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Your browser does not appear to support JavaScript, or JavaScript is currently disabled. This page uses JavaScript for certain types of content, so we strongly recommend that you enable JavaScript for browsing this site. As instructors are increasingly using comics in the classroom—and especially as more college programs are devoting entire courses to comics studies—the need for a textbook introducing the medium becomes more pronounced. Over the past several years there have been a few works that have attempted to fill this textbook gap by providing broad overviews of the various facets of the nascent discipline. In their edited collection, A Comics Studies ReaderJeet Heer and Kent Worchester pull together previously published essays that would ideally serve as supplementary texts covering the history, craft, as well as cultural and aesthetic contexts of comics. In Caped CrusadersJeffery Kahan and Stanley Stewart create a more focused textbook that uses comics, specifically superhero comics, as a way of structuring a freshman composition course. Smith attempt to cover the broad spectrum of classroom potential when it comes to comics: e. While ambitious in their own ways, each of these texts is not without its problems. The Comics Studies Reader comprises almost arbitrary—and at times, perhaps too specialized—essay choices that may not serve effectively in an introductory comics classroom. Kahan and Stewart's work reads less as a composition guide and more as an excuse to discuss comics under an assumption of pedagogy. And Duncan and Smith's The Power of Comicsfor all of its breadth, is an unbalanced offering of chapters and perspectives, some more successful than others, with several that would be tangential or even superfluous in the classroom. Hers is a relatively condensed introduction to comics studies, a text of modest length that covers only a few salient aspects of the medium. Indeed, Kukkonen's work stands in direct contrast to The Power of Comicswhich takes a shotgun approach to comics studies. The text is divided into six main chapters. The first is a brief overview of the process of reading comics, understanding the mise en page and the dynamics of entering a text's storyworld. Next, Kukkonen provides a quick overview of narratological concerns, discussing the function of the narrator and highlighting such concepts as focalization, point of view, and the distinctions between story and discourse. Her third chapter is the only one specifically to focus on genre, using this sole attempt to explore autobiographical comics. She devotes her fourth chapter to comics and adaptation, limiting herself to the adaptation of classic literary texts. Her last two sections are devoted to a quick history of the medium and to various critical approaches through which readers could approach comics e. Each chapter is structured as one might expect in a textbook: a general discussion, punctuated with supplementary commentary in the form of "sidebar" boxes of information, and then followed by a reference list, texts for further reading, and Studying Comics and Graphic Novels classroom activities. Kukkonen ends her book with an appendix of comics and graphic novels for further reading and a glossary of key terms discussed in the text. The author states in the introduction that she is specifically taking a cognitive approach to her survey, "one that draws on insights from the cognitive sciences and the neurosciences into how our minds and bodies work together. It uses the cognitive approach as a point of departure for considering different aspects of comics, their connection to other media, and their place in culture" As it turns out, this both is and is not the case. While there are some parts that foreground such a cognitive approach—one of the best examples of this comes in the first chapter, where Kukkonen discusses immersion into a comic's storyworld—the majority of the text is not necessarily, or at least not overtly, framed by cognitive theory and reads in a more or less critically neutral manner. This actually works to Kukkonen's benefit, since a theoretically biased textbook may Studying Comics and Graphic Novels seen as suspect, or at least limiting, by some instructors. This being the case, it is unclear why the author makes this assertion at the outset, although perhaps it could be explained by the fact that Kukkonen also published another book, Contemporary Comics Storytellingat around the time that Studying Comics and Graphic Novels was released, which employed a discernable cognitive lens. Indeed, if readers are interested in what cognitive narrative approaches to comics may look like, they would do well to turn to Contemporary Comics Storytellingwhich uses such fascinating series as FablesTom Strongand Bullets to explore this critical method. One of the most striking