CFP: UF 2009 - "Convergences: Comics, Culture and Globalization"

The University of Florida's
College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
is pleased to announce the 2008
UF Conference on Comics and Graphic Novels:
"Convergences:
Comics, Culture and Globalization"
Gainesville, Florida, March 21-22, 2009.

This seventh annual conference on comics will focus on issues of globalization and reception. Comics are, now more than ever, an international phenomenon, but scholarly accounts of comics are often limited by an exclusive focus on examples from a single national or continental comics industry. This problem is exacerbated by the scarcity of translations. Furthermore, one of the many obstacles facing the emergent discipline of comics studies is the difficulty of communication between scholars working in different national and cultural contexts. This conference is intended as a small step toward meeting these challenges. The goal of this conference, therefore, is to consider the history and reception of comics on a global level. We are interested in papers that focus on international comics and animation markets, cross-cultural reception of comics, and the differential status of comics in different cultures (e.g. as a children's / mass medium or as a mainstream form of literature). Here we are using "comics" in its broadest sense, embracing animation, manga, anime, graphic novels, webcomics, political cartoons, and even some "fine art." In addition to theoretically grounded work, we encourage submission of archival and historical research.

Special guests will include Susan Napier (From Impressionism to Anime: Japan as Fantasy and Fan Cult in the Mind of the West), Jessica Abel (La Perdida), Matt Madden (99 Ways to Tell a Story: Exercises in Style) and Sara Cooper (Founder, MLA Discussion Group on Cuban and Cuban Diaspora Cultural Production).

Possible topics include but are not limited to:

• The reception of comics outside their original cultural context, both by fans (e.g. manga fandom in the United States) and by creators (e.g. American comics' influence on the development of manga and BD, the "nouvelle manga" movement).
• Connections between comics form and cultural status. How have views of the cultural position of comics (e.g. as a children's versus an adult medium or as a mass-cultural versus a literary medium) evolved differently in various cultures? What does this have to do with the formal properties of the medium, such as sequentiality and hybrid image-textuality?
• Comics as a global market: migrations of talent between multiple comics industries (e.g. the Spanish and Filipino "invasions" of British and American comics in the 1960s and 1970s, the Korean influence on U.S. animation) and cross-national collaborations (e.g. mangakas working for Marvel and DC).
• Comics studies as a global discipline. What barriers exist to the study of comics from a global perspective and to collaborations between comics scholars from different cultures? How might such barriers be removed?
• The impact of the internet on the global comics market. How have scanlations and filesharing helped or hindered global comics industries?
• Canon formation and expansion. What happens when works from unfamiliar cultural contexts (e.g. Persepolis and Epileptic) enter a national comics canon?
• Comics and travel/tourism, e.g. in Craig Thompson's Carnet de Voyage.
• Comics and issues of postcolonial identity, e.g. in Abouet & Oubrerie's Aya, Baru's Road to America, Horrocks's Hicksville.
• Translations of comics, both official and unofficial, e.g. scanlation. What are the unique difficulties and advantages of comics translation as opposed to prose translation? What are the unique difficulties and approaches to translating comics from different cultures? How, if at all, do "official" and "unofficial" translators approach comics translations differently?

Abstract submissions should be approximately 250-500 words in length. Presentations will be 15 minutes with 5 minutes of question and answer.

The deadline for abstract submissions is December 1, 2008. Abstracts or questions should be submitted to Aaron Kashtan at akashtan[at]english.ufl.edu or Tania Darlington at tdarlington1[at]ufl.edu. See the conference website for schedules and additional information: http://global.comic-studies.org.

New Publication: 500 Essential Graphic Novels

I'm proud to announce the publication of my first book, 500 Essential Graphic Novels. Well, by "my" I mean that it has my name on the cover, and that I did a lot of the work on it. However, I can't help but acknowledge the contributions of many other writers (see the book for the full list, in addition to some unacknowledged but highly appreciated work by über-pals Mike Rhode and Charles Hatfield), and of my editor Tim Seelig of ILEX Press.

Here's the description from Collins Design, the book's US publisher:

500 Essential Graphic Novels is an all-in-one guide to this exciting form of visual literature.

Including more than 350 authors and 400 artists, this lush volume contains an essential mix of some of the finest visually-stunning stories of our time. From politically-charged non-fiction sagas to imaginative fantasy tales, this ultimate guide has something to satisfy everyone's taste.

