Tuesday, January 19, 2010

A COMICS STUDIES READER Wins the 2009 Peter C. Rollins Book Award

As posted today at the blog for the University Press of Mississippi,
A Comics Studies Reader has just been named winner of the 2009 Peter C. Rollins Book Award by the Southwest Texas Popular/ American Culture Association. This prize is awarded annually for the best book in popular culture studies and/or American culture studies.

Editors, Jeet Heer and Kent Worcester have been honored for their exemplary work in the popular culture field. Designed to reward genuine research and lucid expression, the award bears the name of Peter C. Rollins, Founder of the SWTX organizations.
See UPM's original blog post for more information. Congratulations, Jeet and Kent!

Full, proud discosure: This book reprints my essay on Chris Ware. You can see the book's complete table of contents at its ComicsResearch.org page.

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Thursday, March 05, 2009

Applications Sought for the 2009 John A. Lent Scholarship in Comics Studies (May 1)

2009 John A. Lent Scholarship
in Comics Studies
Students of comics!

ICAF, the International Comic Arts Forum (website), is proud to hold each year the John A. Lent Scholarship in Comics Studies competition. The Lent Scholarship, named for pioneering teacher and researcher Dr. John A. Lent, is offered to encourage student research into comic art. ICAF awards the Lent Scholarship to a current student who has authored, or is in the process of authoring, a substantial research-based writing project about comics. (Preference is given to master’s theses and doctoral dissertations, but all students of comics are encouraged to apply.) The Scholarship was established in 2005.

The Scholarship is subject to the condition that the recipient present a half-hour talk, based on her or his research, during ICAF. The award consists of up to US$500 in kind to offset the cost of travel to and/or accommodations at the conference. A commemorative letter and plaque are also awarded. No cash is awarded.

Applicants must be students, or must show acceptance into an academic program, at the time of application. For example, applicants for ICAF 2009 must show proof of student status for the academic year 2008-2009, or proof that they have been accepted into an academic program beginning in academic year 2009-2010.

The Scholarship competition is adjudicated by a three-person committee chosen from among the members of ICAF’s Executive Committee. Applications should consist of the following written materials, sent electronically in PDF form:
  • A self-contained excerpt from the project in question, not to exceed twenty (20) double-spaced pages of typescript.
  • A brief cover letter, introducing the applicant and explaining the nature of the project.
  • The applicant’s professional resume.
  • A brief letter of reference, on school letterhead, from a teacher or academic advisor (preferably thesis director), establishing the applicant’s student status and speaking to her/his qualifications as a researcher and presenter.
PLEASE NOTE that applications for the Lent Scholarship are handled entirely separately from ICAF’s general Call for Proposals (which can be viewed here). Students who submit abstracts to the general CFP are welcome to apply separately for the Lent Award.

Send inquiries and application materials via email to Ana Merino of the ICAF Executive Committee, at ana.merino [at] dartmouth.edu. The deadline for 2009 submissions is May 1, 2009.

Image Credit:
Photo of Prof. Lent from the website of
The International Journal of Comic Art, one of his myriad contributions not just to comics scholarship but to scholarship and international understanding in general.

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Wednesday, April 05, 2006

Still More Construction

Besides successfully (and finally) migrating this blog to ComicsResearch.org, we're also slightly revamping the way that website functions. No more frames - hurrah! It will take some time to make the necessary changes; but all the old info is still there, just not as pretty as we'd like. Please bear with us as we update pages as quickly as possible.

We also have added a Google search. But seeing as how ComicsResearch.org's files are now housed on a different server than before, it will take a while before Google indexes the new site. But once that's done, searching will be easier and more accurate than before.

Pictured: The cover to David Macauley's award-winning Cathedral: The Story of its Construction- perhaps not technially a comic book, but still an amazing example of the clarity and potential possible when text and image are combined with skill and care.

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Sunday, March 05, 2006

Congratulations, John Canemaker!

John Canemaker (author of the magisterial Winsor McCay: His Life and Art), along with co-producer Peggy Stern, just accepted an Academy Award for his animated short film, "The Moon and the Sun: An Imagined Conversation". Congratulations!

Be sure to check out JohnCanmaker.com, where you can learn much more about this most important voice in animation scholarship, including the publication information on his staggering output of books and articles.

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Thursday, August 25, 2005

Weird Tales of the Ramones

Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know; there have been a zillion Ramones repackagings, but the newest one is a must-buy for both Ramones fans and comics fans. Three CDs come jam-packed with 85 nuggets of sonic gold, and the DVD contains the video compilation / mini-documentary "Lifestyles of the Ramones" along with about half-a-dozen clips not on that original VHS release - 18 videos in all, including "I Don't Wanna Grow Up," designed by Dan Clowes. (Just wish someone knew how to spell "Spider-Man"...)

Oh, yeah, there's also a 52-page comic book overflowing with graphic goodness, with comics by Bill Griffith, Mary Fleener, Xaime Hernandez, Sergio Aragones, Fly, Carol Lay, Jordan Crane, Rick Altergott, Johnny Ryan, Lorna Miller, and more more more! Wayno contributes a couple of Archie Comics-inspired pinups of Johnny and Joey, plus an ad for "Sea Markys" that is to die for. Tim Hensley's one-page "origin" of the Ramones a la "Prince Valiant" is a true thing of beauty. The project's beginnings as an illustrated book of lyrics survives as a Dr. Seuss-inspired set of pages by Scott (Dr.) Shaw! And that's still the tip of the iceberg; we've also got an EC Horror- homage (down to the Leroy lettering!), but done in 3-D (complete w/glasses); and a commemorative postcard honoring Joey, Johnny, and Dee Dee. "And more," of course. Let's hope this book is remembered when it comes time for the Eisner and Harvey awards...

Gabba gabba, you must accept this set into your home or hovel this instant!

Top to bottom: Comic front cover, William Stout; comic back cover, Steve Vance; box inner-sleeve illo, John Pound (for the authentic look that drives the kidz wild.) For more detailed images, you just clix the pix.


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