Course Introduction and Syllabus: History and Composition of Western Graphic Novels

Course Overview and Introduction

• Course Title: History and Composition of Western Graphic Novels.
• Session: Summer 1.
• Asynchronous Format: The course is conducted asynchronously. Students receive two recorded lectures every Monday via Pace OneDrive. Lectures are typically under two hours, though some may extend towards two and a half hours.
• Learning Objectives:
  • Introduction to the history and composition of Western graphic novels.
  • Examination of graphic novels as political propaganda, social commentary, and legitimate historical evidence.
  • Understanding the role of pop culture and why it was traditionally overlooked or treated with a "derogatory approach" in academia.
  • Analyzing major historical events influencing comics, including World War I, World War II, the Cold War, and the Vietnam War.
  • Studying artistic movements within the industry and their impact on style, theme, and storytelling.
• AOK and Credits:
  • Satisfies AOK 3 (recently added) and AOK 4.
  • The course is Writing Enhanced.
• Contemporary Artist Access: While initially planned as synchronous Zoom calls, the instructor plans to provide a recorded interview with Zach Snyder as a visiting lecturer experience.

Required Materials and Readings

• Purchase Policy: Students are not required to purchase any books. All materials are provided online through the course documents section.
• Required Texts: All readings consist of essays and book chapters provided digitally.
• Key Recommended Text: Understanding Comics by Scott McCloud.
  • Described as a "comic book about comics."
  • Considered an absolute classic that changes perspectives on the medium.
• Lecture Materials: All PowerPoints, lectures, and extra readings are available for students to access at their leisure.

Assignment and Assessment Structure

• Comics Analyses (3 Parts):
  • Originally two parts, now split into three to make the workload more manageable.
  • Each analysis is approximately $2$ to $3$ pages, double-spaced.
  • Students typically have about a week and a half for each assignment.
  • Assignments involve a series of questions that must be linked into a coherent short essay.
• Film Review:
  • Approximately $1$ to $1.5$ pages.
  • Focuses on a film based on an "underground" comic book rather than a mainstream one.
  • Requires the application of course theory to the film.
• Grading Scale: Follows the Pace grading system.
  • A- to A: $90 - 100$
  • B- to B+: $80 - 89$
• Research Obligations: While listed in the syllabus for "writing enhanced" requirements, the focus is on analysis of comics using course materials rather than external original research.
• Final Exam: There is no final exam for this course.

Theoretical Frameworks and Definitions

• Sequential Art: The technical definition of comics.
• The Conflict of Academic Art vs. Living Art:
  • William Hogarth: Kicked off sequential narrative art. Integrated political, moral, religious, and artistic views on British society into his work.
  • Rodolphe Töpffer: Criticized academic art as "static" and "flawless but lacking life." He advocated for art that feels alive and possesses "rhythm."
• Evolution of the Press: Cartoonists and writers became bound to popular tastes for sales, often sacrificing artistic creativity to meet consumer demand.
• Critique of Pop Culture: Based on a $1939$ critique by art critic Clement Greenberg, analyzing why academics historically viewed pop culture negatively.
• Genre Fatigue:
  • Traditionally, a genre's lifespan lasts approximately $25$ years.
  • In the contemporary era, this has shortened to approximately $15$ years.
  • Attributed to the oversaturation of the MCU (Marvel Cinematic Universe) and DC extended universes.
• The Industry Collapse (2021):
  • In $2021$, the entire US comic book industry was outsold by a single manga series: Demon Slayer.
  • Factors include COVID-19 (closing physical stores), lackluster writing, and the controversial insertion of identity politics and propaganda.
• Propaganda vs. Ideology:
  • Historical superheroes were often created with political agendas (e.g., Captain America vs. Nazism; Iron Man vs. Communism; Superman and the Great Depression).
  • Contrast between historical acceptance of propaganda and modern backlash against "identity politics."

Weekly Course Schedule

• Week 1: Foundations
  • William Hogarth and the birth of the British cartoon.
  • Artist Cruikshank and the evolution of the press.
• Week 2: Academic Critique and Style
  • Clement Greenberg’s $1939$ critique.
  • Style and theme in Western comics vs. Manga narrative approaches.
• Week 3: Politics and Religion
  • Punch Magazine: The longest-running political cartoon magazine ($1841 - 2002$). Famous for political predictions that were "never wrong."
  • Superheroes and Religion: Most original creators were Jewish; analysis of how Jewish and Christian elements are masked to avoid censorship.
• Week 4: The American Epic
  • Why superheroes are uniquely suited to the American outlook and rarely succeed in other cultures.
  • Comparisons between superhero story arcs and classical epics: Argonautica (Jason and the Argonauts), The Odyssey, The Iliad, The Mahabharata, and The Ramayana.
• Week 5: Underground Comics
  • Focus on the $1960s$, $70s$, and $80s$.
  • Themes of drugs and the "glorification of moral decay."
  • Completion of the Film Review.
• Week 6: The Modern Market
  • Analysis of Demon Slayer and the collapse of the US comic book industry.
• Week 7: Batman
  • History from the Wall Street Crash to $9/11$.
  • Reflection on American policy, economy, and social reform.
  • The Comics Code and its influence.
  • Distinction: Batman is noted as having no specific political leanings compared to other superheroes.

Administrative Policies

• Plagiarism: Results in an automatic F grade.
• Communication:
  • The instructor checks email 3-4 times daily.
  • Texting is permitted for "academic emergencies" only (not for physical emergencies like being mugged; those require calling $911$).
• Academic Support:
  • Pace Writing Center: Available for writing help (formerly located in E207 in the library; current contact via phone).
• Accommodations: Students with disabilities should contact the instructor for help.
• Flexibility: The instructor reserves the right to adjust the syllabus or rearrange weeks (e.g., swapping Week 3 and Week 4) based on the pace of the class.