ILLUS-3740

COMICS: GRAMMAR OF THE GRAPHIC NOVEL

Faculty: Joe Quinones

Course Level: Freshman, Sophomore, Junior, Senior, 5th Year, Graduate

3 Credits

This course will explore the way words and pictures combine in sequence to form something much greater than the sum of their parts: comics! Students will investigate the mechanics of comics storytelling through a series of exercises designed to deconstruct the comics language. As the exercises increase in complexity, they also increase in freedom; encouraging students to apply the skills they’ve honed to narratives of their choosing. While clarity is key to engaging the reader, this course emphasizes communication regardless of style. Through a series of cumulative exercises introducing a new element of the comics language each week, students will be equipped for further work in this art form. Discussions will include a concise history of the medium from newspaper cartoons, to the rise of manga, graphic novel, and webcomics.