reading a chapter, and you'd think, "Hey, didn't I just read this exact same thing a few chapters ago?" Actually, you didn't, this chapter is covering a very slightly different topic. In other words, I think he could have consolidated a few chapters, which would have saved me some time. I suppose this makes it easier to jump around, since you don't rely on information from previous chapters. But I found it a little repetitive.
All in all, a really good book for anybody interested in video game design or storytelling in general.
An excellent book for all writers.......2004-12-14
I've known Lee Sheldon for several years. He is one of the most pleasant and knowledgeable people I've met in the game industry, so I was very much looking forward to this book. Suffice it to say that I wasn't disappointed.
Writing for games has a lot in common with writing for other media (e.g., character and theme) and a lot that is unique to itself. Lee does an excellent job of covering both aspects - so much so that I would recommend this book to writers with absolutely no interest in interactive media. (I've read my share of writing books over the years, and this one stands at the top of the heap.)
Of particular interest to me were chapters 3-6 on character and chapter 14 on modular storytelling, the most elegant way I've seen of organizing a linear experience into a non-linear structure. The book also does an excellent job of discussing storytelling in massively multiplayer games and provides extensive background material, much of which is intended to set up and justify Lee's modular storytelling model - rather more background than necessary, actually, since you should be sold on the need for something like modular storytelling long before he gets around to explaining it.
The book's does have a few faults. For example, a couple of the later chapters feel out of place, and the text is dusted with a handful of puzzling and sometimes repeated typos (Eowen? Kalishnakov?) But these are of little consequence and should not detract from your enjoyment.
Highly recommended.
almost didn't read it..........2004-11-05
because I started with the appendices, including an "oppinionated bibliography" - that almost had rushing off to the shelves (and the library and amazon) to grab a bunch of other books to read.
When I got down to reading the main work - it was just as captivating. He writes well, there are jokes mixed in and a good strucutre. Some minor typos/mis-references (a missing appendix c) and a bit overdone on the "define this word" stuff, but it doesn't detrect from the overall message.
The best part? Make your rule then break it. If you willingly break a rule, chances are the result will be much better than if you happen to ignore it beacuse you are unaware of it.
Draws heavily on ideas from many fields, so the content has value outside of "pure" game design (ie for animation, machinima, role playing, adapting books to hobby-theater)
Book Description
A companion to Comics & Sequential Art, this book takes the principles examined in that title and applies them to the process of graphic storytelling. Eisner shows comic artists, filmmakers and graphic designers how to craft stories in a visual medium. They'll also learn why mastering the basics of storytelling is far more important than the hollow flash and dazzle seen in lesser work. Readers will learn everything from the fine points of graphic storytelling to the big picture of the comics medium, including how to: * Use art that enhances your story, rather than obscuring it * Wield images like narrative tools * Write and illustrate effective dialogue * Develop ideas that can be turned into dynamic stories These lessons and more are illustrated with storytelling samples from Eisner himself along with other comic book favorites, including Pulitzer Prize-winner Art Spiegelman, Robert Crumb, Milton Caniff and Al Capp.
Customer Reviews:
4 out of 5.......2007-03-05
First off, Eisner does a great job of combining visual elements with his text in this book. The whole thing is illustrated with cavemen working on their storytelling technique, and I have to admit that the cavemen illustrations were great fun and always helped to clarify the how side of what he was saying in the text. Beautifully done. (Yes, I know, this is like saying, "Hey, y'know that Hemingway guy? Some of his stories were really good.")
Does it have any issues? Yes. It's 164 heavily illustrated pages. You can read it in an afternoon. And some of the illustrative pieces feel over-long for the point they are trying to prove. I hit the point on a couple of them where I found myself saying, "Yes, I get it. We needed the X in the beginning so we would understand Y now. Can we move on?" I also felt that, at 164 pages, he didn't really have the opportunity to go into depth on some areas. There's a point where he provided two bad examples of a comic script... and no good example. Aaaaah!
Even with those issues in mind, I have to give the book 4 caped crime-fighters out of five. It's well-written (though there are also some grammatical gaffs that make me want to scream), it's engaging, and it's instructive. Worth the read.
