LIT3180:  The LIT3180:  The Graphic Novel
Spring 2025
Tentative Course Schedule
MW 5:00-6:15, GWC 4th Floor Conf. Room

NOTE:  This schedule may change as needed.  Your presence in class ensures correct assignments



WEEK 1     WEEK 2     WEEK 3     WEEK 4     WEEK 5     WEEK 6     WEEK 7

WEEK 8     WEEK 9     WEEK 10     WEEK 11     WEEK  12     WEEK 13     WEEK 14

WEEK 15      WEEK 16


ALL ASSIGNMENTS ARE DUE BY THE BEGINNING OF OUR CLASS MEETING TIME (5PM)


WEEK 1

M 1/6        Course Introduction; The Language of Visual Analysis; Group Discussion:
                    Understanding the Frame; Journal Entry

                    HOMEWORK (DUE 1/8):
  •            Complete syllabus quiz         
  •           Purchase textbooks


W  1/8        The Ethical Uses of AI (Group Project)

                    HOMEWORK (DUE 1/13):
​                     essay; Choose one of the following and write a formal essay in response:  
  •           Option 1: How does Haddon convey a sense of time and space to the reader?  
​                    Discuss specific a panel(s) and connect it to an idea presented in chapter of 4 
                   of McCloud's Understanding Comics.
  •           Option 2: How does Haddon evoke emotional and sensual responses in his  
                    reader through the use of line, color, or texture? Point to specific a panel (or
                    panels) and connect it to an idea presented in chapter 5 of Understanding  
                    Comics.
  •           NOTE: THIS IS NOT A FREEWRITE. "ESSAY" IMPLIES FORMAL STRUCTURE 
​                    WITH A THESIS/CLAIM. Give your essay a title.  Use MLA format.
  •           Upload completed essay to Ulearn (week 1 folder)

WEEK 2
M 1/13    Discuss Social Distance

                  Homework (DUE 1/15):
                   Read Chapters 1, 2,& 3 of Understanding Comics ("Setting the Record
                   Straight , "The Vocabulary of Comics," & "Blood in the Gutter")

W 1/15     Watch the first episode of The Walking Dead

                  HOMEWORK (DUE 1/22):
  •         download, just scroll through)
                  Understanding Comics
  •         Do Reader Response 1:  What do you see as an emerging theme in the novel? 
  •         Express it as a one-word idea (a noun) and point to specific panels that you  
  •         think best express your theme and why.  Minimum of 300 words.


WEEK 3

M  1/20    NO CLASS, MLK JR. DAY

W  1/22    Discuss First Half of The Walking Dead (Novel)

                   HOMEWORK (DUE 1/27): 
  •          Read the Second Half of The Walking Dead (Slides 74-146)
  •          Do Reader Response 2: For this response you are arguing which is "more 
                  effective at communicating its central message," the comic or the television 
                  version, and you must prove why (your opinion). You must refer to specific
                  examples from both texts (the novel and the episode). 
                  Incorporate a minimum of one idea from McCloud's text. Your response must 
                  be a minimum of 600 words and submitted to ulearn before our next class 
                  meeting.
  •         Complete test for McCloud's Understanding Comics in ulearn. See week 3 
                  folder in ulearn.


WEEK 4​
M 1/27      Discuss Second Half of The Walking Dead

                   Homework (Due 1/29):

  •           Begin Reading Bitch Planet (first half)

W 1/29     Discuss the Structure of Patriarchy and Bitch Planet


                   HOMEWORK (DUE 2/3):

                   Complete Bitch Planet Book and Do Reader Response 3: What are some ways 
                   that we see patriarchy at work in the novel?  What is the author's central 
                   message about it? Your response should be a minimum of 300 words and 
                   should include one quote from Adichie or Emily Owens (last video). You must 
                   refer to specific examples from Bitch Planet. Upload completed response to 
                   Ulearn (see week 4 folder).
  •           Complete Reading Quiz for Bitch Planet in Ulearn



WEEK 5
M 2/3       Discuss Bitch Planet

                   HOMEWORK (DUE 2/5):
  •            Read "Queer" by Frank Bidart  
  •            Begin reading Virgil (entire book)


W 2/5       Discuss "Queer," Binaries and Gender Performance
                     
                   HOMEWORK (DUE 2/10):          

  •          Read Virgil (entire book) and Do Reader Response 4: What does this novel 
  •          communicate to us about gender performance and binaries within a culture? 
  •          Refer to specific examples from the novel and include a minimum of on quote 
  •          from Butler.

