I look forward to working with you this semester.
Your homework to complete before we meet the next time, on Wednesday, January 18:
- Read over this website very carefully as it constitutes the syllabus for this course. Note that the Syllabus page includes a number of subpages, covering such topics as: the course learning outcomes; the texts you need to buy; attendance, participation, and other policies; and how you will be graded. There is also a calendar of readings and assignments; and posts describing the three major assignments (literacy narrative in three parts, tracing pages, and halfa kucha) and minor assignments this semester.
- Add this site to your bookmarks. Make certain that you can find your way back here, because you’ll be spending a lot of time visiting these pages over the course of this semester.
- Join the class Slack Workspace. Slack is a collaboration and communication tool that our class uses to work together to share ideas, discuss readings, collaborate on projects, and engage with learning.
- Sign up for a basic, free WordPress site. (See further information below about choosing a name for your site.) Do not pay anything for this site; choose the free version with an address ending in .wordpress.com. Make sure to hit the “Launch” button to publish your site to the web.
- Leave a comment on this post asking a question about the syllabus. Put the URL for the WordPress site you created in the “website” line on the comment form. If you want to receive an email every time a new post goes up on this site, check the “Subscribe to site” box before you submit your comment. The first time you comment, it will not show up publicly until I’ve approved it.
- Reply to the survey form at the bottom of this post, which both asks some basic information I’ll need in order to manage communications with you and also asks some questions that will help me get to know you a little bit better.
- Read the following three texts: Andrea Lunsford, “Rhetorical Situations” and “Reading Rhetorically” from Everyone’s an Author; Scott McCloud’s “Setting the Record Straight” from Understanding Comics; and Allie Brosh’s, “Adventures in Depression, Part One” from Hyperbole and a Half. (Note that first two links will take you to the PDF that I’ve uploaded to our electronic course reserves, so you will need to login with your Emory netid and password to access the document. The other link goes to Hyperbole and a Half on blogger. Allie Brosh has since published the story in her book, Hyperbole and a Half, which is excellent, but we can use this version on the web for this course.)
A little more on naming your WordPress site
You can choose a URL based on some version of your name (i.e., janestudent.wordpress.com or johndoe.wordpress.com) if you’d like. Using a version of your name has the advantage that you will be building a digital identity on the web based on your name, which can be really helpful. On the other hand, it also means that this site that you’re building will likely come up near the top of web searches for your name, so consider whether that is something you would like.
If you don’t want to publish your coursework on a site with a version of your name, you can also use some sort of pseudonym for your domain name.
It is also perfectly acceptable for your domain name to be a short word or phrase that is easy to remember and spell, and which speaks to some interest of yours or an aspect of your character (for example: my friend Audrey Watters, a noted educational technology scholar and researcher publishes a site called hackeducation.com or one of my favorite art and design blogs is called thisiscolossal.com). If you’re going to choose a title or phrase as your domain name, make sure you think about it very carefully so you don’t show up on one of those lists of the most unfortunate domain names ever, like the design firm called Speed of Art that ended up with a domain name that sounds like it’s about flatulence in a swimsuit. Note that in the case of your site, you’ll be publishing a page that’s a subdomain of WordPress.com, so if Audrey Watters were in this class her site might be called hackeducation.wordpress.com.
Do we have to have material books or can we get online copies?
I would prefer that you get physical copies of the books — especially Stitches and Spinning, because you’re going to be tracing them, which is much more complicated on a screen or e-reader. Each of the books for this class is less than $20 (new) so hopefully the cost of purchasing them is not prohibitive.
Also, please note that there is one more step to publish your website. Log back into your WordPress.com dashboard and look at the site — there should be some advertising stuff trying to get you to purchase upgrades on the site but underneath there should be a line of text that is a link saying something like “Just publish my site for free.” Click that link.
Question about the syllabus: How will art (and any potential drawing on our part) come to play in our class and assignments?
We’ll spend quite a bit of time analyzing visual art in synchronicity with the text. You’ll also be doing quite a bit of low-stakes drawing of various different kinds. We’ll talk a lot more about that over the next week or two — don’t worry if you think of yourself as not an artist! You’ll be fine.
