Sarah Casagrande, Campus Carrier Entertainment Editor
On Wednesday, three Berry professors met to discuss something that they all incorporated into their classes — graphic novels. The presentation, titled “Kapow! Comics Come of Age,” took place in the Memorial Library Sandbox.
“This served as the perfect opportunity to highlight our graphic novels and sequential art collection,” Steve Head, instructional services librarian, said.
The theme was chosen by library staff in honor of Will Eisner Week. Eisner was one the earliest cartoonists to work in the American comic book industry, and the Eisner Awards, named in his honor and are held annually to celebrate creative achievement in the comic industry.
“Comics have abilities beyond film and literature,” Brian Barr, adjunct instructor of art, said. “Will Eisner is an example of that; someone who found a new way of telling a story.”
Curt Hersey, assistant professor of communication, Paul Trolander, professor of English, and Barr, are professors with knowledge of graphic novels and were contacted by Head to present. All discussed different aspects of graphic novels at the presentation based on their backgrounds.
“I grew up reading comics my entire life,” Hersey said. “I remember going to the drugstore when I was six and going through the spinner racks and picking them out.”
Hersey incorporates the history and rhetoric of graphic novels into his communication classes, and said that he considers them a form of media just like television and film. He said that he would love to be able teach a class solely on them.
While Hersey read graphic novels from a young age, Trolander did not start to read them until he was in his 50s. He sometimes teaches a graphic novel course at Berry and said what he appreciates most about them is their art.
“I got an interest in them because I teach literature,” Trolander said. “I have a background in art history, so it made me curious.”
Barr not only ties graphic novels into his classes — he is even writing one himself. Barr has worked with Kelly Shane, associate professor of mathematics at Georgia Highlands College, since 2013 to create “Jackdaw,” a graphic novel about a superhero and his assistant.
“I’ve always liked the idea of tying in my background of fine arts with comics,” Barr said. “I want to be able to have an exhibition.”
The series is hand-drawn using charcoal, and Barr said that they are close to finishing book one. It takes about a week to finish each page, which are all posted online.
The audience at the presentation consisted of both students and colleagues, and the event was co-sponsored by the Memorial Library and the Center for Teaching Excellence.