CHID 250 D: Special Topics: Introduction to the History of Ideas

THE POLITICS OF WEIRDNESS IN COMICS (VLPA, I&S) - WHILE WEIRDNESS IN COMICS IS NOTHING NEW, THE ILLUSTRATED WORKS WE WILL READ ARE EXPLICIT IN THEIR EXPLORATION OF A RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN FORMAL EXPERIMENTATION AND CULTURAL DIFFERENCE. IN EVERY CASE, THE EXPLORATION OF BIZARRE FORMS AND FIGURES MARKS A DEEPER RESISTANCE TO EXISTING CODES OF REPRESENTATION AND READING. OUR TIME WILL BE BALANCED BETWEEN CRITICAL READING AND DEBATE ABOUT THE DEEPER MEANING OR EFFECTS OF ALL THIS WEIRDNESS AND MORE CREATIVE EXERCISES INSPIRED BY OUR DISCUSSIONS.