Graphic novel Spread - National Council of Teachers of English

16 James Bucky Carter
Figure 1.2. A new Wonder superhero mascot.
of a male and female superhero body and asked them to create their
own heroes with individual origins, powers, nemeses, love interests, etc.
Similar templates can be found in Gorman’s text (2003, pp. 42–43). Disappointment
and a little shock ensued as two students created heroes
with marijuana-inspired powers, but overall, the group engaged well
in literary devices (e.g., origin, nemesis), genre studies, and general discussion
about “what makes a hero.” Students enjoyed the activity and
learned several complex concepts that had previously escaped their
grasp.
While earning my MA in English at the University of Tennessee,
I taught a weeklong course on creative writing and another involving
sequential art (a create-your-own-comic-book course) to students ranging
from elementary to high school as part of the Kids U summer pro-