Some Final Paper Resources, Part 3: Cultural Significance of Comics

For those of you interested in exploring the cultural significance of comics, there are many articles and discussions about how comics both mirrored and challenged the ideas of race, gender, and equality that were present throughout the 20th century and into the 21st. We discussed this a bit in class, and looked at how a comic like Lois Lane: Superman's Girlfriend tried to explore the issue of race and romance, or how the X-Men tried to embrace ethnic and sexual difference via the metaphor of mutants. Using the EBSCO search bar on our library's website, I found some great articles about superhero comics and gender, notably the one below, which shows how a specific comic, during its 20-year run, reflected the changing ideas of gender in the 20th century.

The article is entitled "Superman Believes That a Wife's Place is in the Home" by Michael Goodrum, and it's a more complicated discussion that you might think. While the comic book started out as pretty stereotypical, it graduated to tackling some heavier issues, especially since it wasn't strictly canonical, so whatever story lines the comic tackled didn't have to affect Superman's master narrative. You can find the article here: https://0-eds-p-ebscohost-com.library.ecok.edu/eds/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=12&sid=b506a6c7-5a02-4e2d-99b2-5ee5720cdb3c%40redis (you'll have to log into ECU if you're off campus). 

You can find a lot more like this if you search around, so if this doesn't work for you, keep looking! Good luck! 

Some Final Paper Resources, Part 2: The Ethics of Superheroes

Another resource for those of you planning to tackle Option #1, The Ethics of Superheroes. One of the biggest ideas to consider in these comics is how far can a superhero toe the line between heroism and villainy? Can a superhero kill, even in the case of a dangerous psychopath like The Joker? These arguments really come to the fore in Moore/Bolland's infamous comic, The Killing Joke, which is all about the ethics of the superhero genre. However much it might cross the line in other regards, most people believe that it maintains the classic Batman who refuses to kill The Joker even after he commits the most horrific acts.

And yet, an article that I found via Wikipedia's entry on The Killing Joke in the bibliography might put an interesting spin on this interpretation. Entitled, "On Interpreting The Killing Joke's Ending (and Authorial Intent) it suggest that Batman does kill the Joker, and offers a very compelling reading of the images to prove it. You can read the article here, and it might challenge your conception of the superhero genre: On Interpreting The Killing Joke’s Ending (and Authorial Intent) | Sequart Organization (archive.org)

There are many great articles in the biblography of this Wikipedia page, and in general, the links in Wikipedia are a great way to do research--especially for comics, since sometimes articles on specific works/authors can be tricky to find. Good luck! 

Some Final Paper Resources, Part 1: Using Graphic Novels in the Classroom

For those of you interested in Option #3 on the Final Paper (see assignment in the post below), the Comic Book League Defense Fund website (cbldf.org) has numerous resources to help you consider the literary and artistic merits of graphic novels. Here's a link to their page which consists of several 'case studies' of particular graphic novels that can work well in the classroom: http://cbldf.org/using-graphic-novels/

This list features many comics that are not, strictly speaking, superhero comics, though there is one big exception: Ms. Marvel by G. Willow Wilson, which features one of Marvel's first female Muslim superheroes. It's a great series that avoids political grandstanding for a strong story and an engaging character that has become very popular in the Marvel universe (and will be in a Marvel film before long!). Here's a link to that particular essay: http://cbldf.org/2015/04/using-graphic-novels-in-education-ms-marvel/

There are also other links on the site about comics censorship, banned books, and guides to starting a graphic novel collection in your classroom. You'll find more than you possibly need here to engage with the ever-expanding conversation on comics in the classroom! 

Monday Recap (Monstress)

REMEMBER that the Short Paper and Presentation are both due Tomorrow (Tuesday)! The paper isn't due until 5pm, but the presentation is either due in class or on the Flipgrid site by class time. I'm happy to play the Flipgrid presentation for the class if you don't mind, but if you would rather only me see it, just let me know. 

