Film and Media Studies 305: Global Comics

While American superhero movies may currently dominate the global box office, the U.S. is not the only country where comic books are an influential medium. There are long histories of comics publishing and established comics industries in a number of countries throughout Asia, Latin America, Africa, and Europe; online and digital comics are produced and consumed all over the globe. This course examines the cultural impact of comic books and graphic narratives from Japan, France, Nigeria, Mexico and various other countries and global contexts. Topics include the histories of comics in various countries, how different global comics industries operate, the circulation of comics and comics culture between countries, and representation in comics in different cultural contexts. This class will combine lectures, discussion, presentations, and writing assignments.