From AWP 2013 Boston: S211. Video Games, Fan Fiction, & Comics: Alternative Genres as Legitimate Literature Alternative forms of narrative are often perceived with disdain or suspicion even though they address the same plots, themes, and conditions of respectable literary forms. Comics have begun to break away from this stigma, but what about more mainstream genres, such as fan fiction and video games? How do all three of these alternative forms both threaten and reinforce ideas about originality and narrative? This panel will make the case for alternative genres as creative literature. To listen to the entire panel, visit: https://soundcloud.com/lesliesalas-2/fan-fiction-video-games-comics

1. Video Games, Fan Fiction, & Comics:
Alternative Genres as Legitimate Literature
Saturday, March 9 - 3p to 4:15p
Room 103, Hynes Convention Center
AWP Boston 2013
By: Leslie Salas, Elaine Phillips, & Kirsten Holt.
*Jim Miller is unable to attend.

2. What do we mean by “comics”?

3. What do we mean by “comics”?
• comics, graphic narrative, visual storytelling,
sequential art

4. What do we mean by “comics”?
According to
Scott McCloud,
comics are:

5. What do we mean by “comics”?
• comics, graphic narrative, visual storytelling,
sequential art
• “juxtaposed pictorial and other images in
deliberate sequence, intended to convey
information and/or to produce an aesthetic
response in the viewer.”

6. According to
Douglas Wolk,
comics history
has deep roots.

7. • Simonides of Keos’s:
“poema pictura loquens,
pictura poema silens”
• “poetry is a verbal picture;
painting is a silent poetry”

8. • Horace:
“ut pictura poesis”
• “as is painting, so is poetry”

9. Academic Research
Some samples of current research.

10. Academic Research

11. Academic Research

12. Academic Research

13. Academic Research

14. Academic Research

15. Academic Research

16. Academic Research

17. Academic Research

18. Academic Research

19. Mainstream Appeal
Movie Adaptations

20. Mainstream Appeal
Movie Adaptations

21. Mainstream Appeal
Classics Adaptations

22. Mainstream Appeal
Classics Adaptations

23. Other Types of Comics
Besides the American comics
we are used to

24. Manga

25. Bandes Dessinées

26. A Brief History
of where comics came from

27. A Brief History
Single-panel captioned illustrations

28. A Brief History
Magritte’s famous painting

29. A Brief History
Gag strips

30. A Brief History
Propaganda - Tijuana Bibles

31. A Brief History
More WWII Propaganda
(note how Captain America is
punching Hitler in the face)

32. We Live in a Visually Literate Society
(all of these shapes should be
familiar to you)

33. Comics challenges us
to read in new ways
(for instance, panels are read
from right to left in manga)

34. (American and European comics are read from left to right)

35. Comics provides new ways of
expressing internality

36. In the Classroom
(this is an excellent resource)

37. In the Classroom
(and so is it’s sequel)

38. Reading comics interests and challenges students!
We should look for more ways to incorporate comics
in our curricula!

39. For the audio that goes along with this presentation,
please visit
https://soundcloud.com/lesliesalas-2/fan-fiction-video-
games-comics
Thank you!