ENGL393-02:
Special Topics in Literature: The Graphic Novel
Saint Louis University – Spring 2011
MWF 11:00 AM – Xavier Hall G13
Mr. David Olsen, instructor
Office: Adorjan Hall, Room 209
Office hours: Monday and Wednesday 12:00-1:00, and by appointment
E-mail: olsendb@slu.edu
Purpose
In light of the growing cultural esteem of graphic novels – from bestseller lists to film adaptations to academic journals – this course will present an outline of comic art in the 20th Century, which will lead up to a detailed study of several contemporary graphic novels. We will also interrogate the way in visual idioms and rhetorical innovations from the comics have left their mark on American and international culture more generally, including fine art, film, and literature. We will see, too, how the medium of sequential art is extraordinarily fluid, having adapted to accommodate numerous forms and genres: from superheroes to surrealism, from talking animals to autobiography.
The critical analysis of comics and graphic novels presents a unique challenge within literary studies, as we will be reading both visually and verbally. To do this, we will adapt strategies from a broad variety of disciplines within the humanities, and our intention will be to illuminate the complexity of these texts from numerous angles and perspectives.
Objectives
To develop a heightened critical understanding of narrative art in its many forms
To reconsider the place of comics and cartoons within our literary and popular cultures
To trace the development of the graphic novel across many genres
To appreciate and utilize different methodological approaches to literature and art
To speak and write about comics with comfort, sophistication, and aplomb
Required Texts
David B., Epileptic. New York: Pantheon, 2005.
Paperback
ISBN-10: 0375714685
ISBN-13: 978-0375714689
Alison Bechdel, Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic. 2006. Boston: Mariner Books, 2007.
Paperback
ISBN-10: 0618871713
ISBN-13: 978-0618871711
Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely, We3. New York: DC Comics, 2005.
Paperback
ISBN-10: 1401204953
ISBN-13: 978-1401204952
Anders Nilsen, Dogs and Water. Montreal: Drawn and Quarterly, 2007.
Hardcover
ISBN-10: 1897299087
ISBN-13: 978-1897299081
Greg Rucka and J.H. Williams III, Batwoman: Elegy. New York: DC Comics, 2010.
Hardcover
ISBN-10: 1401226922
ISBN-13: 978-1401226923
Lynd Ward, Vertigo: A Novel in Woodcuts. 1937. Mineola, NY: Dover, 2009.
Paperback
ISBN-10: 0486468895
ISBN-13: 978-0486468891
Chris Ware, Jimmy Corrigan: The Smartest Kid on Earth. New York: Pantheon, 2001.
Paperback
ISBN-10: 0375714545
ISBN-13: 978-0375714542
Reading Assignments
There will be a specific reading assignment for nearly every class period, and it is your responsibility to both read the text and be prepared to discuss its significance within the scope of the course – preferably with written notes or questions to facilitate this process. I will often seek volunteers to speak up and respond to a text, concept, or question, but you may want to be prepared to be called on as well.
Some of our readings will come from outside of the seven required texts. This will be available as PDF files on our class homepage; the “Reading Assignments” page has links to each day’s reading.
Writing Assignments
All students will be required to complete three major papers in the class, as well as a few relatively informal assignments. All papers should be formatted with 1” margins on all sides, double-spaced, and with 12-point Times New Roman font. Your research should be cited using the current MLA (Modern Language Association) guidelines, which will be outlined in class.
Papers must be e-mailed to me by the time that they are due.
Also, it is supremely important to always save often as you are writing. Computers sometimes crash despite every available precaution, and being able to have the most recent version of a paper – even if that means saving it in an e-mail or external hard drive – is always preferable to a complete rewrite.
Grading Standards
Your final grade in the course is contingent upon several factors, which are broken down as follows:
Paper #1 – 20%
Paper #2 – 25%
Final Exam – 30%
Reading Quizzes – 10%
Shorter Writing Assignments – 10%
Class Participation – 5%
Papers in this course will be assigned a letter grade with a value that corresponds to the University’s grade point average scale: A = 4.0, A- = 3.7, B+ = 3.3, B = 3.0, B- = 2.7, C+ = 2.3, C = 2.0, C- = 1.7, D = 1, F = 0.
Academic Integrity and Honesty
Students are expected to be honest in their academic work. The University reserves the right to penalize any student whose academic conduct at any time is, in its judgment, detrimental to the University. Such conduct shall include cases of plagiarism, collusion, cheating, giving or receiving or offering or soliciting information in examinations, or the use of previously prepared material in examinations or quizzes. Violations should be reported to your course instructor, who will investigate and adjudicate them according to the policy on academic honesty of the College of Arts and Sciences. If the charges are found to be true, the student may be liable for academic or disciplinary probation, suspension, or expulsion by the University.
At the very least, anyone who violates this policy by plagiarizing a paper in this course will receive a zero on the assignment, with no possibility for revision. In some cases, the student may also receive a failing grade for the course. If a case of plagiarism is identified at any point in the semester, I may also reexamine and reevaluate assignments that have already been turned in for a grade in the class. We will be addressing the proper citation of sources early in the semester, so there should be little confusion regarding the incorporation of research and quotations into your papers.
Attendance
Attendance in this course is mandatory. You are allowed to miss three class periods (i.e., unexcused absences), after which your final grade will be lowered by one half of a letter grade for each subsequent absence. For instance, if you should receive a B in the course but have missed class four times, you will receive a C+. This is a policy endorsed by both the College of Arts and Sciences and the Department of English.
Excused absences include religious holidays, medical illness or emergency (with appropriate documentation), and participation in Saint Louis University athletic events. Athletes who know they will be missing certain classes will need to provide official documentation from their coach and a schedule of events by no later than the end of the first week of classes.
Excessive tardiness will not be endured. If a student is tardy three times, it will be considered an absence. Likewise, a student who is more than 15 minutes late for class will also be considered absent. I will be taking roll at the beginning of each period, and students who arrive late are responsible for seeing me after class to confirm their attendance.
Cell Phones and Computers
Cell Phones and Computers
With the increasing presence of personal technology in our classrooms comes a greater and greater risk for distraction and diversion. It is my policy that any student who is observed using their phone will be marked absent for that day. This includes talking and text messaging. (To not be intellectually present and engaged in a class discussion is to be absent from class, in my opinion.) I approve of the use of a computer in the class for note-taking or for classroom activities and projects. However, students observed to be using a computer for other reasons (browsing, e-mail, IM, other classwork, etc.) will also be marked absent.
Late Papers
Papers should be turned in to me via my SLU e-mail address by the hour and date specified for each assignment. Any paper that is late will be docked one half of a letter grade for each day that it is late. If you know you will be absent on a due date, you may turn in your paper to me before the day it is due. I have listed these dates on the syllabus. If any of these deadlines should change at any point in the semester, I will make the revision very clear during class time in addition to a written confirmation via e-mail.
Course Content Disclaimer
In this course, students may be required to read text or view materials that they may consider offensive. The ideas expressed in any given text do not necessarily reflect the views of the instructor, the English Department, the Writing Program, or Saint Louis University. Course materials are selected for their historical and/or cultural relevance, or as an example of stylistic and/or rhetorical strategies and techniques. They are meant to be examined in the context of intellectual inquiry of the sort encountered at the university level.
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