tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32143482896880140972024-03-12T16:11:23.595-07:00Graphic Textbooksbmkane112http://www.blogger.com/profile/10352439174601808723noreply@blogger.comBlogger14125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3214348289688014097.post-1522143628297553562013-09-04T12:38:00.001-07:002013-09-09T08:42:05.315-07:00<div align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">Happy
Anniversary to Me!<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">Hello Everyone,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">Today is the
First Anniversary of this Dissertation blog. The good news is—I graduated. A pdf of my dissertation can be found here:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";"><a href="https://www.dropbox.com/s/1satkuza5gsadl3/Kane%20--%20Dissertation%20--%20Final%20copy.pdf" target="_blank"><span style="color: orange;"><b>Adapting the Graphic Novel Format for Undergraduate-Level Textbooks</b></span></a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">As of today
this blog has been viewed 5,429 times from people on all continents except for
Antarctica (come on down there!). People
have viewed this blog from over 70 countries including France, Germany, Latvia,
Russia, United Kingdom, India, South Africa, China, Australia, most of the
Middle East, and almost every country from Central and South America.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">To commemorate
the occasion I am posting the first in a series of interviews I conducted with
comic creators, publishers, and editors. This first post is my interview with
Kim Thompson. Kim was my editor for many years at Fantagraphics. Sadly, Kim
passed away earlier this year not long after this interview (I believe it may
have been his last).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">Look for more
interviews soon!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">All best
wishes,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">Brian<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">The
Kim Thompson (1956-2013) Interview<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 11pt;">Brian M.
Kane: What are the strengths of the graphic narrative format for education?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 11pt;">Kim
Thompson: The fact that they combine the verbal and visual medium very
intimately. Some information is best imparted through words and some through
pictures, and the flexibility of being able to alternate between the two, or
combine them, is just very helpful.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 11pt;">BMK: What are the weaknesses of the graphic
narrative format for education?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 11pt;">KT: It depends on what you compare it to. If
you compare it to a documentary film you don’t have the visceral, lived in
sense of the real being photographed. Obviously, text-only allows you to go
deeper into the subject matter in some ways. Every medium has its own strengths
and its own weaknesses. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 11pt;">BMK: What would you recommend to academicians
intending on creating their own educational graphic narratives?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 11pt;">KT: Doing graphic narratives is a hell of a
lot of work, so you have to be pretty serious about it. The implication would
be that, since few academicians are trained graphic artists, you’re talking
about academicians creating the basic text and then hiring illustrators. So
anyone hiring illustrators would have to have a pretty deep and broad
familiarity with the medium. If this were something that would become a major
trend there would probably be agents or packagers who could provide
illustrators. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 11pt;">BMK: What do you think about the possibility of
having an academician co-author an educational graphic narrative with a comic
book/graphic narrative industry professional?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 11pt;">KT: I think it has possibilities. Every
collaboration has possibilities. Clearly the sensibilities of an academic are
going to be quite different from the sensibilities of the cartoonist, or
illustrator, or draftsman, so that may make for some interesting tension.
Academicians have a reputation for being a bit dry, so it might be interesting
to see a cartoonist or illustrator adapt something more serious.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 11pt;">The art of comic book writing is
certainly a craft and quite likely not something that academicians are going to
go to naturally. I suspect that in many cases they will have to go to some type
of collaboration. The fact is, even outside of the question of academics, when
you talk to cartoonists they are going to tell you they’ll be collaborating
with a writer who has no experience in comics per se, a prose writer, and
inevitably there are problems because the writer doesn’t understand the
mechanics of it. The simplest and most obvious case being instances were
writers will write and say: “In this panel this happens, and this happens, and
this happens, and this happens,” not realizing that in a graphic narrative you
have to break it down; you can’t have four things happening at once. That is a
trap that I think academics would fall in too. So there would have to be one
more element in the combination, which is a comic book writer who could take
the material from the academic and transfer it into something for the
cartoonist or illustrator. Of course there are a number of cartoonists and
illustrators who are excellent writers on their own, so it’s still possible to
have just a two-person operation with just an academic and a cartoonist who can
adapt the material. Certainly, someone like Joe Sacco who does his own writing
would be able to do it.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2xv3z4699gwn0UxokT7KjPJzmu7pQ1V0uGj8gxgUOFEaPpU3L9x_nGKpX66k2OP_Cb_vrYQ203wZVp29K3CNybTEZ8MWkKzBd8c12m3UeFHF0L0CI3dq_CsLD_ipw1ordSEGYfu8_NSI/s1600/safe-area-gorazde.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2xv3z4699gwn0UxokT7KjPJzmu7pQ1V0uGj8gxgUOFEaPpU3L9x_nGKpX66k2OP_Cb_vrYQ203wZVp29K3CNybTEZ8MWkKzBd8c12m3UeFHF0L0CI3dq_CsLD_ipw1ordSEGYfu8_NSI/s1600/safe-area-gorazde.jpg" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 11pt; text-align: justify;">I think the use of comics for
journalistic or historical purposes, specifically with Joe Sacco, has been a
great benefit to the medium and, for that matter, to journalism and history. I
have the problem of the non-academic towards academics being somewhat dry and
tedious, and wrapped up in their own little world, but on the other hand that
means that the addition of someone from the outside, specifically a cartoonist
might help to shake that up a little bit, so I’m all for it.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 11pt;">BMK: Thank you, Kim!</span></div>
bmkane112http://www.blogger.com/profile/10352439174601808723noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3214348289688014097.post-58403735824161557422013-07-15T06:54:00.003-07:002013-07-15T12:16:13.281-07:00<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><b>Summary, Conclusions, and Implications for Future Research</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ7Im-IcJXQW1gxqe9Zj4EdNzxSCMAh6FKeMYxnLzLmBnfQlkKDiO7X9QQvSa-kN5EknYxWwHVO6x5iiQG80ATqp384wWY4Wa64xYJQg_kya5-ch1ixlBCLjgPRJjzgXVlE5FyI72Mbvk/s1600/C5+page+01+ipad.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ7Im-IcJXQW1gxqe9Zj4EdNzxSCMAh6FKeMYxnLzLmBnfQlkKDiO7X9QQvSa-kN5EknYxWwHVO6x5iiQG80ATqp384wWY4Wa64xYJQg_kya5-ch1ixlBCLjgPRJjzgXVlE5FyI72Mbvk/s320/C5+page+01+ipad.jpg" width="249" /></span></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtUdY_iez5bz8-4ND6qEzl8RQ2t8mWuwpQhtMyJrHcB1vY4bX1Nyb701q8ixvrXFhhND5adiD94kXNoP371P1geVV7dRzNCCdPxvSKGsHtAg-WKT0hbbvqkxJuNwC1uGERbuFnhc0gCBU/s1600/C5+page+02+ipad.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtUdY_iez5bz8-4ND6qEzl8RQ2t8mWuwpQhtMyJrHcB1vY4bX1Nyb701q8ixvrXFhhND5adiD94kXNoP371P1geVV7dRzNCCdPxvSKGsHtAg-WKT0hbbvqkxJuNwC1uGERbuFnhc0gCBU/s200/C5+page+02+ipad.jpg" width="155" /></span></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxla5J5DROgjHMapOs1R9w9ISijzEYbYbpV4BpIYTZciw9neQitflrC2l-NK8wMhZSlJOLN6XGSs6PijWcOOF9b9be6-VWhKiCnqpfgqpu2BaDESK7Lcd9C3mC9aVxuxwHuCzQFUverOg/s1600/C5+page+03+ipad.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxla5J5DROgjHMapOs1R9w9ISijzEYbYbpV4BpIYTZciw9neQitflrC2l-NK8wMhZSlJOLN6XGSs6PijWcOOF9b9be6-VWhKiCnqpfgqpu2BaDESK7Lcd9C3mC9aVxuxwHuCzQFUverOg/s200/C5+page+03+ipad.jpg" width="155" /></span></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="color: blue;">Sequential
art is a “show-don’t-tell” medium.</span> Since I am championing this medium as a
teaching tool it seemed appropriate to use sequential art in order to summarize
the key elements of my dissertation in the form of a graphic narrative. </span>Basically, it was time for me to “put up, or shut up.” The art for each page was developed to fit an iPad screen, and since I am trying to mimic that visual experience for this dissertation I created this iPad in Photoshop, based on, but not copied from, a real iPad. With few exceptions (the book covers, and article pages on page #2) many of the visuals were created by me. For example: while the page from the book <i>Feynman</i> is an actual page my manipulation of it on pages #4 and #5 is my own design; the SmartBoard (pages #5 and #6) was created in Photoshop but based on an actual SmartBoard; I applied multiple travel stickers to the steamer trunk on page #8 (and distressed them); the computer (page #8) was built by combining photos of an old typewriter and an old television; the drive-in theater (page #12) is a photo montage (that is not the original sky that went with the cars); and even the “Smiley Faces” were created directly in Photoshop. This is a very arts-based presentation showcasing my skills as a graphic narrative writer, visual artist, graphic designer, and digital photo manipulator all in service of teaching higher-level concepts through the use of a visual art medium.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZY_2LbpB1EL2ph5AASWr4wVEmOqaa2T_w0tARMtjkNJpm3rneRnIIdw9bPCOL6gohVbyoMsCTcpIEbcIOGwl565T0OYGFn6TjSP_wbdVFb-1VY0exrYsKg0IC8RA8ISg-QDFMQesFaLI/s1600/C5+page+05+ipad.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZY_2LbpB1EL2ph5AASWr4wVEmOqaa2T_w0tARMtjkNJpm3rneRnIIdw9bPCOL6gohVbyoMsCTcpIEbcIOGwl565T0OYGFn6TjSP_wbdVFb-1VY0exrYsKg0IC8RA8ISg-QDFMQesFaLI/s200/C5+page+05+ipad.jpg" width="155" /></span></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMZgZu-781kUGVu0Ho5iWzQieIKJLsiFZIuGgfJxXmRFUDHOr-QcoQq3Ie4bl881Gl2280CLXL7yw1fQArsE2y8uJzwQt8HdpYYPcInpw3ajhMWjOITR1NYPy69ue6hv_vu6lDtwJuIWM/s1600/C5+page+06+ipad.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMZgZu-781kUGVu0Ho5iWzQieIKJLsiFZIuGgfJxXmRFUDHOr-QcoQq3Ie4bl881Gl2280CLXL7yw1fQArsE2y8uJzwQt8HdpYYPcInpw3ajhMWjOITR1NYPy69ue6hv_vu6lDtwJuIWM/s200/C5+page+06+ipad.jpg" width="155" /></span></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="color: blue;">As
with all graphic narratives the key is to know when to let the images speak for
themselves and carry the story.</span> On page #1, for example, I introduce a version
of my Purpose Statement, and present it with the use of a modified title and
dialogue (word) balloon. However, the visuals on the page tell a parallel
story. The visuals, once decoded, are a visual biography of myself. This is
where I work at home, and while it is a lot less cluttered in the illustration
all the essentials are here. Some of the elements are obvious. I am drinking
from a Pittsburgh Steelers mug, which is an indication of where I am from. The
books I have written are sitting on top of my printer, and the IPPY Award I
received is behind the router. Some elements are a bit more subtle. My clothing
is casual because I want the reader to be relaxed, and rather than fill the
area with a flat color I chose to scan my own shirt and jeans, which makes the
art all the more personal. The Graphic Narrative Model on my monitor
foreshadows its discussion on page #3. Some elements are decipherable only if
you know me very well. My illustration of my boys is on the card on top of the
computer. I was a comic book inker, and one of my tryout pages for a story is
on the iPad. The first character I ever drew was Snoopy. While these elements
are not part of the main storyline, they are, as stated previously, in parallel
to the main story since they are part of my résumé. They act in the same
fashion as an author’s bio at the end of an article, and if this were an actual
iPad, all the reader would have to do is tap on any of these elements and a
text box or hyperlink would lead them to a more detailed explanation.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPvow-iwvjgAiSoNz6kypeatZxV-HqWbnsqa-RFEItQTrhIaVLtXb9j0Dh2hNTHl4ODy1W73hWJyanj-R2t6a8lDAFXynLIckC6FbXTXanPlW9ZU2OBY8npU7q_bqkZ61c3gmOga8hTjg/s1600/C5+page+08+ipad.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"></span></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiv031yn6nVZYyTZ6nLg7xFOIieDPxt2GLz-Hpg6CjfBw1duKobH8RtwLIu_4U7owAjaMSnZlEoCXOCK5dkr7by1mBYRL_hqPFJYXgZBpZS0jFe82pGNprZutpg8-LZsGrt81XCe0lv3Y/s1600/C5+page+07+ipad.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiv031yn6nVZYyTZ6nLg7xFOIieDPxt2GLz-Hpg6CjfBw1duKobH8RtwLIu_4U7owAjaMSnZlEoCXOCK5dkr7by1mBYRL_hqPFJYXgZBpZS0jFe82pGNprZutpg8-LZsGrt81XCe0lv3Y/s320/C5+page+07+ipad.jpg" width="248" /></span></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"></span><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The
graphic narrative portion follows a fairly straight-forward summary of the
dissertation: Purpose Statement (p. #1); background to the study (pp. #2-3);
how graphic narratives relay information and related theories associated with cognitive
and visual learning skills (pp. #3-6); conclusions and recommendations (p. #7); applying learned information and proposing how graphic narratives can be
used as teaching tools (pp. #7-12); and closing statement (p. #12). </span><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPvow-iwvjgAiSoNz6kypeatZxV-HqWbnsqa-RFEItQTrhIaVLtXb9j0Dh2hNTHl4ODy1W73hWJyanj-R2t6a8lDAFXynLIckC6FbXTXanPlW9ZU2OBY8npU7q_bqkZ61c3gmOga8hTjg/s1600/C5+page+08+ipad.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPvow-iwvjgAiSoNz6kypeatZxV-HqWbnsqa-RFEItQTrhIaVLtXb9j0Dh2hNTHl4ODy1W73hWJyanj-R2t6a8lDAFXynLIckC6FbXTXanPlW9ZU2OBY8npU7q_bqkZ61c3gmOga8hTjg/s200/C5+page+08+ipad.jpg" width="155" /></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">You may view the pages in this blog, or you may download a hi-res pdf of the entire 12-page conclusion by clicking on the link below. You have my permission to distribute this freely, but please do not publish it anywhere in hard copy without my permission. My email address is kane.112@osu.edu.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br />
<o:p></o:p>
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: blue; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b style="background-color: yellow;"><a href="https://www.dropbox.com/s/vt2rs19bahvvnak/Kane%20-%20The%20Next%20Wave%20in%20Graphic%20Narratives.pdf" target="_blank">The Next Wave in Graphic Narratives pdf</a></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">For those who are interested, I am also including a link to my references. The bibliography is sub-divided by category, and since it is 29 pages this is the easiest way to include it.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: yellow; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><a href="https://www.dropbox.com/s/ohzxkwz1ne24n7n/Graphic%20Textbook%20References.pdf" target="_blank"><b>References Used in this Dissertation</b></a></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCyV0QLyyYqEgVQAQpp6UuMx_mvsdUdOwE-qyCg9ww_RwsXhc_M_-WOSWw3UqRawMoAK5pUG3tAc2QAdewm_uNffa7Ww5lcF3Zc03SxYlOCRZM5Isg0Evt3vt8a1RpEzBRwIfyvtrnBPk/s1600/C5+page+09+ipad.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"></span></a><span style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">would like to thank my dissertation committee members: Professor Clayton Funk, Professor Arthur Efland, Professor Jared Gardner, Professor Shari Savage, and my Adviser Professor Candace Stout who championed this dissertation from the start. </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I would also like to thank Professor Christine
Ballengee-Morris, Professor Patricia L. Stuhr, and my fellow students who have
walked this path with me. Finally, I would like to thank my 16 interviewees for
their time and patience. I will be including their interviews in subsequent
blogs.</span></span></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.5in; text-indent: -0.5in;">
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-indent: -.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Stephen
Bissette</b>: Graphic Narrative writer and illustrator best known for his work
on<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><i>Swamp Thing</i><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>for DC Comics.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-indent: -.5in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-indent: -.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">
Professor at the Center for Cartoon Studies in White River Junction, Vermont.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-indent: -.5in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-indent: -.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>
Comic Book Rebels</i><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>(1993). New
York: D.I. Fine. Co-Author.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-indent: -.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>
Tyrant</i><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>(1994-1996).
Wilmington, VT: Spiderbaby Graphix. Author & Illustrator.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-indent: -.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>
Teen Angels & New Mutants</i><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>(2011).
Encino, CA: Black Coat Press. Author.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><u1:p></u1:p>
<u1:p></u1:p>
<u1:p></u1:p>
<u1:p></u1:p>
<u1:p></u1:p>
</span><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-indent: -.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Tom Brevoort:</b><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Senior Vice President and Executive Editor,
Marvel Entertainment (Marvel Comics).</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCyV0QLyyYqEgVQAQpp6UuMx_mvsdUdOwE-qyCg9ww_RwsXhc_M_-WOSWw3UqRawMoAK5pUG3tAc2QAdewm_uNffa7Ww5lcF3Zc03SxYlOCRZM5Isg0Evt3vt8a1RpEzBRwIfyvtrnBPk/s1600/C5+page+09+ipad.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCyV0QLyyYqEgVQAQpp6UuMx_mvsdUdOwE-qyCg9ww_RwsXhc_M_-WOSWw3UqRawMoAK5pUG3tAc2QAdewm_uNffa7Ww5lcF3Zc03SxYlOCRZM5Isg0Evt3vt8a1RpEzBRwIfyvtrnBPk/s320/C5+page+09+ipad.jpg" width="248" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.5in; text-indent: -0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;"><b>Kevin
Cannon & Zander Cannon:</b> </span><span style="text-indent: -0.5in;">Graphic narrative writers and
illustrators.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.5in; text-indent: -0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.5in; text-indent: -0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i><span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;"> The
Stuff of Life: A Graphic Guide to Genetics and DNA</span></i><span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;"> (2008). New York: Hill and
Wang. Illustrators.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.5in; text-indent: -0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i><span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;"> T-Minus:
The Race to the Moon</span></i><span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;"> (2009).
New York: Aladdin. Illustrators.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.5in; text-indent: -0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i><span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;"> Evolution:
The Story of Life on Earth</span></i><span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">
(2011). New York: Hill and Wang. Illustrators.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.5in; text-indent: -0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.5in; text-indent: -0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="text-indent: -0.5in;"><b>Josh
Elder:</b> Founder and President of </span><i style="text-indent: -0.5in;">Reading
With Pictures</i><span style="text-indent: -0.5in;">, Chicago, IL, an educational non-profit dedicated to
facilitating the use of comics in the classroom in order to promote literacy
and the visual arts, and improve educational outcomes for all students.</span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.5in; text-indent: -0.5in;">
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-indent: -.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Jared
Gardner, Ph.D.:</b><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>Professor of
English and Film at The Ohio State University where he is also the Director of
the Popular Culture Studies program.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><u1:p></u1:p>
</span><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-indent: -.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-indent: -.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Jay Hosler,
Ph.D.:</b><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>Professor of
Biology, Juniata College<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><u1:p></u1:p>
</span><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-indent: -.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-indent: -.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>
Clan Apis</i><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>(2000).
Columbus, OH: Active Synapse. Author & Illustrator.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><u1:p></u1:p>
</span><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-indent: -.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>
The Sandwalk Adventures</i><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>(2003). Columbus,
OH: Active Synapse. Author & Illustrator.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><u1:p></u1:p>
</span><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-indent: -.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>
Optical Allusions</i><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>(2008).
Columbus, OH: Active Synapse. Author & Illustrator.*<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><u1:p></u1:p>
</span><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-indent: -.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>
Suspended In Language: Niels Bohr's Life</i><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>(2009) Ann Arbor, MI: G.T. Labs. Illustrator.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><u1:p></u1:p>
</span><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-indent: -.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>
Evolution: The Story of Life on Earth</i><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>(2011). New York: Hill and Wang. Author.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><u1:p></u1:p>
</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-indent: -.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">
* The production and publication of<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><i>Optical
Allusions</i><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>was made possible
through a grant from the National Science Foundation.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdmOb3a3KsDQIuSD2q7oS7afFfivQK8B4cD9PaLfaF1Z8rO4rxn3HeMMO8B-n83GUh-B2CUaqpU4nH5uXF6R8ZOUw4J81u-FDM4vqYX9EVhtxvVotwPvyK0aU0ID5dyNalMS97NeS-Flc/s1600/C5+page+10+ipad.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdmOb3a3KsDQIuSD2q7oS7afFfivQK8B4cD9PaLfaF1Z8rO4rxn3HeMMO8B-n83GUh-B2CUaqpU4nH5uXF6R8ZOUw4J81u-FDM4vqYX9EVhtxvVotwPvyK0aU0ID5dyNalMS97NeS-Flc/s320/C5+page+10+ipad.jpg" width="248" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-indent: -.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Dean H.
Johnston, Ph.D.:</b><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>Professor of
Chemistry, Otterbein University.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><u1:p></u1:p>
</span><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-indent: -.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-indent: -.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">
Research and Teaching Interests: Synthetic
inorganic chemistry, X-ray crystallography, Photophysical properties of metal
cluster systems, Molecular symmetry, and Structural chemistry.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><u1:p></u1:p>
</span><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-indent: -.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-indent: -.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">
Professor Johnston also serves as the
Director of Undergraduate Research and Creative Work at Otterbein University.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><u1:p></u1:p>
</span><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-indent: -.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-indent: -.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Wendy
Johnston, Ph.D.:</b><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>Adjunct
Associate Professor in the Department of Chemistry and the Department of
Biology, Otterbein University.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><u1:p></u1:p>
</span><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-indent: -.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-indent: -.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Caitlin A.
McGurk:</b><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>At the time
of the interview Miss. McGurk was the Visiting Curator for the Billy Ireland
Cartoon Library & Museum at The Ohio State University. She is now that
institution’s Engagement Coordinator.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><u1:p></u1:p>
</span><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-indent: -.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Jim
Ottaviani:</b><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>Writer and
publisher of comics and graphic novels about scientists.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-indent: -.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-indent: -.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">
Masters in Nuclear Engineering, University of Michigan.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-indent: -.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">
Masters in Information and Library Science, University of Michigan.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-indent: -.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-indent: -.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">
Librarian at the University of Michigan, and the Coordinator of Deep Blue the
University’s personal research and intellectual property database.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-indent: -.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-indent: -.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>
Fallout</i><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>(2001). Ann
Arbor, MI: G.T. Labs. Author.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-indent: -.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>
Suspended In Language: Niels Bohr's Life</i><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>(2009) Ann Arbor, MI: G.T. Labs. Author.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-indent: -.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>
T-Minus: The Race to the Moon</i><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>(2009). New
York: Aladdin. Author.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-indent: -.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>
Feynman</i><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>(2011). New
York: First Second Books. Author.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>
Primates: The Fearless Science of Jane Goodall, Dian Fossey, and Biruté Galdikas</i><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>(2013). New York: First Second Books. Author.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-indent: -.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Stephen
Saffel:</b><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>Senior
Acquisitions Editor, Titan Books. Responsible for acquiring and editing
original and tie-in fiction, illustrated books, comics and strip collections.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> Former Editor for Marvel Entertainment (Marvel Comics).</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Mark
Schultz:</b><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>Graphic
narrative writer and illustrator.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>
The Stuff of Life: A Graphic Guide to Genetics and DNA</i><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>(2008). New York: Hill and Wang. Author.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>James
Steranko:</b><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>Graphic
narrative writer and illustrator.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">
Mr. Steranko is a legendary figure in the
comic book industry, and in the 1960s-1970s helped establish some of the visual
iconography and techniques used by graphic narrative creators today.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">
In 1976, Mr. Steranko created the “Visual Novel” Chandler, which is considered
one of the first graphic novels.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>
Chandler: Red Tide</i><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>(1976). New
York: Byron Preiss.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>
Steranko: Graphic Narrative</i><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>(1977).
Winnipeg: The Winnipeg Art Gallery.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>
Visual Storytelling: The Art and Technique</i><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>(2002). New York: Watson-Guptill.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-indent: -.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-indent: -.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Kim
Thompson:</b><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>Vice
President, Editor, and Co-Publisher at Fantagraphics Books. For over
thirty years Mr. Thompson has championed the cause of alternative comics in the
American market. A long-time proponent of European comics, Mr. Thompson has
also translated the work of a number of international cartoonists published by
Fantagraphics.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">
Among some of the many notable cartoonists published by Fantagraphics Books
include: Jessica Abel, Peter Bagge, Ivan Brunetti, Charles Burns, Daniel
Clowes, Roberta Gregory, Joe Sacco, and Chris Ware.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>A Columbus Public Library librarian</b><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>who wished to remain anonymous.</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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bmkane112http://www.blogger.com/profile/10352439174601808723noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3214348289688014097.post-29136565392436419132012-10-11T08:15:00.000-07:002013-10-04T10:07:10.838-07:00<br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Blog 12: The Dark Side of Digital,<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">The Graphic Textbook Model,<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">& Concluding Remarks<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">The Dark Side of Digital</span></b></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">In 2007 alone, 1,288 x
1018 bits, or 161 billion gigabytes of digital content were created, stored,
and replicated around the world. In lay terms, that’s 3 million times the
amount of information in all the books ever written, or twelve stacks of books
reaching from the Earth to the Sun, or six tons of books for every living
person. It would require 2 billion of the highest-capacity iPods to store all
of that information.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 4;"> </span>―John
Palfrey and Urs Gasser, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Born Digital</i>,
185<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<strong><span style="font-family: Georgia;"></span></strong><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiKchVnmOSC_NovtntyYPj7ScQQoNhyphenhyphenKsAAhHEmyP6AN4Vr2S_WkCn0QzSn3Bi94tQJa9mhAhw4tKyXdjrKAGpKBib98Nmv7JdfqjTm3MnmzRqKGDEpvHzrajaL2sul-W1lVxihf2wiTM/s1600/born+digital.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiKchVnmOSC_NovtntyYPj7ScQQoNhyphenhyphenKsAAhHEmyP6AN4Vr2S_WkCn0QzSn3Bi94tQJa9mhAhw4tKyXdjrKAGpKBib98Nmv7JdfqjTm3MnmzRqKGDEpvHzrajaL2sul-W1lVxihf2wiTM/s1600/born+digital.jpg" /></a><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Ouch!
That’s a lot of data. Why we are saving every Twitter tweet is beyond me. Not
that I do not understand the technology, mind you, it is just that the whole
act of saving them seems so…narcissistic. According to <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2012/02/09/opinion/ghitis-google-privacy/index.html" target="_blank">Frida Ghitis</a>, Google has
kept every email its users have ever sent or received, along with every chat
using Google Talk, and every conversation using Google Voice. From your
calendar to your contact list, Google saves it all, and “can even track
searches on your computer when you're not logged in for up to six months.”
(Ghitis, 2012) Scary! Unfortunately, they are not the only ones and <span style="background-color: white; color: purple;">the whole
idea of your entire cyber life being available to “who knows who” has such an
air of “Big Brotherliness” to it.</span> With all that data waiting to be accessed there
is a lot of potential for bad things to happen, which is odd for a company such
as Google whose motto is “do no evil.” <span style="background-color: #ffe599; color: purple;">In the digital landscape there is
neither a past nor a future, since all information is accessed simultaneously.
That means the sins of the past not only never go away—they are always in the
present</span>. So, other than going completely offline, what is the answer?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">The Right to Be Forgotten<o:p></o:p></span></b></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1dwjwoF-cVo3mVc4JoYd0fniTM0IrsXYVle6cGsEBstsw3yGNeezI2S0aUU2DZx0HQsC8N_DAEfukWnpXjnbMGJN_aKD1_o_P6wAKklz7qdWMbYtRirqa0Ocej5JSkkeZ9v-7gw8KVMI/s1600/police-internet.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="201" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1dwjwoF-cVo3mVc4JoYd0fniTM0IrsXYVle6cGsEBstsw3yGNeezI2S0aUU2DZx0HQsC8N_DAEfukWnpXjnbMGJN_aKD1_o_P6wAKklz7qdWMbYtRirqa0Ocej5JSkkeZ9v-7gw8KVMI/s320/police-internet.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>In
January of this year the European Commission for Justice, Fundamental Rights,
and Citizenship proposed a privacy reform called, <a href="http://www.stanfordlawreview.org/online/privacy-paradox/right-to-be-forgotten" target="_blank">“The Right to Be Forgotten”</a> (le
droit à l’oubli—or the “right of oblivion”). (Rosen, 2012) It is the digital
equivalent to, “What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas.” It is based on the
belief that once a criminal has served their time, and has been rehabilitated, the
slate is wiped clean (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forgiveness" target="_blank">which is a basic tenet of every Abrahamic and Eastern religion</a>). There are certain free speech issues associated with this law that
are well above my pay grade, but I agree with the idea that if I delete
personal data from the digital landscape it should be gone forever, and not
saved forever. So, how does this figure into the topic of graphic eTextbooks?
Quite simply, it has to do with the “cloud” and who has access to information.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">The Cloud<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVaU6vTvh641w7ZxGjieq_TunbuM39KJn2N78UQV36-rRk8GQvh1GjBYEDXM_b9OgH4_71a0VCeveQwdLnrv83QLyMuhKdwDIfvgZzEYo1Ma5Q6tvcV042FSwjtEc1sL9jAg_TxtzGLWU/s1600/P1090841.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVaU6vTvh641w7ZxGjieq_TunbuM39KJn2N78UQV36-rRk8GQvh1GjBYEDXM_b9OgH4_71a0VCeveQwdLnrv83QLyMuhKdwDIfvgZzEYo1Ma5Q6tvcV042FSwjtEc1sL9jAg_TxtzGLWU/s1600/P1090841.jpg" /></a><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Cloud
computing” is simply where multiple devices simultaneously share the same application
platform over a network (like the Internet). Back when I was a computer
programmer everything was written, stored, and run on a mainframe, and all of
the information was entered through a “dumb” terminal (which was nothing more
than a monitor and keyboard). For example, this blog is not on your computer;
it is on an application platform somewhere, and you are accessing it via the
Internet. Most of you are using Foxfire (35%), Explorer (25%), or Safari (21%)
for your web browser, while 63% of you are using Windows PC compared to 28% on a
Mac. Most of you are from the United States, followed by Germany, Russia, and
other Western European countries; however, there have been visits from Brazil,
Australia, Canada, India, Vietnam, and South Africa. Oh,…and how do I know all this?
Well, Google owns Blogspot, and collects all the data for me. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The
point is, just like this blog, digital textbooks are on a cloud somewhere, and
students need to access them. Granted, you may have a pdf of a book or two
saved on some device, but there are copyright problems with that. One of the
downsides to digital publishing that still persists is that piracy is too easy.
You only have to look at the music industry and Napster to see how that played
out. There is a fine line between free access to all information, and the
creators of graphic eTextbooks getting paid their fair share. After all,
whether it is physical or digital, the contents of a book are still the
intellectual property of its creator(s). [<a href="http://toc.oreilly.com/2012/10/publishing-news-google-and-publishers-settle-lengthy-legal-battle.html#more-57805" target="_blank">Note: As of October 5, 2012, Google settled a seven-year legal battle with McGraw-Hill, Pearson Education, Penguin, John Wiley & Sons, and Simon & Schuster over illegally digitizing their books.</a>] If creators do not get paid for their efforts then there is no
incentive to create more books. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Digital
Restriction Management</i> codes (which restrict digital textbooks to only one
device) are too restrictive. <span style="color: purple;">One solution that I prefer is for colleges and
universities to purchase site-licenses, thus making eTextbooks accessible to
students through their libraries. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPxolWYs79_a8e5dxXf8nNqrb7J2N894TWC1v-jWi4mm05ihwK7AgY3vCBeQNQ7L0xADROUMIPOCOf-Ka6zv27WAC3dLdRVGONu67XfEDj7gh-qOuL9y3w_DwRzYD3jiyo9ay1cjExLmQ/s1600/kno_dual_screen.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="258" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPxolWYs79_a8e5dxXf8nNqrb7J2N894TWC1v-jWi4mm05ihwK7AgY3vCBeQNQ7L0xADROUMIPOCOf-Ka6zv27WAC3dLdRVGONu67XfEDj7gh-qOuL9y3w_DwRzYD3jiyo9ay1cjExLmQ/s320/kno_dual_screen.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>While
students would not own eTextbooks the eNotes that they take should be theirs indefinitely. Peter Meyers suggested all tablets come with styluses, the ability to take
notes, or highlight passages, and the ability to provide a “passage-quoting
bulletin board.” (<a href="http://toc.oreilly.com/2011/05/3-ways-improve-ebook-note-taking.html" target="_blank">Meyers, 2011</a>) To this list Alexandra Samuel adds collaborative
annotating, persona management (privacy settings), social note sharing (access
to social media from within the eBook), and the ability to add visuals to the
notes. (<a href="http://www.alexandrasamuel.com/world/5-ebook-features-that-tap-the-power-of-social-note-taking" target="_blank">Samuel, 2011</a>) The <a href="http://www.kno.com/" target="_blank">Kno</a> tablet is already doing most of this (click <a href="http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/slj/home/888726-312/ces_2011_up_close_with.html.csp" target="_blank">HERE</a>
then scroll down the article to watch the demo videos). In fact, <a href="http://www.kno.com/features" target="_blank">Kno tablets also allow social sharing of notes</a>, so if you miss a class your friend’s notes
will immediately show up in your eTextbook. This “tablet” is actually a
full-bore computer, so reading, note-taking, surfing the web, social networking—namely,
multi-tasking—is all available to the user in one device. Presently, prices are
steep ($900 for the double-screen version, & $600 for the single), and the
duel-screen model weighs 5.6 pounds, but those should both come down if they
want to stay competitive. Otherwise, expect all of their bells & whistles
in the next ipad rollout.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">“Dark Editing”<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU0NmBfFVKNIzxbgoQtCTvnqQLjJIoS7oCQ6EPIZVyABJruUn_zLppViF4AcTnAlubfBRfPMCKk2SW7o4Yh1psbLSqO2a7omZ6IW-qNgMD-GiU6d6FK6wPW6XpizJCt-M-vgfbQ4NKcTg/s1600/Internet+blocking.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU0NmBfFVKNIzxbgoQtCTvnqQLjJIoS7oCQ6EPIZVyABJruUn_zLppViF4AcTnAlubfBRfPMCKk2SW7o4Yh1psbLSqO2a7omZ6IW-qNgMD-GiU6d6FK6wPW6XpizJCt-M-vgfbQ4NKcTg/s1600/Internet+blocking.jpg" /></a><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Another
problem with digital content is reliability. What none of you probably know is
that I have made changes to every blog entry I have posted. Most changes have
been minor such as adding links, and adding highlights, but I have also added
and deleted text. On one occasion I changed the name I had originally referenced
to “Charles Schulz” because it was a better choice for illustrating my point. I
doubt if anyone knows what the original name was, and since the change was made
within an hour of the original posting, it is highly unlikely there is a backup
of it anywhere. I refer to this as <span style="color: purple;">“Dark Editing.”</span> How do we validate the
material in a digital landscape where there is only the present? Without a hard
copy as proof of the past, how do we know the digital information we are
quoting as a source will be the same tomorrow as it is today? To further
illustrate the point, a friend of mine noticed that in a digital edition of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Moby Dick</i> several chapters were missing.
