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AMERICAN GENRES - SUPERHEROES Film Studies 2367 – Summer 2016 M/T/W/Th: 11:40 – 1:15, Haggerty Hall 160 ‘The Space’ Christopher Jeansonne (jeansonne.2) Office hours – By Appt. (generally available directly before or after class) Dept. of Arts Administration, Education, and Policy Sullivant Hall, 2nd Floor (1813 North High Street)

This class will allow you to hone your critical faculties to a level beyond that of most humans as we struggle to unlock the secrets of this most powerful of genres. We will apply tightly focused beams of critical theory to mainstream work, as well as seek out exceptional work that lies mysteriously hidden. Not limiting ourselves to simply one media format or era, we will marvel as heroes leap from page to screen and back again, their narratives transforming as they travel through time and across space. Superhero texts--primarily comics, films and TV, but also video games, fiction, even poetry--will be analyzed using various aesthetic, historical, ideological and industrial lenses. You will be challenged by the analyses of generations of brilliant minds that have engaged with these heroes before you, and through creative and critical writing assignments you will be called upon to think more deeply about these heroes than you ever imagined possible.

Level 2 Writing Course (2367 Designation across Departments), Expected Learning Outcomes 1) Develop Critical Writing and Thinking Skills: a) Through critical analysis, discussion, and writing, students demonstrate the ability to read carefully and express ideas effectively, b) Students apply written, oral, and visual communication skills and conventions of academic discourse to the challenges of a specific discipline, c) Students access and use information critically and analytically. 2) Expose Students to ‘Diversity in The American Experience’: “Engage students in a critical study of the pluralistic nature of institutions, society, culture in the United States, with special attention to issues of race, ethnicity, disability, economic class, social class, gender, sexual orientation, religion, and politics” [Please see the ‘Second Level Writing Handbook,’ at the OSU Center for the Study of Teaching and Writing website, for more information]

Written Texts and Comics Carmen- The majority of the readings—both the superhero narratives and academic texts—will be available on the Carmen site in either pdf format or as links to online materials. Comic Texts to Purchase at a Comic Shop (preferably The Laughing Ogre on High, who has generously offered a class discount): A) You must purchase 1 of 5 selected trade editions 1980s comics according to a sign up on first day. B) You must purchase a current issue of a superhero of your choice, in consultation with a store worker, to use for a critical review assignment that will be due June 6th. Marvel Unlimited - All members of the class are required to subscribe to the online Marvel Unlimited service (which provides access to in digital format) for at least May-early June.

Screenings of Motion Picture Media Cinema Screening – Over the Memorial Day Weekend, all students will be required to go to the cinema to watch X-Men: Apocalypse in connection with a critical review essay assignment. If this is an assignment for which I need to twist your arm, you may be in the wrong class… Secured Media Library - Except for the Netflix shows (and the cinema screening, of course), all motion picture media is available through the Secured Media Library (SML), including material that we watch in class. 2

Attendance You are expected to attend every class meeting. Your attendance is vital to the success of the class, and to your development as a writer and critical thinker. You have 1 excused absence over the course of the session; any absence after that will count as a zero for attendance and class participation that day, dropping your participation category grade by a full letter. You are expected to be punctual and stay through the duration of each class; arriving late or leaving early may count as an unexcused absence unless arrangements have been made in advance. Documented excused absences–illnesses, family tragedy, religious observance or travel for inter-collegiate athletics or for academic purposes—will not affect your overall grade; however, all such absences require written documentation.

