How Comics Work
A relaxed look into every aspect of comic mechanics, co-authored by the man behind the greatest graphic novel of all time
Watchmen artist Dave Gibbons and pop culture expert Tim Pilcher present ideas on how to put together compelling comics.
Each chapter is packed with notes from Dave’s career that are sure to surprise
With over 40 years’ experience in the comics industry, including work on big titles like Watchmen and The Green Lantern, there’s no one better to guide you through how comics work than Dave Gibbons. And in this welcoming book co-written with pop culture expert Tim Pilcher, he does exactly that.
Considering that How Comics Work features such a well-known name, there’s a refreshing lack of ego on display. Instead, the two writers invite the reader to listen in on one of their many chats about comics, and the pair’s enthusiasm comes across in the breezy but authoritative writing style. Rather than being didactic, this book states that the tips enclosed are simply how Dave works, and compliments the reader’s intelligence by suggesting that the advice it gives is the first step towards a larger understanding.
The book’s seven chapters cover the key aspects of the comic-creation process. These include sections on scriptwriting, character design, lettering, cover design and more. Each is packed with observations from Dave’s career that are sure to surprise even those well versed in his work.
Most of the chapters follow a similar structure, opening with early influences on Dave and how he put these inspirations into practice, before hearing from the man himself on how he approaches the topic in question. The final chapter is set aside to creative exercises and feels a bit thin on the ground in comparison to the rest. What’s there is good, but we can’t help but wish there were more challenges from the comics master.
How Comics Work also features scans of Dave’s original artwork, sketches, and illustrations that rarely see the light of day. These feature all the way through the book and make it as enjoyable to look at and read as it is enlightening for those looking to learn from its many pearls of wisdom. Every image, whether it’s a piece of work by Dave or one his idols, is usefully captioned so readers can do more research into their favourite strips.
While a book on how to make comics is invariably going to fall short in certain ways depending on the reader, How Comics Work sets the standard for an approachable examination of how the medium functions and what it can accomplish.