The Graphic Novel

What: ENGL 375TT, New Media, a Fall 2009 Course at the University of Mary Washington
Where: Combs 004
When: 11:00 - 11:50 MWF

Web: http://comics.zachwhalen.net

Instructor

Dr. Zach Whalen
E-mail: zwhalen [at] umw.edu
Office hours: 1:00 - 4:00 MW (or by appointment)
Office: Combs 308
Phone: 540 654 2355
Web: www.zachwhalen.net

Objectives

In this class, we’re going to study visual storytelling as it is accomplished through the combination of images and text. The graphic novel will be the primary genre under consideration, but other specific forms (comics, comic strips, webcomics, etc.) will be examined as well. Indeed, the term “graphic novel” will be interrogated for its cultural significance and relevance to specific works, especially in light of the fact that creators of these works often eschew the term. Primary readings will include the works listed below, and these will be supplemented by relevant literary theory and comics-specific criticism and theory. This may include work by such authors as Donald Ault, Roland Barthes, Michel Foucault, Thierry Groensteen, Jan Baetens, Will Eisner, and Scott McCloud. The goal of our study will be to understand the formal structures of comics in the context of a long history of medial shifts. Accordingly, the question we will attempt to answer by the end of the semester is: What is the future of comics in and through digital media technology?

Notes

Status of student work: I require all work created for this class to be made publicly accessible through our website. The only exception will be quizzes (which you complete on paper) and group project evaluations (which remain confidential). In writing for this class, your goal is to engage an audience, an audience that is immediately accessible because of the affordances offered by the web. Other people will read what you write and respond to it.

Content: Many of the materials in this class--books, lectures, discussions--concern controversial issues and topics including but not limited to matters of race, gender, sexuality, religion, and politics. In particular, some texts include depictions of violence and/or sexuality that some readers/viewers may find objectionable or offensive. I will do my best to treat these matters discreetly and with the highest standards of professional good conduct. In turn, I expect you to help me create a community in which these challenging and potentially uncomfortable issues can be discussed in a mature, sensitive, and tolerant manner.

Film Screenings: Two of our primary texts, Watchmen and Ghost World, have been adapted as feature-length films. If time permits, we will screen these films at a mutually convenient time and place. These screenings will be optional, but if you cannot attend, you must find a way to view the films on your own before our planned in-class discussion of them.

Requirements

Texts

Abel, Jessica, and Matt Madden. Drawing Words and Writing Pictures: Making Comics: Manga, Graphic Novels, and Beyond. First Second, 2008.	Clowes, Daniel. Ghost World. Fantagraphics Books, 2001.
DeMatteis, John Marc et al. The Compleat Moonshadow. DC Comics, 1998.	Eisner, Will. The Contract with God Trilogy: Life on Dropsie Avenue. W.W. Norton & Co., 2005.
Gaiman, Neil et al. The Sandman Vol. 4: Season of Mists. Vertigo, 1994.	Kindt, Matt. Super Spy. Top Shelf Productions, 2007.
Mazzucchelli, David. Asterios Polyp. Pantheon, 2009.	Modan, Rutu. Exit Wounds. Drawn and Quarterly, 2008.
Moore, Alan. Watchmen. DC Comics, 1988.	O'Malley, Bryan Lee. Scott Pilgrim, Vol. 1: Scott Pilgrim's Precious Little Life. Oni Press, 2004.

Technology

Twitter
I am requiring you use strongly recommending that you use Twitter for this class. If you do not already have an account, you should create one, and if you do have an account, you are welcome to keep using it or create a new one for this class. Twitter should serve as another channel for our discussions, so you are encouraged to post class-relevant tweets including the hashtag #engl375. These "tagged" tweets will be archived and displayed on the course website. In addition, your twitter account will be linked to your website account so that the site will automatically send out a tweet when you post a new blog entry. Finally, please note: I am on Twitter, @zachwhalen. You are not required to follow me, but you're welcome to. You should know, however, that if you do, I may follow you back.

Course Website
Course website: If you haven't already, you should create an account on this website. You will use this to post blog entries, submit assignments, and access your grades. This account may be created pseudonymously -- in fact, that is what I recommend.

Scanner Access
You will be frequently called upon to include images of the comics you're studying within blog entries and assignments. Therefore, it is important that you have access to a digital imaging device of some sort. A scanner is the best option, even if it's not a particularly good one. Some computer labs on campus do have scanners (Combs 349 does not), and it's your responsibility to find those and learn how to use them.

Assignments

Blogging
For this class, blogging will constitute a substantial portion of the work you do. You should anticipate writing approximately one entry per week, and these entries should contribute significantly to the discourse of class. Your blog writing will be evaluated continually throughout the semester.

