Graphic Storytelling and Visual Narrative

Sequential Art #2

by Will Eisner

A companion to Comics & Sequential Art, this book takes the principles examined in that title and applies them to the process of graphic storytelling. Eisner shows comic artists, filmmakers and graphic designers how to craft stories in a visual medium. They'll also learn why mastering the basics of storytelling is far more important than the hollow flash and dazzle seen in lesser work. Readers will learn everything from the fine points of graphic storytelling to the big picture of the comics medium, including how * Use art that enhances your story, rather than obscuring it * Wield images like narrative tools * Write and illustrate effective dialogue * Develop ideas that can be turned into dynamic stories These lessons and more are illustrated with storytelling samples from Eisner himself along with other comic book favorites, including Pulitzer Prize-winner Art Spiegelman, Robert Crumb, Milton Caniff and Al Capp.

Genres: Comics, Art, Nonfiction, Writing, Graphic Novels, Design, Reference

164 pages, Paperback

First published February 1, 1996

About the author

William Erwin Eisner was an American cartoonist, writer, and entrepreneur. He was one of the earliest cartoonists to work in the American comic book industry, and his series The Spirit (1940–1952) was noted for its experiments in content and form. In 1978, he popularized the term "graphic novel" with the publication of his book A Contract with God. He was an early contributor to formal comics studies with his book Comics and Sequential Art (1985). The Eisner Award was named in his honor and is given to recognize achievements each year in the comics medium; he was one of the three inaugural inductees to the Will Eisner Comic Book Hall of Fame.

Reviews

[Dominick · Rating 2 out of 5]

Disappointing. Eisner's reputation as a master cartoonist does not translate well to telling others how to do it--and furthermore, his examples from his own work of how to do it don't exactly work as ringing endorsements of his argument. This book is profusely illustrated (mostly with Eisner's own work, though some classic work by other hands appears too) to demonstrate his generally superficial and underdeveloped comments on various aspects of graphic storytelling. There are insights here, sure, but since Eisner never devotes more than a few hundred words to any one point, there's just no sustained or developed articulation of a theory of graphic narrative. Instead we get assertions and assumptions about how such narratives work (admittedly from someone with years of experience with them), followed by demonstrations of these assertions/assumptions in action (many original to the book) by Eisner. These demosntrations by and large are not impressive. I suppose that one could say all he's doing is providing demonstrations of the ideas, not really fully-developed narratives, but several of the examples are in fact previously-published works so presumably represent his idea of the best example from his oeuvre to demonstrate the point. And even these are for the most part pretty simplistic narratively and psychologically, and stylistically hyperbolic. Not that there's anything wrong with exaggerated style, but it militates against the thesis here that comics can be used to serious and subtle ends, I think. I suppose for someone who has some drawing skill but who is unfamiliar with comics while also having a desire to give comics a try (of whom I doubt there are many), this book would be a useful primer, but a primer is all that it is, really, and I have the impression that we're supposed to think it's much more than that.

[Anna · Rating 4 out of 5]

I guess I prefer Eisner’s theoretical writings to McCloud’s.

[Pam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lighter reading than I was expecting but nonetheless much worth it! It worked for me as a very good summary about the art of creating comics with many visual examples in addition. Revealing his skilfulness with an economic text Eisner shares a lot about the ways of writing comics. Really recommend both as an introductory reading in the theme and as an Eisner masterclass in a book format.

[H.d. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Um estudo sobre narrativas com suporte gráfico realizado através do próprio conceito de narrativas gráficas :) O livro tem um valor enorme sobre dois aspectos: num momento em que o Storyteling volta a ser considerado como é um dos meios mais efetivos para comunicação em áreas tão destintas quanto Gestão Empresarial e UX, é um manual prático e ilustrado de representar, refletir e comunicar ideias. Ao mesmo tempo funciona como uma introdução riquíssima à arte sequencial, com exemplos retirados da obra de artistas como Frans Masereel, Otto Nückel, Art Spiegelman, Al Capp, Hal Foster, Crumb e o próprio Will Eisner. Livro altamente indicado, pelo conteúdo e deliciosa leitura.

[Nelson Zagalo · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you want an introduction about storytelling, or if you're looking for inspiration for visual storytelling, this is the book to pick. Brilliantly written and artistically inspiring for anyone trying to model, design or create new stories.