Clear instruction.......2006-11-03
Eisner is one of the old pros who helped create the way sequential art is done. This book demonstrates the thinking that goes into producing sequential art, how to pace and create emotions in your audience. A must have for film artists, storyboard artists, comic and graphic novel artists and it opens new ways of thinking for illustrators and painters.
A Comics Pro Gives It The Thumbs Up.......2003-01-25
As a veteran comic book illustrator (You can find my work here on Amazon.com; I am the CO-creator and artist of Transmetropolitan), I am often asked to recommend books to aspiring professionals in comic book illustration. In that case I always enthusiastically recommend any of Eisner's instructional books as essential reading for anyone serious about their craft and dreams of getting into the industry.
From the earliest work of his career, Will Eisner was an innovator in writing as well as illustration. Even in his twilight years the man is still a vigorous and creative artist producing work that pros as well as fans can't wait to get their hands on.
These books display his genius in an entertaining and easy to follow method, and if put to practice will inspire and reveal hidden keys to making your work truly professional grade. A great companion book to Eisner's "Comics & Sequential Art".
- Darick Roberston
When you need help - ask the professional!.......2001-08-26
Whether you just love comics or intend to start writing some yourself, you'll probably need a helping hand. Will Eisner might just be the right hand for you. As a true pro, who's been in the field since 1930, he might just have the kind of hints, tips and interesting details you need to know as a beginner. Graphic Storytelling will reveal to you the world of telling a story in drawings and words combined, the art of comics and caricature. In my very humble opinion, this book is one giant step forward for you, on the way of expressiong yourself on paper. And hei, if Neil Gaiman recommends it, who am I to say anything else?
Book Description
As a game designer or new media storyteller, you know that the story is everything. However, figuring out how to tell it interactively-and in a way that keeps your audience coming back for more-can be challenging. Here to help you out (and to open your mind to ever more creative ways of producing those stories) is the man who created the cult publication
The Art of Computer Game Design and who has devoted much of his career to that very topic:
Chris Crawford. To highlight the path for future gains in the quest for a truly interactive story, Chris provides a solid sampling of what doesn't work, contrasting unsuccessful methodologies with those that hold promise for the future. Throughout you'll find examples of contemporary games that rely on different technologies-and learn the storytelling lessons to be garnered from each of the past methodologies. Within the context of interactive storytelling, Chris explores ways of providing conflict and challenge, the difference between low- and high-interactivity designs, the necessity to move beyond purely visual thinking (so that the player is engaged on multiple levels), and more.
Customer Reviews:
Ahead of its time........2005-12-15
One day the games industry will look at Chris Crawford the same way the film industry looks at Joseph Campbell. He sets out the first few steps of a path that could revolutionize gaming - if only it is taken to heart. Some of his ideas are radical, some are controversial, but all are insightful. The only criticism I have of this book is that Crawfords brash and grungy tongue-in-cheek delivery might rub some people the wrong way (although, I personally found it refreshing). And that the book is too short.
The Beginning.......2005-12-15
Crawford's take on Interactive Storytelling, that is the maturation of a medium which will become the dominant form on art and entertainment in the 21st century, provides a foundation upon which future efforts will either be based off of or at least reference in intellectual homage. The breakdown of the modes of human thought in the early chapters provides a sturdy, cognitive lense which game designers can use to understand challenge. This book focuses primarily on social reasoning and the challenge which could be derived from that important facet of human experience, so far unexplored in traditional video and computer games.
In late 2005 Mr. Crawford wrote an article for The Escapist, and online publication which is highly recommended to anyone interested in the cutting edge of the interactive medium. The article addressed appealing to the female demographic of possible players from the angle of utilizing social challenge to meet women on a common ground. The problem with this article was that it used a controversial science to make this point, and it was possible to infer a sense of sexism, where women are inherenlty social and therefore drawn to interactive soap operas, while men are inherently spatial and drawn to games similar to hunting. The real point is that social challenge will put games on a whole new playing field which both men and women can appreciate as art and popular entertainment. Thats the lesson taught by "Chris Crawford on Interactive Storytelling", along with some useful approaches to the design problems. Don't let politics stop you from glimpsing a revolution.
Additional comments.......2005-11-11
In the spirit of full and open disclosure, I have known Chris Crawford for over twenty years. We are close friends and colleagues. So instead of providing a review, I'd like to comment on some of the things brought up in the other reviews.
