To develop an understanding of a range of texts within the tradition of comics, pictorial narrative and graphic literature.

To develop a sense of the possible relationships between visual and verbal exposition and narrative form.

To develop an understanding of the cultural, intellectual and historical contexts of comics and graphic literature.

To develop an understanding of the cultural, intellectual and historical contexts of comics and graphic literature.

(LO1) An enhanced sense of the range of the expressive possibilities of grahpic literature.

(LO2) An understanding of various literary and artistic techniques.

(LO3) Enhanced reading skills in relation to verbal and visual modes of narrative, and the relationships between the two.     

(LO4) An enhanced knowledge and understanding of the cultural and historical contexts in which graphic literature developed.

(S1) Improving own learning/performance - Reflective practice

(S2) Communication (oral, written and visual) - Presentation skills - written

(S3) Time and project management - Personal organisation

(S4) Critical thinking and problem solving - Critical analysis

(S5) Information skills - Critical reading

(S6) Research skills - Awareness of /commitment to academic integrity

(S7) Personal attributes and qualities - Initiative

Comics really begin with the growth in print culture, so we’ll start with Francis Barlow, whose two-page comic, A True Narrative of the Horrid Hellish Popish Plot, was published in c.1682, before going on to Hogarth, Blake, and Rodolphe Töpffer – often claimed as the ‘father’ of modern comics – in the 1830s and 40s. From there we’ll move into the 20th Century to look at range of material from the surreal (Herriman’s Krazy Kat ) to the everyday (Schulz’z Peanuts ); the heroic (various DC and Marvel superheroes) to the counter-cultural (Crumb and comix); european bandes dessinées (Tintin) and Japanese Manga, to postmodern mash-ups (Miller’s Dark Knight, and Posy Simmonds’ update of Far from the Madding Crowd ); as well as looking at the growth in comics as a medium for life-writing (from Eisner and Spiegelman to Satrapi and Bechdel), and reportage (Sacco); and the increasing popularity of adaptation of tra ditional literary texts to graphic versions. Topics covered may include: Origins – Hogarth, Blake, Barlow, Gilray; Sequential Art – Töpffer; Funny pages – Herriman and Schultz; Superheroes – the multiverses of Marvel and DC Comics; Bandes dessinées – Hergé's Tintin; Manga; Counter-culture – Crumb and comix; Tragi-comics – Eisner and Spiegelmann, Sacco, Satrapi and Bechdel; Lonely boys – Clowes and Ware; Postmodernism – Dark Knights, Steampunk and other mash-ups; Adaptation – Auster, Bradbury, and T.S. Eliot in noir.

Teaching Method 1 - Lecture
Description:
Attendance Recorded: Not yet decided
Notes: Lectures introduce students to general formal and technical considerations, the history and formal features of comics and other pictorial narratives, and the work of particular comics creators.

Teaching Method 2 - Seminar
Description:
Attendance Recorded: Yes
Notes: Seminars focus on particular texts and allow for further discussion.