230630 Making Comics the American Way (S) (SoSe 2010)

Comics have been a major storytelling medium in American popular culture since the end of the 19th century. Evolving from a seemingly simple mass entertainment medium in newspapers the 20th century has spawned a vibrant comic scene and established the genre of the superhero as the mainstay of the biggest comic publishers. From looking at the key studios, their sales and distribution system, to delving into the creative process of notable writers and artists and the fictional worlds they create, this seminar analyses essential facets of comic production and reception in the United States.
The ability to create and comprehend combinations of graphic and verbal texts is a vital facet of contemporary literacy. Grasping how “sequential art” is produced is a necessary prerequisite to understanding how graphics enhance text, interact with it, and serve as essential carriers of information in their own right. For this reason, a central component of the seminar will be a practical course in comic-illustration, with which the theoretical and cultural components will be interwoven.
Professional illustrator Klaus Scherwinski works for a wide spectrum of comic and game companies in the USA, Germany and England and is an experienced teacher of illustration and comic art.