The System of Comics

Système de la bande dessinée #1

by Thierry Groensteen

This edition of Thierry Groensteen's "The System of Comics" makes available in English a groundbreaking work on comics by one of the medium's foremost scholars. In this book, originally published in France in 1999, Groensteen explains clearly the subtle, complex workings of the medium and its unique way of combining visual, verbal, spatial, and chronological expressions. The author explores the nineteenth-century pioneer Rodolphe Topffer, contemporary Japanese creators, George Herriman's Krazy Kat, and modern American autobiographical comics.

The System of Comics uses examples from a wide variety of countries including the United States, England, Japan, France, and Argentina. It describes and analyzes the properties and functions of speech and thought balloons, panels, strips, and pages to examine methodically and insightfully the medium's fundamental processes.

From this, Groensteen develops his own coherent, overarching theory of comics, a "system" that both builds on existing studies of the "word and image" paradigm and adds innovative approaches of his own. Examining both meaning and appreciation, the book provides a wealth of ideas that will challenge the way scholars approach the study of comics. By emphasizing not simply "storytelling techniques" but also the qualities of the printed page and the reader's engagement, the book's approach is broadly applicable to all forms of interpreting this evolving art.

Thierry Groensteen is a comics scholar and translator in Brussels, Belgium. He is the author of "La bande dessinee: Une litterature graphique" and "La construction de la cage," among other books. Bart Beaty is associate professor of communication and culture at the University of Calgary. Nick Nguyen is an archivist at Library and Archives Canada, in Ottawa, Ontario.

Genres: Comics, Nonfiction, Theory, Graphic Novels, Art, Academics, Criticism

Paperback

First published January 1, 1999

Reviews

[Whitney Borup · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don't know who to blame for the prose, Groensteen or the translators. But the insights into form are helpful even when the sentences are run-ons.

[Dominick · Rating 3 out of 5]

Theory is not something I find congenial at the best of times, and when it is written in what seems to be deliberately opaque and clotted prose, I am even less of a fan. At several points in this book I paused, tempted to note a passage to quote in my review as an example of its unreadability, but I never did. I do recall one fairly minor instance from later in the book, in which Groensteen describes the pattern of a sequence as a "senestro-descendent diagonal"--or, in other words, downward to the left. As an academic, I find such language alienating, so I can only imagine how opaque the general reader would find this. Hell, the entire book is Groensteen defining what he calls arthrology, itself what seems to me to be a deliberately opaque term for what he means ... which is basically that panels on a page and across multiple pages engage complexly with each other. The idea itself is insightful and valuable, and when Groensteen turns to particular comics examples and analyzes them, the results are superb, but they are too few. Indeed, he frequently references pages he does not reproduce. In one instance he notes that he was denied permission to reproduce the pages--permission which he did not in fact need, as fair use allows the quoting of short image sequences as part of an analysis. Perhaps the publisher of the original French edition required permissions, but I have worked with the publisher of the translation and have been able to reproduce images without getting permission from publishers. Given the opacity of his language, Groensteen would have served his readers much better with more profuse use of examples of what he's talking about. If you're seriously interested in comics theory, this is probably a must-read, but this is not a book for the general reader, and if I am an indication of at least a segment of the academic audience, at least some academic readers will need to gird their loins for a deep wade through thickets of jargon to get to the core. 2.5 stars, if that were an available rating.

[Alexander Smith · Rating 3 out of 5]

While interesting and valuable, it commits itself strongly to theories of which I don't agree. For example, it claims images are linguistic in the Saussurian sense. Also it refuses to directly deny the concept of units in a clear way. Instead, it goes about in a meandering indirect way of saying 'signs appear not to exist in the comic data' when of course they don't if one follows Saussurian linguistics: they're mental images of language!

Yet this book borrows loosely from new materialist readings of images for affective purposes. While perhaps theoretically sound in of itself, I can't seem to find a use of this book in external spaces. I constantly find myself at ends with word choice, style of explanation, philosophical nuances, etc. This book is particularly important to comics, but outside of that space, it seems it has severe limitations everywhere.

[Guilherme Smee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Quem estuda quadrinhos e, principalmente quem os estuda academicamente, deve ter O Sistema dos Quadrinhos como uma bibliografia indispensável. Nele, o autor Thierry Groensteen dá um enfoque novo para os quadrinhos: não como literatura, nem como arte, nem como mídia, mas como um sistema, como a linguagem. Para isso, ele divide o livros em três artrologias: a do quadro, a da sequência e da rede. Dessa forma, entendemos como a linguagem dos quadrinhos se articula. Se num primeiro instante a teoria de Groensteen parece impermeável, ao embarcar na leitura somos levados a compreender o funcionamento dos quadrinhos de uma forma profunda. Simplesmente O LIVRO TEÓRICO sobre quadrinhos que você precisa ler.