Would you say that the Sunday Sketches/artwork (excluding the tracing) we do in the class will be on paper or more so using digital tools (Photoshop, Canva, etc)?
At least two of them need to be completed physically and then photographed. Many of them give you an option whether you do them digitally or on paper, though all of them eventually need to be digital objects eventually in order to be posted on your site. I tried to get a broad range of different tools and media for you to work with.
Will music elements come into play in our class? (Often we see Marvel Movie cosmic clips along with dramatic music) and how music helps audiences to better immerse in the context.
Not really. There is one sketch assignment where you’ll make a playlist & album cover but that’s really the only thing you’ll be assigned this semester with music.
What will a typical class be like? Will we be discussing the readings, working on sketches, or writing? Also, how can we come to class well-prepared?
Yes all of those things. We’ll spend most of our time in class discussing the texts you’ve read. There will be times when you’ll do brief writing or drawing in class too. The main thing is to do the reading before class and come in with questions and thoughts about the reading — if you’re doing that then you’ll be plenty prepared.
Since I’m already facing difficulties in WordPress, can I come straight to office hour with questions regarding the difficulties or do I need to set up an appointment first since it’s about WordPress? Thanks!
Sure, sign up for a time to meet with me or grab me after class.
Will we focus primarily on analyzing and discussing the text materials in class?
Yes, we’ll discuss all of the texts you’re assigned and you’ll have many opportunities to analyze them.
Is there a recommended prerequisite skill level in art/visual software/editing for this class? Are there any resources that I could look at for practice?
No, there’s no prerequisite skill needed for this class. In week 3, we’ll read Dan Roam and Scott McCloud chapters that are sort of “how to draw” resources.
Also, please note that there is one more step to publish your website. Log back into your WordPress.com dashboard and look at the site — there should be some advertising stuff trying to get you to purchase upgrades on the site but underneath there should be a line of text that is a link saying something like “Just publish my site for free.” Click that link.
What’s your favorite book that we’re reading this semester?
I change my mind about that question frequently. I like all of the books we are reading — Spinning was my favorite book of 2018. Sabrina was my favorite book the next year.
What is your best piece of advice for reading through these texts and being prepared for in-class discussions?
Don’t worry much about whether you are reading correctly or getting the right message or whether you’ll say the right things about the text. Instead, pay attention to how you are actually reading and to the ideas, connections, and questions that come up for you as you read.
Also, see this comment above for your site too.
How big of a role will technological knowledge play in this course? If something does not show up right away on the website or if there is an issue with it, will we be penalized or will it be marked as late?
Technology is a wonderful tool and lets us do things we couldn’t do without it, but it also causes problems or malfunctions sometimes. Technology happens. We’ll figure it out. That said, our 5th learning outcome has to do with using technology appropriately and responsibly, so technology does play a part in your performance in this class and I do expect you to learn some things about technology. That said, there is grace and leeway around due dates. Talk to me if you realize that you’re having troubles with an assignment — technological or otherwise — and I’ll give you more time, to the extent that I am able to.
Is analyzing comics very different than analyzing regular prose?
That’s a question that requires a lot of discussion. I think analyzing the text of comics is closer to analyzing poetry than it is to prose, generally speaking. And then there’s the added layers of visual rhetoric as well. So the short answer would be, “not very different” and many of the same tools apply, but there are differences and we’ll talk about them. I’d give basically the same answer to the question whether analyzing comics is very different than analyzing film.
For you, do you see any interesting differences between Graphic novels and comic books, or do you believe that one is a subcategory of the other?
I understand “graphic novel” to be more of a marketing term than it is a descriptive or analytical tool. “Comic books” is also something of a marketing term and describes the relatively cheap, short monthly comics stories that are usually about superheroes. Comics is the useful categorical term for the medium. Comics includes fiction and nonfiction, highbrow and lowbrow, digital and print … the whole medium.
How much of our work will be individual versus collaborative?
Most of your work will be individual, with opportunities to read, be inspired by, and offer feedback to your peers.
Hi Professor, what are the tasks before our next class?
Check out this post.