Humanities Arts Cultural Stu 0144 - Comics Underground

In this introductory-level course we will explore the genealogies of underground, alternative, independent, and radical comics in the United States since the 1960s, focusing on how unconventional comics relate to ideas about popular culture, underground cultures, and politics of race, gender, sexuality, and class. Course readings will include comics in a number of short formats (comic books, minicomics, one-panel cartoons, and webcomics), as well as critical, historical, and theoretical readings. We will make extensive use of the digital Underground and Independent Comics Database. Students will complete weekly reading responses, write two short papers, participate in a primary source research project, and build and revise three annotated bibliographies of future readings.

Culture, Humanities, and Languages Independent Work Writing and Research In this course, students will spend 6-8 hours weekly on work and preparation outside of class time.