In two reviews, it is indicated that the book is not tutorial and doesn't provide specific examples. These are absolutely correct. "Chris Crawford on Interactive Storytelling" is a distillation and documentation of all that Chris has learned and created on interactive storytelling over the last thirteen plus year. He explores areas where none have gone before and he also explores areas where others have been adding insights that are new. There is definitely material here you won't find in any previously written book. However, this is a not a document of a completed journey. A couple of simple stories have been built-as proof of concept for the early working versions of the Erasmatron-but they mostly demonstrated the need for better tools. Interactive storytelling requires a new set of skills and tools. This book is heavy on theory and process, but light on examples because the theory and processes must precede the examples-and we're just getting a handle on the theory and processes. Expect to see examples in Chris' next book, which I expect he'll write once the Erasmatron is out the door and pumping out interactive stories. (I'm guessing here, Chris has never mentioned doing another book, but there will definitely be a need for a book on Erasmatron storybuilding and who better to write it than Chris Crawford and/or Laura Mixon?)
William Ogles comments on Chris' writing style, which is decidedly conversational. His writing style, combined with his strong convictions, often polarizes readers and the attacks against him can be as vicious as the praise is glowing. Chris was a teacher early in his career and lessons learned from those early days drive much of his writing and speaking style. He will present gray area subjects in stark black and white and he writes provocatively. This is his method for making a point and generating thought and discussion.
Indeed, it was his recent article about Women and Gaming in "the Escapist" (an on-line magazine) that provoked the single negative review of this book. The best clue to this is that the reviewer is complaining about Chris' views on women and gaming, yet that subject isn't covered in this book. Also the quotes are from his article, not from the book. Chris' point was that sales of romance novels (especially of the "bodice rippers" genre) and soap opera show that women were the primary customers and that they were immensely popular and that games that appeals to the same needs would be more successful with women than "Doom" clones. It appears to me this is rather obvious-the trick, of course, is figuring out what such games might be. The reviewer's characterization of the above as "blatant gender stereotyping" is a hard trail to follow and suggests that Chris triggered a hot button for the reviewer.
Also, unlike Chris' other book "Chris Crawford on Game Design", this book is not for aspiring "game" designers-it's for aspiring "interactive storytelling" designers (of all ages) or for game designers that want to move into an entirely new and exciting field.
An inspirational manual from the topic's greatest thinker.......2005-10-06
In this book, Chris Crawford presents his teachings, thoughts and feelings on Interactive Storytelling, the topic that he has courageously committed the last thirteen years of his life to researching, understanding and developing.
This book struck many chords with me and opened up many avenues of thought, presenting me with inspirational ideas that kept me thinking about Interactive Storytelling for the many months that followed. I own a reasonable collection of books on game development and related academic topics, and I believe this to be the single most important book in my collection. Many of the ideas within are worth the price tag alone.
I whole-heartedly recommend this book to anybody even remotely interested in Interactive Storytelling, and especially designers and developers within the games industry. It simply deserves to be read.
Not Just a Must-Read, It's a Must-Study........2005-04-07
This book opened up a whole new pattern of thinking for me. The information Mr. Crawford conveys in this publication is invaluable to any writer seeking to break into new areas-particularly gaming and other applications utilizing interactive storytelling. Writing for this genre requires a whole different mindset from traditional genres and Mr. Crawford succeeds at moving the reader towards that mindset.
Time and again I see in game reviews how a particular game has "awesome graphics and great gameplay but the story and dialogue" were severely lacking. With Mr. Crawford's extensive experience in the gaming industry, he very capable gives aspiring writers every tool he or she will need to get a very good start in the industry. Throughtout the book, he stresses how important it is for the "artsie" thinkers (the writers & artists) to work together with the "techie" thinkers (the programmers) and I think this is a valuable lesson that many current game producers have yet to learn. Mr. Crawford reminds the entire programming industry that one sector of development cannot succeed without the other. He more than adequately investigates and chronicles how the different development teams can work together and bridge the "communication" gap between the "artsies" and the "techies."
This book, while not exactly a tutorial piece, offers many examples and exercises to move the writer along in thinking like an interactive storyteller. The only real drawback may be the detail Mr. Crawford goes into. While I personally don't have a problem with this, I work with several young people who, while they are very keen on gaming development, probably wouldn't spend an adequate amount of time studying the information contained in the book unless it were required reading in a course.
