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162
THOUGH IT SEEMS INNOCUOUS ENOUGH N0/1;:" THERE WAS A TlME
WHEN SUCH A SIMPLE IDEA WAS R!l/ICVL.eiJ.
tXAMI'l~: HERE'S A PREHISTORIC
MAlE CHASING A PI?EH!STO/l!C FFMALE. WITH ONLY ONE THING ON HIS MIND-JlePKOI)UCT/ON(
so STKONQ IS THIS INSTINCT THAT IT
GOVERNS HIS cVEI?Y MOVE/ NOT ONE STEP IS WASTED IN THE ,Pl/I<Sl/!T O.F
HIS GOAL.'
164
NOW ALL OF HIS THOUGHTS AND ACTIONS ARE FOCUSED ON THAT OTHER VITAL HUMAN INSTINCT--
-$UKY/VAt. /
.?iE"A/"f"'£='.0 ON IHE EDGE OFA Cl./rF, HIS MIND CAN ONLY CONCEIVE OFONePATH 10 ..SURY/VAt /
I r ( ,-( !"' (r
HIS /VEXT MOVE /1'\IGHT BE TO LOOK FOR FOOD (.S//RYIYAL) OR PERHAPS ANOTHER rEMALE(KEPROPl!CTIUN).
165
BUT !NSTeAt:J ...
AND OPE!? 711EI<e A MAN BEATS A .SIMPLe !<lfY'THM WITH A PAIR' Or STONeS. HE DOESN'T KNOW WRY, BUT THE SOUND ?lEASES HIM.
111111[11111)
NEARBY, A BOY KICK$ UP PE88LES AN..? lJ/I<T AND f'Z/MMeLS THe AIR WITH HIS FIST:
BECAUSE OF ITS INDEPENDENCE FROM OUR EVOLUTION-BRED INSTINCTS, ART IS THE WAY WE ASSeRT Ol/R !.OEIVTIT!cS AS 1/VLJ!J/!lJl/AL$ AND
Of THE /VA!?ROW NATURE CAST US IN.
SEE THAI OLD WOMAN WITH THe
STICK? NOTICE THE t!N~S SHE'S MAKING
IN THE ])!Ia'?"
~ 'k ~
~~\'\,/[ ::::._
166
TODAY HE LOST A FIGHT WITH HIS BROTHER. NOW ALL HE' CAN DO IS .OANCE AWAY HIS fRUSTRATION.
OF COURSE, THE <7CN!US OF "MOTile!<' NAT~e" IS SUCH THAT EVEN TH!:V'E THINGS DO HAVE THEIR USES FROM AN
EPOLl/TIONARY .STANlJ?OINT
WHilE OVER HERe; A LITTlE GIRL SINGS HER \S'ONG
OF YOUTH."
FIKST: 1HEY PROVIDE EXERCISE FOR MINDS AND SOD/ES NOT RECEIVING OVTS/0€
8TIMV~l/$.
A LOT HA$ CHANGED IN HALF A MILLION YEARS1 8UT SOME THINGS Ne//ER CHANGE.
167
7}1/Jl/) AND PERHAPS MOST IMPOKTANTl Y TO OUR SURVIVAL AS A RACE, SUCH RANDOM ACTIVITIES OFTEN
LEAD--
--TO US'EFl/l lJ!SCOVE"R!c.S(
IHE PROCESSES ARE MORE COM!"L.EX NOW, BUT THE lNSTINCTS"'REMAlN THE O'AME. SURVIVAL AN.O RE?ROJ}l/CTION STILL
HOLD THE !./?PER HAN.O.
* ALON6 WITH THEIR MANY RELATED Ft'El!NGS AND CUSTOMS.
YET 1N ALMOST EVERYTHING WE DO THERE IS AT LEAST ANfftEMeNT
OrAK?:
PERHAPS A LITTLE UNNeCeSSARY CIIOREOGRAP!IY ON THE ASSeMBLY
liNt:.
lN .SOMe OCCUPATIOI\IS, THE LATITUD'E FOR SELF-EXPRESSION IS GRt:.=ATE!<'. SUR'YIYAl--MAKING A L!VlNG--GOE.S HAND IN HAND WITH CReATIVe PeS/I?C:
OR 1HE Pt:I?.SONAl STYl-e OFA
$/CYCLe MES'SENtJE:R.
I THINK IT'S FAIR TO SAY THAT SOME ACTIVITIES HAVE MORE ART IN THEM
7HAN OTHERS.
168
OR JUST THE WAY W'E SIGN OUR
IV AMES,-'
LIFE IS A SERIES OF ,M!NliTE IJECIS!ON~ SOME MOTIVA7ED SY SURVIVAL, SOME !f07; AND PROPOR710NS
DO VARY.