[Hesper · Rating 2 out of 5]

Kinda phoned in and full of dated stereotypes. Pass.

[Fábio Henckel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Passear pelos Insights de um Mestre

[Daniel Watkins · Rating 2 out of 5]

The book is thin on explanations, and set in large type perhaps to make up for the word count. The author seems to detest film, and encourages the use of stereotypical characters for storytelling.

[Averly Wilke · Rating 2 out of 5]

I love Will Eisner’s books but I think this is perhaps a little out of date now. The section on stereotypes stands out to me on this. Even though he points out stereotypes contribute to demeaning groups of people and perpetuating racism, he says comic folks need to rely on them to quickly convey who and what a person is, such as making a ‘wimp’ a short guy who isn’t attractive and wears glasses whereas a ‘hero’ is a muscular white guy with blonde hair. I get that comics are a quick and fast medium in terms of engagement, but so are TV shorts, flash fiction and short stories, but we wouldn’t tell those writers stereotypes are what you need to make a character.

In novel writing, we are told that things like clothes, body language, speech, dialogue, and character priorities are what instantly paints a immediate picture in a person’s mind as to the character. Comic writers can and should do this too as writers themselves. This is reflected in today’s most beloved comics. A young black boy can be a hero in Spiderman, middle school girls of all backgrounds can be adventurers in Lumberjanes and the thin dark-haired man with the villain mustache/goatee combo can be good father figure mentor in Nimona.

[G (galen) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Will Eisner, a master of comic art, on what makes for successful visual storytelling.

Eisner discusses the history of using visual narrative as a art/literature form and his concerned with changing the perception that comics are for 'people of low literacy and limited intellectual accomplishment.'

Most of the techniques and tips Eisner provides lend themselves more for the adventure and joke genre but I was really fascinated by the examples he provided of early woodblock print novels being published early in the 20th century; really stunning artwork illustrating stories dealing with the complexities of the human condition (works by Frans Masereel, Otto Nuckel, and Lynd Ward).

A bit of a gripe; as a product of his time, Eisner's assumptions of the comics creators/audience is heavily male biased. It is refreshing and encouraging to see the contemporary infusion of female writers, artists, and readers to the realm of visual storytelling.

[Kai Coelho · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mais um ótimo livro de Eisner, que apesar de não ser tão profundo, estabeleceu as bases para os estudos de comics atualmente. Confesso que, para quem já tem algum conhecimento das artes sequenciais, o livro acaba por se tornar raso e básico, mas a sua importância para o campo de estudo permanece.

Eisner explica sobre a narração gráfica e sequencial com poucas palavras e muitos exemplos visuais, dá uma boa base para qualquer um que queira aprender mais sobre comics e estabelece conceitos importantes que viriam a ser melhor aprofundados futuramente. Embora eu ainda prefira o trabalho de McCloud, tenho certeza que sem esse livro, boa parte dos estudos de comics teriam sido atrasados.

Essa leitura também se torna muito interessante para escritores, roteiristas e qualquer um que trabalhe com storytelling, visto que aborda bem as técnicas de narrativa.

[Angela · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m adding this book to my shelf of non-fiction teaching books because that is why I read it. I want to teach incorporating more visual literacy. I want to use more graphic novels and show the validity of the medium. This book doesn’t exactly fit my purpose for reading it but it’s close. Eisner has many connections to writing narratives. He discusses comics as important visual media, especially given the visual nature of the internet. I enjoyed this book and found it far less dry than I thought it’d be. I also came out of reading it with some teaching ideas and narrative prompts.

[Carlos Bartol · Rating 4 out of 5]

Libro muy interesante para adentrarse en el mundo de la narración gráfica. Al principio trata el tema de narrar con imágenes, cosa que me ha parecido muy importante como fotógrafo. Más adelante se me ha hecho algo más cuesta arriba. También queda algo desactualizado al ser del 2008.
Aún así lo recomiendo, lo que tiene lo tiene muy bien explicado y los ejemplos son obras a tener en cuenta para todo fan.

[PandoramicView · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you can only read one, you probably ought to stick with Scott McCloud's Making Comics, but assuming that's not the case, this was a nice supplement to the Will Eisner series and for rounding out my approach to comics. It tends to be a bit heavier on the examples and lighter on the take-aways, but the space of his thinking continues to be worthwhile to exist in.

