Congratulations — the biggest assignment of the semester is now behind you! (Well, almost. We will revise the research papers one last time after I return them, but the bulk of your work on that assignment is done.) For the remainder of the semester, we will turn our attention to nontraditional forms of rhetoric and composition, with a focus on the genre of comics. You have read and analyzed a lot of comics in Ideas & Innovations, but you haven’t had the chance to explore the genre from the other side. In Week 12, that will change, as you begin planning and creating a comic of your own. Here’s how we start our work on this new project:

• On Tuesday, I will introduce Assignment #4, the Instructional Comic. To prepare for this assignment, please review Understanding Comics, by Scott McCloud, and bring that book to class. In addition, please read “Comic Book Grammar and Tradition,” by Nate Piekos. (You don’t need to print this one, just make sure you know the concepts.) [UPDATE: If you have a laptop computer, please bring it to class today.]
• On Thursday, we will begin drafting our comics. Please come to class with at least two (preferably more) ideas for your instructional comic, and please review the Google Chrome online comic before you come to class. [UPDATE: If you have a laptop computer, please bring it to class today.]

If you have any questions about these readings, please let me know. Otherwise, enjoy your weekend!