In today's class, we discussed what made Monstress, a comic from Image Comics, different from the works we read by Marvel and DC. One of the most obvious aspects was that the comic features almost solely women, and almost all are depicted as Asian, even though it takes place in a fantasy universe. This reflects the author's own struggle to self-identify through her fiction, as she explains in a recent interview:

"I grew up loving epic fantasies, and almost all of them were written by white men. With white, mostly male, casts. When you’re a kid, you don’t always think about what that means, but you do as you get older. I was deeply immersed in Chinese culture in my community and my family growing up, so how come when I was writing fiction as a kid, all my stories were about white people? Even though my personal life was incredibly diverse, my imaginary life was very white.”

The book also reminds us that superheroes (or comics, for that matter) are not a genre unto themselves. Rather, they are an approach that leads to many different possible genres: fantasy, science fiction, action-adventure, horror, romance, etc. Monstress uses typical world building and tropes from fantasy novels, as people familiar with Lord of the Rings, Game of Thrones, and others will recognize. What makes the comic unique is how it expresses the familiar characters and tropes through the medium of comics, and how this challenges and expands our perceptions of the genre.  

After the break, we also looked at the historical representations of race and diversity in comics--or rather, the utter lack of it. Initially, racial minorities were always employed as villains: the Japanese in WWII, and later, the Chinese as evil communists (both Captain America and Wonder Women fought them). African Americans were depicted as humorous, buffoonish caricatures, and were often depicted in blackface (a white person wearing black makeup), since this was part of many white comedians' routines. By the late 60's, however, comics were starting to realize that many of their money came from urban readers who were not white Americans. 

To appeal to these readers, Marvel especially created lines of comics featuring diverse protagonists such as Falcon, Black Panther, and Shang-Chi. Though they relied heavily on stereotypes even here ("The Fortune Cookie Spells Death!"), it was at least a way to allow minorities to see themselves mirrored, at last, in their favorite comics. And you probably remember DC's disastrous attempt at racial awareness in the comic, Lois Lane: Superman's Girlfriend (at left). Yikes! 

Today, we have greater representation and much more true diversity, as we no longer simply have white writers and artists showcasing their idea of blackness, etc. Now, some of the leading African-American, Latino, Asian, Muslim, and queer writers are creating their own heroes on their own terms. The question is, are they simply superheroes and part of their respective universes, or will they continue to be seen as a subclass of hero, something that supplements the 'real' teams and heroes. 

Final Paper Assignment--due Friday, December 31st!

Eng 4983: Superheroes as Literature

Final Paper Assignment

Option #1: The Ethics of Superheroes: While Superman is the prototypical superhero, even he has origins in the supervillain, as every superhero has the potential to become a monster. As superheroes have grown up in comics, their ethics have become more clouded, and the pursuit of justice a much less black and white affair. Using some of the comics in class, discuss what the ethics of a superhero seem to be today. What constitutes a heroes morality? What are the extremes? The gray areas? What lines still haven’t been crossed (if any)? Do you think they’ve already gone too far into enemy territory?

Option #2: The Cultural Significance of Comics: Though comics have always been a ‘low’ art form, printed on cheap paper and considered disposable, they have not only proved extremely durable, but reflected the social and cultural movements of American life. Through comics, we can see many of the struggles of American society, and particularly, the fears, dreams, biases, and conflicts that shape our nation’s history. How do some of the comics in class reflect our past and current cultural moment? What do they say about us as individuals and as a nation? How can superheroes be a mirror and a metaphor for who we are today?

Option #3: Comics in the Classroom:  When comics were attacked in the 1950’s, Frederic Wertham derided them as totally without educational merit, and predicted that they would create “mass illiteracy” in society. On the contrary, comics have inspired many kids to become great readers and often share a beneficial relationship with both traditional art and literature. Nevertheless, they are not welcomed wholeheartedly into the classroom, and many teachers continue to think of them as dangerous to young readers. How might we invite comics into the modern-day curriculum at any level, and what advantage might teachers find in using comics to teach literacy, history, culture, symbolism, style, etc.? How are some teachers already doing this today?

