phd comics thesis committee

Culture doesn't fit in a box. Neither do we.

Comics Academe: How To Write a Comics Dissertation

Out there, somewhere, is a woman who writes about comics who wants to turn that writing to a comics dissertation or thesis, or at least I sure hope there is! The field is wide open and ready for more. For the uninitiated, a dissertation or thesis is the long essay or project that serves as the capstone for most advanced degrees (especially doctoral degrees) in the sciences and humanities. There is some degree of coursework or class-type work in most programs, but this is the project that determines whether or not you earn the degree. The nature and form of these projects has been  under debate in recent years , but the actual production of some object that concludes the PhD remains a constant. The internet has worked alongside the fast-moving and collaborative nature of digital scholarship in general to jolt the usually slow-to-change academic establishment. By making wide varieties of information more available to a wider public and expanding the possibilities of collaboration, digital forms of scholarship have disturbed the idea of authority. This idea of authority is what allows some group to grant a degree to someone else. You can see why this sort of debate can be disturbing!

What I’ll talk about most here is writing about comics in a dissertation as opposed to writing a dissertation as a comic. Be warned: the minute you start pairing talk of “comics” and “dissertation” people are going to assume you’re writing a comic. For some of you, this will be a fantastic way to go. If your committee has trouble imagining your dissertation as a comic, you might point out Nick Sousanis’s recently published comics dissertation Unflattening . His process bringing the dissertation into comics form is lovingly documented all over the internet by academics and comics people alike, such as here , here , and here . Such a precedent is wonderful to present to a wary committee. If their hesitation comes from fears that you won’t be taken seriously, it’s nice to have a publication from Harvard University Press to point out. Of course, you should listen to your committee, more on them in a moment.

I, personally, want to see more dissertations with/about/using comics in a variety of fields, and I want everyone to have a good time. So, I’m going to offer you some advice. This particular set of advice features an emphasis on surviving a comics-centric humanities-based academic endeavor. I’ve survived it. You can, too, Woman Who Wants to Write about Comics in a Dissertation.

Find Your Peers

If you want to use comics as your subject or a major player in your dissertation, you want find your comics-studying peers as quickly as you can. Especially if you are adding comics to some other academic field, you should start seeing out your comics-peers and comics study well before you are ready to dissertate. Don’t dive in half-ready. Besides doing diligent research on comics themselves, include a search for comics-related dissertations already around.

ComicsResearch.org maintains a list of comics-related dissertations and theses that anyone can access, but use the full power of your university library and databases to seek out a wide array of related projects before you begin your own. I can almost guarantee that you’ll learn something from the scope of the dissertations that have come before yours.

Extensive research before you begin in earnest can assuage what my friends call that feeling of “disencouragement” that comes when you find some work that looks a lot like your thing but not exactly like your thing. You want similar work that assures you you have something to add to an active conversation, not to find that you’re not as original as you thought! Doing this before you solidify your committee can help you figure out who you want on it, as well.

Find Your Committee/Pick Your Audience

The Dissertation Committee in most graduate programs is made of three or four senior scholars who already have the degree you are striving to earn. These people are the gatekeepers for your degree and the primary audience for your project. As such, it’s important to choose wisely. Not every program will have a faculty member that uses comics the same way you do in your work (some day I should write a post about choosing a graduate program).

The head of the committee (the head of your Voltron) is the most important member. You want someone who plays well with other faculty and who has the most depth of knowledge around the particular project you are creating. You want an organized person who answers your emails in a reasonable amount of time and gives you critical feedback. You want them to challenge you. The rest of the committee follows this person. Make sure they are game for the kind of project you are pitching! You want this person to be comfortable criticizing your work and giving you a bit of a hard time. That makes it better. You also want someone who can understand why your work is of value. That makes it better, too.

Committees are hard to put together anyway, but sometimes committees on comics projects can be extra difficult. In the United States, we struggle mightily with a stigma around comics that not only marks them as lowbrow, but in the 1950s, as anti-academic and even anti-American. Many of the people in academia ow grew up around these ideas. Don’t shout them down! Listen to their objections carefully. Take their advice. Make your project better than they expect it is possible to be.