Personally I feel that any writer who wants to pursue and develop stories for interactive programming should study this book. It's not enough to read it through once, twice or even three times. This is a book which needs to be worked through section by section, until writing for this relatively new genre becomes second nature. This book will have a permanent home in my library; it is very rich in information-hats off to Mr. Crawford for producing a very timely manual.
-Adaera-
Book Description
Back in print! Panel Discussions is the combined knowledge of more than a dozen of the comic book industry's top storytellers, covering all aspects of the design of comics, from pacing, story flow, and word balloon placement, to using color to convey emotion, spotting blacks, and how gutters between panels affect the story! The struggle to tell a comics story visually requires more than a cool-looking image; it takes years of experience and a thorough understanding of the art form's visual vocabulary. Learn from the best, as Will Eisner, Scott Hampton, Mike Wieringo, Walter Simonson, Mike Mignola, Mark Schultz, David Mazzucchelli, Dick Giordano, Brian Stelfreeze, Mike Carlin, Chris Moeller, Mark Chiarello and others share hard-learned lessons about the design of comics, complete with hundreds of illustrated examples. When should you tilt or overlap a panel? How can sound effects enhance the story, and when do they distract from it? What are the best ways to divide up the page to convey motion, time, action, or quiet? If you're serious about creating effective, innovative comics, or just enjoying them from the creator's perspective, this in-depth guide is must-reading!
Customer Reviews:
Very good book with few faults.......2005-08-21
Very good book for the aspiring creator. I learned enough about storytelling to change the whole focus of what goes into each panel and each page. It made me realize things I might never have fiqured out on my own. I would have liked a bit more structure to the format. Like maybe asking each creator some standard, important questions and not just letting them talk about whatever they wanted. Also I wish the art was reproduced better. But over all a really usefull and important work for anyone interested in sequential art. I look forward to the next book.
Recommended for comics fans!.......2004-10-06
I picked up Panel Discussions from a friend and loved it! I've always been a comic book fan, but had no inkling about how much thought and work went into how comics were made. I found it fascinating to read about the process the artists used and the ways in which they think about their work before they even start it.
It's easy to read because of the interview-like style and makes you feel like you're at a con panel. I only wish they printed all of the images bigger and in color. Guess I'll just have to go read the original comics for that...
Something of a letdown.......2003-04-29
Lots of good comics creators are represented here, but on the whole this book suffers from poor editing and worse design. Too much space is given to talking about what attracted Artist X to comics, or how Editor Y never thought he'd be an editor when he was a kid. Who cares? I bought this book to hear professionals talk about their trade. Durwin Talon's interview style is very softball, and you don't get the impression that he's much of an artist himself. Overall, the book's text has a feel of "gee whiz, aren't these artists great?" rather than the serious discussion about craft between peers that its title and presentation would suggest.
The worst part about the book is the reproduction of the art itself, however. There are lots of pages presented here, but though there are a couple of brief color sections, the vast majorty are b&w halftone reproductions of color art -- which is to say, they've been shot from the pages as they appeared in print, rather than from the original art. Even worse, there's not a single page that was reproduced at print size, yet alone the size at which is was actually drawn. Most of the pages are reproduced at about 1.75"x2.5" -- barely large enough for the lettering to be legible. This seems a real shame for such a visual medium.
Overall, I'd say this was a good concept poorly executed. It could have benefited from the input of an experienced book designer who could have made better use of the pages available. A good, impartial editor would have been of immeasurable assistance here, too, to trim out some of the chaff in the text (and thus leave more room to display the comics themselves, which is what the book is supposed to be about anyway).
Invaluable work for the potential comic professional.......2002-12-13
There's a presumption among people that if something looks easy or simple, that it must have been easy or simple to create. Most people look at a page of a comic book and think, "Anyone could do that." But until you actually try and write a comic or draw a comic page do you start to understand the painstaking craftsmanship that is the hallmark of most comics out there. This need to actually "try it out yourself," is a reason why I have my students write a comic script (and also the reason for the existence of creative writing in the high school and undergraduate education). Although we are creating stories and scenes in our heads all the time, being able to translate that to the page is the difference between consumer and producer.
