É sabido que o ensino de ciências no Brasil está entre os piores do mundo. Atualmente, a sociedade discute com bastante frequência este quadro: pensam-se as razões que levam a educação a estar tão defasada, e o que leva os estudantes a não gostarem da disciplina de Química. Uma dessas razões pode ser a forma como os conteúdos são passados para os discentes, a qual muitas vezes é descontextualizada e nada atrativa. As histórias em quadrinhos têm sido utilizadas como instrumento didático de aprendizagem em diferentes áreas no ensino médio, no entanto na área da química, ainda são pouco usadas. Baseado nisso o presente trabalho tem como objetivo desenvolver um estudo de caso elaborando uma revista em quadrinhos para explicar o conteúdo de estequiometria a alunos do segundo ano do ensino médio. A hipótese é de que a revista em quadrinhos, por ter um caráter lúdico, possa facilitar a aprendizagem do conteúdo. Primeiramente foi criada a revista, depois foi realizado um estudo de caso em uma escola estadual em Gravataí/RS, onde participaram da atividade utilizando a revista, 60 alunos de três turmas do segundo ano do ensino médio. A avaliação foi realizada por meio de prétestes e pós-testes e com o uso de questionários com perguntas abertas e fechadas, sendo que as respostas foram categorizadas sob um enfoque quantitativo. Os resultados encontrados mostraram que os estudantes ficaram motivados com a atividade e tiveram um maior entendimento do conteúdo quando utilizaram a revista em quadrinhos, sendo que 26% dos estudantes melhoraram suas respostas em frente ao conteúdo abordado. Além disso, observou-se que cerca de 25% compreenderam melhor os conceitos e os cálculos estequiométricos. Sendo assim, acredita-se que a revista em quadrinhos possa ser uma boa estratégia de ensinoaprendizagem para o ensino de Química. / It is a known fact that science education in Brazil is among the worst in the world. Nowadays, society often discusses this situation and considers the reasons why education is so outdated and why students do not like the subject of chemistry. One reason may be the method used to teach the subject matter, which is often decontextualized and unattractive. The hypothesis was that the comic book, due to its ludic character, might facilitate the understanding of this subject. First the comic book was created; then a case study was done at a state school in Gravataí/RS, where 60 students from three groups in the second year of high school participated in the activity. The evaluation was done through pretests and posttests and using questionnaires with open- and closed-ended questions, classifying the answers with a quantitative focus. The results showed that the students were motivated by the activity and had a better understanding of the subject when they used the comic book, with 26% of the students improving their answers about the subject matter. It was also observed that 25% of the students better understood the concepts and the stoichiometric calculus. Thus, we believe that comic books may be a good teachinglearning strategy for the study of chemistry.

The Ph.D. focuses on the recent conflict in Sri Lanka that ended on 19 May 2009 with the military defeat of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), otherwise known as the Tamil Tigers, and the death and disappearance of between an estimated figure of 75,000 and 146,679 Tamil civilians and LTTE combatants from that year. The research is based on narratives from oral histories taken largely from survivors of the civil war in order to produce a graphic novel to convey the story of a family whose experiences are paralleled among many other people from the Vanni in north-eastern Sri Lanka. Multiple methodologies were deployed from working closely with an illustrator, Lindsay Pollock, to focus groups and semi-structured and structured interviews listening to survivors' testimonies and experiences based in Chennai, London and Zurich with those people who are currently going through, or have recently gone through, the asylum process. The thesis and in particular the graphic novel can contribute to the formation of a compelling and engaging 'human rights culture' (Galchinsky 2012) both in terms of representing the bloody conflict in Sri Lanka, and the ordeals and dilemmas faced by displaced persons in other countries in its aftermath. As opposed to human rights law which is based on a vertical axis, Galchinsky states that human rights culture is based on a horizontal appeal to a shared humanity. While universalist understandings of human rights and the holistic conception of culture implied in his proposal are questionable, the horizontal axis of enquiry and representation informs this research - ranging from the fieldwork period that led to the collation of testimonies to the production of the graphic novel, to its sharing with research contributors for their opinions and formative feedback, and to its wider dissemination. The accompanying graphic novel is hybrid in terms of the combination of text with illustrations and photographs, and with regards to a fusion between the 'fictional' with 'factual' - both deemed here as conventions of representing and engaging with real-life events. Even though the nuance of multiple perspectives offered by research interlocutors may be simplified in the narrative of the graphic novel, there are clear theoretical and methodological advantages that, to date, have not been considered in the Sri Lankan context for this kind of literature. These include the ability to retain the anonymity of interlocutors while highlighting the compelling recollections of their experiences, the potential to foster a 'sympathetic imagination' across social and other demarcations that can constitute the creation of meanings that offer a particular way of seeing, feeling and thinking about one's relationship with oneself, others, and with society in general (Salgado 2007), and the possibilities for a collaborative approach with interlocutors. The written thesis provides the contextual and ethnographic foundations for the graphic novel that also elaborates upon the self-reflexive and participatory methodologies and ethical concerns of creating the novel itself. The graphic novel enables a wider career in terms of its readership amongst research contributors as well as others, and its role in promoting educational awareness and humanitarian advocacy on the recent conflict.

