One of McCloud’s most famous contributions to the study of comic art is discussed in Chapter 3. McCloud uses a pyramid, an “iconic abstraction chart,” to illustrate differences in how language develops (i.e., abstraction versus realism)-and returns to it several times as he reflects on the historical development of comic art and written language. Understanding Comics itself uses simple drawings while dealing with complex subjects. Comics storytellers have the ability to adjust the degree of realism in their drawings based on how broad or specific their target audience is.Ī simple art style doesn’t indicate a simple story. The simpler a comic’s drawings, the more readers can place themselves in the comic’s story. McCloud makes the counterintuitive observation that the more cartoonish an icon is, the more universal it is. Unlike other visual icons-such as the dollar sign or peace sign-comics are icons that resemble what they are trying to represent a cartoon drawing of a face is meant to depict an actual person. McCloud begins his discussion of comics storytelling in Chapter 2. The storyteller who actualized this development was one of his role models, Swiss artist Rudolphe Töpffer of mid-19th century fame. According to McCloud, comic art requires words to reach its full potential. He then discusses the transition from the first printed cartoons to those of the 1990s.
McCloud explains that sequential art-a series of images that tells a story-can be traced all the way back to ancient Egypt. McCloud describes the strengths and weaknesses of several definitions but ultimately adopts Will Eisner’s version: Comics is “sequential art.” He points out that, unlike fine arts and literature, comics were not as examined at the time, an error that Understanding Comics seeks to rectify. Because comic art is so vast, it is essential to come up with a definition. Before he was out of high school, he decided to pursue comics as a career and devoted himself to understanding them. Feazell’s doubtful response results in McCloud’s silence.Ĭhapter 1 of Understanding Comics is largely devoted to the history of graphic storytelling, beginning with McCloud’s personal history with comics. When Feazell asks about McCloud’s next project, he describes an ambitious graphic work about comic theory. The introduction comprises a comic strip of a phone call between Scott McCloud and his friend Matt Feazell. This guide is based on the 1994 HarperCollins version of the text.
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