With that in mind, let me suggest for everyone who ever wanted to learn about the tricks of the comic trade to look for Panel Discussions, a series of interviews conducted by Durwin S. Talon, a professor of sequential art at the Savannah College of Art and Design in Savannah, Georgia. While it shares some similarities with other dissections of the comic art like Scott McCloud's Understanding Comics and Will Eisner's Sequential Art, Talon's book is slightly less formal in its structure, but makes up for that in the diversity of its points-of-view. The title itself is a pun, for not only are we discussing the panels of a comic, the format is similar to a panel discussion at a comic convention. Talon goes one-on-one with some fine artists like Will Eisner, David Mazzucchelli, and Mark Schultz, and has them break down the way they structure a comic page, how they get the reader's eye to move from point A to point B, and how light and dark play into the design.
Trying to read this all the way through is difficult, like hopping from room to room at a convention without taking time out for lunch or dinner. Instead, you should space this out, preferrably by reading the artist's comments, then taking the time to check out some of their work before moving on to the next. Unfortunately, that could be an expensive task unless you have a wonderful graphic novel section in your local library (don't be surprised--librarians are getting hip to the art form and they are growing collections). With that in mind, I hesitate to suggest this to the casual reader, just as I wouldn't suggest a casual novel reader to check out Umberto Eco's commentary Six Walks in the Fictional Woods. But if you want to learn more about the underpinnings of the form, this is an invaluable text. Talon and his publisher, TwoMorrows Publishing (who are filling the gap in practical comics scholarship--as opposed to academic comics scholarship--left by Fantagraphics), are to be commended, and I'm anxious to pick up some more texts by both.
Book Description
As an animator, it's difficult to watch movies or animated films without thinking about the directing quality or technical aspects of the production. But when that movie pulls you in and draws you to the characters and their plights, you really experience the story. Storytelling Through Animation provides an in-depth guide to the process of conceiving, planning, and producing an animated or live action media production. It covers specific information for many forms of visuals, including traditional cel, stop motion, Flash, or 3D CG with a focus on the most critical aspect of any production- the story. The book is written for filmmakers, animators, producers, editors, directors, game creators, and anyone who has the task of telling a story visually. It teaches the principles, real-world techniques, tricks, tips, and creative and visual fundamentals key to great animated storytelling. Using detailed explanations of principles and techniques and a variety of film examples, it guides animators through every step of the production process, and teaches them how to infuse their story and develop emotional connections in every part of the production. It provides systems and checks and balances that can make projects smoother and storytelling better at any level or budget. In addition, it explores all of the concepts and techniques needed for animation, including visual theory, motion, animation techniques, and their live action counterparts, character animation, composition, production, lighting, rendering, editing, and compositing. Finally, the book helps to create critical and realistic critiquing skills for evaluating and creating emotional connections with the audience. After reading this book, animators will have the knowledge and skills needed to tell their own visual stories.
Customer Reviews:
Like sucking molasses through a straw.......2006-11-15
I've read a lot of animation books over the years, but this is one I don't think I'll ever look at again. Most of these "one stop shop" type books that cover every single aspect of filmmaking end up not saying much no matter how long winded they are.
There's no shortage of information in this book. The problem is little, if any of it is in a form you can be readily applied to your own work. Complex thoughts with little elaboration. Highly visual ideas with no pictures explain things. Just a glut of film making tibits with little actual learning.
The CD content is better than ones in some other books I've read, but it doesn't help if the disc takes the place of illustrations in the book. That way I'm forced to be at my computer while I'm reading to get the most out of the book. Overall I think the CD added more to the price of the book than it did the content.
For my time and money, books like CGI Filmmaking: The Creation of Ghost Warrior are a much better buy.
My review.......2005-09-18
Lovely book, it has very interesting bits of information to guide students in animation.
The Story of Telling a Story Using Animation.......2005-04-24
First, this is not a book on the mechanics of producing animation. Instead it is a book that comes before that. It's about how to tell a story through animation. It's about the first steps that must be done right if the story is to be told at all.
It all begins with the story. Without a story, animation is just a bunch of pictures. How do you make the story better? How do you make it fit animation as opposed to live action?
How do you create the character? How do you make the image, the story give the character a personality? What kind of a background, a world do you design?