The first of its kind, this book focuses on each graphic novel separately, honing in on art technique, style and prose, plus an age rating system so parents will know what is suitable for their children. Chapters are divided by genre, complete with individual plot synopses and star-scaled reviews for each book, providing the reader with a concise and balanced understanding of today's best graphic novels.

You can visit our bibliography entry for 500 Essential Graphic Novels to see a list of the book's contents and other information. I hope to have some "web extras" to go along with the book soon.

(On that page you'll also find our customary Amazon.com ordering link. If you can't find the book at your local shop, please consider using this link to buy the book - or any other book listed and linked to at ComicsResearch.org, for that matter. I receive a small [very!] chunk of change from your purchases, money that helps offset the costs of running this website. End of commercial.)

Special thanks go to my pal Tim Pilcher for nominating me for the gig in the first place; you might recall that I assisted Tim on his book Erotic Comics: A Graphic History from Tijuana Bibles to Zap Comix. He also runs the blog Sex, Drugs & Comic Books. Also, here's a shout-out to über-friends Brad & Liz Brooks for introducing me to Tim in the first place; Brad's the co-author with Tim of The Essential Guide to World Comics, and Brad & Liz run Sequential Design. Finally, massive thanks and love to K. A. Laity, who had to endure not just me but also a house even more covered in books than is our crazy norm.

Latest Additions and Updates to Our Bibliography

Here are the latest new and revised ComicsResearch.org bibliography entries (lots this time!). As always, we've also been adding links throughout the website. If you have suggestions or would like to contribute reviews, please let us know.

New Entries:

500 Essential Graphic Novels: The Ultimate Guide. By Gene Kannenberg, Jr. NY: Collins Design, 2008.

Father of the Comics Strip: Rodolphe Töpffer. By David Kunzle. Great Comics Artists series. Jackson: University Press of Mississippi, 2007.

Harvey Pekar: Conversations. Edited by Michael G. Rhode. Conversations with Comic Artists Series. Jackson: University Press of Mississippi, 2008 [in press].

Invaders from the North: How Canada Conquered the Comic Book Universe. By John Bell; foreword by Seth. Toronto: The Dundurn Group, 2006.

Jeff Smith: Bone and Beyond. Foreword by Sherri Geldin. Introduction by Lucy Shelton Caswell. Text by Dave Filipi, Scott McCloud, Neil Gaiman. Columbus, OH: Wexner Center for the Arts, 2008.

Meanwhile...: A Biography of Milton Caniff, Creator of Terry and the Pirates and Steve Canyon. By Robert C. Harvey. Seattle: Fantagraphics, 2007.

Reading Comics: How Graphic Novels Work and What They Mean. By Douglas Wolk. Da Capo Press, 2007.

Son of Invisible Art: Graphic Novels for Libraries. Compiled by Joss O'Kelly. Aylesbury: Library and Information Service for Schools, Buckinghamshire County Council, 2001.

Superheroes: Fashion and Fantasy. By Harold Koda and Andrew Bolton. Introduction by Michael Chabon. Metropolitan Museum of Art; New Haven: Yale University Press, 2008.

Töpffer: L'invention de la bande dessinée. By Thierry Groensteen and Benôit Peeters. Hermann Editeurs des Sciences et des Arts, 1994.

Where Demented Wented: The Art and Comics of Rory Hayes. By Rory Hayes. Edited by Dan Nadel and Glenn Bray, with essays by Geoffrey Hayes and Edwin Pouncey. Seattle: Fantagraphics, 2008.

Wordless Books: The Original Graphic Novels. By David A. Beronä. Introduction by Peter Kuper. Abrams, 2008.

Revised Entries:

Art Spiegelman: Conversations. Ed. Joseph Witek. Conversations with Comic Artists. Jackson: University Press of Mississippi, 2007.

Comics as Philosophy. Edited by Jeff McLaughlin. Jackson: University Press of Mississippi, 2005.

Dreamland Japan: Writings on Modern Manga. By Frederik L. Schodt. Berkeley, CA: Stone Bridge P, 1996.

The Great Comic Book Heroes. By Jules Feiffer. 1965. New York: Dial, 1977.

Forging a New Medium: The Comic Strip in the Nineteenth Century. Edited by Charles Dierick and Pascal Lefèvre. Brussels: VUB University Press, 1998.

Manga! Manga! The World of Japanese Comics. By Frederik L. Schodt. Foreword by Osamu Tezuka. Tokyo, New York, and San Francisco: Kodansha International, 1983.

Rebel Visions: The Underground Comix Revolution, 1963-1975. By Patrick Rosenkranz. Seattle, WA: Fantagraphics Books, 2002.