BUT THE IOEAJ.. OF THE LATTER IS ALIVE IN THE HEARTS OF MANY ARTISTS WHO MAY HOPe FOR SUCCESS/ 6UT WON'T ALTER THEIR WORK TO OB'TAIN IT.
169
THIS JS AS TRUE IN COMICS AS JT JS IN l"A!N7!N~ WRITING, THEATKC, Fl/.~ .SCL//.?Tl/KE,
OR ANY OTh'~R FORM ...
1 IDEA/
PURPOSE
••
1 IDEA/
PURPOSE
3 IDIOM
~~ ?~ ~
2 3 FORM IDIOM
•• ...
7HIJ<J): THE ~.SCHOOl" OF
ART/ THE VOCASULARY Of .STYLES OR (JESTURE$ OR .SU!IJECT MA~ IHE GENRE THAT THE
WORK BELONGS TO ... MAYSE A GENRE
OF ITS OWN.
4 STRUCTURE
170
• •
2 FORM
' ,7' ? ~·'\.
4 STRUCTURE
.. ---.
~V-; ' I '
I I • I
;
~- ~ ~
5 6 CRAFT SURFACE
• •
FOUR' TN: ,PUTTING IT All
TOGET!IcR ... WHAT TO A'VCLVP~ WHAT TO LEAVe OUT. HOW TO lfR'R'ANG~ HOW TO caw~ SETHE
WOI<K .
5 CRAFT
1t IN ALL THE ARTS IT'S THE &/~rACE THAT PI:OPLE APPRECIATE MOST eA6'1L :>'; UKE AN APPLe CHOSEN FOR ITS .Sh'INY .SKIN.
171
6 .SIXTH:
f',{I'()OUCTION VALUE$/ RNISHIM:J ... THE ASPECTS MOST
SURFACE APPARENT ON FIRST Sl/PFKFIC!Al. eX?OSl/~F TO
THE WORK.
~~ ~
THE LATEST "FAN FAVORITE" OFTEN LOOKS SETTER AT A GLANCE THAN THE OLDER ARTISTS WHO HAD THE lt:JEA$ AND CREATED THE 1.0/0M$, BUT WERE LESS INTERESTED IN S'l/KFACt::S.
IN THIS EARLY STAGE, THESE READER.S ARE EXPERIENCING THE CHARACTERS, IDEAS, EVENTS ANlJ EMOTIONS OF THE STORY DIRECTLY
COMJC0 IS ACTING AS AN INTEK'ME.O/ARY BETWEEN STORYTELL.EI< AND ALI.O!ENCE.
172
BUT IN SOME, AN AWARENESS OF THE FORM BEGINS ro DEVELOP, AN AWARENESS THAT ALL COMICS ARE JUST INK ON l"'APER--
--THAT MAKING THEM ONLY REQUIRES CERTAIN SKILLS--
--AND THAT THOSE SKILLS CAN 8E L.~AI<'NED/
ONE Of THEM--FULL OF FIG !Ot:"AS-MAKES THE 8/G Dt:CI.SION.
I'M GONNA MAKE COMICS WHEN I GROW
UP!
MORE LIKELY HE POSTPONeS HIS OWN IDEAS AND BEGINS TO STUDY THE CRAFT OF OTHER ARTISTS IN HIS ATTEMPT TO
BECOME A PRO.P"ES$/0/VAL.
HE BUYS THE nRIOHT" BRUSH, THE "RIGHT" PENS AND THE
'J?Ior/T" PAPEr< AND BEGINS TO I"RACT!Ce.
BUT WHEN HE BRINGS THE WORK TO A REAL PROFESSIONAL AT THE LOCAL CON:
... ANATOMY IS VERY POOR ... SEE HOW THAT MUSCLE CONNECTS'?' ... AND THAT PERSPECTIVE, YEc~H.~--DO YOU KNOW
WHAT A VAN/SHIN<5 ?OINT IS 7' .AND AS FOR FACES._.
173
HE'S OFF 1D A LOGICAL START. HE HAS THE 10/?A$ AND HE'S CHOSEN COMIC~ AS HIS rO!{'M OF t:XPK!!SSION. MAYSE NOW HE'LL CONSIDER WHAT TY?t:"S OF
COMICS ARE RIGHT FOR HIM.
EVENTL/AU.Y..