  •          Complete Virgil Reading Quiz in Ulearn
  •         Complete initial discussion board post about Bidart's "Queer"

 

WEEK 6
M 2/10     Discuss Virgil

                   HOMEWORK (DUE 2/12):
  •         Return to the discussion board for Bidart's "Queer" and respond to the posts of
                  two other students in a minimum of 300 words for the two combined. In your 
                  response, explain/aruge how each student's responses led you to see the poem 
                  from a different perspective and why.
  •          Read chapter 7, "The Monster and the Homosexual" by Harry M. Benshoff  
  •          from Horror, the Film Reader, pp. 91-98
  •         Read "Run, Mourner, Run" by Randall Kenan (see Week 5 folder). 
  •         Do Reader Response 5: In what ways does this text by Kenan position queer 
                  identity as "monstrous/monster/abject? Support your argument with 
                  examples from the story and include one quote from Benshoff


W 2/12    Discuss "Run, Mourner, Run" and Benshoff (Monstrosity)


                   HOMEWORK (DUE 2/17):
  •            Copy and Paste your reader response 5 to the discussion board before noon on
                    Sat. 2/15.  Before class time on Monday (5pm), respond to the posts of two 
                    other students. In your response explain how their ideas expanded your 
                    thinking about the texts or how they prompted new ideas about them for you.  
                    Your response to both posts combined should be a minimum of 300 words.
  •           Watch Get Out (2017) (104 minutes)
  •           Watch "Jordan Peele on Exploring the Deep Horrors of Racism in Get Out"
  •           Watch "The Philosophy of Get Out" (15 min.)
  •           Do Reader Response 6: Which characters in this film are presented as "the
                    monsters" what is the director's central message about this? How is this 
                    connected to the idea of race?


WEEK 7
M 2/17      Discuss Midterm Essay; Organization and Developing Argument 


                    HOMEWORK (DUE 2/19):

  •           Complete Claim and Subclaims for Midterm Exam; submit to ulearn


W 2/19       Developing Argument for Midterm

                       HOMEWORK (DUE 2/24):
  •              First FULL Draft of Midterm Due; Submit to assignment folder in Week 7 
                       folder. 
  •               Submit to Draft to Tutor.com 


WEEK 8  
M 2/24        First Draft of Midterm Due; Why Critique and Discuss Critique Process; 
                      CONFERENCES

                     HOMEWORK (DUE 2/26):
  •            Complete peer critique of partner's esay(both steps); upload to 
                     written critique to ulearn by class time on Thursday
                     Complete Tutor.com Report and Revision Plan; upload to ulearn

W 2/26      Peer Critique; Smarthinking Report and Revision Plan Due; Conferences
​                      
                      Homework (Due 3/10):
                     Final Draft of Midterm Due with Reflection



WEEK 9
M 3/10     Final Version of Midterm Due with Reflection; Time to Begin Reading MFTIM

                   HOMEWORK (DUE 3/12):
  •          Read My Favorite Thing is Monsters: 
                   "The Renowned Creates of Movieville, 1967 Year in Review," "Ghastly,
                   Feb. '68, Kiss of the Warlock," "Ghastly, Jan. '68, Curse of the Gypsy's Crypt," 
                   "Dread, Feb. '68, Castle of Blood/Dark Hunger" & "Ghastly, Feb. 67, The Devil's
                   Picnic"
  •          Complete Reading Quiz in Ulearn
  •          Do Reader Response 7:  What do you see as Karen's conflict and why?  Support          your argument with examples from the text.