Seduction of the Innocent. By Fredric Wertham. New York & Toronto: Reinhart, 1954.

The System of Comics. By Thierry Groensteen. Trans. Bart Beaty and Nick Nguyen. Jackson: University Press of Mississippi, 2007.

The Ten-Cent Plague: The Great Comic-Book Scare and How It Changed America. By David Hajdu. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2008.

Unpopular Culture: Transforming the European Comic Book in the 1990s. By Bart Beaty. University of Toronto Press, 2007.

"Reading Pictures, Burning Comics": Sept. 25 at Columbia University

This event was announced today on SHARP-L, the discussion list for the Society for the History of Authorship, Reading, and Publishing. I'm very pleased to see a topic on comics as part of this distinguished lecture series!

Reading Pictures, Burning Comics:
New Perspectives on the History of Graphic Narrative

Panel discussion with:
David Berona, Plymouth State University
David Hajdu, Columbia University
Mike Kelly, New York University

September 25
Columbia University
523 Butler Library, 5:30-7 pm

The publication of two recent books -- Berona's Wordless Books [our info] (2008) and Hajdu's Ten-Cent Plague [our info] (2008) -- inspired this panel discussion. Moderator, comics scholar, and rare book curator Mike Kelly will lead a discussion with Berona and Hajdu on current scholarship, historical perspectives, and a consideration of the place wordless books, graphic novels, and comics hold in both contemporary culture and the History of the Book.

Inquiries to: Gerald W. Cloud, Librarian for Reference and Research, Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Columbia University Libraries, 535 West 114th Street, New York, NY 10027. (Ph): 212-854-8481

[There may still be time to sneak in a submission...]

Call for Participation
Institute for Comics Studies
Comic Book Convention Conference Series

DRAGON*CON ACADEMIC
MINI-CONFERENCE
Atlanta, Georgia August 29-September 1, 2008

The Institute for Comic Studies and the Comics and Pop Art division of Dragon*Con are working together to develop an academic conference for the studies of comics and pop art to take place at Dragon-Con, the largest multi-media, popular culture convention focusing on science fiction and fantasy, gaming, comics, literature, art, music, and film in the US.

Please submit a proposal for a 20-minute presentation that engages in substantial scholarly examinations of comic books, graphic novels, and pop art. A broad range of disciplinary and theoretical perspectives is being sought, including literary and art criticism, philosophy, linguistics, history, and communication. Proposals may range from discussions of the nature of the comics medium, analyses of particular works and authors, discussions of the visual language of comics, to comics pedagogy, and more.

The academic track of Dragon*Con represents the Institute for Comics Studies’ mission to promote the study, understanding, and cultural legitimacy of comics and to support the discussion and dissemination of this study and understanding via public venues.

100-word proposals due: ASAP or by August 1, 2008:

Matthew Brown
Dragon*Con Mini-Conference Chair
mattbrown @ ucsd.edu
Subject line: "ICS: Dragon*Con Proposal"
www.instituteforcomicsstudies.org

Due to the tight deadline and scheduling constraints, early submission is the best guarantor of acceptance

CFP: Second Life Web Comics Conference (Aug. 15; Oct. 3)

Call for Presenters:
Second Life Web Comics
Comic-Con and Conference

Proposals are invited for presentations at the Web Comics Convention to be held in Second Life on October 3, 2008.

Sponsored by The Center for EduPunx, The Comic Book Bin, and The Institute for Comics Studies, the conference will bring together practitioners, educators, academics, students, journalists and others for a day-long event aimed at lively discussion and fruitful exchange. Participation from all over the world is avidly sought, while conference organizers and tech support will work in English.

Proposals of roughly 200 words are solicited from:

Web Comics Creators
Display samples of your work in our galleries, mingle with conference attendees, and participate in roundtable discussions about web comics creation, self-promotion, career goals, etc. Play with your avatar, come as your comics character!

Second Life Artists, Designers and Builders, Educators and Researchers
Demonstrate the potential of Second Life for web comics creators and students interested in making and promoting their own comics. We are particularly eager to receive a proposal from you if you are making comics in Second Life, or have designed or created a build based on comics. If you are in the planning process, please also submit a proposal.

Educators
Are you using web comics in the classroom? Educators using web comics are invited to lead and participate in workshops designed to explore the pedagogical possibilities of web comics, especially if you are encouraging students to create web comics for course credit.

Comics Scholars, Bloggers, Twitterers, Academic Journals on the Web
Share your research into comics history, web comics or comics in Second Life in presentations or roundtable discussions.

