# Is there a technical term for this sort of drawing (a static image which shows someone's moving...) **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 15, 2012, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-technical-term-for-this-sort-of-drawing-a-static-image-which-shows-someones-moving/625192 "2012-06-15T01:16:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Reno\_Nevada](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Reno\_Nevada](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reno_Nevada)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2012, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-technical-term-for-this-sort-of-drawing-a-static-image-which-shows-someones-moving/625192/21 "2012-06-15T18:12:42Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > I think the usual way of answering that is to make a hand gesture with three fingers. I would have answered by making a hand gesture with one finger, but I was a very bad boy. Could **Senegold** ’s mysterious book have been \*Understanding Comics \*by Scott McCloud? ---
**Author:** ![hogarth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hogarth/32/1773_2.png) [@hogarth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hogarth)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2012, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-technical-term-for-this-sort-of-drawing-a-static-image-which-shows-someones-moving/625192/22 "2012-06-15T18:16:44Z")
> [@Gagundathar](#): > > Harrumph! I still think ‘strobe shot’ is superior to ‘sequence shot’ even in the face of your excellent supporting evidence to the contrary. > Why? > > [Rule of Cool](http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/RuleofCool) The only reason I mentioned it is because I happened to see a review of that phone app on a TV show a couple of days ago. I agree that “strobe shot” sounds as good or better. ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2012, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-technical-term-for-this-sort-of-drawing-a-static-image-which-shows-someones-moving/625192/23 "2012-06-15T19:05:56Z")
> [@Reno\_Nevada](#): > > I would have answered by making a hand gesture with one finger, but I was a very bad boy. > > Could **Senegold** ’s [_sic_] mysterious book have been \*Understanding Comics \*by Scott McCloud? No, that was published in 1993, but when I saw the book I mentioned, as best I recall, was some years before that. ETA: Still, the book mentioned just above looks like it might be a good one to answer OP’s questions. ---
**Author:** ![njtt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ecd19e/32.png) [@njtt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/njtt)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2012, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-technical-term-for-this-sort-of-drawing-a-static-image-which-shows-someones-moving/625192/24 "2012-06-15T22:13:53Z")
You mean like [this](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marcel_Duchamp#Nude_Descending_a_Staircase_No.2)? It would appear, from that article, that he called it “retinal art”. (About as much to do with the retina as Apple’s new display.:rolleyes:) ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2012, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-technical-term-for-this-sort-of-drawing-a-static-image-which-shows-someones-moving/625192/25 "2012-06-16T00:29:59Z")
> [@Gagundathar](#): > > Strobe shot is quite evocative. I like it. I see what you did there. ---
**Author:** ![Measure\_for\_Measure](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/measure_for_measure/32/557_2.png) [@Measure\_for\_Measure](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Measure_for_Measure)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2012, 3:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-technical-term-for-this-sort-of-drawing-a-static-image-which-shows-someones-moving/625192/26 "2012-06-16T03:08:46Z")
> [@Senegoid](#): > > Once upon a time, some years ago, I stumbled upon a detailed book in a library on this. It discussed the imagery and techniques, including various influential cartoonists. One cartoonist of old was Tex Avery (of Droopy fame). Bill Watterson (of Calvin and Hobbes) studied Avery and brought a lot of his stylistic techniques into his cartoons. … > > Sorry I have no idea what that book was (title, author, etc), except to tell you that such stuff is for real. > [@Reno\_Nevada](#): > > Could **Senegold** ’s mysterious book have been \*Understanding Comics \*by Scott McCloud? > [@Senegoid](#): > > No, that was published in 1993, but when I saw the book I mentioned, as best I recall, was some years before that. ETA: Still, the book mentioned just above looks like it might be a good one to answer OP’s questions. While _Understanding Comics_ is highly recommended (it’s a rave fave of mine), I don’t think it addressed the OP’s question. Before Soctt McCloud entered the scene, the classic work was [Comics and Sequential Art](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comics_and_Sequential_Art) (1985) by Will Eisner. See also [Graphic Storytelling and Visual Narrative](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Graphic_Storytelling_and_Visual_Narrative). I haven’t read either though. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-technical-term-for-this-sort-of-drawing-a-static-image-which-shows-someones-moving/625192.md?page=1)