Understanding Comix (Chps. 7-9)

Meh, I couldn't think of a good title for this post...and I like the way Spiegelman spells "comics."

Another shameless plug.

Anyways...the end of Understanding Comics. Personally, I think that Chapter 8: A Word About Color seemed out of place....Chapter 7: The Six Steps applies to comics at a whole, so I think it should be switched with 8. Ordering aside, these chapters were much more useful and interesting than the ones we had to read for the previous assignment.

Chapter 7: The Six Steps

Though I'm not sure I entirely agree with McCloud on everything he says in Chapter 7. He answers the question "Can comics be art?" by creating his own definition of art. A very broad definition that basically encompasses almost everything: "Art...is any human activity which doesn't grow out of either of our species' two basic instincts: survival and reproduction." This definition is way too broad and can be interpreted to include sinister things like killing a six-year-old or other random acts of violence. McCloud illustrates his definition by using cavemen, which reveals his definition's simplistic nature: he only depicts cavemen creating, not destroying. I suppose my view of human nature is much more pessimistic than his.

I also feel like he's cheating in a way by using this definition....he's not showing comics is equal to all of the things that are considered art, but just broadening the definition of art so there is no need to compare characteristics. Thankfully, he does do so later on in the chapter with the six steps. He does a very good job of illustrating his exposition of the six steps, basically an overview of the creative process. I was surprised initially that he depicted artists starting from step 6: the surface and moving towards steps 1 and 2 (the idea and the form) instead of the other way around. I guess it's because when writing a paper I always attempt to come up with ideas first...but his example is perhaps more applicable to visual arts, and he is talking about the whole process of growing as an artist rather than one isolated project.

Notable panel: I thought it was neat how the outline of the sabertooth tiger is stalking the man late for his job--illustrating the instinct for survival in a new form (pg. 167).


Chapter 8: A Word About Color

Overall I thought McCloud did a nice job highlighting the different effects various color schemes have on comics, especially the effect of flat colors. I also like how McCloud focuses on the potential of expressive colors to influence comics in the future. Though I'm not sure I entirely understand the "four-color" process.

Notable panel: McCloud depicts the filters different aspects of comics have had to go through: line is filtered by commerce, while color is filtered by both commerce and technology (pg. 187). Stupid business...


Chapter 9: Putting it All Together
A fitting summary that doesn't seem as repetitive as chapters 5 and 6. I like McCloud's emphasis on comics' potential in this chapter and throughout the whole book. Insightful exposition in the beginning about the isolated condition of humanity and the need for art to fill the void of non-communication. Another thing he seems to focus on is the underappreciation of comics.

Notable panels: The contrast between appreciated comics artists and condemned/overlooked ones on pg. 201. The top panels contain a quote by Topffer, a man who paradoxically believes that comics have had more influence on humanity than written literature and also believes that they mainly appeal only to "children and the lower classes." So I guess the implication is that comics is base and it has only had more influence on humanity because most of humanity is base too? The bottom panel contrasts sainted, angelic comics artists with the creations of underappreciated comics artists who are suffering in hell under the whip of demonic creatures representing commerce. Can McCloud be implying that the latter sold out to mass audiences?