Form a Writing Group

Support for your comics project can come from other areas, too. Your writing group might be gleaned from a group of fellow fans or people you find through social media who share an interest in your niche of the comics world. I found academic friends over at Sacred and Sequential who share my love of both comics and the study of religion. It was great having all these scholars to talk to during the process. Sometimes having confirmation that there are other people out there studying comics seriously was an incredible boost.

Push it FURTHER

Dissertations require an incredible amount of work; make it work that means something to you. Once you’ve done your review of the available literature, try to make your project do something other than what’s been done. Inevitably, you’re going to knock against other people doing this comics work, but the field is still so wide open that you’re also going to find yourself enjoying these brief moments of fellowship with other people who value this work.

We live in a delightful age of interdisciplinarity. The academy is noticing that fields that play well with others have much to offer the world. If you’re thinking, “I’m not getting a fine arts degree, how can I talk about comics in the field of X?”, let me give you an idea: My degree is a PhD in Religious and Theological Studies from a joint program between the University of Denver and the Iliff School of Theology. My concentration is in Biblical Interpretation. Nothing about this screams comics? Hold onto your hats! My dissertation is called “ Imagining the Scandal of the Cross with Graphic/Novel Reading . ” In this study, I read the crucifixion of Jesus through the lens of several modern comics that treat the idea in a range of provocative ways in order to breath life into an interpretation of the views of two New Testament authors. In short, I show how comics can help shake up biblical scholars when their imaginations are stuck.

I think there are plenty of other fields that could use this sort of a shake up in all kinds of ways. After all, if you can think it, there’s a comic about it. I see no reason why there can’t be a dissertation about it, too.  Because comics is still a newish field—maybe it’s not that new anymore, but the study of religion and the Bible is either, about 100, around 350, or maybe closer to 1700 years old, depending on how you’re counting. This kind of time gives fields the chance to become established in a way that comics studies is only beginning to enjoy in some places. But, comics studies has a youth that makes it nimble. We have a chance to make the conversation more than defensive and on into something truly meaningful—about the ways we tell our human stories to one another with text and pictures in whatever combination we please.

Don’t Give Up

In every dissertation process—every single one—there is at least one moment where you are going to feel like you are at the end of your writing-rope. Dissertations are painful. Be gentle with yourself. This process requires support from a network of people, some of whom you will know and some of whom you will only read. Draw strength from these people, both the living and the written. Understand yourself as a part of a community of scholars and writers.

If you’re writing a dissertation on comics or with comics or that is in any way comics-related, you’ll find other people can sometimes be a unique challenge. Instead of allowing these nay-sayers to control the conversation in your head, immerse yourself in the work of people who take these fantastic creations seriously, who find them worthy of critique. Find strength in the magic of comics. Let yourself feel a shiver occasionally when you recognize a moment of true invisible art .  Don’t give up. The rest of us need your work!

Dr. Elizabeth Coody completed her dissertation in May 2015. She loves her committee. However, she’s still not quite over the experience, and would like to do what she can to help those who follow.

Elizabeth Coody

Leave a reply cancel reply.

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed .

Related Posts

Previously on comics: we’ve lost trina robbins, and a study finds the comics industry kinda sucks, essay: the punk rock of geneviève castrée, wwac’s favorite small press comics of 2023.

• Style & Fashion
• Art & Design
• Roundtables
• Con Diaries
• Comics Academe

PhD Comics- Fun Things to PhD!

Doing a PhD is a tedious job we know it right. It is really a serious business to do and that is why it is designated as the highest level of honor in the education system. 

The era is of the internet, people are busy doing so much work and social media, rest of the time. Interestingly some people on the internet have created unique things related to PhD, a comic!

A PhD comic makes you laugh and you feel connected immediately because the things are somehow we had faced during our PhD. 

So let’s check out some good PhD Comics. 

Note: all these PhD comics are taken from the www.phdcomics.com . Their collection is incredible. All images are copyright to the phdcomics.

The first one is the marriage vs the PhD. 

The highlight of the comic is that, “foolish young people in love ended in marriage and foolish young people without a job ended in PhD.”

Marriage vs PhD

Average time spent composing one email: 

This one is a good punch. We should have to write an email with detail and also with “respect”, and our PhD supervisor replies in a single word. That happens to all.

Motivational level graph:

As we starts our PhD we are filled with motivations but as time passes the motivation goes down and frustration level increases.