W 3/12    Discuss My Favorite Thing is Monsters

                   HOMEWORK (DUE 3/17):
  •          Read "Ghastly: Beach Party Feeding Frenzy," "Spectral, May '66, Twin Terror 
                   Kinderscarton" "Dread, March '68, The Devouring" & "March '68, Tales of the 
                   Eldritch and the Arcane"  
  •          Complete Reading Quiz in Ulearn
  •          Do Reader Response 8:  How do Bendetti's or Benshoff's ideas of the monstrous
                   apply to this text so far?  Support your argument with evidence from the novel 
                   and quotes from the article.


WEEK 10
M 3/17      Discuss My Favorite Thing is Monsters; Meet Group Members for Group 
                   Project;  Set up Google Docs (Proposal, Draft)

                   HOMEWORK (DUE 3/19):
  •          Read "Tales of the Eldritch and the Arcane, April 1968," Horrific:  Hell Wenches
                  of the Inferno, March '68 "Terror, March '68, Robotic Hybrids of Zombieland"
                  "Ghastly, April '66, The Plague from Above," "Dread, April '65, Dr. Jekyll & Mr.
                   Hyde," "Gory  Stories: Frankenstein," "Dread, April '67," & "Terror, April '68"
  •          Complete Reading Quiz in Ulearn
  •          Do Reader Response 9:  What do you see as the most important theme of this 
                  text and why?  Present the theme as a one word idea and support your 
                  argument with examples from the text.

W 3/19    Discuss My Favorite Thing is Monsters; Discuss Group Project and Topic 
                  Proposal  


                   HOMEWORK (DUE 3/24):
  •          Read Remainder of My Favorite Thing is Monsters
  •          Complete Reading Quiz in Ulearn
  •           Meet Group Members on Zoom and Choose 
                   Topic; Complete Topic Proposal for Group Project; submit one copy for group


WEEK 11
M  3/24    Topic Proposal Due for Group Project; Discuss My Favorite Thing is Monsters;


                   HOMEWORK (DUE 3/26):
  •          Begin Reading Graphic Novel for Group Project


W 3/26    Workday for Group Project/Discuss My Favorite Thing is Monsters

                   HOMEWORK (DUE 3/31):
  •          Read Graphic Novel for Group Project
                   central conflict (person vs. person, person vs. self, person vs. society, person 
                   vs. nature, person vs. technology) and how is that conflict overcome?  How 
                   does the character change as a result?


WEEK 12
M 3/31      Meet with project group to discuss writing order and process (first 2 pages due 
                   in one week); Begin work on claims and subclaims

                   HOMEWORK (DUE 4/2):
  •          Watch Film for Group Project
  •          Claims and Subclaims Due for Group Project


W 4/2       Claims and Subclaims Due for Group Project; Begin Drafting

                   HOMEWORK (DUE 4/7):
                   First Two Pages of Group Project Due


WEEK 13
M 4/7        Workday for Drafting

                    HOMEWORK (DUE 4/9):

                    Continue working on draft


W 4/9        First Two Pages of Group Project Due; Meet with Group:  Revising and Drafting

                   HOMEWORK (DUE 4/14):
  •          First full draft of group project due; submit one copy for group in ulearn
  •         Each group member submits a copy of the first draft to Smarthinking tutors


WEEK 14
M 4/14    First Full Draft of Group Project Due; work on presentation

                   HOMEWORK (DUE 4/16):
  •          Continue to Revise Essay and Work on Presentation
  •          Complete Smarthinking Revision Plan by next class

W 4/16    Continue to Revise Group Project and Work on Presentation

                  HOMEWORK (DUE 4/21):
  •          Final Draft of Group Project Due with Reflection; submit one copy of paper for
​                    group; everyone does their own reflection PER INSTRUCTIONS FROM 
                  CLASS (and in ulearn); grade group members 
  •         Begin Work on Final Exam 


WEEK 15​
M 4/21      Final draft of Group Project Due with Individual Reflection (see reflection 
                    instructions in ulearn)Work; Group Presentation 

                   HOMEWORK (DUE 4/23):

W 4/23     FINAL EXAM DUE with Reflection  (due by 5:45PM)