COM 395 | Comics-Film-Story

(Coming Fall 2026)

Comics-Film-Story (CFS) is a course about what happens when people make visual images and design integral to the stories they tell. We'll look at graphic novels and comics, including works by Lynda Barry (merging the art of the essay and the art of collage), Joe Sacco (who renders his war-zone reporting in comic book form), and Brian Michael Bendis (creator of Jessica Jones and writer for many Marvel titles). We'll wonder if these sorts of texts, in all their unusual shapes and sizes, will be the last vestige of print publishing in the age of digital content. We'll consider how images—alone, juxtaposed, and in sequence—can be used to tell stories and send messages. We'll explore (and develop) critical vocabulary helpful for talking about visual texts. We'll also be thinking a bit about transmedia storytelling—what happens when a story or set of characters jumps willy-nilly from one medium to another (think especially of The Matrix, a story told in feature-length movies, graphic vignettes, animated shorts, and video games). Along the way, you'll try your hand at creating some visual narratives of your own (but artistic talent is not a requirement for the course—only the willingness to do some thoughtful play with storytelling images).

Please click here to see the new course site under construction.