SPCH S205: Introduction to Speech Communication

COMM 222A

Graphic Storytelling: Comic Books as Culture

Fall Semester 2013

Section 01 Call # 9396 MWF 12:40-1:40 p.m. 336 Hollenbeck Hall Contact Information Instructor: Matthew J. Smith, Ph.D., Professor of Communication Office: 325 Hollenbeck Hall Phone/voice mail: 327-7835 E-mail: [email protected] Office hours: Monday, Wednesday and Friday 2:00-3:00 p.m. & by appointment

Course Description This course asks you to assess what qualities (if any!) raise the disposable artifacts of popular culture to the level of an aesthetic experience, deserving of admiration and study. As the instructor is offering it as a course fulfilling the university’s Fine, Performing, and Literary Arts “A” general education requirement, he is arguing that comic books, despite their notorious reputation as a juvenile medium, can rise to this standard.

Accordingly, we will examine comic books from two approaches. The first is to consider the historical, theoretical, and critical arguments that claim the medium can enrich and express the human experience through a distinct but legitimate use of both imagery and text called “comics.” The second is to read some of the best (and a few of the worst) examples of comics from the past to consider their individual merits and techniques in storytelling.

Though this course takes comic books seriously, their four-color fantasies can be imaginative and stimulating forms of human expression and should prove to be engaging reading for you. My hope is that the critical interpretive skills that you will develop within this medium will not only enhance your appreciation for comics but will translate into improving your understanding of other literary and visual media as well.

Course Objectives COMM 222A makes available to you the following opportunities:  to learn the aesthetic principles and standards that guide comics criticism  to identify and articulate major historical developments and influential figures in the art form’s evolution  to develop an appreciation for the creativity and expression exhibited in comics  to sharpen your ability to create written and oral critical responses Graphic Storytelling 2

Resources

Secondary Texts

Duncan, R., & Smith, M. J. (2009). The power of comics: History, form, & culture. New York, NY: Continuum. ISBN 0-8264-2936-X

Kitchen, D. & Buhle, P. (2009). The art of Harvey Kurtzman: The mad genius of comics. New York, NY: Abrams Comicarts. ISBN 0-8109-7296-4

Primary Texts

Bechdel, A. (2007). Fun home: A family tragicomic. Boston, MA: Mariner. (Original work published in 2006). ISBN 0-6188-7171-3

Kirkman, R., & Moore, T. (2010). Image firsts: The walking dead. Berkeley, CA: Image Comics. (Original work published 2003). ISBN 0-9853-0131-6

Moore, A., & Gibbons, D. (1995). Watchmen. New York, NY: DC Comics. (Original works published 1986-1987). ISBN 0-9302-8923-4

Smith, J. (2004). Bone: One volume edition. Columbus, OH: Cartoon Books. (Original works published 1991-2004). ISBN 1-8889-6314-X

Spiegelman, A. (2003). The complete maus. New York, NY: Pantheon Books. (Original works published 1972-1991). ISBN 0-1410-1408-3

Waid, M, Yu, L. F., & Alanguilan, G. (2004). Superman: Birthright. New York, NY: DC Comics. ISBN 1-4012-0252-7

You can access these comics, graphic novels and books at the following locations: 1) The campus bookstore offers them for retail price; 2) Super-Fly Comics & Games, 132 Dayton Street in Yellow Springs, stocks them and students get a 10% discount with college I.D.; 3) A copy of each work is available on closed reserve in Thomas Library.

In addition those listed above, a number of required readings will be available on Moodle. Graphic Storytelling 3

Writing Center The Writing Center provides free advice to assist you in developing your assignments. You may drop in 112 Hollenbeck Hall or call 327-6154 for more information. You can also make an appointment by logging in to http://wittenberg.mywconline.com.

Oral Communication Center The OCC provides guidance for your speaking assignments, Sunday-Thursday, 7-11 p.m. in Thomas Library Room 210. The center will open on Sunday, September 22, and you may make an appointment to work with any of its student consultants by logging in to http://wittenberg.mywconline.com/.