Journalists and Comics Professionals
Share your insights into important trends in web comics in presentations or roundtable discussions. Sit with creators and Second Life artists, educators and researchers to explore the potential of virtual worlds for comics and the industry.

Please direct all inquiries and proposals to Beth Davies-Stofka, Ph.D. at beth.davies@frontrange.edu. Proposals are due no later than August 15. All proposals will receive a reply by August 30, 2008. Technical support will be provided by the Center for EduPunx, and training will be available by appointment in SL September 17-19.

We hope to hear from you!

CFP: ICS's Wizard World University (Aug. 15; Nov. 7-9)

Here's the first of two Calls for Papers sponsored by the new Institute for Comics Studies. Note the tight deadline for abstracts: August 15.

Call for Participation
Institute for Comics Studies
Comic Book Convention Conference Series
WIZARD WORLD UNIVERSITY: TEXAS
Arlington Convention Center, Texas
November 7-9, 2008

The Institute for Comics Studies is soliciting proposals for presentations, book talks, slide talks, roundtables, professional-focus discussion panels, workshops and other panels for Wizard World University-Texas, the academic track of Wizard World Texas.

Panels that include participation by comics industry professionals are especially encouraged. ICS will provide assistance with recruiting professionals for participation in WWU-TX panels.

Wizard World University represents the Institute for Comics Studies’ mission to promote the study, understanding, and cultural legitimacy of comics and to support the discussion and dissemination of this study and understanding via public venues.

ICS is also accepting applications for the position of local chair at Wizard World Texas.
Proposals due: August 15, 2008
WWU-T submission form: http://www.hsu.edu/form.aspx?ekfrm=40054

Dr. Peter Coogan
Institute for Comics Studies
719 Fairview Ave, St. Louis MO 63119
314-962-7939
Comicsstudies @ gmail.com
http://www.instituteforcomicsstudies.org

New Academic Journal: European Comic Art

European Comic Art is a new academic journal on comics, published by Liverpool UP. The journal's website describes it better than I can (especially since I haven't seen a copy yet):

European Comic Art will be the first English-language scholarly publication devoted to the study of European-language graphic novels, comic strips, comic books and caricature. Published in association with the American Bande Dessinée Society and the International Bande Dessinée Society, European Comic Art builds on existing scholarship in French-language comic art and will be able to draw on the scholarly activities undertaken by both organisations. However, our editorial board and consultative committee bring expertise on a wider European area of comic art production and the journal will emphasise coverage of work from across Europe, including Eastern Europe.

Given the contents of the first issue, including its roster of contributing scholars, this journal should become an essential resource. Get your library to order a subscription, pronto!

• Introduction - Laurence Grove, Mark McKinney, Ann Miller, and Hugo Frey ... 0
• Bande dessinee and the Cinematograph: Visual narrative in 1895 - Lance Rickman ... 1
• De Luca and Hamlet: Thinking outside the box - Paul Gravett ... 21
• Family History and Social History: Etienne Davodeau's reportage of reality in Les Mauvaises gens - Clare Tufts ... 37
• Autobiographical Innovations: Edmond Baudoin's Eloge de la poussière - Matthew Screech ... 57
• A Few Words about The System of Comics and More... - Thierry Groensteen ... 87
• News and Reviews - edited by Hugo Frey ... 95
• Artwork by Tanitoc

The first issue of European Comic Art is now available. For more information, see the journal's website.

Superheroes: The Secret Origin of Revisions

Author Peter Coogan has posted this message on the Comics Scholars Discussion List:

I'm looking to get my book, "Superhero: The Secret Origin of a Genre" reissued. If anyone saw any errors in it, could you email? I know I have to correct the number of Sherlock Holmes stories that refer to Moriarty (Thanks to Peter Sanderson for spotting that), but if there's anything else, I'd appreciate knowing about it.

If you have suggestions, you can email him at coomics @ hotmail.com. Check out our own information on Superheroes: The Secret Origin of a Genre here.

Our Thoughts on Superheroes are World-Famous in Dubai

"Man and Uber Man" is a fairly lengthy think-piece on superheroes, published on July 2 in the 4Men section of Gulf News, a newspaper out of Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Nitin Nair, the researcher, asked some interesting questions and ended up using a lot of what I'd said. I'm in pretty good company too; he also spoke with Douglas Wolk (whose Reading Comics: How Graphic Novels Work and What They Mean I still need to add to ComicsResearch.org) and Gotham Chopra, the chief creative officer of Virgin Comics (and son of mega-selling author Deepak Chopra).

