Understanding Comics: The Invisible Art

Multiple Choice and Long Answer questions create ideal opportunities for whole-text review, unit exam, or summative assessments.

Multiple Choice

1. Which of the following statements would McCloud be most likely to agree with?

A) Comics demand less intellectual work from readers than other forms of literature.

B) Comics are particularly well-suited to communicate to wide audiences.

C) Comics have historically been more appreciated than they are today.

D) Comics are more difficult to create than other forms of literature.

2. Which is the best description of McCloud’s use of humor throughout this text?

A) He uses it sparsely, only for effect.

B) He uses a dark, sarcastic tone.

C) His humor is ironic and self-deprecating.

D) His humor is surreal and absurd.

3. Which of the following examples does McCloud intend to support his contention that an unreasonable prejudice against comics exists?

A) His own initial reaction to comic books

B) Egyptian historical paintings

C) Failed attempts to capture motion in fine art

D) The impact of the printing press on images

4. Which of his larger thematic concerns is supported by McCloud’s discussion of the way comics can communicate philosophical and abstract concepts?

A) Comics have developed over time, just as other forms of literature have.

B) Comics have developed over time, just as other forms of art have.

C) Cultural gatekeepers are unreasonably prejudiced against comics.

D) Comics are a legitimate, but underappreciated, form of art.

5. What larger point is McCloud making through his discussion of the relationship between symbolic images and written language?

A) The rise of the printing press unfairly demoted images to lesser status.

B) Writing becomes more abstract over time as it is more associated with sound than sight.

C) Visual imagery is a complex system that relays information in nuanced ways.

D) Fine art has gone through periods of greater and lesser abstraction.

6. What is McCloud’s intention in discussing the work of people like Eisner and McLuhan?

A) To point out the inadequacies of earlier work in this field

B) To show that his ideas are grounded in respected earlier works

C) To demonstrate that his field is unfairly dismissed by scholars

D) To offer readers insight into arguments that differ from his own

7. Which section of this text might dissuade a reader from following the suggestions McCloud makes in the book’s final chapter?

A) Chapter 2’s discussion of Magritte’s painting The Treachery of Images

B) Chapter 3’s discussion of the use of closure in comic art

C) Chapter 5’s discussion of the use of text in comic art

D) Chapter 6’s discussion of attitudes toward comic art

8. Which larger idea does McCloud’s discussions of comic icons in Chapters 2 and 5 help to support?

A) Comic art can transcend language barriers.

B) Fine art is a universal language.

C) Comic art is not fully realized without text.

D) Previous definitions of comic art are incomplete.

9. Which of the following works does McCloud mention to support his contention that comic art is an integral part of the historical development of art and written language?

A) The Bayeux Tapestry

B) McLuhan’s Understanding Media

C) Egyptian hieroglyphics

D) Hergé’s The Adventures of Tintin

10. Which of the following does McCloud use as support for his contention that comic art is a legitimate form of fine art?

A) The development of color reproduction

B) The six steps of the artistic process

C) The tendency of comic artists to move into other art forms

D) The ability to capture motion through science

11. Which of his larger thematic concerns does McCloud intend his discussion of the definitions of “fine art” and “fine literature” to support?

A) Comics have developed over time, just as other forms of literature have.

B) Comics have developed over time, just as other forms of art have.

C) Cultural gatekeepers are unreasonably prejudiced against comics.

D) Comics are a legitimate, but underappreciated, form of art.

12. Which of the following statements would McCloud be most likely to agree with?

A) Comic art is augmented by its use of text, but most of the text used in comics is not actually necessary.

B) Comic art’s unique potential comes from its ability to tell stories through the interdependent use of words and images.

C) Comic art varies from culture to culture, demonstrating that it is not as universal as some critics claim.

D) Comic art can communicate abstract ideas more effectively than written language can.

13. According to McCloud, which two influences most dominate the relationship between comics and color? 

A) Additive primaries and subtractive primaries

B) Costume colors and iconic characters

C) Newspapers and magazines

D) Commerce and technology

14. Which of the following best describes McCloud’s own relationship to comic art?

A) He has gradually transformed from a skeptic to someone compelled to promote comic art.

B) His childhood enjoyment of comics has become a more nuanced adult appreciation.

C) Over time, his interest in comic art has broadened out to include the comic art of other cultures.

D) His once purely academic interest in comics has become more of a joyful and transformative experience.

15. Which of the following potential audiences is Understanding Comics most likely meant to appeal to?

A) Young readers who already read and enjoy comics.

B) Young readers who want to become comic artists themselves.

C) Adults who hope to learn how to analyze and appreciate comics.

D) Adults who need a scholarly reference for their own research.

Long Answer

Compose a response of 2-3 sentences, incorporating text details to support your response.

1. How does McCloud’s book itself function as a demonstration of the power of comics to do more than entertain?

2. How does the primary style of art McCloud uses in Understanding Comics bolster his arguments against the prejudices comic art often encounters? [visual question]