EXP-0013-F: INTRODUCTION TO COMICS & GRAPHIC NOVELS Monday, 6:00-8:30PM Eaton Hall Room 203

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1 EXP-0013-F: INTRODUCTION TO COMICS & GRAPHIC NOVELS Monday, 6:00-8:30PM Eaton Hall Room 203 Dr. Nhora Lucía Serrano Office Hours: Mondays 4:30pm 5:30pm (Tower Café in Tisch Library) & By Appointment DESCRIPTION: What is this popular visual medium that is referred to as the "graphic novel"? While the term 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 did NOT pertain to superheroes. This course is an introductory study of comics and graphic novels, one that emphasizes visual narrative storytelling as well as the political, social, and visual trends that have shaped the powerful creative industry of comics. This class reinforces the fact that sequential art describes a sophisticated and complex medium that bears close affinities with art, film, and literature. Students will critically evaluate how literary value is defined and accorded to artistic works and what unique poetic attributes are incorporated into comic books and graphic novels. Ultimately, this course also aims to engage students actively in this somewhat new academic medium via a visual studies approach. Cross-Listed w/media Studies Statement of Expected LEARNING OUTCOMES for this Course: Students will develop skills in Visual Studies analysis through the broad sampling of comics and graphic novels. Individual readings & other cultural materials will be analyzed, explored and discussed from numerous perspectives. The successful student will: 1. Demonstrate an understanding of the unique poetics of comic books/graphic novels and how that poetics differs from other media, such as prose and film. 2. Analyze representative works to interpret their styles, themes, and audience expectations. 3. Demonstrate knowledge of the history and development of the art form. 4. Identify important historical, cultural, and economic factors that have influenced comic book writers/artists. 5. Think critically about how literary value is defined and accorded to artistic works. (adapted from the National Association of Comics Arts Educators web-site). 6. Be encouraged to develop her or his own voice in writing and visual mediums. REQUIRED Texts (Available at Tufts Bookstore, local Comics Bookstore, or amazon.com): Hergé s Tintin Vol. 1 (Tintin in America/Cigars of the Pharaoh/The Blue Lotus) Osamu Tezuka s The Mysterious Underground Men Alan Moore & Eddie Campbell s From Hell Charles Burns Black Hole Frank Miller, K. Janson & Lynn Varley s The Dark Knight Returns Mark Millar & Dave Johnson s Superman: Red Son Steve Darnall & Alex Ross s Uncle Sam Lila Quintero Weaver s Darkroom: A Memoir in Black and White Art Spiegelman s Maus I and II Chris Ware s Jimmy Corrigan: The Smartest Kid on Earth 1

2 REQUIRED ASSIGNMENTS & GRADE DISTRIBUTION 1). Graphic Storytelling Participation 15% 2). Webpage/Course Blog Page 20% 3). DIY Comic #1 (due: Mon. Oct. 20 th beginning of class) 15% 4). DIY Comic #2 (due: Mon. Dec. 8 th beginning of class) 20% 5). Group Presentation 15% 6.). Final Paper (due: Mon. Dec. 15 th at noon) 15% COURSE REQUIREMENTS Students are expected to be in regular attendance and have completed the required reading assignment on schedule. Since learning is an active and collaborative process, in order for you to successfully complete this course you need to do the readings before the class so that we can have a meaningful discussion of the material. Your participation is crucial to the success of this class. There is no such thing as extra credit, and students will not be allowed to rewrite/redo an assignment for a higher grade. In addition to attendance & reading, students also have to complete the following: Assignments: 1). Graphic Storytelling Participation (15%) Each class consists of discussions based on the assigned readings. These will consist of the close readings as well as the integration and application of the critical readings found in the course packet. Classroom participation is an integral part of this class and for this reason, it is expected that each student come to class prepared. Everyone should bring comments and questions to class in order to contribute positively to the discussion. At times, we will begin the class in small groups in order to stimulate discussion. Another important aspect is the in-class writing/creative exercises. These exercises will be given throughout class and will not be announced in advance. The objective is to help students develop interdisciplinary writing and analytical skills of comics/graphic novels while also ensuring an understanding of the theoretical and cultural texts being read. I encourage all of you to participate I welcome all of your ideas and questions. PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CELL PHONES. If your cell phone rings, please feel free to bring a chocolate treat for everyone in class next time. J ***NOTA BENE: If you arrive to class more than minutes late, it will be counted as an absence. Repeated late attendance will greatly affect your grade. Keep in mind that attendance and class participation will count in formulating the final grade. 2). Webpage/Course Blog Page (20%) Course Blog: General Info: The above web address is our course blog. The site acts as an anticipation and continuation of class discussions. Students are responsible for posting reflections and responses to assigned readings (i.e. assigned comics/graphic novels, other primary and supplemental readings found on Tufts TRUNK ). 2