[Barbara M. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another one of those books to be re-read ever so often. Given the book's theoretical density, I would have appreciated a little more service such as an additional bibliography at the end of the book instead of endnotes after each of the chapters. More figures would have been nice, too, as I am still not familiar with all of the examples chosen by Groensteen. I always enjoy his accurate yet "imaginative" metaphorical wording as it is quite uncommon in academia. The neglect of the script as the verbal shadow looming behind every comic still has me irritated though it explains his disinterest when it comes to comic authors... sigh...

[Nina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very dense reading. It certainly shows that Groensteen has been studying comics for a long time and this book is a good reference for anyone looking to formally analyse comics, or to improve their own comic writing. However, the book would have profited from more visual examples, especially for those not so well versed in francophone comics. Every page seemed to introduce 2-3 new terms and concepts, not always explaining them in much detail, which makes this a very theoretical reading and not always easy to understand.

[Gabriel Franklin · Rating 3 out of 5]

“Reading a comic, I am here, then I am there, and this jump from one panel to the next (an optical and mental leap) is the equivalent of an electron that changes orbit.”

[Gus Casals · Rating 4 out of 5]

Complejizar la lectura y análisis de historietas requiere del desarrollo de herramientas específicas y este libro, y su propuesta de historieta como sistema, va en esa dirección. La propuesta es tan interesante como compleja: este es un libro de semiótica de nivel académico. Esto es, se le puede atrever cualquiera pero un manejo básico de cierta terminología es indispensable para una lectura que enriquezca más allá de la simple curiosidad (pienso, una Semiología de nivel CBC -referencia argentina y porteña, lo sé - como nivel mínimo previo). También un libro súper útil para creadores en busca de un marco teórico que los acoja
Excelente traducción y edición de Hotel de las Ideas para Argentina.

[Derek Royal · Rating 4 out of 5]

A meticulously laid out, and well thought out, study that brings much to comics studies. Groensteen has established a standard for the study of visual narrative, and one that is invaluable. For English readers, though, there may be the problem of reference. The vast majority of the comics that Groensteen cites are Franco-Belgian - which makes sense - and with whom (I would guess) most English-speaking readers are unfamiliar. Herge is probably the most recognizable artist that Groensteen cites, but outside of that, many readers may be lost with the many references that aren't accompanied by figurative examples (and there aren't that many visual examples in the book). Also, the language in the text is rather thick and at times convoluted. I'm not sure whether this is a function of "theory writing" in general, translation issues, or the fact that the French language is structured in ways that, in a "true" translation, make it less flowing to non-French readers. Regardless, wading through the rhetoric is worth it.

[Capili April · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the 3rd time I've finished reading this relatively slim volume. A hard read--perhaps because of the technical language, perhaps because he engages with other French-language comics theorists, or perhaps it's the English translation-- but rewarding if you persist. And yet in some ways, the things he says are basic: he provides a description of the components of the 9th art, the uses and functions of these elements, and in general argues for an understanding of comics as a language or system. The most interesting parts are the analyses of particular comics pages (Groensteen often uses European works as examples in this book, but he does refer several times to Watchmen and a few Tintin comics).

[Stephen Haines · Rating 3 out of 5]

This text is deeply informative and fascinating and ambitious. I found the particular, curated examples from throughout history to be of great use in getting that textual referent for what is sometimes arduous, esoteric discussion—just getting that “look, here is what I’m talking about” was great.

While Groensteen does a truly outstanding job in delineating historical precedence and carefully defining and unpacking/extrapolating upon terms, it is sometimes **laughably** unnecessary, in terms of sheer, unmitigated jargon, the way in which some of this information is relayed. I suppose this is always the danger of diving into critical theory, or any text, really, which seeks to define itself as “academic”—you end up with several levels of obfuscation to that you must wade through just to get to “the point.” Often times, one sentence sums up what Groensteen is trying to say (and often without need of esoteric terminology), and sometimes that very sentence will be embedded in the center of an unnecessarily dense block of text, leaving you to scratch your head a little at all the rest of what was said. Again, though, this seems an unfortunate expectation of critical theory, and so it’s hard to fault this work TOO much for it, except for the fact that Groensteen triples down on this convention, IMO, and far too often muddies his otherwise very insightful critiques, instructions, and arguments.

[Matías Eyras · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jodido, en especial teniendo en cuenta que es un tema que me apasiona mucho, pero del que no tengo tanto bagaje teórico, y mucho menos tan específico como el semiótico.
Igual se hace entender, quizás por justamente tener conocimiento en semilogia visual y audiovisual, del que se la pasa nombrando en todo el texto, tanto para recalcar las similitudes, como las discrepancias en relación al sistema de la historieta (DIJE EL NOMBRE DEL LIBRO!)

