Overview
The Comics and Graphic Narrative minor is offered through Parsons School of Design.
This minor is dedicated to the study and creation of stories using text and image. The tradition of graphic narrative includes the comic strip; the graphic novel and its precursors; and forms of theatrical presentation, including the illustrated broadside,
toy theater, and picture recitation. Graphic narrative spans the fields of documentary and reportage, fiction, autobiography, and educational instruction. In the minor, students are encouraged to initiate and visualize their own stories through the
use of hand or computer-supported techniques.
The Comics and Graphic Narrative minor requires successful completion of 18 credits across four subject areas, as outlined in the chart below. Please note that PSAM 1040, Reading Graphic Novels, is required of all students intending to complete this minor.
Course availability may vary from semester to semester. Some courses may be in development and offered at a later time. Students seeking to pursue alternative coursework to fulfill the minor should consult with their advisors.
Curriculum
| Subject Area | Sample Courses | Credits |
|---|
| Composition |
| 3 |
| Creative Process and Critique |
| 0–3
Students who have already completed one of these courses, or will do so for their major, should instead select another course in the subject area Text-Image Projects and Publications (below). |
| History/Theory |
| 3 |
| Text-Image Projects and Publications |
(Journalism/Investigation and Utopia/Dystopia)
| 9–12 |
Learning Outcomes
A student who has completed this minor should be able to demonstrate
- Understanding of the history, theory, and practice of text-image works across several cultures
- Understanding of the creative iterative process, including the critique of one's own work and that of peers
- Competence in the composition of images and text for fiction and reportage projects
- Competence in realizing a self-initiated text-image project from research through design to reproduction
- Strength and experience in a variety of publishing and distribution systems
Eligibility
For questions regarding this minor's curriculum, including requests for course substitutions, please contact Ben Katchor, associate professor of illustration, at [email protected].
How to Declare or Change a Minor
General guidelines for declaring a minor are available here. Current students can declare or change a minor by logging in toÌý, clicking on the Academics tab,
and then clicking on the link to Major/Minor Declarations.
Ìý