Week 2

Scott McCloud’s Understanding Comics is a book released in 1993 that explores and analyzes the various formal facets of comics, such as its historical context or development over time as an art form. It defines the art form of comics as the “primacy of sequences of images.”

One thing about this reading I found interesting was its discussion of linear and non-linear storytelling. According to McCloud, comics utilize non-linear narratives due to their reliance on readers’ reading preferences, interactions, and choices. I, myself as an artist, personally work better employing linear narratives to my work because it allows me to have a sense of focus and direction. My vision is clear and that helps with the execution and delivery of the story in whatever media. With that being the case, it was surprising to me that comics tend to have a non-linear narrative. Not to mention just the idea of trying to deliver a beginning, middle, and end in a non-linear format is very boggling to me. However, the idea that humans are innately gifted with the knack for connecting images to a meaning or story made a lot of sense to me as art is a skill I’ve noticed we as humans are much more proficient and advanced with than other species.