Comics for Kids and Teens: Scott McLoud

Reading Comics with Scott McCloud

Reading comics can be a challenge as you enter. Which direction are the panels taking you? What text bubble should I read next? As you enter into the medium, you'll find that your mind adapts to the new mode of reading. Starting, in most comics, with the top left panel and working your way down will bring you to the end of the page. Some panels will surprise you as full-page panels either on the left or right. These should be included in your reading of the text and should fit in nicely.

Below you'll find a video from a TedTalk given by Scott McCloud. A cartoonist, McCloud wrote a book in the early nineties (see aside) that describes how to read not only panels and text, but the meanings of facial expressions and movement as well. Tackling current perceptions while weaving in the history of art and its relationship to text, McCloud's work is an excellent starting point for those interested in starting a relationship with comics and graphic novels.