[karin kim]

- - čteno jako úkol do školy - -

Jsem na vážkách, jak toto ohodnotit. Jestli máte zájem studovat komiks, spíše by bylo lepší najít něco novějšího a v angličtině. Možná bych doporučila i něco aktuálnějšího?
Jestli jste ale omezeni pouze na český jazyk, tak se musíte připravit, že je to zbytečně složité.

[Shriya Raina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tooth extraction. Enough said

[Kapitol Tank · Rating 4 out of 5]

Otra joya de y sobre Historieta publicada en el País.

[Emily Cook · Rating 3 out of 5]

Academically useful, but dull. Could have increased number of demonstrative comics.

[nunu sociale · Rating 2 out of 5]

j'ai du le lire pour mon mémoire et honnêtement c'etait si ennuyant....

[Antonia Vincovici · Rating 4 out of 5]

The bible of comics studies.
It was the main referece source for my MA thesis on intermediality and adaptation.

[Asher Klassen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not that it really needs to be said, but this text is a masterpiece of semiotic theory. It's been a cornerstone of (at least of the anglophone side) our field for nearly a decade, laying the groundwork for most formal and visual analysis undertaken by comics scholars. It's also phenomenally dense, unwieldy, and limited to a view of the comics form that relies on the implicitly linguistic terms on which semiotic theory operates. It is, in short, an imperfect text. It's been both a thrill and a hard slog getting through this, uncovering aspects of the 9e art that I had not previously considered and discovering shortcomings where I had not imagined there could be any. I may very well spend the rest of my career unpacking, arguing, and wrestling with this book, and I'm looking forward to it.

[Norman · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the hardest book for me to review. It's French in origin where thankfully comics are taken seriously. However the French also take things VERY seriously indeed. Think semiotics meets orthography with a splash of "spatio-topical" system. A really heavy book but really interesting. I wish I knew more about the subjects he uses to disprove current inadequate definitions of comics. Why is it called 'system' of comics - because no definition is adequate! A must for true scholars; others stick with "Critical approaches to comics: theories and methods" edited by Matthew J. Smith and Randy Duncan.

[Bryan · Rating 2 out of 5]

Good if you're a theorist or academic, but is otherwise pretty difficult to understand. The practicality of the book, at least for me, was minimal. I was looking to use it in a essay, but would struggle with it for hours on end and only extract a little information. What I would have liked is a reference manual on how to de-construct a comic book; what to look for. In short, this books actually makes me not want to read comic books, as it sort of takes the "fun" out of it.

Would not recommend it.

[Jeffrey · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't necessarily feel the need to weigh in on theories of comics - what they are, how they work - but it's still something I think about, especially when I'm teaching. Good food for thought in this book, even if it's not for the casual comics reader or maker. I liked this line quite a bit:
"Comics has the unique capacity to be able to illustrate with the same force of conviction the 'real,' the imagined, the thought, and the felt - and in the transition from one panel to the next it can glide smoothly from an objective to a subjective register."

[Jesse · Rating 4 out of 5]

The French take their comics (Bande dessinée) very seriously and this study, by one of the most prolific scholars on the subject, lays the foundation for a semiotic analysis of comics. Among the contributions of this book are the postulates that the basic interpretive unit of comics is the frame (not the line or the word) and that the medium is characterized, not by a blend of text and image, but by a struggle between figuration and narrativity.

[Kamakana · Rating 5 out of 5]

070715: this is an excellent theoretical exploration of the graphic mode of storytelling, perhaps too dependent on familiarity, close inspection, of Belgian and French work. this inspires another look at some, an engaging, philosphical investigation of this ninth art, how it differs from lit, from film, from non-narrative art...

[Karna Mustaqim · Rating 5 out of 5]

Buku teori komik dari pendekatan semiologis. Sepertinya kita akan segera mendisiplinkan komik sbg ilmu tersendiri, tentu saja bukan setahun dua ini, mungkin setidaknya dalam 5-10 tahun mendatang studi komik akan mendapatkan kajian yang sangat menantang. =)

[Stephen · Rating 5 out of 5]

A little dense with the grammar but once you read through it the text is very rewarding to understanding why comics are a diverse medium that deserve the respect from the art and literary communities.

[Tim Jones · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is about as good and concrete of a theory of how comics works as you're going to get, however, in the grand French theoretical tradition, it also coins about 8 new words per page and seems insistent on being difficult.

[Tom · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting things to say, used it for my thesis. Sometimes, a little aloof / difficult to read, as with most works of criticism.

[Mary]

Read intro and some sections from the middle; good but theoretically dense!

[David Press · Rating 3 out of 5]

Finally a book applying semiotics to comics and I'm really glad I read it.