Note: At present, the article's first three paragraphs appear to have come from an unrelated piece, The actual article starts "For a minute, let's assume that you grew up without having known the world of superheroes."

Our New Mailbox is Ready!

Hey, Boys & Girls! Have you ever wanted to send something to ComicsResearch.org but were unable to find our address? That's because we didn't really have one - until now! This last month of silence saw us moving our entire research library to a new, more permanent location. Apart from giving us severe back pains, it's also given us the opportunity to set up a post office box. Yes, this website has finally embraced nineteenth-century communications technology!

From now on, feel free to drop us a line (or a book for review or donation) at:

Gene Kannenberg, Jr., Director
ComicsResearch.org
P.O. Box 3104
Albany NY 12203
U.S.A.

To those of you who have contacted us recently: We're making our way through the backlog and will be with you as soon as we can. Speaking of which, watch this space for upcoming reviews of several essay collections from the fine folks at BenBella Books!

Pictured: Funny Animals (Presents The Merry Mailman), vol. 14, no. 90, April, 1955; via Scott Shaw!'s delightful Oddball Comics. And you can learn more about the Mailman's television career at TV Party.

June 22 at The Met - Superheroes: Fashion and Fantasy

More information on the "Superheroes: Fashion and Fantasy" exhibit can be found here. And ComicsResearch.org's information on the exhibit's accompanying book can be found here.

Superheroes: Fashion and Fantasy
Sunday at the Met
Sunday, June 22, 2008

All programs are in The Grace Rainey Rogers Auditorium
and are free with Museum admission.

This all-day event of lectures and panel discussions brings together leading international scholars, critics, and designers to discuss the world of costumes and comics. Themes include the appropriation of the uniform, the adaptation of superhero costumes for the screen, the creation of modern mythologies, and the role of the superhero as metaphor in contemporary society.

LECTURES

10:00
E Pluribus Unitard: Notes toward a Theory of Superhero Costuming
Peter Coogan, director, The Institute for Comics Studies

10:30
Writers Panel
Danny Fingeroth, author, Disguised as Clark Kent: Jews, Comics, and the Creation of the Superhero; Richard Reynolds, author, Super Heroes: A Modern Mythology; and Paul Levitz, president and publisher, DC Comics

11:45
The Boys in the Hoods: The Costumed Vigilante as Urban Dandy
Scott Bukatman, associate professor, Department of Art and Art History, Stanford University

2:00
Costume Designers Panel
Geoff Klock, assistant professor, Borough of Manhattan Community College; and Adi Granov and Phil Saunders, illustrators and concept Designers, Iron Man

3:00
Artists Panel
Alex Ross, comic artist; Stanford Carpenter, assistant professor, Visual and Critical Studies, School of the Art Institute of Chicago; and Arlen Schumer, comic book art historian, The Dynamic Duo Studio, Inc.

4:00
The Gods of Greece, Rome, and Egypt Still Exist—Only Today They Wear Spandex and Capes!
Michael Uslan, executive producer, The Dark Knight

The exhibition and its accompanying book are made possible by Giorgio Armani.

Additional support is provided by Condé Nast.

CFP: Reclaiming the Comic Book Canon (NEMLA) (Sept. 15)

[Courtesy of A. David Lewis]

"Reclaiming the Comic Book Canon"
40th Anniversary Convention,
Northeast Modern Language Association (NeMLA)
Feb. 26-March 1, 2009
Hyatt Regency - Boston, Massachusetts

After years on the burgeoning fringe, comic books – better known as "graphic novels" up in the ivory towers of academia – are now mainstream U.S. properties. No longer exclusively the realm of fanatic collectors, outcast misfits, or sneering speculators, the medium is now entering art galleries, multiplexes, and book clubs. But when they become the lucrative, marketed, popularized property of all, what gets lost? With its audience now spread across a widening demographic, what happens to the focus of the works? Or the risks? Moreover, what of the authority? At one point, only the most steadfast, dedicated (and perhaps marginalized) advocates of the “invisible art” were announcing masterpieces and geniuses (e.g. Eisner, Kirby, Steranko, Spiegelman, Ware) – all of which have been recognized ultimately, whether reluctantly or gradually, by the American intelligentsia. A vindication, yes, but a danger? The exposure of the medium’s secret kings? And, further, the inadvertent consent to anoint their own greats, cutting out the original parties?

