TheMountain

Lions
InsecureLifein
theUS
AnInfographicAnalysis

Whenitcomestothenaturalworld,mostofhumanhistoryisataleofus
conqueringnature,andtamingitforourownuses.Wewereweak,vulnerable,and
smallcreatures.Wehadonesuperstrongassetthough:ourminds.Withourcognitive
capabilitieswewereabletostarthackingtheworldaroundusinourfavor.Webeganto
growcrops,raisecattle,andbuildboats.Withtheinvaluabletoolofourmindwebegan
todominatecontinents.Wesawnatureasathingtobe
conquered,asortofformidableenemy.Sowhenthe
technologicallyadvancedEuropeansstartedtoconquer
thenaturalworldoftheAmericas,ourinterestsdidnot
oftenalignwiththenativespecies.Oneofthesespecies
wastheterrificmountainlion.Itwasathingofnightmares.
Inthewoodsonewasonlyastartlingscreamfromthe
treesawayfrombeingeatenalive.Soitwasnaturalforus
toattempttodissolvethisenemy.Wealmostsucceeded.

Wehavehadachangeinworldviewinrecenthistory.Someofusnolongersee
natureassomethingtobeconqueredbutrathersomethingthatneedstobeprotected
andvaluedforitsownsake.Thisisknownasenvironmentalismasopposedtothe
formeranthropocentrism.ThetimelineIchosetoanalysetellsthestoryofthischangein
thinkingspecificallyregardingtheUnitedStatesmountainlion.Thestorystartsin1684
andtellsofcenturiesofpersecution,decadesofpretense,andyearsofprotectionuntil
2011.Thistimelinewaspublishedin2011bytheMountainLionFoundation,whose
goalistoprotectmountainlionsandtheirhabitat.Thepurposeofthisinfographicisto
educatethepublicaboutthisstruggleandtohopefullygettheminvolvedinapositive
way.

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FormalAnalysis

Thisinfographichasapeculiarform.
Thetimelineisplacedontopofaphysical
mapoftheUnitedStates.Itisasweeping
arcthatstartsinMaine,summitsin
Californiaandextendsallthewaybackto
Tennessee.Withseeminglynocorrelation
tothearcedtimeline,imagesandtext
denotingeventsinthehistoryofthe
mountainlionconflictaredistributedacross
themapinthelocationswherethese
eventsoccurred.Thereisonlyoneevent
onthetimeline:CaringcitizenscreateThe
MountainLionFoundationin1986.This
eventisattheclimaxorturningpointofthearc.Thearcstartsoutredincolorand
transitionsintoabluecolormuchliketheclimatecontrolknobinacar.Redisthe
negativecolorrepresentingtheabuseofmountainlionsandtheblueisthepositive
colorrepresentingactivismforahopefulfutureforthecohabitationofmountainlions.

Totheleftoftheillustrativeportionofthedocumentisacolumnoftextwhich
takesupaboutonefifthofthedocument.Itiskeptseparatebyaslender,blue,
vertical,bar.Thistexthasthreeheadingsinboldred:Centuriesofpersecution.,
Decadesofpretence.,andYearsofprotection.Belowtheheadingsreadsastoryof
themountainlionsdecimationuptoitscurrentcoexistence.

Intheupperrighthandcornerofthedocumentisthe
MountainLionFoundationslogoandasmallselfdescriptive
statementinlightblue.Itreads:anationalnonprofit
organizationleadingtheefforttoprotectmountainlionsand
theirhabitat.Thelogoofthisnonprofitusesaverysimplified
versionofthemountainlionsface.Thissimplicitytendsto
makeoneprojectthemselvesontotheimageandgetmore
involved.ScottMcCloudinhisbookUnderstandingComics,speaksonthepowerof
Amplificationthroughsimplification.Onecancondensethemeaningofimageryifthey
simplifyitintosomethingapproachingiconiccommunication.AsMcCloudsays,The
morecartoonyafaceis,forinstance,themorepeopleitcouldbesaidtodescribe.
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Humanscanidentifywithasimplefaceorevenprojectfacesonplaceswherethere
isntone,intentionally.Weseeourselvesineverything.Weassignidentitiesand
emotionswherenoneexist.,saysMcCloud.Ifwecanidentifywiththismountainlionin
thelogowewillbecomemoresympathetictothisorganization'spurpose.Itsmuch
hardertokillananimalwithacutefaceinwhichyouidentifyafellowbeing.

