History ComicBook / UnderstandingComics

* TrueArtIsIncomprehensible: InUniverse. One part of the book discusses an entertaining aversion to demonstrate the importance of context: An enormous square of canvas with two tiny right triangles at the center of the top and bottom edges. Its name? [[spoiler:''The Big N'', which is in fact precisely what the painting is.]]

* TrueArt: [[invoked]] [=McCloud=] attempts to circumvent the subjectivity of questions such as "What is art?" by proposing an extremely broad definition of art: "Any human activity which [[DoingItForTheArt doesn't grow out of either survival or reproduction]]."

* BriffitsAndSqueans: [=McCloud=] talks about symbols in both Western Comics and in Manga, and references Mort Walker's book in his notes. He specifically shows plewds and waftrons as examples. He doesn't have to use Walker's terms in the book though, because he can draw them instead.

* OlderThanTheyThink (InUniverse): In ''Understanding Comics'', Scott challenges the view that comics are merely OlderThanRadio--he defines comics as a series of juxtaposed images to be read in sequence--and makes a case for things like William Hogarth's serial paintings, [[OlderThanSteam a 16th-century]] Central American manuscript, [[OlderThanPrint the Twelfth-Century]] [[Art/TheBayeuxTapestry Bayeux Tapestry]], and name-drops the [[OlderThanFeudalism Second-Century]] Trajan's column. He even gives an example of Egyptian tomb paintings, making comics [[OlderThanDirt Older Than ]]''[[OlderThanDirt Dirt]]!''

* OlderThanTheyThink (InUniverse): In ''Understanding Comics'', Scott challenges the view that comics are merely OlderThanRadio--he defines comics as a series of juxtaposed images to be read in sequence--and makes a case for things like William Hogarth's serial paintings, [[OlderThanSteam a 16th-century]] Central American manuscript, [[OlderThanPrint the Twelfth-Century]] Bayeux Tapestry, and name-drops the [[OlderThanFeudalism Second-Century]] Trajan's column. He even gives an example of Egyptian tomb paintings, making comics [[OlderThanDirt Older Than ]]''[[OlderThanDirt Dirt]]!''

* SelfDeprecation: The final page of ''Understanding Comics'' makes fun of [=McCloud=] for being overenthusiastic about his ideas, and ''Making'' has a jab at his weight gain.

** [=McCloud=]'s own ''ComicBook/{{Zot}}'' T-shirt, glasses, and plaid jacket also count. He keeps at least some of these every time he changes form to everything including semi-abstract rectangles, the Franchise/IncredibleHulk, and a yin-yang.

* LoudnessWar: [[TropesAreFlexible A comic-specific variant]] is demonstrated when Scott talks about the intensity of the image in ''Making Comics''. He points out that if every image is as intense as possible, then the impact as a whole goes down and the comic is a lot harder to follow as well..

''Understanding Comics'', and its follow-ups ''Reinventing Comics'' and ''Making Comics'', are a critically acclaimed non-fiction comic book series by Creator/{{Scott McCloud}}. More than that, ''Understanding Comics'' is a nine-part comic book about comics.

* {{Briffits and Squeans}}: [=McCloud=] talks about symbols in both Western Comics and in Manga, and references Mort Walker's book in his notes. He specifically shows plewds and waftrons as examples. He doesn't have to use Walker's terms in the book though, because he can draw them instead.

* {{Self Demonstrating Article}}: The entire book is done in this style. For example, the chapter on color is the only one drawn in color, and when talking about how [[NoCartoonFish drawing people in a simpler style makes them easier to identify with]], he uses his own AuthorAvatar as a talking point.

* {{Sliding Scale of Visuals Versus Dialogue}}: A major theme is how comic creators use words to complement or comment on pictures. Scott [=McCloud=] mentions that the extent to which words impact the pictures varies. He sees written words as a later "evolution" of pictures, and places both on his own sliding scale, the famous "Big Triangle," which [[{{Exactly What it Says on the Tin}} is both big and a triangle]].

* {{The Treachery of Images}}: Discussed (mostly in chapter 2) and a major theme of the work. The actual painting is used as an example, though it’s really ten printed copies of a drawing of a painting of a pipe.

** [=McCloud=]'s own ''ComicBook/{{Zot}}'' T-shirt, glasses, and plaid jacket also count. He keeps at least some of these every time he changes form to everything including semi-abstract rectangles, Franchise/TheIncredibleHulk, and a yin-yang.

** [[{{In-Universe}} The chapter on color mentions]] how a superhero's color scheme becomes inextricably linked with the character in the reader's mind.

* TrueArtIsIncomprehensible: One part [[{{In-Universe}} of the book]] discusses an entertaining aversion to demonstrate the importance of context: An enormous square of canvas with two tiny right triangles at the center of the top and bottom edges. Its name? [[spoiler:''The Big N'', which is in fact precisely what the painting is.]]

* NerdGlasses: Scott's self-depiction is drawn in a simplified style such that his glasses appear to have blank white lenses.

* {{Opaque Lenses}}: Scott [=McCloud=] wears these, doubling as NerdGlasses.
** {{Lampshaded}} (to prove a point) when he takes them off and he has no eyes.