Since the publication of Maus, graphic works have moved from the underground niche field of adult comics to mass markets around the world. In this seminar we’ll explore some of the new forms to be found under the umbrella of the graphic novel: wordless narratives for adults and children; personal memoirs; biographies; fantasy and dystopian works; journalism; first-hand accounts of events in world history; and, of course, fiction.
In this seminar we will have two special presentations by outside speakers and we’ll read and discuss five graphic works: Passionate Journey, by Frans Masereel, a wordless story in woodcuts; Fun Home, by Alison Bechdel, a childhood memoir; Berlin: City of Stones (Part One of the Berlin trilogy) by Jason Lutes, the history of a city during the rise of Hitler’s Germany; They Called Us Enemy, by actor/activist George Takei, a personal account of the Japanese incarceration camps in the US; and My Brother’s Husband, by Gengoroh Tagame, a Japanese manga.
The amount of reading will vary, not exceeding 100 pages per week. Graphic novels have many pictures and few words, so the ‘reading’ experience is different from most books. It is more like watching a film in slow motion. All books are accessible in libraries and can be purchased second-hand.
Morning seminars run from 9:30 am – 11:30 am.