Missing! And nowhere in the indicia, or on the title page, or on the website
did it say it was an edited or abridged edition. <span style="color: purple;"><span style="background-color: #ffe599;">“Truth” has always been
subjective, but in the digital age it is also ephemeral. After all, what is a
cloud anyway, but an amorphous, ever-changing wisp that eventually disappears completely?<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Digital Natives and the Gatekeepers<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUd2Sm7UC8FheOpsalSTqGwjj9lJQWeCE37w8FfhicZ02AuU86p7GnUATUIWV3YGQTuaCLKUDiMHlURNcTlSYxls-FWdUvedLsLIS9h3n1qdvIlNCNhWSIq414U3t60VEai6zDsR2PakE/s1600/gyj_bor_rou_sha.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUd2Sm7UC8FheOpsalSTqGwjj9lJQWeCE37w8FfhicZ02AuU86p7GnUATUIWV3YGQTuaCLKUDiMHlURNcTlSYxls-FWdUvedLsLIS9h3n1qdvIlNCNhWSIq414U3t60VEai6zDsR2PakE/s1600/gyj_bor_rou_sha.jpg" /></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt;">For
Digital Natives, those born in 1980 and afterwards, the digital landscape is an
integral part of their lives. For the rest of us, the Digital Immigrants, we
can remember a time when phones had cords, and computer screens were black &
white. In preparing for this blog entry I watched the first two episodes of the
television show, </span><i style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt;">Revolution</i><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt;">, which takes
place fifteen years after all the power goes out globally. One Internet entrepreneur
laments his loss of wealth, and a mother still carries around her cell phone
because locked inside are pictures of her long-gone children. At no time did
anyone mention the loss of all that knowledge, but for some reason they want
you to believe that without electricity we would be knocked back to living in Colonial times. </span><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">One of the staples of spy shows of the past
couple decades has been the electromagnetic bomb. Explode one within a major
capital city, and that nation’s infrastructure and economy collapses. It is
entertainment, so it is meant to be dramatic; however, <span style="color: purple;"><span style="background-color: #ffe599;">the real threat to
Digital Natives and Digital Immigrants is access, and the real power lies in
the hands of the Gatekeepers.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span><br />
</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUhZFLTE-XwCxjNvMEztverAgLGsVs2FbY8ormiUmH1Pe7FAo72s4dpQziXq7c5capByUAbffCqmuofP4FUQ4W0Hh77XnPbtkEaqGAH2RK66-05zbA9EzhgAF3P6GAGH0H_NfAOZbtLfA/s1600/gatekeeper.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUhZFLTE-XwCxjNvMEztverAgLGsVs2FbY8ormiUmH1Pe7FAo72s4dpQziXq7c5capByUAbffCqmuofP4FUQ4W0Hh77XnPbtkEaqGAH2RK66-05zbA9EzhgAF3P6GAGH0H_NfAOZbtLfA/s1600/gatekeeper.jpg" /></a><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>We
know that it is possible for countries to block the Internet, or portions of
it. The euphemism is called <a href="http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/filtering/china/" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">“filtering,”</span></a> and it is the same principle as
software controls parents put on their children’s computers, but on a larger
scale. The greater concern is that, under the guise of “protecting its
citizens” any country can frame the narrative for its people, especially those
who never travel abroad. Not only that, but the Gatekeepers can designate
specifically what knowledge a person may have access to and for how long.
<span style="color: purple;">Without physical books it is therefore easier to create a caste society where
some people have access to knowledge while others are left ignorant.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span><br />
</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="background-color: #ffe599;">When
information on a cloud (mainframe) is completely blocked and certain people are
no longer permitted access to fundamental knowledge, as in a caste society, I
have begun calling this form of injustice</span><span style="background-color: yellow;"><span style="color: purple;"> </span><span style="color: red;">“Clear Skies Censorship.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span><br />
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</div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt;">
</span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Modeling the Graphic Textbook</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>So,
what does my model for graphic textbooks look like? Well, like this!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8S0TJBsjBvwnD5GrAyZvHhv3JVcHn2FcSQpMXw4-Zt2WNq7rjd170CaShDLBcc_6Xq6JeHMD6bylgJpoXEebbU0bUhHaRzb-od-68xTAr2tVgEexGLh4B-fBYndVTHHZaZtjiFqqn8m8/s1600/Kane+--+Graphic+Textbook+Model.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8S0TJBsjBvwnD5GrAyZvHhv3JVcHn2FcSQpMXw4-Zt2WNq7rjd170CaShDLBcc_6Xq6JeHMD6bylgJpoXEebbU0bUhHaRzb-od-68xTAr2tVgEexGLh4B-fBYndVTHHZaZtjiFqqn8m8/s320/Kane+--+Graphic+Textbook+Model.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"></span><br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>All
graphic narratives are made up of three parts. They are the script, the art,
and the history of the medium. All three of these spheres are the same size
because all are of equal importance. This model also encompasses people such as
Will Eisner, Frank Miller, Jeff Smith, and all the others who both write and
illustrate their stories because there is always a balance between text and
imagery. The history of the medium is vital because it includes all that has
come before to get us to where we are. If the creators study the writers, artists,
and graphic narratives that have come before them; the better prepared they
will be for creating their own graphic narratives. Each of these three spheres
overlap, with the rich tradition of storytelling, and at the core of this is
where graphic narratives emerge. For educational graphic novels and graphic
textbooks, all of this fits into a sphere of pedagogy. <span style="color: purple;"><span style="background-color: #ffe599;">This model does not
advocate a specific style of writing or art, and is international in its scope.
Nor does it advocate a specific format or software/hardware platform. What it
does portray is the importance of the content; that storytelling is at the core
of all good graphic narratives. After all, we all love a good story.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">[Note: For educational
purposes, I am also including a blank diagram so anyone can fill it in with whatever
language they choose.]<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIODNVseNtor0Pr_sCMviMfCiXNoO2HuGn9j48lp_yjACc07_mnaFD7l9Gdhvph6B-EnlXub9o-dZe8PRe3K1odncuqRQHHeAWJyLiY_n-mF1u5DIkusKsnDTqRUyZ6JKaf_a6tRMiqHc/s1600/Kane+--+Graphic+Textbook+Model+blank.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIODNVseNtor0Pr_sCMviMfCiXNoO2HuGn9j48lp_yjACc07_mnaFD7l9Gdhvph6B-EnlXub9o-dZe8PRe3K1odncuqRQHHeAWJyLiY_n-mF1u5DIkusKsnDTqRUyZ6JKaf_a6tRMiqHc/s320/Kane+--+Graphic+Textbook+Model+blank.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Concluding Remarks<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOo7NdfGMmwsbMZBRLVQz5BcDafiLZHh2hyphenhyphenb9MuC0Cc112_KVNuhUPirSl0SPPJ-rjHGG6vaDWRa8Rz_vKCHGCEk7_MDr39sZPAkTSxyvtNmLI1ECOxsUR-52Nddc44Aehk-RxCg8o4yo/s1600/Autumn_people.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOo7NdfGMmwsbMZBRLVQz5BcDafiLZHh2hyphenhyphenb9MuC0Cc112_KVNuhUPirSl0SPPJ-rjHGG6vaDWRa8Rz_vKCHGCEk7_MDr39sZPAkTSxyvtNmLI1ECOxsUR-52Nddc44Aehk-RxCg8o4yo/s1600/Autumn_people.jpg" /></a><span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Back
in Blog #1 I wrote, “It is my opinion that one day introductory-level
educational graphic textbooks for college students will be the norm rather than
the exception.” I believe that. There is a fear that the educational system
cannot keep up with changes in digital landscape. Graphic eTextbooks can help
make learning fun and enjoyable, without diluting the information. This is not a
juvenile art form. <span style="background-color: #ffe599; color: purple;">It is a hybridized, verbal/visual, problem-solving, engaging art form
that entertains as it educates.</span> As Ray Bradbury once wrote, <span style="color: purple;">“</span></span><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="color: purple;">Intellectual snobs will
no doubt be shocked. Those with widespread, happy tastes will accept, as I
accept, this new form.”</span> (Bradbury, <em>Autumn People</em>, 1965)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Finally,
using comic books in the classroom is not a new concept, and began, to my
knowledge, around the first appearance of Superman in <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Action Comics</i> in 1938. The following was written by <a href="http://gsappweb.rutgers.edu/facstaff/dynamic/profile.php?ID=54" target="_blank">Milton Schwebel</a>, professor emeritus of the graduate school of applied and professional
psychology at Rutgers University as well as dean emeritus of the graduate
school of education of the same institution. Professor Schwebel was also the
founding chair of American Psychological Association's Advisory Committee on
Impaired Psychologists for eight years, and founding editor of the APA
divisional publication, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Peace and
Conflict: Journal of Peace Psychology</i> for seven years. It is the earliest
account that I have found regarding the use of comic books in the classroom,
and it validates my belief in the benefits of using graphic narratives for
teaching undergraduate students.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0.5in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Recent
attention to the use of comic books in schools drove me to the search engine
Google, where my query of the phrase yielded 682,000 English pages. [In] the
late 1930s, when, as a high school substitute teacher in Troy, N.Y., I was
called upon to teach a course in English for students in a low-status
vocational program. […] To my dismay, I discovered that the chief literary fare
in this so-called class in English consisted of comic books. As a recent
graduate of Union College in Schenectady, N.Y. —then an all-male institution of
about 800, with a proud record of well over a century of teaching the liberal
arts and science — and with a major in philosophy, I had nothing but disdain
for this folly and for the elderly teacher, now ill, who had created it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwhfJ7nqT8VubP6MOQWmkfA_oLbSERY517ozGq5S-w0i0Crov0-oIh-A1WbgygoNXUL-Y1tKgplheOEqip3dhLgg39CnXmaqJRYieaB2_VDX7hFFulEty_UvgR7BWYySH4vtunU6o5CCY/s1600/Oliver-Twist-by-Charles-Dickens-Posters.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwhfJ7nqT8VubP6MOQWmkfA_oLbSERY517ozGq5S-w0i0Crov0-oIh-A1WbgygoNXUL-Y1tKgplheOEqip3dhLgg39CnXmaqJRYieaB2_VDX7hFFulEty_UvgR7BWYySH4vtunU6o5CCY/s1600/Oliver-Twist-by-Charles-Dickens-Posters.jpg" /></a><span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Fortunately
for me, she was absent for a month, during which time I came to see that my
arrogance had blinded me to her creativity. These boys and girls, all from
working-class families, many of them children of immigrants, were devouring the
comic books, and were reading for pleasure for the first time. Some of them had
moved from comic books to Mark Twain, Charles Dickens, and Jack London, and
they enjoyed discussing Oliver Twist as much as Superman.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0.5in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">The wisdom
of this experienced woman taught me that there are numerous ways to get
children hooked on books and learning. In the many ensuing years, the lesson I
learned from her influenced my teaching at the college, university, and
postdoctoral levels. I discovered that it didn't matter whether an instructor
lectured, led discussions, or used role-play or any other procedure, provided
the students—no matter their age—were engaged. It's not surprising that
educational research has substantiated that principle.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 3;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">―<span style="color: black;">Milton Schwebel, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Education Week</i>,
February 20, 2008</span></span></div>
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</div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="color: purple;"><span style="background-color: #ffe599;">I
wish to express my deepest appreciation to everyone for reading this blog; especially
to all of those who shared their thoughts, critiques, and personal stories
with me. While this is the end of this blog it is not the end of my research!<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span> </div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>After
all…I still have to finish my dissertation, graduate, and get a real job! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span> </div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 9;"> </span>Peace!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span> </div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 9;"> </span>B<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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</span></div>
bmkane112http://www.blogger.com/profile/10352439174601808723noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3214348289688014097.post-20653067201510006702012-10-09T08:02:00.002-07:002013-05-01T12:14:33.584-07:00<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Blog 11: Manga as
Textbooks,</span></b><br />
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">and</span></b><br />
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">How Japanese Manga began in a French prison in 1832<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFrQXuIitvKAahfjwiWZZGWEMc9mCuP2LjLN1cNH3Laq4m_dydvc8tzrTyAXcQsaJC4s2Kq827xq3B4MHw0ml-V9PZdPLAC8VWKMr9E7tCoWIhnMmrBltZwDzXiezt31vGFOtUl5MxZFY/s1600/QM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFrQXuIitvKAahfjwiWZZGWEMc9mCuP2LjLN1cNH3Laq4m_dydvc8tzrTyAXcQsaJC4s2Kq827xq3B4MHw0ml-V9PZdPLAC8VWKMr9E7tCoWIhnMmrBltZwDzXiezt31vGFOtUl5MxZFY/s1600/QM.jpg" /></a><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>In September 2004, one of Japan’s leading
manga authors, Takemiya Keiko, was approached by a medical university to write an
educational manga depicting surgical procedures (see technical instruction
comic – Blog 5). Kyoto Seika University professor, Makino Keiichi explained, “Manga
can exaggerate details in a way photographs can't.” Additionally, illustrations
have another advantage over photography in that they can key in on a specific
subject or event, simplify it, and delete any extraneous elements that would
interfere in the clearness of the information they are conveying. Dr. Su Soon
Peng, associate professor of English in University of Malaya, believes that ‘The
reader should not see the graphic form as a full and accurate version of the
original text. A comic cannot capture the full essence of the original text.” (Asia
Africa Intelligence Wire, 2004) <span style="color: purple;">While I will concede this point to a degree,
only in that I feel it is impossible to adequately adapt certain works graphically
(<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Lord of the Rings</i>, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Metamorphosis</i>, etc.),</span> <span style="color: purple;"><span style="background-color: #ffe599;">I do
not feel that it is possible for any author to adapt Art Spiegelman’s <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Maus</i> strictly to text, and still “capture
the full essence of the original.”<span style="background-color: white;"> <span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: black;">So what do manga-style graphic textbooks do better than text-only books?</span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="color: purple;"><span style="background-color: #ffe599;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="color: purple;"><span style="background-color: #ffe599;"><span style="background-color: white; color: black;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"></span></span></span></span></span> </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkWIBi7oWmGDTKzp2nDMmoVnzcbZbF7EpA9h9tdmC2ruabtgMPURJzu_Ntj0IAuV4apgZsQMOzSwD07K64RPbvm6XwHaNXfqOVrMVvSLHiVXAEan-mDEre_M3ZFbHb306el4IudWschzc/s1600/mg_databases.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkWIBi7oWmGDTKzp2nDMmoVnzcbZbF7EpA9h9tdmC2ruabtgMPURJzu_Ntj0IAuV4apgZsQMOzSwD07K64RPbvm6XwHaNXfqOVrMVvSLHiVXAEan-mDEre_M3ZFbHb306el4IudWschzc/s1600/mg_databases.jpg" /></a><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Dr. Eric Luczaj, a professor in
Miami University’s Department of Computer & Information Technology uses <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><a href="http://nostarch.com/mg_databases.htm" target="_blank">Manga Guide to Databases</a></i> (2009) as an
optional text in his database class. According to Dr. Luczaj, while the book
does not contain as much depth as a traditional textbook it is a good
introduction to the subject. <span style="color: purple;">“It makes the material accessible to students by
putting a difficult subject into a format that was not so academically dense.
Not all students learn in the same way, and I like to have as many options
available to them for learning the material.”</span> (Luczaj, 2012) Not so coincidentally,
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Manga Guide to Databases</i> is one of
several manga textbooks the <a href="http://www.assistivetechnology.vcu.edu/2009/04/27/comics-teach-mathematical-cont/" target="_blank">Virginia Department of Education's Training and Technical Assistance Center (T/TAC) at Virginia Commonwealth University</a> recommends
to its faculty.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjSs6nGJzQo5ykKOAsjV6gNckaMo5HFQymh3-pcvFBjhuDWtiS81ixcgtTcQCE9bi3xUdGUIQIJmttAJhJfjSa2oU85fc2Vtk5oU8eCZPt3EyqFZ2JFEHO3RhTfwERUUzehtmRFCE30Q8/s1600/mg_statistics.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="204" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjSs6nGJzQo5ykKOAsjV6gNckaMo5HFQymh3-pcvFBjhuDWtiS81ixcgtTcQCE9bi3xUdGUIQIJmttAJhJfjSa2oU85fc2Vtk5oU8eCZPt3EyqFZ2JFEHO3RhTfwERUUzehtmRFCE30Q8/s320/mg_statistics.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Manga
Guide to Databases</i> is one of a series of educational textbooks produced by <a href="http://nostarch.com/catalog/manga" target="_blank">No Starch Press</a>. Other books in the series include: <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Manga Guide to Molecular Biology</i> (2009), <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Manga Guide to Calculus</i> (2009), Manga Guide to Relativity (2011),
and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Manga Guide to Regression Analysis</i>
(coming 2013) to name a few. These EduManga books are translations of a bestselling
series in Japan, co-published with <a href="http://www.ohmsha.co.jp/index_e.htm" target="_blank">Ohmsha, Ltd</a>., of Tokyo, a publisher
of science and engineering books. All of the books are written by accredited
authors, lending to the credibility of the content material. For example, Mana
Takahashi, the author of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Manga Guide to Databases
</i>is a graduate of the Tokyo University where she teaches Economics, and Dr. Masaharu
Takemura, the author of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Manga Guide to
Molecular Biology</i> has written several books on biology, and lectures on biology,
molecular biology, and life sciences at the Tokyo University of Science. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivhJliD3gWJEqDR5-pvF05rz9dbqzs1KORpwdClK98i01S8sPLEgajybN8yZG9c1YZa2pOCebGPHp04pYw5NE4saFfjcQeSSSuKR7JPIok72evLL-L2_1YkuBj6rIPJ2dNU2ITJXU5MuE/s1600/Japan+Inc.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivhJliD3gWJEqDR5-pvF05rz9dbqzs1KORpwdClK98i01S8sPLEgajybN8yZG9c1YZa2pOCebGPHp04pYw5NE4saFfjcQeSSSuKR7JPIok72evLL-L2_1YkuBj6rIPJ2dNU2ITJXU5MuE/s1600/Japan+Inc.jpg" /></a><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>In
Blogs #1 & 3 I mentioned the attitudinal instruction “manga” comic, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><i><span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Japan Inc., An Introduction to
Japanese Economics</span></i><span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"> (University of California Press, 1988. 313-pages), by Ishinomori Shōtarō
(1938–1998).</span><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“Manga”
Nihon keizai nyumon</i> (1986), as it was titled in Japan, was the “trigger for
the growth of educational manga for adult readers.” (Murakami & Bryce, 2009,
49) In “Manga as an Educational Medium” (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The
International Journal of the Humanities</i>, Volume 7, Number 10, 2009, 47-55),
Satsuki Murakami and Mio Bryce, both from Macquarie University, NSW, Australia,
believe that <span style="background-color: #ffe599; color: purple;">it is manga’s (sequential art’s) hybridity of the visual and
linguistic that makes this artform such a powerful learning tool</span> (see Blog #7
for my take on Duel Coding Theory and sequential art). The following
is Murakami’s and Bryce’s review of the literature, which I am reprinting here
for the benefit of those who do not have access to the article.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: TimesNewRomanPSMT; mso-fareast-font-family: TimesNewRomanPSMT;">Many scholars have shown those hybrid
texts of the verbal and the visual help readers’ efficient understanding and
learning. For example, using Dual Coding Theory, Paivio (1986) explains that
our cognitive system consists of two parts, the verbal system and the
non-verbal systems, which are processed through different channels. When images
or figures match the verbal input, they are encoded by both the verbal and
non-verbal systems, thus promoting memory more strongly than in the case of
verbal or visual input alone. Anderson and Bower (1973) likewise state that
memory of verbal information is enhanced when relevant visual images are
provided. Larkin and Simon (1987) also emphasize that the ability to process information
is enhanced when text is augmented with pictures. McCrudden, Schraw, Lehman &
Poliquin (2007) further showed that the underlying cause-and-effect in
sentences are understood more easily when there are visual clues of the
cause-and-effect. Moreno and Mayer (1999) also demonstrate that multimedia is
effective for learning.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: TimesNewRomanPSMT; mso-fareast-font-family: TimesNewRomanPSMT;">Using the abovementioned approaches,
Tamada (2008) asserted the effectiveness of manga as an educational tool.
Likewize, Murata (2008) found that manga promotes readers’ effective understanding
by spelling out the thematic focuses in the illustrations. Additionally,
Hasegawa (2002) demonstrated that manga can be read in a shorter time and give
a stronger impression than conventional text books.</span><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0hh1zCt1516ayPupNLjpsQf-qSR1CoXx7E3i2fpgZqjCfPFogtfs69X7oRvehLsHRvnVggorkBzMrWunvk5o5bc1Y10ZD3-Zm6bAJwWbD0tfsHQ3VGgnNDuXsJeby9weNhpLrdZaEvtw/s1600/Nye_soft_power_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0hh1zCt1516ayPupNLjpsQf-qSR1CoXx7E3i2fpgZqjCfPFogtfs69X7oRvehLsHRvnVggorkBzMrWunvk5o5bc1Y10ZD3-Zm6bAJwWbD0tfsHQ3VGgnNDuXsJeby9weNhpLrdZaEvtw/s1600/Nye_soft_power_.jpg" /></a><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>William
Spencer Armour refers to the use of manga for educational texts as “The Rise of
‘Soft Power Pedagogy.’” (Armour, 2011) Armour asserts that there are multiple
ways of knowing, and that there is validity and value in different approaches. Armour
also believes that integrating different approaches “results in a more complete
understanding of complex issues.” (Armour, 2011, 128) In “The Graphic Novel: a ‘Cool’
Format for Communicating to Generation Y” (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Business
Communication Quarterly</i>, Volume 72, Number 4, December 2009, 414-430), Jeremy
C. Short and Terrie C. Reeves f</span><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">eel that <span style="color: purple;">the “dense, pompous, and
largely impenetrable writing” of business negatively impacts learning, and that the “graphic
novel format would allow our field to keep pace with other disciplines while
incorporating a more accessible format and has the potential to influence
society while simultaneously utilizing a more engaging medium appropriate for
today’s generation of business students.”</span> (Short & Reeves, 428) Essentially,
all of this is identical to the conclusions drawn earlier by Luczaj.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Much
has been said regarding the benefits of, and need for using a combined
visual/verbal artform in helping students learn. So when will we finally see a
full-blown graphic textbook meant for teachers to build a class around? <span style="color: purple;"><span style="background-color: #ffe599;">When
will graphic textbooks no longer be considered “optional,” but rather <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“primary”</i> textbooks?<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span><br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Charles Wirgman and the Beginning of Manga<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL2eeJ046wNqP27kW0slOEeUA8x04XuEVJ5Gkuja7iOyI5YdRmencqRDLxZ_kmWVFH4dxqeyhEdF_IpwY2HqlY7K82W7Vb0DHbjNvgAvSd262A2EhTkVY8I5giA63BaKeuUa34znnxYoE/s1600/Punch_01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL2eeJ046wNqP27kW0slOEeUA8x04XuEVJ5Gkuja7iOyI5YdRmencqRDLxZ_kmWVFH4dxqeyhEdF_IpwY2HqlY7K82W7Vb0DHbjNvgAvSd262A2EhTkVY8I5giA63BaKeuUa34znnxYoE/s1600/Punch_01.jpg" /></a><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Those
who know the history of Manga have heard the name, Charles Wirgman (1832–1891)
before. Wirgman was a graphic journalist/news correspondent for <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Illustrated London News.</i> Wirgman
arrived in Yokohama</span><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">
</span><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">in 1861, just two years after it opened as Japan’s first
international port of commerce, and lived there the rest of his life. In 1862,
Wirgman began publishing his monthly illustrated humor publication, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Japan Punch</i>, which satirized the
Europeans living in the protected</span><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Kannai</span></i><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> ("inside the
barrier") district of the city. Unfortunately, that is pretty much the
extent of what most people know about Wirgman. However, how Wirgman arrived in
Yokohama, and how European visual social parody became such a huge influence on
Japanese culture is an amazing journey that began thirty years earlier in
France.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span><br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Subversive Imagery and
the “Liberty of the Crayon”<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijs3uDL5RpTv1CUQ5Yx1uTr1saK1TpOLb42-VQ7LdQ6hcaukmethk8Zo8guu_pf7QGI6Uag4Ia2GwY7xWywzIUPOYK1VXf0viY6ym6UQMQ31iD9ahTPjD39kLFyLwAzkk1TacJGVcdUEo/s1600/La+Silhouette.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijs3uDL5RpTv1CUQ5Yx1uTr1saK1TpOLb42-VQ7LdQ6hcaukmethk8Zo8guu_pf7QGI6Uag4Ia2GwY7xWywzIUPOYK1VXf0viY6ym6UQMQ31iD9ahTPjD39kLFyLwAzkk1TacJGVcdUEo/s1600/La+Silhouette.jpg" /></a><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Following The French Revolution of 1830, freedom
of the press was restricted, and political caricatures were deemed more
seditious than words because of their visceral nature and broad appeal. <span style="background-color: #ffe599; color: purple;">It was
perceived that the illiterate populace, referred to as the “dark masses,” was
“highly susceptible to subversive imagery.”</span> (Goldstein, 1998, 785) Surprisingly,
illustrations were not subject to pre-publication censorship restrictions the
same way text articles were, but post-publication prosecutions were profuse.
From 1831–1835, there were 736 prosecutions brought against the press, yet over
60% of these ended in acquittals.” (Goldstein, 1998, 789)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-dLoyva2d-JBJPQN2nnPVncc46qCY99ZwSbgc2Dse04QFsnpcNNoCVtOz7tRwWzKoByGpFWGlDZNbDbLuoqYxiR9y97liSvmSUUYy0wVldyTsbS6ob6pML_XNDW8ikVsZ5FFTQNSWUco/s1600/La+Caricature.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-dLoyva2d-JBJPQN2nnPVncc46qCY99ZwSbgc2Dse04QFsnpcNNoCVtOz7tRwWzKoByGpFWGlDZNbDbLuoqYxiR9y97liSvmSUUYy0wVldyTsbS6ob6pML_XNDW8ikVsZ5FFTQNSWUco/s1600/La+Caricature.jpg" /></a><i><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>La
Silhouette</span></i><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> (1829–1831) was one of the
publications targeted by the monarchy. <i>La Silhouette</i> was the first
French publication to give text and illustrations equal importance. It was the
prototype for political satire publications, and was co-founded by French
caricaturist, <a href="http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Philipon" target="_blank">Charles Philipon</a> (1800–1861). Originally intended to be
politically moderate, <i>La Silhouette</i> became increasingly liberal, and in
the 1 April 1830 issue Philipon furtively inserted an unsigned caricature of
Charles X of France dressed as a Jesuit. The image caused a scandal due to the
strict government censorship laws that prevented the publishing of caricatures
of politicians. The paper’s manager</span><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Benjamin-Louis
Bellet (not Philipon) was sentenced to six months in prison and fined 1,000
francs. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">La<span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"> Silhouette</span></i> was financially crippled, but before he was
fired, Philipon began a second political satire newspaper, <i>La Caricature</i>
(1830–1835). (Goldstein, 1998, 789)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs22XlvzBGQmlLsUS_98zomjdypRmsj8a-u2J6oiHTNShnzpz8AZH0QQNWMnCcfxLL_zA7RCHNPRKmQ8MizIGL0epbk9EuqGQcpEsUeGCoNP0T5gZLi87jFtdioDyckoUMZ9XA0uJMKek/s1600/Les+poirs+by+Philipon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs22XlvzBGQmlLsUS_98zomjdypRmsj8a-u2J6oiHTNShnzpz8AZH0QQNWMnCcfxLL_zA7RCHNPRKmQ8MizIGL0epbk9EuqGQcpEsUeGCoNP0T5gZLi87jFtdioDyckoUMZ9XA0uJMKek/s1600/Les+poirs+by+Philipon.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Censorship of the press grew more
intense, and so too did the punishments. In its early years <i>La Caricature</i>
was seized close to thirty times post–publication for its caricatures, which
resulted in ten prosecutions. French historian, Paul Thureau-Dangin (1837–1913)
believed that Philipon was “one of the most dangerous adversaries for [King
Louis-Philippe].” (Goldstein. <span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">2000, </span>143)
For his cartoon depicting the king plastering over the promises of 1830,
Philipon was sentenced to six months in prison and fined 2,000 francs.
(Goldstein, 1998, 790) At his hearing Philipon stated that his drawing was
symbolic and that since the royal insignia was not present in the illustration,
the figure was not actually the king. Furthermore, arguing that the court had
no control over the “liberty of the crayon,” Philipon drew his infamous, four
panel sequence, <i>Les Poires</i> (<i>The Pears</i>), transforming the face of
Louis-Philippe into a pear. Philipon asked the court if the resemblance between
the king and the pear meant that artists could no longer draw the fruit?
(Childs, 51) While the exercise did not help his case, the iconic <i>Les Poires</i>,
which was also French slang for “simpleton,” became a derogatory icon among
political caricaturists for Louis–Philippe’s July Monarchy. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span> </div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMRP9J-UVM5UnuqsGr-A1xDh4eNcY1DeG3BapZmrVdKVdlhyphenhyphen8S4YXXf3fuGXUm6ZntNllAvtw7xyAfD6oZy0XYkXQUcBaRR5lcjk0xrlmmXyhNdCyauN_8r044AVxbs5EPtWHGU2HbnH4/s1600/Les+poirs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMRP9J-UVM5UnuqsGr-A1xDh4eNcY1DeG3BapZmrVdKVdlhyphenhyphen8S4YXXf3fuGXUm6ZntNllAvtw7xyAfD6oZy0XYkXQUcBaRR5lcjk0xrlmmXyhNdCyauN_8r044AVxbs5EPtWHGU2HbnH4/s1600/Les+poirs.jpg" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">There is one aspect of the Louis-Philippe 4-part
sequence that, as far as I know, has never been broached. Beginning in 1827,
Swiss schoolmaster, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rodolphe_T%C3%B6pffer" target="_blank">Rodolphe Töpffer</a> (1799–1846) began creating sequential
narratives or “picture stories” that he shared with his friends and students.
Töpffer has long been considered the <i>Father of the Comic Strip</i> with the
publication of his first album, <i>Histoire de Monsour Jabot</i> in May 1833.
However, Charles Philipon’s 4-panel <i>Les Poires</i> (redrawn left by Daumier) appeared
in <i>La Caricature</i> a year-and-a-half earlier on 24 November 1831. <span style="color: purple;">Though
it was never intended to be a new artform, <i>Les Poires</i> is actually the
world’s first <i>published</i> sequential newspaper comic narrative;
<span style="background-color: #ffe599;">technically making Philipon the “Father of the Comic Strip.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ8EGLBRySDC6Y2Y7J02IRUBdmIcNI9vSbMnEoocJVUa8q5hjqUvzQuxsH8iww8wvIIc4qjdtzQGyXzW5BgX60krUtYJAS79Epy9uVvi9GzLQ-YnPRFz8RzxEu7Qo_1KrLwWbBzd4sv6A/s1600/Le+Charivari.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ8EGLBRySDC6Y2Y7J02IRUBdmIcNI9vSbMnEoocJVUa8q5hjqUvzQuxsH8iww8wvIIc4qjdtzQGyXzW5BgX60krUtYJAS79Epy9uVvi9GzLQ-YnPRFz8RzxEu7Qo_1KrLwWbBzd4sv6A/s1600/Le+Charivari.jpg" /></a><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Philipon, along with other
non-violent criminals, was placed in the "Pavilion of Princes"
section of the Sainte-Pélagie prison in Paris. In this bizarre judicial form of
incarceration, Philipon not only edited <i>La Caricature,</i> but also
continued producing political cartoons from his prison cell. It was not uncommon
for journalists to reserve their favorite cells ahead of time, or to be taken
to court from jail to answer censorship charges for articles written while in
prison. Other than being besieged by fellow inmates to draw their portraits,
Philipon weathered his “<span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">captivity”</span>
well. It was while he was imprisoned that Philipon, with the help of one of his
most prominent artists, <a href="http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Honor%C3%A9_Daumier" target="_blank">Honoré Daumier</a> (1808–1879), (who was at the time
confined for his caricature, <i>Gargantua</i>) conceived of his next publishing
venture. (Goldstein, 1998, 794; Spencer, 26; Passeron, 67-72) Philipon, along
with his brother–in–law Gabriel Aubert, created a third illustrated newspaper, <i>Le
Charivari</i> (meaning <i>Hullabaloo</i> in English, 1832–1937). The
publication dealt primarily with social commentary, thereby evading many of the
censorship problems that plagued <i>La Silhouette </i>and<i> La Caricature</i>.
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij2V7-zbkTdswDwbXdZCTKaR9hkonXVVHBRYp1KzciPQ5N3HCqiactmom4UfmpXESNX8aGlAN9M27ERlPQRdTuNHdyBy2Cqyak8tX659c9POO6hBs6-u7z5JC6JZR-Ms-phbYPIWJpTw4/s1600/Charles_Philippon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij2V7-zbkTdswDwbXdZCTKaR9hkonXVVHBRYp1KzciPQ5N3HCqiactmom4UfmpXESNX8aGlAN9M27ERlPQRdTuNHdyBy2Cqyak8tX659c9POO6hBs6-u7z5JC6JZR-Ms-phbYPIWJpTw4/s1600/Charles_Philippon.jpg" /></a><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Philipon (left) was following in the
tradition of pictorial satirist and social critic, William Hogarth (1697–1764),
and his publications had a tremendous impact on nineteenth century illustration
and painting. Other French artists who began their impressive careers with
Philipon included J. J. Grandville, Paul Gavarni, Achille Jacques-Jean-Marie
Devéria, André Gill, Henri Monnier, Charles J. Traviés, Alexandre-Gabriel
Decamps, and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Gustave_Dor%C3%A9" target="_blank">Paul Gustave Doré</a>, who lived with Philipon after he moved to Paris
at the age of fifteen.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>In
1832, Philipon undoubtedly knew that censorship laws would become increasingly
more constrictive, and they did. By focusing on social commentary, he had hoped
to not only avoid further fines and incarcerations (which, unfortunately, did
not happen), but also speak to a broader readership (which, thankfully, did
happen). <span style="color: purple;">Since <i>Le Charivari</i> was not politically driven, it did not
polarize potential subscribers against it. <span style="background-color: #ffe599;">This type of broad market appeal
would become the basis for not only the Illustrated Press, but modern news
reporting as well.</span></span> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUub0T0KvR4HS_WLE2VEiq31NPzxoO67pJEDX0ZGgXkSWno4retTa71yf9D-WqPrg3VY9Il5u9MgxT11BqDuYEt-dKOEj6sj0tB6RmPewSPEyipU7-l4F8sapgnGaczLnLkxaW6aVF1VA/s1600/Punch_volume_1_cover_(1841).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUub0T0KvR4HS_WLE2VEiq31NPzxoO67pJEDX0ZGgXkSWno4retTa71yf9D-WqPrg3VY9Il5u9MgxT11BqDuYEt-dKOEj6sj0tB6RmPewSPEyipU7-l4F8sapgnGaczLnLkxaW6aVF1VA/s1600/Punch_volume_1_cover_(1841).jpg" /></a><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The influence of Philipon’s
publications reached beyond the borders of France. <span style="color: purple;">In England, journalist and
co-editor Henry Mayhew, co-editor Mark Lemon, printer Joseph William Last, and wood-engraver
Ebenezer Landells (who apprenticed under Thomas Bewick, the man who redefined
wood engraving for the nineteenth century) created their own illustrated review
of social eccentricities titled, <i><span style="background-color: #ffe599;">Punch</span></i></span> (1841–1992; 1996–2002). Mayhew,
an avid reader of <i>Le Charivari</i>, conceived of <i>Punch</i> while he was
living in Paris, avoiding his creditors back in England. It was decided that <i>Punch</i>
would take a “comedy of manners” approach to humor, abandoning Regency
caricatures altogether, and focus wholly on the foibles of the upper class. As
an acknowledgment to its source, and probably conceived as a marketing strategy
as well, <i>Punch</i> was subtitled, <i>The London Charivari</i>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">In the wake of the Fieschi Plot, designed to assassinate
King Louis-Philippe, censorship of the press reached its apex, and freedom of
the press was, essentially, eliminated in France (until 1881). Many political
caricaturists turned their skills to social commentary to avoid prison.
Daumier, one of the leading satirists of his time, abandoned political parody
entirely and focused on caricatures of Parisians. This abrupt shift away from
overt political satire towards a more subtle critique of French society brought
about a close examination of bourgeois life that surfaced in the Realist
movement that emerged during the mid-nineteenth century. It was in this climate
of oppression that the weekly French newspaper, <i>L’Illustration</i> was born
just one year after the stunning success of <i>The Illustrated London News</i>
in 1842.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span><br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Charles Wirgman and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Japan Punch</i><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaDjs8FSML2OdZZXl2lRFMWtpwcBKmXZ6mVPBa4vJJUGITaB2SyoXBkg1XhnGObTA7AD5vjonrPIOWzM8Wk4QFSq6wBTMina95kGUCXRGo5EoiGEF7fs6ChIj_bvzciVPzA5vJ7sDnjSM/s1600/The+Japan+Punch.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaDjs8FSML2OdZZXl2lRFMWtpwcBKmXZ6mVPBa4vJJUGITaB2SyoXBkg1XhnGObTA7AD5vjonrPIOWzM8Wk4QFSq6wBTMina95kGUCXRGo5EoiGEF7fs6ChIj_bvzciVPzA5vJ7sDnjSM/s1600/The+Japan+Punch.jpg" /></a><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">In
1862 illustrator and humorist, Charles Wirgman published his first issue of <i>The
Japan Punch</i>, eventually producing 220 issues during its twenty-five-year
run. (Cooper, 484) Wirgman had lived in Paris in the early 1850s, and his
cartoons share a stylistic resemblance to some of <i>L’Illustration’s</i>
leading cartoonists/social satirists such as: “Cham,” “Marcelin,” “Stop,” “</span><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Randon,” and Töpffer. </span><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Wirgman was a freelance correspondent for <i>L’Illustration</i>
and a staff artist for <i>The Illustrated London News</i>. In 1857, after the
death of <i>The Illustrated London News’</i> correspondent Arthur V. Johns,
Esq. H.C.S., Wirgman was sent to China to cover the Second Opium War. Following
the war the multi-lingual Wirgman went to Yokohama where he not only acted as a
mediator and translator between Europeans and Japanese, but also played a vital
role as a mentor and teacher of Western-style oil painting to Japanese artists.
