Dr. Wayne Stein May Intersession : Taught 1999 and 2000

The Graphic Novel: A Cultural Study

ENG 4963 : Teaching Comic Books and Beyond As Art

It starts with love . . .

I forgot I taught this class, some 26 years ago. I just found the syllabus.

“In reality, childhood is deep and rich. It’s vital, mysterious, and profound. I remember my OWN childhood vividly; I knew terrible things, but I knew I mustn’t let the adults know I knew… it would scare them.” ― Art Spiegelman

Indeed, I am so happy that I was allowed to teach what I wanted to teach.

English is my second language, and I grew up in Asia, speaking Korea.

Therefore, when we moved to America, I learned to read English by reading comic books.

My sister had to yell at our mother one day to stop speaking Korean to us so we can learn English.

Photo by Tim Mossholder on Unsplash

Course Objectives

The objective of this course is the examination of the grpahic novel as a work of literature. The graphic novel has come of age and have bven awarded a Pulitzer Prize (Maus , 1992).

The purpose is to learn to appreaciate this new form on a deeper level as a reflective sign of our culture, mores and ourselves.

These novels examine some of the most important issues or our day: from surviving the holocaust and growing up gay to corruption in politics. We will also examine works by artists to predated the graphic novel.

Introduction to the Course

Having evolved from comics especially the American underground comics of the sixties and the seventies, the graphic novel has matured and become a new art form during the eighties and the nineties.

Themes: Books and Manga

Scott, M Cloud. “Understanding Comics”

Defining the Sixties

Crumb, Robert, “The Complete Crumb, Volumes 1–4”

Hispanic Experience

Hernandes Brothers. “Love and Rockets.”

The Holocaust

Spiegelman, Art, “Maus” Vol 1 and 2

Maus, the book, is Banned

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Atomic Bomb: Hiroshima

Nakazawa, Keiji. “Barefoot Gen: The Day After”

Growing Up Gay in the South

Cruse, Howard. “Stuck Rubber Baby”

The Average American Life

Pekar, Harvy. “American Splendor”

Clowes, Daniel. “Ghost World”

Dealing with Relationships

Doucet, Juliet. “My New York Diary”

Overview of the Course

First, students will have a brief introduction to the history of comics. Second, studenrs will examine works by artists who predated the modern graphic novel. Third, in order to gain a theoretical understanding of the new art form, students will compare graphics novels to paintings, drawings, theatre, film and finally literature.

Finally and most importantly, students will spend most of the time reading and discussing the actual graphic novels themselves.

Thank you for reading. . . . Read more to be more. .

It starts with love . . . Love everyone. . Stop the wars

Photo by Markus Spiske on Unsplash