Masking (or themasking effect) is avisual style used incomics, first described by AmericancartoonistScott McCloud in his bookUnderstanding Comics: The Invisible Art. McCloud argues that characters with simple but recognizable designs, which he terms "iconic" characters, allow readers to project themselves into the story by using the characters as a "mask".^[1] He further argues that the juxtaposition of iconic characters with detailed backgrounds, characters, or objects can createmeaning and strengthen or weaken readers'emotional andpsychological connection to certain elements of thegraphic narrative.^[2]

Masking can be found in variousmedia outside of comics, such asanimation,picture books andvideo games (especiallyvisual novels).^[3] Masking is commonly used inmanga andanime; McCloud states that masking "was, for a time, virtually a national style" inJapan.^[4]

McCloud identifies three types of masking:^[5]

1. Iconic characters placed in realistically detailed backgrounds
2. Iconic characters juxtaposed alongside realistically detailed characters
3. Simply-drawn objects which are suddenly shown in realistic detail

McCloud proposes that readers can use iconic characters as a "mask" to enter the detailed worlds of graphic narratives.^[1] He argues that readers often look towards facial features – in particular the eyes and mouth – for indications of emotion, and the absence of such details in the simply-drawn faces of iconic characters create room for readers to project their own emotions onto.^[6][7] The placement of an iconic character in a realistically detailed background amplifies this reader-to-text connection, as it emphasizes theotherness of the setting and the status of the character as an "empty canvas".^[2][8]

Characters may be drawn simplistically or in great detail to encourageidentification orobjectification by the reader.^[5] Inshōnen (boy's) manga and anime, anantagonist may be depicted in a realistic style to convey the character's otherness from a simply-drawnprotagonist.^[3] Meanwhile, inshōjo (girl's) manga and anime, characters may be "minimally differentiated" from each other to encourage reader identification with the entire cast of characters.^[9]

Another common practice in manga and anime is that a simply-drawn object, often aprop used by a character, may suddenly be shown in realistic detail to emphasize its status as an object.^[5] When a prop is drawn in a simplistic manner similar to the character using it, it can be viewed as an extension of the character.^[5] The reader, however, becomes aware of the prop as an object when it is shown in realistic detail, as the reader considers the prop's hypotheticalreal-world elements, such as its "weight, texture and physical complexity".^[5]

Masking, in particular the placement of iconic characters in realistically detailed backgrounds, is featured prominently inHergé'sThe Adventures of Tintin comics. The "clear-line" style of Hergé, which blendsabstractions withrealism, encourages readers to mask themselves as the obliqueTintin while traversing through the detailed environments featured in each panel.^[10]

Nancy Rose Hunt, an American historian specializing inAfrican studies, questions this interpretation of the clear-line style, arguing that non-white audiences may have trouble identifying with the all-white main cast, especially when non-white characters are portrayed asracist caricatures alongside the protagonists.^[11] Hunt gives the example of a Congolese reader who may find it difficult to mask themselves as Tintin, a character explicitly stated to be from Belgium, the Congo's historical colonizer.^[12] Said reader may also be unable to mask themselves as one of the many Congolese characters featured in the comics, as the Congolese characters' iconic designs are, in Hunt's view, akin to racist portrayals ofblack people inminstrel shows.^[13]

Masking can be seen in the superhero manga seriesOne-Punch Man byONE andYusuke Murata. The titular protagonistSaitama is usually drawn in a simplistic manner with an iconic face,^[14] while the series'other characters often have intricate costume or facial designs.^[15] Consequently, Saitama is often juxtaposed alongside characters with realistically detailed appearances, which creates a masking effect where readers identify with the iconic Saitama and objectify the other characters.^[16]

Examples of masking can be found in the first chapter ofOne-Punch Man, when Saitama introduces himself to the monstrous villainVaccine Man and the reader.^[17] Saitama is intentionally drawn with minimal detail; shading is present but not as pronounced around the creases of his costume as it is around the outlines of Vaccine Man's muscular body. Vaccine Man's facial features are also much more detailed than Saitama's, as Saitama's face consists of simple lines and shapes, while Vaccine Man's facial design features bulging veins, constricted pupils, and a pronounced nose, lips and ears. The background behind Saitama is also drawn in great detail, with each dent and protrusion in the debris being carefully shaded. Two types of masking are therefore at play: Saitama is an iconic character placed next to a realistically detailed character and in a realistically detailed background to emphasize the otherness of the graphical elements around him, as well as Saitama's status as a maskable character which readers can project themselves onto.^[16]

McCloud's concept of masking has been widely cited in formalcomics studies and analyses of media other than comics.^[18] For example, Australianpolitical cartoonistSam Wallman similarly regards the simple, minimal features of characters inchildren's books as making them "vessels" that the reader can more easily project themselves onto.^[19] In contrast, critics of McCloud have questioned the universality of masking as a concept, arguing that "simplicity" is subjective and the parameters surrounding what is simple and what is complex vary between cultures.^[20] Critics further contend that readers may create an emotional connection with the story from narrative elements other than characters' visual presentations, such as the characters' personalities and the story's plot.^[21][22]

Composition specialists Christiane Buuck and Cathy Ryan expand upon McCloud's ideas but contradict some of his assumptions by arguing that the projection caused by masking can occur even when delineated characters are placed in simply-drawn backgrounds (as opposed to simply-drawn characters in delineated backgrounds).^[2] Buuck and Ryan use the example ofShaun Tan'sThe Arrival,^[2] in which human characters are drawn in photorealistic detail, while non-human characters and background environments are given simplistic butfantastical designs.^[23] Buuck and Ryan propose that, while the intricately designed human characters in the story cannot serve as "vessels" for readers to mask themselves as, they can serve as "guides" for the reader as they navigate an "unfamiliar" setting.^[2] In other words, Buuck and Ryan argue that when delineated characters are juxtaposed with simple or unrealistic backgrounds, readers may imagine themselves as being inside the story alongside the characters rather than masking themselves as them.^[24]

• Glossary of comics terminology
• Manga iconography
• Uncanny valley

• Drawing
• Comics terminology
• Illustration

• Articles with short description
• Short description matches Wikidata
• Use shortened footnotes from September 2022
• CS1 Japanese-language sources (ja)