Comics and Civic Engagement

English 1102, Comics and Civic Engagement
Spring 2018
Professor: Leah Misemer

Project Description:

Students in Dr. Leah Misemer’s English 1102 “Comics and Civic Engagement” first year writing class, created original comics about issues related to urban development in Atlanta and experimentations combining image and text where students practiced creativity as a skill.

Based on the increasing use of comics in a number of venues from public health to social justice and anthropology to psychology, key questions for the course included, “How does comics’ alchemical combination of text and image lend itself to discussions of social problems and their solutions, particularly regarding urban development?” and “How can you use comics to engage members of your community?”

Throughout the course, students explored the multiple ways that images and text can work together by analyzing comics about the city and experimenting with various combinations of image and text in journal entries, sketchnotes, posters, visual annotations, and finally, comics.

Students experimented with these techniques and creative methods in workshops with local artists, Ashley Schick and Sarah Neuburger.