Peru State College ENGLISH 360, COMICS AS LITERATURE Syllabus--Fall--2015

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1 Peru State College ENGLISH 360, COMICS AS LITERATURE Syllabus--Fall Course: Comics as Literature: Graphic Novel, English 360 Time: 9:30-10:45, MW Room: FA 201 Professor: Bill Clemente Office: FA 137 Office Hours: 12:00-2:30 MW; 12:00-2:30 p.m. Tuesday and Thursday; 11:00-1:00 p.m. Friday. I am around a lot, so just drop by. Facebook: Feel free to send me a message on Facebook. bclemente@peru.edu; (I check frequently and will get back to you as quickly as possible.) Teaching Schedule: Comics as Literature: 9:30-10:45 MW (FA 205) History of the English Language: 8:00-9:15 FA 201 Creative Writing (On Line, first eight weeks) Conversational Spanish 9:30-10:45 TuTh (Hoyt 105) Web page: Click here. And then click on "Bill's Personal Web Page" Please pay close attention to class announcements, for the information collected here is subject to change over the course of the term. Required Texts: Pyongyang: A Journey in North Korea by Guy Delisle Palestine by Joe Sacco Watchmen by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons. Fun Home by Allison Bechdel Maus: A Survivor s Tale (Volumes One and Two) by Art Spiegelman

2 Black Hole, Charles Burns Unterzakhn by Coman Power of Comics by Randy Duncan and Matthew J. Smith You will find at the conclusion of this document links to download the syllabus as either a Word or a PDF document. Course Description and Objectives: This course studies the increasingly popular genre that bears affinities with Literature, Film, and Art. As the reading list indicates, students will become very familiar with a variety of Graphic Novel or Long-Form Comics, from stories about action heroes to a look at the political situation in North Korea. An important aspect of the class concerns definitions; for although Graphic Novels claim some affinities with novels, none of the books we will read this term is a traditional novel. The texts chosen for the class, however, address themes and conflicts familiar to novel readers, from the quest for identity, Fun Home, to the struggle to survive in a war-torn environment, Palestine. As Douglas Walk writes in Reading Comics (De Capo P, MA: 61) about the definition of this compelling medium, The cheap way of referring to them is comics or comic books ; the fancy way is graphic novels (or graphic narratives or sequential art ). The critical text, Understanding Comics by Scott McCloud, will aid in our discussing and coming to terms with the slippery terminology and our learning to appreciate this graphic medium s sophistication. And The Power of Comics will provide a history of comics and many other areas of special interest for our readings this term. While the combination graphic novel has floated around since the 60s, the influential Will Eisner popularized the term with his publication in 1978 of A Contract with God, which is not a novel, but whichfeatures four separate narrative strands and these thematically connected stories do not concern Super Heroes. Only one of the works on the reading list Watchman features characters and subject matter commonly associated with comic books, which many incorrectly view as light weight, crude, and far from respectable. Erasing these common prejudices against comic books and graphic narratives, this class reinforces the fact that sequential art describes a sophisticated and complex medium that bears close affinities with art, film, and literature to underscore these relationships, the class features several films, including American Splendor, Watchman, Barefoot Gen, Waltz with Bashir, and Ghost in the Shell. Graphic novels such as the three listed in the preceding paragraph also appear deceptively simple, but each work possesses a complex verbal and visual syntax students will come to appreciate. The increasingly popular medium of expression has explored over the last thirty years an impressive landscape, as the reading list indicates, Pyongyang: A Journey in North Korea

