Rob Murray writes:
Dundee University is offering a one-year Masters degree in comic studies, which will be run by its department of English from September this year.
Course founder Dr Chris Murray told the BBC the programme will look at topics such as autobiographical comics and the relationship between international comics cultures.
The new course will surely be welcomed by cartoonists and enthusiasts keen to raise the profile of our industry and the work we produce. But it has already attracted criticism not least from Labour MP Tom Harris.
[blackbirdpie url=”http://twitter.com/#!/TomHarrisMP/status/77850259354697728″]
The MP first took aim on Tuesday later adding that an academic course in comics “plays right into the Tories’ hands.” Presumably acknowledging Dundee’s significance to the history of comics as the home of D.C. Thomson, he also tweeted: “Yeah, looking forward to Sheffield University doing a degree in forks.”
Bloghorn thinks Harris’ comments reflect the longstanding and widespread snobbery in the UK when it comes to comics, which tends to pigeonhole the art form as simplistic kiddie-fare (and, by extension, not worthy of serious study).
The thread of the MP’s argument is available here.
We will be taking a closer look at this subject in a follow up piece on Bloghorn next week. Meanwhile please do use the comments below if you have something to say about this.