English 108A: The Superhero – Fall 2021 – Syllabus
Instructor: Toben Racicot
Contact: tsracico@uwaterloo.ca
Office hours: Mondays and Wednesdays 1pm-2pm, on Zoom
Courses in the Time of COVID
Like all undergraduate courses at Waterloo in Fall 2021, ENGL 108A is offered only in an online and asynchronous version. This is university policy. Taking courses in this way creates some obvious challenges, and I want to help you work through those challenges as the semester proceeds. So please take advantage of the various means of contacting me – discussion boards, email, and office hours on Zoom – and let us know how things are going. We all have to get used to this different way of doing things, and we want to stress that I’m interested in working with the new methods, not in spite of them. In some ways, remote online classes allow you a scheduling freedom you simply can’t get with regular in-person classes, and that alone should prove a benefit to some of you.
This is s semester of both challenges and opportunities. Let’s make the most of it.
Course Objectives
The purpose of this course is to introduce students to concepts of the heroic in two veins: the adapted hero, prominent in the rise of the MCU and other successful adaptations; and superheroes as figures of BIPOC & EDI in society. Students will explore contemporary themes and issues in superhero culture in a mix of both mainstream and indie comic book series. In addition to analysis of heroes, this course will instruct students in the basics of how comic books function as a medium and their unique ability to portray visual stories. By the end of the term, students will have the necessary vocabulary and methodology to analyze comics and superheroes from multiple perspectives and understand how superheroes influence contemporary culture.
Required Readings
All texts are provided on Learn. The breakdown for each week’s readings is provided on Learn under the Content tab.
Assignments
Note: All assignments are to be submitted to the appropriate Dropbox on Learn, unless otherwise specified in the assignment details. Full assignment details will be posted on Learn throughout the semester well in advance of each due date.
Assignment A (10%): Brainstorm Boards, 250-400 words each – These discussion board collaborations will be facilitated on Learn. They occur twice throughout the semester, once before each unit’s essay. In groups, you will outline what you plan to write about, give and receive feedback to those in your group. This will function as a proof that you’ve read the material and demonstrated critical thinking; they will be in lieu of peer review.
Assignment B (25%): A 1500-word critical analysis using a topic from Weeks 001-005.
Assignment C (25%): A 1500-word critical analysis using a topic form Weeks 006-010.
Assignment D (30%): Do whatever you want as long as it’s about superheroes/comic books.
Assignment E (10%): Persuasive Comic Recommendation, 500 words each – This paper functions as a Show-and-Tell where you will recommend to the class a comic, manga, webcomic, etc. that everyone should read.
Schedule
Sep 08 – Introduction; Syllabus | Gilgamesh
Sep 13 – BIPOC & EDI Comics | Excellence
Sep 20 – Culture, Social Justice, and ComicsGate | Ultimate Comics Spider-Man
Sep 27 – Feminism in Comics | Ms. Marvel
Oct 4 – Disability in Comics | Extremity | Moon Knight
Oct 11 – No Class – Fall Reading Week
Oct 18 – Heroism in Action | Captain America Winter Soldier
Oct 25 – Adaptation::Movies | Captain America The Winter Soldier
Nov 1 – The Everyman | Scott Pilgrim’s Precious Little Life
Nov 8 – Adaptation::Games | Scott Pilgrim vs The World: The Game
Nov 15 – Adapting Myth | Fullmetal Alchemist
Nov 22 – The Superpower of Comics | Seven To Eternity
Nov 29 – Now Go and Create | Crown & Anchor | Emulator | Pilgrim’s Dirge
|
Schedule |
Theory Reading |
Comic Book/Media |
|---|---|---|
|
Sep 08 – Introduction; Syllabus |
It Started with Gilgamesh |
Myths & Legends: Gilgamesh |
|
Sep 13 – BIPOC & EDI Comics |
Diversity and Marginalization |
Excellence |
|
Sep 20 – Culture, Social Justice, and ComicsGate |
Fear of a Black Spider-Man |
Ultimate Comics Spider-Man |
|
Sep 27 – Feminism in Comics |
Empowered and Strong |
Ms. Marvel |
|
Oct 4 – Disability in Comics |
Disability in Comic Books and Graphic Narratives Sane Superheroes |
Extremity | Moon Knight |
|
Oct 11 – No Class – Fall Reading Week |
||
|
Oct 18 – Heroism in Action |
Literary Adaptations in Comics |
