Skip to main content
Social Sci LibreTexts

2.6: Comic-Related Lesson Ideas

  • Page ID
    81170
  • \( \newcommand{\vecs}[1]{\overset { \scriptstyle \rightharpoonup} {\mathbf{#1}} } \) \( \newcommand{\vecd}[1]{\overset{-\!-\!\rightharpoonup}{\vphantom{a}\smash {#1}}} \)\(\newcommand{\id}{\mathrm{id}}\) \( \newcommand{\Span}{\mathrm{span}}\) \( \newcommand{\kernel}{\mathrm{null}\,}\) \( \newcommand{\range}{\mathrm{range}\,}\) \( \newcommand{\RealPart}{\mathrm{Re}}\) \( \newcommand{\ImaginaryPart}{\mathrm{Im}}\) \( \newcommand{\Argument}{\mathrm{Arg}}\) \( \newcommand{\norm}[1]{\| #1 \|}\) \( \newcommand{\inner}[2]{\langle #1, #2 \rangle}\) \( \newcommand{\Span}{\mathrm{span}}\) \(\newcommand{\id}{\mathrm{id}}\) \( \newcommand{\Span}{\mathrm{span}}\) \( \newcommand{\kernel}{\mathrm{null}\,}\) \( \newcommand{\range}{\mathrm{range}\,}\) \( \newcommand{\RealPart}{\mathrm{Re}}\) \( \newcommand{\ImaginaryPart}{\mathrm{Im}}\) \( \newcommand{\Argument}{\mathrm{Arg}}\) \( \newcommand{\norm}[1]{\| #1 \|}\) \( \newcommand{\inner}[2]{\langle #1, #2 \rangle}\) \( \newcommand{\Span}{\mathrm{span}}\)\(\newcommand{\AA}{\unicode[.8,0]{x212B}}\)

    I

    What is the relationship between the narrative of a typical comic book and the historical narrative of a textbook? What about the pseudo-historical narrative of a meta-comic book like The Watchmen?

    Potential assignment: chose a “superhero” comic book from the library, and compare the depiction of the villain in that narrative to a “villain” in your textbook.

    II

    Evil is often portrayed in fiction narratives in a manner that parallels evil in historical narratives—e.g., “HYDRA” in the Marvel universe (esp. Captain America) is a Nazi organization with a Hitler-esque leader, “Red Skull”—so are there examples of the opposite process occurring (historical narratives mimicking fiction)?

    Potential assignment: consider the characteristics of the villain in your favourite Marvel film, and compare those characteristics to a negative depiction—in an article, blog, series of tweets, vlog, etc.—of a prominent, contemporary figure (e.g., Trump, Trudeau, Notley, etc.). Identify the similarities between these two constructions of “villains.”

    (Created by Aaron Thacker, 2018)


    This page titled 2.6: Comic-Related Lesson Ideas is shared under a CC BY-NC 4.0 license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by Aaron Thacker (Open Education Alberta) via source content that was edited to the style and standards of the LibreTexts platform; a detailed edit history is available upon request.