OUTSIDE SOURCES: I want you to plug into what other people are saying and thinking about comics as well, so I want you to do a little research for this assignment. Below are some great sources you can use to find the ‘conversation’ behind comics. You should have at least 2-3 sources besides the comics in class, which will give you more to write about, and more to think about.

·        ComicsResearch.org (a site full of academic and popular content)

·        ComicsResearch.org/blog (a blog full of comics news and events)

·        Cbldf.org  (Comic Books Legal Defense Fund: a site about banned comics and other comics-related issues)

·        Lambiek Comiclopedia (an on-line encyclopedia of comics: http://lambiek.net/artists/index.htm)

·        Don’t forget, too, to search through EBSCO through the library’s website, or even Google Scholar, for articles on your topic. The links and bibliography in Wikipedia articles is also a useful source for research.

·        You can also cite the blog from class as one source, just be sure to look up how to cite blogs and other online content here: Purdue OWL // Purdue Writing Lab

FINAL PAPER DUE Friday, December 31^st by e-mail. I will respond to your paper with a rubric and comments within a few days, along with your final course grade. Please e-mail me with any questions!

Recap for Friday (Black Cat)

Two things: don't forget to read Monstress, Vol.1 for Monday's class, and remember that the doors may be locked tomorrow. I'll be there early to prop them open for you, but if for any reason you find the door locked/closed, just wait and I'll make sure everyone can get in for class. 

On Friday, we discussed the history of gender in comics, and in particular, the role of women. Traditionally, comics, like literature, catered to a male audience, so women were usually depicted in supporting roles, though more often as "damsels in distress" or trophies to be won (or lost). Heroes were always male, and women supported their men from the sidelines, and were invariably weak and caused trouble for the heroes (ex: Lois Lane was always getting into trouble, and was constantly distracting him with her romantic overtures). 

Wonder Woman was one of the few exceptions to the rule, though she was often a damsel in distress herself, since most of the storylines involved her getting taken captive, tied up, and tortured until she broke free and saved the world (and herself). While it was a step forward to see her save herself, and her boyfriend, Steve Trevor, her comics still depict a woman as an object--even if that object is stronger than most men reading the comic! 

In the 60's and 70's, as comics began to reflect changing trends in society, many female superheroes got their own comics and/or joined the more established male teams. However, most of these women were known as "girl" (Supergirl, Batgirl, Invisible Girl), and only a small number had stories beyond the traditional damsel in distress of woman in bondage routine. A notable exception was The Wasp, one of the original founders of The Avengers, who often acted independently of the men--though even she was depicted as infatuated with Thor, and ultimately became the wife of Henry Pym (Ant Man, Giant Man).

A recent study by Amanda Shendruk analyzed over 30,000 comic book characters to see whether gender was really a factor in comics (hint: it is). Here's a link to the entire article: https://pudding.cool/2017/07/comics/. Basically, she determined that "Only 26.7 percent of all DC and Marvel characters are female, and only 12 percent of mainstream superhero comics have female protagonists...The data suggest that less-physical powers — such as empathy, intellect, and telepathy — tend to be more represented among female characters...Pheromone control — the ability to generate and control pheromones that affect emotional and physical states, such as sleep, fear, and pleasure — occurs five times as often in a female character. Sonic scream appears in twice as many female characters as male; and prehensile hair — the ability to control one’s own hair — appears in female characters seven times more often." 

So where does this leave us today? Black Cat offer a female protagonist who does not have a love interest, has her own powers (is bad luck gendered??), and solves problems with the help of men, but without relying on them, either. True, she still wears a very sexualized outfit, but she also takes it off and appears in a relatively 'normal' fashion. She makes light of her sexual origins (since Black Cat was created to be a romantic foil for Spiderman), and yet, the comic seems to be trying to re-create her in a more modern image. It's a fun comic, maybe not a resounding blow for modern feminism, but it does show that women can be superheroes without relying on sex as a superpower. 

For Friday: Black Cat & Thursday Recap

Read Black Cat. Vol.1: Grand Theft Marvel for class on Friday, and do the usual Template Responses. We're almost done with the class already! So start thinking about your paper/presentation, due NEXT TUESDAY (not on Monday, as the schedule says--go with the date on the assignment sheet).

