The Art of Storytelling

Epic Asian tales such as India’s Bhagavad-Gita, Iran’s Shahnameh, and China’s Xiyouji have inspired artists for centuries and continue to capture the imaginations of comic book artists today. In this seminar we will delve into the Asian classics and their many painted, sculpted, and printed interpretations in order to understand why artists depicted these compelling narratives in such drastically different ways. In short papers, we will explore themes including racial identity, gender roles, and social hierarchies. For the final project students will create their own one-shot comic based on an Asian short story or folktale. 3 hrs. sem.