Yet Wirgman’s most notable contribution to the world of <span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">illustration</span> was <i>The Japan Punch</i>. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlRfxD0Wb_sPeMAcpWkjIXknxP_hQ7S8yCprucY3MVT8ufhg_PFiKOikIVgleDqjPDGuyPhL5kq3CjG6HkTPcko89dfqKIiF-D2bFks_fb6TC9IjifvTg0xB6MiG5WqCCkjdg1ryUBEgc/s1600/Eshibun_Nipponchi.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlRfxD0Wb_sPeMAcpWkjIXknxP_hQ7S8yCprucY3MVT8ufhg_PFiKOikIVgleDqjPDGuyPhL5kq3CjG6HkTPcko89dfqKIiF-D2bFks_fb6TC9IjifvTg0xB6MiG5WqCCkjdg1ryUBEgc/s1600/Eshibun_Nipponchi.jpg" /></a><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Based
on the original British magazine, <i>Punch</i>, Wirgman’s <i>The Japan Punch</i>
was a humorous, satiric periodical intent on lampooning the politics and
society of Yokohama. Although it was intended for Western audiences, <i>The
Japan Punch</i> made its way into the hands of Euro-curious Japanese for whom
political satire became another cultural import. <span style="color: purple;">The Japanese loanword, <i><span style="background-color: #ffe599;">ponchi-e</span></i>
(meaning <i>Punch pictures,</i> or <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">satirical
sketches</i>) is directly attributed to <i>The Japan Punch</i> and became that
language’s first loan-word for cartoon.</span> (Duus, 996) Publication of
intellectually stimulating and funny drawings with underlying, sometimes
hidden, meanings became so popular that it spawned several Japanese versions
including: <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Eshinbun Nipponchi</i> (1874,
three issues) by Kanagaki Robun (pseudonym) and Kawanabe Kyosai; <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Kisho Shimbun</i> (1875) by Hashizume Kinzo
and Tsukioka Yoshitoshi; <i>Marumaru Chinbun</i> (1877–1882) by </span><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Nomura</span><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> Fumio; and Garakuta-chinpō (1879) (Meech-Pekarik, 179;
Schodt, 1996) <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8-Bc6pbyOh9ZbQHeXj3JEh2VJfZbRcCLLmT16ZpTrGw22gvOx6cTNWLyIV6jy_SCr_Y6NEmYLbje4SrhQpj0X6-BVFFYub-dh04kXcSXAK5TiBlq3hHOZROBYtkfcw6IpBiM042XOISw/s1600/Marumaru+Chimbun.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8-Bc6pbyOh9ZbQHeXj3JEh2VJfZbRcCLLmT16ZpTrGw22gvOx6cTNWLyIV6jy_SCr_Y6NEmYLbje4SrhQpj0X6-BVFFYub-dh04kXcSXAK5TiBlq3hHOZROBYtkfcw6IpBiM042XOISw/s1600/Marumaru+Chimbun.jpg" /></a><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="color: purple;">By the
1890s, the word, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">ponchi-e</i> took on
derogatory connotations, and was replaced by the word, <span style="background-color: #ffe599;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Manga</i>.</span></span> (Gravett, 21) Wirgman was a valuable observer to the opening
of Japan to the Western world during the late-nineteenth century Meiji
Restoration, and spent three decades chronicling in print the political and
social evolution of that country. <span style="color: purple;">Through the influence of <i>The Japan Punch,</i>
Wirgman became one of the fore-fathers of the hugely popular Japanese graphic narrative
format called Manga. <span style="background-color: #ffe599;">What began as a discussion in a French prison in 1832 between
two artists developed into a Japanese art form that has become a multi-billion
dollar international phenomenon.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span><br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The Exporting and Importing of Visual Culture<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT9lwfC7G7gl4NYUoQMeOeIrt2EaMWF8PhGeoE5y39ODjpC52GjCK4EI4jGc5XyTCzBeyvqGt1IcSJ5uDC8sOTPukYx0tl-31D2Sie7Yblmaroa9rpH3_yuq5l7HqUOxWfG5SKI-QFs18/s1600/Mad+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT9lwfC7G7gl4NYUoQMeOeIrt2EaMWF8PhGeoE5y39ODjpC52GjCK4EI4jGc5XyTCzBeyvqGt1IcSJ5uDC8sOTPukYx0tl-31D2Sie7Yblmaroa9rpH3_yuq5l7HqUOxWfG5SKI-QFs18/s1600/Mad+1.jpg" /></a><i><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="background-color: #ffe599; color: purple;">Le
Charivari</span></span></i><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="background-color: #ffe599; color: purple;"> created a paradigm shift in
publishing that changed the direction of graphic storytelling, and created a
cascade effect whose impact resonated internationally.</span> <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Punch</i> came to America by way of the many tourists and (especially)
artists who traveled to Europe in the latter part of the nineteenth century.
One such artist, Robert Henri (aka Robert Henry Cozad 1865–1929), shared them
with <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Philadelphia Four</i> (William
Glackens, George Luks, Everett Shinn, and John French Sloan), all of whom would
go on to form the core of the Ashcan School, or, to use the less deprecating title,
the Urban Realists. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Several
of the Urban Realists taught at The Art Students League in New York, and it is
not surprising that their style of socio-cultural representational art came to
influence Norman Rockwell (1894–1978), and many other twentieth century artists
who studied there. <span style="color: purple;">For American visual satirists, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Punch</i> was also the forerunner of Harvey Kurtzman’s (1924–1993) incredibly
popular and widely influential <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Mad</i>
magazine. <span style="background-color: #ffe599;">Comic books and graphic novels are part of a rich visual culture history
that ties back to Hogarth, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Le Charivari</i>,
and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Punch</i>.</span></span><span style="background-color: #ffe599;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span> </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaTtHZQWyxts3p0XSBuWYp1aHRh-Vexl1PyOdMD8q-rCByfD_wO-g4ps-2KXbRq8hesxmbsyfVtNtg9gAzw_nYlB97s_Paq3vlzcj5OQTTzVzWwkKl_WZba7thToGs0JTTT5T9pQvxCto/s1600/VC+lineage+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="190" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaTtHZQWyxts3p0XSBuWYp1aHRh-Vexl1PyOdMD8q-rCByfD_wO-g4ps-2KXbRq8hesxmbsyfVtNtg9gAzw_nYlB97s_Paq3vlzcj5OQTTzVzWwkKl_WZba7thToGs0JTTT5T9pQvxCto/s320/VC+lineage+2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span><br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Topics for Discussion<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">1)
What other Manga textbooks that have not been translated into English can be
adapted into undergraduate graphic textbooks?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">2)
What is missing from this research?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Next Blog:</span></i></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"> The Dark
Side of Digital, The Graphic Textbook Model, & Concluding Remarks<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="background-color: yellow;">Addendum: Unpublished Information About Charles Wirgman<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The following is new information I
uncovered regarding Charles Wirgman while working on my Master’s Degree in
History of Art. It is unpublished, but I shared it with Wirgman scholar, Professor
<a href="http://sydney.edu.au/arts/art_history_film/staff/jclark.shtml" target="_blank">John Clark</a>, a member of the Art History and Film Studies department within the
Faculty of Arts at the University of Sydney, Australia. <span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">Some of this material was referenced by Dr. Clark in a
paper he delivered in 2011 at the Wirgman exhibition in Yokohama (the paper has
since been published in <em>Kindai Garon</em>).
</span>Since this information has
only tangential meaning to my dissertation on graphic textbooks, and since I do
not plan on developing a paper about it, I decided to make it available here
for other Wirgman scholars to use (please credit appropriately). While
researching Wirgman, I found the writings of both Professor Clark and Jozef
Rogala invaluable. I also saw that there were holes in the research. Three
things remained unknown about Wirgman: 1) With whom did he study with in Paris;
2) When did he move to London and how did he end up working for <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Illustrated London News;</i> and 3) What
prompted his being selected to go to China as a news correspondent?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi85-fh7sA2O_BpD3tfMOvd1CpMDoeFDdqW5fpwOkwdhQ5FPkqNjj36t-Uw5YoK0-9I4VTAKgTsNszR3KRBzZVfr3pyH1SoY9xbSnRWmIGlmvQLxtuzbCq-TfEAQkZzcmIOt6tL_gOGBYs/s1600/Dinner.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi85-fh7sA2O_BpD3tfMOvd1CpMDoeFDdqW5fpwOkwdhQ5FPkqNjj36t-Uw5YoK0-9I4VTAKgTsNszR3KRBzZVfr3pyH1SoY9xbSnRWmIGlmvQLxtuzbCq-TfEAQkZzcmIOt6tL_gOGBYs/s320/Dinner.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>One watercolor titled “My academy
dinner/March 3d 1854” I believe answers the first question. The piece
illustrates Wirgman sitting by himself at a makeshift table eating his meal.
Wirgman’s reference to “My academy” rather than to a specific academy is a significant
clue. It is also important to note the date because the Paris Salon made its
selections in the spring. Rather than portraying himself surrounded by a
whirlwind of confusion and chaos, which would be the norm for students in the
academy or the atelier of a named artist prior to the Salon opening, Wirgman is
alone. There is no documentation for Wirgman ever receiving formal artistic
education because, I believe, he was never accepted into a studio; however, I
am certain he worked for the weekly newspaper, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">L’Illustration</i> in some capacity. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3g2LGZnpmjMTpofDRL_svfWRtASHqCT2Vjyaun9YJC4n8UaSQncI4BJ5PBUy2N5c6_TsA7Hf6VcgvVtnmi-ULBMAC0Q5EApU262Ogt_x5qc1q6Y50DrG7HX4-gtKv_RuEDSYVMvoonPc/s1600/Illus+1854+0611+1111+01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3g2LGZnpmjMTpofDRL_svfWRtASHqCT2Vjyaun9YJC4n8UaSQncI4BJ5PBUy2N5c6_TsA7Hf6VcgvVtnmi-ULBMAC0Q5EApU262Ogt_x5qc1q6Y50DrG7HX4-gtKv_RuEDSYVMvoonPc/s320/Illus+1854+0611+1111+01.jpg" width="242" /></a><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The answer for the first part of
question two was found by accident. While looking through copies of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">L’Illustration</i> for another project I
came across a Wirgman illustration dated eight months after he painted “My
academy dinner.” Wirgman’s first credited illustration as a “correspondent” appeared
on 11 November 1854. For the next two years <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">L’Illustration</i>
published several illustrations by Wirgman. The amount of work he produced for <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">L’Illustration</i> would not have been
enough to support him, and after June of 1856, his contributions ceased. It was
probably around this time that Wirgman began working for <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Illustrated London News</i>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The
Illustrated London News</span></i><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> (<i>ILN</i>)
employed dozens of artists and craftsmen around the clock to make its weekly
deadline. Among <i>ILN’s</i> leading correspondents during the 1850s were E.A.
Goodall, J.A. Crowe, J.W. Carmichael, and R. Landells. While the names of these
distinguished correspondents appeared in print under their illustrations the
majority of the newspaper’s images were uncredited. Though it is impossible to
conclude beyond all doubt that Wirgman produced some of these uncredited pieces
for <i>ILN</i> prior to his leaving for China, several illustrations, similar
to Wirgman’s style, begin to appear in <i>ILN</i> shortly after he arrived in
London. It was not uncommon for <i>L’Illustration</i> and <i>ILN</i> to use the
same prominent freelance artists, such as Gustave Doré (1832-1883) or Edmund
Morin (1824-1882), but it may have been unusual for a staff artist to be
permitted to work for the competition, which may explain the abrupt cessation
of Wirgman’s art in <i>L’Illustration</i>. If these Wirgman-like illustrations
are indeed Wirgman’s, and if he was on <i>ILN’s</i> staff, then it would help
to explain why he was chosen to go to China, since it is inconceivable for <i>ILN</i>
to have sent someone without having previously worked with them, and known what
they were capable of producing. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWT3YL4gen6hx15Qohf-EBtOcB6qxru4PHb8UBrQeap2iKXc-MMsu8fNWA8lB4HrKsbOevgGtNOITk2iq3GcVya0aiulyQNt1QMWGV0RkS7YPrLgl2zP5qF3OXddRTHjn3RffKkr2QXOo/s1600/Illus+1855+0625+0217+01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWT3YL4gen6hx15Qohf-EBtOcB6qxru4PHb8UBrQeap2iKXc-MMsu8fNWA8lB4HrKsbOevgGtNOITk2iq3GcVya0aiulyQNt1QMWGV0RkS7YPrLgl2zP5qF3OXddRTHjn3RffKkr2QXOo/s320/Illus+1855+0625+0217+01.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Though no documents exist to confirm precisely
why Wirgman was sent abroad in 1857 to cover the Second Opium War, we may
conclude that he was probably selected to fill an immediate vacancy due to the
death of Arthur V. Johns, Esq. H.C.S., one of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">ILN</i>’s Graphic Journalists reporting from China. The obituary for
Johns appeared in the 11 April 1857 issue of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">ILN</i> along with his final illustrations. While publication of the
obituary appeared after Wirgman left for China it must be remembered that
notification of John’s death would have arrived well before the paper received
his drawings, and had them made into engravings. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The fact that Wirgman could draw and was
fluent in English, French, German, Italian, and Dutch, knew Latin and Greek,
and could write in Spanish and Portuguese made him the perfect foreign
correspondent. At just twenty-four, Wirgman left for the war and the Far East. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span><br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Analysis of Wirgman’s
Art<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD5wafgpBXBqIH_HL2mJnYeXXnW9iC52MwK41HjvHBUGz3a0SoZDXcXtFGVwUFL1YMMb31uI7BP2AGX_d6N73zpzSeKG7SiHJdrOLuWFB-1hA0VlbOeiLLgcI5RIMH9WEcc0GEDeQ_7go/s1600/ILN+1873+1108+01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="235" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD5wafgpBXBqIH_HL2mJnYeXXnW9iC52MwK41HjvHBUGz3a0SoZDXcXtFGVwUFL1YMMb31uI7BP2AGX_d6N73zpzSeKG7SiHJdrOLuWFB-1hA0VlbOeiLLgcI5RIMH9WEcc0GEDeQ_7go/s320/ILN+1873+1108+01.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>By examining Wirgman’s sketches and
watercolors critically, we can conclude that he did not have a sophisticated
understanding of the basic principles of perspective. This lack of comprehension
on the part of Wirgman is further affirmation that he never received formal art
training. A thorough knowledge was crucial in nineteenth century
representational art, and painters such as Jean-Léon Gérôme (1824–1904) hired a
professional perspectivist to help design his paintings (Note: the
perspectivist left Paris due to the Franco-Prussian War and never returned,
which is why the perspective in Gérôme’s paintings after <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Pollice Verso</i> is sometimes off). While some people look at
Wirgman’s work for <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">ILN</i> and remark on
his skill as an illustrator, others look at his cartoons for <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Japan Punch</i> and marvel at the
dichotomy between the two styles and the talent needed to produce both. However,
we cannot use Wirgman’s illustrations for either <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">ILN</i> or <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">L’Illustration</i> as
a means to gauge his artistic skill because the process used in creating the printed
image obfuscates the original artist’s contribution. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9hMwjnATdtTLR4ApP0pGuc13DoEeViYBGRaecH7L4UBi35Mek1eBk-ZBqOoaOzPBfEy-j1iFh8Vc9l3tYiZKf4ORyn782Ogr0v2hIjcKGnvxdzAFkuJSrEKS4gJlBCJEaNP0weMA19Vg/s1600/Perspective.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9hMwjnATdtTLR4ApP0pGuc13DoEeViYBGRaecH7L4UBi35Mek1eBk-ZBqOoaOzPBfEy-j1iFh8Vc9l3tYiZKf4ORyn782Ogr0v2hIjcKGnvxdzAFkuJSrEKS4gJlBCJEaNP0weMA19Vg/s320/Perspective.jpg" width="241" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Due to the great distance Wirgman could
only send drawings back to <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">ILN</i>, which
were then redrawn onto the woodblocks for engraving. While the basic idea for
the image was Wirgman’s it was the responsibility of the transcriber to correct
for any design or perspective problems. By comparing a Wirgman sketch and
watercolor with the accompanying <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">ILN</i>
wood engravings we can see how much of the art was redrawn, and just how little
Wirgman knew of perspective. The following images are from (1) <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">A Sketch Book of Japan By C. Wirgman, </i>Yokohama:
R. Meiklejohn & Co., circa 1884; (2) Watercolor by Charles Wirgman, circa
1864; and (3) Japanese Party at Meals (based on a sketch by Charles Wirgman), <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Illustrated London News</i>, 23 July
1864.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>If Wirgman did not have formalized
art training then how was he able to become proficient enough to find work as a
Graphic Journalist? It has been said of Wirgman that he was merely a talented
amateur and there is considerable merit to that allegation. <span style="color: purple;">One of the
unanswered questions in nineteenth century visual culture relates to
ascertaining the factors that contributed to the proliferation of artists
during the last quarter of the century. While formal art education was not available
to young, middle class children, used copies of illustrated newspapers were
plentiful. Children who like to draw will find anything to copy and the lure of
scenes of battles and faraway lands that were portrayed so vividly, so
dramatically in the illustrated press were like manna to the imaginations of
youthful artists. <span style="background-color: #ffe599;">For disadvantaged children, born during and after the 1830s, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Illustrated London News</i> and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">L’Illustration</i> were, undoubtedly, their
first art primers.</span> Though unintentional, the art in these weekly, illustrated
newspapers achieved a greater purpose than merely being a vehicle to sell
commodities and inform the public. These black & white illustrations were
the provenance for the increase of artists in the latter half of the nineteenth
century.</span> Wirgman, like many others of his generation, appears to have learned
his craft by copying illustrations. This type of top-down learning would
explain his lack of understanding of the basic underlying principles of
perspective and why his art appears to be that of a “talented amateur.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBhPA3k-uWW76vuCsQAgRfrkR7gQAiwnOFbBe8SBx_xoQwK7w3lhE48Ftzqcf7VXtwVgdH9TuRntFMVDNgV-bEmGcvoUc5AkGtouV0G17bTwFZuQ6RyWvO3CabkBmpFGAEpTE82hZlF2I/s1600/ILN+1891+0328+01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBhPA3k-uWW76vuCsQAgRfrkR7gQAiwnOFbBe8SBx_xoQwK7w3lhE48Ftzqcf7VXtwVgdH9TuRntFMVDNgV-bEmGcvoUc5AkGtouV0G17bTwFZuQ6RyWvO3CabkBmpFGAEpTE82hZlF2I/s1600/ILN+1891+0328+01.jpg" /></a><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>On
the back of Wirgman’s 1876/1877 sketchbook, written fifteen years after he
arrived, he wrote, “There are some countries one gets tired of but Japan is as
fresh today as it was the first time Punch saw it, and charms as much.”
(Clark, 2001, 75) Wirgman truly loved Japan, even though he was almost
assassinated several times! After all of his European friends eventually moved
away in the early 1880s, Wirgman stayed until his death in 1891. Of his art, it
could be said of him that he was the proverbial “big fish in a small pond.” As
a talented amateur it is unlikely he would have ever amounted to much had he
stayed in Europe; however, in Japan he was needed, he was useful, he was
admired, and he played a considerable role in establishing relations between “foreigners”
and his adopted home.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikSxA5M0sx8z_24prRLCmFc8adQY84pqXq7WWax1Y2d4WO-VIIid11JNED-QAnpKMm4okiIMIYktAbIsqBozq0xrj_rb3usyF0bW0qJ4rCNbaYlBn19YZgNQ5wt3ttXO0fVUI_cIyQtFI/s1600/wirgman_img05.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikSxA5M0sx8z_24prRLCmFc8adQY84pqXq7WWax1Y2d4WO-VIIid11JNED-QAnpKMm4okiIMIYktAbIsqBozq0xrj_rb3usyF0bW0qJ4rCNbaYlBn19YZgNQ5wt3ttXO0fVUI_cIyQtFI/s1600/wirgman_img05.jpg" /></a><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Of
Wirgman’s contribution John Clark wrote: “Despite its limitations, his work has
always remained as the first significant body of drawings and paintings by a
Western artist working in Japan with which Japanese were in contact.” (Clark,
1990) After hundreds of illustrations, countless paintings, tinted photographs,
and thousands of pages of caricatures, Wirgman’s legacy lies not just in his skill
as an artist, but in his ability as a teacher as well. Today, Wirgman is
considered “the patron saint of the modern Japanese cartoon,” and a ceremony is
held annually at his grave in Yokohama. (Schodt, 40) On the grave are inscribed
the Bard’s words: “He was a man of infinite jest,” in remembrance of good old <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Punch</i>. <span style="color: purple;"><span style="background-color: #ffe599;">Though forgotten by Western
audiences, Charles Wirgman should be remembered as a major contributing force in
shaping Japan’s visual culture.</span></span></span></div>
bmkane112http://www.blogger.com/profile/10352439174601808723noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3214348289688014097.post-22716254209833798062012-10-04T06:56:00.000-07:002013-03-16T17:17:42.954-07:00<div style="text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Blog 10: The Origins of Prejudice Towards Illustration,<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Debunking Fredric Wertham,<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">and <o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Will Eisner’s Artistic DNA Revealed<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 76.5pt;">
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Bear with me. I will get to Fredric
Wertham and Will Eisner in due course. To combat prejudice we must first know
where it came from. <span style="background-color: #ffe599; color: purple;">The prejudice towards comic books began with a prejudice
towards illustration, and that began with a prejudice towards women!</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span> </div>
</div>
</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ2p4OYn_Ip8wT8A5TLOW4I-DAHjJtMrE8YqFKt4g-7eDHF8QCKfXJsblhI-65urnCqonGe1-A4bfTgRGInnwpCVEn3XK6Sg24oRPJyDlueo4bbUQiBphEiElMZIfYAoNXgIm69UCRHls/s1600/Pleasures+of+Memory+i.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ2p4OYn_Ip8wT8A5TLOW4I-DAHjJtMrE8YqFKt4g-7eDHF8QCKfXJsblhI-65urnCqonGe1-A4bfTgRGInnwpCVEn3XK6Sg24oRPJyDlueo4bbUQiBphEiElMZIfYAoNXgIm69UCRHls/s1600/Pleasures+of+Memory+i.jpg" /></a></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">The Commodification of
Poetry<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Public elitist prejudice towards illustration
began with <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Lamb" target="_blank">Charles Lamb</a> (1775–1834). Lamb was a well–known English essayist,
poet, dramatist, novelist, and critic who counted among his friends and
contemporaries, Samuel Taylor Coleridge (1772–1834) and William Wordsworth
(1770–1850). (Cengage, 2002) In his sonnet, “To <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samuel_Rogers" target="_blank">Samuel Rogers</a>, Esq., on the new
Edition of his ‘<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Pleasures of Memory’</i>”
(<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Times</i>, December 13, 1833), Lamb
vehemently opposed the inclusion of illustrations in the book. (Lamb, 1904)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"></span> </div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span> </div>
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">When thy gay book hath
paid its proud devoirs, <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Poetic friend, and fed
with luxury <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">The eye of pampered
aristocracy <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">In flittering
drawing–rooms and gilt boudoirs, <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">O'erlaid with comments
of pictorial art <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">However rich or rare,
yet nothing leaving <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Of healthful action to
the soul–conceiving <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Of the true reader yet a
nobler part <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Awaits thy work, already
classic styled. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Cheap–clad, accessible,
in homeliest show <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">The modest beauty thro’
the land shall go <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">From year to year, and
render life more mild; <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Refinement to the poor
man’s hearth shall give <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">And in the moral heart
of England live.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0enjXLqOKIWxqtGRbcokMERIXSjoDH0nouFEcyck8l4AneJvK0PQTJ9XbkIdzqIMdULvVAx6ZRygWYvvHKFNmrhwKhDPOepi-VjLOCCFs804aya9a14Ut4GCNXXujPgIiGCU785jF73s/s1600/Charles_Lamb_by_Henry_Hoppner_Meyer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0enjXLqOKIWxqtGRbcokMERIXSjoDH0nouFEcyck8l4AneJvK0PQTJ9XbkIdzqIMdULvVAx6ZRygWYvvHKFNmrhwKhDPOepi-VjLOCCFs804aya9a14Ut4GCNXXujPgIiGCU785jF73s/s1600/Charles_Lamb_by_Henry_Hoppner_Meyer.jpg" /></a><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Lamb (image left) lambasts Rogers’ illustrated
edition as being decadent, ostentatious, and abhorrent to the “true reader.”
However, Lamb regards the earlier, “Cheap-clad” edition as being morally
superior because it is “modest.” Lamb’s outrage at the extravagant inclusion of
pictorial art in books it appears comes out of the Puritanical rhetoric of his
day. (Wood, 172) This yearning for a simpler, idealized existence was an
essential element of the Romantic Movement, whose literary origins in Britain
began with the publication of Wordsworth and Coleridge’s <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lyrical_Ballads" target="_blank">Lyrical Ballads, with a Few Other Poems</a></i> in 1798. Lamb sent Rogers a
conciliatory letter, claiming that his objection to the book was due to his
prejudice against illustration. Lamb felt that the “sister arts” (i.e., the
“feminine arts”) should never be intertwined, and that literary works, such as
Shakespeare’s <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Romeo and Juliet</i>,
should never be acted out, or illustrated, because the concretized visuals that
ensued represented a corruption of the imagination, since they tied the daughter
of the house of Capulet down to the “authentic face of Juliet.” (Wood, 172)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOhtgVLiHFgfsdXUt9wSpRRaxjB9k4T9qlRcGgtTvZknkf3jHqtlwLSy3jJXxqxV99noZpfo284IzQM40l2bGNkWiP4_QwfA-ye9Enjm4SYH84dvlv3CUQJO8-WXGxAC84FbrljXCHbWI/s1600/Pleasures+JMWT+008+G.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOhtgVLiHFgfsdXUt9wSpRRaxjB9k4T9qlRcGgtTvZknkf3jHqtlwLSy3jJXxqxV99noZpfo284IzQM40l2bGNkWiP4_QwfA-ye9Enjm4SYH84dvlv3CUQJO8-WXGxAC84FbrljXCHbWI/s320/Pleasures+JMWT+008+G.jpg" width="272" /></a><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">The “Cheap-clad” edition of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Pleasures of Memory</i> was originally published in 1792, and sold
30,000 copies, establishing Rogers’ popularity. (Cengage, 1999) Yet, Rogers’
skill as a poet never rose to the level of his peers. In comparison to other
poets such as Lamb, Coleridge, and Wordsworth, Rogers’ popularity waned so
dramatically in the first quarter of the Nineteenth Century that his 1828
edition of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Italy</i> was a publishing failure.
Nevertheless, Rogers, who was independently wealthy, expanded the work,
commissioned illustrations from <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/JMW_Turner" target="_blank">J. M. W. (Joseph Mallord William) Turner</a>
(1775–1851), Thomas Stothard (1755–1834), and Samuel Prout (1783–1852), and
remarketed the lavishly illustrated edition of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Italy</i> two years later to “wild” success. (Cengage, 1999) Based on
this strategic business model, Rogers commissioned Turner and Stothard to
create illustrations for a new edition of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The
Pleasures of Memory</i>. Essentially, Rogers used the illustrations to fool
“The eye of pampered aristocracy” into believing that his boorish text was
worthy of the art that embellished it. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcrlKR8ImADmRDwHRO3A0yYb-6oioYxiSJEy2RuHw1BLdmhsrN0XIX7AI9W9eTOWDQydWyEIEko2yo1Um1KWeKfgZ8CSSh4x9yKdHPZ_c2MjlA5J9JEvJ0khdyVf6IMc6TmK2nIvmHWBo/s1600/Pleasures+JMWT+012+G.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="287" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcrlKR8ImADmRDwHRO3A0yYb-6oioYxiSJEy2RuHw1BLdmhsrN0XIX7AI9W9eTOWDQydWyEIEko2yo1Um1KWeKfgZ8CSSh4x9yKdHPZ_c2MjlA5J9JEvJ0khdyVf6IMc6TmK2nIvmHWBo/s320/Pleasures+JMWT+012+G.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Since Rogers’ was a minor poet of vanity
publications the idea that he was financially capable of commodifying his books
to the point of spectacle, and profiting from that, must have galled Lamb, who
grew up poor and worked for a living. (Cengage, 2002)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Lamb was a talented “egotist,” who was
described as “nervous, easily excitable, and emotional.” (Mair, 156–157) While
on the surface Lamb’s apology appears sincere and is cloaked in his Romantic
aesthetic, it can also be read as a passive-aggressive rationalization
conveniently masking his true feelings towards Rogers’ marketing tactic. Had
the illustrations in <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Pleasures of
Memory </i>been inferior, the thought that Lamb harbored a hidden agenda
towards Rogers could never be considered, but Turner and Stothard were two of
the best artists of their time, and their illustrations, “However rich [<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">and</i>] rare,” were (and are still)
collectable in and of themselves.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiapjPbnKRFpKc25oDfud1xqxMxaI8jGKEyS8daJmrr46nRp8Pk3ZH0gXlbCqgqZ28tOmBaYtdOhGwdoNc6_kNdCjKaQHaIU5t-PEKe2L2O6xJeqIqwrdfzVco-obvBBP0ZsgC5FlHwh1w/s1600/Turner+-+Monet.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="120" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiapjPbnKRFpKc25oDfud1xqxMxaI8jGKEyS8daJmrr46nRp8Pk3ZH0gXlbCqgqZ28tOmBaYtdOhGwdoNc6_kNdCjKaQHaIU5t-PEKe2L2O6xJeqIqwrdfzVco-obvBBP0ZsgC5FlHwh1w/s320/Turner+-+Monet.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Both Turner and Stothard attended The Royal
Academy of Arts in London, and both have paintings hanging in The National
Gallery (The recent exhibit, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Turner
Inspired: In the Light of Claude</i>, ran from 14 March – 5 June 2012). Though
he mainly worked as a painter, Turner contributed illustrations to such books
as <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Scott's Poetical Works</i> (12
volumes, 1833), <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Southern Coast of
England</i> (1849), and the aforementioned <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Italy</i>,
all of which still command prices in the hundreds of dollars in the collector’s
market. Turner was one of the most highly respected artists of his time, and
<a href="http://www.tate.org.uk/whats-on/tate-britain/exhibition/turner-prize-2012" target="_blank">The Turner Prize</a>, an annual award organized by the Tate gallery and presented
to a British visual artist under the age of 50, is named after him. Turner’s
paintings became a seminal influence on the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Impressionism" target="_blank">Impressionists</a>, especially <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monet" target="_blank">Claude Monet</a> (1840–1926), who carefully adopted his techniques some 30-40 years later.
One only has to look at Monet’s <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Impression,
Sunrise</i> (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Impression, soleil levant</i>,
1872 – above right) and compare it to Turner’s <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Chichester
Canal</i> (1828), or <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Fighting
Temeraire Tugged to Her Last Berth to Be Broken up</i> (1838 – above left) to see the
enormously apparent influence.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span> </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjrNzKytWeIDjxn_J__pet8gFLqELlh4lnvQRE70VYwvx0X0psHVcSTN2UpjPu4pdupx0l8X6B3ydzJHh00LTUQbmrB63eCRmj5Xdm6zKJVayI1LzkUMEIth2dhe2m-0VHsleIjnk3DCg/s1600/Pleasures+TS+008+G.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="309" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjrNzKytWeIDjxn_J__pet8gFLqELlh4lnvQRE70VYwvx0X0psHVcSTN2UpjPu4pdupx0l8X6B3ydzJHh00LTUQbmrB63eCRmj5Xdm6zKJVayI1LzkUMEIth2dhe2m-0VHsleIjnk3DCg/s320/Pleasures+TS+008+G.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Stothard was a prolific illustrator contributing
to special editions of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Pilgrim's
Progress</i> (1788), <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Life and
Adventures of</i> <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Robinson Crusoe</i>, (2
volumes, 1790), <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Vicar of Wakefield</i>
(1792), and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Rape of the Lock</i>
(1798). Of his art it was written, “…into even the slightest and most trivial
sketches he infused a grace and distinction which render them of value to the
collectors of the present time.” (1911 Edition of the Encyclopedia Britannica)
Stothard’s illustrated books are still highly collectable, and even the later,
1820 edition of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Robinson Crusoe</i>
commands prices beginning at $2,800.00.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijYMqjjkpD02x0tNR_B54ChT3e_NIMRd7E5GpwDoubc4OCIYhL8vVRgzFpR1RZ5-NEFgKFB4qvEtUQXPGVa7eFEsIjh5X6lCSWYzS-mUn-GFw9Bl1NIPBCKYj5dy8Gw0ksZgmFpvWqiiY/s1600/Pleasures+JMWT+006+G.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijYMqjjkpD02x0tNR_B54ChT3e_NIMRd7E5GpwDoubc4OCIYhL8vVRgzFpR1RZ5-NEFgKFB4qvEtUQXPGVa7eFEsIjh5X6lCSWYzS-mUn-GFw9Bl1NIPBCKYj5dy8Gw0ksZgmFpvWqiiY/s320/Pleasures+JMWT+006+G.jpg" width="279" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">It is not inconceivable that Lamb would object
to the value–added aspects associated with the commodification of poetry. If
Lamb had not known<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Rogers and if<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Rogers had not been a wealthy, influential,
generous patron of poets, perhaps Lamb’s critique of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Pleasures of Memory</i> might have placed the blame for its
failings where it belonged: on the author and not the artists. While there was,
undeniably, a Romantic sensibility at work here, it was actually Lamb’s
misdirected lack of honesty and selfish sense of social preservation that began
the elitist prejudice against illustration. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Verbal vs. Visual: “The
Frivolity of the Times”<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYpBJEODTCN7l8jKQDYyVcW0IkDbo1b_vniPeJee8QRrg0P5ydfIC6UWAcRxXlTTQJgd45UTUbIsjKVGUWWzNjPdkwcS9tDXyeOV-ZAZ8T3RgZGQeOdZq83im_bKF3bVxjEDZ_eRMhvZw/s1600/John_Murray_b1788.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYpBJEODTCN7l8jKQDYyVcW0IkDbo1b_vniPeJee8QRrg0P5ydfIC6UWAcRxXlTTQJgd45UTUbIsjKVGUWWzNjPdkwcS9tDXyeOV-ZAZ8T3RgZGQeOdZq83im_bKF3bVxjEDZ_eRMhvZw/s1600/John_Murray_b1788.jpg" /></a><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">In 1844, eleven years after Lamb’s letter, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Quarterly_Review" target="_blank">The Quarterly Review</a></i> posthumously published
an article by former editor, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Murray_(1778-1843)" target="_blank">John Murray</a> (1778–1843) simply titled,
“Illustrated Books.” Curiously, the article champions the work of Stothard and
Turner, the two artists Lamb disliked, but finds fault with the majority of the
artists of the time and their facility to properly illustrate the text. (Murray
191-192) The critique is understandable considering the growing demand for
illustrations quickly outgrew the talent pool of skilled artists and engravers.
