This course will allow students to learn about effective character design and associated storytelling through the lens of the monster. Each week will introduce a new theme and associated creatures, which the students will analyze in class in light of the provided theoretical readings and literary/visual texts. By learning about what makes effective and enduring monsters, both narratively and aesthetically, students will be able to engage in character design and associated world/mythos-building in a way that allows them 4 to put theory into creative practice. Towards the end of the course, students will be able to display a portfolio of their own monstrosities fashioned throughout the semester, culminating in a final “creature” and associated lore that will be presented both visually as well as textually through a narrative format of their choosing (comic/animation/sculpture).
