Week 12 Comics by Women

This week we are focusing on the contributions of women creators to comics.  The featured reading is a This One Summer by the Tamaki cousins. . There are a number of possible alternate readings including several works that are autobiographical non-fiction. Among the most important of these might be Fun Home, the autobiographical "graphic novel" by strip cartoonist Alison Bechdel which we have considered before.  Also Bechdel's sequel Are You My Mother which is a deeper psychological exploration of the creator's relationship with her Mother.

In class we will look at some of the history of comics written and drawn by women. If you didn't read My Favorite Thing is Monsters last week, it is a good selection for this week as well as are Persepolis and My Lesbian Experience with Loneliness. Among other works you might find interesting are Julie Doucet's My New York Diary, Diary of a Teenage Girl by Phoebe Gloeckner, and Laurie Sandell's The Imposter's Daughter. If you are interested in women working in somewhat more mainstream comics you might look at Pretty Deadly, Lumberjanes, and Bitch Planet all which show a greater participation in mainstream comics by female writers and artists. 

I will be discussing a number of other works that relate to the history of women in making comics and I hope that you all are able to read some of the excellent work we are considering this week and be prepared to talk about what you read in class.

For a further list of works check the assignment for this week on the Activity Page for this week.

Week 11 Comics as Contemporary Literature

This week we will discuss how the graphic novel is becoming an accepted part of the literary landscape. In order to explore this topic I am asking you to start reading three choices on the Activity Page for this week.  I would like you write briefly about your experience with each of the three and I expect you to finish reading one of the choices all the way through.  

When you write your response, talk about what you think is literary about the work you chose.  Or if you don't agree with me that it is literary, you can talk about why it is not.

Among this week's featured suggestions are  Asterios Polyp by David Mazzucchelli or My Favorite Thing is Monsters by Emil Ferris. These works are recent landmarks of the literary graphic novel. These works like others, can be considered as not located within genre but within the expectations of a literary audience that is extremely sophisticated about narratives that unfold in both visual and written modes. Other noteworthy works in this category include Jimmy Corrigan The Smartest Kid on Earth by Chris Ware, Ghost World and several other works by Daniel Clowes, Fun Home and Are You My Mother by Alison Bechdel, and Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi.

Here is a link to this week's Activity Page

Week Ten: Manga and the Japanese Comics Tradition

This week we are looking at Manga and the comics tradition in Japan. The activity page lists a number of works you can choose to read but please try to make sure you read at least one of the major works by Osamu Tezuka. One of the volumes of Phoenix or the Buddha series is especially recommended.

You can use some links below to go to scanlation sites where there are works by Tezuka.  You will also find some works to read on the Course Resource Page.

I have linked a presentation on Manga to the Activity Page for this week.  Please watch this before coming to class.

Tezuka: I have linked recommended works by Tezuka for this week to the Activity Page.  Here are some other works available on scanlation sites.  Please read one of the Buddha series or Phoenix series as a first choice for this week.

Lost World (1948) one of Tezuka's first successes in long form story manga.

Next World (1951) early science fiction story manga by Tezuka, part of the foundation of science fiction manga.

Tonkaradani Monogatari (1955) Tales in a natural setting.  You might call this emblematic of the roots of shoujo. 

Angels Hill (1960) Early shoujo, merpeople on Angel's Island.

Dororo (1967) very popular shonen classic by Tezuka sets the formula for much of the shonen genre. Three volumes here.

Clockwork Apple (1970) Short stories with Tezuka flexing his new, more mature storytelling style.

Ode to Kirihito (1970) Gekiga influenced medical drama, very hard edged and interesting, an adventure manga focusing on the corruption at the heart of the medical establishment. Not a kid's manga.

Black Jack (1973) based loosely on some of Tezuka's experiences in medicine. A medical themed adventure series in seven volumes.

Hidamari no Ki (1981) historical slice of life samurai medical drama.  There are anime series and live action tv series based on this manga.

Manga Seibutsugaku educational manga from Tezuka combining his manga skill with his interests in biology, especially insects. Two volumes.

Astro Cat (1986) In case you didn't get enough of Astro Boy, here are the adventures of his cat.


I can also recommend Bakuman which is an interesting "backstage at the manga" story which explains the context of contemporary shonen comics in Japan and can provide insight on the publication dynamics of popular Japanese manga and anime as the industry was constructed until recently.

Here is a link to a very in-depth discussion by manga professionals as to the future of manga in Japan.

Here is a link to the Activity Page for this week which will link to this week's presentation , to possible readings and other resources.

Week Nine: European Comics

From Marjane Satrapi's Persepolis

This week we are considering other traditions of the comics, especially the work of European artists.  The American magazine, Heavy Metal, was instrumental in bringing a number of European artists, especially fantasy illustrators, to the attention of the American audience. These artists had a great influence on the development of graphic science fiction and fantasy worldwide which has been especially apparent in movies. 

The autobiographical genre of comics has also been strongly pursued by a number of contemporary European cartoonists. On the syllabus listing for this week and the course resource pages you will find a wide range of works that encompass a number of genres.  Some stories are personal, some stories are in classic genre like westerns or sci-fi.  Most are in the long form of European comics called the "album," a cardboard bound book. 

While occasionally suppressed for political or religious reasons, the comics as a medium in Europe generally shared the same distribution system as typical books or magazines. Graphic storytelling assumed an audience that included adults. This meant that European comics always had modes of storytelling that included serious subjects and works that received serious consideration by critics and readers.

Persepolis, by Marjane Satrapi is a must read for anyone interested in the Graphic Novel.  If you haven't read it before you might want to read it now.  And if you didn't read any TinTin before now, please read some this week, he is the fundamental figure in Franco-Belgian Comics. 

But European Comics (Bandes Dessinées) are especially effective in genre graphic narratives like adventure stories, westerns, science fiction, fantasy, noir, erotic comics and satire.  In part, because storytelling for adults through comics was able to develop more directly in main stream publishin and distribution in Europe.

Among the artists and works you should consider reading this week are anything by Moebius, perhaps the most influential artist in post-war European comics; the Nikopol Trilogy by Enki Bilal; Ranxerox by Tambourini and Liberatore (very adult content warning on this work); any Asterix album, some of the adventure tales of Hugo Pratt and Milo Manera; the erotically charged narratives of Crepax; and some of the Space Operas of Barbarella or Valerian & Laureline.  There is a fullsome set of resources for you to read and some background videos to watch and enjoy on this week's Activity Page.

Here is a link to a new archive of Heavy Metal magazine on the internet.

For a more complete list of alternate readings and resources for this week look at this week's Activity Page.