Syllabus (where did this word even come from?)

I enrolled in this course because Richard Hull told our class we should. And I knew I needed to carry 6 credits for the Spring term to qualify for my scholarship. And I knew Jared was teaching it, so those three things added up to me, well, adding the class.

I definitely want to improve my knowledge of comic books and graphic novels, but that is just so broad itself I almost don't know where to start... I don't know if I would ever get to the point where I'm an avid collector (it takes a lot of thinking and effort for me to commit to new hobbies and projects), but I figure that becoming familiar with this form of media is a far more interesting and entertaining way of being connected to current trends in society, politics and psychology.

What interests me the most about comics is probably what interests me the most in movies, television and books:
- What does it take to make a great story? How "original" to you have to be to be original?
- What's the best way to tell a story (verbally and visually)?
- What place do editing and censorship have in the storytelling process--how can I tell a powerful story without sacrificing standards?
- How do we reinforce certain standards and ideals to the masses?

I really want to see how these kind of things are addressed and ignored in the comics of today. I also want to see how someone who may be unfamiliar with the world of "traditional" comics handles the stories and treatments of a project (i.e. Neil Gaiman and Orson Scott Card). I'm always coming up with scenes and stories and ideas, but I never seem to get them fully realized. I need to learn how before my brain explodes.

I want to be informed. And then, if I am able, I want to make a difference.

(P.S. I was there with Chad at the comic book store, and the two of us two of us definitely were out of our element. I wonder how, and if, that will change over the course of the term.)