Joanna Davis-McElligatt argues that comics are inherently physiognomic, drawing on Art Spiegelman’s claim that cartooning relies on simplified visual cues rooted in discredited race science. She traces the origins of physiognomy to Johann Kaspar Lavater and its role in eugenics, colonialism, and racial hierarchies. Fredrik Strömberg responds by analyzing a 1919 Swedish satirical comic, exploring how the form, cultural context, and visual conventions of comics contribute to physiognomic representations. He introduces the concept of the “tyranny of visual schema,” where artists unconsciously reproduce stereotypes due to cultural norms. Davis-McElligatt’s reply distinguishes between eugenic caricature and physiognomic form, arguing that cartooning is historically embedded in race science but can be subverted. She highlights the work of Black cartoonists and the concept of the oppositional gaze, showing how marginalized creators can reshape visual grammar and resist harmful representations.