Thedocumentusesthecombinationoftextandimagesina
powerfulwaythatisgreaterthanthesumoftheparts.McCloud
says,andindeed,wordsandpictureshavegreatpowerstotellstories
whencreatorsfullyexploitthemboth.Mccloudalsospecifically
speaksuponwordspecificcombinations,wherepicturesillustrate,but
donotsignificantlyaddtoalargelycompletetext.Thisishowwords
andpicturesareusedinthisinfographic.Wordsfullydescribethe
eventswhileacorrelatingimageispulledfromsomewhereinorderto
illustratetheevent.Insomecasesitisacartoonfromthetimeofthe
event.Sometimesitisaphoto.Someothervisualsareusedalso
suchaspostagestamps,alicenseplate,emblems,anddrawings.

Theinfographicmakesuseoficonssuchasthearrowheadandthe
fletchingofanarrow.IamusingMcCloudsdefinitionoftheword
icontomeananyimageusedtorepresentaperson,place,thingor
idea.Itisaniconthatgrewfromarealworldobject:thearrowofan
archer.Thearrowheadsuggestsmotioninaparticulardirection.The
arrowactsasamotionlinewhichisoneofthewaysMcCloudsays
thatasinglepanelcanrepresentaspanoftimethroughpictures.

Thecolorschemeofthedocumentisapaleblueandadeepmaroonred.The
mapoftheUnitedStatesintherearisaneutralgrayscale.Thisallowsthemaptonot
looktoobusyasitwouldifthemapwascoloredandprominent.

Someoftheimagesintheinfographicoverlapcausingtheimages
underneathtobeincomplete.Mentalclosureoccurswhenimagesoverlap
andourmindautomaticallycompletesthecoveredphotos.Someimages
gobehindthemaporotherimagesatsomepoints.McClouddescribesour
perceptionofrealityasanactoffaith,basedonmerefragments.He
describesthephenomenonofobservingpartsbutperceivingthewholeas
closure.Inourdailylives,weoftencommitclosure,mentallycompleting
thatwhichisincompletebasedonpastexperience,saysMcCloud.Photosoftenextend
themselvesbeyondtheirframesbymeansofclosure.Weautomaticallyextrapolatethe
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contextoftheimagefromthenatureoftheimageitself.Themaponthisinfographicisa
physicalmapofthemainlandUnitedStatesofAmerica.Thismapisonlyapartofthe
world.Theviewer'smindusesknowledgeabouttheworldtoimaginewhatthe
immediateworldsurroundingtheUnitedstateslookslike.OneseesCanadaintheir
mind,situatedabovetheUnitedStates.

Thebottomlineotthedocumentisarelativelylarge,arced,andstylizedtext
whichasks:Wheredowegofromhere?Theuseofthewordweisanextendedhand
outtotheaudiencetojointhemintheircause.Slightlyabovethistexttotheleftisthe
MountainLionFoundation'scontactinformationandtheubiquitoussmalltwitterand
facebookicons.Inthelowerrightcorneroftheinfographicisthelogoofthedesigner
andthecopyrightinformationinsmalltext.

ResponsetoContent
ThepurposeofthisinfographicistoeducateageneralAmericanpublicaboutthe
historyofmountainlionpersecutionandprotectionintheUnitedStates,andtodothisin
avividenoughwaysoastohavethemcometovaluetheMountainLionFoundation's
roleinthematter.Thistimelineattemptstoengagetheaudienceinthisstoryofconflict
toapointwheretheywouldbecurioustolearnmore,withtheultimateoutcomebeing
thattheaudiencebecomesinvolvedordonates.Thisorganizationisanonprofitso
publicoutreachanddonationsarevitaltothisorganization'ssurvival.

