Books That Study The Art of Comics (58 books)

A compilation of books that analyze the history, structure and how-to of comics and comic making. Great for academics and artists alike.

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1	The Art of the Funnies: An Aesthetic History by Robert C. Harvey really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 7 ratings score: 153, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
2	Making Comics: Storytelling Secrets of Comics, Manga and Graphic Novels by Scott McCloud (Goodreads Author) 4.34 avg rating — 9,758 ratings score: 152, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
3	Making Comics by Lynda Barry 4.47 avg rating — 1,249 ratings score: 146, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
4	Comics and Sequential Art by Will Eisner 4.11 avg rating — 6,280 ratings score: 100, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
4	Comic Strip Artists in American Newspapers, 1945-1980 by Moira Davison Reynolds really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 1 rating score: 100, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
4	Comic Book Historians Presents...: Frank Thorne the Blue, Wizard of the Comic Arts by Alex Grand it was amazing 5.00 avg rating — 1 rating score: 100, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
4	Drawing the Line: Comics Studies and INKS, 1994–1997 by Lucy Shelton Caswell 3.67 avg rating — 3 ratings score: 100, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
8	Understanding Comics: The Invisible Art by Scott McCloud (Goodreads Author) really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 131,546 ratings score: 99, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
8	Comic Book Historians Presents...: Neal Adams, Master Illustrator by Alex Grand it was amazing 5.00 avg rating — 2 ratings score: 99, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
8	Comics by Harriet E.H. Earle 4.50 avg rating — 6 ratings score: 99, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
11	The Language of Comics by Mario Saraceni 2.60 avg rating — 30 ratings score: 98, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
12	Drawing Words and Writing Pictures by Jessica Abel (Goodreads Author) 4.09 avg rating — 1,739 ratings score: 97, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
12	The Visual Language of Comics: Introduction to the Structure and Cognition of Sequential Images. by Neil Cohn 3.94 avg rating — 87 ratings score: 97, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
14	Why Comics?: From Underground to Everywhere by Hillary L. Chute 4.01 avg rating — 334 ratings score: 96, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
14	Comics Unmasked: Art and Anarchy in the UK by John Harris Dunning 4.32 avg rating — 31 ratings score: 96, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
16	Comic Book History of Comics by Fred Van Lente (Goodreads Author) 4.12 avg rating — 689 ratings score: 95, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
16	The Comics of Chris Ware: Drawing Is a Way of Thinking by David M. Ball (Goodreads Author) 3.80 avg rating — 61 ratings score: 95, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
18	Children of the Yellow Kid: The Evolution of the American Comic Strip by Robert C. Harvey 3.56 avg rating — 9 ratings score: 94, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
18	The Blacker the Ink: Constructions of Black Identity in Comics and Sequential Art by Frances Gateward (Contributor) 4.29 avg rating — 31 ratings score: 94, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
20	Sparring With Gil Kane: Debating The History and Aesthetics of Comics by Gil Kane 4.19 avg rating — 21 ratings score: 93, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
21	Graphic Storytelling and Visual Narrative by Will Eisner 4.08 avg rating — 2,272 ratings score: 92, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
21	Comics & Media: A Special Issue of "Critical Inquiry" (A Critical Inquiry Book) by Hillary L. Chute (Editor) 3.90 avg rating — 10 ratings score: 92, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
23	Best American Comics Criticism by Benjamin Schwartz (Editor) 3.38 avg rating — 39 ratings score: 91, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
24	Syllabus: Notes From an Accidental Professor by Lynda Barry 4.39 avg rating — 3,455 ratings score: 90, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
24	Adult Comics: An Introduction by Roger Sabin 3.88 avg rating — 25 ratings score: 90, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
26	Arguing Comics: Literary Masters on a Popular Medium by Jeet Heer (Editor) 3.59 avg rating — 44 ratings score: 89, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
27	Comics and the City: Urban Space in Print, Picture and Sequence by Jörn Ahrens (Editor) 3.17 avg rating — 18 ratings score: 88, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
28	Narrative Structure in Comics: Making Sense of Fragments by Barbara Postema (Goodreads Author) 3.68 avg rating — 38 ratings score: 87, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
29	The System of Comics by Thierry Groensteen 3.75 avg rating — 185 ratings score: 86, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
