The mood was electric in drab Gilmer Hall. The crowd that had made its way to the auditorium through new construction and past bewildering “Use Other Door” signs were clearly the true believers. I was probably the only person in the room who had hardly picked up a comic in the past 25 years. Not to mention one of the few people in the room over 40.
The mood was electric in drab Gilmer Hall. The crowd that had made its way to the auditorium through new construction and past bewildering “Use Other Door” signs were clearly the true believers. I was probably the only person in the room who had hardly picked up a comic in the past 25 years. Not to mention one of the few people in the room over 40.Scott McCloud is the Einstein, the Darwin, the Edison of comics, the guy who figured out what makes them tick. I first heard of him a few years ago when I was looking for some how-to books for my comics-mad daughter. I picked up Understanding Comics and was simply entranced. Clear, entertaining, thorough — here was the guy who could tell me not only why my beloved Fantastic Four comics were so entertaining, but could also could take me behind the scenes and show me how they worked. I love that kind of stuff.
McCloud’s presentation last night was like one of his books transformed into sound and light. It was a masterpiece of how lectures should be done — graphics and animations perfectly synced with a funny and informative oral presentation. I came away with a better appreciation of the new comic styles and directions. Little Lulu, move over.
Filed under: authors, books, charlottesville, reading, virginia
[...] 5th, 2007 · No Comments For those of you who couldn’t attend Scott McCloud’s presentation last week at UVa, here’s a snippet to give you an idea of what you [...]