Visual realism and character identification in science comics: an empirical study testing McCloud’s ‘masking effect’ theory

Comics have increasingly served as a tool for delivering scientific information to diverse audiences. However, little is known about how visual elements in comics influence their persuasive potential. Inspired by McCloud (1993)’s ‘masking effect’ theory featured in Understanding Comics: The Invisible Art, this study examined how different degrees of realism in comic characters, combined with background details, affected readers’ character identification. The findings suggested that exposure to comics featuring unrealistic, cartoonish characters minimized the gap in character identification between Black and white US participants. Contrary to McCloud’s hypotheses, exposure to comics with less detailed backgrounds resulted in higher character identification across conditions, regardless of character realism. The authors discuss the implications for future research and practice of using comics for public communication of science.