"Arguably the most important cartoonist alive."
-- Locus Magazine

"Just about the smartest guy in comics."
-- Frank Miller

"Dean of Humanities or Human Cannonball? You decide!"
-- Scott Gilbert

SCOTT WHO?

At the age of 15, I remember telling my friend Kurt Busiek "I've decided to become a professional comic book artist." My previous decision to become World Chess Champion didn't pan out, but this one did.

Today, I'm best known for:

  • My Books. Particularly Understanding Comics (1993), a 215-page comic book about the comics medium translated into over 16 languages. Also Reinventing Comics (2000), a more controversial look at comics revolutions in art, culture and technology, and Making Comics (2006), an extensive look at comics storytelling techniques which also resulted in the Making Comics 50 State Tour.
  • My Inventions. The 24 Hour Comic has become an international phenomenon over the years, especially with the debut of 24 Hour Comics Day in 2004. Other inventions, like the Creators' Bill of Rights and Five Card Nancy can be found here.
  • My Fiction Comics. My first comics series Zot! (1984-1991) which I usually describe as "a cross between Peter Pan, Buck Rogers and Marshall McLuhan." Also the superhero parody Destroy!! (1986), scripts for various Superman comics (12 issues of Superman Adventures, the 3-part Superman: Strength, and JLA Adventures #16), a bizarre 1998 GN called The New Adventures of Abraham Lincoln, and various short subjects and mini-comics.
  • Public Speaking/Teaching/Consulting. Details here. MIT, Google, Harvard, Pixar, DARPA and about 250 other destinations over the years.
  • My Webcomics. They're all here. I was an early (and noisy) advocate of digital comics in the '90s and early '00s. Various successes, failures and controversies surround this period. Things are pretty quiet right now, but there's always a chance they might heat up again. We'll see.

There's an old timeline I put together with much more info on my early stuff (don't click unless you're a completist) but those are the highlights.

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.

--Scott
scott@scottmccloud.com

[Note: As long as this site's a part-time occupation, I'll be unable to answer every email personally, but I sincerely enjoy and appreciate any comments and criticisms. Thank you for reading.]