Course detail
Comics – History and Present
FaVU-KOHISO-ZAcad. year: 2023/2024
The lectures follow the history of the comic from the second half of the 19th century to the present. They represent important realizations in economic conditions, social circumstances and the political context of their origin, along with critical and theoretical reflection. Lectures are accompanied by examples in digital form and examples of printed periodicals.
Language of instruction
Number of ECTS credits
Mode of study
Guarantor
Entry knowledge
Rules for evaluation and completion of the course
Course assessment is based on an essay (minimum 5000 characters).
Teaching takes place in the classrooms of the FFA BUT in the hours determined by the schedule. Lectures are optional.
Aims
Students acquire basic knowledge about the development of comics from the first comic strips in humorous magazines to contemporary graphic novels. They will be able to recognize significant realizations, understand the context and links between sequential stories, animated film, literature, and visual arts.
Study aids
Prerequisites and corequisites
Basic literature
Brian Walker, The Comics before 1945. / The Comics sice 1945. Harry N. Abrams Inc., 2004.
Paul Gravett, Mangasia: The Definitive Guide to Asian Comics. Thames & Hudson, 2017.
Roger Sabin, Comics, Comix & Graphic Novels. A History of Comic Art. Phaidon Press, 1996.
Scott McCloud, Jak rozumět komiksu, BB art, 2008.
Scott McCloud, Reinventing Comics, Harper Collins, N.Y.C., 2000.
Thierry Groensteen, Comics and Narration. Jackson: University Press of Missisippi, 2013.
Thierry Groensteen, Stavba komiksu, Host 2005.
Tomáš Prokůpek – Pavel Kořínek – Martin Foret – Michal Jareš, Dějiny československého komiksu 20. století. Praha: Akropolis, 2014.
Umberto Eco, Skeptikové a těšitelé, Argo 2007.
Recommended reading
Bart Beaty, Fredric Wertham And the Critique of Mass Culture, University Press of Mississippi, 2005.
Coulton Waugh, The Comics, University Press of Mississippi (reprint edition), 1991.
D. B. Dowd – Todd Hignite, Strips, Toons, and Bluesies: Essays in Comics and Culture, Princeton Architectural Press, 2006.
David Carrier, The Aesthetics of Comics, Pennsylvania State University Press, 2001.
Ernst Hans Gombrich, Umění a iluze. Studie o psychologii obrazového znázorňování. Praha: Argo, 2019.
Jonathan Clements – Helen McCarthy: The Anime Encyclopedia. A Guide to Japanese Animation Since 1917, Stone Bridge Press, 2006.
M. Thomas Inge, Comics as Culture, University Press of Mississippi, 1990.
Masao Yokota – Tze-yue G. Hu, Japanese Animation. East sian Perspective. Jackson: University Press of Missisippi, 2013.
Ondřej Kavalír (ed.), Made in Japan. Eseje o současné japonské popkultuře. Praha: Labyrint, 2014.
Richard Reynolds, Super Heroes. A Modern Mythology, University Press of Mississippi, 1994.
Roman Prahl – Radim Vondráček – Martin Sekera, Karikatura a její příbuzní. Obrazový humor v českém prostředí 19. století. Praha – Plzeň: Arbor vitae – Západočeská galerie v Plzni, 2014.
Sean Howe, Marvel. Co jste neměli vědět o komiksovém zázraku. Paseka, 2016.
Takashi Murakami (ed.), Little Boy. The Arts of Japan´s Exploding Subculture, Yale University Press, 2005.
W. J. T. Mitchell, Teorie obrazu: Eseje o verbální a vizuální reprezentaci, Karolinum 2017.
Classification of course in study plans
- Programme VUB Bachelor's
branch VU-IDT , 1 year of study, winter semester, elective
branch VU-IDT , 2 year of study, winter semester, elective
branch VU-IDT , 3 year of study, winter semester, elective
branch VU-IDT , 4 year of study, winter semester, elective
branch VU-VT , 1 year of study, winter semester, elective
branch VU-VT , 2 year of study, winter semester, elective
branch VU-VT , 3 year of study, winter semester, elective
branch VU-VT , 4 year of study, winter semester, elective
branch VU-VT , 1 year of study, winter semester, elective
branch VU-VT , 2 year of study, winter semester, elective
branch VU-VT , 3 year of study, winter semester, elective
branch VU-VT , 4 year of study, winter semester, elective
branch VU-VT , 1 year of study, winter semester, elective
branch VU-VT , 2 year of study, winter semester, elective
branch VU-VT , 3 year of study, winter semester, elective
branch VU-VT , 4 year of study, winter semester, elective
branch VU-VT , 1 year of study, winter semester, elective
branch VU-VT , 2 year of study, winter semester, elective
branch VU-VT , 3 year of study, winter semester, elective
branch VU-VT , 4 year of study, winter semester, elective
branch VU-IDT , 1 year of study, winter semester, elective
branch VU-IDT , 2 year of study, winter semester, elective
branch VU-IDT , 3 year of study, winter semester, elective
branch VU-IDT , 4 year of study, winter semester, elective
branch VU-IDT , 1 year of study, winter semester, elective
branch VU-IDT , 2 year of study, winter semester, elective
branch VU-IDT , 3 year of study, winter semester, elective
branch VU-IDT , 4 year of study, winter semester, elective
