The
masking effect or
masking is a
visual style,
dramatic convention, and
literary technique described by
cartoonist Scott McCloud in his book
Understanding Comics in the chapter on
realism. It is the use of simplistic,
archetypal,
narrative characters, even if
juxtaposed with detailed,
photographic,
verisimilar,
spectacular backgrounds. This may function, McCloud infers, as a
mask, a form of
projective identification. His explanation is that a
familiar and
minimally detailed character allows for a stronger
emotional connection and for viewers to
identify more easily.