552.295 (21S) Specialized Topics in Cultural Studies: Non-fictional Comics & Graphic Novels

Sommersemester 2021

Registration deadline has expired.

First course session
04.03.2021 08:00 - 11:00 Online Off Campus
... no further dates known

Overview

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it may be necessary to make changes to courses and examinations at short notice (e.g. cancellation of attendance-based courses and switching to online examinations).

For further information regarding teaching on campus, please visit: https://www.aau.at/en/corona.
Lecturer
Course title german Specialized Topics in Cultural Studies: Non-fictional Comics & Graphic Novels
Type Proseminar (continuous assessment course )
Course model Online course
Hours per Week 2.0
ECTS credits 3.0
Registrations 13 (25 max.)
Organisational unit
Language of instruction English
Course begins on 04.03.2021
eLearning Go to Moodle course

Time and place

Please note that the currently displayed dates may be subject to change due to COVID-19 measures.
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Course Information

Intended learning outcomes

After the course, students will be knowledgeable about the medium comics in general, important real-life events, as well as about a diverse array of topics and foci, ranging from autobiographical explorations of sexuality, addiction, and travel, to journalistic retellings of crime investigations and experiences in warzones,presented in a selection of comics texts.

Teaching methodology including the use of eLearning tools

short lecture inputs; analyses and in-class (online) discussions of texts from the reading list 

Course content

Comicsare typically associated with superpowered people, wearing capes and theirunderwear over their clothes and tell fictitious tales of larger-than-lifeheroism and villainy. However, some artists and writers have used the medium to focus on real-life events and tell compelling non-fictional stories. Graphic novels, a particular type of comics, first and foremost, have been employed to engage in narratives beyond the fictional and distinguished themselves as works of art. In this class we will investigate various comics and graphic novels,primarily focusing on how and why they tackle non-fictional events.

Prior knowledge expected

no prior knowledge necessary

Literature

McCloud, Scott: Understanding Comics (1994) 

Jensen, Jeff and Jonathan Case: Green River Killer (2011)

Fetter-Vorm, Jonathan: Trinity - A Graphic History of the First Atomic Bomb (2013)

Sacco, joe: SafeArea Goražde: The War in Eastern Bosnia 1992-95 (2000)

Delisle, Guy: Pyongyang: A Journey in North Korea (2004) 

Brown, Chester: Paying For It (2011) 

Examination information

Im Fall von online durchgeführten Prüfungen sind die Standards zu beachten, die die technischen Geräte der Studierenden erfüllen müssen, um an diesen Prüfungen teilnehmen zu können.

Examination methodology

active participation in virtual classroom

students presentations (online) 

five critical spotlights (800 words each)

Examination topic(s)

critical analyses of five comics and graphic novels

Assessment criteria / Standards of assessment for examinations

40% active participation 

40% critical spotlights 

20% student presentation 

Grading scheme

Grade / Grade grading scheme

Position in the curriculum

  • Bachelor's degree programme English and American Studies (SKZ: 612, Version: 15W.3)
    • Subject: Fachliches Grundstudium Culture (Compulsory subject)
      • 6.3 Specialized Topics in Cultural Studies ( 0.0h PS / 3.0 ECTS)
        • 552.295 Specialized Topics in Cultural Studies: Non-fictional Comics & Graphic Novels (2.0h PS / 3.0 ECTS)
          Absolvierung im 4. Semester empfohlen

Equivalent courses for counting the examination attempts

This course is not assigned to a sequence of equivalent courses