As I read Scott McCloud's Understanding Comics, I have come to understand how comics are really comic art. McCloud explains what distinguish comic art from other art form and with that, he creates a principle that increase its value. Because to increase something's value, the item must decrease in quantity or increase in demand. McCloud’s definition increased the genre’s value by including some famous works of art by Hogarth and other artists to the genre. His definition also increased value by making comic art an exclusive genre, removing cartoons and other medium from the category.
Furthermore, McCloud explains the mechanics behind comic art. With that, he makes such works like Manga or X-Men much more significant than just the story they were drawn about. He explains the picture box, concepts of movement and time. These concepts show how even comic arts have rules that are used to deliver its message and story.
From reading his book, I’ve learned to have a greater appreciation for comic art. To me, it has given comics a sense of integrity that it did not have before. It allowed me to distinguish between the doodle of an amateur with what is considered to be true comic art. Now, the next time a read a comic book, I can see how each individual frame has worked to affect the entire story. For example, I see how the form of comics affects its audience. It gives them more control than any other form. It lets the reader move back and forth in time as he or she sees fit.
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