ENGL 110 | Graphic Narratives

This non-majors course is an exploration of graphic narratives, which bring together the verbal and visual as a way of telling a story. The course begins by investigating the nature and grammar of comics: How do graphic narratives work? What techniques and strategies do writer-artists use to produce meaning? In what ways do colors, shapes, panels, borders, gutters, perspective, page-layout, and speech bubbles influence content? What is the role of the reader in constructing meaning from these verbal and visual texts? How does literary analysis inform our readings of the verbal and visual? As in other English courses, Graphic Narratives aims to provide insights on language and meaning, culture and history, the self and other. Readings will be primarily historical and contemporary graphic narratives and critical scholarship about graphic narratives will offer perspectives on the readings' responsiveness to contemporary social currents. In addition to written analytical responses, class engagement and discussion and presentation, a final project for the course will offer students the opportunity to create their own graphic narrative.