Analysis Paper
A short essay (about 3 pages or 1000 words) analyzing a short section of a graphic novel text. Your essay should offer insight and analysis based in the concepts, critical issues, and analytical approaches discussed so far in class.

Book
This project will be a corporately authored document ("book") that pursues a coherent, cohesive argument on a topic relevant to comics. The topic and the content of the essay will be produced in collaboration and refined over a period of weeks. The class's goal is to produce a well-polished final document that demonstrates the strength of multiple perspectives and personal histories of knowledge.

Webcomic
In another collaboratively produced assignment, teams will create and publish webcomics over a period of three weeks (March 31 - April 14). To prepare for this assignment, we'll spend some time working through the lessons in Drawing Words & Writing Pictures, so even if you have no experience with drawing, you will be well-equipped to be successful in this assignment. Also, since you'll be working in teams, you should decide how to balance the work to best take advantage of each teammate's strengths.

Final Exam
There will be a final exam for this class, and it will be a cumulative essay test. This will be a "take-home" test in the sense that you will create short essays on the website in response to posted essay prompts. These questions will address specific concepts in a text or ask for your exegesis of a given comic sample.

Quizzes
Quizzes will cover basic concepts from the readings. The emphasis and purpose of these will be to ensure that everyone is keeping up with the readings. There will be about five of these throughout the semester, and one or more may be replaced by a graded homework assignment.

Participation
This class will involve a good deal of discussion, so you should come to class ready to participate, with all of the assigned texts in hand. If you've been assigned to read a PDF of an essay, for example, you should print out a copy to bring to class with you. At a minimum, you should read and document the assigned material carefully: take notes, and bring them with you to class. I am going to be grading your participation by how well you prepare for class and on how much you add to the discussion, both in class and on the website. Your grade may also be impacted -- negatively -- by failing to attend. (See section on attendance below.)

Grading

Distribution

Scale

Where it applies, the following letter-to-number equivalence will be
in effect:

Policies

Attendance and Participation

Because this class depends heavily on class discussion, you should be in class every day we meet, ready to contribute to the conversation. The work we do in class each day is a major part of how you demonstrate your learning in this course. Therefore, I am assessing you on how well you participate in the class (both online and in person), and presence is a minimum condition for participation. In other words, you can't participate if you aren't here. Unless emergency arrangements have been made, missing more than five classes will thus result in a zero for participation, and any student who misses an excessive number of classes will automatically fail the course.

Use of Electronic Devices in Class

Students are allowed, even encouraged, to bring laptops or other electronic devices to class for the purpose of taking notes. You may find it useful to post comments and ideas into our Twitter stream, for example. However, activities such as surfing the web, reading e-mail, or text-messaging are not allowed. Also, turn off your cell phone ring, and -- unless there is an emergency -- please do not answer it if it does ring. If you are browsing Facebook instead of participating in class, I will consider you absent for the day. Furthermore, if I determine that you are abusing this policy, I reserve the right to ban use of electronic devices either for you individually or for the class at large.

Academic Dishonesty

The UMW Honor System is in effect for our course. I may authorize specific exercises as collaborative work, but all other work must be your own, as per Article 1, Sections 1 and 2 of the University of Mary Washington Student Honor Code.

Late Work

Unless otherwise indicated, all assigned work is due at the beginning of class on the specified due date. Work that is submitted after this time will be considered late and will be subject to a significant grade penalty. Work that is later than four days after the due date will not be accepted under any circumstances.

Decorum

Students are expected to treat the instructor and fellow students with the appropriate degree of respect, both in class and in online discussions. Communication, either in person or through electronic media, that is deemed abusive, threatening, or harassing in nature will not be tolerated. Students who fail to abide by this policy will receive a participation grade of 0.

Unsatisfactory Mid-Semester Reports

Students with a grade average below 68% or with more than 3 unexcused absences by February 24th will receive an unsatisfactory grade report at the mid-term. Also, students who have not created a blog entry by Feb. 24 or have otherwise failed to participate in the class may also receive unsatisfactory reports.

Students with Disabilities

The Office of Disability Services has been designated by the University as the primary office to guide, counsel, and assist students with disabilities. If you already receive services through the Office of Disability Services and require accommodations for this class, get in touch with me as soon as possible to discuss your approved accommodation needs. Please bring your accommodation letter with you to the appointment. I will hold any information you share with me in the strictest confidence unless you give me permission to do otherwise. If you have not contacted the Office of Disability Services and need accommodations, (note taking assistance, extended time for tests, etc.), I will be happy to refer you. The office will require appropriate documentation of disability. Their phone number is 540-654-1266.