The 21st century has seen an unprecedented rise in the volume of comics and graphic novels being produced and consumed and in scholarly interest in the form, with the interdisciplinary field of Comics Studies rising to become a vibrant global community with a significant body of work and an established academic infrastructure. Alternative comics and graphic novels - those outside of the superhero genre-dominated corporate publishing structures of Marvel and DC - have driven this rise and the ensuing legitimation of the form. What defines the specific nature of alternative comics and what they are is the particular work and labour of alternative cartoonists. This work is, in turn, characterized and defined by specific tensions between auteurism (driven by neoliberalism and late capitalism's veneration of the individual and the entrepreneur) and collective production (driven by the sociological perspective of works of art always being the product of many hands). This thesis is an attempt to present specific examples of where these tensions are exhibited and, as a result, to offer new accounts of the specific nature of comics work. It is also an attempt to move away from the formalism that has dominated the field of comics studies and to move towards an understanding of comics as cultural work, informed by an understanding of comics through their creators and an approach that allows comics practice to inform comics theory. Each chapter of this thesis examines a specific aspect of the culture of working in contemporary comics, contextualised within neoliberal political economy and consistently bridging the gap between auteurism and collective production. These include the portrayal of art school and comics' engagement with institutions; the direct portrayal of work itself in alternative comics; the use of colour in comics, which here facilitates a reading of the effects of the technical conditions of production on the content and construction of comics; and finally, the effects of digital culture and new disruptive technologies on the production, distribution and consumption of comics, and how this contributes to a present and future understanding of the figure of the auteur cartoonist. Drawing these chapters together, the thesis concludes with a presentation of the auteur cartoonist as one who drives the contemporary culture of comics and graphic novels in the emerging dialectic of comics work. Comics work is thus situated as a political act and a site of resistance and rebellion through collective production.

