McCloud - "Vocabulary of Comics"

Scott McCloud – “Vocabulary of Comics”

Before You Read

My favorite cartoon used to be “Dragon Ball Z.” I thought it was so cool because it depicted what looked like real people but they could do superhuman things, such as fly and shoot energy balls at enemies. I used to wish I could do some of these things. I mostly related to Goku because he was very goofy but when the going got tough, he got going.

 

 Reader Response

In “Vocabulary of Comics,” Scott McCloud uses the concept of “icons” to show that humans easily associate pictures with messages, ideas, and people. There are many icons that we see in everyday life. It is nearly impossible to disassociate images from known meanings or understandings we are already used to. For example, McCloud uses two dots and a line inside a circle to represent a human face. He does this to say that using icons is a good way to artistically relate to the reader without having to relay the message through words. It also allows people to illustrate more creative ideas to the audience.

McCloud’s ideas can be compared to Greene’s idea of “framing.” When you frame your paper, you identify a specific message you want to get across to the intended audience. McCloud says you can also do this by using icons. Also, an icon would be a less difficult route because people instantly associate the message with the picture.

I really liked the comic view that McCloud used. It was easy to read and it also went extremely well with the “icon” concept because he used pictures throughout the whole passage. The reading reminded me of many things I already knew in a clever way. Also, making allusions to many cartoons (The Simpsons, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Bugs Bunny) helped me see McCloud’s point that humans make human faces out of many things that we see. McCloud did a great job of keeping me engaged while still explaining all the concepts of icons and their key differences.

Questions for Discussion and Journaling (QDJ)

#2) McCloud uses the comic book approach because it goes along perfectly with the message he is trying to portray to the audience. He could have written an article about how icons are so important, but it is much easily digested by the reader when you can physically see examples of icons. For example, McCloud could have simply mentioned a cross or a yin-yang sign, but by displaying the images the reader instantly applies his or her knowledge about that icon.

#3) By using a less-detailed, cartoon version of himself, McCloud took attention off of the character displaying the ideas in the comic. However, the information was so understandable that it would not have mattered who was explaining the concept. I was not too consumed with the cartoon, and the only reason the realistic character version made a difference is because the simple cartoon was used for the majority of the comic. When cartoons are used, we often disregard the actual object or figure that is used and associate the cartoon with the characteristics given by the author. A turtle can fight crime; a rabbit can be tricky and clever; a sponge can cook burgers.

Applying and Exploring Ideas (AEI)

#4) McCloud’s concept of a face being a human’s mask makes sense. People have all their thoughts and emotions in their minds, and they use this outer mask to display what’s inside to others. You could not be aware of other’s emotions if they did not have a mask, unless you converse with them, and that still may not do enough. However, the mask does not always show what people are thinking inside because they choose to hide that from the rest of the world. Therefore, the mask concept is not always effective.