This document provides an overview and syllabus for an English course titled "The Visual World" that focuses on academic writing and the use of comics and graphic novels. The course utilizes comics to investigate intellectual problems across disciplines. Students will write four major essays drawing from various disciplines and create their own non-fiction comic for the final project. They will analyze comics, create case studies of memories, compare representing events through different mediums, and present their work. The course emphasizes participation, group work, blogging, and creating comics to enhance understanding of writing craft and critical thinking.

1. English 110: The Visual World
www.coursesite.com
Fall 2011
Section: Office: Klapper 346
Instructor: Scott Henkle T-Th: 10:15-12:05
Classroom: HH 08 Office Hours: Th. 12-1
Overview:
Writing is hard enough. But writing and drawing? When a comic/graphic novel artist
sets about engaging an issue (whether that is a fictional story, as in Jimmy Corrigan, or a
memoir, as in Persepolis, or a history, as in The 9/11 Report: A Graphic Adaptation) they engage
their subject from multiple fronts simultaneously. They must be aware not just of what they
write, but how what they write interacts with other elements on the page, in the chapter, in the
book. As writers (of graphic novels, yes, but also as writers of prose of any kind), we can find
language is enriched by engaging in non-traditional forms of writing. When we read and write in
other forms, that is, we can’t help but think about, interrogate the conventions of, and improve
our own more traditional essays.
The focus of this course is academic writing. This course will also not limit itself to the
study of literature, but rather will be one which utilizes the complex and variegated comic form
to its fullest: we will investigate and grapple with cross discipline intellectual problems via the
increasing number and kind of non-fiction comics. To that end, we will use comics not just to
think about fiction writing, but to think about science writing, journalism, scholarly texts, and
historical writing. In the course you will write four major essays drawing upon these and other
disciplines.
Finally, this course posits that a critical and practical understanding of comics can prove
useful to all of us in our study of writing. While most of the writing in the course will be text-
based, our last project in the course will be the creation of a non-fiction comic of your own.
While no artistic skill is required for this course, short image-based elements will be involved in
each unit.
BEFORE WE BEGIN: This course will involve both writing and a good deal of working with
various electronic media, including wikis, blogs, electronic submission of work,
video/photography, and graphic design. This class assumes little about your ability with any of
these, but getting familiar with them is a requirement of the course.
ALSO NOTE: This course will involve several group projects which are critical to success, and
are required for a passing grade.
(INTRUCTORS PLEASE NOTE THAT THE FOLLOWING NOTE IS ONLY TO BE
INCLUDED IF THE COURSE IS LINKED): LASTLY: Remember before we begin that the
linked nature of this course means that should you need to drop this or your other courses, you
will need to drop all your linked courses. If you find yourself falling behind in this or your other
linked courses, recognize the problem and contact me immediately.

2. Course Goals/Learning Objectives:
Students who complete English 110 will be able to:
• Develop an awareness of the craft, rhetoric, and process of writing.
• Identify strengths and weaknesses in their writing and articulate strategies for
improvement.
• Adapt the elements of writing--including thesis, audience, motive, evidence, analysis, and
structure--to a variety of writing contexts.
• Read critically and write fluently in a variety of genres, including the following
possibilities in print and digital media: argumentative essays, narrative essays,
ethnographic essays, case studies, blogs, letters to the editor, or wiki pages.
• Understand the guidelines for a variety of assignments and to respond to these guidelines
with imagination and ingenuity.
• Articulate how rhetoric and ideas work together to produce meaning.
• Revise and edit their work effectively.
• Demonstrate a proficiency in methods of research and documentation, including the
evaluation of secondary sources, annotation, integration of quotations, and proper citation
according to a discipline appropriate guideline (such as MLA, APA, or Chicago).
• Recognize the conventions and methods of various disciplines in the liberal arts and
sciences.
• Make connections with other courses in terms of both content and methods of critical
inquiry.
Required Materials:
All materials for this course will be found on the course website, hosted on QWriting. In order
to access the materials, you will need to register and then log in using your Queens College email
account. If you have questions, email me or (preferably), check http://help.qwriting.org/
Assignments:
READING: While almost all texts will be online or given to you via the class wiki or blog, the
reading load for this course is still heavy and quite sophisticated. Be prepared to read up to 100
pages a week, and to be able to write and speak about them in class and during online
discussions and writings. Most Thursdays will also involve an in-class essay dealing with the