Captain America Winter Soldier |
|
Oct 25 – Adaptation::Movies |
America, Nostalgia, and Exceptionalism |
Captain America The Winter Soldier |
|
Nov 1 – The Everyman |
Understanding Comics Ch 1 |
Scott Pilgrim’s Precious Little Life |
|
Nov 8 – Adaptation::Games |
Understanding Comics Ch 2 |
Scott Pilgrim vs The World: The Game |
|
Nov 15 – Adapting Myth |
Understanding Comics Ch 3 |
Fullmetal Alchemist |
|
Nov 22 – The Superpower of Comics |
Understanding Comics Ch 4 |
Seven To Eternity |
|
Nov 29 – Now Go and Create |
Words for Pictures |
Crown & Anchor | Emulator | Pilgrim’s Dirge |
Regrading Policy
Unfortunately, the schedule will not allow for a revision period for each major assignment. Each assignment is designed to require a small workload and have a balanced weight in the overall scale of term. Therefore, I will not do any regrading of assignments. If I do math wrong, which happens, I will correct my error, but no assignments will be regraded. As a final note, there will be opportunities for bonus marks throughout the semester, so if you need a little boost, stay tuned for that.
Late Policy / Extension Policy
Rather than give out late marks, I’d much prefer to give extensions. I know everyone is busy, schooling during a pandemic is tricky, which is why I ask that you communicate your needs early in order to: a) develop professional communication practices, and b) I don’t want to give out late marks. I’d much rather have the lesson you learn be that you contact me early than try to crunch in more work and suffer. So please, ask early, I will not say no to giving an extension.
Email Contact Policy
I am on email from 9am to 9pm, I have it open all day. I will not respond outside of those hours. Additionally, I do not answer emails on Sundays. So again, please contact me early and with enough time for me to respond. Thank you!
Territorial Acknowledgement
We acknowledge that we are living and working on the traditional territory of the Attawandaron (also known as Neutral), Anishinaabe and Haudenosaunee peoples. The University of Waterloo is situated on the Haldimand Tract, the land promised to the Six Nations that includes six miles on each side of the Grand River.
Academic Integrity
Academic Integrity: In order to maintain a culture of academic integrity, members of the University of Waterloo are expected to promote honesty, trust, fairness, respect and responsibility. See the UWaterloo Academic Integritity webpage and the Arts Academic Integrity webpage for more information.
Discipline: A student is expected to know what constitutes academic integrity, to avoid committing academic offences, and to take responsibility for his/her actions. A student who is unsure whether an action constitutes an offence, or who needs help in learning how to avoid offences (e.g., plagiarism, cheating) or about “rules” for group work/collaboration should seek guidance from the course professor, academic advisor, or the Undergraduate Associate Dean. When misconduct has been found to have occurred, disciplinary penalties will be imposed under Policy 71 – Student Discipline. For information on categories of offenses and types of penalties, students should refer to Policy 71 - Student Discipline. For typical penalties check Guidelines for the Assessment of Penalties.
Grievance: A student who believes that a decision affecting some aspect of his/her university life has been unfair or unreasonable may have grounds for initiating a grievance. Read Policy 70 - Student Petitions and Grievances, Section 4. When in doubt, please be certain to contact the department’s administrative assistant who will provide further assistance.
Appeals: A decision made or penalty imposed under Policy 70 - Student Petitions and
Grievances (other than a petition) or Policy 71 - Student Discipline may be appealed if there is a ground. A student who believes he/she has a ground for an appeal should refer to Policy 72 - Student Appeals.
Accommodation for Students with Disabilities
Note for students with disabilities: The AccessAbility Services office, located on the first floor of the Needles Hall extension (1401), collaborates with all academic departments to arrange appropriate accommodations for students with disabilities without compromising the academic integrity of the curriculum. If you require academic accommodations to lessen the impact of your disability, please register with the AS office at the beginning of each academic term.