Eisner points out that if the writer and the artist are different people, it’s important to give the artist enough leeway to tinker with the writer’s directions so that the work can be as artistically effective as possible.įor instance, in one example the writer describes two panels as even rectangles. Each panel is written like its own little scene. The writer will describe what’s happening in the panels, the number of panels, and their placement. The writer writes something like a detailed screenplay, not just words and plot. So it was especially exciting for me to read the section on the process of making a comic for the writer and the artist (sadly, Eisner doesn’t address the people who do the inking or coloring, who are often different people). It’s not that I downplay the work of the writer or the artist it’s just that I never understood the mechanic of how the process works. I’ve never understood what it means when someone says they “write” comics. I especially enjoyed his explanation of how perspective within a panel can change from panel to panel to affect the reader in different way: Eisner is very interested in using panels in innovative ways as part of his style. There’s a huge section on panels – how they are constructed, panels within panels, the page as a panel, and why we have them (also, why we sometimes get rid of them). Here’s an example, from the section on expressive anatomy: Similarly, the illustrations change the meaning of the text. In comics, “text reads as an image.” The font, the spacing, the placement, the visual aspects to how the text is written become another kind of illustration. Here are a few things that jumped out at me: This book covers basic concepts and then uses stories from The Spirit ( A | BN | G ), Eisner’s most famous comic, to illustrate them. The language isn’t so academic that it’s difficult to read, but it’s definitely pitched towards a serious reader, writer, or artist.

The chapters originated as a series of essays and also came out of the curriculum of a class Eisner taught at the School of Visual Arts in New York City. Understanding Comics is a wonderful Comics 101 course and Comics and Sequential Art kicks it up to the next level.Ĭomics and Sequential Art presumes that the reader has a working definition of what a comic is and that the reader has a certain comfort with the material. At the time, a lot of people suggested that I read Comics and Sequential Art by Will Eisner, and I’m so glad they did. Back in November 2015, I reviewed Understanding Comics by Scott McCloud.

Will eisner sequential art