3. week’s readings.
BLOG ASSIGNMENTS/DISCUSSION: Once per week you will be required to post a response
of approximately 250-500 words, as well as a one or two paragraph comment on a classmate’s
earlier response. These will be due by 8pm the night before class (generally Monday), and are
critical to your grade. We will use them to generate our in-class discussion, and they will also
make up a portion of your participation for the course. For the first few weeks I will give you
prompts to help generate your responses, though eventually you will work them out on your
own. Check the class page after every session. I will generally post the assignment for the
next meeting in the hour AFTER class.
Project #1 (4pp.) DUE DATE:
In his book Understanding Comics, Scott McCloud provides the vocabulary for the comic
maker’s art, and shows in detail how the comic book artist makes his or her work. In addition,
because most of the comics that we read this term will be ‘alternative’ or ‘unusual’ in some way,
it is imperative that we establish what “comic” meant before it (and its public perception) was
radically changed by artists like Will Eisner, R. Crumb and Art Spiegleman. Your assignment is
to analyze one standard comic using the language of these authors. The goal of this paper is not
to create an argument, but rather to show how the qualities of comic books are embodied in your
work.
PROJECT TWO (7-10 pp). DUE DATE:
Our memory, many would argue, is not primarily verbal, but visual: in Alison Bechdel’s
FunHome we see her memory shifting constantly between things she saw, things she couldn’t
have seen, and things that she only knows about from reading. Using Bechdel’s book as a
stepping-off point for larger issues surrounding memory, the question this paper will attempt to
answer is: how much do we know about what we know?
Your task for this project is to create a six to seven page “case study” of one of your own
memories (or a related set of memories). This case study will include several components, each
of which we will treat as its own assignment (you will receive a prompt for each assignment in
class), written over several class periods. The final project will include each of these
components, collected into a portfolio, including a transcript of a memory, a story board version
of the memory, an interview, an analysis, and a critical conclusion.
PROJECT THREE (5-7 pp.) DUE DATE:
Satrapi has suggested that ‘I cannot take the idea of a man cut into pieces and just write it. It
would not be anything but cynical. That’s why I drew it” (Chute 102). There is a suggestion here
that drawing allows Satrapi something more than ‘just’ writing might. At the same time, Satrapi
is not only a visual artist: her books are dependent upon words. Still, it’s a question worth
asking: are some forms of representing terrible events more effective than others? Of course,
the likelihood is that the answer will not be clear cut, and that you’ll find yourself discussing
such concepts as historical-truth, emotional-truth, and what Tim O’Brien called ‘story truth.’
FINAL PROJECT:
We would be remiss if we spent this entire term talking about graphic novels and never
made one ourselves. This final project requires you to create a 5 page non-fiction graphic work.

4. If you are so inclined, you are more than welcome to draw or otherwise hand-create your work.
For most students, however, using a digital camera and a comic-book making program such as
‘Comic Life’ will be the simplest solution.
Additionally, the project will require a short (3pp) essay in which you summarize your
findings for the course, and consider how making your own comic retroactively affects your
reading of the other graphic works you’ve encountered this term.
Finally, each student will present his or her work to the class digitally on the last day of the
term.
Policies:
PARTICIPATION: More than with most courses, class participation is critical to passing this
course. This means talking in class, of course, but also being prepared, demonstrating that you
are prepared, participating in peer work, group activities, in-class writing, etc. Read, be ready to
speak, speak intelligently (or earnestly) at least once per class session, and your participation will
be satisfactory. Quizzes will be given frequently to reinforce the need for preparedness. This
cannot be stressed enough: attending all classes, turning in all works on time, and demonstrating
commitment to your writing in the course, is the only sure way to receive an A. Lateness,
absence and incomplete assignments will make a high grade impossible.
ATTENDANCE: Given the emphasis on group work and participation in this course, attendance
is critical. This structure makes it impossible to become adept with the material if you miss class,
and thus there are NO excused absences from the course: should you miss more than two classes
for any reason it will count against your final participation grade. Do not expect to miss more
than two classes without penalty, do not expect to pass the course after four absences. No in-
class work will be made up. In addition, if you are more than ten minutes late to class, it will
count as an absence. Lastly, any use of cell-phones or other electronic devices in class will result
in your being asked to leave the room, constituting an absence.
NOTE: This may constitute your only warning regarding attendance and lateness
policies. If you consistently miss or are late to class you will have to recognize that your
participation grade will be lowered and/or consider dropping the course.
PEER REVIEW: Peer review is critical to the writing process. Missing or bringing no writing to
a peer review day will result in a one half grade deduction from the final project grade.
LATE PAPERS: No late assignments will be accepted, excepting the final project, which will be
penalized one full letter grade each day that it is late, including days on which the class does not
meet. This means the final paper will not be accepted at all after one week of lateness.
In addition, nearly all assignments will be submitted electronically, either via email or
posted to our course page, therefore it is critical you do not assume anything sent to me is
turned in until you have heard from me. A late project can be late even if you’ve hit ‘send,’
and it can be late even if you have a printout indicating you hit send at a particular time. It can
also be late due to technical problems which are not your fault—be sure to complete your work
with enough time to contact me if any problem surfaces, so that we can fix it before the deadline.
PLAGIARISM: Plagiarism is the act of presenting another person’s ideas, research or writings as