O presente trabalho visa buscar maior compreensão acerca do papel das gibitecas como espaços que servem a um propósito mais amplo que apenas armazenar revistas de histórias em quadrinhos. Como apontam Bari (2008), Nogueira (2017) e Vergueiro (1994), o aumento no número de espaços dedicados exclusivamente à leitura de histórias em quadrinhos no Brasil tem sido observado desde o início dos anos 1990, da mesma forma que observou Vergueiro (2017) em relação ao aumento no número de publicações em quadrinhos no país. Diversos fatores podem ter contribuído para o aquecimento do mercado nacional de quadrinhos, entre eles, o advento da internet, que possibilita que os autores possam divulgar seus trabalhos a uma quantidade cada vez maior de leitores; a indicação dos Parâmetros Curriculares Nacionais para que os quadrinhos sejam usados em sala de aula; a possibilidade de publicação de histórias em quadrinhos por meio de editais estaduais; e o processo de legitimação das histórias em quadrinhos como bens culturais de mesmo valor que outras expressões artísticas, como previsto em Carvalho (2017). A hipótese na qual se baseia a pesquisa é de que as gibitecas podem constituir polos de fomento à cultura e de exercício da cidadania ao promoverem eventos para divulgação dos quadrinhos e disponibilizam seus acervos gratuitamente aos cidadãos das comunidades onde estão inseridas. A partir da perspectiva de teóricos da Comunicação como Jesus Martin-Barbero (1997, 2000) e Nestór Canclini (1999) sobre a importância dos eventos sociais para a compreensão dos fenômenos de comunicação, principalmente no que tange à América Latina; e as considerações de teóricos da cultura como Raymond Williams (1961, 2008) e dos Estudos Culturais de Matellart e Neveu (2002) sobre os aspectos sociais do acesso à cultura, o objeto a ser analisado é composto pelos eventos ocorridos na Gibiteca Municipal de Santos entre os anos de 2013 e 2016, período em que o local presenciou o aumento de mais de 100% de atividades oferecidas aos seus frequentadores em comparação aos anos anteriores. Para a análise destes eventos são utilizados estudo de caso, etnografia, entrevistas e pesquisa bibliográfica que buscam relacionar as considerações dos autores elencados à observação participativa da autora ao longo dos anos mencionados. O acesso à cultura como uma forma de exercer a cidadania é defendido por Marshall (1967) e complementado por teóricos da Geografia Cultural (CUCHE, 2002; COSGROVE; 2007; CORRÊA, ROSENDAHL, 2007) quando se referem à relevância de certos espaços para a construção e aquisição de conhecimento para determinados grupos. Em relação a esses grupos, que no caso da Gibiteca são seus frequentadores, suas interações remetem ao que Pustz (2000) atesta sobre a existência de uma cultura específica de histórias em quadrinhos, cujos elementos constitutivos são específicos e compartilhados pelas pessoas que consomem seus produtos. Assim, por meio da exposição dos dados coletados e da bibliografia pertinente à pesquisa, foi possível concluir se a hipótese inicial se confirma, possibilitando então, que o debate acerca da relevância das gibitecas seja expandido. / This study aims to seek deeper comprehension about the role of the comics libraries (gibitecas) as places that serve to a greater purpose than only store comic books. As Bari (2008), Nogueira (2017) and Vergueiro (1994) indicate, the increase in the number of places dedicated exclusively to comic books reading in Brasil has been noticed since the 1990\'s, as well as the number of comic books releases, as observed by Vergueiro (2017). Many factors may have contributed to the warming of the national comics market, among them, the internet, that enables artists to broadcast their works to a larger number of comic readers; the indication of the National Curricular Parameters (Parâmetros Curriculares Nacionais) so that the comics are used in the classroom; the possibility of publishing comic books by public edicts; and the legitimizing comics process as cultural products with the same value as other artistic expressions, as in Carvalho (2017). The hypothesis on which the research is based is that the gibitecas can constitute means to promote culture and exercising the citizenship by promoting events to divulge comics and making their collections available to the citizens of the communities where they are inserted. From the perspective of Communication theorists such as Jesus Martin-Barbero (1997, 2000) and Nestór Canclini (1999) on the importance of social events for understanding communication phenomena, especially in Latin America; and the considerations of cultural theorists such as Raymond Williams (1961, 2008) and Matellart and Neveu (2002) Cultural Studies on the social aspects of access to culture, the object to be analyzed is composed of the events that took place in the Gibiteca Municipal de Santos between the years of 2013 and 2016, during which time the place witnessed an increase of more than 100% of activities offered to its visitors, compared to previous years. For the analysis of these events we use a case study, ethnography, interviews and bibliographical research that seek to relate the considerations of the authors listed to the participant observation of the author over the mentioned years. Access to culture as a way of exercising citizenship is defended by Marshall (1967) and complemented by cultural geography theorists (CUCHE, 2002; COSGROVE; 2007; CORRÊA, ROSENDAHL 2007) when they refer to the relevance of certain spaces for the construction and acquisition of knowledge for certain groups. In relation to these groups, which in the case of Gibiteca are their regulars, their interactions refer to what Pustz (2000) attests about the existence of a specific culture of comic books, which constitutive elements are specific and shared by the people who consume their products. Thus, through the exposition of the collected data and the bibliography pertinent to the research, it was possible to conclude if the initial hypothesis is confirmed, allowing then, that the debate about the relevance of the gibitecas is expanded.