aspects of Studying Comics and Graphic Novels is its brevity. Studying Comics and Graphic Novels the one hand, Studying Comics and Graphic Novels conciseness works in the textbook's favor. Instructors who want to use an introductory or supplemental book to accompany their primary texts, the comics themselves, might actually prefer a shorter textbook that does not require too much of the class's time and energy—which is arguably the case with Duncan and Smith's The Power of Comics. Kukkonen's brief overview on how to read a comics page chapter 1 and the basics of comics as narrative chapter 2 are good examples of brief and useful introductions. However, there are parts of the text Studying Comics and Graphic Novels concision works against its intended purposes. For example, the chapter on adaptation could have benefited from a broader understanding of how adaptation actually functions in comics—and here, Kukkonen would have done well to adopt Linda Hutcheon's eclectic insights in A Theory of Adaptation —instead of limiting herself to just comics that revisit classic works of literature, such as Studying Comics and Graphic Novels found in the Classics Illustrated series and the works of Martin Rowson. In fact, her use of R. Another section that could have benefited by more thorough analysis is Studying Comics and Graphic Novels 5, "Comics and Their History. Kukkonen begins this chapter with a discussion of comics' beginnings—taking issue with analyses that focus on the Bayeux tapestry or murals of ancient Egypt—and Studying Comics and Graphic Novels quickly moves onto early twentieth-century American newspapers. She does provide a succinct rendering of early newspaper strips and the rise of the comic book as comics' primary delivery system, and she devotes a brief section of this chapter to Fredric Wertham, the Senate hearings, and the ensuing Comics Code although not providing enough detail in places and Studying Comics and Graphic Novels unclear that the Comics Magazine Association of America was expressly created as a reaction to congressional inquiry. But she completely ignores historically significant moments such as the rise of Marvel in the early s, mainstream publishers' struggles in the s, the growth of alternative comics during the s, the impact of the direct market during the s and s, and the state of the industry after the turn Studying Comics and Graphic Novels the century. In fact, Kukkonen skips from censorship in the s to a digressive section on comics and popular culture, and then onto the underground comix movement. And even her discussion of underground comix is conspicuously thin. Perhaps one should not expect a more expansive coverage of comics history in such a concise textbook, but if an author intends to present a useful history of comics, she should be prepared to provide a more complete coverage of its defining events, however skeletal. Perhaps one reason for the incomplete history is due to the author's lack of familiarity with mainstream comics in general, and superhero titles in particular. This paucity of knowledge—if, in fact, this is the case—comes out in other ways in the text. Outside of a few key events in superhero comics, such as Action Comics 1 and DC's Crisis on Infinite EarthsKukkonen seems to ignore superhero comics completely. Indeed, her appendix of "More Comics and Graphic Novels to Read" includes only four—arguably five, if you include Planetary —mainstream superhero titles from DC, and surprisingly or shockingly? Where, one may ask, are Squadron Supreme —much like Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons's Watchmenquoted often in the text, a commentary on the superhero genre—or highly influential narrative arcs such as Secret Wars or Civil Warjust to name a few? The only superhero title that she discusses with any kind of authority is Watchmenand that, one could argue, is a postmodern critique of the superhero genre that positions itself outside of the mainstream. By continually Studying Comics and Graphic Novels back to Watchmen as the example of superhero comics, and to the exclusion of other more obvious mainstream examples, Kukkonen is perhaps inadvertently demonstrating a scant awareness of superhero comics—a genre that has gone a long way in defining comic-book history—that limits not only her history, but her entire project. The author's genre biases are perhaps most pronounced in the type of Studying Comics and Graphic Novels she chooses to use as illustrative examples to the concepts she introduces. Her chapter on autobiographical comics is the only part of the book specifically devoted to a particular genre or type of narrative. Not only is there no sustained discussion of superhero titles; there is no substantive mentioning of other genres that have, at different times, significantly defined the comics industry, past or present. The one exception to this