COMICS JOURNAL 03: Understanding Comics (Ch 2)

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Title: Understanding Comics: The Invisible Art

Author: Scott McCloud
Pages 24-59: Chapter 2 The Vocabulary of Comics

Pg 31 McCloud says "...Another is the universality of cartoon imagery. The more cartoony a face is, for instance, the more people it could be said to describe."

Page 31, Understanding Comics: The Invisible Art

by Scott McCloud

Many people are more interested in treating comics characters such as iron man instead of real humans as their idols . This may be due to a real human is very specific and allows limited imagination. However, cartoon is imaginary figures that every one can project himself or herself on it. As McCloud mentioned on page 32 that "we humans are a self-centered race", we tend to relate ourselves to the main characters of a film or a comics but seldom relate ourselves to the other non-main characters. When the main characters are too specific or too realistic like a real drawing or a real person, it will be harder for the audience to connect themselves to the characters, thus a less enjoyable experience. This is because they will feel like watching another person's story rather than experiencing the adventures as happened on themselves. Thus, making the cartoon more universal with less specific details and even looks like other forms instead of human, allows more imaginary space for people. As a result, more people's self-awareness and identities can be reflected in the cartoon.

Pg 36 McCloud says: 

"... when you look at a photo or realistic drawing of a face, you see it as the face of another. ... But when you enter the world of the cartoon, you see yourself." 

Page 36, Understanding Comics: The Invisible Art

by Scott McCloud

"The cartoon is a vacuum into which our identity and awareness are pulled... an empty shell that we inhabit which enables us to travel in another realm. We don't just observe the cartoon, we become it."

When teachers or parents trying to teach the children what is right or what is wrong, they usually use metaphors such as using fairytales' main characters to make the children become the characters and then understand the theory. As comics and children books using the same tricks, people always treated comics as kiddie fare. However, identities and awareness are not only found in children, they are found in adults too. Therefore, people of any age, young or old, may have a respected comics idol in their mind and this is normal. It is a characteristic of human because we are self-centered race. Comics is a way for people to express and project themselves.

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