Comic Books and Graphic Novels
Offered By: University of Colorado Boulder via Coursera
Course Description
Overview
“Comic Books and Graphic Novels” presents a survey of the history of American comics and a review of major graphic novels circulating in the U. S. today. It is focused on three main points. First, it argues that as comics develop in concert with, and participate in literary culture, they should be considered literature. Second, it reasons that such a designation forces us to redefine our concept of literature itself. Finally, it explores this transformative literary world by arguing that comics have much to teach us about ourselves.
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Syllabus
Comic Books and Graphic Novels
Professor William Kuskin
University of Colorado Boulder
This is the final schedule. A final syllabus will be available when the course opens.
SCHEDULE
WEEK ONE: WELCOME TO THE COURSE(RA)
Video 1: Welcome to the Course
Video 2: The Syllabus (Overview)Video 3: The Syllabus (Logistics)
Video 4: What is a Comic?
Video 5: Teaching Comics (w/Barry Barrows)
Video 6: Collecting (w/Jim Vacca)
WEEK TWO: TERMS AND CONDITIONS
Lecture 1a: Reading the Grid
Lecture 1b: Two Comics Masters
Lecture 2a: The Golden Age
Lecture 2b: Golden Age Master
Lecture 2c: Gender in the Golden Age
Lecture 3a: The Virulent Art
Lecture 3b: The Possibilities of Change
WEEK THREE: CRASH AND REBIRTH
Lecture 4a: Big Brother Steps In
Lecture 4b: The Comics Code Authority
Video 7: Fredric Wertham and the Atomic Age (w/Jim Vacca)
Lecture 5a: The Silver Ages Rises
Lecture 5b: Silver Age Master
Lecture 6a: Underground Comix
Lecture 6b: Black and White
Video 8: Comics Economics (w/Wayne Winsett)
WEEK FOUR: PATERNITY AND CREATIVITY
Lecture 7a: The Death of the Father
Lecture 7b: The Birth of the Children
Lecture
8: Art Spiegelman’s Maus
a: An American Artist
b: How to Read a
Book 9: Alison Bechdel’s Fun Home
a: Finding Yourself in a Book
b: What Defines Art
WEEK FIVE: GENRE
Lecture 10:
Frank Miller’s Dark Knight Returns
a: Innovation and Originality
b: The Rules of Genre
c: Who is The Batman?
Lecture 11: Warren Ellis and John Cassady's Planetary
a: The Possibilities of Genre
b: The Limits of the Page
Lecture 12: Neil Gaiman, Bill Willingham, Brian K. Vaughan, Fiona Stables, and the Vernacular Canon of Fantasy
WEEK SIX: MEDIA
Lecture 13: Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons’ Watchmen
a: The Media
b: The Poetics of the Page
c: Graphia
Lecture 14: Joe Sacco’s Palestine
a: Faces Tell Stories
b: Dead Ends
Lecture 15: Mark Millar and Bryan Hitch’s The Ultimates
a: War Machine
b: Star Power
WEEK SEVEN: CONCLUSION
Lecture 16: Chris Ware's Jimmy Corrigan and Building Stories
a: The Aesthetics of Loneliness
b: The Book of Honesty
Lecture 17: Comics Energy
Video 8: The Community of Comics (w/Chris Angel)
Taught by
William Kuskin
Tags
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