It might be said that Japan is the Hollywood of comics, but just as Americans are satisfied watching only Hollywood movies, Japanese are satisfied reading only Japanese comics, and make no effort to read foreign comics. Yet the modern comic, with its multiple panels and speech balloons, was born not in Japan but in the U.S.. Even today, comics that boast an entirely different flavor than that of homogenized Japanese comics are produced and read throughout the world. Focusing on the U.S., I would like to explore the history and social backgrounds of these foreign comics, comparing them with the situation in Japan.
In each class, students will divide into groups to discuss the comics assigned for homework. Then each group will summarize their discussion to the class as a whole. My lecture will either follow the presentations or, more likely, will be scattered throughout the presentations, as students raise points the professor wants to expand on or emphasize. At the end of each class, students will be asked to write brief comments on that day's class and reading.
Final exam (36%), attendance and contribution to discussion (40%), three quizzes (24%)
Students are encouraged to speak out in class and ask questions without hesitation.
| 1) Introduction | 8) The Faceless Masters, Part I: Carl Barks |
| 2) The Prehistory of Comics | 9) The Faceless Masters, Part II: Alex Toth |
| 3) The Golden Age of Newspaper Comics | 10) Postwar Newspaper Comics |
| 4) The Birth of the Comic Book | 11) E.C.'s Grand Experiment |
| 5) Comic Books and War | 12) The Decline of Comic Books |
| 6) Will Eisner's Grand Experiment | 13) The Rebirth of Comics as Fan Culture |
| 7) Not Just for Boys | 14) Conclusion |