Manga and the Picture Book of Edo Japan, 1770 - 1830

(3 Credit Hours) · Undergraduate

Japan is renowned for its modern comic book genre "manga," but humorous and action-packed visual-verbal stories populate its literary history. This course examines a specific period where the urban culture of Edo (modern Tokyo) is colorfully expressed in playful literature and woodblock-prints. We will examine questions of status and class, sexuality, materialism, and the role of technology in shaping the book. As a hands-on project, we will learn Edo period woodblock carving techniques and, as a class, publish our own comic book!