Italian Studies 297P - ST- PicLit:Cultr/ItalianComics

Is there an Italian Superman? Do Italians love Mickey Mouse even more than Americans? Are Italians as obsessed with zombies as we are? What are the newest, most interesting Italian graphic novels and what do they tell us about Italian culture, society and history? This course will explore the history of Italian fumetti and graphic novels (in English) beginning with comics journals of the early 1900s and ending with contemporary comic books, strips and graphic novels. Students will learn how to read and interpret the hybrid language of comics, using an appropriate vocabulary for the medium. We will study a number of important historical moments in Italian history, including the ventennio of Fascism, the 1960s and 1970s, and the creation of the EU, connecting them to the history of publication of Italian comics and graphic novels. With this newly-acquired historical knowledge, students will engage in critical analysis of the texts and will explore how these texts both reflect and engage with Italian society at the time of their production. Ultimately, students will acquire a general knowledge of contemporary Italian history and the ability to read and analyze the medium of comics. In addition, they will develop the skills necessary for critically engaging with pop culture and connecting art to socio-cultural history.