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Three of his paths, however, are of particular interest to anyone who wants to know how the Internet will affect both our lives and the livelihoods of future artists. Understanding Comics, with its brilliant how-to guide on marrying image and language, has become an indispensable reference for many Web designers. Now McCloud returns the favor by focusing on how the digital revolution will influence production, delivery, and the art form of comics itself. Informative without being pedantic, controversial without being argumentative, and always entertaining, this is both a worthy sequel to the author's brilliant original and a work that opens up the potential for an entirely different direction for sequential art in the realm of cyberspace. --John Longenbaugh
From Library Journal
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.
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Most helpful customer reviews
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars
A Dated Look at Ways to Break Out of the Box That Comics Are In,
By Donald Mitchell "Jesus Loves You!" (Thanks for Providing My Reviews over 112,000 Helpful Votes Globally) - See all my reviews (TOP 10 REVIEWER) (#1 HALL OF FAME)
This review is from: Reinventing Comics (Paperback)
Reinventing Comics has one strength that makes it timeless: Scott McCloud systematically explains what was wrong with the comics that were created through the end of the 20th century. When he switches over to what's needed to overcome those issues, the book becomes more idealistic than practical in many areas. The book is particularly hobbled by a limited appreciation of how comics might blur with (and be surpassed by) electronic gaming.His basic optimism is that the comics genre can expand to satisfy more readers' needs by: 1. Becoming more like literature. 2. Developing as an art form. 3. Providing creators with more rights. 4. Changing the industry business model to serve everyone's needs better 5. Improving public image. 6. Reducing the heavy hand of governmental overview. 7. Appeal to females. 8. Represent all kinds of people. 9. Diversify in subgenres. 10. Employing improved digital production methods. 11. Providing digital delivery. 12. Exploring the potential of digital comics. Basically, he sees escaping the box of limited distribution by providing online, direct distribution. This method is potentially cheaper and could provide for more creators while eliminating many intermediaries. I suspect that some of his optimism will be "over the rainbow" for quite a while yet. It's interesting that even the blockbuster success of so many comic-based characters hasn't helped to reinvigorate the comics business more. I think that's where he doesn't realize that in a world of video, comics seem dated and static. Will comics go the way of high art and become something primarily for older aficionados? I doubt it. Comics are like candy to boys of a certain age. Comics help them to dream. Can comics go beyond that heritage? It's possible, but is it likely? Books like this one will have to do more than point the way: Breakthrough success is needed to draw an audience and more inspired creators. I hope Mr. McCloud is right. I still like comics.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars
Interesting, but not as successful as "Understanding Comics",
By a_bucket_of_shoes (Walnut Creek, CA USA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Reinventing Comics (Paperback)
This book continues the arguments McCloud made about the validity and potential of comics in his earlier book "Understanding Comics". He still uses the comics format, but the effect isn't as strong since the subject matter here isn't as much comics itself as the financial and logistical aspects of the comics industry and the technical aspects of comics creation in an electronic environment; thus it never quite captures the astounding, recursively expressive effect that the earlier book had.Still, McCloud's discussions and insights on the nature of the production and distribution of comics are worth the read. His ideas about the future of comics on the internet are less convincing (he suggests the prime advantage of internet comics are an avoidance of the confines of the physical page; in my opinion, restrictions like that, in any art form, usually provide both limits and opportunities). Anyone with an interest in the distribution of comics, or any art form, will find much of the book insightful and helpful. Many people new to the internet will find the discussion of it useful. But techies, especially those who have studied hypertext, won't learn anything new about the net here. In summary, this book is recommended for its content, but the essay-as-comics form isn't as effective this time around. The same material could probably have been presented as straight text with a few illustrations, and the resulting book would have had the same impact in fewer pages. The arguments are interesting, if not wholly convincing, and the inclusion of an index and a bibliography round it out nicely.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars
Wonderful work, if a bit flawed,
By Dennis Sweeney (Ellicott City, Maryland USA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Reinventing Comics (Paperback)
There are many good things that can be said about this book, but a few underlying flaws may not justify the steep $25 price tag to someone not interested in the subject matter. McCloud's book, while composed entirely of comics is remarkably wordy. While the points he makes in his book are entirely valid, I could not help but think that they could have been made using half the space. Ironically, one of the key points McCloud makes is that comics are an incredibly versatile medium, yet the book itself seems like it could have been told much better in prose. While there are some great visual metaphors (especially the snake resembling the dollar sign symbolising the comics industry), many of the panels simply show Scott McCloud with a word ballon coming out of his head. Furthermore, the use of footnotes breaks up the narrative flow, which McCloud does a good job establishing. That's not to say that this isn't a fabulous book. While I do not read comics regularly, by the end of the book it was not hard to sympathize with McCloud's quest to give comics the artistic recognition they deserve. If you have $25 that you don't know what to do with, and you are interested in comics in general, then pick this one up.
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