In today's class, we talked a bit about the context of Marvel comics, which came out of the exciting youth culture movement of the 1960's. Before this, comics had hit an all-time low, as the Comics Code of 1954 virtually outlawed anything exciting or adult in comics. After WW2, many soldiers returned home reading comics (since they were easy to read and transport on the battlefield), and they wanted more mature subject matter. So crime, romance, and horror comics dominated the field, which were also being read by young children! Dr. Frederic Wertham, a pioneer for censoring the arts, led a campaign to ban the worst comics, and helped create the Comics Code.

Here are a few things that the Comics Code prohibited:

•
No comic magazine shall use the word horror or terror in its title.

• All scenes of horror, excessive bloodshed, gory or gruesome crimes, depravity, lust, sadism, masochism shall not be permitted.

• In no case shall evil be presented alluringly, nor so as to injure the sensibilities of the reader.

• Scenes dealing with, or instruments associated with walking dead, torture, vampires and vampirism, ghouls, cannibalism, and werewolfism are prohibited.

• Nudity in any form is prohibited, as is indecent or undue exposure.

• All characters shall be depicted in dress reasonably acceptable to society.

• Sex perversion or any inference to same is strictly forbidden.

This made most comics have to present very boring and childish subject matter to stay on the right side of the code. But in the early 60's, Stan Lee, a budding comics creator, decided to try his own brand of story that would be 'safe' but also appeal to the youth culture that had banded together around Beat poetry and rock and roll. Marvel comics created a series of characters that reflected the kids and teenagers who were still reading comics, and made comics as accessible and 'cool' as The Beatles, The Who, and Jimi Hendrix (among others). As Lee wrote, 

"The characters would be the kind I could personally relate to: they’d be flesh and blood, they’d have their faults and foibles, they’d be fallible and feisty, and—most important of all—inside their colorful, costumed booties they’ve still have feet of clay.’”

This is what distinguished Marvel from DC and other companies initially: they wanted stories that reflected real life and were aware of social issues--from racism, women's rights, social conformity, and government authority. Not surprisingly, many of the characters are fighting a war on two fronts: against the bad guys, and against a society that doesn't accept them, either because they're too young, or mutants, or robots, or simply too dangerous for polite society. This is certainly the case with Vision, who has saved the world 37 times(!), but can't really be trusted in a suburban neighborhood, with his synthesoid family that he created like a modern-day Victor Frankenstein! 

Many of the themes of the comic can be linked to modern day issues that have nothing to do with superheroes, such as:

* Racism: having "those people" move into the neighborhood

* Police power: Vision's job is to save the world, and sometime believes that this allows him to transgress certain moral and social laws; after all, if he saved every single human being on the planet, can we ever say 'no' to him? 

* Being human: how do we define 'humanity'? Is it universal, or local? Absolute or subjective? Could a robot learn to feel like we do? Do we have a monopoly on love? Family? And is "our" culture the only one who feels this way?

* Doing the 'right' thing: when does the right thing for society conflict with the right thing for your family? Isn't it the duty of every man and women to protect their loved ones? Should you sacrifice your family--or yourself--for the general good? Isn't Vision being asked to sacrifice those he loves to be an Avenger? 

We also looked at some word + image transitions, to show how complex this book is in telling stories that change depending on the dialogue and narration. Remember that when you add words to a picture, it changes the picture forever. You no longer see the same image.  

For Thursday: The Complete Vision & Wednesday Recap

Be sure to read The Vision for class tomorrow, and of course, respond to the Template Questions! Also don't forget about the Short Paper and Presentation assignment in the post below this one (I gave you this in class as well). 

In class today, we discussed the Film Noir origins of Batman: he was the first comic book hero who was directly inspired by the emerging art form of film, and specifically, film noir--crime movies, suspense movies, etc. Batman was literally a combination of a gumshoe detective (like a poor man's Sherlock Holmes) and Dracula (which was the big hit of 1931). Batman's stories were much more like crime stories than superhero tales: he was supposed to fight the darkest elements of society and cater more to violence and suspense than someone like Superman. 

