downloadScott McCloud
Critic and Curator Jeff Ward joins Duncan and Richard in interviewing Comic theorist, artist, educator and all around kickass guy Scott McCloud.

From Scott McCloud’s website (www.scottmccloud.com)

“At the age of 15, I remember telling my friend Kurt Busiek “I’ve decided to become a professional comic book artist.” It was the Summer between 10th and 11th Grades. My previous decision to become World Chess Champion had proved impractical, but this time I knew I could pull it off and a year and a half out of college, I finally did.

Today, I’m probably best known for:

Understanding Comics. A 215-page comic book about comics that explains the inner workings of the medium and examines many aspects of visual communication along the way. Understanding Comics has done well in stores, is in over 15 languages and, while not universally liked, is about as close to it as I’m ever likely to see. A favorite of interface, game and Web designers despite the fact that it doesn’t mention computers once. (Published 1993).

Reinventing Comics. The controversial 242-page follow-up to U.C. advocates 12 different revolutions in the way comics are created, distributed and perceived with special emphasis on the potential of Online Comics. Nearly every page seemed to step on somebody’s toes, and the debates in the comics industry over comics on the Web have gotten increasingly heated since its publication. Reinventing Comics is the only book I’ve ever written that’s been actually described as “dangerous.” (Published 2000).

My Online Comics. They’re all here (or at least linked to from here). Take a look.

Public Speaking and Teaching. Click to find out more.

Zot!. My first series ran for 36 issues at California’s Eclipse Comics. Though ostensibly a superhero story, Zot! had an alternative flavor and featured some unorthodox storytelling and compositions. “A cross between Peter Pan, Buck Rogers and Marshall McLuhan” is how I usually describe it. (1984-1991)

My Inventions. Over the years, I’ve created a number of strange, comics-related, um… things. Enough that I decided to give them their own section of this site. Check it out.

My Other Comics.Though not numerous, I have done other printed comics including 1985’s Destroy!!, a 12 issue stint writing Superman Adventures, in the mid-90’s, a bizarre and generally disliked graphic novel about Abraham Lincoln, some mini-comics, short pieces, and various comics-style articles in magazines like Wired, Nickelodeon, Computer Gaming World, Wizard and Publishers’ Weekly.

Depending on who you ask, I’m either comics’ leading theorist or a deranged lunatic, but life continues to be very interesting for me and the ideas that I’ve raised continue to provoke reactions throughout the comics community and — increasingly — beyond it. Pick up Understanding Comics (or look for it at your local library) to begin finding out why.”

ALSO: Mark Staff Brandl checks in to review art with his students from the Central European Bureau!

Lastly Duncan and Joanna act wacky and Joanna has some interesting ideas.

Scott McCloud
Jeff Ward
Columbia College
MCA
Understanding Comics
Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
Jerry Siegel
Joe Shuster
Eddie Campbell
Superman
Carnegie Mellon
Heroes
Alex Ross
Jhonen Vasquez
Art School Confidential
Dan Clowes
Chris Ware
Fantagraphics
Douglas Wolk
Mark Bell
Art Spiegelman
Joseph Campbell
Chester Gould
Marvel
Image
DC
Charles Schultz
Smallville

One Tree Hill
Buffy
Tracy Taylor
Craig Thompson
Eleanor Davis
Will Eisner
Jack Kirby
Todd McFarlane
Bill Cosby
Oxford
City of Glass
Jimmy Corrigan: The Smartest Kid on Earth
Bryan Lee O’Malley
Hope Larson
Making Comics
Reinventing Comics
Kunstmuseum Liechtenstein
Kunstschule Liechtenstein
Rolf Ricke
Museum für Moderne Kunst Frankfurt-am-Main
Kunstmuseum St. Gallen
Roy Lichtenstein
Lust for Life exhibition
Richard Artschwager
Jo Baer
Donald Judd
Barry Le Va
Jasper Johns
Richard Serra
Dan Flavin
David Reed
Jessica Stockholder
Fabian Marcaccio
Ingrid Calame
Carl Ostendarp (Sculpture titled “Make” referred to as “Cowpie”)
Peter Paul Rubens
David Reed on Rubens in Los Vegas
Holger Bunk
Günter Umberg
Peter Young
Lee Lozano
Allan McCollum
Mel Ramos
Eric Fischl
“Tschau Zäme” Swissgerman for “Adios y’all”

Direct download: Bad_at_Sports_Episode_116_Scott_McCloud.mp3

Christopher Hudgens