The study aims to examine how censorship and comics have been discussed in three debates. The aim is also to identify discourses and the orders and relations of power constructed in the debates, and to examine how librarians should handle debates about censorship and comics. Selected sources are articles from Swedish newspapers and tabloids about the debates on the Pox-trial, the manga case and the debate about Tintin in Kulturhuset. The results from the analysis indicates that the debates have been dominated by two main discourses: a discourse on freedom of speech and a discourse on social responsibility. Within the discourse of freedom of speech there is a range of perspectives that emphasize: artistic freedom, the need for open and free conversations, a discussion about how the comics are assessed in comparison with other media formats as well as a discussion about moral and moralism. The discourse of social responsibility results in a feminist and anti-porn discourse, a post-colonial and anti-racist discourse and a discourse on the protection of children and young people. Based on these results, the discourses can be analysed in relation to the laws, values and ethical guidelines for libraries. The analysis indicates that libraries and librarians should keep a balance between freeedom of speech and social responsibility. They could keep up to date with research about censorship, comics and various genres in order to make informed decisions about how to handle comics in the libraries. The librarian should also assess the comics on the same bases as literature, music, film and other cultural expressions.

With shows such as Big Bang Theory and the increased mainstreaming of San Diego Comic-con, now more than ever before, it is acceptable to be a “nerd”. The question now becomes what efforts are being made to appeal to fans of color in traditional “nerd” activities, specifically comic books (this can include television shows and movies based on comic book characters), anime, and science fiction. Throughout the decades, there have been various attempts to have a discourse about the lack of diversity in nerd culture, both among its creators and characters from various properties considered beloved to nerds. Only, at the time of this writing, in recent years does there seem to be an increase among fans of color discussing these issues in the world at large, and not just in their own social group(s). This research will discover how minority fans feel about representation, or lack thereof, in the three above fandom. It will examine how minority fans feel about specific instants involving race and ethnicity in fandom from the past year. What I have discovered is that, issues of race are not discussed among the majority of fans and creators. Occasionally, when such issues are discussed there is an amount of hostility from white fans.

At this exact moment, graphic novels are enjoying a heyday of popularity, profusion and attention. As the graphic novel medium matures and detaches itself from the “non-serious” reputation of comics, it is becoming clear that graphic novels are a powerful and effective art form, using the both verbal and the visual to relay their narratives. Portrait, the short graphic novel that is my senior art project, is intended to emphasize the artist’s book character of the graphic novel, and serve as an example of how a graphic novel’s artist’s book characteristics allow communication of the artist’s message effectively.

Graphic texts, or graphic novels, have spent many years on shelves with comic books about superheroes and adventurers. They officially gained notoriety in 1992 with Art Spiegelman’s Maus, and at this time, critics and scholars began to take notice. However, graphic novels have not been fully adapted by academia. Graphic novels have the ability to offer new levels of instruction and learning in upper-level classrooms.The following is a study in the multitude of uses of graphic text in academia. Chapter 1 looks at the history of graphic text to understand the present and future of graphic novels. Chapter 2 focuses on literacy issues to develop a basis for the use of graphic novels in the classroom. Chapter 3 offers a method of using graphic novels to broaden a students’ understanding of plays. Chapter 4 moves on to a study of graphic novels as works of literature. Through this look of historical data and an analysis and discussion of the modern form of graphic novels, we will come to the conclusion that graphic novels can be useful assets in the classroom when they are taken from the shelf of comic books and used to their full potential.

Thesis (Ph.D)--Literature, Communication, and Culture, Georgia Institute of Technology, 2010. / Committee Chair: Mazalek, Alexandra; Committee Member: Bolter, Jay; Committee Member: Knospel, Kenneth; Committee Member: Murray, Janet; Committee Member: Winegarden, Claudia Rebola. Part of the SMARTech Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Collection.

Thesis (M.A.)--Tennessee Technological University, 2009. / Title from title page screen (viewed on Feb. 25, 2010). Bibliography: leaves 87-90.