Assignments / Assessments: • “You’re the Hero” – Short Essay & Carmen Discussion Board Posting, along with Class Leading Presentations (15% TOTAL) ESSAY (10%): Once during the semester, you will post (on the Carmen Discussion boards) a short, heroically insightful essay in response to the readings/viewings for that particular day of class. It will be short, 500-650 words, but should be a well-crafted and focused essay in MLA format. Depending on the day you sign up for, you may write primarily about the screenings or the readings, or make connections between the readings/concepts and the films. I will have model essays up before the first postings. You MUST: 1) include quotations from or specific references to the readings and screening materials 2) include at of the paper one or more thought-provoking questions for the class. You may also include an image, link, clip, etc. in the Carmen post that connects with your essay’s points. All essays should be posted as word documents AND copied into the body of the Carmen post itself. These are intended to be conversation starters for the class discussion, and so are DUE BY 6PM THE DAY BEFORE the class in which the readings are assigned so that I (and the other class members) will have a chance to read them ahead of time. CLASS LEADING (5%): Usually with a partner, you will be expected to give a short presentation and to lead the first 20-30 minutes of discussion based on the content of your essay; I encourage the use of clips, images, and/or quotes that will help that discussion along. Come up with provocative questions!

• 2 ‘Sidekick’ or ‘Villain’ Comments (5% total): At least once during each half of the class—so once in weeks 1-3 and once again in weeks 4-6, and NOT on a day when you are the ‘hero’—everyone will post a substantial, thoughtful comment on the student response essays, or on the resulting class discussions. Your comments must add to or challenge the response essays, much like a ‘sidekick’ or ‘villain’ [good natured villains, of course]. A Sidekick comment might begin “Holy deconstructions, Batman, I hadn’t thought of it that way! What if…”; a Villainous one might go something like “Not so fast, caped critiquer! I disagree because…” You are encouraged to include video clips, images, or links to support your comments. [Graded A, B, C, D, E]

• Participation, Mini Assignments, Quizzes (20% total - 10% per half) This includes participation in-class discussion and preparation for the class, as well as small assignments and quizzes. This class will be more rewarding for all if the class is thoroughly engaged in in-person and online discussion. Fruitful participation requires that you complete the readings and viewings for the class even when you are not the ‘hero’ for the day.

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• 1st Short Essay : In the 1980s, Superheroes Get (Taken) Serious(ly) (10%) Each of you will write a 500-650 word essay that responds to one of a selection of comic texts that were transformative to the superhero industry and the public perception of the genre (including Watchmen by and , Swamp Thing by Alan Moore, Miracle Man by Alan Moore and Garry Leach/, The Dark Knight Returns by Frank Miller, and Daredevil: The Man without Fear by Frank Miller). There will be at least one secondary article that you will read, in addition to the comic, and you are invited to use other sources to inform your opinion. A detailed prompt and essay guidelines will be given to you in class. You will have a chance to revise this essay after a peer review.

• 2nd Short Essay – Critical Response to X-Men: Apocalypse (10%) Over the long Memorial Day weekend of May 27-30, the newest film in the X-Men franchise will arrive in theaters. You will find a time to watch the film in a cinema, and write a 500-650 word critical response to the film that will be due on the Tuesday of our return. You are encouraged to make this a kind of independent ‘field trip’—we can discuss in class possibilities for attending in groups. The earlier films in the franchise will be available on the SML. Also, in the days before, we will all read an X-Men comic, and each of you will choose from a selection of short critical essays on X-Men, each with a very different perspective. A detailed essay prompt will be given in class, but keep in mind that this is NOT a film review (no ‘thumbs up’ or star counts!). You will have a chance to revise this essay after a peer review.

• 3rd Short Essay – New Comic Critical Review with Comic Book Shop Visit (10%) Due on the 1st day of the 4th week of the class, you will turn in an approximately 300 word, 2-page critical review of a current issue of a comic of your choosing. This will be a poster-style review, meaning it must contain images that support the critical argument of the text. In preparing to read the comic, you must visit a local comic book shop (I’ve been in touch with the Laughing Ogre shop on High Street, and they are aware of this assignment) and consult with someone who works there in making your selection. More specific guidelines for this writing project will be given in class, but the paper will include a discussion of your comic selection process as well as a discussion of the comic in light of the critical lenses we’ve used in class. The reviews will be posted on the wall so that all of us can circulate and discuss them.

