FS 023 PZ -Graphic Fiction and Narrative

Institution: Pitzer College

Description: Graphic narratives have long been historical artifacts, from Lascaux cave paintings to the Bayeux Tapestry, demonstrating that illustrative storytelling has been a human activity for millennia. From the 1970s onward,what is now generally called a graphic novel has continued to develop; film, television, and theatrical versions have sprung from what are still often referred to as comic books. Yet the serious subject matter of this output has become an active and important part of visual art and commentary, as seen in Safe Area Goražde by Joe Sacco, Unterzakhan by Leela Corman, and Drawings from the Gulag by Danzig Baldaev. In this course students will examine, explore, and articulate their ideas through both text and imagery that addresses serious contemporary and/or historical subjects. Assigned readings and research will be accompanied by substantial drawing and illustration training.