This module is built around the collaborative production, promotion, and public presentation of comics through direct engagement with a major professional external event. Working in small teams, you will develop and present a substantial body of work for audiences beyond the University, gaining first-hand experience of industry-facing workflows, professional expectations, and collaborative creative practice.

A defining feature of the module is structured preparation for participation in a public-facing comics event or equivalent professional platform. With guidance and institutional support, you will plan how work is produced, positioned, and presented within a professional context, considering visibility, audience interaction, and the practical realities of engaging with the contemporary comics industry.

Strong emphasis is placed on production management and promotion. You will organise team roles, manage production schedules, and develop promotional approaches that support both the work and your collective professional presence. The module supports engagement with external audiences, professional networks, and industry feedback, enabling you to reflect on how comics circulate, are received, and generate opportunities beyond the academic environment.

By working toward a shared public and professional outcome, supported by University resources and expertise, the module develops confidence, initiative, and professional awareness, preparing you for independent, externally engaged practice at Level 6 and beyond.

Assessment 1: Coursework: Promotion

A short promotional submission evidencing how your team has planned and positioned its work for engagement with a public or professional audience.

This assessment may include:
- Promotional concepts or materials (e.g. posters, flyers, digital assets, social media planning, branding elements)
- Rationale for audience targeting and communication strategies
- Consideration of professional context, visibility, and audience interaction

Purpose:
Demonstrates critical reasoning in relation to audience engagement and supports reflection on professional identity, promotion, and emerging industry awareness

Assessment 2: Development Work

A body of collaborative development work documenting the planning, production, and resolution of an extended practical project intended for public presentation.

The submission should include:
- Evidence of collaborative planning and role allocation
- Development and production material demonstrating narrative, visual, and technical decision-making
- Iterative testing and refinement in response to practical and professional constraints
- Documentation of production management, scheduling, and problem-solving
- Clear communication of project intentions and outcomes using appropriate disciplinary formats

Purpose:
Demonstrates growing independence, professional awareness, and the ability to address complex creative challenges through collaborative practice.

Assessment 3: Audience Engagement

A submission evidencing engagement with audiences beyond the University, centred on the public presentation of your collaborative project.

This may include:
- Documentation of participation in a public-facing event or equivalent professional platform
- Evidence of audience interaction, feedback, and reception
- Reflection on how the work was received and how professional context shaped presentation and communication

The format may combine visual documentation, written commentary, and supporting materials as appropriate.

Purpose:
Demonstrates effective communication of creative work in professional contexts and critical engagement with audience response.

Formative Assessment

Midway formative feedback will be embedded within practical sessions, providing structured opportunities for feedback on work-in-progress to support student development and progression.

Learning is studio-based and project-led, supported by workshops introducing key principles of visual storytelling and making processes.

Teaching is delivered through practical sessions, tutorials, and workshops, with an emphasis on experimentation and reflection.

Independent study supports research, development, and the production of practical outcomes for assessment.

1. Produce an extended practical project that demonstrates storytelling and growing independence along with professional awareness.

Knowledge and Understanding

2. Apply critical reasoning to address a complex challenge by demonstrating how you have used academic, technical, or professional feedback to enhance your project within cartoon and comic arts.

Critical Reasoning & Collaboration

3. Communicate project intentions, process, and outcomes using appropriate disciplinary formats.

Communication

4. Reflect on your professional identity and aspirations within creative industries and identify lifelong learning opportunities to support your development within cartoon and comic arts.

Personal Development & Entrepreneurship

- Studio workspace and specialist teaching spaces appropriate to the module.
- Access to computer labs and industry-standard creative software for image-making, layout, digital illustration, and three-dimensional modelling.
- Print Bureau and fabrication facilities, including access to digital manufacturing equipment such as 3D printers and laser cutters, where appropriate.
- Workshop technician support and health and safety inductions for specialist equipment and fabrication processes.
- Access to specialist facilities including CAD labs, digital production spaces, and simulation or pre-visualisation environments where relevant to the module.
- University Library resources, including physical collections, digital databases, subject guides, and special collections.
- Blackboard Virtual Learning Environment and licensed digital platforms to support learning, communication, and assessment submission.
- Student Life and University Careers resources to support academic development and employability.

Chute, H. L. and Panter, G. (2017) Why comics?: From underground to everywhere. New York: Harper Perennial.

Davis, R., Phoenix, W. and Grist, P. (2011) Nelson. London: Blank Slate.

Gavaler, C. (2022) The comics form. London: Bloomsbury Academic.

Heller, S. and Vienne, V. (2018) Citizen designer: Perspectives on design responsibility. 2nd edn. New York: Allworth Press.

Pustz, M. J. (2022) Comic book culture: Fanboys and true believers. Jefferson, NC: McFarland & Company.

Where older texts are included, they are retained as foundational texts within the discipline, remaining relevant where no more recent equivalent texts are available.

Websites:

https://www.cartoonmuseum.org
https://downthetubes.net

This module places you in a professional comics environment, working in small teams to create and promote a significant body of work for public display. A key aspect is participating in an external comics event, where you'll present and promote your work to a public audience, gaining experience in audience engagement, professional standards, and modern comics practice. Supported by University resources and guidance, it combines collaborative creation, promotion, and audience interaction to prepare you for independent, industry-oriented work at Level 6 and beyond.