EXPERIENCING COMICS An Introduction to Reading, Discussing, and Creating Comics Experiencing Comics is a visionary introduction to an emerging field— the study and creation of comics—that has been waiting for a treatment like this. Accessible, engaging, provocative, and inspiring, Experiencing Comics assembles some of the most potent and fascinating authorities in comicsdom, including creators, researchers, historians, and teach- ers. It presents a portrait of comics as the diverse, wide-ranging, and culture-shaping medium that it is today, the vibrant birthplace of block- buster imaginations and underground possibilities. Rachelle Cruz is just the right teacher to wisely select resonant voices from the cutting edge of comics study, and present them in an engaging way to students, whether fresh to comics or familiar with only some sliver of the craft. The text will sharpen critical lenses while opening eyes to comics’ variety. The questions will reinforce understanding and deepen analysis. The activities will unleash the creative language of comics for students themselves. I can’t wait to use this book in my classroom. —Paul Lai, Comics Educator and Host of Comics Syllabus, a Multiversity Podcast EXPERIENCING COMICS An Introduction to Reading, Discussing, and Creating Comics Written and edited by Rachelle Cruz Bassim Hamadeh, CEO and Publisher Mieka Portier, Acquisitions Editor Sean Adams, Project Editor Emely Villavicencio, Senior Graphic Designer Alisa Munoz, Licensing Coordinator Natalie Piccotti, Director of Marketing Kassie Graves, Vice President of Editorial Jamie Giganti, Director of Academic Publishing Copyright © 2019 by Cognella, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reprinted, reproduced, transmitted, or utilized in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including photocopy- ing, microfilming, and recording, or in any information retrieval system without the written permission of Cognella, Inc. For inquiries regarding permissions, translations, foreign rights, audio rights, and any other forms of reproduction, please contact the Cognella Licensing Department at [email protected]. Cover image copyright © Depositphotos/deberarr; Depositphotos/NoraVector. Interior image copyright © 2010 Depositphotos/mheldvector; 2015 Depositphotos/Sky-Designs. Trademark Notice: Product or corporate names may be trademarks or registered trademarks, and are used only for identifica- tion and explanation without intent to infringe. Printed in the United States of America. ISBN: 978-1-5165-1698-8 (pbk) / 978-1-5165-1699-5 (br) BRIEF CONTENTS Introduction ix List of Contributors xi CHAPTER 1 Reading Comics 1 CHAPTER 2 Discussing Comics 35 CHAPTER 3 History and Background 67 CHAPTER 4 Creating Comics 119 Works Cited 161 About the Author and Editor 163 DETAILED CONTENTS INTRODUCTION XI LIST OF CONTRIBUTORS XIII CHAPTER 1 Reading Comics 1 1.1 Defining Comics 2 1.2 Introduction to Comics Terms 6 1.3 Cartoonists on Comics They Love 11 1.4 Spotlight on Ashanti Fortson, Cartoonist 17 1.5 Getting Oriented 18 1.6 The Basics: How Do You Read a Comic? 18 1.7 Sample Visual on How to Read a Comic—American Born Chinese 19 1.8 Notice and Focus—Student Example 23 1.9 Spotlight on John Jennings, Cartoonist 26 1.10 Spotlight on INK BRICK, A Journal of Comics Poetry 30 1.11 A List of Further Reading 33 CHAPTER 2 Discussing Comics 35 2.1 Reading: “Panthers and Vixens: Black Superheroines, Sexuality, and Stereotypes in Contemporary Comic Books” by Jeffrey A. Brown 36 2.2 Discussion Questions 46 2.3 Reading: Excerpt from The New Mutants: Superheroes and the Radical Imagination of American Comics by Ramzi Fawaz 46 2.4 Discussion Questions 59 2.5 Reading: “The Difference a Mutant Makes”— Los Angeles Review of Books Article by Ramzi Fawaz 60 2.6 Discussion Questions 64 2.7 A List of Further Reading 65 vii CHAPTER 3 History and Background 67 3.1 An Introduction 67 3.2 Interview with Betsy Gomez, Editorial Director of the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund (CBLDF) 69 3.3 Spotlight on MariNaomi, Cartoonist and Founder of the Car- toonists of Color Database and the Queer Cartoonists Data- base 74 3.4 Activity: Students as Historians—Creator Profile 75 3.5 Reading: “Making Comics Respectable: How Maus Helped Redefine a Medium” by Ian Gordon 76 3.6 Discussion Questions 84 3.7 Interview with Keith Sicat, Director of Komikero Chronicles 85 3.8 Interview with Fred Van Lente, Author of The Comic Book History of Comics 91 3.9 Interview with Dr. Frederick Aldama, Author of Your Brain on Latino Comics, Multicultural Comics, and Graphic Borders 93 3.10 Interview with Dr. Deborah E. Whaley, Author of Black Women in Sequence: Re-inking Comics, Graphic Novels, and Anime 100 3.11 Cartoonists on Comics History 103 3.12 Interview with Jeff Yang and Keith Chow, Editors of Secret Identities: The Asian American Superhero Anthology and Shattered 108 3.13 Interview with Ryan North, Creator