Course Description
This course explores the dynamic intersection of word and image in graphic novels and animations about the Middle East. Through close reading, visual analysis, and creative exercises, we’ll examine how artists from and about the region use pictures and language together to tell complex, often challenging stories.
You’ll learn to “read” both text and image as cultural expressions—considering diversity, Orientalism, representation, and ways of seeing—while exploring how visual storytelling reshapes our understanding of the Middle East. Although our focus will be on graphic novels and animation, students are encouraged to incorporate related media such as film, anime, and video games into their projects.
Recommended Preparation:
No prior background is required—just curiosity, a willingness to read and look closely, and an openness to creative experimentation.
How the Course Works:
We’ll combine short lectures, group discussions, and hands-on exercises in reading, writing, and drawing (yes, doodling counts!). Students will keep notebooks for in-class writing and sketching, develop analytical and creative portfolios, and collaborate on group projects.
Learning Goals:
By the end of the course, you will:
- Strengthen visual and verbal literacy skills
- Understand key issues of diversity and representation in the modern Middle East
- Explore the evolving form of the graphic novel
- Communicate ideas through both words and images