^Culture
Wednesday, Feb. 4, 2009
Clackamas Print 5
lass connects comics and lit
sons of literature through the
use of less conventional medi­
ums. One of which is a unique
textbook by Scott McCloud
called,
“Understanding
Comics.”
“Right now the course is
essentially a comparative
media class,” said Dodge,
“where we talk up front about
defining what comics are with
McCloud’s book and then use
some of his ideas to move the
conversation.”
After reading the assigned
text, films that relate to the
reading are watched and the
discussion takes off from there.
The assigned texts themselves
are many and varied, includ­
ing well-known works such
as “300” and “Watchmen” to
Marjane Satrapi’s “Persepolis”
and Robert Kirkman’s zombie
comic, “The Walking Dead.”
All of these texts have
arguments at some level that George Romero movie knows
they want to put out into cul- that the zombies are meta-
ture and have us talk about, w phors for something else, 99
said Dodge of his selection of said Dodge.
sou don’t take it too
But there’s a danger in any
material.
|ly we can kinda do any-
Following the reading of class of this kind.
Isaid English Instructor
“The Walking Dead,” Dodge
“It’s not enough to come
Or Dodge of the Comics
assigned zombie movies to one of these classes and
lerature class.
such as, “28 Days Later” and just say, ‘Oh I really like com­
■class is offered in the
George Romero’s “Dawn of ics!’” said Dodge. “There’s
land like its counter­
the Dead” to fuel the class’ gotta be more to say than,
lames and Literature,
discussion.
‘Batman’s cool!’ Of course
lies class brings the les-
Everyone who’s seen a Batman is cool. What else do
you want to say about him?”
According to Dodge, the
key is capturing the energy
that students bring and that is
one of the aspects of the class
CO.-A? /<
he enjoys.
“We end up having periph­
eral discussions about contem­
porary culture,” said Dodge
proudly.
His students share his
enthusiasm for comics.
“Ever since I was a kid
I was a huge comic nerd,”
said student Bud Rodríguez.
“Comics make me feel like a
kid again.”
Another student has just
as much zeal for the style of
Dodge’s teaching as for the
Milita
• class and the subject matter.
“I really like his teach­
ing style. It’s fun and instead
of just reading he actually
makes you analyze things,”
said student Grace Wikander.
“It makes you appreciate it
more.”
It may be too late to take
Comics and Lit this term but
I
Jess Sheppard Clackamas Print
there’s always next winter as
nglan animated discussion of Marjane Satrapi’s “Persepolis” Dodge encorporates cultural differences, language, and his-
well as the Games and Lit
onthe ancient Persian Empire into the analysis of the comic.
class offered in the spring.
>Sheppard
[Culture Editor
Jerary review provides outlet for student writing
llelle Sanchez
tor to put the contest on hia­
tus for the 2008-2009 school
Ukamas Print
year. Davis said that with the
course not being offered this
rery year, students at term, “There are very few
Mias have an opportu- students working on the jour­
¡0 larticipate in a writing nal in winter, when they are
Etl to have their work needed the most.”
■ed in the CLR, or
However, Davis changed
Eajnas Literary Review, his mind stating, “I realized
ylar however, the con- though, that would be a dis­
las almost a “no show” service to the fine writers
le lalendar of events here we have here, who dedicate
lack mas.
themselves to their craft and
The review has been deserve recognition in print.
kin for 12 years now,” So, the contest is on!”
pd Mate Gray, the English
If students try to look up
Hent Chair and a for- information on the contest,
rma laging editor of the they should be aware that the
lication. “It has won sev- information on the Internet
| awards and is known has not, as of yet, been updat­
mtde.”
ed with, the new due date and
neltudent produced pub- contest information.
ion receives hundreds of
Students who are interested
eslfrom all
in participating
the world
need to send
in hard copies
y
year,
pieces are
“The review
to Davis, at
vid by the
the Clackamas
has been going
snts in the
address, The
on for 12 years
246 class
new deadline
in turn pro-
for the con-
now. It has
d Into the
test is March
won several
■A stu-
2009.
1,
| contest is
awards and is
H o w e v e r ,
, held for
s e n d i n g
known world­
iCpckamas
entries in ear­
wide, w
ents, the
lier would be
: being the
advantageous,
>r If being
due to the
ished with
lack of staff­
Kate Gray
r (authors
ing. The three
English Department
i all over
categories for
Chair
entries
are
p iv e v e r, ■———
poetry, fiction
re previous
and creative
s, the WR 246 class was nonfiction.
■ed in the fall term instead
All submissions that stu­
1 the winter term, which dents will want responses to
edlRyan Davis, the edi- must be sent in with self-
f—------
addressed stamped envelopes.
There is also a limitation of
four poems, one story, or one
essay per submission. Poetry
and prose submissions should
be sent in separately. Students
should also submit all work
typed and on a letter quality
printer.
The editors of the publica­
tion will try to have responses
back to the students within
four months of the submis­
sions. More information can
be found on the website at
www.clackamasliteraryre-
view.org
Categories for entry:
Fiction, Poetry, Essay
Deadline extended to March 1
Jessica Foster Clackamas Print
The Clackamas Literary Review has a long history of excellence and awards spanning back 12
years. Editor Ryan Davis has extended the deadline for submissions to March 1.