Instructor Because I am keenly interested in communication and have studied it for a significant number of years, I can serve as a good resource for you should you have questions about the topics we cover. Do come and see me with your questions during my office hours or set up an appointment to meet with me at a mutually agreeable time.

Peer Mentor Your peer mentor and you will partner to research and present over a comics author. Given the collaborative nature of this assignment, you may find that this partner could serve as a good mentor, helping you out as a contact should you miss class or even as a study partner or paper reviewer outside of class. Ideally, peer mentors could even act as coaches for one another, looking out for and encouraging one another to do their very best in the course. I will provide you with some opportunities to work together in class so that you can get to know one another early on in the term. However, if at any time you feel uncomfortable with your peer mentor or if you find your peer mentor unreliable, please see me.

Peer mentor contact information:

Name:______Phone:______E-mail:______

Assignments You can anticipate completing assignments in two general areas: comprehension of concepts and application of concepts.

1. Comprehension of Concepts Pop Quizzes In order to encourage and reward you for keeping up with the assigned readings, a series of unannounced quizzes will be administered throughout the course. These quizzes will deal primarily with reading comprehension so you can prepare yourself for them by reading each assignment carefully prior to coming to class that day. Preparing for these quizzes should help you begin to learn the material and consequently promote informed class discussion.

These quizzes are also an incentive to be present in class, as there will be no make-ups (should you be absent) or time extensions (should you arrive to class tardy) with them. However, students who attend any of the co-curricular activities (see below) may substitute scores on those essays for missing or low quiz scores. Graphic Storytelling 4

Examinations The examinations are instruments to assess your comprehension of the course material, both that introduced in the readings and that introduced in the class. These exercises will consist of multiple testing methods, including some combination of multiple choice, true-false, short answer, and essay prompts.

Co-curricular Activities In order to more fully engage the culture emerging out of comic book artifacts, you are invited to participate in a number of out-of-class activities. For any one of these activities in which you participate, present proof of attendance for full credit towards one of the daily quizzes. You are welcomed and encouraged to participate in all the co-curricular activities.

Others may be added as the term proceeds, but the co-curricular activities (so far) are: 9/20-22 Ohio Comic Con at the Columbus Convention Center ($35-45 / day admission) 9/27-28 Mix 2013 at the Columbus College of Art and Design ($0-10 admission) 10/26 Champion City Comic Con at Shouvlin Center ($3 admission with student ID) 11/04 Race in American Comics Colloquium at Wittenberg (Free!) 11/16-17 Festival of Cartoon Art at Ohio State University ($25 admission)

2. Application of Concepts

Auteur Presentation: A Critical Introduction You and a peer will work together to research and present your findings on a noted creative figure in comics. You should begin your research early, as information about these figures can be challenging to locate. You will need to consult a minimum of six (6) sources in researching your figure. Of these, only a third may come from the internet (e.g., two of six—excepting online research databases); however, you can consult primary works of the figures among your sources. I will ask you two to submit a working bibliography by the end of the second week of classes to be sure that you are working diligently on this research.

In order to make this presentation as effective as possible, I will ask you and your peer to work with the consultants from the Oral Communication Center (OCC) no later than two class sessions before your scheduled presentation (i.e., the earlier you go, the better). You can reserve a time to meet with a consultant by setting up an appointment at http://wittenberg.mywconline.com/. The consultants at the OCC can help you refine the plan you have developed to make the presentation an effective one and affirm the lessons we have discussed in class about successful presentations. Please take along a draft of your outline to review. If you fail to meet with the OCC consultants, your grade on this assignment will be lowered by one letter.

