Todd Bunnell, instructor of English at Mississippi University for Women, will make a presentation about comics and the graphic novel as a result of being named Mississippi Humanities Council MUW Humanities Teacher of the Year.
His presentation, “Comics and the Graphic Novel: Taking Your Heroes Where You Can Get `Em,” is set for Monday, Nov. 1, 6 p.m., in Painter Hall 209. This event is free and open to the public, with a reception following.
The theme for Bunnell”s presentation came about as a response to a course on the graphic novel he taught last spring.
“My presentation will be a primer for the genre as many people, except for some diehard students more than likely, may not know much about comics and the graphic novel,” Bunnell said. “I will talk a little bit about the history, the background, of the genre, but the presentation will mostly argue for the literary value of the form.
In particular, the presentation will trace the evolution of the formulaic hero into the battle-scarred wounded warrior and then even into the modern-day tragic hero, cape and mask optional, that we associate within the literary tradition.”
Bunnell said he does not teach in order to receive awards, but that the honor is an added bonus.
“I teach because I love the interaction with students, and I love watching that shared knowledge grow within my students,” he said. “However, I have to admit that it is always nice to be recognized for what you do. It is always an extra incentive to get that little pat on the back.
Employed at MUW since 1996, Bunnell also serves as the director of the Teaching English as a Second Language (TESL) Certificate Program which he developed at MUW in 2003, and he is the coordinator of composition and the Writing Center director as well.
His degrees include a bachelor”s degree in English from Wright State University (Ohio) and a master”s degree in English with a creative writing emphasis and a TESL Certificate both from Mississippi State University.
For more information about Bunnell”s presentation, contact Dr. Rita Hinton, chair of the Department of Languages, Literature and Philosophy, at 662-329-7386, or [email protected].
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