With Japanese comics and animation continuing to take root in American pop culture, the University of California, Irvine extension program has created a new course titled ‘Manga & Anime Explosion: What, Why, How & Wow!” Starting Sept. 26, students will gather every Tuesday evening for a month to explore and discuss the art forms and the impact they have made on Western civilization and the world at large.
“Manga and anime have had a significant influence on today’s entertainment medium in recent years, including films like Kill Bill and The Matrix,” says Dr. Kirwan Rockefeller, director of UC Irvine Extension’s Arts and Humanities program. “UC Irvine Extension is pleased to announce this innovative, cutting-edge course that is reflective of our global society’s interest in these fascinating art forms.”
Aimed at screenwriters seeking to expand their writing skills and passionate fans of manga and anime, the course will have students applying methods of story and character development found in manga to screenwriting, advertising, information publishing and other creative endeavors. Class will be presided over by screenwriter Northrop Davis, who has written for Sony and 20th Century Fox. Most recently, he pitched the Battle Angel Alita manga series to Fox, which has put it in production with director James Cameron at the helm. Davis plans to bring in guest speakers from U.S.-based manga magazines and anime production companies.
The five-week UC Irvine Extension course will be held on the UC Irvine campus and is open to the public at the cost of $185. To register or view more information, go to www.unex.uci.edu or call 949-824-5414.
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