Please prepare either a handout or PowerPoint presentation to share with the class (you need not do both). In either format, please include an image of your figure along with any other pertinent information that will help your peers learn about this person. If you elect to use PowerPoint, you should send the file to me electronically a day in advance or have the slides on a flash drive, as we will not have time to log in and out of the computer during class. On the day of the presentation, please be sure to provide me with a copy of your handout or a print-out of your PowerPoint. I will also ask you to provide me with a copy of your completed presentation outline before you begin speaking. Your presentation should state clearly the figure’s major contributions to the field of comics, elements of that person’s biography, and description and analysis of that figure’s major works. You may Graphic Storytelling 5 also wish to share a sample of this person’s creative products with us or react to another’s previously published review. You should time your presentation to last no less than 8 minutes and no longer than 12 minutes. Time permitting, we may have time for some questions and answers to follow. Please be prepared to go even if your partner is incapacitated on your presentation date. Students missing their presentation date may forfeit the opportunity to earn credit on this course requirement.

Material from your presentations will appear on the midterm and final exams, so your classmates are counting on you to make an informed and effective presentation. Thus, it would be helpful if you were to post your handout or PowerPoint file to Moodle after your presentation.

Reaction Paper On a designated occasion you will write an individual reaction paper over a reading assignment. You will be placed into a cluster for this assignment and not everyone in the class will be writing a reaction to the same works. This is a short critical exercise intended to prepare you for writing the lengthier final project, the Critical Review of a Graphic Novel (see below). Your reaction paper should be structured around a clearly identifiable thesis statement. A thesis puts forth an argument. It states some non-obvious point that the rest of the essay then attempts to prove. An example would be, “Jack Kirby uses a variety of panel sizes in the page layout for ‘The Pact’ in order to emphasize the grandeur of epic he is attempting to craft in The New Gods.”

Your argument should include some application of the storytelling concepts introduced in the textbook, the additional readings, or in class. Be sure to define concepts (ideally in your own words) before applying them, and make use of use of evidence from the assigned reading to support your thesis. Be specific and descriptive here. For example, “On pages 6-7, Kirby provides a dramatic double-page spread in order to establish the magnitude of the conflict between the gods of New Genesis and those of Apokolips.” In all, your aim should be to illuminate the text by saying something significant about what meanings are found therein or how they are constructed.

There is no need to explain at length the overall plot of the graphic novel, introduce its prominent characters, or provide any background on the author or the publication of the text unless one or more of those elements is key to your argument.

I would expect the body of your reaction paper to run about two full pages of text (not including any cover sheet or the bibliography for any sources you consult). Please submit this paper in accord with either MLA or APA guidelines, including having it typed in a standard 10 or 12 point font, double- spaced, on one side of 20# white paper, spell-checked, proofread, and stapled together in the upper left- hand corner. (If you haven’t already invested in a stapler, please do so, as two pet peeves of mine are receiving unstapled papers and having a barrage of requests for a stapler go up when papers are collected.)

If you are absent for the class period in which your reaction paper is due, you will only receive partial credit for your paper, as an aim of completing this assignment is for you to share your criticism and insight with the rest of the class. You will also receive only partial credit if your ideas are not submitted in hard copy form. Allow yourself sufficient prep time to compensate for computer glitches (back up your files) and paper shortages in the computer lab (bring your own) so that they do not hamper your ability to meet the deadline.

Critical Review of a Graphic Novel The final project allows you to explore a graphic novel of your own choosing while synthesizing the research, reading, analytical, and presentation skills developed throughout the course. Graphic Storytelling 6

If you are uncertain about where to begin, I recommend that you consult Paul Gravett’s (2005) Graphic Novels: Everything You Need to Know (on reserve at the library) to discover additional graphic novels appealing to your interests. You should, of course, feel free to consult with me about your potential selection. I recommend arriving at a decision about the nature of your project no later than Fall Break, if not sooner, so that you will have plenty of time to construct this paper in advance of its deadline. In order to encourage you to focus on this project early on, I will request a brief proposal from you on Friday, October 18 so that I can affirm the direction you are moving on this project.

This critique should not only be lengthier but a more sophisticated response than the shorter Reaction Paper. Again, it should be built around a thesis that examines themes within the work and applies aesthetic concepts to it. Again the thesis should be supported with evidence pulled from primary works (i.e., the graphic novels) as well as some commentary from secondary sources. As before, your aim is to provide insight into the meanings within texts or how they are made.

