American Studies · Columbia University
History of the comic book/graphic novel industry, insight into its evolution and subgenres
I learned the history of the graphic novel and all aspects surrounding it including style, cultural impact, narrative, etc. Coming into this class with no prior knowledge regarding graphic novels, I learned so much and got so much out of this class.
Aside from countless helpful strategies for getting into the world of comics, should I desire to do so, this course has helped me learn how to contextualize works within their larger cultural movements as well as within the body of work of their original author. It also taught me about the development and cultural impacts of comics and graphic novels in the U.S. with information about global patterns on the same topics.
This was one of the best courses that I have ever taken! It was so much fun and I learned so much!
Quite a bit about the development and history of graphic novels in America, as well as some specifics about the texts we read.
If you need a super organized course with all the steps of it laid out super simply for you, you may struggle a bit with course organization here, but the professors are kind enough that they'll help you get back on track.
I would recommend it to someone interested in the readings who does not mind the overwhelmingly discussion-y format.
I have learned how to read and analyze Graphic Novels.
We learned how to analyze the visual, and thematic elements of critical graphic novel texts over the course of American history.
How to contextualize comic book history and understanding the medium form!