Every one has faced this final.doc things! even after competing my PhD, i have so many Final.doc, finallll.doc, final01.doc and finallufinal.doc files on my laptop. See the comic:

World cup vs the PhD:

Your thesis committee:

Now this one is a catchy, “impossibly difficult group to get together in one room”. It is true. when we are facing viva none of the faculties have completely read our thesis and though they are giving us suggestions.

Moreover, all have different and opposite openions. but “the guru” is my favourite, only come to get cookies.

Ninja vs professors:

Your computer desktop

happening outside’

The origin of the thesis

Take it out:

Draft approved

Dr. Tushar Chauhan is a Scientist, Blogger and Scientific-writer. He has completed PhD in Genetics. Dr. Chauhan is a PhD coach and tutor.

Share this:

• Share on Facebook
• Share on Twitter
• Share on Pinterest
• Share on Linkedin
• Share via Email

About The Author

Dr Tushar Chauhan

Related posts.

PhD student- What Skills and Qualities One Should Acquire?

Current PhD programs at Stanford: 2020-21

Leave a comment cancel reply.

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

Notify me of follow-up comments by email.

Notify me of new posts by email.

A Comic Approach to Scholarly Inquiry

On a recent Monday afternoon, a group of students, faculty, and staff gathered in the UMass Amherst College of Education’s Montague House. Bolstered by cookies and an atmosphere of camaraderie, they held an informal “show and tell” session of their work, offering one another encouragement and help navigating challenges.

The gathering represented a diverse cross-section of departments at UMass, yet everyone present shared a common interest in exploring an obscure—yet rapidly growing—research method known as comics-based research (CBR). CBR can be used to plan, conduct, and disseminate research, and can be applied to virtually any academic discipline. 

With an eye toward building a supportive creative scholarly community and growing capacity for CBR, Sally Pirie , professor of child and family studies in the UMass Amherst College of Education, launched the CBR Lab in December 2023. 

Pirie is a CBR trailblazer—one of the very first scholars to publish comics-based research with her book series, Shane, the Lone Ethnographer (Rowman & Littlefield, Routledge), first published in 2007. She is an award-winning newspaper cartoonist—published in outlets including the Daily Hampshire Gazette and the weekly newspaper of her alma mater, Grinnell College—who earned a PhD from the University of Colorado Boulder. There, her dissertation chair encouraged her to integrate her artmaking with her academic research and life. Pirie went on to publish four scholarly books and numerous journal articles in comic form, and is committed to helping other researchers understand and use this methodology in their own work. 

What is Comics-Based Research?

As Pirie explains it, CBR is a subgenre of arts-based research, which applies systematic arts-making processes to research. Comics—defined as narrative, sequential art—can be employed in all parts of the research process, including:

• Data collection: For example, by drawing observations in the field, or asking research participants to create drawings
• Data analysis: Drawing to make sense of observations, including—but not limited to—visual memoing
• Research dissemination: Using comics to share research findings with the world, either as part of a piece of conventional scholarship, or as a standalone piece of comic art

Why Use Comics in Research?

“Drawing comics is incredibly generative,” says Pirie. “This process can be used to explore complex ideas, and piece together a cohesive story based on data." 

Moreover, as a means of disseminating research, she explains, “CBR has many entry points, allowing both experts in a field as well as nonexperts to access research. If you’ve ever taken your kid to a Disney-Pixar movie, you’ll find that as much as it’s pitched toward kids, there’s also a lot in there for adults—there are multiple points of access and layers of complexity. Comics-based research is much the same.” 

In her own comics-based ethnographic research focused on children and childhood, Pirie strives to reduce the number of words and let the images speak, further challenging the primacy of conventional approaches. “This helps to decolonize how we think about knowledge and knowledge transmission: what speaks, to whom, and how,” she says.

The Future of Scholarship?

Both at UMass and beyond, Pirie has seen interest in CBR growing across academic fields—most prominently in public health, cultural anthropology, and medical research.

Through the CBR Lab, Pirie hopes to build a community—at UMass Amherst, in the region, and throughout the commonwealth—to support those interested in utilizing this methodology in their own work. The lab offers departmental trainings, support for student dissertations, an independent study option for undergraduates and graduate students, and artistic advising and illustration help.