Unlike with the Reaction Paper, you should include some introduction to the graphic novel that briefly identifies background details on the author, publication, plot, and prominent characters. You should also provide a clear conclusion that evaluates the overall work and places it within the context of the issues discussed in this course.

If you elect to include images from your text in this report, please do so, but be aware that this does not substitute for fulfilling the length of text that I would expect a well-written critique to need to cover. I would expect this critique should run an absolute minimum of 2000 words (not including the bibliography for any sources you consult). More pages are welcomed! Once again, please submit this paper in accord with either MLA or APA guidelines.

In order to help you develop this paper, I strongly encourage you to make use of the Writing Center and/or your peer mentor.

Participation Communication courses require communication, both that which is written and that which is spoken. In addition to your Auteur Presentation, I expect to hear consistent and meaningful contributions from you throughout the term. Your active involvement in the daily discussions and activities is linked to your success in this course. I would even go so far as to recommend that you come to class each day with a plan to participate: a question, an observation, a connection, or other comment that you might offer at an appropriate moment in the class discussion. You will be evaluated on not merely on the frequency of your contributions but more so on their quality. A well thought out question is more impressive than a mere statement of fact.

Some words of caution, though: My directive for you to be a frequent and substantive contributor is not an invitation to speak at every opportunity. Seeking to comment on everything does not acknowledge the context of your participation within a thirty-person class. Likewise, speaking only when prompted by the instructor is tantamount to ignoring this course requirement and will accordingly earn you a poor grade for this requirement.

Within and beyond our discussions, I fully expect all students to treat their classmates and the instructor with respect. To that end, please restrain yourself from such poor communication behaviors as talking while others have the floor or rustling your book bags as the end of class approaches. Occasionally, I may also ask you to complete short exercises out of class for discussion-generating purposes. Such exercises are an incentive to be present in class, so misplaced exercises cannot be properly Graphic Storytelling 7 credited when submitted after class, although I will accept them before class if you let me know in advance of an excused absence.

Evaluation Considerations Because I believe that a college education is, in part, preparation for the larger social world, an important component of this classroom experience is for you to exercise professional conduct. This expectation implies a whole host of responsibilities, including, but not limited to, attending class in a consistent and timely manner, maintaining academic integrity, meeting deadlines, contributing in a meaningful way to discussion, and treating your instructor and classmates with respect. The penalties for neglecting these expectations range from a lowered evaluation in this course to doubtful chances for advancement in your career.

I encourage you to ask me for help on any of your assignments or related issues. I am willing to meet with you to work through the development of your ideas. Moreover, if you are having trouble with course material, or if external factors are interfering with your performance, please contact me before a serious problem occurs. I expect you, as an adult, to approach me about these matters. Please do not have a parent or significant other speak to me on your behalf (unless you are incapacitated). You are responsible for your own performance.

Learning Disabilities If you have a documented learning disability, it is your responsibility to meet with me as soon as possible in the term to discuss what accommodations we can arrange. Please contact the Office of the Assistant Provost for Academic Services (ext. 7924), for more information on learning disabilities.

Attendance As stated in the Student Handbook, “All Wittenberg students are expected to attend class unless there are reasons of ill health, travel mishaps, illness or death in the family, or observance of religious holidays that prevent class attendance. . . . Students are expected to meet their academic responsibilities in each course, even though they may be excused from class.”

