ENGL 289
Graphic Storytelling Fall 2019
Division I
This is not the current course catalog

In the 1890s an author/artist put words and pictures together in boxes, ordered the boxes along a (short) narrative arc featuring a continuing character, published it in a newspaper, and graphic storytelling as we know it was born. 15 years later (in the form of comic strips) it had already become one of the most important storytelling modes in American culture. In this course we will follow the development of this quirky and important American contribution to world culture from comic strips through comic books to the “graphic novel.” Along the way we will consider all kinds of interesting general subjects: for instance, the relationship between commerce and creativity, the difference between good and bad culture, and the pervasive human need to tell and experience stories.