30	The Language of Comics: Word and Image by Robin Varnum (Editor) 3.52 avg rating — 33 ratings score: 85, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
31	Writers on Comics Scriptwriting, Vol. 1 by Mark Salisbury really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 200 ratings score: 84, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
32	How Comics Work by Dave Gibbons 4.19 avg rating — 77 ratings score: 83, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
33	Comics Creator Prep by Lee Nordling 3.30 avg rating — 10 ratings score: 82, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
34	Words for Pictures: The Art and Business of Writing Comics and Graphic Novels by Brian Michael Bendis 4.13 avg rating — 841 ratings score: 81, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
35	The DC Comics Guide to Creating Comics: Inside the Art of Visual Storytelling by Carl Potts 4.12 avg rating — 135 ratings score: 80, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
36	The DC Comics Guide to Writing Comics by Dennis O'Neil 4.03 avg rating — 1,250 ratings score: 79, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
37	Reinventing Comics: The Evolution of an Art Form – Twelve Revolutions in Digital Publishing, Creators' Rights, and the Future of Storytelling by Scott McCloud (Goodreads Author) 3.90 avg rating — 3,817 ratings score: 78, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
38	Eisner/Miller by Will Eisner 3.95 avg rating — 350 ratings score: 77, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
39	Keywords for Comics Studies by Ramzi Fawaz (editor) really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 5 ratings score: 76, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
40	A Comics Studies Reader by Jeet Heer (Editor) 3.69 avg rating — 86 ratings score: 75, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
41	Insider Histories of Cartooning: Rediscovering Forgotten Famous Comics and Their Creators by Robert C. Harvey liked it 3.00 avg rating — 2 ratings score: 74, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
42	IJOCA - International Journal of Comic Art, Comic Empires - Cartoons, Caricature, and Imperialism: A Symposium (Vol. 16, No.2, Fall/Winter 2014) by John A. Lent (editor) 0.00 avg rating — 0 ratings score: 73, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
43	The Content of Our Caricature: African American Comic Art and Political Belonging (Postmillennial Pop, 25) by Rebecca Wanzo 4.59 avg rating — 17 ratings score: 72, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
44	Artists on Comics Art by Mark Salisbury 3.98 avg rating — 53 ratings score: 71, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
45	Masters of the Ninth Art: Bandes dessinées and Franco-Belgian Identity (Contemporary French and Francophone Cultures, 3) (Volume 3) by Matthew Screech 3.44 avg rating — 9 ratings score: 70, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
46	The Illustrated Comic Art Workshop : volume 2, Penciling by Dick Giordano liked it 3.00 avg rating — 2 ratings score: 69, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
47	How to Draw Noir Comics: The Art and Technique of Visual Storytelling by Shawn Martinbrough 3.99 avg rating — 221 ratings score: 68, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
48	How to Read Nancy: The Elements of Comics in Three Easy Panels by Paul Karasik 4.36 avg rating — 253 ratings score: 67, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
49	Building Literacy Connections with Graphic Novels: Page by Page, Panel by Panel by James Bucky Carter (Editor) 3.59 avg rating — 39 ratings score: 66, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
50	Panel Discussions: Design In Sequential Art Storytelling by Durwin Talon 4.14 avg rating — 50 ratings score: 65, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
51	Panel One: Comic Book Scripts By Top Writers (Panel One Scripts by Top Comics Writers Tp by Kurt Busiek 3.77 avg rating — 119 ratings score: 64, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
52	A History of Underground Comics by Mark James Estren (Goodreads Author) 3.86 avg rating — 64 ratings score: 63, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
53	From Aargh! to Zap!: Harvey Kurtzman's Visual History of the Comics by Harvey Kurtzman 3.95 avg rating — 19 ratings score: 62, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
54	The Art of the Comic Book: An Aesthetic History by Robert C. Harvey 3.50 avg rating — 30 ratings score: 61, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
55	Alex Raymond: An Artistic Journey: Adventure, Intrigue and Romance by Ron Goulart it was amazing 5.00 avg rating — 5 ratings score: 59, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
56	Excess: The Art of Michael Golden: Comics Inimitable Storyteller and How He Does It by Michael Golden 3.29 avg rating — 17 ratings score: 58, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
57	How to Read Superhero Comics and Why by Geoff Klock 3.85 avg rating — 100 ratings score: 57, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
58	Give Our Regards to the Atomsmashers!: Writers on Comics by Sean Howe (Editor) 3.51 avg rating — 79 ratings score: 56, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars