MEDIA 222 : Comics and Visual Narrative

Arts

2023 Semester Two (1235) (15 POINTS)

Course Prescription

Explores the medium of comics both as an expression of popular culture and as a visual language. Beginning with a history of sequential graphic narrative, the course considers issues around the legitimacy of a popular art form and means of story-telling, as well as the problem of censorship that dominated comics culture especially in the 1950s.

Course Overview

This course explores the medium of comics both as a form of popular culture and as a visual language. Beginning with a history of graphic sequential art and an introduction to the technical language of comics, the course moves on to place this sequential art form in relation to literary approaches to narrative and a variety of theories from the study of visual culture and image analysis to enable an understanding of the unique language of comics: the ‘comixture’ of word and image that is essential to the comic book form. In the early part of the course issues pertaining to censorship, cultural value, and aesthetic status will also be addressed before moving on to specific topics such as the superhero story; testimony, memory and witness; the underground and alternative scene; autobiography; manga; and gender.

The course also considers issues in the political economy of the medium relating to giant corporations such as Disney who only recently purchased Marvel comics, and the small independent publishers who still use the local photocopier as their primary means of publication. While it is not possible to survey differing national and regional comics, Japanese manga has achieved a great deal of global visibility, and the specific cultural issues relating to its emergence and distribution will be examined in one of the lectures. The use of new media technologies also requires some consideration of the development of web comics and the “digital native” comics designed for use on phones and tablets. The challenges posed to the integrity of the traditional comics page and the privileging of sequence as well as the use of scrolling or directed reading in these new formats raises questions about the nature of the contemporary comics medium. Do these innovations signal the arrival of a new media form somewhere between the comic, animation and film.

Overall, the course will encourage you to link your own interest in comics to both academic and popular debates. You will also be encouraged to draw on theories studied on other courses where they can be shown to be applicable. It is not expected that you will already be a fan of comics, but in order to benefit fully from the course you should at least be prepared to engage with the comics on the reading list and use the various resources (retail and archival, physical and virtual) to increase your awareness of the richness of the medium. By the end of the course you should have deepened your understanding of comics and their place within contemporary society, and developed a critical understanding of some key debates surrounding this popular form of story-telling.

Course Requirements

Prerequisite: 15 points at Stage I in Art History or Media and Screen Studies and 30 points passed, or 30 points in Communication or Transnational Culture and Creative Practice Restriction: FTVMS 222, 327, MEDIA 327

Capabilities Developed in this Course

Capability 1: Disciplinary Knowledge and Practice
Capability 2: Critical Thinking
Capability 3: Solution Seeking
Capability 4: Communication and Engagement
Capability 6: Social and Environmental Responsibilities
Graduate Profile: Bachelor of Arts

Learning Outcomes

By the end of this course, students will be able to:
  1. Demonstrate understanding of the history of comics and comics studies (Capability 1.1)
  2. Create practical work suing skills in visual communication (Capability 1.2)
  3. Apply theories from different fields of study to practice problems (Capability 1.3)
  4. Evaluate applicability of theoretical claims for the purpose of visual storytelling (Capability 2.1)
  5. Demonstrate an understanding of of a specific issue for the purpose of communication (Capability 6.3)
  6. Identify key issues in the history of comics and comic studies (Capability 2.3)
  7. Explain the importance of comics for the disseminating knowledge and experience (Capability 3.1)
  8. Communicate complex ideas in visual form (Capability 3.2)
  9. Be able to write coherently and effectively in both prose and images (Capability 4.1)
  10. Develop an ability to express ideas in a new medium (Capability 4.2)

Assessments

Assessment Type Percentage Classification
Assignments 20% Individual Coursework
Assignments 30% Individual Coursework
Assignments 50% Individual Coursework

Workload Expectations

This course is a standard 15 point course and students are expected to spend 10 hours per week involved in each 15 point course that they are enrolled in.

For this course, you can expect 12 hours of lectures, a 22 hours of tutorials/workshops, 40 hours of reading and thinking about the content and 45 hours of work on assignments and/or test preparation.

Delivery Mode

Campus Experience

Attendance is expected at the scheduled 2-hour workshops.

Lectures will be available as recordings only. These will be available in the slot designated for the lecture and remain on Canvas for the duration of the course.
The course will not include live online events.
The activities for the course are scheduled as a standard weekly timetable of 2-hour workshop followed by 1-hour lecture.

This course is not available for delivery to students studying remotely outside NZ in 2023.

Learning Resources

Course materials are made available in a learning and collaboration tool called Canvas which also includes reading lists and lecture recordings (where available).

Please remember that the recording of any class on a personal device requires the permission of the instructor.

Student Feedback

At the end of every semester students will be invited to give feedback on the course and teaching through a tool called SET or Qualtrics. The lecturers and course co-ordinators will consider all feedback and respond with summaries and actions.

Your feedback helps teachers to improve the course and its delivery for future students.

Class Representatives in each class can take feedback to the department and faculty staff-student consultative committees.

As I recently changed the delivery mode to a 1-hr lecture, some students felt there was too much content for the one hour. I have reduced the content for this year and made space in the workshops.

Academic Integrity

The University of Auckland will not tolerate cheating, or assisting others to cheat, and views cheating in coursework as a serious academic offence. The work that a student submits for grading must be the student's own work, reflecting their learning. Where work from other sources is used, it must be properly acknowledged and referenced. This requirement also applies to sources on the internet. A student's assessed work may be reviewed against online source material using computerised detection mechanisms.

Class Representatives

Class representatives are students tasked with representing student issues to departments, faculties, and the wider university. If you have a complaint about this course, please contact your class rep who will know how to raise it in the right channels. See your departmental noticeboard for contact details for your class reps.

Inclusive Learning

All students are asked to discuss any impairment related requirements privately, face to face and/or in written form with the course coordinator, lecturer or tutor.

Student Disability Services also provides support for students with a wide range of impairments, both visible and invisible, to succeed and excel at the University. For more information and contact details, please visit the Student Disability Services’ website http://disability.auckland.ac.nz

Well-being always comes first
We all go through tough times during the semester, or see our friends struggling. There is lots of help out there - for more information, look at this Canvas page https://canvas.auckland.ac.nz/courses/33894, which has links to various support services in the University and the wider community.

Special Circumstances

If your ability to complete assessed coursework is affected by illness or other personal circumstances outside of your control, contact a member of teaching staff as soon as possible before the assessment is due.

If your personal circumstances significantly affect your performance, or preparation, for an exam or eligible written test, refer to the University’s aegrotat or compassionate consideration page https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/students/academic-information/exams-and-final-results/during-exams/aegrotat-and-compassionate-consideration.html.

This should be done as soon as possible and no later than seven days after the affected test or exam date.

Learning Continuity

In the event of an unexpected disruption, we undertake to maintain the continuity and standard of teaching and learning in all your courses throughout the year. If there are unexpected disruptions the University has contingency plans to ensure that access to your course continues and course assessment continues to meet the principles of the University’s assessment policy. Some adjustments may need to be made in emergencies. You will be kept fully informed by your course co-ordinator/director, and if disruption occurs you should refer to the university website for information about how to proceed.

Student Charter and Responsibilities

The Student Charter assumes and acknowledges that students are active participants in the learning process and that they have responsibilities to the institution and the international community of scholars. The University expects that students will act at all times in a way that demonstrates respect for the rights of other students and staff so that the learning environment is both safe and productive. For further information visit Student Charter https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/students/forms-policies-and-guidelines/student-policies-and-guidelines/student-charter.html.

Disclaimer

Elements of this outline may be subject to change. The latest information about the course will be available for enrolled students in Canvas.

In this course students may be asked to submit coursework assessments digitally. The University reserves the right to conduct scheduled tests and examinations for this course online or through the use of computers or other electronic devices. Where tests or examinations are conducted online remote invigilation arrangements may be used. In exceptional circumstances changes to elements of this course may be necessary at short notice. Students enrolled in this course will be informed of any such changes and the reasons for them, as soon as possible, through Canvas.

Published on 26/10/2022 10:57 a.m.