French and Francophone Studies 325: French Comics

The Franco-Belge “bande dessinée”, or “9th art” is the third largest comic market in the world after the USA and Japan. This course will focus on the poetics of French-language graphic narrative across multiple sub-genres (fiction, documentary, adventure, autobiography, social commentary), with an emphasis on recent works. Coursework will include frequent short writing assignments, active participation, creative projects, and a final presentation. Three class meetings per week plus one half-hour conversation session with a French Language Assistant. Conducted in French.