In this course students read and discuss recent criticism and major contributions of works that have pushed the limits of this genre and medium. Students will develop a working knowledge of the history of comics and a critical framework and vocabulary for defining, describing, and discussing this popular and amorphous medium. Guest speakers, all practicing cartoonists, will introduce students to both the artistic and the practical aspects of creating comics. The workshop will include instruction on basic drawing and storyboarding techniques using iPads, Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop, and InDesign and on ebook layout and formatting using OMEKA and Calibre software, as well as discussions about creators' rights and intellectual property issues. The final project for the workshop will be a digital exhibit featuring each student's best digital comic and an ebook anthology of student-created comics.