Scott McCloud: Understanding comics

[@jamtronart]

Webtoons, for one, successfully makes use of this exact scroll function he was imagining in the 90s. Pretty awesome!

[@danwroy]

His weakest point aside from his truly embarrassing definition of what art is

[@MicahBuzanANIMATION]

The man is a genius. His books "Making Comics" and "Understanding Comics" are required reading for anyone who wants to give comic book making a try, and also for anyone who reads comics because these books will give you an in depth understanding and hence appreciation of this sometimes overlooked art form.

[@lua_satik]

Totally agree...!

[@VeganRevolution]

Required reading for anyone.

[@KeredAglo]

I'm looking to get into making comics, just as a hobby for me to present to my friends for fun but definitely going to check out his book.

[@1805movie]

Scott McCloud is like the Carl Sagan of comics. Exploring the comic universe, and analyzing them in great detail with meaning and possibilities.

[@frankwolftown]

Scott McCloud never ceases to amaze. I hope he draws forever.

[@mere_serendipity8275]

That dude, who cackled at "the heat death of the universe" comics in complete silence... I connect with you on some kind of level

[@euromut555]

I nominate this TED talk as one of the best I have seen. I reviewed it to see if I should refer it to a friend of mine who is into comics and discovered the clearest description of the power and potential of communications that I have ever heard - and told with a personal story that adds the dimensions just as he describes them. Brilliant. This belongs in every humanities course and I intend to use it in my psychology and religious studies courses as well.

[@GentleOddity]

i'm watching this in 2018, and i love this mans book "understanding comics" i think that any art teacher who really loves art and all its uses should read it. I'd recommend it to even art history teachers!! or any teacher of an art related subject!

[@ThaKid14]

Brilliant. That’s really all I can say. Utterly brilliant. Ok I could say more. This was special to watch and just having read Understanding Comics this sunk in even more! That book is a masterpiece and hearing him speak here, can see how intelligent this man is as well. Fascinating to see the way he looks at storytelling art history, time and space. He’s a fantastic orator as well, great speaker. So well delivered and concise. Could listen to him speak way longer and just learn. I love the idea of the ever expanding capabilities of comics, shocking to think how under appreciated comics are still…we can’t ever get rid of the written word with pictures. Juxtaposed deliberate sequences…Once you allow yourself to get into them and see what they can do for you, (comics) there’s truly nothing like it. For anyone contemplating starting, do it!!

[@TheSubwaysurfer]

Scottsdale gift to the comics world Is giving a cognitive way to talk about the medium intelligently with others who look down on the medium, as well as giving creators a roadmap for understanding and finding their own style.

[@theodenking169]

Webcomics these days do exactly this -- they have a "single unbroken reading line on an infinite canvas."

[@Seshlot]

dude was talking about scrolling functions 10 years ago. look at where we at now

[@RADZ97]

This was in 2005 but uploaded in '09 ,,,, Webtoon already existed in Korea from '04.

[@jeirigi5694]

@@RADZ97 scott mccloud proposed it in the 90s

[@ozjthomas]

Awesome. I love these books. So awesome to see his speech. This guy is a genious.

[@gamdanyunizar7849]

I never thought Scott McCloud has such a daaaark sense of humor I love it

[@moxiebombshell]

watching this 14 years later and it still holds up.

[@zoybean]

Traditional reading methods are still the most popular. Manga is the most common way of reading, and its sales and readership are so many times higher than Webtoons and other scrollers.

[@DixyRae]

His first book is holy dogma, as far as I'm concerned. Though I think his predictions for webcomics were a little off. But hey, thats the gamble when you talk about the future.

[@radred3662]

If this Ted talk was just a year later there would've been a lot more to talk about regarding hypertext comics

[@band0l1n]

This guy's book was like my personal Bible.

[@mere_serendipity8275]

11 years later it still fascinates people all over the world. Scott Mccloud is a genius!

[@jamesabell9494]

I loved his books. I also am going to try his 24 hour comic concept next month in August 2014. I want to do this challenge and add another layer, where the comic will be optimized for the Kindle and released onto the Amazon marketplace within that time frame too. Anyone else interested in this idea?

[@maraichux]

And now we have "Webtoon" which is exactly what Scott predicted. True genius.

[@schamon13]

How so?

[@INDIANXxhgpp9907]

2022 2:00 childhood show 6:00 saccadic visuals 10:30 murray's law

[@michaelfehr9568]

this brief 17 min talk is surely WAY over the heads of the participants in the Audience... he wrote THREE full graphic Novels to cover these ideas, and trying to Synopsize it into a 15-20 Min., PowerPOint Demonstration. If I was in the Audience I'd be like "HUH?? WTF???" but because I have read all 3 books, I can follow his concepts and train of Thought. Anyone interested in what he's trying to get across, read these three Graphic Novels: 1 Understanding Comic 2: Re-INventing Comics 3. Making Comics

[@josefjerster]

oh, i love his metacomics! but i guess the presentation was a concise sample, because it is hard to cover the things on the comics in a single ted talk

[@michaelfehr9568]

yeah

[@brooklynlevo]

will be writing an exam on understanding comics on monday in seminar named the same as the book

[@AikiraBeats]

Cool currently taking a class that is discussing a few of his works

[@DixyRae]

I agree entirely except for the inclusion of the word "fantasy." I'm purposely misreading what you meant because thats how people unfamiliar with comics would interpret "fantasy": either as "light fiction" or "dungeons and dragons." I think its always important to stress (like the point made with "childish") that comics are a medium, and that medium can encompass all genres. I can only imagine the shock an unassuming person must feel at reading a Chris Ware comic for the first time.