From here the book goes through the whole production process. Once again, this is not a book on how to use a software package to produce the animation, it's a step before that. The author is a professional at film making. In addition he interviews quite a number of professionals from the major studios to get their view of the process.
Finally the CD included with the book include film strips that you can use to evaluate just how well these guys did in following the precepts of the book.
Average customer rating:
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Exploring Visual Storytelling (Exploring (Delmar))
Brian Arnold , and
Brendan Eddy
Manufacturer: Cengage Delmar Learning
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ASIN: 1418014923 |
Book Description
Film, video games, television ads, corporate presentations-whatever medium you're working in, a visual story is the most compelling way to provide your audience with information and, more important, with an emotional experience. Exploring Visual Storytelling analyzes the essential techniques of creating compelling visual stories. Based on the pioneering work of Minneapolis-based Visual Culture, this innovative book-DVD package examines and explains the fundamentals of the medium by covering the seven key concepts behind every visual story: context, character, conflict, plot, 2D space, 3D space, and time. Each topic is thoroughly explained in print and then applied in the companion DVD, fully demonstrating how these core concepts work together to create a cohesive, compelling story.
Average customer rating:
- Great translation!
- Reviews on this page do not refer to this title
- A suspenseful thriller I recommend to young readers
- Links in the Chain
- The continuation of a great SF saga
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Chain Mail Addicted To You
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Similar Items:
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Seikai: Crest of the Stars Volume 1: Princess of the Empire (Seikai)
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Twelve Kingdoms, The - Hardcover Edition Volume 1: Sea of Shadow
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Seikai Trilogy: Banner of the Stars
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Banner Of The Stars II (Seikai Trilogy, Vol. 3)
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Scrapped Princess Novel 1: A Tale of Destiny
ASIN: 159816581X
Release Date: 2007-01-02 |
Book Description
Four disillusioned Tokyo teenagers who have never met are suddenly drawn together by a mysterious chain mail message sent to their cell phones. In the tradition of classical Japanese tanka poetry, each teen takes on a role in the intriguing and absorbing narrative: the schoolgirl stalked by an older boy; her mysterious stalker; the schoolgirl's boyfriend; and the female detective. Written from each character's point of view, Chain Mail carries the reader on a suspenseful adventure juxtaposing teenage angst against a colorful Tokyo backdrop in an unforgettable tale that blurs the boundaries between reality and fantasy. “Richly plotted to play on the love young adults have for thrills and chills; not a single weak link binding it together.†â€"ActiveAnime.com
Customer Reviews:
Great translation!.......2007-08-27
For years, I have loved the anime. I was hoping someone would translate the books, and was happy to stumble across them in a bookstore. The books are better than the anime, and fill in some great details that the anime left out. It was also nice to see the artist's Ahb language that he created for the books. Though it can take a little getting used to the new words for things, I thought it added a nice, original element to the books. (The anime only used the true Ahb language for a couple words/phrases.) If you love the anime, you should read these books!
Reviews on this page do not refer to this title.......2007-03-29
I have not read the book yet so I cannot honestly review it.
My rating is based on the Anime which is absolutely awesome.
It is clear though that neither the editorial review abowe nor the other reviews on this page refer to the novel "Crest of the Stars II"!
A suspenseful thriller I recommend to young readers.......2007-02-08
A group of bored teenage girls, who all have problems they wish to run away from, enter the anonymous world of online RPGs only to find themselves in a more terrifying situation than their previous ones.
Although the ending was a little too...unpredictable for my taste, the story was engaging throughout and kept me squirming at the edge of my seat. The translations were pretty accurate as well and did a good job of maintaining the original author's voice. Overall, a thrilling, original, and startlingly realistic work.
Links in the Chain.......2007-01-20
Sawako, an overachieving junior high school student, is extremely lonely. Her mother is gone, her father distant, and her friends are non-existant. When she receives an email on her cell phone inviting her to be a part of an interactive story, she jumps at the chance to belong - even though the message came from someone she does not know.
Two other junior high girls receive similar emails on their phones: Mayumi, who lives in the shadow of her intelligent and athletic best friend, and Mai, who would rather go clubbing (for the music, not necessarily the scene) than deal with the high expectations of diplomat family.
