One of my friends from our SF book group (thanks, Suzy) pointed me in the direction of the University of Edinburgh’s lifelong learning site, which now offers a course entitled “Cultural Politics and the Graphic Novel.” From the course’s introduction: “From Maus, the biography of a Holocaust survivor, to Persepolis, the story of an Iranian childhood set against the backdrop of the Islamic Revolution, the graphic novel seems to be a genre intent on examining difficult cultural issues. Join us to explore these distinctive works in which art, literature and politics collide. The course will examine both the mechanics and the aesthetics of the genre, looking at how different effects are achieved in words and images.” We all know that comics can and do tackle every subject under the sun, sometimes in a more accessible and effective manner for particularly heavy subject matter, but isn’t it nice to hear that some academics agree with us?
August 1st, 2007 at 3:00 pm
No Watchmen? No Dark Knight?
Pah! What kind of a course is that!?
August 1st, 2007 at 3:19 pm
From the reading list I’m guessing one that is aiming at the broadsheet reader who doesn’t know much about the genre but has seen reviews of Joe Sacco etc in the Guardian – full colour superheroes might scare them off!