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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. What do most humans understand the face as?

2. What are "still" scenes used to bridge the gap between movie scripts and final photography on motion pictures?

3. What is the title of Chapter 6?

4. What must control the comics project start to finish?

5. What should the artist study before making comics?

Short Essay Questions

1. Give a brief synopsis of Chapter 6.

2. Give a brief synopsis of Chapter 7.

3. Why is writing for comics most closely related to playwriting?

4. Why does Eisner reproduce several pages from his graphic novel To the Heart of the Storm along with a close-up pencil dummy page?

5. Why should an artist read short stories?

6. Contrast gesture and posture.

7. What temptation do artists have to detract from the text?

8. Why does artwork dominate the reader's initial response?

9. How can posture and gesture give insight into a character's lifestyle and allow sociological observations?

10. Why do entertainment comics deny to the readers/viewers much of the freedom they would enjoy in pure prose?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Agree or disagree with the following statement: the reader is responsible for the interpretation of meaning when reading visuals. Cite three examples from the book that support your view. Address what responsibility the artist might have in creating the visuals.

Essay Topic 2

Generally, style has been lauded as "a form of imperfection." However, now that technology has harnessed the ability to produce artwork, the personal style of the artist might be encroached upon. Explain the tension between individuality and technological perfection. Use two examples from Eisner's last chapter to demonstrate the consequences of technology in art and the response of humans to computer-generated artwork.

Essay Topic 3

In Chapter 4, Eisner develops more comparisons between comics and other forms of entertainment. At one point, he suggests that composing a comic strip panel is like designing a theatrical scene, illustration, painting, or mural. Explain Eisner's reasoning using at least four examples from Chapter 4.

(see the answer keys)

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