McCloud's Symbol: A Visual Summation

The symbol for comics that McCloud uses throughout the book of the closed and opened eyes embodies his assertion that, “Through their still images using only one sense—comics represents all the senses” (2). The one eye (symbolizing one sense) is part of an infinity sign surrounding the eye and the blank eye (perhaps the other “unused,” or covertly active senses). The comics-like separation of two boxes behind the symbol, separating the open and closed eye, emphasize that it is that space that brings the other senses into play and that makes for infinite potential of the comics form. In this clever image of abstract art, McCloud conveys the essence of his entire argument in favor of comics as a uniquely important art form, and, furthermore, he displays what he does best, which is showing through example; he proves that there is power to the images accompanying text and ideas, and he therefore legitimizes the vary notion of combining the two elemental media as done in comics.