A Letter to Scott McCloud
skip the preface and get straight to the letter
EDIT 6*9*2005: The actual letter was written on 9*22*2002. Unfortunately, I do not have a date for this preface, so I have date-stamped it with the same date as the letter.
This preface and letter stands as is, regardless of whether or not I hold the same views today.
I loved Scott McCloud’s book, Understanding Comics. Loved it. Loved it. I thought it was brilliant. I remember being apprehensive about buying it because I didn’t want Mr. McCloud’s ideas about comics to influence my own. I got over myself, and immersed myself in one of the most wonderful comic book experiences of my life. Yes, I found that the book contained some ideas that I had about comics, but the way he wrote about them, the way he demonstrated his ideas using the very medium he was writing about… genius. Absolutely ahead of it’s (his) time.
Mr. McCloud has since gone on to write Reinventing Comics, which I have not yet read. I do know, however, that he discusses the medium of online comics in the book. He also discusses them in a comic essay on his website and has since become one of the biggest proponents of online comics.
I am not the biggest fan of online comics. I think that for the most part, online comics are like candy: a temporary fix. While I’ve seen a few enjoyable online comics, they don’t compare to a printed comic book in terms of tangibility. I also find that online comics are more annoying. The thought of sitting at a computer and reading all the comics that I want to read makes my eyes burn. The thought of navigating through a huge online comic makes my head spin.
This is not to say that I deplore online comics. In fact, I will be utilizing the medium myself. However, my goal is not to make a living doing an online comic. If anything, it’s my “temporary fix” until traditional publishing is feasible for me.
As an artist, I prefer a pencil, a pen, and a piece of paper. I don’t want a digital canvas. I want to be able to physically feel the medium on which I am creating.
I’m not one to hold on to old ways and not making allowances for new ideas to find their way into our lives, but in this case I have to say that, artistically, print is better for me as an artist and as a reader.
But I digress… This page is getting long, so you can read the letter here.