This panel looks to compare the late 20th century rise of the graphic novel and comic book series, particularly its varied response amongst its early readerships, and the new discourses being employed by the widening audience/market for the form in the present context. How have standards changed? What machinery has been put in place concerning the analysis of the comic book, and how does that now reflect back on its creation? Are comics now a corporate commodity, or does the underground still thrive in the shadows? What honest role does academia (and conference discussion, naturally) play, if any at all? Works largely identified as avant garde, such as Maus, Persepolis, Blankets, etc., are of particular interest here, as well as those serving as the basis for multimedia spectaculars (e.g. Iron Man, Batman, Spider-Man, X-Men). Who holds the power now for how comics are judged, and how has that changed over time?

Please submit a one-page proposal (approx. 500 words) and brief vita to panel chair A. David Lewis at ADL [at] bu.edu as well as any questions concerning the panel. Deadline: September 15, 2008.

Remember to include in your abstract:
Name and Affiliation
Email address
Postal address
Telephone number
A/V requirements (if any; $10 handling fee)

The complete Call for Papers for the 2009 Convention will be posted in June @ www.nemla.org.

Interested participants may submit abstracts to more than one NeMLA panel; however, panelists can only present one paper. Convention participants may present a paper at a panel or seminar and also present at a creative session or participate in a roundtable.

CFP: Women of Color in Popular Culture (July 1)

[Courtesy of Cory Creekmur on the Comics Scholars List.]

Center for Ethnic Studies and the Arts
Department of American Studies
College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
University of Iowa
May 20, 2008

CALL FOR PROPOSALS:
Essays or Book Chapters on
Women of Color in Popular Culture

JUNIOR FACULTY PUBLICATION WORKSHOP
Thurs. Sept. 18-Sat. Sept. 20, 2008
University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA

The CENTER FOR ETHNIC STUDIES AND THE ARTS (CESA), University of Iowa, seeks proposals for participating in a two and a half day workshop for junior tenure-track faculty on their research-in-progress on "Women of Color in Popular Culture."€ Workshop participants are also CESA Junior Fellows for Fall Semester 2008 and are part of a collaborative network of scholars.

Topics may include but are not restricted to:

• issues of representation regarding gender, race, ethnicity, class, and sexualities in any form of popular culture, including literature, music,photography, film and television, comic books, art, dance and performance,technoculture and cyberspace
• women of color as creative producers and expressive artists
• body politics and women of color
• feminist or womanist approaches to race and popular culture
• stardom and celebrity
• race, gender, and American popular culture in U.S. and transnational contexts
• female and racialized audiences, reception, and popular culture

The workshop will consist of: sessions and written feedback on individual drafts: style tips; networking with faculty from many colleges and universities; information about publication and fellowship application strategies.

Participants are expected to participate in sessions from Thursday afternoon Sept. 18 through Saturday afternoon Sept. 20. Preference will be given to faculty from CIC-member or Midwestern universities and colleges. For out-of-town participants, travel and lodging expenses will be reimbursed up to $700.

This workshop is part of CESA'€™s 2008-2011 Arts in Everyday Life Initiative. CESA recognizes that art and creative expression are integrated components of religion, ritual, everyday life, and other cultural practices of minority communities. The Center seeks and encourages multi-disciplinary and inter-disciplinary approaches to studying these practices as well as to the ways that ethnicity and popular culture shape U.S. national and international issues and cultures. It seeks critical histories as well as contemporary ones.

TO APPLY:
All participants must be Assistant Professors with a tenure-track faculty position (effective September 1, 2008) and must submit a draft of approximately 7-15 pages of the article or book chapter being proposed for workshop development. Only work that has not yet been published is eligible. Please send: a letter of interest that includes an abstract of your submission, a CV no longer than 4 pages, and workshop paper draft to: cesa [at] uiowa.edu. Please send materials electronically as attachments to your e-mail letter of interest.

DEADLINE: JULY 1, 2008. Participants will be notified by AUGUST 1, 2008.

For questions and further information, please contact: Professor Lauren Rabinovitz, Director, Center for Ethnic Studies and the Arts; (319) 384-3490; Lauren-rabinovitz [at] uiowa.edu or cesa[at] uiowa.edu.

Book Review Publication: "The Ten-Cent Plague"

"The Not-So-Untold Story of the Great Comic-Book Scare," my review essay of David Hajdu's recent book The Ten-Cent Plague: The Great Comic-Book Scare and How It Changed America, has been published in the May 23rd, 2008 issue of The Chronicle of Higher Education (specifically, in The Chronicle Review, "The Magazine of Ideas"). Unfortunately, you can only read the article if you or your academic institution subscribe to the CHE. Once a sufficient length of time passes, though, I'll be able to post the full text - or a much longer version - here.

