From painted animal images on prehistoric cave walls to ancient Egyptian tombs, from Roman Victory columns to the Bayeux Tapestry, the tradition of graphic storytelling has age-old roots. In our time, graphic narratives have exploded into a medium for graphic communication through diary comics, journalism comics, science fiction, and graphic medicine. Comics are inherently visual, similar to film and animation, but intimate and poetic.  

In this comic/graphic narrative course, students will learn the art of sequential storytelling through drawing and writing exercises designed to build confidence in creating the story they want to tell. No prior drawing experience is required. Comics will be handmade in this course, not computer generated.  

Weekly themes will be explored to ignite the imagination and create a flow of source material. The elements and principles of art will be explored through observational drawing exercises. Presentations on the work of leading practitioners combined with weekly writing and drawing prompts will help the student to develop a sustainable artistic practice that can be continued beyond the length of the course. Daily journal writing and drawing will be an essential part of the process. Students will create a variety of graphic narratives throughout the semester, based on current events, diary entries, film, and mythology. For the final project, students will research a topic of their own choosing, then create a full-color graphic narrative.