How did I think up the idea for this class? I was greatly inspired by these volumes edited by George Kovacs and C.W. Marshall for the main concept, but the structure of the course rose out of my interest in the ancient works themselves and how they have impacted our understanding of narrative in western thought.
The Trojan War cycle has influenced our way of telling stories since Homer's time, and I am particularly fascinated by the way the story has been adapted by different media. Because comics (or graphic novels or sequential art) is a form that breaks down the components of storytelling into units, both textual and visual, the medium provides us with a remarkable opportunity to understand these stories on a molecular level.
In future blog posts I hope to explore not only individual works of sequential art that adapt classical stories or explore classical themes, but to present different ideas I am exploring in my own research on classical reception, which delves into subjects as varied as popular films, political propaganda, and visual and literary art.
If there is something that you are particularly interested in, let me know and I will explore it!