[Molly · Rating 4 out of 5]

I actually have the original '95 edition of this book (then just called "Graphic Storytelling"), so mine's not as shiny and mod as the one pictured here. But the meat in the middle is the same, and that's what I'm gonna talk about.

Will Eisner was a giant in the business and the perfect person to write this book.

He actually attacks the topic in a way that might catch you off-guard, showing you the process behind such blindly-accepted aspects of comic books as pacing (especially when it comes to making your reader turn the page at the right time) and the reader's understanding of the action vs. characters expressing the action explicitly through dialogue.

Mind. Blown.

With a ton of examples (sometimes, to be fair, maybe too long of an example), classic monochrome comic panels, pages, and strips, and insider information like you'll get nowhere else, this book's a must-have.

[Aislinn Evans · Rating 3 out of 5]

i think my problem with eisner is how he constructs a point. in school, we’re taught point, evidence, explain. eg:

P: Maus’s style suits its story in these ways
E: some panels from the comic
E: this is how these elements mean it suits the story

and it’s the explain that’s missing - you’re bombarded with all these examples of what he’s talking about, but not even the analytical footnotes found in the early chapters of the previous book. it’s just a short summary of a point about storytelling and then look at this comic. with the added fact that most of the points are ones i’ve heard before, there’s not much being given in terms of instruction or insight. i want ANALYSIS, dammit. pick it APART, will.

liked the lynd ward bit, but he didn’t say much about it. just read vertigo for yourself

[Giulia Renzi · Rating 5 out of 5]

A short, yet precious, guide for understanding and making comics and/or graphic novels. With great examples to look at, Will Eisner lessons on how visual narrative works, why, and which are the differences between them is a must read for any aspiring author.

As it often happens with this kind of books and guides, the section on the most recent techniques and distribution methods is short and not that useful. This said, I still have 5 stars to this book because Will Eisner died in 2004, which made for him physically impossible to develop that chapter further. Nonetheless, Mr.Eisner showed to be well aware of what the future of comics would have been with the pioneering of websites and blogs during the earliest years of the 2000s.

[Henrique Vogado · Rating 4 out of 5]

Um bom livro de introdução às novelas gráficas do ponto de vista dos criadores.
Uma obra do Mestre Will Eisner que nos mostra as técnicas de contar uma história gráfica, a importância do narrador, das personagens e do estilo que o autor usa para dar o ambiente certo a uma história, seja de romance ou terror.
A mais-valia do livro está nos exemplos desenhados pelo próprio Eisner, incluíndo tiras de grandes autores que foram pioneiros em diversas formas de BD, começando nas tiras diárias dos jornais de há 100 anos.
Um livro para voltar sempre e um guia para quem quiser experimentar os caminhos da BD.
Comecem numa fanzine, desenhem as próprias histórias.

[Louis · Rating 2 out of 5]

I think I was expecting something closer to the Scott McCloud book (which was really good) or more of a book form of every frame a painting youtube channel. but this was a page of an idea then a miniature form of a comic showing the idea in action, no notes on the side or summary or anything. so cool in that it is an author showing he really understands how comics and graphics work together sometimes leaning more to one side then the other (a mix of narration thrown in) but not a good teaching book.

[Nihal Vrana · Rating 5 out of 5]

Maybe it is not as impactful as the Comics and the sequential art but nevertheless, it is a must-read for anybody dabbling in comics. the level of influence of Eisner on comics is stupendous; in fact I think that it is quite rare that one individual has such a strong effect on an art form (they are hand in hand with alan Moore on this for the case of comics). I love how he explains the concepts and his style is always so fresh, with that touch of genius in expressing human feeling with gestures, facial details, and posture. He is a great teacher.

[Jordan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is filled with a lot of helpful information, especially if you know very little about storytelling (like myself). However, the book is not long, and it's very easy to blow through the whole book without remembering much of what you just read. I recommend taking your time, reading deliberately, and really analyzing the example literature provided. If you plan on making comics, perhaps try to apply the lessons from each chapter in a strip of your own after reading each one.

[sena · Rating 2 out of 5]

"A Will Eisner Instructional Book"

Instructional indeed, and superficial too.
This book must be shelved in the "dummies" section of bookstores. You expect way more than that if it's Will Eisner instructing. If you regard yourself as a very beginner in either reading graphic novels or studying graphic storytelling, go ahead and have a look at the content.