They develop a story about a young girl, her tutor, her stalker, and a detective. Each girl writes for a certain character and posts their chapters at the website. The mysterious Yukari, the girl who started it all, writes the role of the stalker. As the story's suspense escalates, life begins to imitate art. Suddenly, Sawako goes missing in both stories, leaving the other girls to wonder what happened to her - and if it will happen to them next.
Chain Mail: Addicted to You by Hiroshi Ishizaki embraces the story-within-a-story format from the very beginning, and keeps raising the stakes until the vey end. Cell phones are ever-present, making this cautionary tale ultra-contemporary. While racing through the book to find out who done it, American readers will subconsciously learn about Japanese culture and schooling.
Chain Mail comes courtesy of Pop Fiction, a new teen fiction imprint from TokyoPop.
The continuation of a great SF saga.......2007-01-17
Crest of the Stars: A Modest War picks up right where the first novel, Princess of the Empire, left off. Which is a good thing since Princess of the Empire ended off with a cliffhanger: Jinto and Lafiel were being held captive by Baron Febdash, who captured them when their desperate escape from the United Mankind fleet brought them to his orbital palace hoping to obtain fuel and supplies. Princess Lafiel has decided to take matters into her own hands and has started a rebellion among the Baron's vassals.
Just to give a quick recap, Seikai is an immensely popular space-opera series by Japanese author Hiroyuki Morioka. Anime and manga adaptations have been available in English translation for some time, but this is the first time the original novels have been translated into English. It was well worth the wait.
In the second novel we get more insight into the psyche and culture of the Seikai series' primary focus: the Abh. They are genetically engineered warriors who have made space their home, disdaining the planets inhabited by "landers." Over centuries they have built a massive empire based on both conquest and trade. We learn more about their history, including the terrible "original sin" which burdens the prideful Abh.
The real delight of this novel is to see the blossoming relationship between Princess Lafiel and Jinto, the "accidental noble" lander who had his Abh title thrust upon him when he was a young boy. Brought together by chance, they now find themselves fighting for their lives and their freedom as both war and treachery threaten them at every turn. They become refugees, trying to hide and survive in enemy territory. Though their friendship grows and they are able to work together, their radically different backgrounds too often get in the way. They are very much an odd couple, and old prejudices threaten to tear them apart. But each comes to find unexpected sources of strength in the other, and they are able to persevere together for another day.
The Crest of the Stars trilogy will conclude with the third novel "Return to a Strange World." But that will be just the beginning of a long epic, hopefully we will see the rest of the story that is still being released and enjoyed in Japan.
I enjoyed the second novel as much as the first. The adventure and conflict is peppered with delightful moments of humor and irony. Fans of the anime or manga series should note that it is in the second novel where we really start to see a great deal of material which never made it into the adaptations. We finally get the story complete and unabridged.
Book Description
The first professional book to explore and analyze digital storytelling across interactive media and genresthis book examines how digital storytelling draws on classic narrative techniques and utilizes interactive digital technologies to create todays entertainment.
Digital Storytelling explains key strategies for conveying narrative through digital technologies, based on personal experience and numerous case studies, providing project managers, interactive content designers, and writers with the tools necessary for planning a successful interactive project, including ideas for product development and conceptualization.
Detailed planning processes for all types of interactive projects are discussed, including videogames, massively multiplayer online games, the Internet, interactive TV, cross-media productions, smart toys, virtual reality, immersive environments, wireless devices, kiosks, and DVDs. The book also covers topics such as: structure, characters and emotions; tackling projects for children; finding work and staying employed; and more.
Miller has written Digital Storytelling for the professional and the student, and details what interactive content developers and project managers need to know in a clear, enthusiastic manner.
*Covers case studies, providing numerous ideas for creating and managing engrossing, interactive entertainment products from development to production
*Explains the uses of digital storytelling for both entertainment and entertainment blends -- projects that teach, inform, and promote
*Takes an international approach to digital entertainment, exploring ground-breaking projects in Asia, Africa and Europe as well as in North America
Customer Reviews:
Digital Storytelling.......2005-10-02
Whether your new to writing or producing interactive programs or a seasoned pro, into fiction or non-fiction, this book is the best there is in explaining this new craft.