is her brief mentioning of horror and EC Comics, but that is merely to set up the context of self-censorship in the mids. Her privileging of autobiographical comics betrays her academic background and biases. Anyone who teaches in secondary and higher education, and has a knowledge of the kind of comics taught in those classrooms, knows that autobiographical graphic novels are perhaps Studying Comics and Graphic Novels most popular means of introducing students to comics. So in many ways, it makes sense that Kukkonen would devote an entire chapter on this kind of narrative, to the exclusion of other types of Studying Comics and Graphic Novels. Also, there is nothing wrong with writing within an academic mindset, especially if the textbook that you are writing is intended for use within the academy. Still, such an overt privileging of autobiographical comics, especially in a text that purports to introduce the larger scope of comics, appears lopsided, prejudiced, and incomplete. In fact, this sense of genre bias manifests itself elsewhere in Studying Comics and Graphic Novels. Of the titles that Kukkonen uses as illustrative examples of her arguments, texts such as Maus, Fun Homeand Blankets garner the most notable attention. Although, to her credit, the author does pull from Vertigo titles such as Sandman [] and V for Vendetta [] to illustrate some of her points. One could arguably call these books, and similar titles that are used frequently in the classroom, the "usual suspects" Studying Comics and Graphic Novels comics studies, the common books that instructors turn to, time and again, as examples of comics worth literary consideration. While it makes sense to bring in a discussion of these "canonical" comics texts, it would have been useful to deemphasize the frequently taught and introduce more lesser-known titles, as she does at one point in her discussion of another Vertigo Studying Comics and Graphic Novels, Warren Ellis's Desolation Jones Academicians do a grave disservice to Studying Comics and Graphic Novels medium by focusing only on the most popular syllabus choices and limiting student exposure to other, equally deserving, Studying Comics and Graphic Novels. Still, Kukkonen's Studying Comics and Graphic Novels is a step in the right direction when it comes to a comics studies textbook. Its initial chapters are useful starting points for students unfamiliar with comics, and even for those with little experience in literary textual analysis. And perhaps the strongest parts of the book are the author's close readings of various comics texts. Indeed, Kukkonen excels when it comes to in-depth visual analysis, demonstrating by example the richness that readers can pull from sequential art, whether it be a newspaper strip, an online comic, an ongoing comic-book series, or an original graphic novel. The question remains: Is Studying Comics and Graphic Novels a thorough enough textbook to use in a classroom devoted to comics studies? Parts of it are, but there are significant gaps in its presentation—e. Kukkonen's writing works best when demonstrating by example and through her own thorough readings of specific titles. This is one of the Studying Comics and Graphic Novels why her other work fromContemporary Comics Storytellingstands out as the more successful of the two. But if teachers and comics aficionados are looking for a concise yet wide-ranging introductory text on comics studies, then they may need to wait a little longer. Perhaps in a future edition, Kukkonen can fill in the gaps that mar the present text and revise her analyses to be not only more inclusive, but perhaps more importantly, more judicious and comprehensive. Duncan, Randy, and Matthew J. Smith, eds. New York: Continuum, Heer, Jeet, and Kent Worcester, eds. A Comics Studies Reader. Hutcheon, Linda. A Studying Comics and Graphic Novels of Adaptation. New York: Routledge, Kahan, Jeffrey, and Stanley Stewart. Caped Crusaders Composition through Comic Books. Studying Comics and Graphic Novels, NC: McFarland, Kukkonen, Karin. Studying Comics and Graphic Novels. Malden, MA: Wylie-Blackwell, This essay is the intellectual property of the author and cannot be printed or distributed without the author's express written permission other than excerpts for purposes consistent with Fair Use. 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Goodreads helps you keep Studying Comics and Graphic Novels of books you want to Studying Comics and Graphic Novels. Want to Read saving…. Want to Read Currently Reading Read. Other editions. Enlarge cover. Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Open Preview See a Problem? Details if other :. Thanks for telling us about the problem. Return to Book Page. This introduction to studying comics and graphic novels is a structured guide to a popular topic. It deploys new cognitive Studying Comics and Graphic Novels of textual analysis and features activities and exercises throughout. Deploys novel cognitive approaches to analyze the importance of psychological and physical aspects of reader experienceCarefully structured to build a sequenced, rounded intro This introduction to studying comics and graphic novels is a structured guide to a popular topic. Deploys novel cognitive approaches to analyze the importance of psychological and physical aspects of reader experienceCarefully structured to build a sequenced, rounded introduction to the subjectIncludes study activities, writing exercises, and essay topics throughoutDedicated chapters cover popular sub-genres such as autobiography and literary adaptation Get A Copy. Paperbackpages. Published September 10th Studying Comics and Graphic Novels Wiley-Blackwell first published January 1st More Details Other Editions 6. Friend Reviews. To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up. To ask other readers questions about Studying Comics and Graphic Novelsplease sign up. Be the first to ask a question about Studying Comics and Graphic Novels. Lists with This Book. This book is not yet featured on Listopia. Community Reviews. Showing Average rating 3. Rating details. More filters. Sort order. Start your review of Studying Comics and Graphic Novels. Sep 25, Diana rated it it was ok. Studying Comics and Graphic Novels disappointing. And I had such great hopes for this. However, while there are definitely moments within the text that might prove useful in an introductory and only introductory course in Comics Studies—Kukkonen's Studying Comics and Graphic Novels examples of close reading and some of her suggested assignments and class activities come to mind—the book is otherwise riddled with errors, which could now slip into academic canon and be propagated to students, unless the instructors who use this text are savvier about comi Very disappointing. However, while there are definitely moments within the text that might prove useful in an introductory and only introductory course in Comics Studies—Kukkonen's own examples of close reading and some of her suggested assignments and class activities come to mind—the book is otherwise riddled with errors, which could now slip into academic canon and be propagated to students, unless the instructors who use this text are savvier about comics than Kukkonen herself. The creator of Prince Valiant, for example, is the brilliant artist and writer Hal Foster—not Forster. And Kukkonen's mistakes are not simple typos; this particular one is made over and over again. Has she read Foster's Studying Comics and Graphic Novels It sure didn't seem like it. A caption is a multifaceted narrative tool, not merely an indication of off-scene voice-over dialogue. The job of a comics editor is vastly different from that of a continuity editor for film. Unfortunately, I could go on. Academic interest in comics has been a long time coming, but now that it's here—be careful what you wish for—there's no reason for the scholarship to be as. And we might legitimately ask: Who's watching these self-proclaimed academic watchmen and Studying Comics and Graphic Novels Most importantly, what of Kukkonen herself? Her bio says she's a postdoc research fellow. I hope her next foray into Comics Studies benefits from real research, because this one sadly does not. View all 4 comments. Oct 01, Melanie rated it really liked it. An excellent introduction for students interested in studying comics! I found the suggested readings and glossary particularly helpful. Oct 12, Derek Royal rated it it was ok. There are many good things about this book, one of the most notable being Kukkonen's abilities at close reading. She does a wonderful job at getting into a comics page and ferreting out meaning and Studying Comics and Graphic Novels insights. However, to judge this book on it's intended ground -- as a textbook to be used in a course on comics -- it's an incomplete and flawed work. First off, much of the analysis and presentation is truncated the chapter on the history of comics being the most egregious exampleand al There are many good things about this book, one of the most notable being Kukkonen's abilities at close reading. First off, much of the analysis and presentation is truncated the chapter on the history of comics being the most egregious exampleand also the perspective and preference of textual analysis is quite limited. You can tell in reading this text that the author comes solely from an academic perspective. By that I mean she primarily privileges "literary" comics, or the kind that are taught over Studying Comics and Graphic Novels over and over again. In other words, she only turns to the "usual suspects" when it comes to discussions and examples. And her demonstrated knowledge of the superhero and other popular genres is noticeably thin. The academy still needs