Informal Writing: Vocabulary of Comics/McCloud

In his article Vocabulary of Comics, Scott McCloud demonstrates the difference meanings between icons and symbols and how we perceive them. He discusses, through comic book strips and other animations that icons are not anything until we perceive them as something and relate them to ourselves and our surroundings. He is successful in his argument by using the animation to help demonstrate the idea of icons and symbols. 

McCloud's article is very unique in the way he tries to help the reader understand his purpose for writing the article. I've read or viewed, because there are few words in his work, besides those that are part of the animations, very few works like his. Even though the topics are different, Wysocki's The Sticky Embrace of Beauty reminds me of this article. Both involving and analyzing media and how it is perceived. Even though Wysocki and McCloud are discussing the media in different ways, I think it exemplifies the effects animation can have on a reader and an audience. McCloud show's a comic strip with evolving faces. Through his work he explains that this face has no real characteristics until we internalize it and relate it to ourselves. The same is true for the Peek advertisement in Wysocki's article. The picture featured in the Peek advertisment isn't a crystal clear photo. Even though the woman appears as slender, curvy and brunette, when people view the image its up to individual perception; a person would see someone or relate it to someone who appeals to their eye. 

McCloud's article is also very unique in the way he presents his underlying argument. If we hadn't taken the time to discuss his purpose in class I might have not understood. I think it's important to note how much impact works like McCloud's can have. Not all texts are normal texts. I think people sometimes think that texts have to be word after word, line after line of black ink on white paper. Art can express amazing messages. The significance of this article for me was how much of an impact art and media can have on an audience and readers. Not only that but how many different messages media and art can help express to readers.