All,

Hi, hope everyone had a nice break.

This just a short announcement to remind everyone we have an optional drop in meeting for today’s class session if you want to drop in to talk about your comic book progress or if you have other questions for us.  Again this is an optional drop in and is not a required class attendance, but can count towards your ‘academic’ Achievement.

And reminder that the end of this week, Friday, December 4th is the due date for submitting your comic book, your YouTube video, and your introduction/abstract.

Send us an email if you have questions.

Best,

Robert

Hi,

A couple of reminders for this week, and also the two of us have messages for everyone as we go into the Holiday break and shifting to the remote end of the term.

The first reminder is since we are going remote after Week 9 we will not be officially meeting Monday, November 30th, instead we will open the Zoom room for everyone.  You can drop in to ask questions about the comic book deadlines or want to get feedback about your progress.  And if you drop in it will count towards an  ‘Academic’ achievement (“Socialization” and “Social Butterfly” achievements).

And that leads to the next reminder, and remember your comic book scans, abstract/introduction, and YouTube Showcase are all due December 4th (end of the week, Friday, Week 10).  Guidelines for submitting all of that:

Abstract/Introduction Guidelines posting page

Comic Book Digital Submission Guidelines posting page

Giovanna’s Week 9 Message:

Happy Thanksgiving week everyone! I’m very pleased to have been able to be a part of your first-year experience journey so far.

As we move towards the final weeks, I want to remind you to keep pushing and not give up. You might be very jaded at this point and although throwing in the towel might seem like the most convenient thing to do, I want you to realize the amount of effort you put into this course and all of your other courses. Work hard now so you can play later.

That being said, remember to take the time to play this week! Take advantage of the Holiday break to take a break, spend time with your loved ones, and do other things that make you happy. Make sure to refresh and recharge this week so you can come back on week 10 and finals week feeling like you can take on anything.

I’m excited to see what you’ve been working on all term! Have a great break, everyone!

-Giovanna

Robert’s Week 9 Message:

As we move into the final part of a very different type of term, I wanted to reflect on our time together this term.  I have found our time in class (in the classroom and on Zoom) to have been a rewarding experience.  It was a highlight of my week to see all the creative work being done and take part in discussions with you all about movies, comics, and other popular culture topics!  In the beginning I was hesitant about creating a class this year that focused mostly on students coming in and working without as many structured activities, but I feel now that this created a very contemplative environment.  An environment where everyone could come in without a lot of expectations and take a break from the rigors of other classes and all that is going on for us this year.  I did miss more of the activities and discussions we normally would have done, but for future classes I will totally build in more of these open work on one’s own studio times.

I am also thankful for the discussions we had.  Yes we did not always agree on our movie and comic book likes and dislikes, but you all bring an energy to your interests that has been wonderful to hear.   I wish we had more time to learn more about your interests and experiences.

And finally as we move into the November Holiday and December Winter/Holiday break times, I am thankful overall for all the work we have done together this term.  I am thankful we were able to do this in challenging times.

I wish everyone a wonderful November Holiday break, and however you are taking part in this time off use the break to step back, take some deep breaths, and rest up for the final stretch of the term.

Oh and last but not least!  I am also very excited to see everyone’s comic book projects after the break!

-Robert

Below please find the guidelines for submitting your final versions of your comic books.

Note: This is due along with your abstract/introduction and YouTube Showcase December 4 (Friday of Week 10).

1. Send in an email to both Robert and Giovanna your digital scans or photos of each comic book page individually.  Sending individual image files for each is important so we can properly create a page by page format when we post the images on this course site.
2. It is highly recommended to scan your comic pages.  Using a scanner will create a much crisper and squared up image file.
3. It is understandable though if you don’t have access to a scanner so a high quality photograph of your pages can work also, but there are important things to consider:
   1. Try to align the photograph image so the top and bottom of the comic book align (square up evenly at the top and bottom) to avoid a keystone like effect (keystone effect example, link to image).  If you have a photography editing program like Photoshop you can correct this, but always better to get it as clean as possible with the original photo.
   2. If you have some sort of stand/tripod use this to stabilize your camera.
   3. Good lighting is key. Take the time to set up strong even lighting to avoid shadows and glare.
4. Most likely your images will be large file sizes, as such you may need to send multiple emails to Robert and Giovanna.
5. For your file naming please use this convention: “[your last name]_comicpage01.jpg” like this example “smith_comicpage01.jpg” and “smith_comicpage02.jpg” and “smith_comicpage03.jpg”.

Questions?  Let us know!

Below please find our guidelines for your abstract/introduction to your comic book project and your YouTube Showcase.

Note: These are both due along with your final comic book scans December 4 (Friday of Week 10).

One Paragraph Abstract/Introduction Guidelines

1. Length = One paragraph (five to seven sentences).
2. Need to address the following questions:
   1. What your comic book is about?
   2. What you hope a reader will take away from it?
   3. In what ways did ENG 280 and ART 101 inform your comic book design and storytelling?  Cite an example from both classes.
   4. (Optional) Any other bits of information you want to highlight?

This is just a short text introduction that we will post to the top of your individual comic book portfolio page, which will be posted on this course site.  Remember that you will have much more to say about your comic book in your YouTube Showcase (guidelines below), so again this is your “abstract” to get people interested in reading your comic and learning more about it in your YouTube Showcase.

More about writing academic abstracts (note you are not writing a full research abstract since that is not what we did with this project but use these as your basic model, and use these for possible future academic assignments):

Writing an Abstract for Your Research Paper (University of Wisconsin Writing Center)

Writing Report Abstracts (Purdue Online Writing Lab)

My Visual Story YouTube Showcase 2020 Guidelines

Video Content:

-A short section of you introducing yourself

-Explain why you chose this FIG

-Explain your theme and why you chose it

-Guide us through your comic: You don’t have to show us the entire comic, just some key moments. Explain why you chose to utilize certain elements (color, panels, characters, etc.)

-Close off with a message of your choice (how you hope your comic impacts other people, why this message is important, etc.)

Video Guidelines:

-Video must be less than 10 minutes long

-Make sure to record your video in a well lit area with minimal noise and distractions. You don’t need to have a professional camera, you can use your phone. You can also have a friend record.

-If your comic is digital: You will still have to record yourself with your introduction, why you chose this FIG, and explaining your theme, but you can screen record your digital comic and record a voice-over

-If your comic is a physical copy: It is recommended that you place your comic on a flat surface with good lighting when it is time to showcase it

-You don’t have to record all of the content in one sitting- I can edit the video(s) to chop out unwanted content or you can do that yourself

-The sooner you send me your video, the sooner I can give feedback if needed

All,

Hi, so again the theme of the second part of the term is we are wrapping things up.  Again, be sure to guide yourself using the Journal #4 checklist, and remember that all arrows are pointing to our December 4th deadlines.

This week we start the 1:1 check ins with me.  I will send out individual Zoom links for these.

Also stay in touch with Giovanna about possible upcoming socials and study sessions.

And again here is the link to the “Name Your Achievement” proposal document (not required but is a great way to add to your Achievement status for the term and to help you think of things you have accomplished in your first term at the UO): Name Your Achievement My Visual Story Fall 2020 ( PDF File)

For Week Nine’s class (Monday, November 23rd) we will having an open studio, you can come to the classroom to attend and work on your comics or meet with us remotely, Zoom link will be sent via email soon.

Questions?  Let me know (email me)!

-Robert