Graphic Novels / Manga

Catalog description

Over the past decade the graphic novel market has grown consistently and rapidly, bringing comic art into the publishing mainstream across all age categories, with a particularly strong growth in the children’s graphic novel space. This course examines the history of the comics format and its fascinating evolution from throw-away newspaper strips into an unignorable force on the publishing landscape. Students will learn about current trends, be able to identify the hallmarks of successful visual storytelling, understand the bookmaking processes unique to graphic novels, and explore the many ways these books are marketed and sold. Though graphic novels are the focus, this course will be useful for anyone interested in learning about the power of niche markets and genres and their transformative impact on the overall publishing marketplace.