Murray believed that illustrations best served travel and history books because
“in the case of accurate views of authentic portraits, <span style="background-color: #ffe599; color: purple;">the pictured
representation conveys to the mind a more clear and accurate knowledge than any
verbal description could by any possibility communicate—when a single glance of
the eye will at once impress on the mind the accurate idea of form which is
impossible for a blind person to obtain.”</span> (Murray, 193) This concession,
regarding the capability of illustration to both “illuminate” the text and
convey information through the use of graphic visuals, unfortunately gets lost
in Murray’s essay. While he mentions the positive natural consequences ensuing
from the publication of illustrated books such as an increase in demand, a
greater supply, a lower per copy cost, and an increase in jobs, Murray
predominantly dwells on the negative aspects of their popularity. (Murray,
191-192)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF4FXDrvrhfdjPHKgjq20h283L8UcoPtgoOhgcwqWfzBODShNOYTtc6iS7CeFjk-OvOQYyraoXglPCUPgkoersPexQWG-wF3zHEjo05wpCnT5J6pawf8-2C5uSC7nOywNgtYP5oZjjZ_8/s1600/QR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF4FXDrvrhfdjPHKgjq20h283L8UcoPtgoOhgcwqWfzBODShNOYTtc6iS7CeFjk-OvOQYyraoXglPCUPgkoersPexQWG-wF3zHEjo05wpCnT5J6pawf8-2C5uSC7nOywNgtYP5oZjjZ_8/s1600/QR.jpg" /></a><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Murray decried “the rage for ornamented, or as
they are now termed, ‘Illustrated’ or ‘Pictorial’ editions of books,” and
referenced Christian Edward who, twenty-six years earlier, commented that
decorated books were nothing more than a “superfluous and meretricious”
exemplar of “the frivolity of the times.” (Murray, 168: Edward, 32) Murray’s
main complaint was that the pictorial arts, which were once included in books
as visual aids, “now bid to supersede much of descriptive writing,” and that
the text of many books had become subordinate to “their so-called
illustrations.” (Murray, 171) For Murray, illustrated books and magazines were
“low utilitarian” because they sought to impart “the greatest possible amount
of knowledge at the least possible expense of time, trouble, money, and, we may
add, of intellect.” (Murray, 171)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">To support his case against illustrated books,
Murray quoted Horace: “Segnius irritant animos demissa per aurem, Quam quæsunt
oculis subjecta fidelibus, et quæ Ipse sibi tradit spectator.” (Horace’s <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Ars Poetica</i>, II. 180-182), which means,
“Less vividly is the mind stirred by what finds entrance through the ears than
by what is brought before the trusty eyes, and what the spectator can see for
himself.” (Boulton, 174) On the surface, it is an insignificant quote in which
Horace is actually referring to a stage performance and not the graphic visual
arts; however, it appears to have been deliberately left incomplete for the
masses. Horace’s entire passage, which would have been known to the
higher-educated, concludes with, “Quodcunque <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">ostendis</i> mihi <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">sic</i>,
incredulous odi.” (Horace, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Ars Poetica</i>,
II. 188), or “Whatever you thus show me, I discredit and abhor.” (Boulton, 174)
The inclusion of Horace’s quote appears to be nothing short of a craftily
hidden declaration of war on illustration by elitists.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiQMwgA8RGL6zUCWpVyP5YQ-SyA8FEnLCH-LqkGx02U5ENfwD0soxCZScCLrqWq_0Xya0HGc1grYjk_hmcfFIv-nAZLpdSnwLtpgCzPYCUYJOmi7bvtLa0eUOdPm3UPG56H1jIYP6qbMQ/s1600/Juvenile+Scrapbook.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiQMwgA8RGL6zUCWpVyP5YQ-SyA8FEnLCH-LqkGx02U5ENfwD0soxCZScCLrqWq_0Xya0HGc1grYjk_hmcfFIv-nAZLpdSnwLtpgCzPYCUYJOmi7bvtLa0eUOdPm3UPG56H1jIYP6qbMQ/s1600/Juvenile+Scrapbook.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">To Murray, illustrated books represented a
“superficial knowledge” that pervaded not just the country, but the whole
world. Illustrations in books, newspapers and magazines were becoming more
powerful, more seductive—more popular—than the written word. Murray
unhesitatingly balked at the idea that these “Gems of Art,” which was the “artistic
slang of the day,” were now labeling books with the words “with illustrations
designed by,” and “engraved by” in their advertising, as if to indicate that
the crayon and burin of the artists were quickly becoming mightier than the
quill of the writer. (Murray, 190) <span style="background-color: #ffe599; color: purple;"><span style="background-color: white;">Yet, rather than call upon writers and poets
to rise to the challenge by creating works equal to or better than the art that
accompanied their texts, Murray took the indolent, underhanded approach by
chastising illustrated books as a “partial return to baby literature—to a
second childhood of learning”,</span> thus beginning the “juvenile” pejorative that
has stigmatized illustration for centuries.</span> (Murray, 171)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span><br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">It is Nothing More than
Masculine vs. Feminine </span></b><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">(<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Veritas Nuntiavit)<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">A year after <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The
Quarterly Review</i> article saw print, William Wordsworth seized upon Murray’s
“call to war” and published his sonnet, “Illustrated Books and Newspapers.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Discourse was deemed
Man's noblest attribute, <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">And written words the
glory of his hand; <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Then followed Printing
with enlarged command <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">For thought—dominion
vast and absolute <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">For spreading truth, and
making love expand. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Now prose and verse sunk
into disrepute <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Must lacquey a dumb Art
that best can suit <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">The taste of this
once-intellectual Land. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">A backward movement
surely have we here, <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">From manhood, —back to
childhood; for the age—<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Back towards caverned
life's first rude career. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Avaunt this vile abuse
of pictured page! <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Must eyes be all in all,
the tongue and ear <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Nothing? Heaven keep us
from a lower stage!<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8dFE3a1jHMNymeu9R24SvTCavYt3YjF3iHnc3-OC7rnuTO9W67f_1Ods6e4awhYcgFLC_DJ3cS4BjqKAdK8kdCkMbqO_TduStoRvKHL09EUbR3Obyws1JwkB31jO0UrMvA8tv3BcXSWk/s1600/William_Wordsworth_001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8dFE3a1jHMNymeu9R24SvTCavYt3YjF3iHnc3-OC7rnuTO9W67f_1Ods6e4awhYcgFLC_DJ3cS4BjqKAdK8kdCkMbqO_TduStoRvKHL09EUbR3Obyws1JwkB31jO0UrMvA8tv3BcXSWk/s1600/William_Wordsworth_001.jpg" /></a><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">In his sonnet, Wordsworth (right) bemoans the written
word’s fall from grace (“sunk into disrepute”) to become the servant
(“lacquey”/lackey) of the mindless public’s increased “taste” for illustration
(“dumb” meaning both silent and inane). He not only reiterates Murray’s
“juvenile” pejorative (“back to childhood”), but claims that the popularity of
illustrations is a degenerative return to a time when cavemen painted on walls
(“caverned life’s first rude career.”). Wordsworth seeks to further debase
illustration by associating it with the “lower stage,” which exposes his fear
of feminine subversion on the “masculine” art of writing.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwpJtqJSFWxdMhDVk65d3seVMgkvYhL1ExPu4VgPqnUhEEzAVfglu9mpS8JRtwXcW3TCptqS37FdlGpEeb0s8d79rUV9V-zTZyg4inZGK1pwi3kMoVn9gY5R_ZWLUhZUM5_JMNZb3CCB8/s1600/Kooistra.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwpJtqJSFWxdMhDVk65d3seVMgkvYhL1ExPu4VgPqnUhEEzAVfglu9mpS8JRtwXcW3TCptqS37FdlGpEeb0s8d79rUV9V-zTZyg4inZGK1pwi3kMoVn9gY5R_ZWLUhZUM5_JMNZb3CCB8/s1600/Kooistra.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>According to <a href="http://www.ryerson.ca/english/faculty-staff/directory/kooistral.html" target="_blank">Lorraine Janzen Kooistra</a>, (pictured left) <span style="color: purple;">“illustration theory in the nineteenth century assumed a hierarchical
model for image/text relations based on a sexual paradigm.”</span> (Kooistra, 2007,
396) Furthermore, <span style="background-color: #ffe599; color: purple;">the “superior” verbal arts were considered masculine,
powerful, intelligent; while the pictorial arts, referred to as the lesser
arts, were aligned with the feminine attributes of “imitation, sympathy, charm,
grace, and beauty.”</span> (Kooistra, 1995, 9-10) Ideologically, for Wordsworth, the
combination of verbal and visual in the same book, or worse, on the same page,
personified an unnatural relationship between the sexes. The fact that
illustrated books sold better than and were more popular than text-only books,
physically manifested a construct that was in direct opposition to a man’s
masculinity, his power base, his value structure, his station in society, and
his sense of self.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-WNviwmZybZFcwcrLoqzm_6atOJ1RQQUAQC8jgUzQ_NPIdfYZX4aUklTNlJew351cbGrdoA_e0r5eX7Gxv4P5NvEzAMbpHbOdPML53KX2wJ_uqd88AXf1lwHSYRx7wAicEeBm0_8o2i4/s1600/Juvenile+Keepsake.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-WNviwmZybZFcwcrLoqzm_6atOJ1RQQUAQC8jgUzQ_NPIdfYZX4aUklTNlJew351cbGrdoA_e0r5eX7Gxv4P5NvEzAMbpHbOdPML53KX2wJ_uqd88AXf1lwHSYRx7wAicEeBm0_8o2i4/s1600/Juvenile+Keepsake.jpg" /></a><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="color: purple;">For writers of the Romantic Movement era, such
as Lamb, Murray, and Wordsworth, illustrated books attacked their masculinity,
their sense of superiority, their popularity, and, <span style="background-color: #ffe599;">since the payment for
illustrations had to come out of the cost of producing a book, their financial
security</span>.</span> In his essay, Murray tipped his hand at his own gynophobia when he
wrote about the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Annuals</i>, which were
women-centered publications “written and largely (though not exclusively) by
women for women.” (Kooistra, 2007, 396)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>With sales driven by a growing, prosperous middle class rife with young,
semi-educated brides-to-be, publishers pumped out various illustrated gift
books such as <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Juvenile Forget Me Not</i>,
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Juvenile Keepsake</i>, and the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Juvenile Scrap-Book</i>, all, unfortunately,
making ample use of the youth-oriented adjective. (Renier, 17-19) Murray
contended that the Annuals were nothing but “nonsense,” and that he was
“[happy] they are nearly extinct” because so much money was “wasted on their
production.” (Murray, 192) Curiously, Lamb (who openly detested them),
Wordsworth, Coleridge, and Walter Scott (1771–1832) all contributed to the
Annuals. (Renier, 9) Since the publication (and ever-increasing popularity) of
illustrated books could not be stopped, they were something to be feared and
denigrated. <span style="color: purple;">Therefore, the pejoratives such as “superficial,” “frivolous,” and
“juvenile” began not because they were truly deserved, but because a few
prejudicial, frightened, elitist men needed to find some way to convince
themselves that they were still superior.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span><br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">The Foundations of
American Illustration<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkD0Iy1ZVz-rPqlhT9bMOloVbfKePkbRr7k8MjVT35YQakkSmdhTqlUiqVgN_pvuVfM6lUefmSRpDNztH4ckBoL8HiCyExMSV5s22deUqK6hp-Wg1yduFmHAAU5mdwmWPLPCkFAv0s8zw/s1600/Edwin+Austin+Abbey+-+Richard+Duke+of+Gloucester+and+the+Lady+Anne.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="147" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkD0Iy1ZVz-rPqlhT9bMOloVbfKePkbRr7k8MjVT35YQakkSmdhTqlUiqVgN_pvuVfM6lUefmSRpDNztH4ckBoL8HiCyExMSV5s22deUqK6hp-Wg1yduFmHAAU5mdwmWPLPCkFAv0s8zw/s320/Edwin+Austin+Abbey+-+Richard+Duke+of+Gloucester+and+the+Lady+Anne.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Illustration in America initially progressed
more slowly than it did in Europe. The most prominent illustrated magazines of
the time were <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Scribner's Monthly: An
Illustrated Magazine for the People</i> (1870–1881), which became <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Century Magazine</i> (1881–1930), <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Harper's Monthly Magazine</i>
(1850–present), later renamed <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Harper’s
Magazine</i> (or just <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Harper’s</i>), and
the forerunner of HarperCollins Publishing, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Ladies'
Home Journal</i> (1883–present), <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Collier's
Weekly</i> (1888–1957), and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">McClure's
Magazine</i> (1893–1929). These magazines employed some of the most notable
nineteenth century American illustrators including John La Farge (1835–1910),
Winslow Homer (1836–1910), Elihu Vedder (1836–1923), Thomas Nast (1840–1902),
Henry François Farny (1847–1916) Arthur Burdett Frost (1851–1928), Edwin Austin
Abbey (1852–1911), Howard Pyle (1853–1911), Robert Frederick Blum (1857–1903),
Joseph Pennell (1857–1926), Benjamin West Clinedinst (1859–1931), Edward
Windsor Kemble (1861–1933), Frederic Sackrider Remington (1861–1909), and
Charles Dana Gibson (1867–1944) among others. Many of these artists
simultaneously pursued careers for print as well as galleries, since the “caste
distinction between ‘Fine’ and ‘Commercial’ art as yet scarcely existed.”
(Reed, 1984, 10)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj5S6t1tpagN75zOa9-_3e8L8bBJoA4Egax_H74o48gA5_EcJgrStE-VKSQmWtnQvamz-eACmZDpdF1wJdMHDY4FYFzHWhtYLQERDCT2BefnGRGBvJb2YqMKIdcqrEujR_jSYsKhOCPCU/s1600/nation-makers+Pyle.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj5S6t1tpagN75zOa9-_3e8L8bBJoA4Egax_H74o48gA5_EcJgrStE-VKSQmWtnQvamz-eACmZDpdF1wJdMHDY4FYFzHWhtYLQERDCT2BefnGRGBvJb2YqMKIdcqrEujR_jSYsKhOCPCU/s1600/nation-makers+Pyle.jpg" /></a><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Because there was no prejudice against
illustration, the reach and influence of these artists was vast and varied.
Nast, who created the images of the Republican Elephant and the Democratic
Donkey, also drew “The Tammany Tiger,” which helped bring down the Tweed Ring;
Remington chronicled the American West; Vedder painted murals in the Library of
Congress; Farny, while on assignment for <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Century
Magazine,</i> introduced Sitting Bull to General Grant; Kemble illustrated the
works of Mark Twain; the “Gibson Girl” personified the look of the “ideal”
American sweetheart; Pyle (“The Father of American Illustration”) began The
Brandywine School; and Clinedinst painted President Theodore Roosevelt and
Admiral Perry’s portraits. (Reed, 1984, 10-43)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>These were the magazines and artists who formed the foundation of the<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Illustration#Golden_age_of_illustration" target="_blank">Golden Age of Illustration</a></i> in
America, which lasted from the 1880s until The First World War.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></b><br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Illustration and the
Prejudice of Modernism<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkYjMfnc19c3eDNp5hk_lRtctgceTcr4_wQI1KB1u3OWqddmIhDyUQ4Xbu20MWrjp8tZFqVM4MpsIIXCjFMJb19Gq8HuWg1MHFotGRdsw3za1aRF76qDPMUMGH7bv5BvAXbqu_u3NzcfU/s1600/Sketch_of_thomas_craven_by_george_grosz.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkYjMfnc19c3eDNp5hk_lRtctgceTcr4_wQI1KB1u3OWqddmIhDyUQ4Xbu20MWrjp8tZFqVM4MpsIIXCjFMJb19Gq8HuWg1MHFotGRdsw3za1aRF76qDPMUMGH7bv5BvAXbqu_u3NzcfU/s1600/Sketch_of_thomas_craven_by_george_grosz.jpg" /></a><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>In 1927, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Craven" target="_blank">Thomas Craven</a> (1888–1969)
wrote “The Decline of Illustration,” which appeared in the October issue of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">American Mercury Magazine</i>. As an art
critic, Craven was known to be caustic, judgmental, opinionated, and, due to
his popularity, highly influential. “My pet abominations,” Craven once wrote,
“are artists who have to go abroad to find time to paint and think there’s
nothing at home worth painting; critics who have just discovered modernism;
artists ditto; <span style="background-color: #ffe599; color: purple;">…and I have a prejudice against women who paint.”</span> (McMahon, 1931,
40) [Note: Craven is probably referring to Georgia O'Keeffe (1887–1986)] Craven’s
approach to “inspiring admiration” among his readers for the artists he liked
was to slander the artists he disliked. (McMahon, 1939, 37) Therefore, while
“The Decline of Illustration” was intended as a call for better painters and
illustrators, its mixed message set the tone for a heightened prejudice against
American illustration that has lasted almost eighty-five years. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span> </div>
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<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge486poPLjoA547V4HLcrp448loVrxo5sNEU0HJiyBv-aKV4ZQ-XfKl-uR6baIGKCpg2evVyA2NIHFx7B3HOTZNRvnRMySxy10fg51q9qDqePlnEJ_FFGVixuWAMljyagSzeXQxmBTEeY/s1600/Wyeth.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge486poPLjoA547V4HLcrp448loVrxo5sNEU0HJiyBv-aKV4ZQ-XfKl-uR6baIGKCpg2evVyA2NIHFx7B3HOTZNRvnRMySxy10fg51q9qDqePlnEJ_FFGVixuWAMljyagSzeXQxmBTEeY/s1600/Wyeth.jpg" /></a><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Even though Craven thought Abbey, Vedder, La
Farge, Blum, and Homer were “outstanding Americans”, he felt Gibson was
“inept,” “limited and mediocre;” and that Pyle, “the most significant”
illustrator of his time, eventually “succumbed to popular evils, [and] ended a
prolific hack.” (Craven, 204) Craven continued his essay by denouncing the
works of N.C. (Newell Convers) Wyeth (1882–1945), Harvey Thomas Dunn
(1884–1952), Howard Chandler Christy (1873–1952), Harrison Fisher (1877–1934),
J.C. (Joseph Christian) Leyendecker (1874–1951), Maxfield Parrish (1870–1966),
Dean Cornwell (1892–1960), and Rockwell Kent (1882–1971) some of the most
popular illustrators of the early twentieth century. (Craven, 205) <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Instead of the more popular artists and
publications, Craven preferred illustrators whose works appeared in “radical or
subsidized magazines.” (Craven, 206) Ironically, most contemporary art
historians consider many of these individuals Fine Artists rather than
illustrators. Among the twentieth century “illustrators” Craven admired were
John French Sloan (1871–1951), Boardman Robinson (1876–1952), George Wesley
Bellows (1882–1925), William James Glackens (1870–1938), Jerome Myers
(1867–1940), and George Benjamin Luks (1867–1933) because their works depicted
“scarifying irony, humor, sincerity, and artistic intelligence.” (Craven, 205) <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Craven claimed that the decline of illustration
was due to the emergence of photography, the seduction of advertising to lure
away great illustrators, and <span style="color: purple;">the importation of the <span style="background-color: #ffe599;">“old” prejudice</span> against
illustration by the cult of modernism</span>. (Craven, 206-207) What Craven did not
take into consideration was that because the increase in the use of photography
in publishing since the First World War eliminated so many jobs, illustrators
had to turn to advertising to earn a living. Unfortunately, even though Craven
alleged “the whole world of modern art was no good,” because he deemed the
artists “morally corrupt and even dishonest,” he could not see the damage he
himself was doing to illustration. (McMahon, 1934, 26) By eviscerating the
artists people knew and cherished in a public forum, he perpetuated and
popularized the “old” prejudice against illustration throughout the general
population. By his hand Craven not only turned the public against illustration,
but also reinvigorated and fortified modernist’s continued prejudice against
it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span><br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Fear Mongering in the
1950s<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Okay, we are finally here! The problem with
critiquing <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fredric_Wertham" target="_blank">Fredric Wertham</a> in the 1950s was that an attack on him was seen as an attack
on children. There was; however, one comics creator who got it right—who “nailed” the
problem. Unfortunately, he was never consulted during the Congressional
hearings.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5gJeGFhDyXnDw8usTlq1pqK0JLv3pBewMU8MwF2vQs8qiSmfchXcQ3HD0Ee5nqabpzlVxWiHdlvRAuz990zqj4rJBDUpo44u-Vryjh2YbyCJC9n1AGRJv6S_L6dZbbHcnzFqa46ihZx4/s1600/Dr_+Fredric+Wertham+Reading+Shock.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="227" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5gJeGFhDyXnDw8usTlq1pqK0JLv3pBewMU8MwF2vQs8qiSmfchXcQ3HD0Ee5nqabpzlVxWiHdlvRAuz990zqj4rJBDUpo44u-Vryjh2YbyCJC9n1AGRJv6S_L6dZbbHcnzFqa46ihZx4/s320/Dr_+Fredric+Wertham+Reading+Shock.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">With chapters titled “Design for Delinquency”
and “I Want to be a Sex Maniac,” Fredric Wertham, M.D. (1895–1981) effectively
sensationalized and popularized his infamous “mental hygiene” condemnation of
comic books, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seduction_of_the_Innocent" target="_blank">Seduction of the Innocent</a></i>.
(Wertham, 1954) <span style="color: purple;">Essentially, some comic books of the 1950s were no different
than the <em>Penny Dreadfuls</em> of the 1800s,</span> but, the witch hunts and paranoia of
the 1950s prompted by rampant McCarthyism fear mongers needed a scapegoat for
anti-social teen rebellion and comic books were an easy target. After <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Seduction of the Innocent’s</i> publication
in 1954, comic books that sensationalized sex, violence, and horror came under
heavy governmental scrutiny.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However,
not everyone agreed with Wertham’s findings. <span style="color: purple;">One Oxford University Press
reviewer considered <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Seduction of the
Innocent</i> to be <span style="background-color: #ffe599;">“polemical rather than scientific in approach and
presentation,” and that “the unsystematic nature of the data presented [should]
argue against giving this book serious consideration.”</span></span> (Mischler, 1955, 115)
Without hard scientific evidence, the reviewer for <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Library Quarterly</i> wrote that <span style="background-color: #ffe599; color: purple;">“Wertham comes close to using in
this book one of the features that is essentially wrong in the comics, namely,
an arousal of feelings, an absence of balanced judgment, an appeal to violent
emotions, rather than an appeal to reason,” and concluded, “methinks this
psychiatrist asserts too much.”</span> (Bettelheim, 1955, 129) <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKdoyURTRn9wirf2qAQElsFM84koKigg8gNeLsYycTr1iPCUvqDd0ejmPUToXIW0IUqja_jjKdmSPD2S8thzRy2ukfiqz5dN52d8D4g3eb8GZUKkWideyuJutxKYQL3W9YqoS3HxHdDt8/s1600/Seduction+of+the+Innocent+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKdoyURTRn9wirf2qAQElsFM84koKigg8gNeLsYycTr1iPCUvqDd0ejmPUToXIW0IUqja_jjKdmSPD2S8thzRy2ukfiqz5dN52d8D4g3eb8GZUKkWideyuJutxKYQL3W9YqoS3HxHdDt8/s1600/Seduction+of+the+Innocent+1.jpg" /></a><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">While both reviewers acknowledged violent and
sexually explicit comic books were problematic for young children, they also
felt Wertham was attacking a symptom rather than the underlying problems of
society. As Claywood pointed out in <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">School
Library Journal</i>, Wertham’s solution to eliminate comic books was
simplistic, owing more to “high-brow tastes in the 1950s than about the
psychology of young people.” (Claywood, 48) <span style="color: purple;">“Our cry should be for better
education,” wrote Bettelheim in <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The
Library Quarterly</i>, “better supervision, better living conditions for youth,
and not against comics. Sin is eradicated not by preaching or legislating
against it, but only by making virtue readily possible, enjoyable, and
rewarding.”</span> (Bettelheim, 1955, 129) Regrettably, <span style="background-color: #ffe599; color: purple;">in the absence of any other
studies, Wertham was considered the leading expert on comic books in his field,
and he leveraged that position as a <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">celebrity
du jour</i>.</span> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMN_9dtAAn9KaScbB-EW9NmIU4JUpNm97gcKHEZwvw79p_elmrH-WIzqO_Al8eWB5vu33xAnY1faBwHGidUMM0GWHNl7XZWELRZPV93EWOMUGTvEQ0H8QXd7QOVL_yGthLfwMXhVQ7oHI/s1600/Foster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMN_9dtAAn9KaScbB-EW9NmIU4JUpNm97gcKHEZwvw79p_elmrH-WIzqO_Al8eWB5vu33xAnY1faBwHGidUMM0GWHNl7XZWELRZPV93EWOMUGTvEQ0H8QXd7QOVL_yGthLfwMXhVQ7oHI/s1600/Foster.jpg" /></a><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="color: purple;">Wertham chose to demonize a form of
entertainment rather than deal with the root cause of society’s problems</span><span style="color: purple;">
probably because comic books were an easily-accessible, tangible target</span>, or
perhaps because on some level he knew that the difficulties associated with
growing up were vastly beyond his, or anyone’s, ability to solve. Unfortunately,
Wertham never interviewed <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harold_Rudolf_Foster" target="_blank">Harold Rudolf “Hal” Foster</a> (1892-1982 – seated right), the creator of the
comic strip <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prince_Valiant" target="_blank">Prince Valiant</a></i>
(1937–present). Had he done so, he may have found that root cause. As a
lecturer at a women’s club meeting in 1949, Foster was asked by one of the members
whether or not “the industry didn’t need a house-cleaning” because she felt
some comic strips had a “bad influence” on children. Sharp as ever, Foster
replied, “Let’s say the average youngster spends a half hour a day on the
comics. If that half hour can undo the good that parents are supposed to do in
the other 23½ hours, madam, whose fault would you say that was?” (Howard, 109) <span style="color: purple;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Seduction of the Innocent</i> nearly
destroyed the comic book industry, and permanently scarred a generation’s
perception to their positive educational possibilities because <span style="background-color: #ffe599;">Wertham knew it
was easier to blame the presses instead of the parents.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span><br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Will Eisner’s Artistic
DNA<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsralKWSSf5pQG27X-J2TLObX2ZTZiXcFAzSnxUiuMhQ4CJTCSMTbH5HW-1IHyBLgtzyTLICxtqNzghcPcuLv4m0URWbabfdWixcpJE7gTMFvuJQMc2BKFN_ZMA8m2otzY1SDI3UFHoBY/s1600/Will_Eisner1b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="210" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsralKWSSf5pQG27X-J2TLObX2ZTZiXcFAzSnxUiuMhQ4CJTCSMTbH5HW-1IHyBLgtzyTLICxtqNzghcPcuLv4m0URWbabfdWixcpJE7gTMFvuJQMc2BKFN_ZMA8m2otzY1SDI3UFHoBY/s320/Will_Eisner1b.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">While illustrations and comic books are two
separate mediums, they share a common history. Over the past two centuries,
graphic storytelling has progressed from single illustrations that accompanied
a text to the utilization of multiple panels of sequential art to convey
meaning and information. As with illustration, graphic narratives fought
against their own prejudices, but these two bodies of art share a common
artistic lineage. <span style="color: purple;">Many of America’s representational artists can trace their
artistic roots to the French Academy—<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="background-color: #ffe599;">and
so can Will Eisner!</span></i></span> In fact, we can trace Eisner’s Artistic DNA to <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="background-color: #ffe599; color: purple;">nine</span></i> Prix de Rome-winning painters
including Jacques-Louis David (1748–1825).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvZIJhLqjXlrheO6P1v19UwaIKZ8VP7Eq4C9GI8Q3UW1SXTvdDhptDQD6gk4Qdn1qLrW2h962O8zB_RfToCDcL-eFN5hKPwOrSRYDjzNbv4g6aXiHAilgXNcbizXfmhfUm6cp3Dy_DKV0/s1600/George_Brant_Bridgman.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvZIJhLqjXlrheO6P1v19UwaIKZ8VP7Eq4C9GI8Q3UW1SXTvdDhptDQD6gk4Qdn1qLrW2h962O8zB_RfToCDcL-eFN5hKPwOrSRYDjzNbv4g6aXiHAilgXNcbizXfmhfUm6cp3Dy_DKV0/s1600/George_Brant_Bridgman.jpg" /></a><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">If we think of the rolls of teacher/student in
terms of parent/child we can trace an artist’s Artistic DNA back through time
over many generations. Eisner studied at the Art Students League of New York
under the famous anatomist, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Brandt_Bridgman" target="_blank">George Brandt Bridgman</a> (1864–1943 - image right). Now this is
where it gets fun [Note: PdR, YYYY indicates a Prix de Rome-winning artist and
the year they won it]. Bridgman was taught by Gustave Clarence Rodolphe
Boulanger [PdR, 1849], and Jean-Léon Gérôme who both studied under Paul
(Hippolyte) Delaroche. Delaroche was preceded by Baron Antoine-Jean Gros, Jacques-Louis
David [PdR, 1774], François Boucher [PdR, 1720], Joseph-Marie Vien, Charles-Joseph Natoire [PdR, 1721], François
Lemoyne (Le Moine) [PdR, 1711], Louis Galloche, and Louis de Boullogne II [PdR,
1673] whose father, Louis Boullogne the Elder, was one of the fourteen original
founders of the French Academy in 1648. <span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">However, that is not the most remarkable aspect of
Eisner’s artistic pedigree because this lineage of teacher-to-student also
traces back through Jean Bardin [PdR, 1765], Gabriel-François Doyen [PdR, 1746], and Charles-André van Loo [PdR, 1724] to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leonardo_da_Vinci" target="_blank">Leonardo da Vinci</a> and beyond. </span><span style="color: purple;"><span style="background-color: #ffe599;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">This
means that anyone who ever took a class from Eisner, or has been taught by a student of Eisner's, is connected to this
lineage as well!</i></span></span></span> </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY-PDp05Xa4T0RLk-acSFX_MhKCAwIgfjNR-lmes70XnhyTCnkRLbK3_nssnL0jdTr_k628V0pGVocwmFKeGYE2XmFcFq1Lb2vLAJTCCZByuBtb-FT4_3_eJnGiZnVvmxZ4FNAYBjx9XQ/s1600/Eisner+Artistic+Family+Tree.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY-PDp05Xa4T0RLk-acSFX_MhKCAwIgfjNR-lmes70XnhyTCnkRLbK3_nssnL0jdTr_k628V0pGVocwmFKeGYE2XmFcFq1Lb2vLAJTCCZByuBtb-FT4_3_eJnGiZnVvmxZ4FNAYBjx9XQ/s320/Eisner+Artistic+Family+Tree.jpg" width="194" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"></span> </div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">In terms of pure illustration, I have also
created an Artistic Family Tree for James “Doc Savage” Bama. Bama studied at
The Art Students League under Frank Joseph Reilly (1906–1967), and it is that
connection that ties him not only to <span style="background-color: #ffe599; color: purple;">17</span> Prix de Rome-winning artists, but
to the Father of American Illustration, and founder of the Brandywine School of Art, Howard Pyle (1853–1911) as well!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"></span> </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0CFwohaT_r6g8TK1Xo0MgDBIkwD_VmCNZkz70ePmTXttf_h7KKThRa2h-n7Tqiae2FgU9eEleOUL6AaUdIKmyiiONt1HO6dlezfy5Ev9WGXiAvcev4EzdV8xQs4kRlKqcbyRP-V3v7wg/s1600/Bama+Artistic+DNA+tree+flat.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0CFwohaT_r6g8TK1Xo0MgDBIkwD_VmCNZkz70ePmTXttf_h7KKThRa2h-n7Tqiae2FgU9eEleOUL6AaUdIKmyiiONt1HO6dlezfy5Ev9WGXiAvcev4EzdV8xQs4kRlKqcbyRP-V3v7wg/s320/Bama+Artistic+DNA+tree+flat.jpg" width="244" /></a><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"> </span></div>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Illustration and graphic narratives share a rich
heritage. Admittedly, not <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">all</i>
commercial art is an award-winning piece, but then, neither is <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">all</i> fine art. Each piece, regardless of
who made it or why it was made, should stand on its own merits. Prejudice towards
the Arts, such as the type perpetuated by Lamb, Murray, Wordsworth, Craven, and
Wertham, is nothing but jealously and fear masking itself as elitism. <span style="background-color: #ffe599; color: purple;">A
continued prejudice towards illustration and graphic narratives is a continued
prejudice towards women.</span> While we may have forgotten the origin of that
prejudice it is still there nonetheless, and it has no place in the
Twenty-first Century.</span></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Topics for Discussion<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">1)
Can you trace the prejudice towards illustration back further than Charles Lamb?
If so, what caused it?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">2)
Who took classes from Will Eisner, and are they working as artists today?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span><br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Next Blog:</span></i></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"> Japanese
Manga began in a French prison in 1832<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
bmkane112http://www.blogger.com/profile/10352439174601808723noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3214348289688014097.post-18718701650719596962012-10-02T07:42:00.000-07:002013-09-28T19:23:11.630-07:00<br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Blog 9: Designing Graphic eTextbooks, <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Part 2: Developing the Visuals<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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</div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>As
with Blog #8 that dealt with creating the text for graphic eTextbooks, I am not
going to write a blog about how to draw them. What this blog will look at is
how artists can adapt the sequential art medium to the digital platform.
Remember, what is relevant today will, undoubtedly, change in another three
years (if not sooner) as technology changes, so adaptability is key.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Aspect Ratios<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBw3f31Mt8R3AWe7LfBZ3Ixik-Esv92-XR2c0i1zb_byqyvkfKnmw8LkIStYMxCEZ5mVRBlp8obio7Yf6PoSI0_MiLtLUsn7w-d2xADhR17K-SnMtGFcThgYmnzHuy8BNK4-85bdwQrPQ/s1600/PlaidAvenger-iPad03.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBw3f31Mt8R3AWe7LfBZ3Ixik-Esv92-XR2c0i1zb_byqyvkfKnmw8LkIStYMxCEZ5mVRBlp8obio7Yf6PoSI0_MiLtLUsn7w-d2xADhR17K-SnMtGFcThgYmnzHuy8BNK4-85bdwQrPQ/s1600/PlaidAvenger-iPad03.jpg" /></a><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Currently,
converting comic books to a digital platform has meant simply slapping the pages
on the screen as is even though the viewing space is smaller than the print
version. The aspect ratio (the ratio of width-to-height) of print comic books
directly impacts how they are viewed digitally. Modern comic books measure 6.625"
x 10.25", which means they have an aspect ratio of 1:55. Kindle Fire HD
8.9, Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.7, and Google Nexus 7 all have an aspect ratio of
1:6, which is very close to that of comic books. Even though the ipad 3 has better
resolution, its aspect ratio is 1:33, which means comic books viewed on the
ipad screen have extra dead space on the sides. Aesthetically, the ipad loses
out on single pages, but it makes up for it on double-page spreads where the aspect
ratio is 1:29 (albeit the pages are even smaller). Designing artwork for
digital viewing becomes even more “interesting” when publishers, such as <a href="http://www.newsarama.com/comics/kindle-fire-dc-digital-111004.html" target="_blank">DC Comics, make exclusive contracts for certain books with specific tablet manufacturers</a> (<a href="http://blog.newsarama.com/2012/05/08/marvel-and-comixology-go-exclusive/" target="_blank">Marvel Comics’ exclusive is with one distributor, but across multiple platforms</a>). <span style="color: purple;">What is important to understand about aspect ratios is not
only how they affect the art, but that you need to ask the publisher what
devices the eTextbook will be read on, so you can <span style="background-color: #ffe599;">design pages that take full
advantage of the view screen.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Page Design<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglMvPRaIK7JSIbuOPwDOpr5JRwCKXP9xFHacw5QqluokcrW8f_BftoM7P-7_AxgJjL_Lg7Rgq_ALU5fyfWXAAXVpOBRvXR9B2x2EmS_fyITIKKpyYih8uBVu7bJ-w_4J2wZKfxY8Hlg-E/s1600/C__Documents+and+Settings_photo_Desktop_fix_3D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglMvPRaIK7JSIbuOPwDOpr5JRwCKXP9xFHacw5QqluokcrW8f_BftoM7P-7_AxgJjL_Lg7Rgq_ALU5fyfWXAAXVpOBRvXR9B2x2EmS_fyITIKKpyYih8uBVu7bJ-w_4J2wZKfxY8Hlg-E/s1600/C__Documents+and+Settings_photo_Desktop_fix_3D.jpg" /></a><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Sequential
artists should realize that there is a tremendous amount of flexibility
available to them when designing eTextbooks (ones with no print version). The
first question artists need to ask the writing team (the subject author, and
the graphic narrative writer – see Blog #8) is, “Do you want this designed in a
portrait or landscape format?” Flipping the orientation of a tablet is easy,
but it becomes annoying very quickly, and for educational texts it would certainly
be a distraction. I will not say that it should never be done, but selecting
one primary orientation from the start would be best. Most of the eTextbooks I
have seen are landscape designed, but that is probably because they were
initially created with desktop or laptop monitors in mind (and for 2-page
spread print versions too). <span style="background-color: #ffe599; color: purple;">The creative team needs to determine from the
beginning what the key visuals are, and what is the best way to incorporate
them into the story.</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ7SPauYxHdDFwoEc_7UooUpxeqOvFemfoDQIFrxRIXg2bXRDeeGHI57WTCyYzuEbAePPApiuQuDcAmbTRs49kZ0__0u3jL4fjiDSFrnd9ZwLOnOjV742gAPX9QwThSeFS6tMlroX2psY/s1600/fantasticfour55.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ7SPauYxHdDFwoEc_7UooUpxeqOvFemfoDQIFrxRIXg2bXRDeeGHI57WTCyYzuEbAePPApiuQuDcAmbTRs49kZ0__0u3jL4fjiDSFrnd9ZwLOnOjV742gAPX9QwThSeFS6tMlroX2psY/s1600/fantasticfour55.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>I
mentioned in Blog #7 that “I believe the medium will need to focus less on
traditional page design and more on screen/panel design.” Before the mid-1960s,
original comic book art pages measured 14” x 21.” In an effort to save money on
paper, the page size for original art was reduced to 11” x 16” (or 11” x 17”). <span style="background-color: white; color: purple;">An
interesting consequence of reducing the paper size meant that now the entire
page fit comfortably within the artist’s peripheral vision.</span> Though
long-established, dynamic artists like Jack Kirby had a harder time adapting
their style to the smaller (constrained) size, other artists, such as Neal
Adams and Jim Steranko, began experimenting with innovative page layouts. <span style="background-color: #ffe599; color: purple;">However,
smaller and smaller screen sizes have a direct impact on visual storytelling,
and the way sequential artists have designed pages since the 1960s has to
change.</span> Certainly, tablets are better vehicles for storytelling than their
smaller counterparts. While I would never recommend designing graphic
eTextbooks for <a href="http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2008/08/comic-books-on/" target="_blank">phones</a>, I would like to see them used <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="background-color: #ffe599; color: purple;">in conjunction with tablets</span></i> for storing and sharing digital
notepads. That way if you are on a bus or walking to class you can simply study
the notes for your test on your phone. The most important aspect of all graphic
eTextbooks that artists need to realize is that above all else <span style="background-color: #ffe599; color: purple;">the storytelling
must be clear, so there is no question about the information being taught</span>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Native vs. Non-native Sequential Art Readers<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzyRzPP3DF7Bf7609ukDL34Ikw63Xyiesx-IlhwV2EVKrq_KzY7xeqKwwTC9SPxK1lpG-9MYH-OfKOEpb9xtHn37qkmGK5lsZeuaJt_NSpL2ja4bpswBVl-Pd_0DRRsQw3YF7VoXSJUxY/s1600/Steranko+Nick_Fury.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzyRzPP3DF7Bf7609ukDL34Ikw63Xyiesx-IlhwV2EVKrq_KzY7xeqKwwTC9SPxK1lpG-9MYH-OfKOEpb9xtHn37qkmGK5lsZeuaJt_NSpL2ja4bpswBVl-Pd_0DRRsQw3YF7VoXSJUxY/s1600/Steranko+Nick_Fury.jpg" /></a><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="color: purple;"><em>Native</em>
and <em>Non-native</em> readers are my terms for people who have grown up reading comic
books, and those that have not.</span> I have been “reading” comic books since I was
five years old, so, initially, I had a hard time understanding why readers new to the medium had trouble following panel-to-panel continuity. Even reading the more
elaborately designed pages was, for me, intuitive. Understanding Sequential Art
is similar to understanding a new language<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">—</span>it is a learned skill (see McCloud).