As writer Jules Feiffer, who was a kid when Batman first came out, explains: 

“Batman was not a super-hero in its truest sense…If you pricked him, he bled—buckets. Whatever was done to him, whatever trap laid, wound opened, skull fractured, all he had to show for it was a discreet patch of Band-aid on his right shoulder. With Superman we won; with Batman we held our own.

What made Batman interesting, then, was not his strength but his story line. Batman, as a feature, was infinitely better plotted, better villained, and better looking than Superman. Batman inhabited a world where no one, no matter the time of day, cast anything but long shadows—seen from weird perspectives. Batman’s world was scary; Superman’s, never." --Jules Feirffer, The Great Comic Book Heroes (1965)

Joker, too, was inspired by the silent film, "The Man Who Laughs" (at right). Both hero and villain represented extremes that had never been seen in comics before, and which The Killing Joke tries to capture in its combination of terror, obscenity, and ambiguity. 

We also discussed whether or not the comic went too far in its depictions of graphic violence. Should kids be reading comics like this? And is it more harmful to see violence than to read about it? Even its creator, Alan Moore, regretted the graphic nature of the book, as he writes:

“it was meant to be something that would liberate comics. Instead, it became this massive stumbling block that comics can’t even really seem to get around to this day. They’ve lost a lot of their original innocence, and they can’t get that back. And, they’re stuck, it seems, in this kind of depressive ghetto of grimness and psychosis. I’m not too proud of being the author of that regrettable trend…Actually, with The Killing Joke, I have never really liked it much as a work – although I of course remember Brian Bolland’s art as being absolutely beautiful – simply because I thought it was far too violent and sexualized a treatment for a simplistic comic book character like Batman and a regrettable misstep on my part”--Alan Moore, Interview 

So this lead to a discussion of 'pornography' in art, and what it means when art crosses the line of morality and good taste. How much is too much? We didn't come away with any easy answers, but comics is a great way to discuss the taboos of sex and violence in society, and start a conversation about what is permissible in art--and whether or not sex and violence can be used to moral ends. We came away with the idea that the ambiguous nature of The Killing Joke  is both an artistic strength and a problem: you can read the book as a warning, or as a celebration of violence. It doesn't tell you how to read it, just as it's hard to say WHAT happens at the very end of the comic (see at left). 

Why does Batman laugh? What's so funny? Has he finally cracked? Does he end up killing Joker (is that why the camera pans away?). Or does he finally just see how pathetic Joker truly is? Does the bus in the background run them down? Is that the final joke? Etc. 

Short Paper Assignment and Presentation

 

For your two-part assignment, I want you to create a comic book art exhibit for ECU (hypothetically, of course) which helps people view the works in this class as art and the characters in the book as icons. So I want you to choose 6 pages (one from each book) that you feel is both uniquely artistic and shows the character in a specifically iconic moment—meaning a moment that defines their character and their role in the book. Imagine that these pages are being framed, so you can only do one page, and that page can be a single image, or a series of frames. Imagine that these images would be installed in the Hallie Brown Ford Fine Arts Center, so people could walk around and view the exhibits. And here is where the assignment comes in:

SHORT PAPER: Your short paper is the ‘audio tour’ of the exhibit. Imagine that people will put on headphones and hear your paper as they walk through the art, getting a better understanding of each work and why you chose it. So the paper should introduce us to each image, give us brief context about it (who the characters are, what’s happening) and then explain why the image is iconic: how does it represent something unique/insightful about the character and the story? Also, what is the art doing that makes it so powerful? You can discuss the style, the frame transitions, the word + image relationships, anything. Your audio tour should be at least 3-4 pages double spaced, and should be written to a general audience, not just to me.

PRESENTATION: The presentation is your attempt to show us the entire art exhibit in class. So make a slide of 6 images (the ones you chose) so you can display them to the class. Each slide should identify the work, the writer, and the artists, as well as any additional information you want to give. You don’t have to read your paper to the class, but when you show us the images, give us the basic rundown of why you chose each one, and what you think each one is showing/revealing about the character. We’ll share these on the last day of class, so be sure to bring them either on a flash drive or send a Google doc, etc.

