LiU Summer Academy: Costumed heroes, angry ducks and single moms - reading and learning in the world of comics, 7.5 credits

Main field of study

Course level

Advancement level

Entry requirements

To meet the general entry requirements, students must have completed 1 year full-time studies (passed 60 ECTS credits or equivalent) from one of Linköping University's partner universities upon application.

(Exemption from Swedish)

Intended learning outcomes

After completion of the course, students will be able to:

• account for the historical development of the comics medium in relation to a cultural and social context.
• analyse comics intertextually with literary or cultural analytical tools.
• describe and discuss various multimodal functions of the comics medium.
• account for a few didactic methods connected to comics.

Course content

The course studies comics from an aesthetic, as well as political and cultural, perspective, and the role of comics in society both historically and in present day. Within this framework the course sheds light on different forms of comics – strips, graphic novels, comics – and various genres (fiction, non-fiction, autobiographical, adventure etc.). The student is introduced to the historical and physical development of comics and encounters different type of stories from English-American, Belgo-French, Japanese, and Swedish comics tradition. The course also has a didactic focus that offers an in-depth exploration of the potential of comics as educational tools.

Teaching and working methods

The course consists of lectures, seminars and exercises around literary texts. The student is also expected to work independently with reading and writing to prepare for sessions.

Examination

The course is examined through an individual written exam and obligatory seminars. 

Detailed information about the way the course is examined can be found in the study guide for the course.

Grades

Department