Welcome to the UBC Comics Studies Cluster
Comic art and the study of its content, methods, distribution, and pedagogical value have become increasingly visible in higher education. Comics are an important medium for knowledge creation and have been established as an essential format for reaching diverse audiences and tackling difficult subject matter. However, as a field, it lacks an institutional centre that might offer the structure and support for the collaborative work necessary to advance rigorous academic study. With UBC comics researchers, practitioners, and teachers in disciplines as varied as Education, German Studies, Classical Studies, Creative Writing, English, and the Romance Languages, comics studies at UBC is present but diffuse. Moreover, many UBC faculty members are interested in learning more about what comics and graphic novels might offer to their teaching and research, but they don’t know where to turn with their questions and potential projects for collaboration.
The UBC Comics Studies Cluster supports academic and public-facing scholarship in Comics Studies at UBC. We connect artist practitioners in Vancouver with UBC faculty, nonprofits, and First Nations, Inuit and Métis partners to participate in knowledge mobilization activities and arts-based research, advance the work of truth and reconciliation, support community-engaged collaborations, and develop public-facing educational materials.
UBC offers over a dozen courses that feature comic art in their coursework and course content. There are also numerous resources on campus to support students and scholars engaging in comic studies research. If you’d like to add your course or resource information, email comics.studies@ubc.ca