• Preparatory Work on Final Paper or Project (5% total) Including Proposal & Outline/Production Schedule, Conference, and Draft for Peer Review or Creative Project in Progress. [Graded A, B, C, D, E] • Final Paper OR Creative Project and Reflective Essay (25%) o You will write an essay of 1500-3000 words (5-10 pages excluding references) on a superhero text of your choice. This will be a Research Paper, and will involve outside sources; you will most likely also use sources from the class readings, but a successful research project will certainly involve other sources as well. o In lieu of the final paper, you may do a Creative Project and Reflective Essay. This creative project may be in any medium that you are comfortable with—scriptwriting, video-making, photography, dance, fashion or textiles, or even (wait for it)…comics! The project must directly connect with the superhero genre in content and/or aesthetic approach, and must engage with one or more of the conceptual/theoretical issues we’ve dealt with in class. The project will be accompanied by a Reflective Essay of about 500 words that outlines your creative process as well the conceptual connections you’ve made through the creation of the work. 4

Citation Format and Submission Policies All papers, including the short response essays, should be properly formatted, and all references correctly cited. In general, MLA format will be expected; if you have a reason for wanting to use a different format, please speak with me about this. Great online resources for are the OSU Writing Center and Purdue OWL websites. Use of Images in Assignments I invite you (and even encourage you) to include images on all assignments and papers, but keep in mind that this does not count towards your page count, and all images should be cited.

Daily / Minor Assignment Grading (for which there are no specific guidelines given in class): A / (Check Plus) – Insightful, outstanding, and thorough completion of assignment B / (Check) – Thoughtful completion of assignment C / (Check Minus) – Adequate completion of assignment D / (Check Minus Minus) – Clear misunderstanding of, or cursory completion of, assignment E – You didn’t do it…

Grading scale 87–89.9: B+ 77–79.9: C+ 67–69.9: D+ 93–100: A 83–86.9: B 73–76.9: C 60–66.9: D 90–92.9: A– 80–82.9: B– 70–72.9: C– 59.9 and below: E

Late assignments Minor assignment late work will be accepted up to one week after the due date, but the grade will be reduced half. Major assignments will be reduced a full letter grade per day that they are late unless special arrangements are made.

Academic Misconduct It is the responsibility of the Committee on Academic Misconduct to investigate or establish procedures for the investigation of all reported cases of student academic misconduct. The term “academic misconduct” includes all forms of student academic misconduct wherever committed; illustrated by, but not limited to, cases of plagiarism and dishonest practices in connection with examinations. Instructors shall report all instances of alleged academic misconduct to the committee (Faculty Rule 3335-5-487). For additional information, see the Code of Student Conduct at http://studentlife.osu.edu/csc/.

Disability Services Students with disabilities that have been certified by the Office for Disability Services will be appropriately accommodated and should inform the instructor as soon as possible of their needs. The Office for Disability Services is located in 150 Pomerene Hall, 1760 Neil Avenue; telephone 292-3307, TDD 292-0901; http://www.ods.ohio-state.edu/. Other Disability Related Resources can be found at: http://ada.osu.edu/resources/links.htm 5

DATE Homework to be done BEFORE CLASS IN-CLASS Topics/activities WEEK 1: Introduction

Wednesday, Introduction to the course. Introduction to Us. Course Materials, SML, Carmen, May 11 What is a superhero? Overview of Assignments Why study superheroes? SIGN UP for ‘You’re the hero’ response days Superheroes in Comics, Film, TV, Radio, Fiction Poetry, SIGN UP for mid-1980s comic selection Visual Arts, Games, Merchandise, and…(?) TO BE PREPARED BEFORE CLASS: TO DO DURING CLASS: Thursday, READ: Bongco Ch 3 on Reading Comics NO CLASS: JEANSONNE AT May 12 READ: Bongco Ch 4 on Superhero Genre BARNETT SYMPOSIUM READ: Wright from Comic Book Nation, “Superheroes for the Common Man” WEEK 2: Transmedial Industries, Histories and Retcons