3 While students may share their thoughts on an interesting resource with fellow classmates, the emphasis of these posts should be on the quality of thought-provoking discussion and dialogue. These on-line discussions will serve to amplify in-class discussions; therefore, students should both post contributions and read your classmates contributions on a given text BEFORE coming to class. This reading and writing is part of the ongoing homework, just like reading the books that will be part of this class s workload. I would also like for you to consider this site as a space where you are welcome to share any and all thoughts on the works we are reading, on works you wish we could read, on multimedia representations of comics and/or graphic novels, images, or on the subject(s) of class discussion, etc. This is a site on which your voice creates original content (no plagiarism!). ** During the first week in class, I will gather your addresses. Then, I will be inviting you to be an author of this google website. It is your responsibility to accept this invitation. Assignment posts: * Students are all responsible for 10 posts in total: at least five (5) original comments, and at least five (5) replies that responds to a review by one of your peers. Each post (original and response) must be a minimum of 130 words each. *** Notate Bene *** The week s post is due no later than the Sunday of the assigned week (For example, on Monday, Sept. 22 nd, we will be discussing Hergé s Tintin. Your original post/response comment on Tintin is due by early evening Sunday, Sept. 21 st in order for it to be on time). Your five (5) original comments must be on different comics and graphic novels they cannot all be on the same one. Also, your five (5) responses must be on different comics and graphic novels they cannot all be on the same one. You are welcome to write on all of the comics and graphic novels, but it is not required. It is your choice to select the texts you to which will write and respond. Doing all of your posts during the last week of the semester, or late, does not meet the requirements listed above and will result in a much lower grade. 3). DIY Comic #1 (15%) [ panels + SPLASH PAGE] (due: Mon. Oct. 20 th beginning of class) This is the practicum component to this course on Comics and Graphic Novels. You DO NOT need to be artist. This assignment is meant for you to interrogate the genre in a hands- on manner. This assignment should be fun! Stick figures are permitted. PROMPT: You will create (write AND draw) your own original comic [ panels PLUS (1) one splash page]. It can be an adaptation of any literary text, drawn from real--- life, or completely fictional the genre is open. It cannot be an interpretation of an already-made comic, comic book hero, etc. Some thoughts to keep in mind as you tackle your comic: 1). Some would say that in comics, the realism or stellar artistic quality of a drawing is nowhere near as important as its ability to convey information. So don t worry if you re drawing stick figures or have never drawn before. Story is key. 3

4 2). Comics is a language (one that we will discuss throughout the semester), and as in writing, it s good to have neat handwriting. That being said, however, you don t need to know calligraphy. 3). There are many successful comic artists out there who are in fact NOT good artists. What they do understand is that ultimately a comic is greater than the sum of its parts individual drawings are not as important as their combination with other drawings and with text to tell a story. 4). Your aim, ultimately, is some kind of story, a narrative. The narrative can take many forms, but one of its central functions is that it gives the impression of time passing or of actions happening. After all, at the most basic level, comics tell stories by creating a sense of movement and of time passing within each drawing. *** A Template of a comics grid can be located on TRUNK. *** *** Please feel free to set up an appointment with me, at any stage to discuss your ideas for the comic. I am here to help you succeed. 4). DIY Comic (20%) [ panels PLUS (2) two splash pages AND a cover ]. (due: Mon. Dec. 8 th beginning of class) PROMPT: You will create (write AND draw) your own comic [ panels PLUS (2) two splash pages AND a cover ]. There must be text. It can be an adaptation of any literary text, drawn from real--- life, or completely fictional. In other words, the genre is open. ***NOTATE BENE*** IT HAS TO BE A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT COMIC THAN THE ONE YOU DID EARLIER! IT MUST BE 8 X 11 IN SIZE (paper size minimum) IT MUST BE IN COLOR Please see above Some thoughts to keep in mind as you tackle your comic under DIY Comic #1 for more information. 5). Group Presentation (15%) Each student will be responsible to present in a group no larger than 3 persons (but at least 2 persons) on a primary text. The presentation should discuss the significance of the assigned reading for that day, in particular how text and image come into play for visual narrative storytelling. Students should also pay attention to the themes of the graphic novel and incorporate them into your analysis. This presentation done at the beginning of class should NOT exceed 30 minutes and should include an outline/handout that is distributed to the class, including a couple of open-ended discussion questions, which discusses your focus of the primary text. Remember, talk to your peers; do not read to your peers. Students are welcome, and even encouraged, to use powerpoint in their presentation. Please rubric below on how the group presentation will be graded. *** Students may include some aspect of the supplemental readings and/or other images in your presentation. However, the focus needs to be on the primary text and its text and image relationship. There will be a sign-up sheet passed around in class on Monday, September 15 th,