“Doing creative work in the academy requires a huge investment of time and courage to go out on a limb,” says Pirie. “An interdisciplinary center like CBR Lab is crucial to promoting that work and supporting the people who want to do it.” 

Pirie encourages anyone interested in learning more about CBR to get in touch and come to a meeting.  

“If you think you can’t draw, you’re wrong, because everyone can,” she says. “CBR has a place in every area of scientific inquiry, both in the university and beyond. I think this is an important direction that scholarship could be going in the future—not just in terms of expanding creativity, but also expanding multi-modality and access.”

This story was first published in April 2024. 

Related Links

July 17, 2012

Get Your Thesis Animated by PhD Comics!

By Carin Bondar

This article was published in Scientific American’s former blog network and reflects the views of the author, not necessarily those of Scientific American

Jorge Cham, the artist behind PhD Comics and The PhD Movie , has created a ‘Two Minute Thesis’ contest. Can you use plain language to summarize your PhD thesis in two minutes? You could win the opportunity to have your thesis illustrated by Cham as part of the PhD Comics new venture PhD TV.

All of the details for submitting are clearly posted on the PhD Comics website – so I won’t repeat them here. I will however, say that his is a pretty excellent opportunity with some unique and substantial prizes. What better keepsake for your years in graduate school than a fantastic two minute animation to show off to friends and family members?

On supporting science journalism

If you're enjoying this article, consider supporting our award-winning journalism by subscribing . By purchasing a subscription you are helping to ensure the future of impactful stories about the discoveries and ideas shaping our world today.

The deadline is August 1st, so move quickly to get your entry submitted. Good luck!

Thesis Committee

The Ph.D. Thesis Committee has the responsibility of advising a student on all aspects of the thesis experience, from the proposal process through the preparation and defense of the final document.

The Committee should be comprised of

• the Thesis Advisor(s),
• the Thesis Committee Chair who presides at all committee meetings (must be a BE faculty member), and
• at least one additional member (unrestricted).

The student and research supervisor should agree upon members of a Thesis Committee, and the student is responsible for inviting faculty to sit on their committee. Beyond administration of the Oral Exam, the Thesis Committee is meant to provide guidance on the various aspects of the student’s project; Thesis Committee members should therefore be selected with this goal in mind.

Forming the Committee

During the summer of the second year, the student must submit the BE PhD Thesis Committee form  to the BE Academic Office ) to request approval of the Thesis Committee membership.

Changing the Committee

The Thesis Committee constituted for the Oral Exam/Thesis Proposal may change over the course of the student’s research, as determined by the student and advisor with approval by the Graduate Program Chair. Students should submit a new PhD Thesis Committee form (above) to the BE Academic Office.

MIT Department of Biological Engineering

Search form

• DEI Collaborative
• DEI Current Efforts
• DEI Newsletter
• Learning Resources
• Faculty Directory
• Staff Directory
• Open Faculty Positions
• Prospective Undergraduate
• Major Degree Requirements
• Minor Programs
• Undergraduate Thesis
• Research Prize
• BE Student Life
• Career Resources
• Master's Degree
• Graduate PhD Application
• Application Assistance Program
• Graduate FAQ
• Graduate Life
• Meet The Graduate Students
• PhD Course Requirements
• Advisor Selection
• PhD Written Exam
• Thesis Committee
• PhD Oral Exam
• PhD Dissertation Requirements
• BE Graduate Student Board
• Teaching Assistant Award Winners
• BE Communication Lab
• Research Areas
• Wishnok Prize
• BATS Resources
• BATS Archive
• For Undergraduate Students
• Professional Development
• For Post Docs
• Covid-19 Resources
• Laboratory Safety
• Faculty & Instructors

The student and research supervisor should agree upon members of a Thesis Committee and propose a Committee to the appropriate Graduate Program Committee Chair. During the summer of the second year, the student must submit the PhD Thesis Committee form  to the Graduate Committee Chairs (Profs. Katharina Ribbeck and Alan Jasanoff, copy to the Academic Office) to request approval of the Thesis Committee membership. The Committee should be comprised of the thesis advisor(s) plus a minimum of two additional members, at least one of whom must be a member of the BE faculty. The Committee Chair (who presides at all Committee meetings, including the Oral Examination) must be a BE faculty member.

