The Graphic Novel as Visual Literature

This course is a theory-focused course within the area of comics and literature, with strong emphasis on analysis of visual style as element of the narrative in graphic literature / graphic novels. It is not a literary history course nor does it include major comics production-exercises, it rather focuses on analysing and contextualising graphic novels, and on applying visual and literary theory. <br> The course looks into the history, cultural contexts and current definitions of the Novel and Graphic Novel and their application to a selection of examples which will be worked with in depth. Also, it includes minor exercises in translation and re-assembly to help understand consequences of decisions in the placement of narrative elements and their specific design as not only the pacing of events and choice of points of view but also decisions about graphic style have massive consequences for the distinct voice within a comic's narrative. <br> The course looks into the use of the term graphic novel, into attempts to define it in different cultural contexts. The dominating approaches from Franco-Belgian as well as Anglo-American comics research are discussed to develop a more substantial definition. The course provides a focus on narrative and literary qualities of the graphic novel, including the visual as well as the textual.