[Esteban Ruquet · Rating 4 out of 5]

Una expansión sobre el libro anterior. Agrega una mayor reflexión e inteligencia práctica acerca de la creación de historietas. Está más destinada a creadores y dibujantes de cómic que al público general, pero tiene algunas herramientas pragmáticas que permiten un criterio sólido (aunque discutible) para la crítica del medio.

[Ramón S. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Un clásico sobre el arte secuencial;
Will Eisner es un verdadero maestro del cómic y aunque siempre uno quiere más y la obra se hace corta y es que podría ser más exhaustiva en algunos puntos no importa mucho si eres fan de Will Eisner

[Mark · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wish I could have spent a bit more time with this but forgot I had it and then it was due. Tore through it. I did enjoy it.

[Sakeri López · Rating 3 out of 5]

Though I liked reading it, I found it not as helpful as I wished. It has a lot of examples, but it lacks of actual information. Still I would say it is still a must read of the field.

[Giorgia Braglia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Saggio super interessante
È triste arrivare alla fine e accorgersi che la maggior parte dei consigli per approfondire non sono disponibili in italiano, ma sicuramente leggerò quelli disponibili

[Virginia · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good introduction but lacks the nuance one would expect from Eisner.

[Quiver · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is graphic storytelling through graphic storytelling and a smattering of text.

Easy to read, fun, illuminating for anyone interested in comics, writing, or just storytelling in general, albeit distinctly non-technical. If you're looking for specific advice and details I would recommend Scott McCloud's series on Understanding Comics.

Two things stand out: one is the rather general advice mentioned above, dispensed in short textual form at the beginning of each chapter together with a few fun comics that illustrate the point; the other is the cornucopia of full-blown, multiple-page examples where you can experience Eisner's graphic storytelling genius at work—they're worth studying and learning from.

If you're willing to pause and think, then Eisner does offer insights in comparative studies and comics creation that others may not have emphasised enough. For example:

A film watcher is imprisoned until the film ends while the comics reader is free to roam, to peek at at the ending, or dwell on an image and fantasize.

In comics, no one really knows for certain whether the words are reader before or after viewing the picture.

There are some objects which have instant significance in graphic storytelling. When they are employed as modifying adjectives or adverbs, they provide the storyteller with an economical narrative device.

If you're only used to reading about storytelling from the perspective of the written word, this may be a refreshing take that'll inspire you with new ideas.

[Lisa Feld · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the second of Eisner's books on creating comics and graphic novels, but I was much less impressed with it than by the first book, Comics and Sequential Art.

It was definitely easier to read: I think the fact that Scott McCloud's Understanding Comics had come out in the mean time allowed Eisner to drop the dense, academic language and convey most of his ideas through brief cartoons. But Eisner has less to say here than in his first book. CSA really unpacked all the choices open to a creator and their effects on the reader. Here, he mainly focuses on clarity and suspense: How much visual and verbal information does the reader need to understand what's going on? How do you retain reader interest and comprehension if you're doing a strip-a-day format with a continuous plot? How do the rules change when you're trying to guide the reader smoothly through a full page of irregularly sized panels? How do comics differ from both novels and film, and how does that change the level of clarity needed to avoid confusing the author?

I guess you could call it a more focused and nuanced discussion, but unlike in CSA, there were very few places where examples showed how different choices created different effects. There were hefty examples here (both from Eisner's own work and from other comics pioneers like Milton Caniff and Al Kapp), but for the most part, the reader is just supposed to infer what the creator did and why it was the right choice, with no discussion of why that was the right choice there or how to decide what the right choice might be in a different situation. On the one hand, it was clear in a long series of Terry and the Pirates dailies that the dialogue in each three-frame strip was crafted to subtly remind the reader what had come before while moving the plot forward. On the other hand, Eisner tells us that a joke needs a setup or prologue of the right length to clue the reader in and shows a 30-page comic he drew with a 4-page prologue, but never says why this is the right length, when the prologue seemed unnecessarily long to me (I think it could have been cut to 3 or even 2 pages). Was he trying to set a particular pace for the unfolding story? Was it just about making sure the facing pages matched? Did he run out of story and need to fluff it out to 30 pages? Without a discussion of why the choices were made, it's hard to incorporate the advice into your own work.