Understanding Maus - Comm 343

Both Maus and Understanding Comics have done a fantastic job of illuminating basic and universal elements of comics.  One of my favorite topics brought up by Scott McCloud in Understanding Comics is the simplicity of the human face as an icon.  We need such a little comparison to the human face in order to make a connection, and he was able to explain this concept very intelligently.  The example he gave where you draw a series of blobs an then simply add dots for eyes also put into perspective just how easy it is to personify inanimate objects that have only a loose representation of a face – because it is what we want to see.
                I noticed this simplistic face mechanic was used in Maus to make these mice more believable as a substitute for humans.  They walk upright and wear clothes yes, but it takes more than that to sympathize with a drawing.  It takes emotion.  What really astonishes me about the artwork in Maus is the facial expressions that are present, no matter how simplistic they may be, all successfully portray their respective emotions.  The simple chancing of the eyes from a dot to a “ ^ “ shape is enough to express joy.  At moments during the story when Anja was depressed, she had dark lines running along her face that make her seem worried, stressed, and ill.  Again, a simple addition of lines to the face can change what we perceive as a noticeably different emotion. 
                The final interesting piece of information I found in McClouds book was the information of the hieroglyphics.  Considering ancient Egyptian writings as “comics” never dawned on me until I read the definition he provided.  Again, their style is the essence of simplicity, at times not even requiring text an just letting pictures do the talking.  But what’s important is that right from early times we realized that sequential images really do work as a means of communication.  This is easily seen in man instruction manuals – tiny black and white images that show a three or four step process that requires no text to any audience. 
                If it’s anything I’ve learned so far is how simplicity is not to be underrated or underestimated.  We as humans see what he want to see in imagery, and I just need to use that to my advantage.