International Comics Cultures module (CG50002)

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Credits

40

Module code

CG50002

This module introduces students to a variety of comics emerging from different national traditions, facilitating an understanding of the differences and similarities between these comics cultures.

We trace the formal and cultural relationships between the art, writing and production of French, Belgian, British, American, Russian, Japanese, and Chinese comics, and also focus on the emerging comics cultures of India, Iran, Africa and South America. The focus is on the specific national styles and production history, but also points towards their convergence, and the role of the internet comics in making the comics medium and industry more international and inter-related.

Course Outline

  • Week 1: Introduction to course
  • Week 2: British Comics 1: From Hogarth to The Beano: selected stories
  • Week 3: British Comics 2: The Eagle, 2000AD and Charley’s War: selected stories
  • Week 4: American Comics: From The Yellow Kid to Crumb: selected stories, including examples from Krazy Kat, Peanuts, Superman, Spider-Man, and EC horror and war stories
  • Week 5: Belgian and Italian Comics: Masereel, The City and Herge, Tintin in the Land of the Soviets and Destination Moon, and Lorenzo Mattotti, Fires
  • Week 6: French Comics 1: Classic Bande Dessinée: René Goscinny and Albert Uderzo, Asterix the Gaul, and Edgar Pierre Jacobs, Blake and Mortimer
  • Week 7: French Comics 2: Modern Bande Dessinée: Jacques Tardi, It Was the War of the Trenches and Moebius, selected stories
  • Week 8: Polish and Russian Komics: Andrzej Klimowski, The Secret and Nikolai Maslov, Siberia
  • Week 9: Japanese Comics 1: Osamu Tezuka, Astro Boy and Machiko Hasegawa, Sazae-san
  • Week 10: Japanese Comics 2: Kazuo Koike and Goseki Kojima, Lone Wolf and Cub, and Katsuhiro Otomo, Akira
  • Week 11: Emerging Comics Cultures (China, India, Africa, South America): selected stories

Assessment

This module is assessed 100% by coursework as follows:

  • Weekly journal (20% in total) 200 words per week, due on the Friday of each week
  • Presentation (20%), given in class, topic to be agreed with module organiser
  • 2 x Research essay (30% each)

Convenor

Dr Chris Murray