Exploring the Text

1. Scott McCloud begins with a series of sixteen panels of a boy demonstrating how his toy robot turns into an airplane. Six of the panels have no words, yet the vignette manages to establish both pathos and ethos. How does McCloud accomplish this? Consider the drawings and the words separately, and then consider them together.

   Chapter 11 - from Show and Tell - Exploring the Text: Scott McCloud begins with a series of sixteen panels of a boy demonstrating how his toy robot turns into an airplane. Six of the panels have no words, yet the vignette manages to establish both pathos and ethos. How does McCloud accomplish this? Consider the drawings and the words separately, and then consider them together.
2. Why does McCloud use the show-and-tell vignette to open the piece? How does it support the piece’s main idea?

   Chapter 11 - from Show and Tell - Exploring the Text: Why does McCloud use the show-and-tell vignette to open the piece? How does it support the piece’s main idea?
3. On page 809, McCloud defines comics (although he says it isn’t his definition) as “words and pictures in combination.” He suggests that this is essentially show-and-tell. Trace how he uses classification to expand and refine his definition. How does he provide examples for each of his categories?

   Chapter 11 - from Show and Tell - Exploring the Text: On page 809, McCloud defines comics (although he says it isn’t his definition) as “words and pictures in combination.” He suggests that this is essentially show-and-tell. Trace how he uses classification to expand and refine his definition. How does he provide examples for each of his categories?
4. On page 813, McCloud uses dance as a metaphor to explain the relationship between words and images. Do you consider the words or the illustrations more powerful in illustrating that relationship? Can either stand alone? Explain.

   Chapter 11 - from Show and Tell - Exploring the Text: On page 813, McCloud uses dance as a metaphor to explain the relationship between words and images. Do you consider the words or the illustrations more powerful in illustrating that relationship? Can either stand alone? Explain.
5. What audience is McCloud addressing? In what ways does he acknowledge that audience? How does he establish ethos?

   Chapter 11 - from Show and Tell - Exploring the Text: What audience is McCloud addressing? In what ways does he acknowledge that audience? How does he establish ethos?
6. McCloud uses comic-book conventions such as exaggerated facial expressions to show emotion and a character walking left to right to create a sense of slowness and difficulty. Find other examples of these conventions, and compare them to the conventions of language he employs.

   Chapter 11 - from Show and Tell - Exploring the Text: McCloud uses comic-book conventions such as exaggerated facial expressions to show emotion and a character walking left to right to create a sense of slowness and difficulty. Find other examples of these conventions, and compare them to the conventions of language he employs.
7. Charles McGrath, an editor of the New York Times Book Review, wrote in a 2004 essay, “Not Funnies,” that comic books are “what novels used to be—an accessible, vernacular form with mass appeal.” He says that if the “highbrows” are right, they are a “form perfectly suited to our dumbed-down culture and collective attention deficit.” How might McCloud respond to McGrath and the “highbrows”? How does McCloud address the gap between high and low culture?

   Chapter 11 - from Show and Tell - Exploring the Text: Charles McGrath, an editor of the New York Times Book Review, wrote in a 2004 essay, “Not Funnies,” that comic books are “what novels used to be—an accessible, vernacular form with mass appeal.” He says that if the “highbrows” are right, they are a “form perfectly suited to our dumbed-down culture and collective attention deficit.” How might McCloud respond to McGrath and the “highbrows”? How does McCloud address the gap between high and low culture?
8. Describe the tone of “Show and Tell” in the box below. How is it created? Are the words or images more instrumental in creating the tone? Are there places where the words and images create different tones? Please explain.

   Chapter 11 - from Show and Tell - Exploring the Text: Describe the tone of “Show and Tell” in the box below. How is it created? Are the words or images more instrumental in creating the tone? Are there places where the words and images create different tones? Please explain.