5 Nota Bene: Individual Presentation Response Paper: This brief response paper (one for each student NOT one per group) will provide students with an opportunity to discuss points from the in-class presentation. In this paper, you will bring close reading skills to bear as you demonstrate your proficiency in the most important skill in literature and the humanities analyzing a work s tone, diction, and visual imagery, along with its relevance to the rest of the work. This one - two-page typed, response paper (no more than 2 pages please) will be due no later than the following class period/week (one week later) after the presentation. Presentation Rubric: PART 1: Group Grade (70%) 1. Overall Presentation & Group Effort 2. Quality of Research & Informational Content 3. Handout PART 2: Individual Grade (30%) 1. Organization & Relevance of individual information presented 2. Individual Response Paper 6.). Final Paper (15%) (4-6 pages) (due: Mon. Dec. 15 th at noon in the ExCollege Office) All papers must be: 4-6 pages typed & stapled (you can print double-sided, or on the back of scrap paper) The minimum is 4 FULL PAGES, not 3½! Contain your name, date and course information (single space). Clearly listed in the upper right- hand corner of the first page. No ed papers Please title your paper (not the title of the books) Please use font that is no smaller than 11 point or no larger than 12 point (New Times Roman) Please do NOT use outside sources I am looking for your reading & interpretation of the texts. Quotes that are 3 lines or longer, please indent them and single-space them. There is no need for a bibliography page OR a cover page Please paginate! (number your pages) If you attach images, please put them at the end of your paper (they will not be counted towards the word page expectation). You are welcome to write on any two comics/graphic novels from this semester except the one you presented on. You cannot choose the comic/graphic novel from your presentation. WILL NOT accept late final papers PROMPT: Show and Tell : Considering the idea of closure from Scott McCloud s Understanding Comics, please discuss how closure happens in TWO of the primary comics/graphic novels we studied this semester. As you consider how closure occurs (and the type of closure it is) please keep in mind the ideology of the stories, i.e. what type of stories? What are their meanings? What are their similarities and differences? What kind of stories (genre) do they intend on being? How are they presented? Your analysis must include reference/analysis to the relationship between text and image. 5

6 Grading Criteria for this Course *** The following grading guideline is from the Tufts Bulletin *** A Superior work B Meritorious work C Work without marked merit or defect D Unsatisfactory work F Failure A: *** Dr. Serrano s Detailed Grading Criteria for Comics, Blog Posts, Papers *** Papers: A very, well-developed essay that analyzes clearly and thoroughly how the topics and themes identified from the question chosen are presented in the comics/graphic novels. Accurately discusses how literary language and visual devices are used in the comics/graphic novels to communicate the identified themes. Commentary is supported with specific textual references. Demonstrates insight; may show originality. Reader has no doubt that the student possesses a superior understanding of the literary text and the question. Blog Posts: A thoughtful, very, well-developed post that analyzes clearly and thoroughly how the topics and themes identified are presented in the week s comics/graphic novels. DIY Comics: A thoughtful, very, well-developed DIY comic that clearly and thoroughly presents a graphic narrative. Papers, Blog Posts, & DIY Comics: Infrequent, random error in grammatical structures; varied and accurate use of vocabulary and/or graphic narrative devices; control of conventions of the written language and/or graphic narrative; clean. B: Papers: A well-developed essay that analyzes how the themes identified from the question chosen are presented in the comics/graphic novels. Textual Analysis outweighs description and paraphrasing. Discusses how literary language and visual devices are used in the comics/graphic novels to communicate the identified themes. Commentary is supported with specific textual references. Blog Posts: A well-developed post that analyzes how the themes identified from the question chosen are presented in the comics/graphic novels. DIY Comics: A well-developed DIY comic that presents a graphic narrative. Papers, Blog Posts, & DIY Comics: Some error in grammatical structures, however these do not detract from the overall readability of the paper/comic/blog post; appropriate use of vocabulary and/or graphic narrative devices; conventions of the written language and/or graphic narrative are generally correct. C: Papers: Description and paraphrasing WAY outweigh textual analysis. Student somewhat understands the question and the comics/graphic novels but the paper is not well-focused or developed. Erroneous and/or repetitive statements may intrude and weaken the overall quality of the paper. Requires significant inferences because the response is not always explicit. Blog Posts: Description and paraphrasing WAY outweigh textual analysis. DIY Comics: Does not present a developed graphic narrative. 6

