Honestly? Richard Poulin’s “Language of Graphic Design.”
Comics, while a form of storytelling, is basically graphic design, where the text & art needs to synchronize. And there’s some basic design knowledge beyond art & writing skills that I feel can be useful.
After editing, design was my secondary focus in both undergrad and grad school, and I’ve worked in both fields. It’s a hugely beneficial skill set to have in my toolbox when editing comics. Thanks for sharing this resource!
I go back to exhibition catalogues a fair bit. Cold War Modern (V&A) is a good one for thinking about mindsets and their expression in art and design during 1945-1970, for example.
Tsukioka Yoshitoshi: 36 Ghosts, and his series 100 Aspects of the Moon. Beautiful line work, composition, and color; and poetic scenes from history, literature, and folklore.
I like your q. I need to remember the name of this wonderful book about art criticism. It was really more about seeing. I loved it. Thin. Maybe 100 pages. 5x7. Paperback. I’ll try to remember.
comics
my old art deco sense is to keep it simple
complex graphics with dialogue is too intense
and the story is visual or simple joke
not even a conversation-can't describe it well
and like music-everyone hears a different drum/
favorites edward hopper/Tamara DeLempicka
/Preserving Los Angeles
I make maps, and if you want good reference for maps in the style of the mid-to-late 20th century, Emmerson Kent is THE source for high resolution scans.
A couple of really nice general surveys are Robert Hughes' SHOCK OF THE NEW and AMERICAN VISIONS. Or his GOYA. Or, about Australian art, THE FATAL SHORE. Really can't go wrong with him usually.
DADA ed. Robert Motherwell
PANDEMONIUM (about Hell/Satan in art & really nicely designed book) by Ed Simon
Also Max Ernst's "collage novels" an obv precursor to graphic novels. Dover has good editions:
UNE SEMAINE DE BONTE
A LITTLE GIRL DREAMS OF TAKING UP THE VEIL
THE HUNDRED HEADLES WOMAN
Oh, and this collection of Jess Collins. Except a couple of his #collage pieces incorporate #comics prominently. Like what he did to Gould, TRICKY CAD. But there's much more too & it's another nicely trickily designed book with lots of goodies and inserts.
Insane this was just scissors/paste
#art
Comments
Comics, while a form of storytelling, is basically graphic design, where the text & art needs to synchronize. And there’s some basic design knowledge beyond art & writing skills that I feel can be useful.
https://www.amazon.com/Language-Graphic-Design-Revised-Updated/dp/1631596179/ref=sr_1_1?dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.Uyh7wiMfamlu7kDVMJsZS9j-RpWCQEwqbqpvCEACRhPWcKFAdqPkpYUys-i6ZVJt3M_4eXhvpAZ10JNpBpAWNU0UyY7MknFYSOtiN6lNF0SGU3MFiuy8wVnraTGyMrbKxDW3gOjDuqyyKHbfn9C5NfRdqiz9-ufgQnkK1ZbtFOZmOaRvNsZcViQXnTA5AuoqM8b_KVNGuRZxS-HsZIAdUoeR3QDVqNy6rhILCjdN-Is.wAuVUQJMrl7o343tfAayWpdfOi6an2-RfrCfGC5-FGo&dib_tag=se&keywords=The+Language+of+Graphic+Design&qid=1725766864&s=books&sr=1-1
Then it really depends. There are broad art histories, or single topic ones.
Art: the definitive visual guide with an intro by Andrew Graham Dixon is a decent broad history.
The History of Art by E H Gombrich
Civilisation by Kenneth Clarke
Both treat art outside the white, western, male canon with disdain.
my old art deco sense is to keep it simple
complex graphics with dialogue is too intense
and the story is visual or simple joke
not even a conversation-can't describe it well
and like music-everyone hears a different drum/
favorites edward hopper/Tamara DeLempicka
/Preserving Los Angeles
https://www.amazon.com/Shadowline-Art-Iain-McCaig/dp/1933784245
https://www.amazon.com/J-C-Leyendecker-American-Laurence-Cutler/dp/0810995212 (I don't own a copy - this is a gorgeous book and I've only seen it at other folks' places)
https://www.amazon.com/William-Berry-1954-1956-Alaskan-Sketches/dp/0912006366
Drawn to Life - Stanchfield
Bodywatching - D.Morris
Illusion of Life - Frank&Ollie
DADA ed. Robert Motherwell
PANDEMONIUM (about Hell/Satan in art & really nicely designed book) by Ed Simon
UNE SEMAINE DE BONTE
A LITTLE GIRL DREAMS OF TAKING UP THE VEIL
THE HUNDRED HEADLES WOMAN
Insane this was just scissors/paste
#art
it doesn't matter which one you buy or what it is focused on, getting to know that book will teach you a lot