branch VU-IDT , 1 year of study, winter semester, elective
branch VU-IDT , 2 year of study, winter semester, elective
branch VU-IDT , 3 year of study, winter semester, elective
branch VU-IDT , 4 year of study, winter semester, elective
branch VU-IDT , 1 year of study, winter semester, elective
branch VU-IDT , 2 year of study, winter semester, elective
branch VU-IDT , 3 year of study, winter semester, elective
branch VU-IDT , 4 year of study, winter semester, elective
branch VU-VT , 1 year of study, winter semester, elective
branch VU-VT , 2 year of study, winter semester, elective
branch VU-VT , 3 year of study, winter semester, elective
branch VU-VT , 4 year of study, winter semester, elective
branch VU-D , 1 year of study, winter semester, elective
branch VU-D , 2 year of study, winter semester, elective
branch VU-D , 3 year of study, winter semester, elective
branch VU-D , 4 year of study, winter semester, elective
branch VU-VT , 1 year of study, winter semester, elective
branch VU-VT , 2 year of study, winter semester, elective
branch VU-VT , 3 year of study, winter semester, elective
branch VU-VT , 4 year of study, winter semester, elective
branch VU-IDT , 1 year of study, winter semester, elective
branch VU-IDT , 2 year of study, winter semester, elective
branch VU-IDT , 3 year of study, winter semester, elective
branch VU-IDT , 4 year of study, winter semester, elective
branch VU-D , 1 year of study, winter semester, elective
branch VU-D , 2 year of study, winter semester, elective
branch VU-D , 3 year of study, winter semester, elective
branch VU-D , 4 year of study, winter semester, elective
branch VU-IDT , 1 year of study, winter semester, elective
branch VU-IDT , 2 year of study, winter semester, elective
branch VU-IDT , 3 year of study, winter semester, elective
branch VU-IDT , 4 year of study, winter semester, elective
branch VU-D , 1 year of study, winter semester, elective
branch VU-D , 2 year of study, winter semester, elective
branch VU-D , 3 year of study, winter semester, elective
branch VU-D , 4 year of study, winter semester, elective - Programme DES_B Bachelor's 2 year of study, winter semester, elective
- Programme VUM_B Bachelor's 2 year of study, winter semester, elective
3 year of study, winter semester, elective
4 year of study, winter semester, elective
Type of course unit
Lecture
Teacher / Lecturer
Syllabus
2. Yellow journalism. W. R. Hearst vs. Joseph Pulitzer. Humorous newspapers, advertising and comic strip at the end of the 19th century. Phonographic paradigm. Phonography (shorthand), phonographs and speech balloons. R. F. Outcault. Rudolph Dirks. F. B. Opper. Bud Fischer.
3. Nightmares and day dreams. American comics from the 20's and 30's. Winsor McCay. George Herriman. Lyonel Feininger. Comics as a model of film animations.
4. From the newspaper strip to the album. Collection of newspaper strips. Funnies on Parade. European comic books. Georges Remi (Hergé): The Adventures of Tintin.
5. Seduction of innocents. Superheroes, detective and horror comics of the 40's and 50's. Jerry Siegel, Joe Shuster: Superman. Bob Cane: Batman. Superhuman and non-human characters in modern mythology. Critical responses in the American press. Comics Code: establishment of censorship in USA. The practice of censorship in Western Europe and the Eastern Bloc.
6. The Silver Age of Comic Books (American comics of the 1960s). Marvel Comics: Stan Lee, Jack Kirby, Steve Ditko. Fantastic Four, Incredible Hulk, Amazing Spider-Man. X-Men. Consequences of censorship.
7. Comix. Parody and paraphrase of newspaper strips. Tijuana Bibles. American Comic Underground of the 1960s and 1970s. MAD. Harvey Kurtzman, Basil Wolverton. Robert Crumb.
8. Manga. Traditional narrative paintings in China and Japan. Modern Asian cartoons. Comics after 1945. Mangaka Osamu Tezuka. The entertainment industry of the 1980s. Katsuhiro Otomo: Akira. Takeshi Murakami and the reflection of Japanese popular culture.
9. System of Comics. Will Eisner. Comics and Sequential Art. Film metaphors in Comics theory. Umberto Eco: Apocalypse Postponed. Scott McCloud: Understanding Comics. Thierry Groensteen: The System of Comics.
10. Graphic novels. From narrative picture series to "graphic novels". W. Hogarth: Harlot's Progress. Rodolphe Töpffer: Histoire de M. Vieux Bois. Frans Masereel: Mon livre d'heures.
Will Eisner. Art Spiegelman. Osamu Tezuka. David B. Frank Miller. Alan Moore.
11. Comics in Czechoslovakia. Cartoons and pictorial stories. Kája Saudek. Vlastislav Toman. Václav Šorel, František Kobík: Vzpoura mozků (The rebellion of Brains).
12. Unpopular culture. Comics albums and books in the 1990s. L'Association, Small Press, La Nouvelle Bande Dessinée. Fantagraphics. Chris Ware: Acme Novelty Library. Comics without recitatives and dialogues. Jean Giraud (Moebius). Jim Wodring: The Frank Book.
13. Infinite Canvas.mOnline comics. Realization, publishing and distribution of digital formats. Scott McCloud: Reinventing Comics.