The Ph.D. Thesis Committee has the responsibility of advising a student on all aspects of the thesis experience, from the proposal process through the preparation and defense of the final document. The Thesis Committee must be approved prior to the scheduling of the thesis proposal/oral exam presentation, which must take place in the spring academic semester following the spring semester in which the General Written Exam is successfully completed.

It is expected that the student and supervisor will hold progress reviews with the entire Thesis Committee at least once a year. In addition to the Oral Exam/Thesis Proposal, the student must eventually present at least two Regular Thesis Committee Meeting Reports (one of which must be a Final Thesis Committee Meeting Report) and a Thesis Defense to the Thesis Committee. Progress Reports are required once a year or more frequently if the Thesis Committee so requests. More frequent one-on-one meetings are strongly recommended. Thesis Committee Member changes must be approved by submitting a petition to [email protected] .

The first Progress Report must be held within one year of the Thesis Proposal/Oral Exam presentation. One week before the Progress Report meeting, the student should deliver annotated Specific Aims to each of the Committee Members. The aims should be 2 pages long (at most/ 12pt font). After each up-to-date Specific Aim, please add a few sentences outlining the status of that aim.

At the Progress Report presentation, the student should hand out photocopies of slides to the Thesis Committee Members (generally, this will be a print out of a PowerPoint presentation). Also, the student should provide the Committee Chair with the Thesis Progress Report form to complete. The form should be emailed to [email protected] within two weeks of the committee meeting.

ComicsResearch.org's Comics-Related Dissertations & Theses: Undergraduate Note: The original list has now been separated into three pages. See also:  Doctoral Dissertations and Theses ||  Masters Theses To submit additions or corrections, please contact us .  If submitting your own information, you may send as much as you wish. Suggestions for information include: your full name title of project level [doctoral, master's, undergraduate] & degree year awarded institution and program committee members abstract relevant URLs, e-mail addresses publication information (if the work has been published in whole or in part) Entries marked or   have been added or revised since June 20, 2011.

