j

. ' ... -

cD ~ ~ Q ~ \%4 ~ ABC (/)~ U ·G

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