It was an honor for this independent scholar (i.e., me) to be invited to contribute to the Chronicle. I've now officially added my voice to Plague's incredibly large chorus of reviewers. Be sure to check out our Ten-Cent Plague information page for more information about the book and its reception.

Now Available - Erotic Comics: A Graphic History, vol. 1

This book went on sale today in finer comics shops - and in bookstores as well, I think. I'll revise this post later on, because I've got more to say about it - including the "with" credit on the cover :-)

Massive Thanks to Tim Pilcher for the opportunity to help with the book. And to the all-knowing Mike "ComicsDC" Rhode for the "on-sale" tip earlier this afternoon.

Tales from the Green Scrapbook #2: Stan Lee - Man Behind a Marvel

Hi, Heroes! Hang on to your hats - this episode of Tales from the Green Scrapbook spotlights the first newspaper article about Stan Lee I ever read. Sure, I'd read his essays in Origins of Marvel Comics, and I'd devoured all the comics reference books in my local library; but here was actual attention to my favorite comics writer in the daily newspaper. I couldn't grab the paper from my Dad's hands fast enough.

What a disappointment. It's here I learned an important lesson: Never believe everything you read. Even at age eleven or so, I knew enough to recognize that the article was full of mistakes, from simple typos to downright errors of fact. And the accompanying illustration was wildly, laughably, and infuriatingly inaccurate. As a true-blue Marvelite, I was incensed!

Now, with the benefit of hindsight, I imagine that whoever had to write this (unsigned) piece knew next to nothing about the topic, if not less. I can't really fault the reporter: It's impossible for newspaper writers to be experts on everything they write, especially feature writers. How could they be? And there's only so much time for research, especially on deadline. But isn't an editor's job to make sure that the reporter gets the facts right? Or at least find a proofreader?

Maybe it's asking too much for complete accuracy in what was obviously considered a fluff piece. Thirty-some years ago (the approximate date of this article) the mainstream media's awareness of all matters comics was significantly lower than it is today. Furthermore, Lee's own public profile as the face and founding father of Marvel Comics (some would call that "inaccurate self-mythologizing") was still developing.

Still, my disappointment was palpable. I must have archived this article as a reminder that even I, at age eleven, was smart enough to recognize ignorance when I saw it.

So here we go: A picky, petty, unabashedly fanboy-ish deconstruction of the article's most glaring failings. For the maximum impact, imagine a serious young fan yelling out loud when he originally ran across each of the following passages.

This is The Geek Stuff.

1: And artist, plotter, and arguably co-writer Jack Kirby was who? (In all fairless to Stan, the reporter doesn't give this as a quotation. He's long said that he'd always talked about the artists with reporters, but that they often left that part out. I believe Lee, especially given that he does gush about artists like Kirby and Steve Ditko throughout Origins of Marvel Comics.)

2: Who? OK, They mean Marvel's Captain Marvel (actually Mar-vell, a Kree-born warrior - don't ask), not the Big Red Cheese who shouts "SHAZAM!" The character allowed Marvel to claim and trademark the character-name, a decade after Fawcett Comics lost a lawsuit to DC and had to cease publication of the original Captain Marvel. Stan did write the first appearance of Marvel's Marvel, but Roy Thomas took over the scripting duties with the next issue. I wouldn't be surprised if it was all Thomas' idea, with Lee there just to lend the first appearance more "authenticity." So: "The Second"? Not only did Stan probably not create the character, as the article implies, but that nomenclature is just wrong, wrong, wrong! (Remember, you were warned that there would be some picky fanboy stuff...)

3: Captain America: Created by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby. In 1940. Can you "beget" something that was already begat nearly a quarter-century beforehand? No.

4: No, Xom was "The Menace from Outer Space!" We have archaeological evidence to confirm this:

Thank you thank you thank you, Monsterblog!

5: Thomgarr did not exist, as far as my research has been able to determine, and therefore was not an alien, anti-social or otherwise.

(I imagine that either Lee or the reporter weren't striving for accuracy here; they most likely just dreamed up these titles because they sounded right enough. But still.)

6: Reed was the only scientist. Ben was a test pilot, Sue was "the girlfriend," and Johnny was "the girlfriend's little brother." (Really, Ben should have been the only one qualified to fly in that rocket. Maybe Reed as well, since he designed it, but it's doubtful that his scrawny frame would have survived training. But Sue? Johnny? Really? Although I hardly gave questions like those more than a passing consideration back then...)

