An indispensable guide to the art and business of creating comics.
Author:
Brian Michael Bendis
What They Say
Arguably the most popular writer in modern comics, Brian Michael Bendis shares the tools and techniques he uses to create some of the most popular comic book and graphic novel stories of all time. Words for Pictures provides a fantastic opportunity for readers to learn from a creator at the very top of his field. Bendis’s step-by-step lessons teach comics writing hopefuls everything they’ll need to take their ideas from script to dynamic sequential art.
The Review:
Love him or hate him (I like his work), Brian Michael Bendis is one of the top creators working in mainstream comics today. He played a major role in the reshaping of the Avengers franchise, was at the ground floor for Marvel’s Ultimate line, writing every issue of the extremely popular Ultimate Spider-Man series. Bendis also teaches a class on sequential art at the University of Oregon, where he uses his own experiences and that of his peers to teach his students the craft and business of creating comics.
It’s the emphasis on the business aspect that in many ways lead to the creation of this book. While there are excellent books out there on the craft and theory of comics (Scott McCloud’s Understanding Comics and Will Eisner’s Comics and Sequential Art being the gold standard), the actual business side—how to break in, and, more importantly, how to act like a professional—was often neglected. This is the book’s raison d’être, and let me tell you right now, Words for Pictures deserves a place on the shelf right by McCloud and Eisner.
One thing that becomes crystal clear when reading this is Bendis’ absolute dedication not just to the craft of writing comics, but to the craft of writing. It’s obvious that this is something he has spent a lifetime studying and mastering (to the degree that anyone can), and that love of the craft shines through brilliantly while at the same time tempered by a recognition of the importance of the practical aspects of the art.
This eye for practicality particularly appears in the way he continually hammers home the fact that comics are a collaborative art. The degree to which the collaboration happens varies, of course. There are some creators out there who write, pencil, ink, letter, color, and seemingly do everything right up to the part where you staples the book together, but others—like Bendis—work on only one aspect. Each step of the creation process often has one person for each part: the editor, the writer, the penciler, the inker, the letter, and the colorist. Although this book was written with the writer in mind, the writer is not a solo act. S/he must collaborate with others in the process, and as Bendis shows, that can really be where the power and joy in writing comics is born.
Bendis’ emphasis on the collaborative nature of the medium is wonderfully brought home with interviews with and guest sections written by writers, artists, and editors. There are times when it feels like you’re sitting in on a roundtable discussion between some of the best in the industry with Bendis serving as moderator.
In Summary:
Words for Pictures is an indispensable guide to the craft and business of creating comics and it deserves to be on the shelf right next to Scott McCloud’s Understanding Comics and Will Eisner’s Comics and Sequential Art. Bendis balances a genuine love for comics and the craft of writing with the practical aspects of the business side of the art. While there are no guarantees in life, and Bendis will be the first to tell you that buying this book will not make breaking into the medium a cinch, it will certainly help increase your chances and hopefully keep you from making rookie mistakes. Highly recommended.
Content Grade: A+
Published By: Watson Guptill
Release Date: July 22, 2014
MSRP: $24.99