Pow, Bam, Zap: The Study of Modern Mythology and Social Constructs through Comic Book Lit

Comic books have been around for over one hundred years;  rather than merely a source of entertainment, the medium has been used as a means of political persuasion and as a flexible platform for critiquing the social status quo.  In this course, we will examine the ways in which comics respond to, comment on, and critique American culture from the 1940s to the modern day. Together we’ll read and analyze a diverse array of comics and critical essays about comics. Assignments will include analytical discussion board posts, a literary analysis paper, a book review paper, and, finally, an original, student-created comic book that will appear in an end-of-term showcase.  Face-to-Face meetups will include a seminar-style discussion of V for Vendetta and a viewing of portions of the 2005 film adaptation;  a screening of Spiderman: Into the Spider-Verse; a visit to the Cartoon Art Museum in San Francisco, featuring a talk by comic artist Svetlana Chmakova; and a gallery-style showcase of students’ original comics.

About the Instructor

Rebecca Lee – The Athenian School
Rebecca Wiseman Lee teaches humanities at The Athenian School. Before coming to Athenian, Rebecca taught at The Bay School of San Francisco, the University of California-Berkeley, the University of Toronto, and the University of Michigan. Rebecca earned a B.A. in English from Columbia University and an M.A. and Ph.D. in English Language & Literature from the University of Michigan, where she specialized in Renaissance poetry.