The problem; however, was how do we get older readers to “read” graphic
narratives, and enjoy the experience.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Apps,
such as the one provided by <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><a href="http://www.comixology.com/" target="_blank">Comixology</a></i>,
include a <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="background-color: #ffe599; color: purple;">Guided View</span></i> option that navigates
the reader through the eComic panel-by-panel. I have heard Native readers express
that they have a problem with this for aesthetic reasons. The argument is that
creators design a page to be experienced as a single visual, so chopping it up
into digestible bits has the same appeal as watching a film adapted to a full
screen television via pan-and-scan editing. How much of this resistance is
aesthetic, and how much is due to the tech I do not know, but for these people
I will simply suggest that they only view the eComic page-by-page. Guided View,
in my opinion, is a great boon to Non-native readers because it is a shortcut
to learning the language of Sequential Art. Eventually, Non-native readers
become “fluent” in reading Sequential Art, so anything that helps in making the
transition effortless and more enjoyable is a plus.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">The Need for Coloring Graphic eTextbooks<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Since
the cost of printing is no longer a problem this is a no-brainer—<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">color them!</i> Yes, there is an initial up
front cost for coloring, but 1) they will be more appealing, and 2) you will be
competing against other, well-designed, colorful eTextbooks. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">A Word About Digital Art<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIHA-uhRiGdMrvc0k5KGL32Fn0LK2IIl2vJ5BwhDp67NqsMeUfIikL2ufLvNu9Ma8TpNw6Ls1pFf_J-ldvLPoT4eIG3v5ZPcSy62HFWAoPdcscjJKeevoAK1AHc98QkgEsr_fnBWWbm20/s1600/Jon+Foster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIHA-uhRiGdMrvc0k5KGL32Fn0LK2IIl2vJ5BwhDp67NqsMeUfIikL2ufLvNu9Ma8TpNw6Ls1pFf_J-ldvLPoT4eIG3v5ZPcSy62HFWAoPdcscjJKeevoAK1AHc98QkgEsr_fnBWWbm20/s1600/Jon+Foster.jpg" /></a><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>One
downside to Digital Art for artists is that, once completed, there is no
physical copy to sell. Unless artists begin with a physical piece of art, scan
it, and finish it digitally, or begin digitally, print it, and then finish it
they have nothing physical to show for their efforts. This adds a new wrinkle
to the legacy of “starving artists.” Another downside is that editors, art
directors, and designers love Digital Art because they can manipulate it effortlessly. They can recolor it, warp it, wrap it, and/or crop it any way
they want in order for it to meet the needs of the commodity it is selling. And
while this is essentially the way commercial art has always been handled, prior
to the digital age art changes had (almost always) been handled by the artist. At
the very least they were consulted. The digital age has brought with it a new
level of disrespect towards artists. Many fail to realize that it is the
creative genius of the artist that is being exploited, and not just a piece of
art. <span style="color: purple;"><span style="background-color: #ffe599;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><u>All</u></i></b>
Art, after all, is an intellectual property.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Before
closing, I want to address the philosophical prejudices towards Digital Art. You
cannot debate these prejudices from a position of passion (as many of us do), but, while I love the piece of Digital Art shown above by <a href="http://www.jonfoster.com/#home" target="_blank">Jon Foster</a>, there are those who would dismiss all Digital Art simply because it is digital.
Logic must be debated with logic, and by using philosophy’s rhetoric to state the
case. The following are my thoughts on why the essence of Digital Art is no
different than any other form of Art. While this essay will certainly not end
the discussion, my hope is that someone more scholarly than I, more steeped in
philosophy than I, and more eloquent than I, will continue the debate. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Hypokeimenon of Silicon</i> is my term for where
Digital Art exists. I will admit that I like its alliteration. At least check
out the definition below! ;-)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The Hypokeimenon of Silicon:<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Unconcealing the Essence of Digital Art<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Through an “Opening of Our Vision”<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 40.5pt 0pt 0.5in; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Hypokeimenon: The core of things around which everything
else assembles. Think of it as Greek for Captain America (core) and The
Avengers (Assemble).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYJ6fo_2oMcSOr7X45Zg14bULIPpfqIiJ0QMfQEd_68t5aJmOog77HbBxh6Q36ZTtfiyQI51ZTRzcsQXW4rZ5TJJfdx3ps-Xn1APbU4GFGMorxXD_dUguvPGHj5btU2YQL_CAKcfCahO0/s1600/statue-of-david+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYJ6fo_2oMcSOr7X45Zg14bULIPpfqIiJ0QMfQEd_68t5aJmOog77HbBxh6Q36ZTtfiyQI51ZTRzcsQXW4rZ5TJJfdx3ps-Xn1APbU4GFGMorxXD_dUguvPGHj5btU2YQL_CAKcfCahO0/s320/statue-of-david+1.jpg" width="139" /></a><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“The
most wonderful thing about Tiggers, is Tiggers are wonderful things.” Things-in-themselves
and things that appear–things and their <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">truth</i>
(<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">aletheia</i>) through the act of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">unconcealing their being</i> (sharing their
essence) are the core of Martin Heidegger’s treatise, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Origin of the Work of Art</i>. Within the block of granite the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">truth</i> of Michelangelo’s <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">David</i> emerged. That which was not of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">David</i> was chipped away while that which
was of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">David</i> was <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">unconcealed</i>. What a lucky block of rock! It must be discouraging
for all of those beautiful blocks of granite in The Rock of Ages quarry in
Vermont to know that the most they can ever hope to be is a great-looking tombstone.
They must (dare I say it) be crushed.<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Heidegger
challenges the traditional belief that truth belongs solely to logic,
encouraging us to set aside pseudo-concepts by breaking down the boundaries of
our perceptions through an opening of our vision (Heidegger, 2002). To that
end, we must determine what <span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">the
current pseudo-concepts</span> are surrounding Digital Art, what <span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">truth</span> is it conveying to us, and what
are <span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">the barriers of our perceptions</span>
that keep us from seeing that <span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">truth</span>?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>There
are several philosophical<span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> arguments
against Digital Art. First, Digital Art is ephemeral, not physical; it is
considered archival rather than artistic (Marchese & Marchese, 1995). If
Art is part of being then must it always be physical? Digital Art is brought to
our perception by way of a complex tool in a process that is analogous to the
way sheet music is brought to our perception. Music is ephemeral yet it is
still Art. Both Digital Art and music are ontological; however, their true
essence comes from the sharing of it, and in each participant’s dynamic act of
unconcealing. Should Digital Art’s ephemerality necessitate its exclusion as
Art, or does society need to adjust its understanding of what Art may be, or,
more importantly, what we need to allow Art to evolve into? </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Further,<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> </b>Sean Cubitt argues that the processual
nature of Digital Art makes it incomplete, imperfect, thus prohibiting
achievement of pure presence<sup> </sup>(Cubitt, 2000). <span style="background-color: #ffe599; color: purple;">Even after they are “finished”
artists rarely consider a work complete, since Art is an ongoing process of
unconcealing.</span> It is the way many artists are wired. It is then erroneous to
assume that pure presence necessitates completion or perfection. <span style="color: purple;">Can we in our
imperfection create anything that is perfect? Can anything that is perfect be
physical?</span> If either case were true, Art would have ceased to be created long
ago, since any “post-perfection” Art would have nothing new to reveal.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCdzoTMKW3bn2cFWxZQISepjukiIgztkTK9g2ANxQiujJw0GdW3hAAp2tFJ_pfOR5cwnnIYzbzxaVRuIKHWgB6Wm7vVMtc6hMumCoGYa-7eQGzUrwIRJiYKo-wpO3pdqI_4wconKjZdYg/s1600/david_head.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCdzoTMKW3bn2cFWxZQISepjukiIgztkTK9g2ANxQiujJw0GdW3hAAp2tFJ_pfOR5cwnnIYzbzxaVRuIKHWgB6Wm7vVMtc6hMumCoGYa-7eQGzUrwIRJiYKo-wpO3pdqI_4wconKjZdYg/s320/david_head.jpg" width="268" /></a><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Times; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>According to Walter Benjamin only
the original physical work of Art can have an “Aura” (Benjamin, 1968). However,
Douglas Davis argues, <span style="color: purple;">“Here is where the aura resides—not in the thing itself
but in the originality of the moment when we see, hear, read, repeat, revise”</span>
(Douglas, 1995). </span><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">If we acknowledge ephemerality as
part of Digital Art’s basic nature (in much the same way ephemerality is part
of music’s basic nature) then we can accept that Digital Art needs to be
mimetic via instrumentation just as music needs to be mimetic via instrumentation.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Kant
believed that the ‘task’ or process <span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">is</span>
the aesthetic core of Art. If Art speaks for itself then shouldn’t
aesthetic-based judgments be based solely on Art, which can be shared, and not
a ‘task’ that, once executed, cannot? If we consider Heidegger, the artist
cannot be defined as a tool because “A man is not a thing” (Heidegger, 1960).
Thus <span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">the work of Art </span>becomes
the conduit while the artist remains as an intelligent individual whose
relationship to the transcendental sphere is that of symbiotic ecstasy. <span style="color: purple;">What is
unconcealed to us in Art comes from what the artist wishes to reveal after the
act of creation is completed.</span> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Computers
do not uproot us from our native habitat—a major philosophical argument against
the use of technology. In fact, the whole concept of home computers is
antithetical to removing people from their habitat, and even though laptops
have changed our mobility we still congregate around WiFi Hotspots. Cyberspace
has become a <i>communal</i> gathering place where artists can share their work
globally. Artists need no longer live, work, and die in obscurity when those
who seek the truth in their Art are only a few keystrokes and an uplink away. <span style="color: purple;">The
Internet allows for Art to be unconcealed anywhere—thus <i>unframing</i> the
world in a process of <i>anti-gestell</i>.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid9A4T74q0UrfcsvNNZWq8xsThDTA4H7nYJJfneLpOG_smsC5Uk0S8qCO0khnEmY6bdcIFlOtJMtgzo-6TxQ-YHAOZDvAFpdYLWxhmivbKPixXj-kjAmjDoYZ1gvZFUzyZwHeYrVrtLvg/s1600/David+puzzle.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid9A4T74q0UrfcsvNNZWq8xsThDTA4H7nYJJfneLpOG_smsC5Uk0S8qCO0khnEmY6bdcIFlOtJMtgzo-6TxQ-YHAOZDvAFpdYLWxhmivbKPixXj-kjAmjDoYZ1gvZFUzyZwHeYrVrtLvg/s320/David+puzzle.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>If we acknowledge that the ultimate
source of Digital Art’s essence (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Wesen</i>)
comes from the transcendental sphere and not the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Technik</i> then we can conclude that a computer’s requirement for
electricity in order to run the program(s) that bring Digital Art to our
perceptions is simply an aspect of its nature. Yet there are those who would
dispute this argument and say that Digital Art’s source is not the same as all
other art. If we disavow the belief that Digital Art’s source is different from
all other works of art then we must also disavow Michelangelo’s Neo-Platonic
belief that the statue of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">David</i>
existed in the marble prior to his ever setting chisel to stone. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjN9fnvOP-ezDE-U4SneyopPmPVzYaLc6fYI2LtSel2LjUX3YKAKjgYnbnhB-bMDRaVE7YjL1xf0INk2OwUXqaij0TePeNbKw1vAh8SZ64iD59C5lYYccmgkqscmCKLjJ0-zlLTTH3sAg/s1600/statue_of_David+with+sun.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="272" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjN9fnvOP-ezDE-U4SneyopPmPVzYaLc6fYI2LtSel2LjUX3YKAKjgYnbnhB-bMDRaVE7YjL1xf0INk2OwUXqaij0TePeNbKw1vAh8SZ64iD59C5lYYccmgkqscmCKLjJ0-zlLTTH3sAg/s320/statue_of_David+with+sun.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>In his unconcealment of essence Michelangelo
found a <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">truth</i> that expressed itself
as the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">David</i> statue. If the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">David</i> statue existed in the marble in
1500 C.E. then it was there when Agostino di Duccio began work on “the giant”
some forty years earlier–only di Duccio could not find it. If the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">David</i> statue pre-existed within the
block of marble then it was in the mountain that the block came from, in the
limestone from which the marble was formed, in the skeletons of the sea
creatures that created the limestone, in the plants that fed the sea creatures
and, ultimately, in the energy of the sun that nurtured those plants. <span style="background-color: #ffe599; color: purple;">At what
point does the essence of a work of art become “essence?”</span> <span style="color: purple;">Did Art’s <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">essence</i> begin at the beginning of the
universe or was it there before the Big Bang?</span> Are the laborers in the quarry,
the horses pulling the cart, the trees from which the boards of the scaffolding
were cut all part of the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">David</i>
statue’s unconcealment? Can it be said that Michelangelo was predestined to
carve “the giant” because of his vision, his unique relationship to the
transcendental sphere? Since the computer is powered by electricity from a
source originating in nature then one must conclude that the essence of Digital
Art ultimately comes from the same source as the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">David</i> statue. <span style="color: purple;">Electricity flows through the core of the computer
assembling the properties of a work of Digital Art so that its truth may be
unconcealed. <span style="background-color: #ffe599;">It is a Hypokeimenon of Silicon whose essence was birthed in the
stars.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>We are engaged in a dialectic,
which, because of staunch traditionalism, refuses to accept innovation as an
evident synthesis. Digital Art is ephemeral, it lacks pure presence and it is
mimetic. T<span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">hat is its nature</span>; <span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">not</span> its essence, and certainly <span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">not</span> its truth. <span style="color: purple;">Its essence lies in
how it manifests itself to the viewer, and its truth lies in what the viewer
finds through a dynamic act of unconcealing. It is an essence and a truth that
are no longer bound by a tradition of physicality.</span></span><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Topics for Discussion<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">1)
What other problems are there with developing graphic eTextbooks?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">2)
Do you think graphic eTextbooks should be formatted for phones, or is that
screen too small when it comes to learning graphic subject material?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Next Blog:</span></i></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"> The
Origins of Prejudice Towards Illustration</span></b></div>
bmkane112http://www.blogger.com/profile/10352439174601808723noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3214348289688014097.post-23080380682788395462012-09-27T07:36:00.002-07:002012-10-18T15:58:42.392-07:00<br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";"><span style="font-size: large;">Blog 8: Designing Graphic eTextbooks,</span></span></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">Part 1: Developing the Narratives<o:p></o:p></span></b></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Time
to get <span style="color: red;"><u>practical</u></span>!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5Kb4gl9H5lKwyB3y0m3jonxF85DpkGSw1X4-UY_Qw9cYfrrNKuTIniHVgnXbD7BaZAjvyaR4HNxlzwDnPES-TbGS1E71vpyI667w8SbSPadVrxMoR3Mgljh9TjXghwM5708NxzztoFUQ/s1600/story.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5Kb4gl9H5lKwyB3y0m3jonxF85DpkGSw1X4-UY_Qw9cYfrrNKuTIniHVgnXbD7BaZAjvyaR4HNxlzwDnPES-TbGS1E71vpyI667w8SbSPadVrxMoR3Mgljh9TjXghwM5708NxzztoFUQ/s1600/story.jpg" /></a><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Theorizing
about philosophical, psychological, and neuroscientific applications in
developing graphic textbooks is all well-and-good, but what is the best way to
develop them? Today's blog will look at creating the stories, and Blog 9 will
be about art on a digital platform. </span><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">To
be clear, this is not a blog entry about how to write. I will not begin to tell
people how to write, and there are too many great books about creative writing
out there for me to have anything different to add (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Story-Substance-Structure-Principles-Screenwriting/dp/0060391685/ref=sr_1_1_title_0_main?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1348742752&sr=1-1&keywords=story+robert+mckee" target="_blank">Story</a></i> by <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_mckee" target="_blank">Robert McKee</a> is one of the best). What I do want to talk
about is how to develop them for the market.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Past is Prologue: Learning From Graphic Novels<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAwngCxou9oLlZJDkYLmwXFVzhKSLYEOuNcv19xLWbC16VA5-a_QKm9CmY3awvXR454iqQ0d5DXS1-B9caumH0dG5EJ3MTdwV1-vealSosHLL6RwPGxeFBqKlyRJ661LN2QrfVkHoQxxc/s1600/Tom+Wolfe.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAwngCxou9oLlZJDkYLmwXFVzhKSLYEOuNcv19xLWbC16VA5-a_QKm9CmY3awvXR454iqQ0d5DXS1-B9caumH0dG5EJ3MTdwV1-vealSosHLL6RwPGxeFBqKlyRJ661LN2QrfVkHoQxxc/s1600/Tom+Wolfe.jpg" /></a><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Some
people question whether or not a serialized comic that is later collected into
one volume should be considered a graphic novel. Serialization is not an
uncommon practice in publishing and has provided creators a means of supporting
themselves while producing larger works for centuries. For example, Charles Dicken’s first
novel, <i>The Pickwick Papers</i> (1836), was originally serialized in <i>Bentley’s
Miscellany;</i> Tom Wolfe’s <i>Bonfire of the Vanities</i> (1987) first
appeared in <i>Rolling Stone</i> magazine in 1984, and ran for twenty-four installments; while Stephen King’s <i>The Green Mile</i> (1996) was published as
a six-part serial novel before it was collected into one volume. It can be
argued that what has been acceptable in literature should also apply to graphic
novels. Yes, I know I said in Blog 2 that graphic novels are not literature,
but it doesn’t mean that we cannot appropriate certain elements, and apply them
to this literate art form. Why reinvent the wheel, right?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9n5c8wSjTN_WFeDs_GTTEkzH7X7FdaXmgRa7oX0Ms9tinCDeA1nuCaU-Mm6i0Dm8fLdMWkqMBghs5HOOgG9GNMl-0b933ivkXWThZ4f4lD35TGiI_NTnZlTzigRfzflJLuGLksfoX17c/s1600/sfwa_logo2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9n5c8wSjTN_WFeDs_GTTEkzH7X7FdaXmgRa7oX0Ms9tinCDeA1nuCaU-Mm6i0Dm8fLdMWkqMBghs5HOOgG9GNMl-0b933ivkXWThZ4f4lD35TGiI_NTnZlTzigRfzflJLuGLksfoX17c/s320/sfwa_logo2.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Many
of these questions regarding format for graphic narratives fall into gray
areas. If “a picture is worth a thousand words,” then how do we calculate the
“word” count in a graphic novel? <span style="background-color: #ffe599; color: purple;">When is a graphic novel truly of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">novel</i> length?</span> Since there is no mutually
agreed upon way around this particular enigma, the appropriation of literary
vernacular, such as short story, novelette, novella, and novel, needs to be
addressed and adapted—with provisions. <a href="http://www.sfwa.org/nebula-awards/rules/" target="_blank">Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers of America</a>, the professional organization that administrates the Nebula Awards,
defines these literary terms on their website as follows:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 1in; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">• Short Story: less than
7,500 words;<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 1in; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">• Novelette: at least
7,500 words but less than 17,500 words;<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 1in; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">• Novella: at least
17,500 words but less than 40,000 words<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 1in; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">• Novel: 40,000 words or
more.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPMHg_lzTyBkKgIyPh2NQceFubWC-3qCQrD6Neg9lppG_Yxb1AYVO2aHkOfHDDeAMHyIfdwp2ZATx1WtY8k7p-vlhVt7uVIdz0AFXej_tjGrafKIJxZSNMEnmFL764I6-5Dk-GmkAd4Ck/s1600/jimsteranko_lg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPMHg_lzTyBkKgIyPh2NQceFubWC-3qCQrD6Neg9lppG_Yxb1AYVO2aHkOfHDDeAMHyIfdwp2ZATx1WtY8k7p-vlhVt7uVIdz0AFXej_tjGrafKIJxZSNMEnmFL764I6-5Dk-GmkAd4Ck/s1600/jimsteranko_lg.jpg" /></a><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>In
terms of storytelling there is no agreement on a balance between words and
pictures for graphic narratives, and there should never be, because revealing
the story drives both. Certainly, some creators can do more with less pages
than others, and a few silent panels (a wordless sequence) can be filled with
emotional and/or connotative meanings that would take pages in a text-only
story, so no matter where we draw the line it will be an arbitrary one.
Legendary comic book creator and graphic novelist, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jim_Steranko" target="_blank">Jim Steranko</a> believes that <span style="background-color: #ffe599; color: purple;">a
“true” graphic novel needs to be at least 100 pages</span> (Steranko, 2010). While 100
pages is an easy number to remember, it is also very calculated. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPzj1-kFnitihxDj7Wa4JdfyDLW2iTQpoyyphHvdK6EGfYYx91ULgMoVjw-rH5rV5lqV56p0FU3iw5VvwMm2yQp3bhEL4jVyPn8fFh_5for-i5qsRaWbfmY1RLLeQxO2zD8t54NI7BZMU/s1600/Savage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPzj1-kFnitihxDj7Wa4JdfyDLW2iTQpoyyphHvdK6EGfYYx91ULgMoVjw-rH5rV5lqV56p0FU3iw5VvwMm2yQp3bhEL4jVyPn8fFh_5for-i5qsRaWbfmY1RLLeQxO2zD8t54NI7BZMU/s1600/Savage.jpg" /></a><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Comic
books have traditionally been printed in 16-page sections called <i>signatures</i>.
The standard comic book pamphlet is 32 pages, or two signatures. This is
followed by books with pages counts of 48, 64, and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><u><span style="background-color: #ffe599; color: purple;">96</span></u></i> – just four pages short of Steranko’s magic number.
According to Steranko, a graphic short story would range from 1–49 pages, a
graphic novella would be between 50–99 pages, and a graphic novel would be 100
pages or more. Though some consider Gil Kane and Archie Goodwin’s 1968
black-and-white comic magazine <i>His Name is...Savage</i> a graphic novel, at
only forty pages it is, at best, a graphic short story.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhyuLULke71tn-GvyIHN-yc-IiR4HHZQYY0NW-DdIMqoa03XCCeoe-08beV6PfgnfBGeQ7DpmNgZq6wLcRJIyWmZvaSDRK_aSw8guy1tFgQxoi_tHoUqK_zP02DZfu1WzmT6dI0YpOP-A/s1600/Flotsam-cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhyuLULke71tn-GvyIHN-yc-IiR4HHZQYY0NW-DdIMqoa03XCCeoe-08beV6PfgnfBGeQ7DpmNgZq6wLcRJIyWmZvaSDRK_aSw8guy1tFgQxoi_tHoUqK_zP02DZfu1WzmT6dI0YpOP-A/s1600/Flotsam-cover.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>There
will always be illustrated books that blur the line, that make us reassess just
what is possible with this artform. How do we re/classify books such as James
Gurney’s (1958–) <i>Dinotopia</i> (1992), Jim Steranko’s <i>Chandler: Red Tide</i>
(1976), David Michael Wieger and Terryl Whitlatch’s (1961–) <i>The Katurran
Odyssey</i> (2004), Kyle Baker’s (1965–) <i>Nat Turner</i> (2008), Brian
Selznick’s (1966–) <i>The Invention of Hugo Caret</i> (2007), or David
Wiesner’s (1956–) <i>Sector 7</i> (1999) and <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Flotsam-David-Wiesner/dp/0618194576/ref=la_B001H6TYQM_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1348747986&sr=1-1" target="_blank">Flotsam</a></i> (2006)? (And if you
do not think that <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Flotsam</i> isn’t
really a comic book then have another look!) <span style="background-color: #ffe599;"><span style="color: purple;">Whether you call them illustrated
stories, visual novels, picture books, graphic novels, or long-format comic
books, they all attempt to tell stories using pictures</span>.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Creating Graphic
eTextbooks<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxcOKnzoasDqY5Bt6mQC9_OWexELvaqZNnTFDMJ-uaaARDDg57vMY6vI_6MD7VyclUnlcodSovzGqOEh_nzQoKYdqawwzCB_tBqdxqD-hSTa0XXgH9j8B-DxsQQY8IUvLbHJap6Dj27SQ/s1600/Calculus_straight-e1325610734438.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxcOKnzoasDqY5Bt6mQC9_OWexELvaqZNnTFDMJ-uaaARDDg57vMY6vI_6MD7VyclUnlcodSovzGqOEh_nzQoKYdqawwzCB_tBqdxqD-hSTa0XXgH9j8B-DxsQQY8IUvLbHJap6Dj27SQ/s1600/Calculus_straight-e1325610734438.jpg" /></a><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>It took Jay Hosler four years to
write and illustrate <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Optical-Allusions-Jay-Hosler/dp/0967725526/ref=pd_sim_b_6" target="_blank">Optical Allusions</a></i>
(2008). Hosler’s biggest concern is that “the process [for creating graphic
textbooks] is labor intensive and very messy/ugly.” (Hosler, 2012) For Mark
Schultz, who is not a geneticist, writing <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Stuff-Life-Graphic-Genetics/dp/0809089467/ref=tmm_hrd_title_0?ie=UTF8&qid=1348746455&sr=1-1" target="_blank">TheStuff of Life: A Graphic Guide to Genetics and DNA</a></i> (2009) took “forever” to
research, and, if asked, would never attempt another project like it again. (Schultz, 2011) Graphic textbooks are time-consuming to create, and
aside from Hosler and <a href="http://www.larrygonick.com/" target="_blank">Larry Gonick</a> (who has an MA in mathematics from Harvard)
there are very few scholars who can both write and illustrate them. So, what is
the best way for going about writing graphic eTextbooks for undergraduate
students, and getting them published faster? (Here again, understanding that
since all undergraduate textbooks will be digital within five years, I am only
concerned with graphic eTextbooks)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjyRqEE_Gy3LzgTCMHO_VJKO4xddw_NFLrTX5vwvrbpTUKDQxqywqh7Q9TzRegodJLUNtk1ZdEhXvdwZ8b4jd9b0VM1GHWUASS3p3j-tXsjcdlqrBmQBv8ZgV72ALx8WgNo7gGKYpQ9kY/s1600/Evolution+-+The+Story+of+Life+on+Earth.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjyRqEE_Gy3LzgTCMHO_VJKO4xddw_NFLrTX5vwvrbpTUKDQxqywqh7Q9TzRegodJLUNtk1ZdEhXvdwZ8b4jd9b0VM1GHWUASS3p3j-tXsjcdlqrBmQBv8ZgV72ALx8WgNo7gGKYpQ9kY/s1600/Evolution+-+The+Story+of+Life+on+Earth.jpg" /></a><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>One solution to the time-crunch
problem Hosler took with <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Evolution-The-Story-Life-Earth/dp/0809094762/ref=tmm_hrd_title_0" target="_blank">Evolution: TheStory of Life on Earth</a></i> (2011). In that book, Hosler paired with the art
team of Kevin Cannon, and Zander Cannon. The writing for <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Evolution</i> took Hosler a year; however, <span style="background-color: #ffe599; color: purple;">the artwork was begun in
parallel <span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">– </span>while he was still writing it.</span> The total amount of time it took for <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Evolution</i> to go from inception to
publication was approximately two years. This method shortened the production
time tremendously, but, here again, there are not that many scholars who
understand the sequential art medium to the extent that they can write a lucid,
readable, and, yes, <em><span style="background-color: #ffe599; color: purple;">entertaining</span></em> graphic eTextbook. So, what is another
solution to this problem?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span><br />
<br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">What About the Alphabet
Soup?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_v6K4Ib_gdsjp7kaPTxQ-j3sd4s0HUN71pG2m2A9YZG33jZNvGN8KveWmezrjaOceeaACN2jLD21ZNjoLgmEA8EbLw2KxmmD6rCrFHYUfaL-VJNTIRkpy_llCvPyCF4WC0zDQg365ExI/s1600/Brieferhistoryoftime-cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_v6K4Ib_gdsjp7kaPTxQ-j3sd4s0HUN71pG2m2A9YZG33jZNvGN8KveWmezrjaOceeaACN2jLD21ZNjoLgmEA8EbLw2KxmmD6rCrFHYUfaL-VJNTIRkpy_llCvPyCF4WC0zDQg365ExI/s1600/Brieferhistoryoftime-cover.jpg" /></a><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>In my opinion, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Stuff of Life</i> was a misappropriation of Schultz’s time and talent. Whatever
monetary compensation Schultz received from that book probably did not make up
for what he could have earned doing other projects. There are better ways to utilize
the talents of graphic narrative writers in order to create well-researched
graphic eTextbooks that can be used in introductory college classes. <span style="background-color: #ffe599; color: purple;">The best
way, I believe, is to pair a graphic narrative writer with an expert on the
subject</span>. Note that I said “expert,” and not “professor.” Sometimes the alphabet
soup after a person’s name does not matter when it comes to <em><span style="color: purple;">knowledge of a
subject</span></em>, and <em><span style="color: purple;">lived experience</span></em>. For example, there is a dynamic local high
school history teacher who has been teaching for thirty-six years. For creating
graphic eTextbooks, ones that are intended to mimic the classroom experience, I
would much rather ask a learned expert in the field to help write and design the book
rather than someone with a newly-printed Ph.D. Pairing an expert (who can do
the initial research and writing) with a graphic narrative writer (who can adapt
the text for the artist/s) utilizes the time and talents of the creators more
efficiently. Essentially, for the graphic narrative writer, this is no different
from adapting a classic novel. This is what I was discussing in Blog 3 when I
wrote, “one has to wonder why certain books, such as <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Briefer-History-Time-Stephen-Hawking/dp/0553385461/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1348755283&sr=1-1&keywords=a+briefer+history+of+time+by+stephen+hawking#_" target="_blank">A Brief(er) History of Time</a></i> (1998, 2008) by Stephen William Hawking
(1942–), has not <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><u>yet</u></i> been
adapted into a graphic textbook.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>In terms of academic rigor, <span style="color: purple;"><span style="background-color: #ffe599;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><u>ALL</u></i></b>
graphic eTextbooks that are intended for undergraduate students <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><u>must</u></i></b>
be peer reviewed by at least two reviewers</span></span> selected by the editor. The identity
of the peer reviewers must not be revealed to the expert (subject author), and
all notes/corrections must be sent through the editor. The review and
correction process must be completed prior to the graphic narrative writer ever receiving
the manuscript. There is a prejudice towards the graphic narrative art form, a
snobbery if you will, that, unfortunately, persists. Because of this, the <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><u><span style="background-color: yellow;">credibility</span></u></i></b>
of the text <em>must <u>never</u> be an issue</em>. Granted, errors may occur, especially when
new research and information comes to light, but the wonderful thing about digital textbooks
is that they can be easily updated. Only by insuring academic credibility can
graphic eTextbooks be accepted for undergraduate study.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span><br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Topics for Discussion<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">1)
What existing books, like <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">A Brief(er)
History of Time,</i> would you like to see adapted into a graphic eTextbook?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">2)
What subjects do you feel would adapt best to this medium? Which ones would not?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span><br />
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Next Blog:</span></i></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"> Designing
Graphic eTextbooks, Part 2: Developing the Visuals<o:p></o:p></span></b>bmkane112http://www.blogger.com/profile/10352439174601808723noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3214348289688014097.post-77747671331220263992012-09-25T09:04:00.002-07:002013-04-22T09:42:45.815-07:00<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><strong><span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia","serif";">Blog 7: </span></strong><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia","serif";">Reading
Sequential Art as a <o:p></o:p></span></b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia","serif";">Higher-Order Problem Solving
Skill, <o:p></o:p></span></b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia","serif";">Part 2: Context<o:p></o:p></span></b></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"> </span></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"></span></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Kunst gibt nicht das Sichtbare wieder, sondern macht
sichtbar.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">(Art does not reproduce the visible; rather, it makes
visible.)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">—Paul Klee, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Schöpferische
Konfession</i> (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Creative Credo</i>), 1920<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Special
Note:</i> The panel I am using for this blog is from <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Feynman</i> (2011) by Jim Ottaviani, Leland Myrick, and Hilary
Sycamore.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1pBdcKKDd4sg9sDremLh2gFY4wmNcozlhUwa_y4OKC5JAWjcqUvGTekhKXub9VLUkg6apmRAATYa_v4oZ_TD_VAN6ZoJD2Fz33Nhl1hiW5S8NquJdsbC4pjgccfVnEdzt-yyw7Vz8wtE/s1600/Feynman+001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="295" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1pBdcKKDd4sg9sDremLh2gFY4wmNcozlhUwa_y4OKC5JAWjcqUvGTekhKXub9VLUkg6apmRAATYa_v4oZ_TD_VAN6ZoJD2Fz33Nhl1hiW5S8NquJdsbC4pjgccfVnEdzt-yyw7Vz8wtE/s320/Feynman+001.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Artists are <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="background-color: #ffe599; color: purple;">interpreters</span></i>
of what they see or imagine. Even photorealism is an interpretation of a subjective
reality based on the eye of the observer (and the talent of the artist). But
what the eye can see also has physical limitations. For example, no one can see
ultra-violet light, so there are no visual representations of it (although I’m
sure someone will figure out a way to bamboozle the public into believing they
have done it, and make a small fortune in the process). Yet most artistic
limitations are not based on universal physics, but rather personal aesthetics.
Artists, like everyone else, edit reality by enhancing what is important, and
deemphasizing (or eliminating) the unimportant—it is how our brains work.
(Zeki, 2005, 100) For sequential artists this happens all the time because the
illustration is in service to the narrative; however, much of the information and/or
details in that narrative must be conveyed visually in order to create meaning.
There is a whole lot more to sequential art than just “talking heads.” So what
does the brain “see” when it “sees” a page or panel of sequential art, and how
does it derive meaning from this literate art form?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"> </span></o:p></span><br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Gestalt Psychology<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9ER76DC6Ez7Jt_E4lQtMp7O1l5O44Fz6sapbYs7ofyT84e8RBbpAgZxZqLufFtvOqdupQnEhnSZA-s7XtbkaDzSXkH5seF8CHDm-5rdfqNWN09r9lUZuqbumsy55QzhS_aKr1C5O2Xvg/s1600/Feynman+004.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="295" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9ER76DC6Ez7Jt_E4lQtMp7O1l5O44Fz6sapbYs7ofyT84e8RBbpAgZxZqLufFtvOqdupQnEhnSZA-s7XtbkaDzSXkH5seF8CHDm-5rdfqNWN09r9lUZuqbumsy55QzhS_aKr1C5O2Xvg/s320/Feynman+004.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>In <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Understanding Comics</i>, Scott McCloud describes <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Closure</i> as “observing the parts, but perceiving the whole.”