It's not the Future anymore, it's the Now.......2005-09-06
DIGITAL STORYTELLING
Carolyn Handler Miller
From sitting in front of the camp fire to sitting in front of a computer, story-telling has always been rewarding, yet often frustrating. The challenges of telling a story using different media, particularly a new one, can be intimidating, especially to someone who wasn't born with a mouse in their mouth.
Not to worry, though, for in the first chapter of Carolyn Miller's book, she lays those concerns to rest by noting that interactive stories are similar to myths, rituals, and games. I immediately felt better and dove right into this comprehensive book.
DIGITAL STORYTELLING is valuable on a number of levels.
It's a scholarly revue and investigation of interactive media and thus an excellent resource for researchers.
It explains the terminology and theories.
It offers specific tools for digital storytelling development of plot, structure, and characters.
It has guidelines for specific uses of digital storytelling such as information, education, and advertising.
Children's projects have their own helpful chapter.
As a story consultant moving more into games design work, and as a writer desiring to keep up with the latest techniques and technologies, I know I'll be reaching for DIGITAL STORYTELLING a lot. And I know I'll always find it a rich resource of information and inspiration.
Good for a history class.......2005-08-21
Not a very playful book. In fact... it seems to follow the old playbook of how things are done. The same playbook that men/boys have written when it comes to gaming. Shoot first and ... questions? what questions? story? What's that? I already knew the material that was in this book. Didn't offer anything new for me. With this book... just a play an online game or grab a game off your shelf, read about the history of "interactive" media and computers and .. voila... you've read the book. For what I needed... this book just did not cover it. Time to lay some new ground in the gaming arena.
Informative Book by Pioneer in Field.......2005-08-17
An extremeley informative, clear, focused book by a pioneer in the field who covers all the bases. It's a useful tool for writers interested in new forms of storytelling. With Miller's lively writing style and illustrations, it's a great read as well!
Dr. Linda Seger, Script Consultant
Author of MAKING A GOOD SCRIPT GREAT
and seven other books
Indespensible.......2005-08-12
This book brings clarity to a complex and often confusing subject. After co-writing several CD-ROM games, I thought I knew what I needed to know about interactive entertainment. This book made me realize how much more there is to this world and the vast potential that's there for creating new forms of entertainment and education. Instead of making you feel overwhelmed by the possibilities, Ms. Miller lays it all out for you in ways that are not only informative but actually inspirational. The chapters are well organized and the real-world examples are plentiful. On the one hand, it's an indespensible reference for anyone who writes (or wants to write) interactive material. On the other, it works as a muse, helping you to see things in a new light and often sparking ideas. It's a must for those who want to work in this field.
Books:
- Manga Mania: Chibi and Furry Characters: How to Draw the Adorable Mini-characters and Cool Cat-girls of Japanese Comics (Manga Mania)
- More Alive With Color: Personal Colors - Personal Style (Capital Lifestyles) (Capital Lifestyles)
- Nancy Cunard: Heiress, Muse, Political Idealist
- New Edge of the Anvil: A Resource Book for the Blacksmith
- Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America
- Oil Painting for the Serious Beginner: Basic Lessons in Becoming a Good Painter
- Oil Painting for the Serious Beginner: Basic Lessons in Becoming a Good Painter
- Painting Four Seasons Of Fabulous Flowers
- Painting Sharp Focus Still Lifes: Trompe L'Oeil Oil Techniques
- Painting Sharp Focus Still Lifes: Trompe L'Oeil Oil Techniques
Books Index
Books Home
Recommended Books
- History: Fiction or Science
- Chicken Soup for the Prisoner's Soul: 101 Stories to Open the Heart and Rekindle the Spirit of Hope,
- The Enlightened Joseph Priestley: A Study of His Life and Work from 1773 to 1804.
- Transamerican Literary Relations and the Nineteenth-Century Public Sphere
- Visual Explanations: Images and Quantities, Evidence and Narrative
- Another Country: Navigating the Emotional Terrain of Our Elders
- All-American Car-i-oke
- Feminism and Art History: Questioning the Litany
- The New Complete Guide to Wildlife Photography: How to Get Close and Capture Animals on Film
- Guide to the Pitcher Plants of Sabah
Understanding Comics: The Invisible Art
Reinventing Comics: How Imagination and Technology Are Revolutionizing an Art Form
Graphic Storytelling
Comics & Sequential Art
Alan Moore's Writing For Comics Volume 1
