COMICS AS POLITICAL EXPRESSION
18 week course with noted comics artist Seth Tobocman
Hosted On-Line via Zoom
Course Fee: $200
First Class: February 27, 2024, from 7:00pm to 9:30pm
And continuing on subsequent Tuesdays through Tuesday July 2
This is a class for students hoping to express their political convictions through the medium of comics, cartooning, or illustration.
The class is open to artists at any skill level. The ideas presented are narrative and conceptual and will work just as well with stick figures as with detailed realistic drawing. But the assumption is that everyone here wants to produce art, not just talk about it. Everyone in the class will be treated respectfully, and criticized constructively, as a working artist.
Comics, today, have emerged as an important art form, influencing film, politics and other aspects of culture. Many organizations today use graphic novels to draw attention to their issues. But comics have a long tradition. Cartoonists played a significant role in the American, French, and Russian revolutions, in the abolitionist, civil rights and feminist movements. Most of the pioneers of American comics were from working class backgrounds.
Comics, today, have emerged as an important art form, influencing film, politics and other aspects of culture. Many organizations today use graphic novels to draw attention to their issues. But comics have a long tradition. Cartoonists played a significant role in the American, French, and Russian revolutions, in the abolitionist, civil rights and feminist movements. Most of the pioneers of American comics were from working class backgrounds.
We will look at the many ways that artists have expressed political concerns throughout history with an eye towards seeing what techniques we can apply in our own work.
In the beginning of the course there will be short assignments to help artists develop basic skills. In the middle of the course there will be several opportunities to interview activists and work with research materials selected by the instructor to develop comics about contemporary political issues. In the last 8 weeks artists will do a longer strip on a subject of their own choosing.
The political point of view of this course will be unapologetically anti-capitalist and anti-authoritarian. The aesthetic point of view will favor representational art and clear communication. But people of all beliefs are welcome.
THIS IS AN ONLINE CLASS. Students must have a means of converting their artwork into digital files. A scanner may be an important tool. Access to photoshop or an equivalent program is recommended. At a minimum, students should be able to photograph their work with a phone. It is advised that students participate in the Zoom classes using a computer with a large screen rather than with a phone. Students will be expected to email their work to the instructor 24 hours before class so he has sufficient time to review the material and can offer useful advice.
A number of PDFs will be emailed to students to read in preparation for particular lectures or assignments.
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