What do you think about Will Eisner’s view that comics are at their best when one person is responsible for both words and pictures?
Eisner suggests when the artistic and linguistic style are unified by a single creator, the best comics are made (Duncan & Smith, 2009b, p. 147). Although I disagree that it must come from a single person, I understand their point of emphasising the harmony that needs to exist between words and pictures in comic books for the narrative to have literary impact. I think in this way, a single author makes sense as it removes the obstacles of the careful collaborating, multiple edits and precision required to achieve pictorial and linguistic synergy between the author and illustrator. However, it is simply a matter of applying a different process or method of working when employing more than one creator in the craftsmanship of making a comic. I believe one can inform and influence the other, and the process of finding that reciprocity and interdependence is a creative process in and of itself. Some of my favourite comic books are a product of co-creation involving more than one author. Co-creators must carefully balance the text and image in each panel and execute their relationship in ways that adds meaning to both and in which linguistic element cannot be expressed without the pictorial. The meaning and narrative is born in their relationship. Perhaps when working with multiple creators, more complications can arise in achieving this harmony and can result in a situation of having ‘too many cooks’ which I think speaks to Eisner’s view.
Bibliography
Duncan, R., & Smith, M. J. (2009b). Creating the story. In The power of comics: History, form and culture (pp. 127-147). New York: Continuum.