a good textbook for comics studies. Unfortunately, this is not it. View 2 comments. I will say upfront that I do not necessarily agree with everything Kukkonen writes or all of her definitions, but there is no argument about being both a very useful and much needed textbook when teaching comics in a classroom, and learning and understanding how to analyse comics narratives in general. One of the textbook's advantages is its levelled approach both to analysis of various component part from panel through page composition to larger narrative sequences and sociohistorical and cultu I will say upfront that I do not necessarily agree with everything Kukkonen writes or all of her definitions, but there is no argument about being both a very useful and much needed textbook when teaching comics in a classroom, and learning and understanding how to analyse comics narratives in general. One of the textbook's advantages is its levelled approach both to analysis of various component part from panel through page composition to larger narrative sequences and sociohistorical and cultural contextsand while, as stated, I am not always in agreement with Kukkonen's take on certain matters, her text itself often if not always opens itself up to be contradicted and positioned against alternative formulations, definitions, and, if you will, narratives. Part of this also, I assume, comes with her textbook approach to cover both alternative theories and fields, and various levels of the medium itself and the analysis thereof. At any rate, it is an interesting read, and a good starting point for somebody about to Studying Comics and Graphic Novels the field of comics studies, one way or another. Oct 13, Andy rated it really liked it Shelves:non-fictiongraphic-novels. One section even shows you how to write an essay. Kukkonen does go into a fair amount of depth in discussions of narrative and panel layout as well as a good, but concise history of comics. At times Kukkonen gets a little too academic f 3. At times Kukkonen gets a little too academic for Studying Comics and Graphic Novels tastes, but this is a textbook, after all. The recommended reading list is also good. Worth a look, especially for those new to comics studies. Jan 15, Norman rated it it was amazing Shelves: comicsStudying Comics and Graphic Novelsgraphic-novels. A thin very cl;ear;y written book offering a great introduction to the differing strands of scholarship that have grown up around comics in the last 20 or so years. A breath of fresh air for the beginner and a great overview for any scholar. Anna rated it it was ok Apr 26, Rachel rated it really liked it Aug 02, Lauryn rated it really liked it Jan 18, Robin Studying Comics and Graphic Novels it really liked it Sep 02, Jonathan Lange rated it Studying Comics and Graphic Novels liked it Jul 30, Levia Hayes rated it it was amazing Dec 29, Alexandrine rated it liked it Oct 11, David rated it really liked it Oct 06, Kenia rated it liked it Oct 02, Raisu rated it liked it Jun 13, Dylan rated it it was ok Dec 24, Maarja Koovit rated it liked it Oct 03, PJ Ebbrell rated it it was ok Dec 22, Byronic rated it really liked it Nov 12, Armin Studying Comics and Graphic Novels it it was amazing Aug 20, Keijo Ahlqvist rated it it was ok May 18, Scott Ashworth rated it really liked it Apr 04, Studying Comics and Graphic Novels Comics studies - Wikipedia

Comics studies also comic s art studiessequential art studies [1] or graphic narrative studies [2] is an academic field that focuses on comics and sequential art. Although comics and graphic novels have been generally dismissed as less relevant pop culture textsscholars in fields such as semioticsaestheticssociologycomposition studies and cultural studies are now re-considering comics and graphic novels as complex texts deserving of serious scholarly study. Not to be confused with the technical aspects of comics creation, comics studies exists only with the creation of comics theory —which approaches comics critically as an art—and the writing of comics historiography the study of the history of comics. Comics studies is also interrelated with comics criticismthe analysis and evaluation of comics and the comics medium. Continental comics studies can trace its roots back to the pioneering work of semioticians such as Roland Barthes particularly his essay "Rhetoric of the Image", published in English in the anthology Image—Music—Text [9] and Umberto Eco particularly his book Apocalittici e integrati. More recently, analysis of comics have begun to be undertaken by cognitive scientiststhe most prominent Studying Comics and Graphic Novels Neil Cohnwho has used tools from linguistics to detail the theoretical structure of comics' underlying "visual language", and has also used psychological experimentation from cognitive neuroscience to test these theories in actual comprehension. This work