3 by Guy Delisle will take readers to one of the most enigmatic countries in the world, and Palestine by Joe Sacco introduces readers to the still explosive world of the Middle east.. And Fun Home explores aspects of the private lives of what seems at first glance an ordinary American family. Another critically acclaimed work will transport students to the strange world of Black Hole by Charles Burns in many ways the most disturbing of the long-form comics on this term's reading list. The class concludes with the two-volume Maus, a Survivor s Tale by Art Spiegelman, which the Wall Street Journal describes as The most affecting and successful narrative ever done about the Holocaust. Indeed, Spiegelman s comic book about survival in a NAZI concentration camp won many awards, including a Special Pulitzer Prize because the work did not fit in any of the traditional categories the award honors. By the conclusion of the course, students will have an informed appreciation for why Maus garnered so much attention. They will also better understand the graphic novel s flexibility and complexity. Other Goals and Objectives: The course seeks, among other things, to make students better readers of all literature. The Graphic Novel course also requires students to write critical essays and will help them improve critical-thinking and composition skills. This literature likewise connects with issues at the center of global concerns, from questions about our country s involvement in political issues throughout the world, from our dealings with both Serbia and Iran to the manner in which events that took place during the Second World War continue to affect us. Thus, the Graphic Novel course also reinforces the college's mission to graduate informed citizens. Upon completion of this course, you should be able to: 1. Appreciate the rich diversity of comics. 2. Discuss the sophisticated techniques of sequential art. 3. Continue reading and research with confidence in this increasingly popular medium of expression. 4. Understand how comics relate to other mediums, from novels to films. 5. Talk clearly and critically about the issues addressed in each of the titles examined in class. Assessment Methods and Student Requirements Grades: Your grade will be based upon the following (subject-to-change) percentages and descriptions: Attendance: 10% Quizzes: 20 Two Essays/Projects: 30% Midterm Examination: 20 Final Exam: 20 Grading Policy: A B B C

4 C D D F Below 60 Attendance: Come to class prepared to take part in discussions, for they will help you generate ideas for your essays on the exams and for short writing assignments. Failing to attend class on a regular basis will hinder your progress. If you must miss class, contact me or a member of the class to get the assignment; all assignments will be posted on the class web page and on Blackboard Attendance counts for 10% of the final grade, and each of you begins the semester with a grade of A, 100%, for attendance. Not attending class lowers this grade at the rate of 5% for the first two absences and 10% for each subsequent non-attendance. Comics as Literature is a discussion class, so come to class prepared to talk about the matter at hand and to enjoy interacting with your fellow readers. Essays: Over the course of the semester, you will also write two short--2.5 to 3 doublespaced--critical essays over class material. These assignments will offer you choices, and you will have an opportunity to revise these efforts. You will also have an opportunity to fulfill these assignments, including the blogs discussed next, by other means. The Power of Comics, for example, offers many stimulating possibilities. Blogs: This part of the class can replace one of the two essays and requires that each of you create and develop a class blog on Blogger.com; we will discuss the requirements in class, which will include your developing general ideas, discussing specific works and even pages in the context of class discussions--and at least once a week. You will be required to make regular contributions to your individual blog; you are also welcome to work with one other student on this project. But you must start soon on the blog. Class Blog: I created a blog--comics as Literature--for the class on which I will from time to time post videos and other material as the semester develops. Midterm and Final Examination: You will take these examinations on line; as a general rule, the examination comes in two parts, paragraph-long responses to short prompts and an essay. Quizzes: At notified times, you will take ten or more quizzes on line over the assigned readings. Revisions: For some written assignments (exceptions include the final examination), you will have an opportunity to revise work and to elevate the grade. Bear in mind, however, that a rewrite does not automatically raise the essay's grade. If the revised essay receives a higher mark than the original, the better grade goes into the book, replacing the earlier effort. A revision never lowers your grade.