of the webcomic, Dinosaur Comics 113 3.14 A List of Further Reading 117 CHAPTER 4 Creating Comics 119 4.1 Introduction 119 4.2 Exercise 1: Self-Portrait as Icon 121 4.3 Exercise 2: A Monster’s Exquisite Corpse 122 4.4 Cartoonists on Generating Ideas 124 4.5 Exercise 3: Character and Dialogue 129 4.6 Spotlight on Gene Luen Yang, Cartoonist 131 4.7 Exercise 4: Making Friends with Inner Demons 132 4.8 Spotlight on Andi Santagata, Cartoonist 135 4.9 Cartoonists on Perseverance in the Comics-Making Process 140 4.10 Exercise 5: Reverse Engineer a Movie Scene 145 4.11 Student Examples of Comics Final Projects 146 4.12 Cartoonists on Advice for Students of Comics 152 4.13 Cartoonists on Pitching 157 4.14 A List of Further Reading 158 Works Cited 163 ix Introduction The idea for this textbook arrived in the second week Marjane Satrapi’s Persepolis, I wanted to prioritize or so of an introductory course to the graphic novel and include the sheer variety of voices, aesthetics, when one of my students sheepishly asked, “Wait, and backgrounds that aren’t typically studied (and but how do you actually read comics?” Her initial are frankly often historically excluded) in an intro- question led others to chime in: “Do I read the words ductory class. My syllabus foregrounds webcomics, or the pictures first?” “How do I analyze comics?” independently published works (beyond Marvel and The class contained students with a range of back- DC), and manga, and some of these titles include: grounds in reading and writing about comics but a Yumi Sakugawa’s Your Illustrated Guide to the Uni- majority struggled with how to read comics. Several verse; MariNaomi’s Dragon’s Breath and Other True of them hadn’t ever read a single comic book; others Stories; Allie Brosh’s Hyperbole and a Half; Kabi read them frequently but were so used to “binge Nagata’s My Lesbian Experience with Loneliness; reading” for enjoyment that they didn’t often take excerpts from the political cartooning website, notice of craft and storytelling elements. The first The Nib, among several others that deserve their chapter of Experiencing Comics, “Reading Comics,” own entire course of study. In addition to teaching is dedicated to the critical reading, thinking and comics, I’ve attended several conventions both as writing processes and adapts David Rosenwasser a presenter and a fan throughout the years, includ- and Jill Stephen’s technique, “Notice and Focus,” ing the notable San Diego Comic Con, Geek Girl for slowing down the reading process in order to Con, and Wonder Con, and regional zine fests (L.A. allow students to first make observations of what Zine Fest and I.E. Zine Fest, both based in Southern they’re seeing and reading, then propose inferences California), where comics creators, writers, artists, based on their initial considerations. The “Notice letterers, and other industry folks engage in rich and Focus” process helps guide thoughtful analy- conversations about process, storytelling, collabora- sis, often deepening initial reads and observations tion, and publishing. I sought to capture the vitality and turning casual comics readers into scholars of of these conversations through the interviews with the medium. cartoonist sections throughout Experiencing Comics, Although my syllabus includes foundational which range in topics from each cartoonist’s own and oft-assigned texts, including Scott McCloud’s writing background and process, to advice for begin- Understanding Comics, Art Spigelman’s Maus, ning cartoonists. There are also spotlight features xi xii EXPERIENCING COMICS on comics creators such as John Jennings and Andi Gordon’s essay, “Making Comics Respectable: How Santagata that give a more in-depth look at their Maus Redefined a Medium,” showcases the rise of processes and projects. the graphic novel’s “respectablility” through the The second chapter of Experiencing Comics, academic reception and acceptance of Art Spigel- “Discussing Comics,” includes comics scholarship man’s Maus. work by Jeffrey A. Brown, who wrote “Panthers The fourth chapter is arguably the most inter- and Vixens: Black Superheroines, Sexuality and active and perhaps the most fun. It provides Stereotypes,” and an excerpt from Ramzi Fawaz’s comics-making exercises that can be done in class book, The New Mutants: Superheroes and the Rad- or at home and will give students a chance to prac- ical Imagination of American Comics, in addition tice craft and storytelling elements that cartoonists to an interview with Fawaz from the Los Angeles discuss throughout the textbook. Student exam- Review of Books. This chapter will encourage stu- ples from my own class are provided, in addition to dents to access literary theory and sociopolitical excerpts of their final fifteen page comics projects, terms, such as intersectionality, hegemony, and to show the range of style, aesthetics, and approach liberal democracy; in order to broaden and deepen to craft.