Understanding Comics

When McLeod talks about Iconic what he actually is referring to are comics that often reduce visual details and cues to better simplify distinguishable shapes and symbols. For example, any type of face within a comic doesn’t particularly need to be drawn with photo realistic features and accuracy to actually be depicted and understood as a face. In reality two dots for the eyes and a simple line for the mouth is more than enough. Because of this, readers often project themselves onto these simplified shapes and images connecting themselves to it emotionally. 

This relates to the continuum between realism and abstraction that he described because realistic drawings often show as much or even every detail possible and this is usually tied to one person or thing for maximum realism. While abstract on the other hand can become so simplified and straight to the point to where they don’t even resemble a face at all. This Iconic style that he described fit perfectly in the middle of both of these as there are stripped details but those stripped details are still recognizable to anyone that views it. I think this makes it easier for readers like you and me to see and connect emotionally to the characters which overall is a major strength in comics today.