The Haute Critique

I don’t read comic books; At least I didn’t. But, there I was at the worlds largest Comic Convention. We were filming an interview with Scott McCloud. I had never heard of the guy, so I was a little surprised at the throng assembled for his presentation.

And so it began, a cogent presentation of Jungian Archetypes married to graphic styles and other high falutin mumbo jumbo; at least that is how it seemed. At the end of his presentation he announced that he and his unbelievably charming family would be traveling the country in a mini van for the next year. Evocative of the wandering sage, the crowd responded in rapt adulation.

I’m not often swayed by celebrity, but in cases where the celebration of a man’s work is genuine and heartfelt, I take notice. That evening I was on to amazon to buy Understanding Comics, Scott McCloud’s Non-Fiction oeuvre into the scholastic study of comics.

It was a truly fun and enlightening read. The topics were richly covered and broad enough to place comics distinctly within the landscape of cultural expression, while planting them firmly on equal footing with written word and graphic arts.

Some months later, I found myself with the munchies and a hankering for some prose, but without the attention span to look at that many letters on a page. I picked up Understanding Comics, and it spoke to me. Not in an empathic way, like a story across time related, but like the burning bush. Voices were heard and revelations were had.

Scott’s mastery of not only the concepts, but also the medium creates a living lecture and spiritual journey. The book underscores theoretical points with practical examples. This marriage makes arguments undeniable, and, at altitude, you can see the genius and wrinkles of human expression that are uniquely possible with comics.

The Treachery of Images

As I sat there, pipe in hand, I experienced the true resonance and treachery of Magritte’s painting. In a world of platonic ideals, texture and context bring meaning. Understanding Comics, in form, frames and words follows the time honored tradition, but in the high mind, Ceci n’est pas un comic book.

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