SO HE BUYS SOME BOOKS ON ANATOMY AND ?e~SPeCTIV~ STUDIES A VARIETY OF .ORA WING Tt'CIIIVIQVES AND ?J<'ACTICE$_ P'R'ACT!Ce~ PRACTICES FOR MONTH$,
BUT SOMEHOW, IT NEVER QUITE "Ct./CK$" FOR HIM. MAYSE HE JUST DOESN1T HAVE ENOUGH .SKit.l ... MAY~E HE t.OS!:$ !N?C";(?E$T. .. MAYBE LIFE JUST <:fcTtS IN 711!: WAY. .. SUT FOR WIIATEVt.=l? !<'EASON--
ONE OF THEM IS NOW READY TO TAKE THE NEXT $TEP/ SHeS SIUDIE'D HER. CRAFT ALL THE WAY THROUGH HIGH .SCHOOl AND lNTO COLLE'GC.
BUT WHEN SHE SHOWS HER WORK
TOA .SeASONeD
FRO ...
<YOU1RE A SKILLED .$C'KI?TcR'
AND JJJ?APTSPERSON_- SUT YOUR .STORYTELliNG ISN'T GOOD ENOUGH1 YOU HAVE NO SENSE OF PACING .. , THESE' LAYOUTS ARE VERY /11!/tJOY,, yOU HAVE ro COMPOSe YOUR
STORIES .. .)
174
SHE'S A <700~ IIAKOWOKK!NG ISTUPENT.
<I THINK I'VE REALLY MADE A 8/?cAKTIII?OU&ff..T)
HER SKILLS CAN GET HER WO!?K AT THIS POINT1 BUT ONLY AS ANA$$l$7ANT TO OTHERS. UNTIL SHE UNDERSTANDS 'THE .STRUCTVR'E OF COMICS 8cNcA7H THE CRAFT1 THIS f.S AS FAR AS SHE CAN GO.
HE SPeNDS HIS EJ/e!<Y WAKING HOl/R WORKI:'-JG OUT THE DIFFICULT ?RINC!?LES OF COMICS COMPOSITION ANO STORYTE'.Ll THE KIND THEY l?ON'T TFACH IN
HE LEARNS TO SEE8£NeATH THECRAFTS OF [)f<ArTSMANSIII? AND SCR!Pi!NG 10 ~EE THE WHI7te FICTURE-- PACING, DRAMA, l{l/MOR_ ..SUSPENSe/ COM?OS/770~ 7J!EMA77C .DEVELOP MEN?; IRONY-SOON THEY'RE ALl. AT HIS CUMMANIJ/
*WELL, OKAY, ONe BOOK! EISNER'S, AGAIN. 175
BUT Et.SEWH/!'Iri?- ANOTHeR' CREATOR HAS BEEN "THROUGH THE SAME SORT OF PROCESS AND HE WANTS MOJZ'e/
HE DISCOVERS THAI HIS r,AVCli<!Te ARTIST WAS ACTUALLY JUST A WATERE.O-l?OWN Yei?'S!ON OF AN OLDER; i.eSS-?O.l/SHEIJ
ARTIST WHOM HE HAD ALWAYS 7?1KEN ?OR G/O"'INTel?.
AND LeT'S SAY IT WO~KSt HE DOcS LAND HIS OWN BOOK AND SOON IS ESTA6L !SHED AS A CREATOR OF G!<'eAT SK/LL.. HE UNDERSTANDS COMICS STOI<'YTC:Lt/N<? BETTER THAN MOST.
BUT ANOTHER Al?778T HAS MADE IT THROUGH THE .SAME SORTS OF HURDLES AND REACHED THE .SAM€ l...CVUS OF SUCCESS AND STTtL ISN'T ..SA71SF/E.I?
SHE BELIEVES THAT !HERE'S SOMETHING IHOK/i"-- SOME PieCe Or 7flc PUZZLe-
THAI SHE !STill HASN'T FOl/N.I?. .. -.... --.-----.-----....-----1
4 5 6 SURFACE
176
HIS WORK ISN'T PARTICULARLY 0RIG!N-4l. THE CR!TICS DON'T PAY MUCH AITENTION' TO HIM1 BUT HE MAKES APFCC:Nr 1../VINe FOR HIMSeLF ANI? filS FAMILY AND
THAT'S ENOUGH FOR HIM ...
. .. ENOUGH THAI FOR WHAT HE DOES, HE'S 0/llt:'" OF T!le [TE.ST.
SHE WONDERS IF HER SUCCESS REALI.. Y MEANS ANYTHING WHEN THERE A~E SO MANY OTHER$ DOING THE .SAMe 7111N6$ JN THE SIWIF WAY&'. SHE WANTS .AN !DFNTnY.
