AMERICAN COMIC ART, 4cr., Advanced, Liberal
A. PURPOSE
The purpose of this study is to create a structured learning environment for your independent study of the evolution of American comic art from 1896 to the present. Special attention will be paid to the art in its historical, cultural, social and political context, and to related issues such as satire.
B. LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Mastery of the material and cultural literacy are important goals of this study. Additionally, by the conclusion of this study, you should be a more confident and skilled independent learner, with an enhanced sense of how to locate and use resources to advance their learning. You should also become a better reader, thinker and writer in the course of the study.
C. LEARNING ACTIVITIES
The required text for this course will be Brian Walker’s Comics: The Complete Collection (ISBN 9780810971295). Hammer’s Masters of American Comics and Nadel’s Art Out of Time: Unknown Comic Visionaries, 1900-1969 are strongly recommended as supplemental texts.
During the initial exposure stage of the study, for each of the chapters listed below, you will prepare a response essay of 200–350 words. A response essay is not a summary; it is your opportunity to engage the material and its implications, and to explore its contexts. Response essays should be written in first person. Any direct reference to the text should be in the form of MLA parenthetical documentation. Responses in other media are welcome. You will also submit a discussion question for each chapter. Discussion questions should stimulate further inquiry. Since this is an independent study, you will be responsible for establishing a workable schedule for completion. I will be glad to advise you about this, but you should allow about eight weeks for the completion of the initial exposure stage and the remainder of the term for the three-stage project. Submit your completed work to me according to the schedule you establish. I will respond to the submissions by email, during an office meeting or during a telephone conference. You may contact me at any time via email or at 518-832-2168 to discuss your work, or to schedule an extended telephone conference.
Unit 1: Walker, Introduction, Turn of the Century, The Teens, The Twenties
Unit 2: Walker, The Thirties, The Forties, The Postwar Years
Unit 3: Walker, The Fifties, The Sixties
Unit 4: Walker, The Seventies, The Eighties, The Nineties
As the initial exposure phase progresses, your work will enter the project phase. This project will have three stages: topic proposal, resource identification and research essay (with optional incorporation of other media). The due dates will be arranged with the instructor. Here are the guidelines for project development:
Your major project of the term will be an 8-12 page, fully-documented essay on a topic you develop in consultation with me. Your project will develop in stages. This is an exercise in PROCESS, rather than simply in the generation of product. Be engaged with each stage of the process. Allow your ideas to develop; I’m very open to topic development and changes at any stage of the process, as long as you keep me informed. You may amend your proposal at any point by speaking with me about your proposed changes and then attaching a memo that explains the changes that we have agreed upon.
Each stage of this project will be evaluated both for content and presentation. You may contact me at any time by email to discuss your progress or problems you may encounter, or to set up a meeting. Bear in mind that the penalties for academic dishonesty are severe, and will be fully enforced.
A. On your first due date (To Be Determined), you will give me a topic proposal of 500-650 words. Your topic must be appropriate in scope and depth for a coherent ten-page essay. Your topic must be original and it may not recapitulate work you have done for any other course. It should indicate an awareness that these texts are products of a particular cultural context and they have a relationship to a reader. You may choose to write an extended essay on a single text, or several texts that are either the work of one writer or share some thematic concern or technical similarities. I’m certainly open to other creative ideas you have for topics and would be glad to discuss ideas with you at any time. In a few coherent paragraphs, your proposal should clearly define the topic and scope of the topic and outline your strategy for turning your topic into a finished essay. What texts or other media will be incorporated into the discussion? What interests you about the topic? Why is it significant? What difficulties do you anticipate? How do you expect to overcome them? What is your tentative thesis? This assignment should be carefully written and presented.
B. On your second due date (To Be Determined), you will submit an annotated bibliography of between five and eight sources that you expect to use in your research—these may include works of criticism, contemporaneous reviews, books or articles of theory, correspondence and biography, documentary film or interviews. You must use on-line database indexes, in addition to full-text databases such as JSTOR and ProQuest, to explore the possibilities for research in your topic. Be cautious in selecting sources from the Internet; material from blogs, Wikipedia and reader-review sites should be avoided, unless you have a specific, stated reason for including it. A mix of print, journal and Internet sources is most appropriate for most topics. Do some creative thinking; a bibliography that consists of the first six items to show up on JSTOR when I search your topic is not acceptable. Listings of all sources must follow the current "works cited" format in the 6th edition (or later) of the MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers (Modern Language Association). Fair warning: take particular note of the citation format for “electronic sources” and “works in an anthology.” Each entry should have a short annotation of about 75 words that indicates the potential importance of the source for your project; this should not be a summary of the source’s content.
C. Your essay will be submitted on the final due date (To Be Determined). The final text should be carefully written and clearly documented, according to the MLA parenthetical, "works cited" format. Do not employ footnotes. You must cite at least five sources other than your primary texts or media, but you may not cite more than eight. Direct quotations should be very selective. Direct quotation from any one source is limited to twenty words; use paraphrase, indirect quotation and summary when appropriate, but make sure you provide appropriate citation even when you paraphrase or provide a summary. Consult the MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers (Modern Language Association) for guidance in citation of any words or ideas that are not your own. Your paper should have a strong opening paragraph that clearly states your topic, your thesis and your objectives, a coherent discussion, and a strong conclusion that makes the implications of your discussion clear to your reader.
D. METHODS AND CRITERIA FOR EVALUATION
Your work is expected to be consistently at a level that is appropriate for upper-level undergraduate work in this course. You are expected to take the initiative to maintain consistent contact with the instructor for discussion and questions. You are also expected to read, view or listen to all of the assigned materials and submit coherent response essays and discussion questions in a timely manner. The aggregate of this work will make up 50% of your grade. You are expected to participate fully in the three-stage project that will constitute the other 50% of your grade. Process is the key word; your project must be original in terms of topic, must have a conclusive thesis, must have a functional annotated bibliography, and must be capped with a thoughtful and coherent essay. You will be evaluated on all of these points, as well as on the mechanics of your writing and your conformity to MLA documentation methods.
E. PLAN FOR FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT
The assigned work for this course is organized into units. Each unit represents two weeks’ worth of reading and, in some cases, viewing, listening and other learning activities for which you are responsible. The first part of the term is the exposure stage of the course. You will complete the assigned work for each unit, prepare a response essay and discussion question for each assignment in the unit, and submit them via email during the two week time frame. You will then contact the instructor for discussion and feedback via email, or by making a telephone appointment by calling 518-832-2168. The discussion or email exchange with the instructor will provide you with specific feedback on your work. In the meantime, begin work on the next unit. The second part of the term, when the work on units has been completed, is the project stage. During this time, you will complete the three stages of the project; you will have two weeks to submit each stage for review and assessment by the instructor