See also: Suomalainen sarjakuvantutkimus vuoteen 2000 - luettelo kirjoista ja kirjoituksista: II OPINNÄYTTEET (A huge list of Finnish academic work on comics) Abschlußarbeiten zum Thema Comic (German-Language university-level works) Comic Related MS/PhD Thesis (a brief list of primarily American work) For more information on comics in academia, see our Academic Resources page . Also, consider joining the Comics Scholars Discussion List . Note: Degrees awarded are B.A. unless otherwise specified.   Boatner, Charles. 1977.  Appreciating Comics .  Individual major with High Honors; Thesis Committee Head: David Swanger. University of California, Santa Cruz. http://home.igc.org/~cboatner/ Summary: A personal review of the unique appeals of comic books, followed by an early stab at evaluating how the medium tells its stories.  Most of the examples are from 60s and 70s DCs and Marvels.  Includes visual analysis of two specific titles. Chang, Vanessa. 2003. Kabuki : The Myth of Face . Vassar College, English. Thesis advisor: Peter Antelyes. On-line version . Clegg, Mark. 1978.  Understanding Comics .  B.A. in Comics Art with Honors. University of California, Santa Cruz.    "It [...] examined the medium of comics to discover the fundamental processes of how it works to communicate from creator to consumer. Projection is uncovered to be the underlying principle. It has not been published, but it was circulated in a professionals-only amateur press alliance in the late '80's. Scott McCloud was one of the founding members of that apa." --MC Cohn, Neil. 2002. A Time Frame of Mind: Visual Language and Buddhist  Dharma Theory . Undergraduate Honors Thesis. University of California, Berkeley.  Published version appears in Berkeley Undergraduate Journal 31 (Spring 2003): 1-34.   On-line version linked from this page. Effron, Samuel Asher. 1996.  Taking Off the Mask. Invocation and Formal Presentation of the Superhero Comic in Moore and Gibbons’ Watchmen .  B.A., awarded High Honors from the Honors College.  Wesleyan University, Department of American Studies. Advisor: Richard Slotkin. On-line version containing the final two chapters (out of four) . Gordon, Ian. 1986. Stop Laughing This is Serious: The Comic Art Form and Australian Identity 1880-1960 . University of Sydney. Gray, Margaret. 2004. Neil Gaiman's 'The Sandman': 'Comic' or 'Graphic Novel'? A Study of the 'Adult Revolution' of the 1980s and the Resultant Terminological Debate . BA dissertation (bridge essay); BA Combined History of Art and English & Related Literature(EQ). University of York. contact    Abstract: An examination of the advent of the term 'graphic novel' in the context of postmodernism and the so-called 'adult revolution' of the 1980s. Reading 'Sandman's' innovation in terms of breaking the traditional genre and publication conventions of comics, but not transcending the medium itself but rather exposing its unique narrative and semiotic potential. As a 'bridge essay' between the history of art and english literature, this dissertation questions the ability of either discipline to adequately address comics as an autonomous rather than hybrid medium. It also questions the motives behind scholarly and industry attempts to give comics cultural legitimacy by mobilising the term 'graphic novel'. Hague, Ian. 2007. Historiographic Metafiction in From Hell and The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen .  University of Hull, English. BA (hons). Supervisor : Dr. Jane Thomas.     Abstract: An application of Patricia Waugh’s concept of Historiographic Metafiction (see A Poetics of Postmodernism ) to Alan Moore & Eddie Campbell’s From Hell and Alan Moore & Kevin O’Neill’s The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen (Volumes 1 & 2). Hernández, Alvaro David Hernández. 2009. El impacto de la animación japonesa en México. [The impact of the Japanese animation in Mexico.] Escuela Nacional de Antropología e Historia, licenciatura en Etnología, México. [National school of Anthropology and History, Ethnology.] Bachelor of Ethnology. Huitula, Kristian. 2000. Comic Book's Relation to Sound and Multimedia . Tampere Polytechnic, Finland; Medianomi AMK/ BA in Media. Author's website . Hutchings, Martina. 1996.  The Female in Japanese Comics . Honors, Swinburne, Japanese. Jones, Jessica Eleri. 2009. The Representation of Gender and Sexuality in Alan Moore's Watchmen. BA (hons) English, Liverpool John Moores University. Contact: [email protected] . Kraemer, Christine Hoff. 2000. The Creative Apocalypse: Post-WWII Representations of Death, Rebirth, and Transformation . Supervised by Dr. Betty Sue Flowers; second reader, Dr. Susan Napier. Online information . Abstract: The existence of the atomic bomb has made humanity keenly aware of its own ability to shape its destiny – or at least to choose its end. This has problematized traditional apocalyptic narratives, which often focus on the subjugation of humanity to forces beyond its control. In response, poet Gregory Corso ("Bomb"), animation director Hideaki Anno (Neon Genesis Evangelion), and comics writer Alan Moore (Watchmen) have co-opted the apocalyptic narrative to explore the existential consequences of humanity as a self-defining, self-destroying entity. In all three works, apocalypse serves to rip away existing structures and identities. Unlike the Revelation of St. John, where ultimate destruction reveals the divine order beneath, however, apocalypse in these works reveals only a yawning emptiness, an absence of meaning and order. Rather than dissolving into nihilism, however, these works offer strategies for living a fulfilling life in a universe where there is no underlying metaphysical structure. Through taking responsibility for our role in creating meaning and structure in our lives, our ability to collectively and individually self-define becomes empowering. In this sense, apocalypse becomes a creative process, a metaphor for the constant destruction and new birth of our identities and self-narratives. Finally, apocalypse serves to dramatize and exaggerate this process, helping us to become aware of the cycle of self-definition so that we can more deliberately take part in it. Kuechenmeister, Bobby James. 2005 (anticipated). Christ, Anti-Christ, or Super-Hero: Green Lantern Through the Looking Glass . University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, Literature.  