Comics, Colonialism and Images of Empire

When Jean de Brunhoff published The Story of Babar in 1931, he helped lend visual form to a colonial “civilizing mission” with the seemingly simple tale of an orphaned elephant. Just a year earlier, the Belgian George Rémi (Hergé) published Tintin in the Congo, which included notoriously racist caricatures, and then Tintin in America, which was controversial for its sympathetic portrayal of native Americans. Beyond noting the engagement of comics in issues of caricature, stereotype and representation, how might we understand the broad translation and dissemination of comics throughout the French and British empires? How do these visual media translate when adapted in former French and British colonies?

Our class will address debates in the dynamics of cross-cultural representation and explore how comics provide a particular optic for the analysis of colonialism. We will investigate civilizational discourse as pertains to stereotypes, physiognomy, caricature and humor, and also to the place of comics within literary culture. Our discussions will draw from critical essays on the emergent field of comic studies as well as representative texts, cultural commentary and films dealing with the emergence of this graphic form. No prior knowledge of the field is required, but each student will be expected to participate actively in this reading and writing intensive seminar and to work over the term on a final project.

Satisfies General Education Requirements:

• Group-Satisfying: Arts and Letters
• Multicultural Courses: Identity, Pluralism, and Tolerance (IP)