SPARK follows cartoon artist and rap musician Keith Knight as he peddles his strip the K Chronicles at a massive comic convention. This Educator Guide explores the history and form of the cartoon.
Surveys a range of comic texts from different media, the cultures that produced them, and various theories of comedy. Authors and directors studied may include Aristophanes, Shakespeare, MoliSre, Austen, and Chaplin. This is a second variation of the course. It includes a survey of a range of comic texts from different media, the cultures that produced them, and various theories of comedy. Authors studied include Twain, Wilde, Shakespeare, and Cervantes. Like other communications-intensive courses in the humanities, arts, and social sciences, it allows the student to produce a long writing assignment, in addition to several shorter pieces; it also offers substantial opportunities for oral expression, through student-led discussion, class reports, and class participation.
This course looks at comedy in drama, novels, and films from Classical Greece to the twentieth century. Focusing on examples from Aristophanes, Shakespeare, Cervantes, Molière, Wilde, Chaplin, and Billy Wilder, along with theoretical contexts, the class examines comedy as a transgressive mode with revolutionary social and political implications. This is a Communications Intensive (CI) class with emphasis on discussion, and frequent, short essays.