SHE BEGINS TO INVENT /VEW WAYS OF .SHOWING "Th'E S/1/VlE Olt? Th'!NG.'" SHE DEVELOPS !NNOVA7/VE NEW TEC/-IN/(}l/FS. AND STAT·nS .00/NG AWAY WITH "THE SAME OJ...D IHING" ALTOGETHEJ<(
AS SHE CKEATES HEK OWN PEKSONAL IDIOM OF COMICS, SHE FINDS THE WHOLE OF HER WORK CHANGING TO S't.IIT THAT IDIOM.
3 4 5 CRAFT
YOUNG ARTIST$ BEGIN TO IMITATE HER STYLE, BUT MOST OF THEM ONLY SEEM TO APPRECIATE THE "S't/RFACE,''
4 5 6
BUT E/.SeWIIc~t'; A!IOTHc~ CREATOR HAS MADE IT TO THIS SAME PLACE AND STILL fEELS .OISSAT!..SF!e.tJ. HE FEELS THAI SOMETHING VERY IMPORTANT HAS BEEN NEGLECTED,,
177
LET'S SAY THAT FINANCIAL .Sl/CCESS AND THE ReSPECT Or f!ER ?ee!?S SOON FOLLOW.*
AND MAYBE SHE'LL BE $ATISFIE£J WITH THAT KIND OF SUCCESS, .SECURE IN THE KNOWLEDGE THAT WHATEVER SHE /)(J£$N'T KNOW, SHE'S ON THE RIGHT FATH TO FIN.OOVT.
... SOMETHING FL/NlJAMENTAL.r SOMETHING AT THE CO!?E OF WHO HE IS AS AN ARTIST. WITH THESE THOUGHTS ON HIS MIND, IT'S ONLY A MATTER OF TIMe BEFORE HE ASKS THAT
ONE SIMPLE QUE-STION:
5 6 CRAFT SURFACf
1 2 3 4 5 6 IDEA/
PURPOSE FORM IDIOM STRUCTURE CRAFT SURFACE
AND NOW, !HE BIGGEST QUESTION Of ALL: DOES THIS ARTIST WANT TO SAY
SOMETHING ABOUT LIFE TIII?'Ol/611 Hl5 ART OR DOES HE WANT TO SAY SOMETHING
ABOUT AJ<T /TS'~tFP'
178
ASSUM1NG HE DOESN'T LET T!IAT STOP HIM, HERE'S WHAT THESE
TWO CHOICES COULD MEAN ...
1 2 IDEA/ FORM
PURPOSE
2 FORM
AND HIS ART WOULD NOT lfiCK FOJZ !l/EAS OR FOR A PVKPOSe.
1 2 3 4 5 6 IDEA! FORM IDIOM STRUCTURE CRAFT SURFACE
PURPOSE
HlS ART WOULD .JUST BECOME HIS PURPOSE AND THE IDEAS WOULD ARRIVE lN TIME TO GIVE IT Sli!ISTANCt:
CRE-ATORS WHO TAKE THIS PATH ARE OFTEN PIONEERS ANO REYOLLIT!ONAI?IES-- ARTISTS WHO WANT 10 $HAKe THIN&$ U~ CHANGE THE WAY PEOPLE ?'lf!NK; QUESTION THE FliNPAMENlAL
LAWS THAT GOVERN THEIR CHOSEN ART.
(IN OTifeJ< ART FORMS: STRAVINSKY, PICASSO, VIRGINIA WOOLF, ORSON WELLES, ETC.)
1
179
NOW "TELLING TJ!eSTOI<Y"(OR. IN THE CASE OF NON-FICTION/ "OEL!VE!<'ING TilE /J1£$SAC3E'/ TAKES ?R'!OR'ITY OVER
INVENTION
1 2 3 4 5 6 IDEA/ FORM IDIOM STRUCTURE CRAFT SURFACE
PURPOSE
BUT TELL! NG A STQRY AS EFFECTIVElY AS POSSIBLE MAY l<'EtlU/RE .SOME INVENTION. IT OFTEN IJOES.
THIS IS THE FATH OF GREAT $TOKYTFL.tEI<'$"1 CREATORS WHO HAVE SOMETHING TO SAy ,7i¥ROUGh" COMICS AND DEVOTE ALL THEIR ENERGIES TO CONT/?0Ll!M3 THEIR' MEDIUM,
REFINING ITS ABILITY TO CONVEY MESSAGES EFFECT!VcLY
(IN OTHER ART FORMS: CAPRA, DICKENS, WOODY GUTHRIE, EDWARD R MURROW, ETC)
THIS IS A PROBLEM IN MANY "ASSEM8LY tiNE" COMICS WHERE CREATIVE SPECIALIZATION HAS
"S'CRI?TERS,d "PENC!U.el<'$" AND INKERS" ALL WORKING AT CROSS-?t/KPOS'ES
IN THEIR AITEMPTS TO Gf'T NOT/CEO. .
