The Effectiveness of Comics in Displaying Critical Information

This week for class we read a chapter from Scott McCloud’s Understanding Comics. The piece discusses how, in popular culture, we see comics and the pairing of words and images as childish or less intellectual (140). McCloud argues, “as a result-- and despite its many other potential uses-- comics have become firmly identified with the art of storytelling” (152). It discusses and defines 7 ways in which words and pictures can combine in comics (153-155). These include:

• word specific
• picture specific
• additive 
• parallel 
• montage
• duo-specific 
• interdependent 

For the prompt this week, we are asking you to argue whether or not you believe the pairing of words
and images in a comic format is effectual for conveying important information (such as political
messages, social justice messages, or educational information.) Once you choose a side, find a
comic or word/image pairing online that you believe supports your claim. Identify which word and
picture combination is being used in your found image. 

Prompt: 

1. Decide whether you want to argue for or against the use of comics to convey critical information.
2. Find a comic (or word and image pairing) that you believe supports your claim (either in that it is effectual or ineffectual).
3. Explain the context of the comic.
4. Identify which word and picture combination that is being used in it. 

Identifying Strategies of Persuasion in Visual Ads: Trump and Warren

This week we are going to discuss classical (i.e., ancient) theories of rhetoric. We will apply these theories to visual-verbal modes of communication to hopefully gain a better understanding of how visuals may influence human behavior, attitudes, actions, and beliefs.

As the authors of "Why Rhetoric" explain, "learning to recognize these concepts will help you understand other people's arguments" (Losh et al. 45). The authors of "Understanding the Strategies of Persuasion" agree, emphasizing that rhetorical analysis of visual-verbal texts will "help us understand how arguments work and how we can respond critically to them" (Alfano and O’Brien 29).

So . . .let's get started! Take a moment to view the following political ads for President Donald Trump and Senator Elizabeth Warren who are both seeking to persuade United States citizens to vote for them in the upcoming presidential election.

Figure 1: Campaign ad for Donald Trump, “Four More Years!,” YouTube, 17 Jun 2019, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aIrtAASuMbQ#action=share

Figure 2: Campaign ad for Elizabeth Warren, “Elizabeth Warren Stands Up to Billionaires,” YouTube, 23 Nov 2019, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mN0a_ZhYjac


Before we begin discussing the rhetorical strategies we see in the ad, let's define the rhetorical situation.

• The purpose--the purpose of each ad is to encourage viewers to vote for them in the upcoming presidential election.
• The audience--the target audience of each ad includes United States’ citizens of voting age (18 or older). However, Elizabeth Warren’s ad is likely more narrowly focused on viewers who are registered democrats as she must first secure her position on the democrat’s platform before getting a chance to run against Donald Trump. 
• The context—these videos aired at slightly different moments: Donald Trump’s ad aired in June of 2019 while Elizabeth Warren’s ad launched in November of 2019. Trump’s ad is longer and more clearly designed for his website and YouTube channel, though it may air on T.V. soon. Warren’s ad is designed for a short spot on television. There are many other things to consider about the context (the when and where) of the ad but I think these factors will come out in our discussion of the ads. 

Welcome to the Visual Rhetoric 2020 Course Blog!

Hi there! This blog is a collaborative project that we sustain all semester as we try to figure out what "visual rhetoric" is and how we can better understand the "visual culture" in which we live. You will each have a turn to manage this online environment by posting found images, contemporary case studies involving visual communication, and --of course-- your astute observations on the course readings that will delight the class and viewers around the world!

Fig 1:  Image from ENGL 3920 Spring 2020 Course Syllabus 

To get started, let's introduce ourselves! Please take a moment to comment on this post by saying hello and telling us a little about yourself. Include a picture that illustrates something about YOU (but don't tell us why you chose the picture that you did).

I'll start. Hello everyone! I am Professor Vinson. I have been teaching writing for about a decade. I was born and raised in a desert so I love the heat (and miss it terribly right about now). I am really looking forward to teaching Visual Rhetoric again. I think there are some very interesting things happening in our visual culture right now. I can't wait to discuss it with you!

Fig 2: She-Ra, the heroine of a 1980s cartoon