Course Structure

Each week the course will have two live meetings (Monday and Wednesday evenings Central European Time); additional material will be delivered asynchronously.

Week 1 - Introduction to the Concepts

July 6-10

Introduction to the basic concepts of sequential art using Scott McCloud's Understanding Comics. In-depth reading and discussion of our primary source text: The Odyssey by Homer.

Week 2 - Direct Adaptation: Homer's Odyssey and Infinite Horizon

July 13-17

Exploration of the wide range of adaptations of Homer's Odyssey in different media, from ancient artworks to modern TV and film. Particular focus on Duggan and Noto's Infinite Horizon, a version of the Odysseus narrative in a post-apocalyptic setting.

Week 3 - Multiple-source Adaptation: Iphigenia at Aulis and Shanower's Age of Bronze

July  20-24

Focus on the broader context of the Trojan War, its sources both archaeological and textual, and the impact of this cycle on western storytelling. A close look at the episode of Iphigenia at Aulis as constructed in Eric Shanower's Age of Bronze.

Week 4 - Complex Inspiration: The Oresteia and Neil Gaiman's Sandman series

July 27-31

Examination of the power of contrasting narratives by examining the outcomes presented in both Aeschylus' Oresteia and Neil Gaiman's The Kindly Ones. Discussion of the ways classical mythology influences the construction of modern popular narratives in sequential art.