The Invisible Art: Theorising Comics In and Beyond Pop Culture - Einzelansicht

As a multi-modal form of literary and visual expression, comic books require a distinct mode of engagement in both reading and criticism. Unlike purely textual or purely visual media, comics operate through the interplay of word, image, layout, sequence, and material form. This course introduces students to the theoretical foundations of comics studies while moving beyond pop-cultural reception to examine comics as complex aesthetic, political, and philosophical systems. Foundational works of comics criticism such as Scott McCloud, Thierry Groensteen, and Nick Sousanis have significantly advanced theoretical inquiry in comics studies, offering frameworks for understanding sequential art, visual grammar, and the epistemological possibilities of comics form. Students will examine how comics reconfigure narrative authority, disrupt dominant visual regimes, and challenge conventional hierarchies between ”high” and ”low” culture. Through close reading, theoretical analysis, and critical discussion, students will develop tools to analyze composition, spatiality, temporality, and the politics of representation unique to comics. Ultimately, the course asks: What makes comics an ”invisible art”? And how does theorising comics reshape broader conversations in literary studies, media theory, and cultural politics?

Reflection papers + thesis paper