(McCloud, 1993, 30) This is a sideways interpretation of Gestalt psychology’s <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Law of Closure</i>, in which Kurt Koffka
states: “It has been said: The whole is more than the sum of its parts. It is
more correct to say that the whole is something else than the sum of its parts,
because summing up is a meaningless procedure, whereas the whole-part
relationship is meaningful.” (Koffka, 1935, 176) Koffka begins by referencing Aristotle’s
oft-<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">MIS</i>quoted quote, which many of
you may have heard as: “The whole is <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">greater</i>
than the sum of its parts.” In actuality, what Aristotle was saying about <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Unity</i> was that things “have several
parts [in] which the totality is not, as it were, a mere heap, but the whole is
something besides the parts.’” (<a href="http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/aristotle-metaphysics/" target="_blank">Metaphysica, 1045a8–10. See Aristotle’s Metaphysics,13. Unity Reconsidered on the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy website</a>). <span style="color: purple;"><span style="background-color: #ffe599;">What both Aristotle and Koffka are
saying is that when we see only part of something (as in single comic panels for
example), there are more complex and dynamic relationships going on in the
brain—more meaning-making occurring—than simply filling in the blanks.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixbXyZFcbDzMPRDgSa9kfE5zb9BNWyY8g6bfaktpJixZcdP3GKrNiVYTWrz2dXBXTJ1Ek52OTibu8LmYlQrCU9rdSiEgLvLzmcIcczaxuKbGjWquzUVfzM2qnkJ-Sne7EDmsniXaah8NQ/s1600/Feynman+003.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="295" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixbXyZFcbDzMPRDgSa9kfE5zb9BNWyY8g6bfaktpJixZcdP3GKrNiVYTWrz2dXBXTJ1Ek52OTibu8LmYlQrCU9rdSiEgLvLzmcIcczaxuKbGjWquzUVfzM2qnkJ-Sne7EDmsniXaah8NQ/s320/Feynman+003.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The Law of Closure works in another
way for sequential art. When drawing a circle, for example, it is better to
make the form with a broken line as opposed to a solid one. <span style="color: purple;">With a broken line
the brain becomes more interested in the representation, more engaged with the
drawing, since it has to actively complete the form. <span style="background-color: #ffe599;">A broken line adds energy
to a drawing</span></span>, whether the illustration is as incredibly intricate as a work by
<a href="http://www.bpib.com/illustrat/coll.htm" target="_blank">Joseph Clement Coll</a></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">(1881–1921),
or as beautifully simplified to its vital essence as rendered by <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Schulz" target="_blank">Charles Schulz</a> (1922-2000). Within
Gestalt psychology there are other “Laws” that have meaning to creators of
graphic narratives, and artists in general. Among these are the Law of
Continuity, the Law of Similarity, the Law of Proximity, and the Law of
Symmetry. Gestalt psychology is all about perception and organization, and if
you examine these “Laws” you will find corresponding lessons being taught in
any foundational design class.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"> </span></o:p></span><br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Cognitive Psychology and
Dual Coding Theory<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH0xDFjDTs8VIcP78zFf4Pq_5QGZdm3HXx6kohpSBlpbMotBBBospyvJ73piD19kp9WQPkV7IV9UAP_pRLft9-1nNIxfVraS_2B3YCIiFaPWnwrZTjRgnIpZxIVQBaCqb5kPdTQAxHLtw/s1600/Feynman+006.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="295" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH0xDFjDTs8VIcP78zFf4Pq_5QGZdm3HXx6kohpSBlpbMotBBBospyvJ73piD19kp9WQPkV7IV9UAP_pRLft9-1nNIxfVraS_2B3YCIiFaPWnwrZTjRgnIpZxIVQBaCqb5kPdTQAxHLtw/s320/Feynman+006.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Cognitive psychology focusses on how
the brain acquires, processes, and stores information. Perception is a huge
component of cognitive psychology, which is an equally huge component of
sequential art. How we see what we see, and derive meaning from images, has as
much to do with enculturation as it does with physiology. We are a long way
from knowing how much of our aesthetic sensibilities are culturally-based and
how much of it is how our brain is wired (and we may never know); however, what
we do know from the study of cognitive psychology is how we can remember
better, make accurate decisions faster, and become better learners. Some of the
areas of research in cognitive psychology include form perception, pattern
recognition, language acquisition, problem solving, and dual coding theory.
Remember when I wrote in Blog #2 that we need to ask questions that help make
this independent art form grow and evolve? Well, this is a good place to begin. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="background-color: #ffe599; color: purple;">Dual
Coding Theory (DCT)</span></i> was conceived by <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allan_Paivio" target="_blank">Allan Urho Paivio</a> (1925–), a professor
of psychology at the University of Western Ontario. The two major components of
DCT are logogens (verbal system units/words) and imagens (non-verbal system
units/pictures). In DCT, meaning is derived from the relationship between these
two components. Can you say, “Sequential Art?” Not surprisingly, in a 2009
article by Alan G. Gross regarding DCT’s verbal-visual interaction, the author
used a page from Eisner’s <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Comics and
Sequential Art</i> to illustrate this theory. (Gross, 154) Curiously, Paivio’s <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Mental Representations: A Dual Coding
Approach</i> (1986), which details DCT was published a year <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: purple;">after</span></i> <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Comics and Sequential Art</i>. Not that Paivio or Eisner ever met, but it
is fascinating that their two interrelated/interwoven/interlocking theories
appeared in the arts and psychology at the same time (What was in the water
back then?).</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span> </div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEillHOxIzc-hZmg5uV9_yaQKP9_m31W6-apNRmOTo-CjjB-cafR94uKQyHGBBmB-136A7s0DhfdJaTcVCQU3EaXl9IUNqJ7UUYprhmdgWYx6oj9XjPCpb4kHL7-dLNM13fMycw8Q9g2iEE/s1600/Feynman+005.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="295" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEillHOxIzc-hZmg5uV9_yaQKP9_m31W6-apNRmOTo-CjjB-cafR94uKQyHGBBmB-136A7s0DhfdJaTcVCQU3EaXl9IUNqJ7UUYprhmdgWYx6oj9XjPCpb4kHL7-dLNM13fMycw8Q9g2iEE/s320/Feynman+005.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>There are two types of “Codes” in
DCT: <span style="color: purple;"><em>Analogue Codes</em></span> and <span style="color: purple;"><em>Symbolic Codes</em></span>. Analogue Codes refer to images in our
minds based on what see, or have seen, in the real world. Symbolic Codes are those
things, such as writing, or icons, that represent a concept or idea. Symbolic
Codes are divided into verbal and non-verbal subsystems, which are then divided
into visual, auditory, and/or haptic sensorimotor subsystems. (Paivio, 1986,
54) McCloud covers Symbolic Codes in depth in <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Understanding Comics</i> when he writes about “Icons.” (McCloud, 1993,
24-59) For graphic eTextbook creators, having a working knowledge of cognitive
psychology, especially DCT, would be a plus.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"> </span></o:p></span><br />
<br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Neuroscience<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS2I8JPfmb6mP0uKk4Z6TaodRSngNJnfmNz2jmFKA07XhOSCt8hIbPRVgwHiXzLfgpH85Pj457y-nIzieLa7mMptzkXO2jTjVmFkkX_U74ohTOG0MtTT3Ebz9p1WTwO9SFlrbjIbPPKkk/s1600/Feynman+002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="294" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS2I8JPfmb6mP0uKk4Z6TaodRSngNJnfmNz2jmFKA07XhOSCt8hIbPRVgwHiXzLfgpH85Pj457y-nIzieLa7mMptzkXO2jTjVmFkkX_U74ohTOG0MtTT3Ebz9p1WTwO9SFlrbjIbPPKkk/s320/Feynman+002.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Visual artists are, in a sense, neurobiologists
of vision, studying the potential and capacity of the visual brain with
techniques that are unique to them.” (Zeki, 2002, 918) How does the brain
process art? <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Inner Vision: An Exploration
of Art and the Brain</i> (1999) by Semir Zeki, professor of <em><span style="color: purple;">neuroesthetics</span></em> (his
term) at University College London lays some interesting groundwork into
understanding how art works. Currently, neurobiologists know more about how the
brain responds to color, motion, and depth systems than they do about form
systems, but that is quickly changing with strides in computational
neuroscience’s understanding of neural networks. However, there is a small area of
Zeki’s neuroaesthetics that I want to briefly discuss.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGOZvJ2wxHL4N6_fYDema3AIBLMzkyyBCuFVhd0HrHqtBXVgFzfed9uTXrUZ2ri_ljLU3dpxwd6xToegKaG7iCWM8cVwp5IyM63_r2Q2yofkseTBFh1qqtAFshBELzdZr_vCXckw3MChQ/s1600/Feynman+008.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="145" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGOZvJ2wxHL4N6_fYDema3AIBLMzkyyBCuFVhd0HrHqtBXVgFzfed9uTXrUZ2ri_ljLU3dpxwd6xToegKaG7iCWM8cVwp5IyM63_r2Q2yofkseTBFh1qqtAFshBELzdZr_vCXckw3MChQ/s320/Feynman+008.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>It should be no surprise that
different areas of the brain are functionally specialized. Some areas process visuals,
such as motion, color, form and faces, while others process information from
the other four senses. <span style="color: purple;">Yet even cells are specialized. There are, for example,
<span style="background-color: #ffe599;">orientation-selective cells</span>, “which respond selectively to straight lines and
are widely thought to be the ‘building blocks’ of form perception.”</span> (Zeki,
2005, 99) According to Zeki, this is why artists such as <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piet_Mondrian" target="_blank">Piet Mondrian</a> (1872–1944)
began experimenting with line and non-figurative art. Mondrian believed that
there was a configuration made up of lines, squares, and rectangles that was <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">serene</i>, or “free of tension.” (Zeki,
1999, 123) What neuroaesthetics is discovering now is that this “plurality of
straight lines” is “admirably suited to stimulate cells in the visual cortex.”
(Zeki, 1999, 124) <span style="color: purple;"><span style="background-color: #ffe599;">With that in “mind,” I wonder how much the panel
“grid” of the sequential art page plays a part in preparing the brain to
receive information?</span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"> </span></o:p></span><br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Putting it All Together<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>So, how does the brain process
information from a graphic narrative? While we see whole pages of art we do not
read whole pages of art—we read panels. Panels are the “building blocks” of
sequential narratives, and, as we migrate to digital platforms with smaller and
smaller screens, I believe the medium will need to focus less on traditional page
design and more on screen/panel design (more on that in Blog #9). Here is what
I believe is happening when the brain interprets a panel of sequential art, and
tries to derive meaning from it. Understand that the idea of the brain being wholly
right or left is very simplistic, but it sells a lot of mass-market books. The
brain is much more complex than that, and information readily passes back-and-forth
between the two hemispheres. Yet for all that complexity, <span style="background-color: #ffe599; color: purple;">the process of
reading graphic narratives is <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">deceptively
simple</i>, which is why, I believe, they get such short shrift</span>. The first
example below is “basically” how the brain “sees” a panel of art.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span> </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMWacFPpeFijik8tVNbaiWdvMCG1CX_HVM2KBjG_nphfmb41FXQTW9C3j8bmEP0-PwsGeT1fNJ_NlMgvnkoGSC1KvNU6CqaYMwnJkcEs6S58IbtnnSs3JcjgxfQXoMcF0avNiuo4q_CLU/s1600/Dissertation+presentation+Slide+15+b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMWacFPpeFijik8tVNbaiWdvMCG1CX_HVM2KBjG_nphfmb41FXQTW9C3j8bmEP0-PwsGeT1fNJ_NlMgvnkoGSC1KvNU6CqaYMwnJkcEs6S58IbtnnSs3JcjgxfQXoMcF0avNiuo4q_CLU/s320/Dissertation+presentation+Slide+15+b.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<br />
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The second panel below is what
happens when the brain <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="background-color: #ffe599; color: purple;">disassembles</span></i>
(my term) a panel, and tries to decipher it, and derive meaning from it<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">. <span style="background-color: #ffe599;">Remembering that the brain is <span style="color: red;">not</span> <span style="color: red;">modularized</span>, but <span style="color: blue;">highly
complex and interconnected</span> (language is in multiple areas for example), here is
a simplified visual to help describe what is happening in lay terms.</span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">Who
</span>are the individuals in the panel? How do they relate to one another? How do
they exist within their space? What does the text say? Does the text match the
facial expression and/or body language of the speaker, or is there some sort of
subtext being conveyed? Does color have meaning? There are thousands of
questions just like these being asked in the time it takes to “read” the panel
before going on to the next one, but there is still more to it than that. <span style="background-color: #ffe599; color: purple;">When
the brain is engaged in “reading” a graphic narrative it comes to a panel,
disassembles it, analyzes it for content, reassembles it, places the panel’s
narrative (both verbal and non-verbal) in context with every panel that has
come before it, draws conclusions as to the information’s place in the ongoing
narrative, and then moves on to the next panel where the process begins again—all
in the space of a few seconds.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"></span><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"></span> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>There are many more elements at work
in this whole-part dynamic relationship of graphic narratives, Horatio, than
are dreamt of in your philosophy.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span> </div>
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<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV0Las0G-buMQM6aP2GiRDNiX2w1vECO1uHy3eHPu2UYrNK_uzN2Bc0VN6H0asBTDFDGAS9yAn3SNmXOdyzZA275FLFmJD44zSJxeYCI5rZFKY3qHfPS4QMAAtEIXuLuAhGPhEqsWKEnc/s1600/Dissertation+presentation+Slide+15+c+flat.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV0Las0G-buMQM6aP2GiRDNiX2w1vECO1uHy3eHPu2UYrNK_uzN2Bc0VN6H0asBTDFDGAS9yAn3SNmXOdyzZA275FLFmJD44zSJxeYCI5rZFKY3qHfPS4QMAAtEIXuLuAhGPhEqsWKEnc/s320/Dissertation+presentation+Slide+15+c+flat.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"> </span></o:p></span><br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Topics for Discussion<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">1)
What other areas of philosophy, psychology, or neuroscience are missing from
this discussion?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">2)
How do we go about testing how the brain actually receives information from
graphic narratives?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Next Blog</span></i></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">: Designing Graphic
eTextbooks, Part 1: Developing the Narratives<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
bmkane112http://www.blogger.com/profile/10352439174601808723noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3214348289688014097.post-83434495578720123842012-09-20T09:04:00.002-07:002012-10-18T16:09:14.962-07:00<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia","serif";"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span></span></span></o:p><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"></span></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="font-size: large;"><strong><span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia","serif";">Blog 6: </span></strong><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia","serif";">Reading
Sequential Art as a <o:p></o:p></span></b></span></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia","serif";">Higher-Order Problem Solving
Skill, <o:p></o:p></span></b></span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><div align="center">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia","serif";">Part 1: Content<o:p></o:p></span></b></span></div>
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Graphic textbooks' main goal is to pass on information. In <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Part 1: Content</i>, we will explore how
graphic narratives communicate those skills in a story, and in out next blog, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Part 2: Context</i>, we will examine how
the human brain interprets sequential art.</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span> </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtl5hX1ikw7Dw3wOkpQ9D44ROr1x_RGLz1dON-KZwTEVSPxvnDjCJTPmnmkEbEBPqbcq_7QfCGLKvDM67R1mkG2GJtD89gWzgTG5vr0hPTGfRXvzRQlVngntmsUlajkqVyOBigr9mrEOE/s1600/Joseph_Campbell.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="276" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtl5hX1ikw7Dw3wOkpQ9D44ROr1x_RGLz1dON-KZwTEVSPxvnDjCJTPmnmkEbEBPqbcq_7QfCGLKvDM67R1mkG2GJtD89gWzgTG5vr0hPTGfRXvzRQlVngntmsUlajkqVyOBigr9mrEOE/s320/Joseph_Campbell.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="background-color: #ffe599; color: purple;">Attitudinal instruction comics are all about slaying dragons</span>. The
hero (reader) is faced with a challenge (problem), and embarks on a quest to
find the solution (answer). Along the way the hero is joined by a mentor and
maybe a few friends (Chorus) who help him on his quest. Attitudinal
instructional comics are what <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_campbell" target="_blank">Joseph Campbell</a> (1904–1987) refers to as <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Thousand-Faces-Collected-Joseph-Campbell/dp/1577315936/ref=sr_1_1_title_0_main?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1348142214&sr=1-1&keywords=the+hero+with+a+thousand+faces" target="_blank"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">monomyths</i>, or, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">the hero’s journey</i></a> (that is why there was a picture of Obi-Wan
Kenobe and Luke Skywalker at the end of Blog #5). </span><br />
</div>
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<br /></div>
</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCBxZiBfvGeierzHxDwq1HlZa5HJiKaj9VuEzf1VlEWLbPL9GKkY1ndZz31Ay64Z5HOivJA5J_mF-THN7P6U2xuz672myx4eGeUYlMVVAFp6__j6AhzRB7w9WenNb2EVYrgZ2rTNeWMLA/s1600/Bone_Issue_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCBxZiBfvGeierzHxDwq1HlZa5HJiKaj9VuEzf1VlEWLbPL9GKkY1ndZz31Ay64Z5HOivJA5J_mF-THN7P6U2xuz672myx4eGeUYlMVVAFp6__j6AhzRB7w9WenNb2EVYrgZ2rTNeWMLA/s1600/Bone_Issue_1.jpg" /></a><span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Sometimes the reader is given a <span style="color: purple;">doppelgänger</span>; someone to relate to
in the story. In theater this is referred to as <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: purple;">transpositionality</span></i>. (Chew and Stead, 1999) The doppelgänger is
created in order to evoke a sympathetic bond with the reader. When all we had
was oral tradition, or radio dramas like <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Shadow" target="_blank">The Shadow</a></i>, the relationship between the hero and the listener was entirely in
the listener’s imagination. With comics; however, the physicality of the hero is
concretized to whatever degree of abstraction the illustrator(s) decides is
best in order to tell the story.<span style="background-color: white;"> <span style="color: purple;"><span style="background-color: #ffe599;">The less detailed a doppelgänger is; the more
iconic it is, the more universally relatable it is</span><span style="color: black;">.</span></span></span> The concept is referred to
as <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: purple;">Amplification Through Simplification</span></i>,
and it was explained in great detail by Scott McCloud in his seminal work, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Understanding-Comics-Invisible-Scott-McCloud/dp/006097625X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1348141603&sr=1-1&keywords=Understanding+Comics%3A+The+Invisible+Art" target="_blank"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Understanding Comics: The Invisible Art</i>.</a>
(McCloud, 1993, 30) A great example of the use of this concept in comics is
Jeff Smith’s extremely popular series, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><a href="http://www.boneville.com/" target="_blank">Bone</a></i>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"> </span></o:p></span><br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Problem Based Learning<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtS9rkfQz0gp1lKE75n0GJzTTEG8VjsUbWrC8pvbrbYndiacASbMadLOxlmXD8vIWDKrUSzSpKvizWSuMEVy_3UmST-gKPES31jLhTL0MqsdzIca70kWm3vcpz1dU7G113ljt6q0CCieY/s1600/Barrows.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtS9rkfQz0gp1lKE75n0GJzTTEG8VjsUbWrC8pvbrbYndiacASbMadLOxlmXD8vIWDKrUSzSpKvizWSuMEVy_3UmST-gKPES31jLhTL0MqsdzIca70kWm3vcpz1dU7G113ljt6q0CCieY/s320/Barrows.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Problem Based Learning (PBL) was developed by </span><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Howard_Barrows" target="_blank">Howard S. Barrows</a> (1928–2011)
in the late 1960s. PBL is “an instructional (and curricular) learner-centered
approach that empowers learners to conduct research, integrate theory and
practice, and apply knowledge and skills to develop a viable solution to a
defined problem’” (Savery, 2006, p. 12). <span style="color: purple;">Simply put, PBL is a form of
scaffolding tool (Blog #5) in which the teacher (called a tutor in PBL) facilitates/guides
the students through a series of complex problem-solving tasks and
self-reflection</span>. PBL is a powerful instructional approach, and has become the
model for education at several institutions such as the <a href="http://www.udel.edu/inst/" target="_blank">University of Delaware</a>.
</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Queen Mary University in London uses PBL in
their <a href="http://www.sems.qmul.ac.uk/pbl/" target="_blank">School of Engineering and Materials Science</a>, and employs<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> planned problem scenarios </i>in their curriculum.
Although they are acted out, planned problem scenarios, if they were
illustrated, would be graphic narratives. How PBL varies from graphic textbooks
is that PBL is, primarily, group-based learning. While the Chorus can
substitute for that to a degree, <span style="background-color: #ffe599; color: purple;">when utilized as part of a classroom setting
where a real teacher/tutor is present, graphic textbooks become an even more
powerful educational tool.</span> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>So how can we incorporate problem-solving strategies into
graphic textbooks? Well, that all depends on the skill of writer, doesn’t it? Though
there is no one-size-fits-all answer to that question, here are some
problem-solving strategies to consider when developing graphic textbooks.
Remember, with graphic textbooks, and especially graphic eTextbooks, the
students can go outside of the narrative (suspend the narrative) to find the
answers they are seeking in either the real or digital world. The following
list is by no means exhaustive, and is simply meant to help you get an idea of
the kinds of strategies that can be woven into a graphic textbook narrative.
For a more comprehensive list, click on this link and look at <a href="http://www.une.edu.au/bcss/psychology/john-malouff/problem-solving.php" target="_blank">Over Fifty Problem Solving Strategies Explained </a>by John Malouff, Ph.D., J.D., found on the University on New
England’s website.</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span> </div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Abstraction<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Analogy<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Divide and conquer<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Draw a picture or graph<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Hypothesis testing<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Lateral thinking<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Look for patterns<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Proof<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Reduction<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Root cause analysis<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span><br />
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>After
looking at these strategies scroll down to the end of Blog #6 to read two pages
from the graphic textbook, <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Optical-Allusions-Jay-Hosler/dp/0967725526/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1348149848&sr=1-1&keywords=Optical+Allusions" target="_blank">Optical Allusions</a></i>, and try to see what kinds
of problem-solving strategies are used in the text. <span style="color: purple;">Click on the pages to make them larger!</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"></span> </div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Do Graphic Textbooks for
Undergraduates Really Work?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Is There Any <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Quantitative</i> Data?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Yes! (to both)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOKMbY41BkBQf6yW_Zo_mHZfcqhmb-MWkzza5o2nVISdB_lW_UmsLq00QGFdCw3t7PUDhDxAw7Az81Tw7puKQtzj1DppOtvlY2pCMnjFZPh5wGj1fP9pUzbfmoR9GllaH_e94NGfbgeJw/s1600/Optical+Allusions.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOKMbY41BkBQf6yW_Zo_mHZfcqhmb-MWkzza5o2nVISdB_lW_UmsLq00QGFdCw3t7PUDhDxAw7Az81Tw7puKQtzj1DppOtvlY2pCMnjFZPh5wGj1fP9pUzbfmoR9GllaH_e94NGfbgeJw/s1600/Optical+Allusions.jpg" /></a><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Are Comic Books an Effective Way to
Engage Nonmajors in Learning and Appreciating Science?” by <a href="http://www.jayhosler.com/" target="_blank">Jay Hosler</a> and K. B.
Boomer is the first hard proof that graphic textbooks have a positive impact on learning
at the college level. (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">CBE—Life Sciences
Education</i>, Vol. 10, 309–317, Fall 2011) The study used Hosler’s <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Optical-Allusions-Jay-Hosler/dp/0967725526/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1348149848&sr=1-1&keywords=Optical+Allusions" target="_blank">Optical Allusions</a></i> to measure student’s
attitudes about biology, comic books, and content knowledge. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Optical Allusions</i> was written and
illustrated by Hosler, and supported by a grant from the National Science
Foundation (NSF). (Hosler, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Juniata Voices</i>,
44) <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Hosler and Boomer’s quantitative results
were based on pre- and post-instruction testing across four classes. According
to Hosler:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">“I used it in Sensory
Biology, which is traditionally a non-majors class composed primarily of
freshmen and sophomores. This, of course, was the class for which the book was
designed. I also tested it in Evolution (a 300-level course), which is usually
a mix of sophomores and juniors, and in Neurobiology (a 400-level course),
which is populated by second-semester seniors. The control was Biology 2, a
200-level course and the second course students take in the Biology sequence.
The students in the control group did not read <em>Optical Allusions</em> but were
exposed to the same concepts during the semester.” (Hosler, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Juniata Voices</i>, 45)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The survey revealed:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">1<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>A significant
improvement was observed in the median content knowledge scores for all groups</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span> </div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">2<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Attitude scores towards
biology showed a significant improvement overall, but <span style="background-color: #ffe599; color: purple;">Sensory Biology, the
course comprised of mainly non-majors, showed a significant increase in student
opinion towards biology</span>. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Additionally, in
Organic Evolution, students with pre-instruction content knowledge who scored
at or below the class median had a marginally significant higher increase in their
attitude toward biology, which suggests that the text may help engage those who
initially know less content.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span> </div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">3<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="background-color: #ffe599; color: purple;">Students who
reported an increase in attitude toward comics tended, on average, to show an
increase in attitude toward biology</span>.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span> </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWlfHm2CmFN9lVqJTy9a63oqJwBjFfO-w6BigmuFuozliHOcPXoHZgPhxppi26RfaVGAWVDQ7K8WBOxkVEhXqcnGrdyC1P8761OQMYUQ9snG6UK6HBf91J9pBdX0Et2sbsyQnS3aXcW6M/s1600/Graph.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="282" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWlfHm2CmFN9lVqJTy9a63oqJwBjFfO-w6BigmuFuozliHOcPXoHZgPhxppi26RfaVGAWVDQ7K8WBOxkVEhXqcnGrdyC1P8761OQMYUQ9snG6UK6HBf91J9pBdX0Et2sbsyQnS3aXcW6M/s320/Graph.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>As
with the EduComics study in Blog #5, Hosler and Boomer conclude that “we must assess
whether these results suggest comics in general can be an effective pedagogical
tool in the classroom or do they apply only to the book discussed here? Given
the general appeal of comics, images, and stories, it seems likely we are
talking about comics in general, but testing this with other comics will be an
essential next step.” (Hosler & Boomer, 2011, 316)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Topics for
Discussion<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">1) How do we initiate further testing?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span> </div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">2) What is standing in the way of graphic
textbooks being used for undergraduate study?</span><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span><br />
<br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">NEXT
BLOG:</span></i></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> Reading Sequential Art as a Higher-Order
Problem Solving Skill, Part 2: Context<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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bmkane112http://www.blogger.com/profile/10352439174601808723noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3214348289688014097.post-38405224899589485592012-09-18T07:51:00.001-07:002012-10-18T16:10:28.940-07:00<strong><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: large;"></span></strong><br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Blog 5: Immersive Graphic eTextbooks as the </span></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Ultimate Scaffolding Tool</span></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">What is Immersive Reading?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5z0JMTHCRl6m2hkkDElZeKkGH5qlHL7zUd_xriCd-vnyC4kCHzh_rOvwax7pU3pyNYR8ljEiN3pmfRYkPELjc0tnve-hNPGsf-HV18mzg0kTa-zdVZB8qTBj1RNwdH7ZabYcUiKfyKOM/s1600/tactor-gamepad.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="199" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5z0JMTHCRl6m2hkkDElZeKkGH5qlHL7zUd_xriCd-vnyC4kCHzh_rOvwax7pU3pyNYR8ljEiN3pmfRYkPELjc0tnve-hNPGsf-HV18mzg0kTa-zdVZB8qTBj1RNwdH7ZabYcUiKfyKOM/s320/tactor-gamepad.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="background-color: #fff2cc; color: purple;">Immersive Reading</span></i>
is when the reader is involved in using several senses simultaneously to
experience a story. To be honest, eTextbooks are a long way from being truly
immersive, since (at this time) they can only actively engage two senses (sight
and sound), and minimally involve a third (touch). “Smelly” tablets and “Yummy”
pads (yuck) are really not sharable, but tactile feedback devices are in the pipeline
(<a href="http://www.gizmag.com/tactile-control-pad/21703/" target="_blank">see Prototype control pad offers generational leap in tactile feedback for games</a>). Just think how cool it would be to navigate a graphic eTextbook on your
flat screen television via a control pad or glove! Research in <a href="http://dl.acm.org/citation.cfm?id=1356273" target="_blank">Human Computer Interaction (HCI)</a> has been going on for decades, and I would not be surprised
if the first wave of affordable, wearable <a href="http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/haptic?s=t" target="_blank">haptic</a> devices is less than five
years away (<a href="http://have2012.ieee-ims.org/have2012/2012/have-2012" target="_blank">see </a></span><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://have2012.ieee-ims.org/have2012/2012/have-2012" target="_blank">Haptic-Audio-Visual Environments [HAVE] for games</a>). </span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Even with only 2½ senses involved, graphic eTextbooks can still be
considered an immersive reading experience. Besides, I’m not sure I really want
to wear a body suit that lets me feel like I’ve just been hit by the Incredible
Hulk.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"> </span></o:p></span><br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">What is a Scaffolding Tool?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjah3IosCN_tEMh9W1MHG8-HkG43ZuVqk0Jf_fGSEzX0wj_7cKmP75IwRQYpfx5vEtvQtkLfnq8jSXI_t7loaH3MaXiyZxrP6rdtWpMDMWSAXW-7f6M4hojiJ3tYIhgmOwUxzRADK-nq90/s1600/PS+V1+N6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjah3IosCN_tEMh9W1MHG8-HkG43ZuVqk0Jf_fGSEzX0wj_7cKmP75IwRQYpfx5vEtvQtkLfnq8jSXI_t7loaH3MaXiyZxrP6rdtWpMDMWSAXW-7f6M4hojiJ3tYIhgmOwUxzRADK-nq90/s1600/PS+V1+N6.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>In Blog #1 we looked at how, in addition to entertainment
comic stories, Will Eisner also wrote and illustrated both <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: purple;">technical instruction comics</span></i> and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: purple;">attitudinal instruction comics</span>.</i> Essentially, these are
straightforward illustrated instruction manuals, and sequential art dramatizations
of events. <span style="background-color: #fff2cc; color: purple;">Perhaps Eisner’s greatest contribution to attitudinal instruction
comics is The Department of the Army’s <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">P*S,
The Preventive Maintenance Monthly</i> magazine</span> (see Blog #3). I do not make that
claim casually, and I do not dismiss the educational impact of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Comics and Sequential Art</i>, but how many
injuries were prevented, or lives saved, through the efforts of the creators
who contributed to <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">P*S</i> magazine? We
will never know, yet isn’t that <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><u>lack</u></i>
of evidence an incredible validation of the power of the sequential art medium?
In the case of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">P*S</i> magazine, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“Preventative”</i> had a double meaning.
<span style="background-color: #fff2cc;">Scaffolding is a means by which a teacher (physical or illustrated) provides a
student with all the information and support they need to learn a lesson, or
perform a task. <span style="color: purple;">By that definition <em><u>all</u></em> graphic textbooks are </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: purple;">Scaffolding Tools</span>.</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglXTS5QgtJkGwayoemmhewf2HUU1Ic5pj60qrzhy8Vbl2nhvxEyY6Bab1xuJq_3_Eckb0ZUF07YOYzMiVQCcWad80p2y10RGYPCgR3UEPiBGXvL3TUJP1eHNwAcEtWuu7fFjJH223dNp4/s1600/Mag-001-P_S__Magazine-003.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="235" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglXTS5QgtJkGwayoemmhewf2HUU1Ic5pj60qrzhy8Vbl2nhvxEyY6Bab1xuJq_3_Eckb0ZUF07YOYzMiVQCcWad80p2y10RGYPCgR3UEPiBGXvL3TUJP1eHNwAcEtWuu7fFjJH223dNp4/s320/Mag-001-P_S__Magazine-003.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><em>Instructional Scaffolding</em>
is a strategy-based concept originally proposed by developmental psychologist, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lev_Vygotsky" target="_blank">Lev Semyonovich Vygotsky</a> (1896– 1934). Vygotsky’s theory was based on what he
referred to as the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zone_of_proximal_development" target="_blank">Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD)</a>. This <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Zone</i> is the difference between what students
can do on their own, and what they can accomplish with the aid of an instructor.
As tasks are accomplished knowledge is assimilated and then applied to newer,
more complex tasks. The ultimate goal is to help students develop problem-solving
strategies, so they can apply what they have learned in order to become
independent critical thinkers. Unfortunately, our society is not designed for
individualized tutoring, but teachers still find ways of integrating
scaffolding strategies into their lesson plans. However, <span style="color: purple;"><span style="background-color: #fff2cc;">the “Chorus” in graphic textbooks takes the place of the
teacher/tutor, and guides the student’s education by doing what all graphic
narratives do best—by allowing knowledge to unfold, to reveal itself at the
reader’s pace</span>.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"> </span></o:p></span><br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Behind the Curve: European Comics in the Classroom<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrIGY7eHTSFAOpi-ezaelYPGgDdQBvVneUUQNvW69voY5lxbb50N-_07lZobdsSL3PP3_sOgigNOreFkJO6sD1fZBZs_UUP4tV0sN2kJTMySmu91ldM8CyHNbWWRMzOMgH5arixqaMlms/s1600/EduComics-banner.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="51" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrIGY7eHTSFAOpi-ezaelYPGgDdQBvVneUUQNvW69voY5lxbb50N-_07lZobdsSL3PP3_sOgigNOreFkJO6sD1fZBZs_UUP4tV0sN2kJTMySmu91ldM8CyHNbWWRMzOMgH5arixqaMlms/s320/EduComics-banner.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>I don’t mind saying that the use of comics in the
classroom in the U.S. is way behind the curve when compared to what is being
done in Europe.</span><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> <a href="http://www.educomics.org/" target="_blank">EduComics</a> refers to Web Comics as a <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="background-color: #fff2cc; color: purple;">plurimedia</span></i> medium because they not only combine
text with imagery, but also include hypermedia and streaming elements as well—something
which I advocated in Blog #4. <span style="color: black;">The following is </span>from EduComics,
which began in 2008.</span> </div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">EduComics is a European
Union Comenius education project under the Life Long Learning Programme (ref
num 142424-2008-GR-COMENIUS-CMP). It will show educators how online comics can
be used in the classroom to enhance learning, engage and motivate students, and
use technology in a practical and effective way. The project will create
training material for teachers and organise seminars for teachers in Greece,
Cyprus, UK, Italy and Spain. These attending teachers will be able to apply
strategies and lesson plans in their schools.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The potential for Web
comics to be used in education offers educators a means of using multimedia
(text, images, audio and video) with their students in most curricular areas.
For example, within science, a student can navigate through a web comic book
that shows different characters/actors arguing about a science topic. In
languages, characters could be placed in a restaurant where they have to order
a meal. A web comic can also allow audio in the languages.</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span> </div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl_GqSf_2PHpIImxgkZC5XlIiW8rzWLqixeIQHR_OYKWOIFTnE0D4FYz-paXnFD_Fl5zC6SA1SKpSSGBgsTmGxtsLv4XzHB9FB0uqnkkzbXoUBnhraF-aGoq8kQ9nnNjxLlwcHp5MuJtg/s1600/Web+Comic+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="241" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl_GqSf_2PHpIImxgkZC5XlIiW8rzWLqixeIQHR_OYKWOIFTnE0D4FYz-paXnFD_Fl5zC6SA1SKpSSGBgsTmGxtsLv4XzHB9FB0uqnkkzbXoUBnhraF-aGoq8kQ9nnNjxLlwcHp5MuJtg/s320/Web+Comic+1.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">In a 2008-2009 case study at the Varvakeio Experimental High
School in Athens, Greece, students ages 12-13 performed collaborative learning
tasks around Web comics on the topic of “diet and nutrition habits” utilizing
the Modern Greek Language. (Vassilikopoulou, Retalis, Nezi, and Boloudakis, p.
119) In the study, the students developed their own web-based graphic
narratives (comics) to teach their peers Modern Greek. <span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">The study focused on the following
specific learning objectives, which are replicated here as they appeared in <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Educational Media International</i>, Vol.