7 Papers, Blog Posts, & DIY Comics: Frequent error in grammatical structures, and the paper/comic/blog post is somewhat comprehensible; Very Limited use of vocabulary; Has numerous errors in conventions of the written language (spelling, accents, punctuation, paragraphing, etc.) and/or graphic narrative. D: F: Papers, Blog Posts, & DIY Comics: Paper/comic/blog post is chaotic, confused, incorrect. Reader is left with the certainty that the student has not understood the assignment. Constant grammatical errors render comprehension difficult. Insufficient vocabulary and control of the conventions of the written language and/or graphic narrative. Papers, Blog Posts, & DIY Comics: Response is so brief or so poorly written as to be meaningless. Response does not respond at all to the prompt AND/OR the comics/graphic novels. Unintelligible. Insufficient vocabulary and control of the conventions of the written language and/or graphic narrative. More Course Information Students with Disabilities: If you have a disability for which you may require accommodation in class, please contact the staff of Disability Services, (617) or Furthermore, if you have a diagnosed disability which may affect your performance in class, please let me know as soon as possible so that suitable arrangements can be made. Academic Misconduct: Students are expected to follow all University guidelines pertaining to academic misconduct. Students caught cheating (plagiarism) will be dealt with in accordance with University rules and regulations. Remember: Plagiarism, or the use of another s words and/or ideas as your own (this includes from a website or a peer), is a form of theft and should be avoided it is a serious academic offense. Plagiarism involves two kinds of wrongs. Using another person s ideas, information, or expressions without acknowledging that person s work constitutes intellectual theft. Passing off another person s ideas, information, or expressions as your own to get a better grade or gain some other advantage constitutes fraud from: MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers. Ed. Joseph Gibaldi (6 th Ed.) The use of computers INSIDE the classroom: I know that some of you prefer to use your laptops to take notes in class this is OKAY. However, PLEASE do NOT use your computers to check facebook, update your facebook status, read blogs, check sports scores, message other people, send s, i.e. for anything else that is NOT related to class note-taking. Thank you. Late Papers/Make-Ups: Make sure your assignments are ready on the day they are due. In class-assignments cannot be made up. Late presentation paper/diy Comics assignments will be penalized a full letter grade for every class period that they are late. [** exception: Final Papers will not be accepted late whatsoever]. 7

8 Course Calendar **subject to change ** Week #1: M 9/8 Week #2: M 9/15 Week #3: M 9/22 Week #4: M 9/29 Week #5: M 10/6 Week #6: M 10/13 Week #7: M 10/20 Week #8: M 10/27 Week #9: M 11/3 Week #10: M 11/10 Introduction: Origins of Comics PDF files (TRUNK): Comics by Toppfer, Outcault, Little Nemo, & Krazy Kat; and Handouts on Comics Terminology Comics Theory PDF files (TRUNK): Scott McCloud s Understanding Comics: The Invisible Art; Charles Hatfield s An Art of Tensions; and Alan Moore s Writing for Comics; and Frank King s Skeezix *** Sign-Up for Group Presentation *** Early Bande Dessinée Book: Hergé s Tintin Vol. 1 (Tintin in America/Cigars of the Pharaoh/The Blue Lotus) Group Presentation #1 Manga! Book: Osamu Tezuka s The Mysterious Underground Men and PDF files (TRUNK): Selection from Yoshihiro Tatsumi s Good-Bye Group Presentation #2 Comics Code Authority: Crime & Suspense Book: Alan Moore & Eddie Campbell s From Hell PDF files (TRUNK): EC Archives Crime & Suspense Group Presentation #3 Columbus Day (University Holiday) ***No Classes*** Comics Code Authority: Oh, the Horror! Book: Charles Burns Black Hole PDF files (TRUNK): EC Archives Tales from the Crypt Group Presentation #4 DIY Comic #1 Due Super-Heroic Book: Frank Miller, K. Janson & Lynn Varley s The Dark Knight Returns PDF files (TRUNK): Original Batman Comics Group Presentation #5 Anti-Heroic Book: Mark Millar & Dave Johnson s Superman: Red Son PDF files (TRUNK): Original Superman Comics Group Presentation #6 Icons & Political History Book: Steve Darnall & Alex Ross s Uncle Sam Group Presentation #7 PDF files (TRUNK): Original Uncle Sam Comics 8

9 Week #11: M 11/17 Week #12: M 11/24 Week #13: M 12/1 Week #14: M 12/8 Memory & History Book: Art Spiegelman s Maus I and II Group Presentation #8 Race, Gender & History Book: Lila Quintero Weaver s Darkroom: A Memoir in Black and White Group Presentation #9 Identity, Realism, & Acts of Readings Book: Chris Ware s Jimmy Corrigan: The Smartest Kid on Earth Group Presentation #10 Wrap-Up: Comics Gallery & Movie Class Movie: TBA DIY Comic #2 Due FINAL PAPER: Mon. Dec. 15 th at noon in the ExCollege Office FINAL WORDS: Please do not hesitate to talk with me if you have any questions or concerns throughout the semester. We will be reading lots of interesting comics/graphic novels this semester. Remember to enjoy and have fun! I look forward to our discussion, creative exercises, and your comics this semester! 9