7: His whole body, dangit!

8: Who?

9: It's not The Thing who's the stupid one here. (He's not always the smartest tool in the shed, granted, but an "incredibly stupid" test-pilot wouldn't last long, would he?)

10: I suppose we can give this one a pass. I'm not sure if he's actually the first of these characters, but Prince Namor, the Sub Mariner, who first appeared in Marvel Comics #1 (Nov. 1939), does fit the description. Although Stan had nothing do to with creating the character.

And "anti-hero" would have saved a whole line of type.

11. Not by anyone involved with this article...

12. Not-exactly.

13. Is he not... Galactus?!!
I thought so.

14: Marvelite. Or True Believer. Or Marvel Zombie. Marvelophile just sounds stupid.


OK, that's the worst of the text. Now let's check out the accompanying illustration. It's a collage purporting to represent "Some of Stan Lee's comic characters." There's no wonder why the illustrator didn't take any credit, or that there are no copyrights listed.

Hommina hommina hommina WHA?

I didn't get it then, and I don't get it now. The only thing I can imagine is a scenario involving dialog like this:

"We've got space to fill on that funnybook article. I think it's about superheroes or something? Hey, you! Designated office flunky! Head to the comic book clip-art file and throw something together. With your eyes closed. And be sure to use at least one image from the 'Amateur Renderings' box. STAT!"

What else could result in a collage where arguably 70% of the content should not be there? Let's break it down, with visual emphasis or de-emphasis as necessary:

A) Spider-Man: Check. Co-created with Steve Ditko. (Yes, there are arguments that Kirby should receive credit. And Jonathan Ross got Stan to admit that, deep down, he feels that Spider-Man is his creation alone.) Even given those controversies, I'll say "full credit"; at least Lee wrote the character from the very beginning: 20%

B) Captain America: See #3 above. However, Stan did write the character for quite a long time, and along with Kirby he re-introduced Cap in Avengers #4. So half-credit: 10%

C) Green Lantern: Published by DC Comics, not Marvel. Stan had absolutely nothing to do with this character. At all. Ever. (This book does not count, fanboys.) 0%

D) Green Arrow: Published by DC Comics, not Marvel. Stan had absolutely nothing to do with this character. At all. Ever. 0%

E) The SHAZAM! Captain Marvel: By this time, SHAZAM! was owned and published by DC. Stan had absolutely nothing to do with this character. At all. Ever. (This book does not count, fanboys.) I'd almost be tempted to give this one 5%, just because of the possible confusion noted in #2 above. But not with a horrendous drawing like that; no freakin' way. 0%

And now, the whole thing:

OK, that's far more than enough on this one. But thanks for indulging me; my inner eleven-year-old has been waiting 30 years to get this off his chest.

There. Now I feel cleansed.

Be sure to join us next time on Tales from the Green Scrapbook, when we spotlight America's war on terrorists - thirty years ago...

More from The Green Scrapbook: Part 0: Intro || Part 1: Howard the Duck

This Saturday is Free Comic Book Day!

Don't forget: This Saturday, May 3rd, is Free Comic Book Day. Yes, it's exactly what it sounds like: Go to your local comics shop and pick up one (or more) of dozens of free comic books. Your retailers had to pay for the books beforehand, though; so thank them by purchasing some other books or merchandise, too.

There's practically any kind of comic book you could imagine: all-ages humor, superheroes, manga, adventure, media tie-ins, alternative comics, and more. This is a great way to discover comics for the first time, to try a title you've never read before, or to introduce comics to someone who's never read them before - take a child!

More information at the Free Comic Book Day website.

Bard College's "3rd Annual Symposium on the Comic Book": Saturday, April 26, 2008

Bard College in Annandale-on-Hudson, NY will be hosting this event on Saturday:

Third Annual Symposium on the Comic Book
Saturday, April 26, 2008

Presentation of undergraduate research on graphic literature, exhibition of student comic art, and screening of important comic book film.

Time: 5:30 pm
Location: Olin Building, Room 102
Bard College, Annandale-on-Hudson, NY 12504-5000
Contact: bstevens [at] bard.edu, 845-758-7283
[Bard's calendar posting here]

The conference is free and open to the public. Directions to and maps of the campus may be found here. To locate the Franklin W. Olin Humanities Building and Auditorium, visit Bard's Campus Map and Tour page. You even can take a virtual tour: Olin is the third building down in the second column on the left-hand side of the page.

I'd like to thank the conference's student organizers, Jon Gorga and Arla Berman, as well as