Black Magick and Redlands comics

Important you need to have access to: ordie Bellaire (writer & colorist) and Vanesa R. Del Rey’s (artist) Redlands {Vol.1 & 2} and Greg Rucka (writer) and Nicola Scott’s (artist) Black Magick {Vol.1 & 2} to do this assignment. However, the rest readings will be attached here.

In our final class discussion for the term, you’ll continue demonstrating your close reading skills by using comics studies vocabulary and theory while analyzing Black Magick and Redlands. You’ll also draw on secondary sources to assist your analysis of formal elements, themes, content, and the relationships between word and image. The main goals of this discussion are to discuss significant pages and passages from this week’s texts, to put the texts into conversation with one another, and to engage in collective inquiry about the texts.

Here are some questions to guide your thoughts if you’re having trouble getting started. You can respond to one or more of these, but they are meant to encourage the development and expression of your own ideas, not limit them:

• • How do these comics shed light on how trauma shapes our relationships to power?
  • How do they offer meditations on family bonds formed through trauma?
  • How do the comics represent the abject? What is the impact on the reader and the story?
  • How do these comics participate in or destabilize the “cops as heroes” trope that dominates so much of our media?
  • What does it mean for the historically traumatized (witch) to become an agent of trauma (cop)?
    • In other words, if witches are longtime symbols for oppression, marginalization, and the violence of the judicial system, what does it mean to make them cops, the perpetrators of that violence?
  • What genre(s) does each comic participate in? How does that impact the form and content of the story?
  • Does the comic represent counter-magic? (How) is it different from witchcraft?
  • How do the comics represent the witch-familiar relationship? How are they similar/different from other representations we’ve seen in so far?

Tasks

1. Initial Post (IP): In at least 300 words (not including any quotations from the text), analyze 1-2 significant, interesting page(s) from Black Magick or Redlands. Be sure to read other posts before composing your own so you are contributing something new to the conversation. Your goals are to:

1) Briefly offer some context of the page(s) and explain what interested you about them / why you chose them specifically.

2) Choose 1 formal element (relay, layout, gutters, word/image pairings, transitions, closure, typography, color, sound, time, etc.), and analyze how it is employed in the page(s) you’ve selected.

3) Discuss how this formal element is contributing to the narrative (ex. Why do you think the author/artist chose to utilize this particular element? What is the effect? Why do you find this element interesting or worthy of attention?). Think about not only what is happening in the story but how it is being depicted, paying special attention to the formal element you’ve chosen to focus on.

4) Conclude your IP with a question for the class that asks something that prompts a comparison or analysis of a different comic from this week.

5) Include photo of the page(s) you’re looking as direct evidence (embed or attach file).

2. Productive Replies (PR): In at least 150 words (not including quotations), respond to 2 classmates’s questions in their IP. In your reply, use a direct quote from one of our week’s secondary sources to support your ideas. (total 300)

Each PR should discuss a different secondary source. 1 PR should discuss Black Magick and 1 PR should discuss Redlands.

Conclude your reply with a question for the class about an idea raised in the class discussion so far or something that you want others’ opinion about. This question should be on topic and encourage discussion about this week’s comics, secondary texts, and ideas connected to them.

3. Thoughtful Comments (TC): In at least 75 words, respond directly to the question posed in 3 classmates’ PRs and/or IPs with your own opinion or ideas. (total 225)

Note: if I ask you a question directly in discussion, you are expected to respond to it. That response will count as a Thoughtful Comment. Anyone can answer a question I pose, though, and it will count as a TC.

attached readings:

Purkiss The required pages (119-122, 125, 130)

Bakaev The required pages (149-152).

you must use both readings when writing the 2 PRs ( at least 1 reading for each reply)