AFRS 246 - French Speaking Cultures and Literatures of Africa and the Caribbean

1 unit(s)

(Same as FREN 246) Topic for 2013/2014b: What Does Comic Art Say? African comic art comes in a variety of styles, languages, and formats. From the comic strip, found in newspapers and magazines, to developmental and political cartoons, it interfaces with journalism, painting, advertising, television, film and music. Having placed comic art in its theoretical context, we analyze the production of francophone ‘bédéistes’ (cartoonists) from and on Africa, such as Marguerite Abouet and Clément Oubrerie’s Aya de Yopougon, Edimo-Simon-Pierre Mbumbo’s Malamine, un Africain à Paris, Pahé’s La vie de Pahé, Serge Diantantu’s Simon Kimbangu, Arnaud Floc’h’s La compagnie des cochons and Stassen Les Enfants. We also examine how cartoon characters such as Camphy Combo and Gorgooloo, respectively in Gbich! and Le Cafard Libéré, represent the complexities of francophone African urban society at the turn of the century. Ms. Célérier.

Prerequisite(s): FREN 212 or the equivalent.

Two 75-minute periods.