Mentor: Dr. Joel Pace, Assistant Professor of English. Published version appears in Prism: A Student Journal of the Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies , University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, Vol. 7 (2004). E-mail: <[email protected]>    Abstract: Analysis of religious values found in Green Lantern comics. Focuses on presenting Green Lantern / Hal Jordan as Christ and Anti-Christ personae in the "Emerald Twilight," "Zero Hour," and "Final Night" story arcs. Kim, Hak Joon. 1997. Sports Manga: A Contemporary Expression of the Japanese Spirit .   Honors dissertation. Monash University, Japanese Studies. King, Terry. 1973. Social and Historical Aspects of the Australian Comic Strip . B.A. Hons. Lancelot, Ronan. 1997. "Hot Dang, look at them commies run!" Communism through mainstream super hero comic books, 1945-1997 .   Institut d'Etudes Politiques de Grenoble. Li, Rosanna. 1996. Images of the Family in Four Japanese Comics .   Honors dissertation. Monash University, Japanese Studies. Muskat, Etan. 2003. Cartooning Truth: Towards a Documentary of Comix . Thesis Project, Bachelor of Arts, English (Cultural Studies). McGill University, 2003. Montreal, Canada. Thesis advisor: Professor Michael Bristol.    Abstract: This paper discusses comix as a potential site for documentary and will focus on three artists, each coming to the fore during various periods over the last thirty-odd years: Robert Crumb, the artist responsible for popularizing underground comix, Art Spiegelman, the first artist to win mainstream critical acclaim for a comic book, and Joe Sacco, currently redefining the potential of the form to engage with contemporary historical narratives.    What distinguishes these three artists is not merely their concern with history and current events, but their willingness to ‘call a spade a spade’. While comics have always in some way represented the psychological subconscious of the society that produces them, there has always been an impetus to submerge these concerns in the conventions of genre. Its was not until Crumb began actually describing his own experiences with the Haight-Ashbury counterculture of the late 1960’s that comix began to engage directly with the issues to which they had always been referring.    All three of these artists are characters in their own narratives: they call attention to themselves as the conduit for history. This point is extremely important when defining the concept of ‘documentary’. In film, the definition of this notion has been extremely problematic. However, film is the only medium that possesses such a category and has received academic attention for it. Therefore, for the purpose of this argument, the cinematic concept of documentary will be used as a starting point. In as much, it is essential to determine what documentary is, what the label entails, and how the artist, author or filmmaker’s own experiences and personality have come to occupy a very central position in the creation of documentary artworks. Patrick, Kevin John. 2009. Comic Books, Australian Society and Cultural Anxiety: 1956-1986. Bachelor of Arts with Honours in Communications. Monash Univ rsity (Clayton, Victoria, Australia); Arts Faculty - School of English, Communications & Perofrmance Studies. Contact - Blog     Abstract: Recent media coverage of the  new wave  of Australian graphic novels frequently infers that such works are the first of their kind to be published in Australia. Yet, such reports overlook the fact that Australia once boasted a thriving comic book industry, which easily surpassed the modest output of present-day graphic novel publishing in Australia.    This thesis explores how comic books created between 1956 and 1986 emblematise a period of commercial upheaval and creative experimentation within the Australian comic book industry. The comic books produced during this era both instigated and reflected a range of deeply-felt cultural anxieties evident within Australian society, and hence provide a fascinating and little analysed window onto the social history of this period.    This thesis focuses on the largely overlooked western, horror and romance comic book genres, which were amongst the most popular with Australian audiences between 1956 and 1986, thereby redressing the disproportionate emphasis on superheroes evident in much scholarly writing about comic books.    This thesis adopts a multi-dimensional theoretical approach, which evaluates its subject from a variety of perspectives, incorporating elements of political economy, cultural policy and textual analysis. The analysis also privileges media theory s concept of glocalisation as a means of analysing both the practice of repackaging overseas comics for the Australian market, as well as the efforts of domestic publishers to develop distinctively Australian variations on foreign comic book idioms.    By examining a unique constellation of textual production strategies, government policies, and audience preferences that shaped the Australian comic book industry during this period, this thesis demonstrates how the seemingly ephemeral comic book has become a key resource for reconstructing broader social concerns about such significant issues as national identity, gender roles, sexuality and media censorship. Simmonds, Adam. 1996. Manga and Pornography after the Harmful Comic Controversy .   Honors dissertation. Monash University, Japanese Studies Tang, Happy. 2000. Female Creation and Consumption of Male Homosexuality: A Case Study of Yaoi Manga .  Honors dissertation. Monash University, Japanese Studies. Taylor, Constance. 2003. Independent Study: Comic Book Industry . University of Dayton, English. Advisor: Dr. Irene J. Dickey. Woo, Benjamin. 2004. Untangling Comics . Honors thesis, Queen's University, Canada, Film Studies. On-line version . Back to top of page || Doctoral Dissertations and Theses || Master's Theses Sources: Apart from general Internet searches, the following resources were consulted: The Modern Language Association Bibliography, 1969-2002; The Comics Research Bibliography ; The Comics Scholars Discussion List ; Dissertation Abstracts International; The Dreaming ; Michigan State University Library's Catalog Info on "Dissertations About Comics" ; WorldCat; personal corresponences. Special thanks to Martin de la Iglesia, Fabio Gadducci, Mark Rogers, Michael Rhode, and Leonard Rifas. Publicity: Information about this site was originally posted to the Comics Scholars Discussion List . Thanks to the following resources for mentioning this site: EGON ; Hijinx Comics ; ¡Journalista!: The Comics Journal' Weblog by Dirk Deppey (9th item down).

