Opening Questions:
1. Why do you like Superheroes?
2. Why do you like their movies?
3. What Superhero are you? Do you agree or disagree?
4. What is a “Superhero?”
Archetype
An original model of a person, an ideal example, or a prototype upon which others are copied, modeled, patterned, or emulated; or a symbol universally recognized by all.
We start with the archetypal Alien, Rogue, Police, Amazon, Fool (Innocent), Cowboy, Amazon, Behemoth/Jekyll and Hyde, God, and Patriot:
Try and define each and then we’ll discuss:
Alien:______
Rogue/Vigilante:______
Police:______
Amazon:______
Innocent/Fool:______
Cowboy:______
Behemoth/JekyllandHyde:______
God:______
Patriot:______
Justice:______
Rogue:______
Joseph Campbell’s Hero Quest Outline Cycle
As you watch the documentary, list anything that you deem relevant for discussion.
Some examples: Dates and Appearances of Superheroes, creators and artists, social movements when they happened and why, attitudes of society towards comics, historical events that influenced comics, etc. Hopefully you get the idea, write it out here on this page.
History Channel Questions
BACKGROUND LINKS
Seduction of the Innocent
1954 Senate Interim Report on Juvenile Delinquency
Wars of Comics and Culture
Comic Literary Facts
Defining the “Superhero” with Dr. Peter Coogan PhD
a Hero’s MPI
Mission:
Powers:
Identity:
What is a Comic Book?
Understanding Comics: The Invisible art
By scottMccloud
1993, Harpercollins publishers, Inc, New York, ny
Chapter One: Setting the Record Straight
Page 6 – The Medium known as comics is a Vessel which can hold any number of ideas
and images: Writers, Artists, Trends, Genres, Styles, Subject Matter, Themes
Chapter Three: Blood in the Gutter
Page 63 – Closure: the phenomenon of observing the parts but perceiving the whole.
Panel 1. In an incomplete world, we must depend on closure for our very
survival. Panel 6.
Page 70-74 - Types of Closure
1. Moment to Moment: between panels
2. Action to Action: Progression through action.
3. Subject to Subject: Reader involvement to make meaning.
4. Scene to Scene: Time and Space require deductive reasoning.
5. Aspect to Aspect: Bypass time – wandering eye to set place, idea,
mood, etc.
6. Non-Sequitur – No Logical Relationship whatsoever.
Page 89 – Engagement of all senses. Imagination.
Chapter Four: Time Frames
Page 99 – Time in Comics
Page 104 – Past, Present, Future
Chapter Five: Living in Line
Page 128 – Lines: Symbols = Language.
Page 134 – Word Balloon can affect words as well as font style can affect how they are
perceived.
Chapter Six: Show and Tell
Page 153 – Pictures and Words
Word Specific, Picture Specific, Duo-Specific, Additive, Parallel,
Montage
Page 161 – Panel 4: The richness of Modern Language is an irreplaceable commodity.
Chapter Seven: The Six Steps
Page 164 – Art Defined: Art is any human activity which doesn’t grow out of either of
our species’ two basic instincts: survival and reproduction.
Page 167 – Exercise for minds and bodies, Outlet for emotional imbalances, Random
activities lead to useful discoveries.
Page 170 – Idea/Purpose, Form, Idiom, Structure, Craft, Surface
Chapter Nine: Putting it All Together
Summary
Part of the class will be reading Comic Books (Obviously) so as an exercise, with each book we read a reflection of a master image will be required.
You decided the most important image in the book and write a one page, double spaced reflection on why that image is the most important. It is important to note that the image should sum up the story in some way. The images should not be the cover nor the splash page.