Italian Comics: Language, Culture, and Translation

Undergraduate / Graduate

This course offers insight into 20th- and 21st-century Italian language and culture through the practice of translating comics. As a verbal medium, comics present a variety of registers, from the elevated language of literary adaptations to creative parodies; from the standard Italian adopted in serial comics to the colloquial or regional Italian used in graphic novels and webcomics. As a visual medium, the interpretation of comics entails developing the ability to read the images together with the text, while keeping into consideration the space constraints imposed by captions and balloons. Using a variety of primary sources from 1908 to the present (comic strips, comic books, graphic novels, webcomics), students will have the opportunity to participate in translation tasks, gaining awareness of the Italian language and the cultural importance of translation; they will also expand their knowledge of well-known Italian comics and reflect upon the cultural context in which they were brought to life. In this course, students will practice translation from Italian to English as well as continue to perfect their speaking and writing skills in Italian through a variety of creative oral and written activities.