5. your own. All acts of plagiarism will be recommended to the Queens College administration and
are punishable by failing grades, suspension, and expulsion. At the very least plagiarism will
result in the failure of this course.
WIKI/BLOG: The course wiki will be a place to post assignments, post blogs, communicate with
one another, distribute readings etc. You will receive an invitation to join the class blog. Any
readings that are not directly linked to will be distributed on the page, and will need to be
downloaded, printed and brought to class from there. In addition, you should check it after
every class for changes to the assignment or other announcements.
WRITING CENTER: Located in Kiely Hall 229, tutors there are trained to help you revise your
writing at various stages. If you believe you need additional help with your writing, or if I ask
you to set up a regular meeting with a tutor, you should make an appointment at least one week
prior to when an assignment is due. You can also get online help by visiting their website at
http://qcpages.qc.edu/qcwsw.
SPECIAL ACCOMODATION: If you have a learning, sensory, or physical reason for special
accommodation in this class, contact the Office of Special Services in 171 Kiely Hall at 718-997-
5870 and please inform me.
Grading:
Participation (includes attendance, peer-review, in-class assignment, and blogging): 30%
Project #1: 15%
Project #2: 20%
Project #3: 20%
Final Project: 15%
Errata:
• Writing must be double-spaced, standard 12 point font. If you are turning in a hard copy
of an piece of writing, be sure to staple it. Any writing sent electronically should be sent
as an MS Word .doc or .docx, attachment which clearly states your name and the
assignment (remember that I get many essays, and if they are all titled ‘essay 2,’ things
get complicated).
• Essays must be in MLA format
• Essays may need to be submitted in multiple copies as I will indicate
• Type the name of this course into the subject line of all email to me. Consider a more
professional email address if yours is unrecognizable as your own, to avoid confusion.
Tentative Schedule
Date Reading Assignment

6. UNIT ONE
Week 1 Introduction, Diagnostic (‘worst
day ever’ story)
accept site invitation
- Create and Personalize your page (under
'Student pages' to the left).
-Post a link to at least two favorite websites (no
social networking sites, please) on your page.
Eisner Post Worst Day Ever Story
Weekly Writing Focus: Reading for Detail, Draft Generation,
Week 2 McCloud
3 ‘standard’ comics
Weekly Writing Focus: Text-Based Evidence for Multiple Positions
Week 3 None (draft due in class) Peer Review
Rewriting Strategies Handout Project One Due
Weekly Writing Focus: Revision, Responding to Others’ Writing
UNIT TWO
Week 4 Bechdel Draft of written version of memory
Speigleman
Weekly Writing Focus: ‘Scientific’ Writing (or, determining disciplinary expectations)
Week 5 Folman, Waltz With Bashir ‘storyboard’ version of memory
Waltz (film)
Weekly Writing Focus: Gathering Detail
Week 6 Lehrer, Proust was… Interview Due
Proust
Weekly Writing Focus: Moving from Evidence to Anlaysis

7. Week 7 Schacter Draft of complete projec tdue, peer review
Sacks Full Draft Due
Weekly Writing Focus: Revision with the Audience in Mind
Week 8
None (peer-review) 2nd
Full Draft Due
Weekly Writing Focus: Polishing, Self-Diagnosing Revision Needs
UNIT THREE
Week 9 After the Fact Draft Due
Obrien: How to Tell A True... Paper Three Due
Weekly Writing Focus: Reading for Evidence
Week 10 Gourevitch: We Wish to Inform....
Hotel Rawanda
Weekly Writing Focus: Research Skills
Week 11 Iranian Fiction, ‘Neda Video Wins
Polk Award’
Satrapi (recap)
Weekly Writing Focus: Including Research into Essays (Quotation, Citation, Use)
Week 12 9/11 Commision Report: A
Graphic Adaptation
Presentations
‘9/11 Digital Archive’
http://911digitalarchive.org/
Presentations, Project Three Due
Weekly Writing Focus: Works Cited Pages
UNIT FOUR

8. Week 13 Ware
American Born Chinese
Weekly Writing Focus: Style
Week 14 Pekar
Weekly Writing Focus: Developing Topics and Arguments
Week 15 None Final Presentations
None Final Presentations/ Final Project Due