What is Nine-Square Grid?

Nine-Square Grid is a blog about comic books, architecture, and comic book architecture written by Jimmy Stamp, an Eisner-nominated writer, recovering architect, and practicing copywriter based in Philadelphia.

It’s for anyone curious about architecture and interested in the craft of comic books.

I know I can’t be the only one.

It’s my hope that discussing the two disciplines together reveals lessons about the importance of a sense of place in comic book storytelling and the impact of narratives in architecture.

Why “Nine-Square Grid”?

In short, both architecture and comics have been famously constructed (and deconstructed) around 3x3 grids.

In the world of architectural education, the nine-square grid is a design exercise often given to first-year students, challenging them to think about how space is divided, used, and experienced. It’s also method for analyzing built works of architecture.

In the world of comics, the nine-panel grid is a typical page layout that gives a comic a clear structure and order. It sets a pace for the reader, makes reading a comic simple and instantly familiar.

Both nine-grids are common touchpoint for creators in their respective fields. An easily understood shorthand. The idea seemed an apt fit for a blog wherein I’ll be discussing these two topics separately and occasionally exploring their intersection.

I’ll be nerding out about architecture, using comics and pop culture to explain significant historical movements, figures, and ideas in easy-to-understand terms, and exploring comics structure and craft — starting with a panel-by-panel breakdown of my Eisner-nominated short story The Beekeeper’s Due.

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