Thistypeofinfographicisgoodwayofachievingthisgoalbecauseittellsan
engagingstory.Itdoeslookclutteredandunattractiveonfirstglance,whichisnotgood
forthepurpose.Thisinitialreactionisovercomeifonetakesamomenttoseehow
interestingthestoryis.Thisstoryisoutlinedinthetextintheleftcolumn.Thereisa
distinctprotagonistaswellasantagonist.Theprotagonististhemountainlionandthose
supportingitslife.Theantagonistsarethekillerswhoproducethegruesomescenes
evidencedinthephotographsspreadacrosstheinfographic.Ithelpsthatthemountain
lionsseemstobetheclearvictimratherthanpredator.Mountainlionshavekilled
severalhumansintheUnitedStatesaswellasabountifulnumberoflivestock.This
infographicdoesnotchoosetotellthatsideofthestory.Iwouldsaythisinfographicis
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biasedinthatitonlytellsonesideofthisissueresultinginaclearprotagonistand
antagonists.Itisaneffectiveengagingmethodthough.

Thespatialityofthemaphelpstodrawoutassociationswithplace.Wecanasan
audienceassociateaplacewithitshistoricalandculturalcontext.Thisinfographictruly
triestopackalotofinformationontothepage.ThemapoftheUnitedstatesdoesa
gooddealingroundingthesetextsandimages.Themapoffersageographicalcontext
andputsamethodtothemadness.

Thisinfographicseemstobecredibleinallofitsinformation.Thephotographic
evidenceoftheeventsdescribedisastrongcontributingfactortothiscredibility.You
canplainlyseethedeadmountainlionsandthehunters.Theeracartoons,postersand
drawingsareallreallysupportivealsobecauseyoucannoteasilyjustmakethiscontext
up.Thetextitselfishardtodoubtaswithmosthistoricalinformation.Weasan
audienceusuallytakeforgrantedhistoricaldataistrueandverifiable.Wewouldhave
littlereasonstodoubtit.Everythinginthisdocumentseemsreasonable.Butone
massivestrainoncredibilityisthatnotasinglesourceiscited.Dependingonthe
audiencethiscouldbeanonissueoritcouldbeveryoffputting.

Therearedefinitelystronganddeliberate
emotionalappealstothisdocument.Whenyouhave
deadcutefacesitishardnottohaveastrongemotional
response.Severalgruesomeimagesofdeadmountain
lionsareincludedsoastoreinforcethisemotional
impact.Thisisthedocumentsstrongestappeal.Wehave
thiswildanimalthatisbeingpersecutedandmurdered.
Takensimplyinthiscontextthisseemslikeanoutrage.

Thisinfographicislackinginitslogicalargument.Thisdocumentistooone
sidedtohaveanintelligentdiscourseaboutthetopicofMountainLioncoexistencewith
humans.Theinfographicpaintsmountainlionswithabroadbrushassimplybeingthe
victimswherethisisnotthecase.Itmaybeintuitiveenoughthatmountainlionsare
dangerouspredatorsbutitwouldbefairtoincludesomeofthepredatoryeventswith
humansasvictimsonthisinfographicThisinfographicsupportsanenvironmentalist
ideology.Thisorganizationwouldliketoseelimitstohumanpotentialforthesakeof
differentspecies.

Overallthisinfographicachieveswhatitsetsouttodo.Itisveryinformativeand
persuasive.Thereisalotofinformationonthisdocumentbutitisorganizedspatiallyin
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awaythatitismanageableandinteresting.Theemotionalappealisstrong.Thisisan
intelligentlyputtogetherinfographicforitspurposes.Thiswouldworkwellasalarge
posterandwasprobablyhowitwaspublishedphysically.

PersonalEvaluation
Thisinfographicremindsmeofthosefromhighschoolhistoryclasses.This
semblanceisalittleoffputting.Butonceyouengagewithititgetsreallyinteresting.
Youcanmakementalhistoricalassociations.Itisinterestingtoseehowvisual
documentationhaschangedthroughtheyearsfromfunny,warm,andquaintdrawings
tothecolddocumentaryphotograph.Ilearnedsomenewthingsfromthisinfographic.I
amnotconvincedtotallyonthisdocumentsworldviewtowardsmountainlionsinthe
Unitedstates,butitwasinformative.Iseethevalueofthisorganizationandwhatithas
donetoprotectmountainlions.Ithinktheyaretheprotagonistscertainly,butnottothe
clearcutextentofthestorytheypaintthemselveswith.

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WorksCited

http://www.mountainlion.org/us/wheredowegofromhere.jpg

McCloud,S.(1994).Understandingcomics:.NewYork:HarperPerennial.

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