Copyright © Comics Research.org .  This Page Last Updated June 20, 2011.

Finished Papers

Is buying essays online safe?

Shopping through online platforms is a highly controversial issue. Naturally, you cannot be completely sure when placing an order through an unfamiliar site, with which you have never cooperated. That is why we recommend that people contact trusted companies that have hundreds of positive reviews.

As for buying essays through sites, then you need to be as careful as possible and carefully check every detail. Read company reviews on third-party sources or ask a question on the forum. Check out the guarantees given by the specialists and discuss cooperation with the company manager. Do not transfer money to someone else's account until they send you a document with an essay for review.

Good online platforms provide certificates and some personal data so that the client can have the necessary information about the service manual. Service employees should immediately calculate the cost of the order for you and in the process of work are not entitled to add a percentage to this amount, if you do not make additional edits and preferences.

Make the required payment

After submitting the order, the payment page will open in front of you. Make the required payment via debit/ credit card, wallet balance or Paypal.

You get wide range of high quality services from our professional team

Finished Papers

Will You Write Me an Essay?

Students turn to us not only with the request, "Please, write my essay for me." From the moment we hear your call, homework is no longer an issue. You can count on our instant assistance with all essay writing stages. Just to let you know, our essay writers do all the work related to writing, starting with researching a topic and ending with formatting and editing the completed paper. We can help you choose the right topic, do in-depth research, choose the best up-to-date sources, and finally compose a brilliant piece to your instructions. Choose the formatting style for your paper (MLA, APA, Chicago/Turabian, or Harvard), and we will make all of your footnotes, running heads, and quotations shine.

Our professional essay writer can help you with any type of assignment, whether it is an essay, research paper, term paper, biography, dissertation, review, course work, or any other kind of writing. Besides, there is an option to get help with your homework assignments. We help complete tasks on Biology, Chemistry, Engineering, Geography, Maths, Physics, and other disciplines. Our authors produce all types of papers for all degree levels.

We never disclose your personal information to any third parties

4 reasons to write my essay with us!

You are always welcome to check some of our previously done projects given on our website and then judge it for yourself. Apart from that, we can give you 4 significant reasons to be a part of our customer base:

• Only professional ‘my essay writer', who are highly qualified and a master in their academic field, will write for you
• Quality control is rigorously maintained by us and is thoroughly aligned with the given question brief and instructions.
• We will also provide you with a thorough Plagiarism report by the Turnitin software which will ensure the originality of the draft
• You are free to revise your draft with us till you are contented with the subject matter.

Customer Reviews

• Words to pages
• Pages to words

Who can help me write my essay?

At the end of the school year, students have no energy left to complete difficult homework assignments. In addition, inspiration is also lacking, so there are only a few options:

• do not write a scientific work;
• write it badly;
• delegate these responsibilities to other people.

Most often, people choose the latter option, which is why companies have appeared on the Internet offering to take full responsibility.

When you visit the site, the managers clarify all the details in order to correctly design the article. They select a person who is well versed in the topic of the report and give him your task.

You will not be able to personally communicate with the writer who will do your work. This is done to ensure that all your personal data is confidential. The client, of course, can make edits, follow the writing of each section and take part in the correction, but it is impossible to communicate with the team.

Do not worry that you will not meet personally with the site team, because throughout the entire cooperation our managers will keep in touch with each client.

Testimonials

When shall i pay for the service taken up for the draft writing.