Interdisciplinary Arts 0206 - Reading and Creating Comics: Graphic Storytelling in the Real World

This is a creative writing workshop in which students will read and create comics, with an emphasis on comics rooted in autobiographical stories and/or narratives of displacement. Because comics are primarily a visual medium, as much time will be spent considering the visual and artistic choices of the creators as discussing their thematic elements. The same is true for your own work, which will be workshopped for its visual as much as written inventiveness. It doesn't matter if you cannot draw well! Lots of "professional" comics artists are limited in their visual skills. What matters is that you learn to see what these artists are doing, through trying it yourself. In other words, what matters is your devotion to a steady learning practice. In addition to creating comics, course requirements will include keeping up with the reading, regular attendance, in-class presentations and participation, and a thorough commitment to the work of your peers. Please note: This class is not suited to students with an interest in superhero comics. Though superhero comics continue to dominate the form, NO superhero comics will be read, accepted, or workshopped in this class. We will instead read works that might include: Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi, The Best We Could Do by Thi Bui, Freedom Hospital by Hamad Sulaiman, Munnu by Malik Sajad, Gender Queer by Maia Kobabe, Alienation by Ines Estrada, and more. Also note: Though the course is not by instructor permission, students MUST attend the first class in order to keep their seats.

Time and Narrative This course includes both in-person and remote elements, but can accommodate fully remote students. Students in this course can expect to spend at least 6 to 8 hours weekly on work and preparation outside of class time. This includes but may not be limited to reading, writing, drawing, as well as preparation of in-class presentations.