[@ratholin]

I remember when marvel came out with those CDromix. They were actually really fun. Way better than having someone else show you a comic.

[@Slance1Himself]

Wow... At the bottom right at 06:53 it's my biggest idol - Johnny Rotten, this made the video even better! :D

[@williampowell3378]

Great speech. 👏

[@YitzJacob]

it's so weird to watch a TEDtalk like this after the iPad already exists..

[@TheSubwaysurfer]

You can't zone out a Scott cloud lecture. Unless you really pay attention, you will be loss. My only complaint about Scott, is that he dent "dumb it down enough" a strange thing to say, I know, but sometimes his lectures are so conceptual that your mind NEEDS a break!...

[@rubbermuck]

Alan Moore played a lot with panel layouts, especially in Watchmen. It may be true that comic makers are stuck to a certain size of the page and pivotal moments really only happen at the turn of a page(for surprise), I don't know if it's a limitation immediately. It is interesting to follow these computer-comics though. An interesting one I read was "A lesson is learned but the damage is irreversible".

[@BodaciousBurnley]

Can anyone give me some insight to the "McLuhanesque mistake" he refers to around 11:00? Who was this man and what did he do that caused him to be associated with the inefficient application of established rules to new paradigms? I thought that maybe he was talking about Herbert Marshall McLuhan, but the "medium is the message" philosophy doesn't seem to be quite what McCloud is talking about. Any facts from those more knowledgeable than I?

[@Titleknown]

Anyone else thinking of Awful Hospital or, more likely, Homestuck when he talks about the future of comics? Because, both o those do some amazing things with space, though the former does show he was a bit mistaken when he dismissed the possibilities of interactive comics.

[@LowestofheDead]

@BlacknWhitesAlright Starting from Watchmen, Moore used 3x3 panels inspired from Steve Ditko Later on he was more flexible e.g. Promethea

[@Slance1Himself]

Niiiiiiiiiiice :D This is what you want... this is what you get... Dude I freakin LOVE John! :D

[@letscompose8560]

Oh great, a 15 year old youtube video to remind me how fast time is moving.

[@liamhuberty7428]

McCloud was so fucking ahead of his time. Just look at WEBTOONS. Truly genius.

[@inko9nito]

Brilliant presentation!

[@KeriOwen]

anyone who can incorporate Ed Wood's film 'Plan 9 From Outer Space' into a talk gets my vote!

[@comicsgrinder]

We all love Scott McCloud for his insight. I share here an in depth look at contemporary comics: kzbin.info/www/bejne/hnPUpWSbpNOhapI

[@Soekell]

I saw him in Vienna, and he talked way longer than here- for free. It was really cool and personal. I don't know what this TED-stuff is all about..

[@HecKaTorN]

I think that actually was pretty interesting

[@linuxlist2000]

Niiiiiiice, great presentation.

[@wepeanutthree5553]

what was the second comic featured in the presentation?

[@masterhook]

on scott's website. He has a page with links and that is one of them. Look for the "Drew Weing" link

[@webcamsociety]

Very interesting comic analysis.

[@lucasbruniart]

Does anyone know the name of Jason Lex's comicbook and where to find it?

[@pedrojosecorderoveloz2229]

Hasta oí en dia no he visto el salto final hacia el comic en la web tal vez sea por que los medios están muy saturados de contenido y la gente no puede leer este tipos de comics

[@narayantx]

Genius even in 2017.

[@Rantandreason]

Fantastic!

[@RadTrashed]

This has aged like the finest wine.

[@phenothiazine]

Nice video! Where i can get "pop contemplates the heat death of universe" and the other?

[@lila-yw2gn]

Ignore this comment as this is a personal msg for someone For Michael Its ok if we can't be together for now. Im not sure about the reason why but im sure that there must be a reason for that. Of course, i would want to be w/ you, have fun with you, to gradually uncover our true selves with each other but I'm sure theres a reason why it cant happen now. In every desire that i have, your presence is always included there.

[@BurtBenz]

"Total eclipse" isn't Carly Simon. That's "You're so vain". Bonnie Tyler sang about the eclipse.

[@ProfessorDesiree]

That's what I thought at first, too, but: "You made it down to Nova Scotia to see the total eclipse of the sun." from Carlie Simon's "You're so Vain."

