The reading of comics and graphic novels, which unite the divergent media of images and text, requires a unique mode of visual literacy. In this course, we will look at the history of comics and graphic novels, and take a comparative, interdisciplinary, and multimedia approach that draws from comic studies, visual culture studies, and art history. We’ll examine how comics and graphic novels are in conversation with “high art,” and why “high art” would look to the world of comics for inspiration. Ultimately, students will become adept at analyzing comics, as well as sufficiently versed in the scholarly conversation around the form to contribute to that discussion themselves.

The purpose of R1B is to build on the critical reading and writing skills learned in R1A. As the second course in the series, this course emphasizes the skills needed for researching, writing. and revising a longer (10-12 page) undergraduate term paper. Towards this goal, the syllabus includes units on formulating a research question, conducting effective research, developing an annotated bibliography, and crafting an original argument that provides readers with a perspective that goes beyond the conventional wisdom on the topic. As this is a History of Art course, visual analysis (i.e., the art of reading an image) will be a focus throughout.