NOTE: If you really don’t like presenting before the class, you can record your presentation on Flipgrid. I have a Flipgrid site for this class which I’ve used before, and I’ll add everyone in class to the site (sign in with your ECU e-mail). You can post it under the folder “Art Presentations” and we can play it in class so you don’t have to speak. You only get 10 minutes to record a video in Flipgrid, so watch your time! The Flipgrid address is: Flipgrid | grasso9485. 

To record a video on Flipgrid: Click on "Add Response." Once the camera comes on, click "Options" and choose "Record Screen," then "Entire Screen." Make sure your slide are open on your desktop, of course! Then it will give you a 3-2-1 countdown. You're "live" at that point, and just have to pull up your slides and start narrating. You only have 10 minutes, so keep it short. You can edit or re-record the video if you mess up. Remember, you DO NOT have to record a video--this is only if you really don't want to present in class. 

NOTE: Both works are due on TUESDAY, DECEMBER 21^st, our last day of class. The presentation has to be ‘turned in’ by class time, but the paper isn’t due until 5pm. You can turn in a late paper (losing -10 pts. a day), but the Presentation is due the last day of class or nothing. So be careful! 

 

For Wednesday: Batman: The Killing Joke and Tuesday Recap

 Be sure to read Batman: The Killing Joke for Wednesday's class and answer the four template response questions (you can find those in the post below). 

Here's a brief recap of some of the things we discussed in class on Tuesday:

Superman began life as a VILLIAN! His creators, Seigel and Shuster, originally made a self-published magazine featuring "The Superman" (above) who was a genius mastermind that looks suspiciously like Lex Luthor! Supervillians actually came first, since the public had a taste for monsters and villains through 19th century literature: Frankenstein, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, The Invisible Man, Dracula, etc. In fact, you can see Batman's origins in both Dracula (he's a bat!) and The Invisible Man (he's a scientist/inventor). 

Many of the early writers/illustrators of superhero comics were immigrants, most of them Jewish refugees from Europe. So it's not surprising that they created larger-than-life heroes who represented the American way, and could solve the cruel injustices of pre-WW2 America and Europe (the time of Hitler, Al Capone, prohibition, the Great Depression, etc.). Superman flees the destruction of Krypton as a child much as Siegel and Shuster escaped a dying Europe with their parents. 

CARTOONS AS ART: The painting above by Rene Magritte is called "The Treachery of Images," and says " This is not a pipe." The idea is that because this is literally not a pipe (it's a painting) it doesn't have to follow the rules of a pipe. It could be larger or smaller, and could even be abstracted, as long as it vaguely resembles a pipe. Art never IS anything--it's just something that makes us THINK and FEEL. That's what cartoons are in comics: they aren't real people, but they make us see real people in a new light; they're more like symbols and metaphors. 

Just like with CHARLIE BROWN (above), this is not a story of a little bald boy with tiny sausage arms who wears baguettes for shoes (they really do look like that, don't they?). It's an abstraction of what a kid looks like, and it calls attention to what Charlie Brown represents: wisdom (baldness), naivete (baldness),and the fact that he's the main character (baldness--it sets him apart from the other kids). 

As Scott McCloud says in Understanding Comics (1993), "“When we abstract an image through cartooning, we’re not so much eliminating details as we are focusing on specific details.  By stripping down an image to its essential ‘meaning,’ an artist can amplify that meaning in a way that realistic art can’t." 

You'll notice that even 'great' art uses cartoon techniques all the time, replacing reality with expression, as in the self-portrait by Munch below:

This is NOT a realistic picture of the artist, even though it probably does look a lot like him. But it's too shadowy, too smoky, and too dramatic to be real. Instead, it represents an IDEA of him, which in turn evokes a FEELING and an EMOTION. We suggested in class that he seems scared of his own reflection, as if he sees something dark and disturbing in his idea of himself. He also seems to be dissolving into the painting itself, or becoming one with the cigarette smoke. This, too, is a very comic-book technique, showing that art is essentially "cartoony," meaning it evokes rather than reveals. 

