Week 2 - Understanding Comics

Understanding Comics by Scott McCloud had many interesting concepts throughout. It talks about the history behind comics and discusses the many techniques artists explore in order to get their message across in the comic yet still be relatable to the readers.

An idea that stuck out to me was, "Our identities belong permanently to the conceptual world. They can't be seen, heard, smelled, touched or tasted. They're merely ideas. And everything else - at the start - belongs to the sensual world, the world outside of us" (McCloud 40). He says that things we have experienced in life can be separated into these two worlds or realms. There's the realm of the concept and the realm of the senses.

This idea of these two worlds was interesting as they change the feel and concept of the comic. On one hand, there is the physical world. For the physical world, an artist would use realism as it helps portray the beauty and complexity of the world. On the other hand, there is the sensual world. Instead of emphasizing the appearance of the physical world, the comics place itself in the world of concepts. The sensual world emphasizes the idea of form. The style of the images change based on which "world" the artist wants to convey. A realistic image can change the meaning of the comic and can distract the reader from the overall concept of the comic. However, by simplifying the imagery, the reader can focus on the concept of the comic instead. Doing this gives the reader an opportunity to escape the physical world and connect with the characters in the sensual world.