Scott McCloud’s Understanding Comics sheds light on the history of comics, emphasizing the abilities of comics to convey ideas, just as other, more mainstream, media do. I had never thought of comics as something that can be used for academic purposes, but McCloud seems to do this rather seamlessly as he aims to educate his audience through comics as a medium. This does make learning about the history and capacities of comics more engaging, as he says it himself that icons and images do not require the same brain power as reading.
What I found particularly interesting was the discussion in Chapter 2 on how our brains automatically search for images of ourselves in the world, and how comics and icons create vessels for us to inhabit. I’m intrigued by the idea of a universal form of communication, and the potential for that through the use of iconography, as iconography and visuals allow us to transcend language barriers.