180
NOT THAT WE "Cl<'EATOR/IYR!TE!?/ART!Sr TYPES NEVER RUN INTO THIS PROBLEM ...
THE MORE AN ARTIST DEVOTES HIM/HERSELF TO EITHER OF THESE TWO
FOCAL POINTS, THE MORE DRAMATIC THE CHANGE IF HE/SHE DECIDES TO .SIYITC/Y./
PERHAPS IF STRIPPED DOWN FAR ENOUGH, MOST ARTISTS' ULTIMATE GOALS ARE NOT THAT DIFFERENT FROM ANYONE ELSE'S. EVEN FOR THOSE WITH f!IG!I!OEALS/ BASIC INSTINCTS EXERT A POWERFUL ATTRACTION
1
$ Sl/KVIVAL -l?'t:=?ROI/lJC710N
BUT EVEN IF WE lAKE LIFE'S .0/.J'TRACTIONS INTO ACCOUNT IT'S STILL AMAZING HOW MUCH T/Me AND EFFORT IS SPENT BY COMICS CREATORS TRYING 10 GET WHAI
THEY WANT OUT OF COMICS--
ART SPIEGELMAN'S AGGRESSIVELY EXPERIMENTAL WORK OF THE .SEI/E!VT!cS
AND EARLY E/oh'TIE'S LEFT NO ONE PREPARE FOR THf UNASSUMING 'IE"'EP'OKr STYLE
OF HIS LANDMARK BIOGRAf'HYmAl/S:'
181
AND WHEN ART 'BECOMES A J0/1 OR A MATTER OF .SOC/At. STATLI$ THE POTENTIAL FOR CONFUSING ONE'S
GOALS OOES UP CONSIDERABLY.
... ESPECIALLY IF THEIR GOALS
ARE MOl?EST ONES.
1 IDEA/
PURPOSE
I I I I I
'(i)' - ,. - -" c--.::> -, \ I ,
2 3 FORM IDIOM
'\ ?? 9" tE.\, ?'"~
~
ALL WORKS 'BE'"GIN
WITH A PURPOSE, HOWEVER A~51TKAI?Yi ALL TAKE SOME RJKM; ALL BELONG TO AN
IP!OM (EVEN IF IT'S AN IDIOM Of ONE)i ALL POSSESS A .!TKUCT/IKE/
ALL REQUIRE SOME C.R'AF7) ALL f'RESENT A .SUKrACC:
BUT THf MORE A CREATOR LEARNS TO COMMAND &r/f"RYASPECT Of HIS/HER ART AND 1D UNDERSTP,ND HlS/HER RELATIONSHIP /0 IT, IHf MORE ".A.RTI8TIC" CONCERNS ARE
LIKELY TO GET THE UPPER HAND.
182
4 5 STRUCTURE CRAFT
~V-, ' I \
I tr I • \
I , -- ~ ..
AND All ASPECTS OF COMICS HAVETHE~T~AVT/At FOR ScL r--eX!"'!(eSSIO~ EVEN WHEN ECONOMIC SLIR'VIVAL IS THE ARTIST'S MAIN CONCERN.
TliERE'S ALWAYS ROOM FOR A CERTAlN AMOUNT OF 'ART~
6 SURFACE
~~ ~
IN PI<'ACT!CC,. ANY ASPECT OF COMICS MAY BE THE ONE WHICH FIRST DRAWS
AN AR-TIST INTO ITS ORBIT
FROM SURFACE TO COKe.
WHEN FtJKM RULES !HE WORK, II MAY SEEM SOMEWHAT ~77F!C/AL AI THE CORE1 LIKE A ..Se~O£l=.SS' F!<t./IT
~ 1DEA~
183
SlllL1 THE LEARNING PROCESS FOR MOST ARTISTS IS A -$lOWANDISTEA/l'YJOVKNeY
FROM ~NI? 10 IFGINNING,
1 2 3 4 5 6 IOCA/ FORM IDIOM STRUCTURE CRAFT SURFACE
PURPOSE
<;
AND ITS AT THE CORE' OF ART THAT THE MOST IMPORTANT QUESTION IS
FINALLY AS!< ED:
BUT SUCH WORkS DON'T TAKE THE SHAPE OF ART FOR GRANTED AND BY QUESTIONING OUR Ft.INLJAMeNTAL
AS.Sl/MPT/ON.S--
I
184