A deep dive into a remarkable University Libraries collection and a local subculture gave a group of undergraduates a chance to hone their interviewing, research and storytelling skills when Andrea L'Hommedieu, Head of Oral History at the South Caroliniana Library, collaborated with the University of South Carolina Honors College in the Spring of 2026 to teach “Oral History Meets Pop Culture”, a class that invited students to gain hands-on oral history skills while analyzing and learning about the history of comic books.
Students got the opportunity to learn about the process by which oral histories are created, as well as the importance of oral history when it comes to the historic record, all while exploring their own interests in the special collections’ holdings.
During their visits to the Irvin Department of Rare Books and Special Collections, the class utilized the vast Gary Lee Watson Comic Book Collection to learn more about the history of comic books, as well as comic book collection and creation. The collection holds more than 180,000 comics, magazines, paperbacks and pulps. Since the collection came to the Libraries in 2019, it has been an invaluable addition to the holdings of the University, providing students access to extremely rare editions of some of pop culture’s most famous comics.
“This course, centered on the history of comic books and oral history methodology, offers a compelling example of how experiential learning thrives when students move beyond traditional classroom boundaries,” says L'Hommedieu. “By combining hands‑on experiences in University Libraries’ special collections with oral history training and community engagement, students learned not only about history—they helped document it.”
L’Hommedieu has over 25 years of experience in oral history and is responsible for the creation of multiple oral history collections at University Libraries that tell the stories of communities across South Carolina. This is not the first time L’Hommedieu has led a class of this type, however. In recent years she has taught courses focused on oral histories about skateboarding in Columbia, COVID-19 experiences throughout the state and country, and South Carolina veterans and their experiences.
In this class, students learned the principles and best practices for conducting, transcribing, preserving and presenting oral history interviews, at first through peer-to-peer practice in class, then with their interviewee of choice. They then used different software and AI tools to try their hand at various transcription methods, listening to the interviews and learning how to make the transcriptions coincide with what they were hearing. Through these exercises, students utilized practical skills while taking part in the creation of primary sources to document stories and people’s lives in real time.
“Taking this course has deepened my understanding of the importance of oral history. I now have a greater appreciation for the work of oral historians and have gained experiences of being one myself,” says Anthony Froio, a freshman Chemical Engineering student who interviewed Andy Smith, comic book artist and founder of Astonishing Comics, who has been published by both Marvel and DC Comics. “I learned important lessons about research, field work, and the value in all of our stories.”
At the end of the class, the students presented their interviews, along with what they learned about the themes they had chosen to pursue throughout the course. Final project and interview topics ranged from scholarly takes on representation in comics to the logistics of self-publishing and even the day-to-day experiences of running an independent comic bookstore in Columbia.
“The interviews explored personal and professional stories: memories of a first comic book, inspirations for writing or drawing, the influence of manga and graphic novels, and the unique role comic book shops play as cultural and community spaces,” says L'Hommedieu. “Students also spoke with professors who use comics in their own classrooms to teach writing, art, civil rights, and other subjects.”
In the near future, a website will feature the student-conducted comic book oral histories as part of the over 3,000 sound recordings preserved through University Libraries, inaugurating their work into the vast repository of research materials at the university. The interviews will be digitally accessible for many researchers and scholars for years to come.