Free Online Course: Gender Through Comic Books

This is one of those times that proves how great the internet can be: Access to great education! For free! And it’s about comics!

Available through Canvas Network, Ball State University is offering a Massive Online Open Course that addresses the presence of gender representation, roles and identity in the comic book medium. Instructed by BSU teacher and doctoral candidate Christina Blanch, the course will feature contributions and insight from many seasoned creators in the industry, including but not limited to Mark Waid, Gail Simone, Scott Snyder, and Jonathan Hickman.

The only costs for the course are obtaining reading materials, but is otherwise free of charge and openly available to anyone in the world with internet access and a valid email address. The format for the course is a combination of interactive video lectures, online discussion with classmates, and live interviews with professionals in the comics industry – during which you will be able to Tweet questions!

Mark Waid assures us that his peers and colleagues are “not being asked the same cookie-cutter questions you’ve heard a hundred times before; they’re talking about how gender roles inform and influence their work, how they approach gender politics, and more” [source]. He’s also confirmed on his Twitter that the readings won’t be exclusive to American superhero works, which is a great way to raise awareness of what’s out there in the market as well as promote critical thinking for any kind of comic book.

The best part is that the more people who sign up, the greater the odds are of education and outreach becoming part of the future of comics. Simply put, this is an amazing chance to not only expand your thinking as a fan, but also help the industry be taken more seriously and given the credit it deserves from polite society. It’s a small step for yourself, and it could be the start of a giant leap for the whole comic book market.

Registration for the course, and more details about it, are available here on Cavnas Network!