Suggested Reading Options

[ChuckMoore]

Back in July of this year, Jonathan posted the update that follows to the blog. I repost it here as a solid starting point for a group "suggested reading" list. Have something that helped expand your frame of reference in terms of comics? Hit "add reply" and add it to the list!

Jonthan writes...

OK- Here's the beginning of what I hope will be a community effort to point intersted readers in the right direction for some quality books. I am only posting books I own or have read or partially read.

Examples of the Medium
Graphic Novels

* Art Spiegelman - Maus I, II
* Craig Thompson - Blankets
* Marjane Satrapi - Persepolis I, II (required reading at US Naval Academy)

Comic Trade Paperbacks

* Bryan Talbot - A Tale of One Bad Rat - Dark Horse
* Tom Veitch and Bryan Talbot - The Nazz - DC Comics - (great insight as to how cults form)
* Various - Batman Black and White - DC Comics (SCAD sequential art faculty reference this work often!)

Educational
General Comics and Cartooning

* Scott McCloud - Understanding Comics
* Scott McCloud - Making Comics
* Will Eisner - Comics & Sequential Art (have not finished this one - hard read for me)
* Will Eisner - Graphic Storytelling (have not finished this one - hard read for me)
* Jack Hamm - Cartooning the Head and Figure - Perigree

Writing Comics

* Denny O'Neil - DC Guide to Writing Comics - Watson Guptill
* Danny Fingeroth (Editor) - Write Now! (Magazine) - TwoMorrows Publishing

Drawing Comics

* Klaus Janson - DC Guide to Pencilling Comics - Watson Guptill
* Klaus Janson - DC Guide to Inking Comics - Watson Guptill
* Various - DC Guide to Coloring and Lettering Comics - Watson Guptill
* David Chelsea - Perspective for Comics - Watson Guptill
* Mike Manley (Editor) - Draw! (Magazine) - TwoMorrows Publishing
* Bob McCleod (Editor) - Rough Stuff (Magazine) - TwoMorrows Publishing
* John Buscema and Stan Lee - Drawing Comics the Marvel Way
* Bob Hickey (Publisher) - Sketch (Magazine) - Blue Line Productions

Drawing General

* Jack Hamm - Drawing the Head and Figure - Perigree
* Jack Hamm - How to Draw Animals - Perigree
* Jack Hamm - Drawing Scenery: Landscapes and Seascapes - Perigree
* Gary Fagin - Facial Expressions: A Visual Guide for Artists - Watson Gutptill (have not finished reading)
* Andrew Loomis - Figure Drawing For All It's Worth - Out of print (PDF versions are available on the web or from CCG folks)
* Ron Tiner - Figure Drawing Without a Model - David and Charles Publishers

[wackywackowski]

Stardust by Neil Gaiman
Moonshadow by John Marc DeMatteis & Jon J Muth

[ChuckMoore]

I'm reading Super Spy by Matt Kindt right now. The narrative is really interesting, but the presentation and design is utterly amazing. It really works hard to re-imagine how a graphic novel can look on a printed page. Very interesting.

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