Monday, READ: Smith and Duncan on History of Simon & Schuster Superhero Origins : The First Life and Death of the May 16 READ: Early Superhero Comics – Superman 1938/39, Superhero Genre, Transmedial History Batman 1939, Wonder Woman 1941/42, WATCH: Early Superman (Animated Serial) #1, 1941 (MU) LISTEN: Early Superman (Radio Serial) OPTIONAL: Detective Comics1937, The Flash1940, Green Transmediality and the Superhero Lantern1940, Spectre1940, Lopes on Comics Evolution Tuesday, READ: Selected Early Marvel Comics 1960s–#1s of: Revisionist Comics Essay Writing Prompt May 17 Fantastic Four(’61), The Incredible Hulk(’62), [Amazing Frederic Wertham & The Comics Code Fantasy #15(’62)]/Amazing Spider-Man(’63), Uncanny X- Rebirth of Superheroes – 60s, The Superhero in Pop Men(’63), Daredevil(’64) OPTIONAL—1 OF FOLLOWING: Culture, Other Media – Visual Arts Fantastic Four #45-55(’65), Captain America #114-120(‘69), WATCH: Batman (1966) (film) Marvel Super-Heroes #12-15, 17-18(’67-‘69) Wednesday, READ: 1970s Selected DC [Carmen]– Green Lantern/Green The Changing Comics Industry in the 1970s May 18 Arrow (#76), Batman (#232) Selected Marvel: [Marvel *Hero(es): Unlimited]: Amazing Spiderman#96(’71), Luke Cage: Hero for Hire#1(’72), Dr. Strange#1(74), Uncanny X-Men(#101) OPTIONAL: Bongco Ch 5 on Shifts in Comics Thursday, WATCH: Superman (1978) (film) Birth of the Blockbuster, Other Media–VideoGames May 19 OPTIONAL: Pascal LeFevre on Adaptation *Hero(es):

WEEK 3: Revisions, Gender, Sexuality, The Other

Monday, DUE: ESSAY ON REVISIONIST COMIC PEER REVIEWS OF REVISIONIST ESSAYS May 23 READ: 1 of the 1980s revisionary comics from the list at The 80s – Re-envisioning the hero: right, according to sign up from the first day Miracle Man, The Swamp Thing, Watchmen, Dark Extra: Peace on OPTIONAL: Articles will be available on Carmen that Knight Returns, Daredevil–Born Again Earth, Red Son discuss Alan Moore and Frank Miller Activity: Graphic Depictions of Violence Tuesday, READ: Selected Wonder Woman (comics), Jill Lepore on WATCH: Wonder Women! (Documentary) May 24 Wonder Woman, Gloria Steinem on Wonder Woman, Gender in Superhero Narratives Extra: Wonder *Hero(es): Woman (new) OPTIONAL: Trina Robbins “The Great Women Superheroes” Wednesday, READ: #1-2(comic-Carmen),#1(Marvel WATCH: Jessica Jones (TV) Episode 1 May 25 Unlimited) WATCH: Agent Carter (TV) Episode1(SML) Gender in Superhero Narratives Extras: Captain DUE: REVISED REVISIONIST COMIC ESSAYS *Hero(es): Marvel,Ms Marvel, OPTIONAL: READ: Critical Reviews of Agent Carter and Thor, She-Hulk, Bitch Planet, Jessica Jones,“ ’I Don’t Like Bullies’: Captain America and X-Men: Apocalypse Writing Prompt Squirrel Girl a New Masculinity,” online article by Auriemma Thursday, READ: X-Men: God Loves, Man Kills (comic) [Marvel X-Men as metaphor for the ‘Other’ May 26 Unlimited] READ: Introduction, plus 1 article on the X-Men *Hero(es): (your choice, from the selections provided on Carmen) *Hero(es) WATCH: X2:X-Men United (Film) Class Feedback 6

WEEK 4: Critical Reviews, Comics and Race in America Monday, ***WATCH: X-Men Apocalypse*** MEMORIAL DAY – NO CLASSES May 30 (Film to Watch in Theater)

