English 380: Comics, Graphic Novels, and Culture ENG 380 01 SPRING 2015 MW 8:30-‐11:50 ASH 2120 Dr. Robert Rozema ([email protected]) 231 LHH (331-‐8573) Office hours: MW 1:00-‐2:00 or by appt. http://comics380.wordpress.com Required Texts (Print) • Scalped by Jason Aaron and R.M. Guera • Fun Home: A Family Tragicomedy by Allison Bechdel • Black Orchid by Neil Gaiman • New Orleans After the Deluge by Josh Neufield • Blankets by Craig Thompson • Robot Dreams by Sarah Varon Additional Readings (Digital) • A Contract with God by Will Eisner • Comics and Sequential Art by Will Eisner • Understanding Comics: The Invisible Art by Scott McCloud • Batman: The Dark Knight Returns by Frank Miller • Watchmen by Alan Moore • A Distant Neighborhood by Jiro Taniguchi • Archived comics: Spirit, Black Orchid (original) • Additional critical articles Course Overview In its relatively short lifespan, the medium of comics has earned both critical and popular acclaim, addressed a range of serious subjects, and developed its own visual grammar and narrative conventions. This course will focus on both iconic and lesser-‐known works of the comics medium, situating them within a comic studies approach that challenges the distinction between high and low culture. Students will learn to recognize the formal elements of comics, consider the possibilities and limitations of this new narrative medium, critique the representation of race, class, and gender within comics, and write critical responses to comics in both print and visual media. Some key questions we’ll try to answer: • What are comics? • What are the constitutive elements of comics? • Why and how have comics emerged as a medium over the past 100 years? • What works constitute the graphic canon, and how have these works gained their status? • As a new means of narrative, what are the limits and possibilities of the comics medium? • What are the possibilities and problems of representing race, class, and gender in comics? • What genres and subgenres exist within the comics medium? • What is comics studies? How do comics studies scholars write about comics? • What does the popularity of comics indicate about American culture and other cultures? Course Policies Missing more than two absences may result in a lowered grade. Late work will not receive full credit. If there is any student in this class who has special needs because of a learning, physical or other disability, please contact Disability Support Services (200 Student Services Building) at 331-‐2490. Course Calendar 5/20 Wednesday Superheroes—Watchmen Moore, Watchmen (D) Avengers: Comment Justice League: Analysis X-‐Men: Graphic Response 5/4 Monday Introductions Course introduction Project descriptions In class: Robot Dreams by Sarah Varon 5/6 Wednesday Origins—Eisner and The Golden Age Eisner, Spirit, Issues 1-‐2 (D) Wertham, from Seduction of the Innocents, Ch.1-‐2 (online) One crime comic issue from Digital Comic Museum or Comic Book Plus (online) Blog Avengers: Analysis Justice League: Graphic Response X-‐Men: Comment 5/11 Monday Origins—Eisner as Critic and Creator Eisner, Comics and Sequential Art (D) Eisner, A Contract with God (D) Blog Avengers: Comment Justice League: Analysis X-‐Men: Graphic Response 5/13 Wednesday Superheroes—Black Orchid Superheroes Black Orchid (original) (D) Gaiman, Black Orchid Blog Avengers: Graphic Response Justice League: Comment X-‐Men: Analysis 5/18 Monday Superheroes—Batman Miller, The Dark Knight Returns (D) McCloud, Understanding Comics Blog Avengers: Analysis Justice League: Graphic Response X-‐Men: Comment Memorial Day Recess 5/27 Wednesday Graphic Memoir—Fun Home Bechdel, Fun Home Avengers: Graphic Response Justice League: Comment X-‐Men: Analysis 6/1 Monday Graphic Memoir—Blankets Thompson, Blankets Blog Avengers: Analysis Justice League: Graphic Response X-‐Men: Comment 6/3 Wednesday Noir—Scalped Scalped (V.1) by Jason Aaron and R.M. Guera Blog Avengers: Comment Justice League: Analysis X-‐Men: Graphic Response 6/8 Monday Manga and Anime A Distant Neighborhood by Jiro Taniguchi Blog Avengers: Graphic Response Justice League: Comment X-‐Men: Analysis 6/10 Wednesday Exam (note the special early time) Blog Responses (40%) During this shortened spring term, you will post nine times to our course blog (http://comics360.wordpress.com). Of these nine posts, three will be original analysis of course materials; three will be multi-‐paneled graphic responses; and three will be comments about a classmate’s analysis or graphic response. To receive full credit, your post must be completed before the start of class. This is individual, not group writing, but for convenience, you have been sorted into three groups: Blog Groups Avengers—Alarabi, Brunke, Butler, Clay, Conner, Crison, Darr, and Dawes Justice League—DeVries, Geurink, Hughes, Kue, Nicks, Niebor, and Sawin X-‐Men—Schweitzer, Talundzic, Wallace, Westdale, Williams, Wilson, and Wylie-‐Gruen Analysis (500 words) Choose one page from the reading. Take a screen capture or cell phone picture of the page and use it for the feature image of your post. Then analyze the page, drawing on critical terms from Understanding Comics and Comics and Sequential Arts and applying them to the page. Your response might focus on: • Formal elements such as frames, gutters, line, color, perspective. One strategy to explain how these formal elements contribute to or undermine the meaning the author/illustrator is conveying. Another strategy is to ask, “What can the comics medium do that a traditional print work cannot?” • Representation issues. Examining how race, class, or gender is depicted in the work. Please title your blog posts as follows: Smith, Analysis One. When you post, use the appropriate category to keep things straight. You can add your own tags to each post and use an avatar to add a personal touch. Graphic Response (At least 3 panels) Use an online tool like Toondoo (Toondoo.com) or Pixton (Pixton.com) to create a short comic strip that discusses a key element of the reading for the day. Yours might look something like this: Project Descriptions Comment (300 words) A comment is a direct, specific response to an analysis or graphic response. It offers constructive criticism, furthers the conversation, and helps to build class community. My own comments on the blog will be limited, so you are responsible for keeping the discussion alive. Final Exam (40%) The final exam will consist of short answer and essay. The short answer will be drawn from the critical comic vocabulary we develop this semester, and the essay will ask you to analyze representative pages from the course readings. More details will follow. Participation (20%) This class depends on your participation input. Being active in large and small group discussions will boost your overall performance in the class.