Academic Integrity As the Honors Council reminds us, maintaining a high standard of academic integrity is in the best interest of everyone at Wittenberg and is everyone’s responsibility. Plagiarism is a kind of academic dishonesty that occurs when someone intentionally or unintentionally misrepresent the work of others as one’s own. This happens when someone fails to credit a source or when someone submits portions of an assignment authored by another person, but is not limited to just these examples. If you have questions or doubts about whether or not you are plagiarizing, please ask me about it. In this class, the minimum penalty for plagiarizing or outright cheating is to receive a zero on that assignment. However, it is possible and not at all unusual to fail the course for academic dishonesty. I will report any instances of academic dishonesty to the Honor Council. I will ask you to sign each submission in this class as your way of acknowledging that you are upholding the standard of academic integrity. The Student Handbook has even more details on academic integrity. Graphic Storytelling 8

Assignment Percent Score Auteur Presentation: A Critical Introduction 15 % _____ Reaction Paper 5 % _____ Critical Review of a Graphic Novel 20 % _____ Pop Quizzes 15 % _____ Midterm Examination 20 % _____ Comprehensive Final Examination 25 % _____ Total 100 % _____

Scale The instructor reserves the right to raise a borderline final grade based on meritorious effort.

97-100 % A+ 87-89 % B+ 77-79 % C+ 67-69 % D+ 93-96 % A 83-86 % B 73-76 % C 63-66 % D 90-92 % A- 80-82 % B- 70-72 % C- 60-62 % D-

Reading Comics Get physically prepared. Sit up, get settled (but not too relaxed) to read, and minimize competing stimuli (e.g., turn off the TV or iPod). Read twice. The first reading should really be to orient yourself to the story. The second reading should be to scrutinize the storytelling techniques. Discern, not just enjoy. Comics are often pleasurable, and it’s okay to enjoy yourself during a read; however, as a critic your task is to discern meaning from the comics and/or apply concepts even while you are enjoying it. Take notes! As a critic you are studying comics. Take notes over relevant passages and most especially observations you make as you consume the comic, especially on that second read through.

Course Calendar It may be necessary to adjust the dates below as the semester progresses. Please note that readings are to be completed prior to the meeting for which they are assigned. Week Date Topic Reading 1 8/26 Course Introduction Groensteen on Moodle 8/28 Defining Comic Books as a Medium PoC Ch. 1 Read Comics in Public Day 8/30 Presentation #0: Jack Kirby Auteur on Moodle 2 9/2 Labor Day 9/4 Creating the Story PoC Ch. 6 9/6 Analyzing The Walking Dead Image Firsts: Working Bibliography is due. The Walking Dead #1 3 9/9 History of Comic Books, Part I PoC Ch. 2 & Code on Moodle 9/11 The Art of Harvey Kurtzman Kurtzman pp. 1-119 9/13 The Art of Harvey Kurtzman Kurtzman pp. 120-236 & Cluster Alpha Reaction Papers are due. Abel & Madden on Moodle

Cultures and Languages Across the Curriculum

This course offers students the opportunity to earn an additional credit by completing a Cultures and Languages Across the Curriculum (CLAC) module. Prerequisite: You must either have completed or be enrolled in a 3rd semester language course (any language course numbered above 112). In the CLAC program, you will work with the instructor of this course and a member of the language department to design and complete a project directly related to what you’re learning in this course and tailored to your skill level in the language. CLAC offers you the chance to use your knowledge of another language to further your study of another discipline. To register for a CLAC experience in this course, speak with your instructor in the first two weeks of classes. Television Criticism 9

4 9/16 The Comic Book Creators PoC Ch. 5 9/18 Comic Book Genres: Classifying Comics PoC Ch. 9 & Genres on Moodle 9/20 Discuss The Spirit Eisner on Moodle Presentation #1: Will Eisner & O’Neil on Moodle Cluster Beta Reaction Papers are due. 9/20-22 Ohio Comic Con at the Columbus Convention Center 5 9/23 Comic Book Genres: The Superhero as Genre PoC Ch. 10 Presentation #2: Stan Lee & Spider-Man on Moodle Cluster Gamma Reaction Papers are due. 9/25 Discuss Superman: Birthright Superman: Birthright Chs. 1-6