Tuesday, DUE: CRITICAL RESPONSE TO SCREENING OF PEER REVIEWS OF CRITICAL RESPONSES May 31 X-MEN: APOCALYPSE Cosplay—GUEST: Rebecca Turk (Theatrical Costumer READ: Article on Cosplay / Arts Education Researcher) Sign up for Final Paper/Project Conferences Groups for June 1st Readings- Deadpool/Ms. Marvel

Wednesday, Three Groups: Meta-Fiction, Intertextuality and the Superhero / June 1 1) READ: Ms. Marvel #1-4 (MU) (2014) AND WATCH: Coming of Age as a Secular Islamic Teen Superhero online interviews with G. Willow Wilson Fan in post-9/11 America 2) READ: Deadpool Kills the #1-2 (MU) WATCH: Deadpool (movie) excerpt AND Article “When You Just Know You’re a Superhero” 3) READ: Marvels #1-4 (MU) by Busiek and Ross (1994) New Comic Critical Reviews Prompts Thursday, DUE: REVISED CRITICAL RESPONSES African American Comics in the 90s June 2 READ: Milestone Selected Comics (select 1 of 4) Re-territorializations of Marvel Superheroes – New READ(Opening 3 pages) and SCAN: Article on Spiderman, New Thor, New Captain America Extra: Matamaji, The Milestone – African American comics of the 1990s *Hero(es): 99 READ: Short Article “#Lighten Up”- from the Nib Final Papers/Creative Project Prompts WEEK 5: Fictions, Fans, Disability Monday, DUE: NEW COMIC CRITICAL REVIEWS NEW COMIC GROUP ACTIVITIES AND June 6 PRESENTATIONS GUEST: Mike Watson (Comic Artist) Tuesday, DUE: FINAL PAPER/PROJECT PROPOSALS FINAL PAPER/PROJECT DISCUSSIONS June 7 ALL READ: The Black Panther #1-2 (comic-Carmen), Ta-Nehisi Coates on being black in America today; is Coates in The Atlantic (articles on working on the this Coates able to bring his project to bare on comic), Captain America: Sam Wilson #1 (Marvel another love of his, comics? Unlimited) ALSO, SCAN THE OPENING OF: Ta-Nehisi Politics and Comics Coates Between the World and Me AND/OR “The Case *Hero(es): for Reparations” Wednesday, READ:Daredevil:The Man Without Fear (1993,comic,MU) WATCH: Marvel’s Daredevil (Netflix, TV) June 8 READ: Alaniz, “’What Can We Ever Have to Fear from a Disability and Comics Blind Man?!!’: Disability, Daredevil, and Passing” from *Hero(es): Death, Disability, and the Superhero: The Silver Age and Beyond OPTIONAL: Read Daredevil #25-31 (1Lee, 967) Thursday, [Work on your Final Projects / Papers] (OPTIONAL CLASS MEETING) / CONFERENCES June 9

WEEK 6: Technology / Our Research on Superheroes Monday, [OPTIONAL] CREATIVE PROJECT STUDENTS (only) June 13 READ: Iron Man #1-6 (2004, Writer , Artist Works in Progress Discussions Granov, Subtitled: Extremis) (comic- Marvel Unlimited) Tuesday, [OPTIONAL] READ: ‘Heidegger and Tony Stark’ Article Instructor Presentation: Marvel and Technology June 14 WATCH: Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014) *Hero(es) Make-Up Day (film-SML) *Final Questions-Papers, Projects, Presentations Wednesday, DUE: FINAL PAPER DRAFTS FINAL PAPER STUDENTS (only) June 15 Final Paper Peer Review Activities

Thursday, DUE: FINAL CREATIVE PROJECTS AND FINAL CREATIVE PROJECT PRESENTATIONS June 16 PRESENTATIONS

*** FINAL REVISED PAPERS / REFLECTIVE ESSAYS DUE IN DROPBOX: FRIDAY, JUNE 17 – 5PM