The Comics Response Template!

THE COMICS RESPONSE TEMPLATE  

NOTE: Answer all FOUR questions for each comic we read. I know that some questions will seem less obvious for some comics (notably Q3), but that’s where you have to really think ‘big picture’ and connect it to the larger themes of the course. Hopefully our class discussions will help you do this. Give at least a few sentences for each one--let me see you thinking and be as specific as possible. Let me know if you have any questions. 

Q1: Describe the artistic style of the comic. Be specific: would you characterize it as sketchy, realistic, cartoony, artistic, ornate, spare, expressionistic, tight, loose, etc.?  What is the overall feel of the artwork, and what kind of tone does it create for the reader?  Do you feel it is the uniquely suited to the story being told?  Or is supposed to go against the grain of the story? In the case of a work with more than one artist (i.e. Superman: American Alien), you can choose one of the chapters to discuss. 

Q2: What would this story lose if it was a traditional novel (no images)? How do the images help tell the story for you, and what wouldn't you know or understand or appreciate without them? In other words, why does this particular story make more sense as a comic than any other form of literature? Be specific and try to discuss a particular passage or moment that would be untranslatable without the images. 

Q3: How does this comic address the ethics of being a superhero, or someone with unique powers and abilities? According to this comic, what does it mean to be a “hero” and a “villain”? Do the heroes ever cross ethical boundaries in their quest to save humanity? Also, does a superhero always play by the same rules, or does one’s age, sex, race, or religion also play a role?

Q4: ‘Close Read’ a short passage or moment in the comic that you feel is especially significant to the main theme of either the comic or the course. It could be 1-2 pages, a single page, or even a single frame. Discuss what’s going on and why you feel it ‘explains’ something crucial to the entire book. How did it help you understand the story, or the characters, or even comic books themselves? You might consider passages where the creators are stretching the limits of what comic book art can do, or something that was surprising or confusing to read initially. Why do the writers sometimes make things tricky for the reader? Think about frame transitions, word + image relationships, stylistic issues, etc.

 

Welcome to the Course!

Welcome to the Winter Intercession 2021 course, Superheroes as Literature! This website merely serves a support function to the course, posting handouts, assignments, links, and other reminders. If you have to miss class for whatever reason, or get sick and can no longer attend, this blog will be your lifeline. If you have any questions about the course or the content, please e-mail me at jgrasso@ecok.edu.

Be sure to buy all six books for the class, which you can buy at the ECU bookstore. You can also get the books on-line, and through Amazon, you can get digital copies which you can read on your phone or other device. If you can't get a book for any reason, please contact me, because I might have a spare copy, OR I can give you a related book so you can still do the work. Don't just give up or not turn in work because you're missing a book. 

Additionally, we have many books on comics/graphic novels in our library—you can find most of them in the PN6700 section—including:

·         Gravett, Paul.  Graphic Novels: Everything You Need To Know: PN6710.G738

·         Superheroes and Philosophy: PN6712.S86

·         Lepore, The Secret History of Wonder Woman: PN6728.W6

·         Comics as History, Comics as Literature: PN6714.C653

·         Eisner, Comics and Sequential Art: NC1764.E47

·         Lee,  Origins of Marvel Comics: PN6725.L4

·         The Steranko History of Comics: PN6725.S78

·         Critical Survey of Graphic Novels: Heroes and Superheroes (reference work, only available to read in the library: PN6725.C753)

 Also, here are some websites you might find handy in your comic book research for Papers #1 and #2 and your presentation: 

·         ComicsResearch.org (a site full of academic and popular content)

·         ComicsResearch.org/blog (a blog full of comics news and events)

·         Cbldf.org  (Comic Books Legal Defense Fund: a site about banned comics and other comics-related issues)

·         Lambiek Comiclopedia (an on-line encyclopedia of comics: http://lambiek.net/artists/index.htm)

NOTE: Don't worry about the posts below this one. They are for last year's class, and won't cover the same work you're doing. So don't get intimidated! 

See you on Monday!