Presentation #3: Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster 9/27 Discuss Superman: Birthright Superman: Birthright Chs. 7-12 Presentation #4: Mark Waid Cluster Delta Reaction Papers are due. 9/27-28 Mix 2013 at the Columbus College of Art and Design 6 9/30 Comic Book Readers PoC Ch. 8 10/2 EC Comics EC Comics on Moodle Presentation #5: William Gaines 10/4 View Tales from the Crypt: From Comic Books to Television 7 10/7 Discuss Watchmen Watchmen Chs. 1-4 Presentation #6: Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons Cluster Epsilon Reaction Papers are due. 10/9 Discuss Watchmen Watchmen Chs. 5-8 10/11 Discuss Watchmen Watchmen Chs. 9-12 Cluster Zeta Reaction Papers are due. 8 10/14 Adaptations 10/16 Midterm Examination 10/18 Proposal for Critical Review of a Graphic Novel is due. 9 10/21 Classes are canceled in observance of the Fall Holiday. 10/23 History of Comic Books, Part II PoC Ch. 3 Presentation #7: Robert Crumb 10/25 Digital Comics Thrillbent.com 10/26 Champion City Comic Con at Shouvlin Center 10 10/28 Experiencing the Story PoC Ch. 7 10/30 Discuss “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” Sandman on Moodle Presentation #8: Neil Gaiman 11/1 Comic Book Industry PoC Ch. 4 11 11/4 Discuss Fun Home Fun Home Chs. 1-4 Presentation #9: Alison Bechdel Cluster Alpha Critical Review of Graphic Novel is due. 11/4 Race in American Comics Colloquium at 4:15 p.m. in Bayley Auditorium Graphic Storytelling 10

11/6 Discuss Fun Home Fun Home Chs. 5-7 11/8 View Comic Book Confidential 12 11/11 Discuss Maus I: A Survivor’s Tale Maus I Presentation #10: Art Spiegelman Cluster Beta Critical Review of Graphic Novel is due. 11/13 Discuss Maus II: And Here My Troubles Began Maus II 11/15 Preparing for Bone 11/16-17 Festival of Cartoon Art at Ohio State University 13 11/18 Discuss Bone Bone Books One-Three Presentation #11: Jeff Smith Cluster Gamma Critical Review of Graphic Novel is due. . 11/20 Discuss Bone Bone Books Four-Six and McCloud on Moodle 11/22 Discuss Bone Bone Books Seven-Nine 14 11/25 Researching Comic Books PoC Ch. 12 Presentation #12: Trina Robbins Cluster Delta Critical Review of Graphic Novel is due. 11/27-29 Classes are canceled in observance of the Thanksgiving Holiday. 15 12/2 Discuss Sin City Sin City on Moodle Presentation #13: Frank Miller Cluster Epsilon Critical Review of Graphic Novel is due. 12/4 Comic Books and Ideology PoC Ch. 11 12/6 Discuss Safe Area Goražde Sacco on Moodle Presentation #14: Joe Sacco 16 12/9 Comics Culture around the World PoC Ch. 13 Presentation #15: Osamu Tezuka Cluster Zeta Critical Review of Graphic Novel is due. 12/11 Manga and Comics Culture around the World Reading TBD 12/13 Review for the Final Examination Finals 1218 Comprehensive Final Examination at 8:00 a.m.

I am in Cluster ______and have deadlines on ______and ______.

dead∙line (ded΄līn) n. 1. A time limit, as for the completion of newspaper copy, payment of debts, etc. 2. Originally, a boundary line that prisoners might not cross. --Funk & Wagnalls Standard Desk Dictionary

An important part of my teaching strategy is to help you learn to adapt to the deadlines you will face in the vocations. As such, I will enforce the announced deadlines for assignments in order to support this lesson but also in order to be fair to your classmates who do manage to meet the deadline. Only in extraordinary circumstances—and usually with a request in advance of the due date—may I consider extending an individual’s deadline (and even then I am likely to assess some penalty). Note that computer malfunctions, competing assignments in other courses, and extra-curricular commitments (e.g., team sports) are not extraordinary circumstances but rather part of the college experience of learning time management, multi-tasking, and prioritizing.