Understanding Comics

Understanding Comics: The Invisible Art is a 1993 non-fiction work of comics by American cartoonist Scott McCloud. It explores formal aspects of comics, the historical development of the medium, its fundamental vocabulary, and various ways in which these elements have been used. It expounds theoretical ideas about comics as an artform and medium of communication.

Understanding Comics received praise from notable comic and graphic novel authors such as Art Spiegelman, Will Eisner, Alan Moore, Neil Gaiman and Garry Trudeau (who reviewed the book for the New York Times). Although the book has prompted debate over many of McCloud’s conclusions, its discussions of "iconic" art and the concept of "closure" between panels have become common reference points in discussions of the medium.

Publication history
Understanding Comics was first published by Tundra Publishing; reprintings have been released by Kitchen Sink Press, DC Comics' Paradox Press, DC's Vertigo line, and HarperPerennial. The book was edited by Mark Martin, with lettering by Bob Lappan. The title of Understanding Comics is an homage to Marshall McLuhan's seminal 1964 work Understanding Media.

Softcover

 * Tundra (1993): ISBN 1-56862-019-5
 * Paradox Press (1993): ISBN 1-56389-557-9
 * Kitchen Sink (1993): ISBN 0-87816-243-7
 * HarperCollins (2004): ISBN 0-06-097625-X

Hardcover

 * Kitchen Sink: ISBN 0-87816-244-5
 * Vertigo: ISBN 1-56389-759-8

Sequels
McCloud has followed up Understanding Comics with Reinventing Comics (2000), in which he suggested ways for the medium to change and grow; and Making Comics (2006), a study of methods of constructing comics.

Awards and honors
The book was a finalist for the 1994 Hugo Award for Best Non-Fiction Book.

Legacy
The book was called "one of the most insightful books about designing graphic user interfaces ever written" by Apple Macintosh co-creator Andy Hertzfeld.