Comic Book Literature

Description

This program will not be recorded.

Comics, the combination of words and pictures to tell stories, has been a part of human communication for far longer than many realize, stretching from cave paintings on stone walls to the Bayeux Tapestry to the latest adventures of Batman and Spider-Man. Comics are an incredibly malleable medium, a literary art form that has too often been limited by the public perception of comics as merely a platform for four-color super-heroics. This course will trace the history of comics as a way of telling intimate and epic stories, exploring social and political issues and capturing the cultural climate via the deceptive simplicity of panels, word balloons and lines drawn on paper or displayed on device screens. And yes, we will also look at superheroes. Readings will include Understanding Comics, Watchmen, Maus: A Survivor's Tale, Fun Home, and Persepolis.

About the Osher Online Program

Osher Online programs are provided to OLLI at MSU from the Osher National Resource Center at Northwestern University. Experience shared online presentations with OLLI members from coast to coast! As part of the Osher Online program, OLLI at MSU members will enjoy national speakers and interact with fellow OLLI members nationwide.

Scholarship

Apply for a needs-based scholarship to take this offering.

Meet the Instructor