48, No. 2, June 2011, 115–126:</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #292526; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: AdobePiStd;">● </span><span style="color: #292526; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">production
of multimodal texts (digital stories) in the form of Web comics meaningful for
students (situated learning), while contributing to the resolution of a real
problem (problem-based learning) corresponding to their cultural experiences;<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #292526; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: AdobePiStd;">● </span><span style="color: #292526; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">development
of skills for comic book plot design using Freytag’s specific narrative
structure: exposition (setting, characters), conflict, rising action, and
climax/turning point, followed by a falling action and resolution/denouement;<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #292526; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: AdobePiStd;">● </span><span style="color: #292526; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">familiarization
with other modes of semiotic systems other than simple text;<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #292526; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: AdobePiStd;">● </span><span style="color: #292526; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">development
of narrative skills, using various semiotic codes and learning resources;<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #292526; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: AdobePiStd;">● </span><span style="color: #292526; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">understanding
of linguistic structural elements, such as types of clauses, forms of noun
phrases, points of punctuation, and application of them in the practice of
communication via Web comics;<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #292526; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: AdobePiStd;">● </span><span style="color: #292526; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">use
of lexical cohesion and lexical affinity in the text of the Web comic and its
plot;<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #292526; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: AdobePiStd;">● </span><span style="color: #292526; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">use
of vocabulary, grammar and syntax, and paralinguistic elements of oral and written
language in the specific case of communication via Web comics.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #292526; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Also, the teacher tried via this case study to promote the
acquisition of skills, such as:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #292526; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">(1)<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>intellectual:
critical thinking, creative imagination, analysis, composition, organization,
etc.;<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #292526; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">(2) communicative-social: collaboration,
interaction, responsibility;<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #292526; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">(3) metacognitive: self-reflection,
evaluation.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif_GaNb9Yn3s4920OdptrDQdITUeajpp503YmrUvMIz3xf_VtDn3JnxUpJ8grojiRChM5-wOGA_PCHMI1jyjEw-s1FyoCG_aUdzJg5A1z76KaiUDvKQ9BmPwP8q6e49uD6xCu06co6i_k/s1600/Web+Comic+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="208" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif_GaNb9Yn3s4920OdptrDQdITUeajpp503YmrUvMIz3xf_VtDn3JnxUpJ8grojiRChM5-wOGA_PCHMI1jyjEw-s1FyoCG_aUdzJg5A1z76KaiUDvKQ9BmPwP8q6e49uD6xCu06co6i_k/s320/Web+Comic+2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="background-color: #fff2cc; color: purple;">The
study showed that </span></span><span style="color: #292526; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="background-color: #fff2cc; color: purple;">23 out of 24 students
(95.83%) preferred using digital comics in their courses, and 91.67% of them felt
that including digital comics made the course “more pleasant.”</span> “The
overwhelming majority (92%) confirmed that the creation of digital comics
helped them to better comprehend the way in which the narration of a story is
organized,” and 96% of them thought that “the scenario enriched their knowledge
of punctuation, types of clauses, and operation of noun phrases in the practice
of communication.” </span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">(Vassilikopoulou,
Retalis, Nezi, and Boloudakis, p. 119-122)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">While the researchers concluded that this form of investigation
was in its early stages, and that no firm conclusions could be drawn from a
single study, the process did, however, help the students acquire linguistic
skills, and use their cultural experiences and imaginations to create
multimodal texts. (Vassilikopoulou, Retalis, Nezi, and Boloudakis, p. 126)</span><br />
</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjclh8S21G0bW4RBv9TPJM-NNXCVktU3hvAtnOcD05iO-WLmmeEqT1vti2JAABksRV0_mkNlDUfweepcWLF3KMKhgeYdMs8igvShFPNQZ7uBpMSiIuGDMfiGZ7LuGzfk95gOalWT07k8wU/s1600/Obi-Wan_Kenobi_&_Luke_Skywalker.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjclh8S21G0bW4RBv9TPJM-NNXCVktU3hvAtnOcD05iO-WLmmeEqT1vti2JAABksRV0_mkNlDUfweepcWLF3KMKhgeYdMs8igvShFPNQZ7uBpMSiIuGDMfiGZ7LuGzfk95gOalWT07k8wU/s320/Obi-Wan_Kenobi_&_Luke_Skywalker.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Because “English as a second language and world language students
can more readily comprehend new words when they see an image of the word as
they hear it spoken” (Enright) it makes sense that the development of graphic
eTextbooks that can place these lessons in a broader, more robust context would
be the next logical step. By utilizing temporal phenomena such as embedded
videos, hyperlinks, sound, animatronics, as well as schematics such as concept
maps, topographical maps, flow charts, pie charts, bar graphs, Venn diagrams,
etc. <span style="background-color: #fff2cc;"><span style="color: purple;">graphic eTextbooks can evolve into the ultimate <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">scaffolding tool</i> because the learning is not only entertaining, but
the pace in which the lessons are taught are student-driven</span>.</span> In a perfect world there would be one Obi-Wan Kenobi for every Luke Skywalker, but we are far from that ideal. Aside from
one-on-one tutoring, <span style="background-color: #fff2cc; color: purple;">graphic eTextbooks are the closest scaffolding tool we have in our
toolbox to individualized learning</span>.</span><br />
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Topics for Discussion</span></b></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">1) What can be done to
incorporate WebComics into classroom learning (and what is standing in the way
of that happening)?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;"></span> </div>
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<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">2) How can these
strategies be integrated into graphic eTextbooks for undergraduate study?</span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span> </div>
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<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">NEXT
BLOG:</span></i></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> Reading Sequential Art as a Higher-Order
Problem Solving Skill, Part 1: Content</span></b></div>
bmkane112http://www.blogger.com/profile/10352439174601808723noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3214348289688014097.post-15587375171805301552012-09-13T07:01:00.000-07:002012-10-18T16:14:42.602-07:00<br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Blog 4: Graphic eTextbooks and the “Infinite Canvas”<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">In this blog, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">graphic
textbooks</i> is used as an all-inclusive term that includes both physical and
digital formats. However, the term <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: purple;">graphic
eTextbooks</span></i> refers exclusively to <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><u><span style="color: purple;">digital</span></u></i>
versions of these books. Since the majority of undergraduate textbooks are
moving to digital platforms within five years it is unproductive to speculate
on </span><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">designing
new paper-and-binding tomes. Therefore, the focus of my theorizing in regards
to the content of these books will primarily focus on digital</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> designs. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj27UtVle5dRxs665XIxjVskQDvBOmH8b5OFUsCzC6bW6lljX3_Zg8Hx7ltaW3zfmK_LQzwMIYmquc6Mdc5UfY0GEXGAVojMlZDqo55VSTBtUtxt1BDnJLHvEGuU0JBvs0Y8NN6OHmP6Q8/s1600/Marshall_McLuhan_holding_a_mirror.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj27UtVle5dRxs665XIxjVskQDvBOmH8b5OFUsCzC6bW6lljX3_Zg8Hx7ltaW3zfmK_LQzwMIYmquc6Mdc5UfY0GEXGAVojMlZDqo55VSTBtUtxt1BDnJLHvEGuU0JBvs0Y8NN6OHmP6Q8/s1600/Marshall_McLuhan_holding_a_mirror.jpg" /></a><span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The first comic books adapted to the web appeared <a href="http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/in+situ?s=t" target="_blank">in situ</a>. This is
what <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scott_mccloud" target="_blank">Scott McCloud</a> refers to as “a classic McLuhan-esque mistake of
appropriating the shape of the previous technology as the content of the new
technology.” (McCloud, 2009) This is a reference to Canadian educator and
communication theorist, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herbert_Marshall_McLuhan" target="_blank">Herbert Marshall McLuhan</a> (1911–1980). McLuhan predicted
the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Wide_Web" target="_blank">World Wide Web</a></i> thirty years
before its inception, and claimed that “the medium is the message.” (Levinson,
1999, pp. 35-43; McLuhan, 1967) Currently, digital representations of comic
books and graphic novels on the Internet are based on the needs of the physical
medium and not the needs of the content. Comic book publishers need to have one
foot in both “camps” for fear of losing traditional readers. <span style="background-color: #fff2cc;">The main problem
with undergraduate graphic eTextbooks lies not in the medium, but in the
academic rigor of the message.</span> What has been forgotten by most publishers of
graphic textbooks is that <span style="background-color: #fff2cc;"><em>they are <u>not</u> graphic novels</em></span>, and <em><span style="background-color: #fff2cc;">they do not share
the same objectives</span></em>. <span style="background-color: #fce5cd; color: blue;"><span style="color: purple;">Whereas graphic novels seek to entertain, graphic
textbooks primary objective is to <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><u>teach</u></i></span>.</span>
If we want to use graphic textbooks to teach undergraduate students then they
need to conform to the same review process and academic rigor as any other
undergraduate-level textbooks. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn716SinIEDvtU7fUK1hLFISRsrBWoUGDMZNNz5sPq26eWk6v1fJ2joqrURCGo9zgpwCE0R-sRNcXcx07E_mEWzx5ot2zBJIrtkyJMBobnY5k6OguWYiI4m_YmqChWG9v5HpPLKM3WjNc/s1600/Evolution.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn716SinIEDvtU7fUK1hLFISRsrBWoUGDMZNNz5sPq26eWk6v1fJ2joqrURCGo9zgpwCE0R-sRNcXcx07E_mEWzx5ot2zBJIrtkyJMBobnY5k6OguWYiI4m_YmqChWG9v5HpPLKM3WjNc/s320/Evolution.jpg" title="Evolution: The Story of Life on Earth" width="147" /></a><span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="background-color: #fff2cc;">Though still narratives, graphic textbooks are not story-driven,
per se, they are information-driven.</span> With any textbook there is a beginning
point and an ending point, and in between are chapters incrementally building
on what was established previously. What textbooks do not (normally) have are
story-arcs, character-arcs, climaxes, or dramatic dénouements. What graphic
textbooks do differently than story-driven comic books and graphic novels is
how they engage the reader. Many educational graphic textbooks contain a
narrator either in the form of disembodied caption boxes, ala a documentary
film, or as a drawn character(s) that breaks down the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_fourth_wall" target="_blank">fourth wall</a></i> to address the reader directly. For theater, the fourth
wall is the space between the stage and the audience; for graphic narratives it
is the space between the picture plane (either paper, or view screen) and the
reader. The narrator, or “Chorus,” is a dramatic vehicle dating back to Greek
theater, and has appeared in <a href="http://shakespeare.mit.edu/" target="_blank">Shakespeare</a>’s plays, television, and film. Some
authors, like McCloud, use themselves as the narrator while others, like <a href="http://www.jayhosler.com/" target="_blank">Jay Hosler</a>
in <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Evolution-Story-Earth-Jay-Hosler/dp/0809043114/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1347540936&sr=1-1&keywords=Evolution%3A+The+Story+of+Life+on+Earth" target="_blank">Evolution: The Story of Life on Earth</a>,</i>
uses multiple characters who talk to each other in order to inform the reader
(remember the term </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">attitudinal instruction
comics</span></i><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">
from Blog #1?)</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOAP3tqKjEkWBHjVtPZWWRT3l7k9JatcipLjRGia6c7e96Twtq8URGxdnR0T_V2U66j-0cLtWyxkEhQNqVg5LGzq2gKMwkyoi2dp7MnhxjZaoETjN1CoVhazwvzCghQ5MvBSUP1ZETWiE/s1600/marvel_iPad.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOAP3tqKjEkWBHjVtPZWWRT3l7k9JatcipLjRGia6c7e96Twtq8URGxdnR0T_V2U66j-0cLtWyxkEhQNqVg5LGzq2gKMwkyoi2dp7MnhxjZaoETjN1CoVhazwvzCghQ5MvBSUP1ZETWiE/s1600/marvel_iPad.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The problem with transportability from static physical format to
digital is that comic books and graphic novels need to fit within the viewing
dimensions of an iPad, Kindle, Nook, or some other form of visual display
device. This works fairly well for individual 3-tier pages even though the
screen image is smaller than its physical counterpart. But while the
traditional 32-page, 3-tier, 9-panel grid format has been the norm for print
comic books since their inception it does not have to continue to be the
dominant format moving into the post-print era—nor should it. The dimensions of
the majority of digital comic books and graphic novels conform to their print
counterparts. Politics, censorship, distribution networks, functionality,
economics, and the basic limitations of print media have always controlled
format, which in turn have dictated how stories are told and hampered creative
growth, but that is not the case for the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Infinite
Canvas</i>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnnOTu7bj3wr5cI0t-_WVVLBof-htrYVFIE6MgO11w2w0gRe3zuehUBiPnIAcn_sabUGvdAaoPmdifNJhA41XVXkgAhpU8pL-Ja6fFnm5RmPnDOrx7gibPFldBpXPH9hBrT8goqHkPmvo/s1600/Scott_McCloud_Making_Comics.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnnOTu7bj3wr5cI0t-_WVVLBof-htrYVFIE6MgO11w2w0gRe3zuehUBiPnIAcn_sabUGvdAaoPmdifNJhA41XVXkgAhpU8pL-Ja6fFnm5RmPnDOrx7gibPFldBpXPH9hBrT8goqHkPmvo/s1600/Scott_McCloud_Making_Comics.jpg" /></a><span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Infinite_Canvas" target="_blank">Infinite Canvas</a></i> was
proposed by McCloud as a way of viewing sequential art via a monitor. (McCloud,
2000) For McCloud, the computer screen is not a snapshot of a single visual,
but rather a window into the infinite that stretches out multi-dimensionally
along the XYZ axis. This means that a linear story that scrolls through a long
horizontal continues, uninterrupted, as it moves across the monitor screen
towards its conclusion (or vertically as with a pdf). It also means that non-traditional
storytelling techniques, such as true parallel narratives, or circular
narratives can now be truly parallel or circular within the digital world.
However, McCloud draws the line at introducing temporal phenomena such as
embedded videos, hyperlinks, sound, animatronics, and the like, since they
interrupt the continuity of presentation, because, in sequential art, space
equals time, and that time is regulated by the viewer. (McCloud, 2009) <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fXYckRgsdjI&feature=results_main&playnext=1&list=PLF8090CFA277EEB9A" target="_blank">Click here to watch Scott McCloud’s lecture (he begins talking about the Infinite Canvas at the 11:00 mark).</a></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">While McCloud’s personal belief <em>may</em> be true for graphic novels
(and I emphasize the word <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: purple;">“may”</span></i>
because such hard and fast “rules” stifle creative growth), such a statement is
completely erroneous when it comes to graphic textbooks. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">It is the <a href="http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/hybrid" target="_blank">hybridity</a> of graphic narratives combined with the power
of the Internet where I believe the true strength of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">graphic eTextbooks</i> comes forth for two important reasons. First,
the inclusion of temporal phenomena is no different from including sidebars or
endnotes in a physical textbook. They exist spatially in time yet apart from
the linear narrative, and when, or if, they are accessed by the reader that act
is entirely within the reader’s control. Second, and this is, for me, the most
significant aspect of the potential for all eTextbooks, because the
introduction of those tangential elements reflect the way lessons
are taught in a classroom.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPraCVih15t7iMF0RrZ6SloRf4EZ8Q9jPQ2BbpVgTDOnKS5vo2mGPuICqJo_HLG2BEKL00iMwDTvJl44ZWwfhoWvLaQN87fktM_YYXawVosek6GqfFkInuK5-aTTt5P-XNhDnMn4OcMv8/s1600/2boys@SmartBoard2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPraCVih15t7iMF0RrZ6SloRf4EZ8Q9jPQ2BbpVgTDOnKS5vo2mGPuICqJo_HLG2BEKL00iMwDTvJl44ZWwfhoWvLaQN87fktM_YYXawVosek6GqfFkInuK5-aTTt5P-XNhDnMn4OcMv8/s1600/2boys@SmartBoard2.jpg" /></a><span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Rather than present lessons on an uninterrupted continuum (because it's boring),
teachers often include temporal phenomena to supplement their lessons. On any
given day, whether I am teaching <a href="http://www.adobe.com/products/photoshopfamily.html?promoid=JOLIW" target="_blank">Photoshop</a> or a course on <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Visual_Culture" target="_blank">Visual Culture</a>, I
will search for images, go to websites, watch videos, access a pdf, play a <a href="http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/support/?av=zpp" target="_blank">PowerPoint</a> presentation, or simply
look up information. These tangential elements are integrated into lessons to
help students process information by engaging multiple senses thus increasing
learning efficiency. Secondarily, by watching what I do via the <a href="http://smarttech.com/smartboard" target="_blank">SMART Board</a> my
students witness my problem-solving skills, and understand how I deductively
solve a problem using the Internet, but even that can be integrated into the
narrative of a graphic eTextbook via the “Chorus.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="background-color: #fff2cc; color: blue;"><span style="color: purple;">With graphic eTextbooks the reader <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><u>does</u></i> control time spent with the temporal event by watching it
multiple times, or skipping through it, or replaying certain segments, or not
watching in it at all</span>.</span> While for some this may be antithetical to the
continuity of traditional graphic narratives, the inclusion of temporal
phenomena works perfectly with graphic eTextbooks through a form of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">expanded continuity</i>. (Author’s term) For
graphic eTextbooks, this is what McCloud refers to as <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">A Durable Mutation</i>, or rather a mutation from the physical
sequential art medium into digital that has “some sort of staying power.”
(McCloud, 2009) This form of Durable Mutation for graphic eTextbooks is
actually no different from what many eTextbooks are already doing.</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="color: #0b5394;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R-MIgFbStdQ&feature=related" target="_blank">Click here to see what eTextbooks are already doing (This is the January 20, 2012 video: The Textbook. Reinvented for iPad. iBooks 2. from Apple)</a> </span></span></div>
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</span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib2ecD5pCBnOp9U7h96CbpSkQsrBfBshTXVxbDXjWIo-EqdYNf7kO7yCvfk4J3uF3nuYK3Pm9gbguakfQ9flqgMIZ2ERpx9QLqvrYwwMLpOAgvPejLH0gnjBYz3PQHje5sosfC22j5tUY/s1600/nookstudy-laptop.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="196" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib2ecD5pCBnOp9U7h96CbpSkQsrBfBshTXVxbDXjWIo-EqdYNf7kO7yCvfk4J3uF3nuYK3Pm9gbguakfQ9flqgMIZ2ERpx9QLqvrYwwMLpOAgvPejLH0gnjBYz3PQHje5sosfC22j5tUY/s320/nookstudy-laptop.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">For purposes of making an analogy, if we borrow terms from
biology’s <a href="http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/taxonomy?fromAsk=true&o=100074" target="_blank">taxonomic hierarchy</a>, we might consider the family tree for comic
strips, comic books/graphic novels, and graphic textbooks in this way. All
three of these forms are of the same genus, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">graphic
narratives</i>, but all three are of a different species. Graphic novels and
graphic textbooks are part of the same family tree, but evolving on different
branches of it. <span style="color: purple;">Those differences, those tangential elements, those
temporal phenomena that are antithetical to graphic novels because they
interrupt the continuity of presentation, are part and parcel of teaching, and
should be embodied in graphic eTextbooks (and if you have clicked on any of the links
in this blog you have already helped prove my point). <span style="background-color: #ffe599;">These differences that lend
themselves so beautifully to how teachers teach <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><u>are</u></i> graphic eTextbooks’ <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Durable
Mutation</i>.</span> The move to a digital platform will aid graphic textbooks in
creating a virtual learning environment where they can evolve into a more
robust educational tool.</span> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span><br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Topics for Discussion<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">1) “I don’t buy it!
Sequential narratives are linear and must always stay that way.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">2) “Okay, so if graphic
textbooks have to become graphic </span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 28pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">e</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Textbooks this is what I
would like to see included in their content.”</span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span></span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"></span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"><div style="text-align: justify;">
<strong><em>NEXT BLOG:</em> Immersive Graphic eTextbooks
as the Ultimate Scaffolding Tool<o:p></o:p></strong></div>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span></span><br />bmkane112http://www.blogger.com/profile/10352439174601808723noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3214348289688014097.post-18006750776821211262012-09-11T02:58:00.000-07:002012-10-18T16:17:32.375-07:00<br />
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<b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Blog 3: Educational Graphic Novels and the</span></b><br />
<b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Beginnings of
Graphic Textbooks<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpKcZoRcCWDLcKxRGjoYiGAn0FQQRWiL0wdKSOUVRU_JSUnRuUmIBagol2uE1W63xFPB7vn-eSnLxgYzBQ-arCTIaNwZwoxVXnL8DKylO-zZzkyfYQk1ixBAeyCw79XU4PzKA6AzBxkCY/s1600/Trajan's_Column_reliefs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpKcZoRcCWDLcKxRGjoYiGAn0FQQRWiL0wdKSOUVRU_JSUnRuUmIBagol2uE1W63xFPB7vn-eSnLxgYzBQ-arCTIaNwZwoxVXnL8DKylO-zZzkyfYQk1ixBAeyCw79XU4PzKA6AzBxkCY/s1600/Trajan's_Column_reliefs.jpg" /></a><span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Pictorial narratives are found rendered on the cave walls of
Chauvet and Lascaux, France, scribed onto structures in ancient Egypt, carved
into Trajan’s Column, illuminated into <i>The Book of Kells</i>, woven into the
The Bayeux Tapestry, inlaid into the stained glass windows in the Cathedral of
Our Lady of Chartres, and painted on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. <span style="background-color: #ffe599; color: purple;">Comic
books, whether we wish to admit it or not, represent a natural progression of a
visual storytelling tradition that has evolved over 40,000 years.</span> The first
printed short graphic narratives, ones that contain no more than a few dozen
panels, appeared as early as the mid-Fifteenth Century in the form of religious
propaganda. (Kunzle, 12-39) Other, short instructional graphic narratives
described how a criminal was dismembered during an execution, or how to
properly use instruments of torture in the Marshalsea Prison (Kunzle, 169, 194)
Even though it is not sequentially illustrated, the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Kama Sutra</i> is really a visual instruction manual.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioD0cRg_VIE6dJMEWzToYxntuKZsKfKzYK3nCY9Y5excTR8vYKIGfNWkSXRCFMchP5y_3fCgUJOYQywIFKDDvvvMqqS6iUX6WXvBP1rA7fa8OJFYx55ObxNRi4tyVYlaCWGgDNMlcn4to/s1600/eisner01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioD0cRg_VIE6dJMEWzToYxntuKZsKfKzYK3nCY9Y5excTR8vYKIGfNWkSXRCFMchP5y_3fCgUJOYQywIFKDDvvvMqqS6iUX6WXvBP1rA7fa8OJFYx55ObxNRi4tyVYlaCWGgDNMlcn4to/s1600/eisner01.jpg" /></a><span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">During World War II, Will Eisner utilized the sequential art
concept for short graphic narratives in order to produced cartoons for <i>Army
Motors</i> magazine. The cartoons were designed to educate soldiers on how to
properly maintain their equipment and weapons. In 1951, The Department of the
Army launched <i>P*S, The Preventive Maintenance Monthly</i> magazine. For
twenty years Eisner acted as the artistic director for <i>P*S</i>, using
sequential art as a teaching tool. <i>P*S</i> is still in publication, and
celebrated its 700<sup>th</sup> issue in March of 2011. <span style="background-color: white; color: purple;">Considering that <span style="background-color: #ffe599;">visual
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="background-color: white; color: purple;"><span style="background-color: #ffe599;">learners make up two-thirds of the population</span>, it is
baffling how few educational graphic novels and textbooks exist. Why is that, and why haven’t
more publishers taken advantage of this untapped market?</span><span style="color: black;"> <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghUG87Vex59soHCFXb3gCI4hqX4zXaE-38swjdHGWGp_tJX7R5GGcpc5ZlmfWAp9RB4MXtiWp_ouRhg4hfojAEsCnZf-dEbSrAo3vvCNMUeLwBTvis6SmMfxUt8hRfITJv-oVdaNyVxUQ/s1600/CC_No_01_Three_Musketeers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghUG87Vex59soHCFXb3gCI4hqX4zXaE-38swjdHGWGp_tJX7R5GGcpc5ZlmfWAp9RB4MXtiWp_ouRhg4hfojAEsCnZf-dEbSrAo3vvCNMUeLwBTvis6SmMfxUt8hRfITJv-oVdaNyVxUQ/s1600/CC_No_01_Three_Musketeers.jpg" /></a><span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">From 1941</span><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">–<span style="color: black;">1962,
Albert Lewis Kanter (1897</span>–<span style="color: black;">1973) published 167
issues in his highly popular <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Classics
Illustrated</i> line. Since then other companies have published illustrated
versions of classic novels, but with minimal success. Except for a few authors
like Stephen King (1947</span>–<span style="color: black;">), Michael Chabon
(1963</span>–<span style="color: black;">), Ray Bradbury (1920</span>–2012<span style="color: black;">), and Stephenie Meyer (née Morgan, 1973</span>–<span style="color: black;">) the majority of illustrated adaptations are for books in
the public domain, so the authors do not have to be paid. Where are graphic
adaptations of: <i>Slaughterhouse-Five</i> (1969), by Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. (1922</span>–<span style="color: black;">2007); <i>Catch-22</i> (1961), by Joseph Heller (1923</span>–<span style="color: black;">1999); <i>On the Road</i> (1957), by Jack Kerouac (1922</span>–<span style="color: black;">1969); <i>The Color Purple</i> (1982), by Alice Walker
(1944</span>–<span style="color: black;">); <i>Snow Crash</i> (1992), by Neal
Stephenson (1959</span>–<span style="color: black;">); <i>The Sun Also Rises</i>
(1926), by Ernest Hemingway (1899</span>–<span style="color: black;">1961); <i>The
Grapes of Wrath</i> (1939), by John Steinbeck (1902</span>–<span style="color: black;">1968); <i>To Kill a Mockingbird</i> (1960), by Harper Lee
(1926</span>–<span style="color: black;">); <i>Love in the Time of Cholera</i>
(1985), by Gabriel García Márquez (1927</span>–<span style="color: black;">); <i>The
Catcher in the Rye</i> (1951), by J.D. Salinger (1919</span>–<span style="color: black;">2010); <i>Midnight's Children</i> (1981), by Salman Rushdie
(1947</span>–<span style="color: black;">); or <i>The Great Gatsby</i> (1925), by
F. Scott Fitzgerald (1896</span>–<span style="color: black;">1940)? Granted the
“Classic” novels of sixty years ago are still considered “Classic,” but how
many different graphic novel adaptations of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Dracula</i>
(1897) by Abraham "Bram" Stoker (1847</span>–<span style="color: black;">1912)
do we really need? </span><span style="color: purple;"><span style="background-color: #ffe599;">By limiting illustrated adaptations to only public domain
authors, younger readers are not being exposed to some of literatures’ greatest
books at an earlier age, and educational possibilities are being lost.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpm8i3jYqAHtImuEfTpufJw-Yj3wwHtDFIxlFIvcVBAjtf2xbnTgJw9vHWYadWp6eb5a2v-PUy6J3oOQj9vGIR5S9qCC-Yxa0r3idzVi0OqrthNsXrEar2tsKWtZs7t_LVrnO3ze4Wrxc/s1600/Japan+Inc.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpm8i3jYqAHtImuEfTpufJw-Yj3wwHtDFIxlFIvcVBAjtf2xbnTgJw9vHWYadWp6eb5a2v-PUy6J3oOQj9vGIR5S9qCC-Yxa0r3idzVi0OqrthNsXrEar2tsKWtZs7t_LVrnO3ze4Wrxc/s1600/Japan+Inc.jpg" /></a><span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">However, educational graphic novels need not be restricted to
maintenance manuals and novel adaptations. One of the earliest educational
graphic novels printed in the United States was a Japanese import. <i>Japan
Inc., An Introduction to Japanese Economics</i> (1988), by Ishinomori Shōtarō
(1938</span><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">–<span style="color: black;">1998),
was a 313-page Manga comic book published by the University of California
Press. <i>Japan Inc</i>. was originally published in 1986 by the <i>Nihon
keizai shimbun</i>, the Japanese version of <i>The Wall Street Journal</i>. The
book brought “complex issues, facts, and figures into focus by personalizing
and dramatizing them.” While it is out of date, it does provide an
entertaining and interesting historical look at Reagan-era politics and
economics.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4oW8RElSJsB-4EWBzY4W_eGl3iB6xdj55X8Mg5mCKj4GMwjqXc3WMPXIXUngOtmq945-zOkCB3rjh8ynUzVQmnriVOHHPVD-UfBrOH_4eAjcs1RMNlEijbGigdiQhc5FN7UGa7nD_IZk/s1600/WildernessTheTrueStoryofSimonG.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4oW8RElSJsB-4EWBzY4W_eGl3iB6xdj55X8Mg5mCKj4GMwjqXc3WMPXIXUngOtmq945-zOkCB3rjh8ynUzVQmnriVOHHPVD-UfBrOH_4eAjcs1RMNlEijbGigdiQhc5FN7UGa7nD_IZk/s1600/WildernessTheTrueStoryofSimonG.jpg" /></a><span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Two of the most accessible areas for developing educational
graphic novels are in the categories of biographies and historic non-fiction.
One of the earliest creators of historic graphic novels is Timothy Truman (1956</span><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">–<span style="color: black;">). Truman’s first two graphic
novels, <i>Wilderness: Book 1: The Borderland</i> (1989), and <i>Wilderness:
Book 2: Bloody Ground</i> (1991) concentrated on the eighteenth century
American “renegade” Simon Girty. Truman followed these with <em>Allan W.
Eckert’s Tecumseh</em> (1992), an illustrated adaptation of Eckert’s outdoor
drama. In 1995, the popular writer of historical fiction and non-fiction,
Morgan Llywelyn (1937</span>–<span style="color: black;">) co-wrote <i>Ireland: A
Graphic History</i> with Michael Scott (1959</span>–<span style="color: black;">).
The book, which had limited distribution in the U.S., was illustrated by Eoin
Coveney and contains a <i>Foreword</i> by Will Eisner. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo_mRY4To8AUAw6VqBODM02p4xWbFhpAnNB8R7Z6AvAVeFOCJJDvc06YO1bJkRtjJaEXryV0u5_a_y6VE9V_ROqBuyJbi37kANexatEhbMZiUoclvSrkMKqPIzpns7M9K9b01epmaTXhw/s1600/Cartoon+History+US.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo_mRY4To8AUAw6VqBODM02p4xWbFhpAnNB8R7Z6AvAVeFOCJJDvc06YO1bJkRtjJaEXryV0u5_a_y6VE9V_ROqBuyJbi37kANexatEhbMZiUoclvSrkMKqPIzpns7M9K9b01epmaTXhw/s1600/Cartoon+History+US.jpg" /></a><span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Cartoonist Larry Gonick’s (1946</span><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">–<span style="color: black;">) educational graphic narratives take a humorous approach
to teaching, and they can be considered some of the first popular mass-market <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">graphic textbooks</i>. Gonick, a
Harvard-trained mathematician, is a prolific creator of<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>books such as <i>Cartoon History of the
United States</i> (1991), <i>Cartoon History of the Universe</i> (Three
Volumes, 1992</span>–<span style="color: black;">2002), <i>The Cartoon History of
the Modern World</i> (Two Volumes, 2006</span>–<span style="color: black;">2009),
and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Cartoon Guide to Calculus</i>
(2011).<sup>7</sup> Some other books that also follow this method are <i>Action
Philosophers</i> (Three Volumes, 2006</span>–<span style="color: black;">2007)
written by Fred Van Lente (1972</span>–<span style="color: black;">) and drawn by
Ryan Dunlavey; <i>Still I Rise: A Cartoon History of African Americans</i>
(1997) by author Roland Laird and artist Elihu Bey; and <i>The Stuff of Life: A
Graphic Guide to Genetics and DNA</i> (2009) by author Mark Schultz (1955</span>–<span style="color: black;">) and illustrated by Zander Cannon (1972</span>–<span style="color: black;">) and Kevin Cannon. Essentially, all of these books are
primers, but they provide a fun introductory course for pre-college students.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrbpFJZPjnm2hGeD7Vj7IQQ3sqgbDXoBUlNX7eLTmui-vujplb-CMCe6rYtJJDe41vhBCxMraVejiar_PZcqf_SStc2uwDYUjsrRWQpv3ASG4s33TnKa5JWoEXthJHSZtZd1GDfgc2FxU/s1600/safe-area-gorazde.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrbpFJZPjnm2hGeD7Vj7IQQ3sqgbDXoBUlNX7eLTmui-vujplb-CMCe6rYtJJDe41vhBCxMraVejiar_PZcqf_SStc2uwDYUjsrRWQpv3ASG4s33TnKa5JWoEXthJHSZtZd1GDfgc2FxU/s1600/safe-area-gorazde.jpg" /></a><span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Joe Sacco has carved a very impressive niche for himself as a <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">graphic journalist</i> with his work on <i>Palestine</i>
(2001) and <i>Safe Area </i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Goražde<span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">: The War in Eastern Bosnia 1992</span></i></span><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">–<i><span style="color: black;">95</span></i><span style="color: black;"> (2002). Sacco does what every good journalist is supposed
to do – he puts a face on the story. In terms of reportage, <i>Fax From
Sarajevo</i> by Joe Kubert (1926</span>–<span style="color: black;">), and <i>The
9/11 Report: A Graphic Adaptation</i> (2006), by Sid Jacobson (1929</span>–<span style="color: black;">) and Ernie Colón (1931</span>–<span style="color: black;">),
are also of importance to the educator.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQQV1lb_4_lSMWMtyNxUfHUkp4hvKhCPFc8320NpUyBP3YDGBgHABH4aKHaFoa8kD_0M-FgfPYjhG7lUwFIgkDwPD1yB75Ql-ycmNGi1a6gMYkrfMeaf6GHUn-4UKlF0K6u2t2_IaKGko/s1600/From_hell_tpb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQQV1lb_4_lSMWMtyNxUfHUkp4hvKhCPFc8320NpUyBP3YDGBgHABH4aKHaFoa8kD_0M-FgfPYjhG7lUwFIgkDwPD1yB75Ql-ycmNGi1a6gMYkrfMeaf6GHUn-4UKlF0K6u2t2_IaKGko/s1600/From_hell_tpb.jpg" /></a><span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The historically-based graphic novel <i>From
Hell</i> (1999), by writer Alan Moore and artist Eddie Campbell (1955</span><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">–<span style="color: black;">) is of special interest because of the amount of research that went into its production. It is a massive 572-page
volume that contains a 42-page appendix annotating all of Moore’s research.
Mixing fact, conspiracy theory, and educated speculation, <i>From Hell</i> is
an examination of the Jack the Ripper murders, and a critical commentary on
Victorian England. Though not strictly factual, Moore shows us that it is
possible to teach <i>and</i> entertain at the same time.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></span> </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoZ_-ncybOupuY1kz_5FBvE48GpKer5bGXtWOdBLFypSVAIeYpVwTp-YjZlXYYlQRd5RvMuBkKCqMIIuuvnFyBqcGoiDO9k0j4ccFtN8fpyffZMzeZ59eRN5pVQaTWsow5qwjQfNxGsGY/s1600/Glacial+period.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoZ_-ncybOupuY1kz_5FBvE48GpKer5bGXtWOdBLFypSVAIeYpVwTp-YjZlXYYlQRd5RvMuBkKCqMIIuuvnFyBqcGoiDO9k0j4ccFtN8fpyffZMzeZ59eRN5pVQaTWsow5qwjQfNxGsGY/s1600/Glacial+period.jpg" /></a><span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="background-color: #ffe599; color: purple;">Astonishingly, there are very few graphic novels/textbooks about art or art
history.</span> Aside from Will Eisner’s and Scott McCloud’s </span><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="color: black;">books on sequential art, and a
few publications about the lives of cartoonists, the rest of the art world is
left fallow. For example, why are there no graphic novels/textbooks about the history of fashion? <span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">Think of how visually stunning that could be! </span>The single most surprising publisher of the best art-related
graphic novels is the Office of Cultural Development, Musée du Louvre – The
Louvre Museum in Paris. To date, there are four books translated into English: <i>Glacial
Period</i> (2007), by Nicolas de Crécy; <i>The Museum Vaults: Excerpts From the
Journal of an Expert</i> (2007), by Marc-Antoine Mathieu; and <i>On The Odd
Hours</i> (2010), by Eric Liberge (1965</span>–<span style="color: black;">).