5 ATTENTION: In general, revisions are due a week after the assignment is returned. Peer Evaluation: I might post some class work on the class web page to help all of you compose effective revisions. And fellow students will visit and comment on your blog for the class. Due Dates and Late Material: Turn in all work on assigned dates. If you must turn in something after the due date, let me know in advance. Turn in all written work using the appropriate links on Blackboard located in the "Assignments" link. Grades for unexcused late work will be lowered at the rate of one-half a grade for each day after the initial due date. Pleases turn in all work on time. College s Incomplete Coursework Policy: To designate a student s work in a course as incomplete at the end of a term, the instructor records the incomplete grade (I). Students may receive this grade only when serious illness, hardship, death in the immediate family, or military service during the semester in which they are registered prevents them from completing course requirements. In addition, to receive an incomplete, a student must have completed substantially all of the course s major requirements. Unless extenuating circumstances dictate otherwise, students must initiate requests for an incomplete by filling out an Incomplete Grade Completion Contract, which requires the signature of the student, instructor, and Dean. The Incomplete Grade Completion contract cites the reason(s) for the incomplete and details the specific obligations the student must meet to change the incomplete to a letter grade. The date by which the student agrees to complete required work must appear in the contract. The Dean, the instructor, and the student receive signed copies of the Incomplete Grade Completion Contract. Even if the student does not attend Peru State College, all incomplete course work must be finished by the end of the subsequent semester. Unless the appropriate Dean approves an extension and if the student does not fulfill contract obligations in the allotted time, the incomplete grade automatically becomes an F. College s Academic Integrity Policy: The College expects all students to conduct themselves in a manner that supports an honest assessment of student learning outcomes and the assignment of grades that appropriately reflect student performance. It is ultimately the student s responsibility to understand and comply with instructions regarding the completion of assignments, exams, and other academic activities. At a minimum, students should assume that at each assessment opportunity they are expected

6 to do their own original academic work and/or clearly acknowledge in an appropriate fashion the intellectual work of others, when such contributions are allowed. Students helping others to circumvent honest assessments of learning outcomes, or who fail to report instances of academic dishonesty, are also subject to the sanctions defined in this policy. Instances of academic dishonesty may be discovered in a variety of ways. Faculty members who assign written work ordinarily check citations for accuracy, run data base and online checks, and/or may simply recognize familiar passages that are not cited. They may observe students in the act of cheating or may become aware of instances of cheating from the statements of others. All persons who observe or otherwise know about instances of cheating are expected to report such instances to the proper instructor or Dean. In order to promote academic integrity, the College subscribes to an electronic service to review papers for the appropriate citations and originality. Key elements of submitted papers are stored electronically in a limited access database and thus become a permanent part of the material to which future submissions are compared. Submission of an application and continued enrollment signifies your permission for this use of your written work. Should an occurrence of academic misconduct occur, the faculty member may assign a failing grade for the assignment or a failing grade for the course. Each incident of academic misconduct should be reported to the Dean and the Vice President for Academic Affairs (VPAA). The VPAA may suspend for two semesters students found to be responsible for multiple instances of academic dishonesty. The reason for the suspension will be noted on the student s transcript. A faculty member need present only basic evidence of academic dishonesty. There is no requirement for proof of intent. Students are responsible for understanding these tenets of academic honesty and integrity. Students may appeal penalties for academic dishonesty using the process established for grades appeals. Title IX Compliance Notice Peru State is an equal opportunity institution. Peru State College does not discriminate against any student, employee or applicant on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, religion, or age in employment and education opportunities, including but not limited to admission decisions. The College has designated an individual to coordinate the College s nondiscrimination efforts to comply with regulations implementing Title VI, VII, IX, and Section 504. Inquiries regarding non-discrimination policies and practices may be directed to Eulanda Cade, Director of Human Resources, Title VI, VII, IX Compliance Coordinator, Peru State, PO Box 10, Peru, NE , (402)

7 The Power of Comics: History, Form, & Culture (12 Weeks) Watchman by Alan Moore and David Gibbons (3 Weeks) Black Hole (2 Weeks) Pyongyang: A Journey in North Korea by Guy Delisle (2 Weeks) Palestine by Joe Sacco(2 Weeks) Fun Home by Allison Bechdel (2 Weeks) Unterzakhn by Coman Maus: A Survivor s Tale (Volumes One and Two) by Art Spiegelman (Remaining Time) A more comprehensive schedule will be available on the class web page. And Finally: You grades will be posted on Blackboard, where you will also send, unless otherwise indicated, all written assignments, from essays to book reviews. Warning: If you utilize Microsoft Works, please save your documents in Rich Text Format (RTF), for this software does not work on Blackboard or on my computer. If you use the latest version of Microsoft, please save your work as an earlier version. For best results, send your documents in Word, using the appropriate link located on Blackboard in the Assignments link.