[@sholahudinyusuf8495]

Wow this guy predicts webtoon and webcomics

[@TheBlockHeadsStudios]

You know, this is freaking incredible. This is something I've been thinking about a lot too, but from a slightly different perspective and motivation. Comic books in general, even with the movies, have been falling in popularity. But what do movies have that comics don't? The usual answer would be you don't put effort into watching a movie. But I think the real reason is that movies bring a world like none other, and books bring a world much like comic books. But if we could expand that, make the comic panels become somewhat of a world, it would be incredible.

[@The3rdGunman]

+turbine master Yeah his book changed my perspective forever!

[@hyperTorless]

It's funny how optimistic they were of future technologies at the time, almost funny.

[@pratyushachakraborty6789]

Man peeped into the future alright

[@pushpanathans9426]

HIGHLY INFORMATIVE THANKS A LOT

[@bighungry98]

Wow, so that’s what Scott McCloud looks like?

[@mortschubert3909]

Everybody reacts when they see the picture of the cat.

[@awhitehead]

Scott McCloud was right about so much, but his ideas on how to present comics in the digital age was so, so wrong. Scrolling through panels in all directions? I mean even the way he presents it looks awful. I know this talk was 8 years ago, but even then websites designed that way sucked. When it comes to print, he totally gets it. Digital, not so much.

[@fullanalysis93]

I disagree. If you read webcomics a lot of them have adopted the "infinite canvas" on the y-axis (ie. Scrolling down). It really works because of how they're viewed on smartphones.

[@OpenLoungeCast]

so true.

[@samala51]

Without fail

[@Slance1Himself]

To Teabonesteak: dude! Are you a PiL fan? Or at least a Johnny fan? :D

[@cetacious]

what a random begening. I like the last 11 min. the most!

[@tiwaririshikeshmani]

Mangastream brought me here :)

[@BinaryDood]

His book is a comic book Bible

[@Teabonesteak]

6:53 Hahaha!! Johnny Rotten!! Bottom right!

[@Teabonesteak]

THHIISS IS NOT A LOVE SOOOOOOONG! THHIISS IS NOT A LOVE SOOOOOOONG! THHIISS IS NOT A LOVE SOOOOOOONG! THHIISS IS NOT A LOVE SOOOOOOONG! Damn right I'm a Pil/Sex pistols/all around johnny fan!

[@sheepwshotguns]

i miss calvin and hobbes... :(

[@dogstar7]

Isn't Scott McCloud the "Space Angel"?

[@emmad.8815]

Webcomics!! :)

[@kajicarter]

Duh...when he talks about the total eclipse and Carly Simon he's referring to lyrics in the song 'You're So Vain'. *sigh*

[@cherrycola542]

Noooo I feel so bad for his grandma

[@quinnlincurvee1120]

It's a sport car

[@nicktartaglia1139]

What is this like seriously james grey agrees

[@calebgarcia]

Scott McCloud real name is Scott McLeod

[@hariprasada]

traduzcan esto al español

[@JoeGrimer]

man, he must have put so much work into the wording and slide deck

[@roguegallery7519]

This is weird...that Scott McCloud doesnt sound the same as the Scott McCloud from the comics BA-DUM!

[@ChapmanRod-d2l]

Jackson Sharon Wilson Sandra Smith Nancy

[@NorseRonin]

"Scott McLEOD is my uncle". yeah, but what does that have to do with scott McCloud?

[@HigherPlanes]

No, that would be virtual reality.

[@bittachowdhury4242]

i hate that thinks like this are 9 years ago

[@FijneWIET]

that bad huh?

[@GreyAutumn]

Vertical comics are a thing, so what this guy is proposing already exists.

[@fullanalysis93]

Yes but his idea is from 1998

[@egis27]

lol....so did i

[@roguegallery7519]

That meanig of science doesnt make sense.

[@jjmm112]

shite.

[@michaelfeher213]

I honestly feel that breaking down and super- analyzing an art-form like this is NOT conducive to a progress in that field whatsoever. in fact, i'm sure that, people READ INTO comics, art, visuals, stories, what they themselves wish to see, feel, hear, understand, relate to. Art is a VERY personal matter, and shoulfsd not be approached scientifically because there's no AUTHORITY in any field of Art, it should be left open to natural progress, creativity and "what is beautiful" to the viewer.

[@rodovariocragur8732]

In fact if you read the books he literally says he wants to start the debating and no pretentions of finding a permanent view or knowledge

[@Saktoth]

Rubbish if you ask me, and totally wrong in his predictions (other than the arthouse self-fulfilling prophecy type). Infinite canvas? I dont think so.

[@SoeaOu]

nothing meaningful in this video

[@niclouds5292]

+Hoto Hoto you loco bro

[@euromut555]

+Hoto If I take you right, your comment belies just how important McCloud's message is. Assuming that you find meaning only in specifically quantifiable information as in raw data (valued as in economic value or monetarily) and avoid, ignore, or even denigrate the un- or less-quantifiable, then the degree to which you value your full potential as a human being, as a person within and mutually constituted with your socio-cultural uniqueness, McCloud provides a map with which to calibrate the methods and terms that keep us whole, together, that maintains our entire potential without cutting off your nose to spite your face.

[@niclouds5292]

Jeffrey W. Danese Nothing meaningful in this comment ;)