Each of the books explores the museum from a different, sometimes fanciful
aspect.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj46Gt5PCy-CDz8fc3bS0dSoSx1fC8ExjWbeCKYcEsw2_isLnkJeCqmJj3dte5SClyd2Db2arBB56frhKj5JwCbfq6PHApUl8Wdu8pCtG2CiOeLY5P9QZ_Zch07Tbf5NeCpvn1KxncIbq4/s1600/The+Sky+Above+the+Louvre.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj46Gt5PCy-CDz8fc3bS0dSoSx1fC8ExjWbeCKYcEsw2_isLnkJeCqmJj3dte5SClyd2Db2arBB56frhKj5JwCbfq6PHApUl8Wdu8pCtG2CiOeLY5P9QZ_Zch07Tbf5NeCpvn1KxncIbq4/s1600/The+Sky+Above+the+Louvre.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The Louvre’s fourth book, <i>The Sky Over the Louvre</i> (2009 in
French & 2011 in English), written by Jean-Claude Carriere (1931</span><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">–<span style="color: black;">) and illustrated by Bernard
Yslaire, is an important work. Set in the tumultuous years of the French
Revolution, <i>The Sky Over the Louvre</i> is the story of the beginnings of the
Museum told through the lives of political theorists Maximilien François Marie
Isidore de Robespierre (1758</span>–<span style="color: black;">1794), Jean-Paul
Marat (1743–1793), and painter Jacques-Louis David (1748</span>–<span style="color: black;">1825). What is distinctive about this book is that the
author, Carriere, is the former president of La Fémis, the French state film
school, and is the screenwriter of many incredible movies including: <i>Danton</i>
(1983), <i>The Return of Martin Guerre</i> (1982), <i>The Unbearable Lightness
of Being</i> (1988), and <i>Valmont</i> (1989). <span style="background-color: #ffe599; color: purple;">With educational graphic novels
and textbooks there is a dearth of product and a wealth of opportunity.</span> <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span><br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Educational Graphic Textbooks for Undergraduates<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRVboxtl0ezndVzjtp8enonFOCK4z3abiY5EOGxRv_zYxWNP9NVpfZVQfESRWkm9Jf-UcVoqHEzZCTowk-FJ9LKv9z5lVb39cWb4V3dgdWUZ90aIz7Nn_AxZVedLvsP-9-JAiUoMCVOqY/s1600/Evolution+-+The+Story+of+Life+on+Earth.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRVboxtl0ezndVzjtp8enonFOCK4z3abiY5EOGxRv_zYxWNP9NVpfZVQfESRWkm9Jf-UcVoqHEzZCTowk-FJ9LKv9z5lVb39cWb4V3dgdWUZ90aIz7Nn_AxZVedLvsP-9-JAiUoMCVOqY/s1600/Evolution+-+The+Story+of+Life+on+Earth.jpg" /></a><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>In
the past decade, the graphic novel format has grown in acceptance among college
and university academicians as an educational medium (Goggin and
Hassler-Forest, 2012, p. 3). Since the 1970s, the prevailing trend has been to
utilize pre-existing graphic novels as literature, rather than develop new ones
aimed specifically for use in the classroom. This trend is slowly changing,
predominately in the area of the sciences, with the publication of sequential
art textbooks such as <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Optical Allusions</i>
(2008) by Jay Hosler; <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Charles Darwin's On
the Origin of Species: A Graphic Adaptation</i> (2009) by Michael Keller and
Nicole Rager Fuller; and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Evolution: The
Story of Life on Earth</i> (2011) by Jay Hosler, Kevin Cannon, and Zander
Cannon. Admittedly, the research for new graphic textbooks is time consuming, so one has to wonder why certain books, such as <em>A Brief(er) History of Time</em> (1998, 2008) by Stephen William Hawking (1942–), has not <em><u><span style="background-color: #ffe599; color: purple;">yet</span></u></em> been adapted into a sequential art format.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span> </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8wdD3ltq1GG_Q6Yxg93YAKjkipX_cjTela43vZ9y0iDIklpFLDRSQuatyiLd1D9uNN-OQa3uRyVPorRJjFHV4vLcCymA4jLaz05RVszMUeSJH7DkKbxKl5C7KyqykqsGDyvvGIaHsbXA/s1600/The+Magic+of+Reality.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8wdD3ltq1GG_Q6Yxg93YAKjkipX_cjTela43vZ9y0iDIklpFLDRSQuatyiLd1D9uNN-OQa3uRyVPorRJjFHV4vLcCymA4jLaz05RVszMUeSJH7DkKbxKl5C7KyqykqsGDyvvGIaHsbXA/s1600/The+Magic+of+Reality.jpg" /></a><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The Magic
of Reality: How We Know What’s Really True</span></i><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">
(2011) written by evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins (1941–), and illustrated
by noted film director, graphic novelist, and cover artist for the popular <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Sandman</i> comic book series, Dave McKean (1963–),
while not sequentially illustrated, is impressive because of how it visually
engages the reader. Due predominantly to Dawkins’ popularity this book has not
gone unnoticed by book reviewers (as is the case, unfortunately, with most
graphic textbooks). <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The September 23,
2011, issue of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Chronicle Review</i>
cites Dawkins as one of “a growing band of scientists and science writers who
are making use of the comic-book format—one that can ‘give accurate information
and make it exciting.’” While this statement is true for <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Magic of Reality</i>, it also reflects why graphic textbooks work
so well as a teaching tool—<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="background-color: #ffe599; color: purple;">because they captivate
students by making the mundane <span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">stimulating</span>!</span></i></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Topics for Discussion<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="color: #93c47d;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span><span style="color: #00b050; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="background-color: yellow; color: red;">Your comments are important to me (!)</span>, and will
help me understand ways of developing multi-departmental
graphic textbooks. Please click on the Comment button below, and share your
thoughts! If you do not have a Google, LiveJournal, WordPress, TypePad, AIM, or
OpenID account you may email me <span style="color: #00b050; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">at <a href="mailto:kane.112@osu.edu"><span style="color: #00b050; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">kane.112@osu.edu</span></a>, and </span>I will post your comment(s) for you either anonymously, or with your name
(whichever you prefer).</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span> </div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">1) Why these illustrated texts gaining so much credibility as a teaching tool in the more structured, quantitative fields of math and the sciences, and why are they not evolving as
quickly in other disciplines?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span><br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">2) How can an understanding of how
students learn and retain information from math and scientific graphic textbooks aid in the
conceptualization and creation of other undergraduate-level educational graphic
textbooks in other disciplines?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">NEXT BLOG:</span></i></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> Graphic eTextbooks and the “Infinite Canvas”<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
bmkane112http://www.blogger.com/profile/10352439174601808723noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3214348289688014097.post-40551548414885940512012-09-06T07:01:00.000-07:002014-10-16T14:09:30.301-07:00<br />
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<b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Blog 2: Graphic Novels Are Not Literature<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Lit•er•a•ture: noun <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">1.<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>writings in which expression and form, in
connection with ideas of permanent and universal interest, are characteristic
or essential features, as poetry, novels, history, biography, and essays.</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">—www.dictionary.com<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span><br />
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Before we can discuss what Graphic Textbooks are we need to
understand their origin, which means we have to understand where the term <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“Graphic Novel”</i> came from.</span></span></div>
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Originally conceived as a term that would define longer works of
sequentially illustrated stories containing mature themes, <i>graphic novel</i>
has become an umbrella phrase, a marketing tool for almost any work told
through the use of pictures. Simply put, the term <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">graphic novel</i> </span><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">has <i><span style="color: purple;">devolved</span></i>
to mean<span style="color: black;"> any illustrated story. Yet, that really is
too broad of a description to have any well-defined meaning.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="color: black;"></span><o:p></o:p></span>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkbiUAwD_nRzgEu9HqP8GVfZhMt5pGXpIBTQpgBODwInbyDvGFGOnZurRRz8SLlJ68cQoSxmkHo68CtAdeVRMhhjs4olA67GIRZg90VELE8zw437TaLx53qi1JtgcNj01zd03QAVWzvGc/s1600/FictionIllustratedVol3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; height: 249px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; width: 216px;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkbiUAwD_nRzgEu9HqP8GVfZhMt5pGXpIBTQpgBODwInbyDvGFGOnZurRRz8SLlJ68cQoSxmkHo68CtAdeVRMhhjs4olA67GIRZg90VELE8zw437TaLx53qi1JtgcNj01zd03QAVWzvGc/s1600/FictionIllustratedVol3.jpg" /></a><span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">If we conclude that a graphic novel must include text (words),
then how do we categorize Shaun Tan’s (1974</span><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">–<span style="color: black;">) <i>The Arrival</i> (2006)? If we maintain that the
artwork can only be sequential, then where do we place Jim Steranko’s (1938</span>–<span style="color: black;">) <i>Chandler: Red Tide</i> (1976)? If we insist that the
story consists of only one narrative then what is Will Eisner’s (1917</span>–<span style="color: black;">2005) <i>A Contract with God and Other Tenement Stories</i>
(1978)? And if we demand that a graphic novel must be exclusively original and
not one that was initially serialized in a magazine, then should we not exclude
Art Spiegelman’s (1948</span>–)<span style="color: black;"> Pulitzer
Prize-winning <i>Maus: A Survivor’s Tale</i> (1986 & 1991) from our list? </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">These questions exist because of our common need to categorize
everything, because of the physical and financial limitations of printing and
binding, and because of Library Science’s requirement to catalog books into an
antiquated classification system. In truth, the academic discourse on graphic
novels, which has been almost wholly literary, has been viewed from a skewed
perspective.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="background-color: #ffe599;">Graphic novels were never literature’s bastard children,</span> but that
is how they have been—and are still—perceived in some academic circles.
Comparable to film, graphic novels are a visual medium and apart from
literature in much the same way</span><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> <span style="color: black;">film is apart from literature. <span style="background-color: #ffe599;"><span style="color: purple;">In truth, graphic novels
have never been a form of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">literature</i>,
but they have always been an <u>independent</u> <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">literate</i> art form.</span> </span>To elucidate the dissimilarity, if one can
convert a published work into an audio book by reading just the text, without
losing any of the story’s nuances and meanings, then it is literature. This
test holds true for works of prose, poetry, and plays, but not for graphic
novels or film because so much of the story is conveyed visually. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">This does not mean that graphic novels should no longer be read in
literature or other classes because the needs of the lesson outweighs the
format of the pedagogical vehicle; however, it does illustrate society’s
persistent problem with accepting graphic novels because of this
miss-association. Comic <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="background-color: #ffe599;"><u>books</u></span></i> became
trapped in a format and vernacular that has biased the public’s perception
since their inception. However, if we look at the Storytelling Family Tree we
see that pictoglyphs, petroglyphs, oral tradition, literature, film, and graphic
novels are all simply narrative vehicles growing out of the same trunk. Contemporary
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Graphic Narratives</i> [comic books,
graphic novels, comic strips, children’s picture books, certain forms of
illustrated books such as <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Dinotopia</i> (1992)
by James Gurney (1958</span><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">–)] grew apart from their <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><u>cousins</u></i> to form their own branch of
the Storytelling Family Tree. <span style="color: black;"><span style="background-color: #ffe599;">Because of their
visuality, the questions surrounding graphic novels should never have been:
“Are they, or are they not literature?” The questions should have focused on
<span style="color: purple;">“How can we cultivate the graphic novel format in order to tell better
stories?”</span> By asking these types of questions, by “troubling the binary” as it
were, we acknowledge that <span style="color: purple;">graphic novels are a distinctive medium—<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">a distinctive</i> <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">art form</i>—set apart from both literature and film.</span></span> <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Unfortunately, removing graphic novels from the literary tradition
is problematic because there is no viable way to adequately market them to
academicians other than book review publications such as <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Booklist</i>, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Publisher’s Weekly</i>,
and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Library Journal</i> to name a few.
Removing them from the literary tradition would also negate the literary awards
they have already received, and make them ineligible for future awards. Yet,
there is already a double standard at work here. While graphic novels have been
considered for literary awards, such as a Special Pulitzer Prize and the World
Fantasy Award, there has never been a text-only book that was considered for
any of the graphic novel honors such as the Eisner Award or the Harvey Award.
It is, however, vitally important to separate graphic narratives from
literature because the comparison stifles growth and creativity. <span style="background-color: #ffe599;">By
understanding that they are an art form independent from literature, graphic
narratives no longer need to fit into the narrow confines of form and format
that has been imposed upon them. It means that they can freely evolve as the creators
envision them through a process of artistic growth.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The Origin of the Term, and the First Modern Day
Graphic Novel<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Contrary to popular belief, Will Eisner’s <i>A Contract with God
and Other Tenement Stories</i> was not the first time the term <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">graphic novel</i> was used, nor is it the
first modern graphic novel. <span style="background-color: #ffe599; color: purple;">The first printed usage of the term appeared in
Richard Kyle’s November 1964 newsletter published in <i>CAPA-ALPHA #</i>2</span>
(Fingeroth, 2008, 3). Previous derivations on the theme such as “Picture
Novel,” and “Picto-Fiction” appeared on paperbacks and magazines in the 1950s.
The first Picture Novel, and, arguably, <span style="background-color: #ffe599; color: purple;">America’s first graphic novel was <i>It
Rhymes with Lust</i> (1950).</span> The digest-sized, 128-page book was produced by
St. John Publications (1947</span><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">–<span style="color: black;">1958), which was founded by Archer St. John (1904</span>–<span style="color: black;">1955). <i>It Rhymes With Lust</i> was written by Arnold
Drake (1924</span>–<span style="color: black;">2007) and Leslie Waller (1923</span>–<span style="color: black;">2007) under the pseudonym “Arnold Waller,” drawn by Matt
Baker (1921</span>–<span style="color: black;">1959), and inked by Ray Osrin
(1928</span>–<span style="color: black;">2001).<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Baker was one of the medium’s first African American artists, and one of the
forerunners of the “Good Girl Art” movement, working on titles such as <i>Phantom
Lady</i>, and <i>Sheena, Queen of the Jungle</i>. Inspired by film noir, <i>It
Rhymes With Lust</i> was a character-oriented romance/detective story. Though
the story is typical of genre films of its time, <i>It Rhymes With Lust</i>
also contained an underlying social commentary about greed, graft, and worker’s
rights. St. John’s second graphic novel was <i>The Case of the Winking Buddha</i>
(1950), by novelist Manning Lee Stokes (1911</span><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">–<span style="color: black;">1976) and illustrator Charles Raab. Unfortunately, both of
these books failed financially, and the format was abandoned (Kitchen, 2011).<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Though it may be considered a collection of short stories, <span style="color: purple;"><span style="background-color: #ffe599;"><i>Harvey
Kurtzman’s Jungle Book</i> (1959) is the prototype for the graphic anthology
format.</span></span> <i>Jungle Book</i> was written and illustrated by Harvey Kurtzman (1924</span><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">–<span style="color: black;">1993), who was the founding
editor of <i>MAD</i> (1952) magazine. Kurtzman was a highly influential
creative force in the comics industry, and helped shape much of America’s
popular culture during the 1950s (Wright, 2003). <i>Jungle Book</i> was a
commercial failure; however, it had a tremendous impact on the Underground
Comics artists of the 1960s (Kitchen, 2011).<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq0UECv5R63TQuTAlVhQzPk4Tx0MQQIa5SnU1QDx4gRGoM7P89i7CJ9EvvuTNeANWK7MhGRhmWYbP3N3c2YtON8kg2OgVt7ciMB_cpqAin6n5JY6ipB4I75pUiLx7Gjwd5KLEgUeT-4HI/s1600/Autumn_people.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq0UECv5R63TQuTAlVhQzPk4Tx0MQQIa5SnU1QDx4gRGoM7P89i7CJ9EvvuTNeANWK7MhGRhmWYbP3N3c2YtON8kg2OgVt7ciMB_cpqAin6n5JY6ipB4I75pUiLx7Gjwd5KLEgUeT-4HI/s1600/Autumn_people.jpg" /></a><span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Another forgotten series of books from the mid-1960s, are the
Ballantine Books paperback reprints of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Mad</i>
magazine and the EC Comics line of early 1950s horror stories. Because
paperbacks were not sold with comic books they did not come under the scrutiny
of the Comics Code Authority and its restrictions. Among these titles were, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Autumn People</i> (1965) with stories by Ray
Bradbury (1920</span><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">–) <span style="color: black;">adapted
by Albert “Al” B. Feldstein (1925</span>–)<span style="color: black;">, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Vault of Horror</i> (1965), <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Tales From the Crypt</i> (1964), <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Tales of The Incredible</i> (1965), and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Dracula</i> (1966). While the other books
contained reprints, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Dracula</i> was an
all-new adaptation of “The great horror classic illustrated in comic book
form!” Produced by Russ Jones (1942</span>–)<span style="color: black;">, the
text for <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Dracula</i> was adapted by Otto
Oscar Binder (1911–1974) and Greg Tennis <span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">(Nom de plume for Johnny Craig [1926–2001])</span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">, il</span>lustrated by Alden “Al” McWilliams</span>
<span style="color: black;">(1916–1993), and contained an <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Introduction</i> by Christopher Lee (1922</span>–)<span style="color: black;">. Another, similar volume, albeit printed by Pyramid Books,
was </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Christopher Lee’s Treasury of
Terror: Great Picture Stories of Supernatural Horror</i> (1966). As with <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Dracula</i>, the Christopher Lee book was
produced by Russ Jones, but was an anthology of stories selected by Lee, and
adapted by various writers and artists. None of these books sold well enough to
warrant subsequent volumes; however, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Dracula</i>
was, historically, the third graphic novel (following <i><span style="color: black;">It Rhymes With Lust</span></i><span style="color: black;">,
and <i>The Case of the Winking Buddha</i></span>) and the Christopher Lee book
was the second anthology of original work following <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Jungle Book</i>.<span style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">By the early 1970s, the term <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">graphic
novel</i> was part of the comics creator’s vernacular; however, it was not used
to describe America’s next attempt at a graphic novel, <i>Blackmark</i> (1971).
<i>Blackmark</i> was conceived by Gil Kane (aka Eli Katz 1926</span><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">–<span style="color: black;">2000), written by Archie Goodwin
(1937</span>–<span style="color: black;">1998) and illustrated by Kane over
uncredited pencil layouts drawn by Kurtzman (Kitchen, 2011). Published by
Bantam Books, <i>Blackmark</i> was a 119-page science fiction/sword and sorcery
heroic fantasy graphic novel printed in a traditional paperback format. While
conceived as the first in a sequence of ongoing graphic novels, sales of the
first volume were poor, which led to the cancellation of the series. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglK5GguHN93HO8DishWYIe0VOpqlAz34FXHdgbwfz5sflDAureu-Ng6AOgh8wpzAsS4vL1UrJy5pENz4aCvAT3-FGZJ_BLYdYsSRNmOMqNRhOVvc1-fatXW0p5RenYktzC5BlOEd0dN9g/s1600/Schlomo+Raven+-+cov.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglK5GguHN93HO8DishWYIe0VOpqlAz34FXHdgbwfz5sflDAureu-Ng6AOgh8wpzAsS4vL1UrJy5pENz4aCvAT3-FGZJ_BLYdYsSRNmOMqNRhOVvc1-fatXW0p5RenYktzC5BlOEd0dN9g/s320/Schlomo+Raven+-+cov.jpg" height="320" width="114" /></a><span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="background-color: #ffe599; color: purple;">The first self-referential use of the term <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">graphic novel</i> appeared on the January 1976 publication </span><i><span style="background-color: #ffe599; color: purple;">Schlomo
Raven.</span> </i>Written by Byron Preiss (1953</span><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">–<span style="color: black;">2005) and illustrated by Tom Sutton (1937</span>–<span style="color: black;">2002), <i>Schlomo Raven</i> also contained an <i>Introduction</i>
by Kurtzman. Printed in large bold letters on the back cover of the
digest-sized paperback were the words “—VOLUME ONE OF AMERICA’S FIRST ADULT
GRAPHIC NOVEL REVUE!” <i>Schlomo Raven</i> was the first in Pyramid Books’ <i>Fiction
Illustrated</i> series aimed at a more mature audience. The series also
included: <i>Starfawn</i> (1976), by </span>Byron <span style="color: black;">Preiss
and Stephen Fabian (1930</span>–<span style="color: black;">); <i>Chandler: Red
Tide,</i> by Jim Steranko; and <i>Son of Sherlock Holmes: The Woman in Red</i>
(1977), by Bryon Preiss and Ralph Reese (1950?</span> –)<span style="color: black;">. Even though <i>Schlomo Raven</i> was published twenty-one months
before <i>A Contract with God</i>, its place in graphic novel history has been
largely overlooked along with the other Fiction Illustrated volumes. In their
day, the odd format and sporadic paperback distribution made them curiosities
among comic fandom buyers who did not appreciate change (Steranko, 2010). When
combined with the fact that none of these volumes has ever been reprinted
(mainly due to legalities resulting from the death of Preiss), and that the
stories, except for <i>Chandler</i>, are only of cursory interest, it is not
surprising that they have been forgotten.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Other graphic novels soon followed, including: Robert Ervin Howard’s
(1906</span><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">–<span style="color: black;">1936) <i>Bloodstar</i>
(1976), adapted by illustrator Richard Corben (1940</span>–<span style="color: black;">); <i>Beyond Time and Again: A Graphic Novel</i> (1976), by
George Metzger (1939</span>–<span style="color: black;">); <i>Sabre: Slow Fade of
an Endangered Species</i> (1978), by writer Don McGregor (1945</span>–<span style="color: black;">) and artist Paul Gulacy (1953</span>–<span style="color: black;">); <i>The Silver Surfer</i> (1978), by Stan Lee (1922</span>–<span style="color: black;">) and Jack Kirby (1917</span>–<span style="color: black;">1994);
<i>The First Kingdom</i> (1978), by Jack Katz (1927</span>–<span style="color: black;">); <i>Comanche Moon</i> (1979), by Jaxon (Jack Jackson,
1941</span>–<span style="color: black;">2006); and <i>Tantrum</i> (1979), by
Jules Feiffer (1929</span>–<span style="color: black;">).</span></span> </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCuCu6BsT6gnlylOKskubzjWpZA46ilhkSQeUx_7VN1qqBozUG85DdzQ5VktbNYmIUn6AxeL3QT5IJGIUTGZyH-kmwFRUmwf-Sd_Gb6HsE-p47V6ZeTM5EwiJ5iq11OluVXvmtOStvE-E/s1600/A+Contract+With+God.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCuCu6BsT6gnlylOKskubzjWpZA46ilhkSQeUx_7VN1qqBozUG85DdzQ5VktbNYmIUn6AxeL3QT5IJGIUTGZyH-kmwFRUmwf-Sd_Gb6HsE-p47V6ZeTM5EwiJ5iq11OluVXvmtOStvE-E/s1600/A+Contract+With+God.jpg" /></a></div>
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="background-color: #ffe599; color: purple;">The critically acclaimed <i>A Contract with God</i> was the first
modern graphic novel to deal exclusively with the human condition.</span> It
revolutionized the comics industry by becoming the first commercially
successful graphic novel (Kitchen, 2011). While some detractors claim that <i>A
Contract with God</i> is actually a collection of short stories, and not a
novel per se, the use of multiple stories with an underlying connective theme
is not without precedent, and is the basis for books such as <i>Winesburg, Ohio</i>
(1919) by Sherwood Anderson (1876</span><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">–<span style="color: black;">1941), and <i>The Wild Palms [If I Forget Thee, Jerusalem]</i>
(1939) by William Faulkner (1897</span>–<span style="color: black;">1962). Its
longevity and continued popularity speaks to its broad market appeal and
timeless stories. Additionally, its semi-autobiographical approach established
a standard by which all other slice-of-life graphic novels are compared. <span style="background-color: #ffe599; color: purple;">Even
though Eisner did not invent the term graphic novel, its use on the cover of <i>A
Contract with God</i> popularized it, and brought it into public forum</span>
(Kitchen, 2011).<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Topics for Discussion<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">1)
This is a bunch of hooey. Graphic novels are literature because…<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">2)
The public’s acceptance of graphic novels has increased over the past decade.
What factors would you attribute to that change?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">3)
What is missing from this review of the literature?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />bmkane112http://www.blogger.com/profile/10352439174601808723noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3214348289688014097.post-61481548222241942102012-09-04T07:15:00.001-07:002012-12-11T08:56:44.200-08:00<br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Blog 1: </span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Developing Graphic
Textbooks for Undergraduate Study<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW69IzyE9GXl-xjrcFbkh5KIL1oysY6oQzwx3_sojGw6xjT2dBnv8PKvfvQSCVAS7qP88ftr3tKgJNTdmuGq5W3elLrnu7WZG3PMFaNanBy4qP-bB7ACqqyHOxKcQ-t9seqIVLk_BnJdQ/s1600/Optical+Allusions.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW69IzyE9GXl-xjrcFbkh5KIL1oysY6oQzwx3_sojGw6xjT2dBnv8PKvfvQSCVAS7qP88ftr3tKgJNTdmuGq5W3elLrnu7WZG3PMFaNanBy4qP-bB7ACqqyHOxKcQ-t9seqIVLk_BnJdQ/s1600/Optical+Allusions.jpg" /></a><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>It is my opinion that one day
introductory-level educational graphic textbooks for college students will be
the norm rather than the exception. As part of my Ph.D. dissertation, I have
created this blog in order to explore ways to achieve that goal. For the next
six weeks I will make two blog posts per week (Tuesdays and Thursdays) covering
various topics for the public to read, and critique. In this way it is
hoped that educators, students, publishers, and the creative community will use
this as a forum to <span style="color: black;">help set academic standards for
the development of future undergraduate-level educational graphic textbooks. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><em><span style="color: red;"><span style="background-color: yellow;">Please
feel free to share this link with your colleagues!!!<o:p></o:p></span></span></em></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span><br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">A (Very) Short History
of Graphic Textbooks<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxlayrOD4yUnmhhefinyAvaPZqUzmzaqibDd2R7_XcCnIZ_Mzx4u8E8BIURF8hI9NrQEGkrxac1h74kkeCeIdh6-FE75WlGQKwqD1FnigfYe6UTQsCBWnPfPIlOedOgqatZ1THBO2wGmo/s1600/comics_and_sequential_art.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxlayrOD4yUnmhhefinyAvaPZqUzmzaqibDd2R7_XcCnIZ_Mzx4u8E8BIURF8hI9NrQEGkrxac1h74kkeCeIdh6-FE75WlGQKwqD1FnigfYe6UTQsCBWnPfPIlOedOgqatZ1THBO2wGmo/s1600/comics_and_sequential_art.jpg" /></a><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Since most of you already know what <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Sequential Art</i> is I will skip over much
of the history of the medium (for now). While working on his book, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Comics and Sequential Art</i> (1985),
Eisner, who was in his mid-sixties and had been illustrating comic stories for
fifty years, realized that he “was involved in an ‘art of communication’ more
than simply an application of art,” (Eisner, 1985, 6) and that <span style="background-color: #ffe599; color: purple;">“thoughtful
pedagogical concern would provide a better climate for the production of more
worthy subject content and expansion of the medium as a whole.”</span> (Eisner, 1985,
5) At the time <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Comics & Sequential
Art</i> was written graphic novels were still in their infancy, and Art
Spiegelman’s <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Maus</i> had yet to win a
Pulitzer Prize. However, Eisner understood the potential power of the medium,
and concluded that <span style="background-color: #ffe599; color: purple;">“the future of this form awaits participants who truly
believe that the application of sequential art, with its interweaving of words
and pictures, could provide a dimension of communication that contributes—hopefully
on a level never before attained—to the body of literature that concerns itself
with the examination of human experience.”</span> (Eisner, 1985, 138-139)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7Sp5lER6YJGEUoGlHCZ8kD2J5ivvqhh14NIp01IBkUv9s-LVTNy4oobKQm43XcqX6nfkFkZEDQROa3Lw9FGdOc37svmlYZqf-SRbEV7Lj1iyEeJzp-BTviNoSHivhJdVwfGbOZYUeofE/s1600/Japan+inc.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7Sp5lER6YJGEUoGlHCZ8kD2J5ivvqhh14NIp01IBkUv9s-LVTNy4oobKQm43XcqX6nfkFkZEDQROa3Lw9FGdOc37svmlYZqf-SRbEV7Lj1iyEeJzp-BTviNoSHivhJdVwfGbOZYUeofE/s1600/Japan+inc.jpg" /></a><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Even though Eisner’s focus was on
entertainment comic stories, he also illustrated both <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="background-color: #ffe599; color: purple;">technical instruction comics</span></i>, and <span style="background-color: #fff2cc;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="background-color: #ffe599; color: purple;">attitudinal instruction comics</span></i>,</span> which are the precursors to graphic
textbooks. (Eisner, 1985, 138-142) Technical instruction comics are illustrated
instruction manuals such as directions for putting together a bicycle. These
teaching aids are meant to involve the reader through explanatory text and
images drawn from the reader’s perspective. Technical instruction comics are an
experiential learning tool that helps the reader though a sequence of events in
order to perform tasks to completion. Attitudinal instruction comics are
dramatizations of events such as “How to get a job.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="background-color: #ffe599; color: purple;">The concept behind attitudinal instruction
comics is to visually and dramatically show readers situations that they have
not yet experienced.</span> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Japan, Inc.: Introduction to Japanese Economics</span></i><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"> (1988), a dramatic look
at President Reagan-era politics and economics, follows this schema, and many
young reader’s books over the years such as <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">A
Visit to the Doctor</i> (1960) and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Loose
Tooth, My First I Can Read</i> (2005) can also be considered attitudinal
instruction comics.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf17o6hSTCtihAUNkuI_kunKGfu3snrBjhx9yz5de1qxMHNhkcws1wJluKXTlKWfq4RGF6gw8wjFrHTpP50LTUTEmb7aBJcPhjy_43myE1NA6baff_5YsttJbLmqZtX31ONBuvvZEoLzQ/s1600/UnderstandingComics.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf17o6hSTCtihAUNkuI_kunKGfu3snrBjhx9yz5de1qxMHNhkcws1wJluKXTlKWfq4RGF6gw8wjFrHTpP50LTUTEmb7aBJcPhjy_43myE1NA6baff_5YsttJbLmqZtX31ONBuvvZEoLzQ/s1600/UnderstandingComics.jpg" /></a><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>In 1993, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Understanding Comics: The Invisible Art</i> by Scott McCloud answered
Eisner’s wish for a more “thoughtful pedagogical concern” with a deconstructive
instructional graphic textbook that utilized sequential art in order to explain
sequential art. </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Understanding Comics</span></i><span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> was the first attempt at popularizing the idea
of graphic textbooks. In it McCloud defines the art of comic books as,
“juxtaposed pictorial and other images in deliberate sequence, intended to
convey information and/or to produce an aesthetic response in the viewer.”
(McCloud, 1993, 9) While this is a more precise definition of the art form, it
is too cumbersome for purposes of this paper, so I will continue using Eisner’s
term <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">sequential art</i> instead. It
should be noted that neither term/definition mentions the use of <em><u><span style="background-color: #ffe599; color: purple;">text</span></u></em>, which,
for a graphic <u><em><span style="background-color: #ffe599; color: purple;">text</span></em></u>book, especially one designed specifically for
undergraduate students, is problematic. <span style="background-color: #ffe599;">Though wordless panels may be used
sparingly for dramatic effect, the definition for sequential art, <span style="color: purple;">as it relates
directly to</span> undergraduate-level textbooks,
<span style="color: purple;"><em>must</em> include</span> the implicit mandate that </span></span><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="background-color: #ffe599;">the information being taught is achieved through
the use of visual art accompanied by complimentary text, juxtaposed text, or
parallel text.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1ae60v7589WaWZw4_diTP0EJgLsJ-e2uLY_pOi6jerz6l6IlIIAMZ9cY8efmhXDWxuWlqFqre5Xcz6yw6U_oCTKKYZI0V7uu7y71xDgzogyY33M9POfnF091c4RZ_x5Hs2NFgI3YQ0cY/s1600/Multimodal+Literacy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1ae60v7589WaWZw4_diTP0EJgLsJ-e2uLY_pOi6jerz6l6IlIIAMZ9cY8efmhXDWxuWlqFqre5Xcz6yw6U_oCTKKYZI0V7uu7y71xDgzogyY33M9POfnF091c4RZ_x5Hs2NFgI3YQ0cY/s1600/Multimodal+Literacy.jpg" /></a><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>In Heidi Hammond’s book, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Graphic Novels and Multimodal Literacy: A
Reader Response Study</i> (2009), she states in her Review of the Literature
that there are few academic studies regarding educational graphic novels because
they have such a short history (Hammond, 2009, p. 42).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Currently there are very few educational
graphic textbooks available for teaching students at the undergraduate level.
Considering the increased interest in biographical, autobiographical, and journalistic
graphic novels among college and university instructors (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Chronicle Review</i>, September 23, 2011), <span style="background-color: #ffe599;">the educational graphic
textbook is an <span style="color: purple;"><em>underutilized</em></span> pedagogical tool.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXda7NgSkE4cQsT6z5SBktoh2sR58QjZYkCUZf2FZ743GTrfGmFImNYT9bTs4VLFnrJYn-gNQueHilyKMmW31BM4KBAm9YWsKJEUAxRaDsxo0orJJ06G5hjVMtHfn-wZHu_KN22YDM6oA/s1600/Economics.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXda7NgSkE4cQsT6z5SBktoh2sR58QjZYkCUZf2FZ743GTrfGmFImNYT9bTs4VLFnrJYn-gNQueHilyKMmW31BM4KBAm9YWsKJEUAxRaDsxo0orJJ06G5hjVMtHfn-wZHu_KN22YDM6oA/s1600/Economics.jpg" /></a><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Over the past several years a few
graphic textbooks have been published that have supported my belief in the
pedagogical potential of this medium. Some of these are <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Optical Allusions</i> (2009) by Jay Hosler, Ph.D.; <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Charles Darwin's On the Origin of Species: A Graphic Adaptation</i>
(2009) by Michael Keller, and Nicolle Rager Fuller; <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Evolution: The Story of Life on Earth</i> (2011) by Jay Hosler, Ph.D.,
Kevin Cannon, and Zander Cannon; <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">DNA: A
Graphic Guide to the Molecule that Shook the World</i> (2011) by Israel
Rosenfield, Edward Ziff, and Borin Van Loon; and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Cartoon Introduction to Economics, Volume One: Microeconomics</i>
(2010) and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Volume Two: Macroeconomics</i>
(2011) by Yoram Bauman, Ph.D., and Grady Klein. <span style="background-color: #ffe599;">While some of these graphic
textbooks can be used (and have been used) to teach undergraduates <span style="color: purple;">the quality
of the scholarship in other graphic textbooks currently being published is
uneven.</span> I believe that this <span style="color: black;">inconsistency in
scholarship should not be seen as a detriment, but rather as an opportunity.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Topics for
Discussion<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="color: purple;"><span style="background-color: #ffe599;">Your participation is greatly appreciated. Please understand that
whatever is posted here may end up in my dissertation and/or future writings on
this subject. If you do not wish to be included then do not post anything.
Thank you!</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="color: purple;"><span style="background-color: #ffe599;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="background-color: white; color: black;">Questions
or concerns regarding this research may be addresses to dissertation advisor,
Dr. Candace Stout at stout.127@osu.edu, or Brian Kane at kane.112@osu.edu. For
questions about your rights as a participant in this study or to discuss other
study-related concerns or complaints with someone who is not part of the
research team, you may contact Ms. Sandra Meadows in the Office of Responsible
Research Practices at 1-800-678-6251.).</span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="color: purple;"><span style="background-color: #ffe599;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0hv-oS5jgXHBkxTBmrracxT8w_UToKVhwtNxvqEOvdmVgScfPQym4DPDSdT-91pEiCjCwVc_d9dYwdqxQXSEa_PQmMsH0yCw96XZJuT3tNwIELxcGD0q3lwOCIfBuoHwpD6Gah4qbcqs/s1600/stuffoflife.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0hv-oS5jgXHBkxTBmrracxT8w_UToKVhwtNxvqEOvdmVgScfPQym4DPDSdT-91pEiCjCwVc_d9dYwdqxQXSEa_PQmMsH0yCw96XZJuT3tNwIELxcGD0q3lwOCIfBuoHwpD6Gah4qbcqs/s1600/stuffoflife.jpg" /></a><span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">1) While I would <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">consider
The Stuff of Life: A Graphic Guide to Genetics and DNA</i> by Mark Schultz,
Zander Cannon, and Kevin Cannon appropriate for Honor and Advanced Placement
High School students, neither Mark nor I consider it suitable for college-level
students because of the lack of academic rigor that went into its production.
Other than the books listed above, what other undergraduate-level graphic
textbooks should be added to the list and why?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">2) What standards (checks and balances) need to exist in order to
guarantee the academic credibility of graphic textbooks?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">3) Once academic standards are established how do we convince
publishers to adopt them? What would be the protocols for peer review of
graphic textbooks?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
bmkane112http://www.blogger.com/profile/10352439174601808723noreply@blogger.com5