Faculty/Staff: Clement Yeh
Platform: Pressbooks
Site link (if applicable): https://graphicnovelcourse.pressbooks.tru.ca
Services provided: Site domain/setup, E-Book development, and platform support
Description: Students had the option to retell an event from their own life, adapt a work from a deceased author, or write their own fictional story. For most of them, this was their first time creating a comic, and they did an excellent job!

Impact Story

Written by Aiko Uehara

“Comics are meant to be reproduced and shared with a mass audience.”　― Clement Yeh

Clement Yeh, inspired by comics to pursue fine art, taught a Special Topics course in the Summer 2024 term, CMNS 2100: Graphic Novels and Visual Storytelling. In this course, students developed concepts and simple illustration styles for their short comic book or graphic novel projects. Upon completion, Clement allowed students to publish their work both in physical form and online. He believes that comics are designed for broad dissemination, and the TRU Open Press supported this initiative by providing an online platform for publishing through Pressbooks.

Scholars traces the origin of sequential art (images placed next to each other in sequence to tell a narrative) back to cave paintings, European tapestries, and Egyptian hieroglyphics. Over the past century, comics and graphic novels have proliferated globally ― particularly in France, Japan, and the United States ― representing a diverse array of human experiences. Notably, the traditionally Euro-centric male voice in these mediums is evolving to include more women, queer communities, and creators from various ethnic backgrounds. This shift underscores the project’s importance for students, not only enabling them to share their work online but also inspiring future students.

The increasing inclusivity and accessibility of the medium encourages students to explore perspectives that differ from their own, fostering a deeper understanding of cultural diversity and social dynamics. By embracing a broad spectrum of voices and narratives, students are prompted to critically engage with issues of representation in art and contribute their own unique perspectives to the creative landscape, helping to build a more inclusive artistic community.

Clement, in collaboration with the TRU Open Press, aims to offer the course again, anticipating an increase in student-generated content to enhance both the quantity and quality of class outcomes.