has Studying Comics and Graphic Novels similarities between the way that the brain processes language and the way it processes sequential images. Studying Comics and Graphic Novels[13]. Similar to the problems of defining literature and film, [14] no consensus has been reached on a definition of the comics medium, [15] and Studying Comics and Graphic Novels definitions and descriptions have fallen prey to numerous exceptions. HarveyWill Eisner[18] David Carrier[19] Alain Rey, [15] and Lawrence Grove emphasize the combination of text and images, [20] though there are prominent examples of pantomime comics throughout its history. In the field of composition studiesan interest in comics and graphic novels is growing, partially due to the work of comics theorists but also due to composition studies' growing focus on multimodality and visual rhetoric. Composition studies theorists are looking at comics as sophisticated texts, and sites of complex literacy. Gunther Kress defines multimodality as "the use of several semiotic modes in the design of a semiotic product or Studying Comics and Graphic Novels, together with the particular way in which these mode are combined" [23] or, more simply as "any text whose meanings are realized through more than one semiotic code". Kristie S. Fleckenstein sees the relationship between image and text as "mutually constitutive, mutually infused"—a relationship she names "imageword". Fleckenstein sees "imageword" as offering "a double vision of writing-reading based on [the] fusion of image and word, a double vision of literacy". Dale Jacobs sees the reading of comics as a form of "multimodal Studying Comics and Graphic Novels or multiliteracyrather than as a debased form of print literacy". Comics historiography the study of the history of comics [3] studies the historical process through which comics became an autonomous art medium [28] and an integral part of culture. A person with a passionate interest in comics is informally called a comicphile [32] or comics buff. The first attempts at comics historiography began in the United States in the s with the work of Thomas CravenMartin Sheridan, and Coulton Waugh. It was not until the mids, with the publication of Jules Feiffer 's The Great Comic Book Heroesthat the field began to take root. The late s saw a wave of books celebrating American comics' centennial. Comics studies is becoming increasingly more common at academic institutions across the world. West Liberty University is currently the only university offering a four-year undergraduate literature degree in comics studies. Sol M. The University of Lancaster started offering a PhD degree in comics studies in Since many new scholarly journals have appeared dedicated to comics studies. Although presentations dedicated to comics are commonplace at conferences in many fields, entire conferences dedicated to this subject are becoming more common. Comics Foruma UK-based community of international comics scholars, also holds an annual conference at Leeds Central Library ; the first was held in From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Academic study of comics and graphic novels. Speech balloon. Comics portal. Philosophy Compass. Cook eds. Arnold Publishers. Embodied Literacies: Imageword and a Poetics of Teaching. Southern Illinois University Press. Retrieved 19 May Retrieved Culture and the Comic Strips. Smathers Libraries. Teesside University. The Irish News. Tara McInerney. Weiner ed. Archived from the original on The Secret Origins of Comics Studies. Comics Forum. Beaty, Studying Comics and Graphic Novels Comics Versus Art. University of Toronto Press. Scandinavian Journal of Comic Art. Berghahn Books. The Language of Comics: Word and Image. University Press of Mississippi. In Aldama, Frederick Luis ed. University of Texas Press. Ayaka, Carolene and Ian Hague eds. Il fumetto e le sue teorie comunicativePalermo, Zap edizioni, Bramlett, Frank ed. Cohn, Neil ed. Dong, Lan ed. Duncan, Randy and Matthew J. Fuchs, Studying Comics and Graphic Novels J. Heer, Jeet and Worcester, Kent eds. Magnussen, Anne and Hans-Christian Christiansen eds. McLaughlin, Jeff ed. Meesters, Gert, "Creativity in Comics. Miller, Ann and Bart Beaty eds. Schmitz-Emans, Monika ed. Smith, Matthew and Randy Duncan eds. Weiner, Robert G. Historiography [ edit ] Barrier, J. Michael and Martin Williams. Keith ed. Booker, M. Couperie, Pierre C. Goulart, Ron. Harvey, R. Marschall, Rick. Pustz, Matthew ed. Sheridan, Martin. The Steranko History of Comics vol. The Comics: Before Harry N. The Comics: Since Harry N. Wright, Bradford W. Glossary of comics terminology. Film comic Motion comic Photo comics Text comics. Studying Comics and Graphic Novels list Minicomics Webcomics. Female comics creators list. South Africa. Comic books Comic strips Manga magazines Webcomics. 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