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Comics Forum 2014: Registration Open

15 Oct

CF2014_A3_Poster_heavier_text

Click here to download a PDF of this poster.

Registration for Comics Forum 2014 – Violence: A Conference on Comics is now open! This year’s conference will feature nearly 40 papers, which we’ll be announcing here shortly, so be sure to check back to see who’ll be speaking and what they’ll be talking about.

Tickets are priced as follows:

1 day pass (13th or 14th): £10

2 day pass (13th and 14th): £20

4 day pass (two day Comics Forum pass + 2 day Thought Bubble Convention pass (SRP £24)): £40 (save £4!)

To register, simply email comicsforum@hotmail.co.uk with your name and how many tickets you’d like.

See you in November!

Comics Forum 2014 is supported by: Thought Bubble, the University of Chichester, Dr Mel Gibson and Molakoe.

 
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Posted by on 2014/10/15 in Comics Forum 2014

 

Manga Studies #5: Takeuchi Osamu and Manga Expression pt. 1: Tezuka Osamu as Manga Locus by Nicholas Theisen

08 Oct

Takeuchi Osamu, a professor of media studies at Doshisha University, is likely not the best manga studies critic to use as an introduction to problems surrounding the relatively recent turn in Japanese manga studies discourse to formalism or, more specifically, to the study of manga expression (manga hyōgen), since his work is something of a too easy target.  It is parochial—his examples, despite pretensions toward general principles, are exclusively Japanese—and has changed surprisingly little since the late 1980s, despite the fact that his contemporaries, such as Natsume Fusanosuke and Yomota Inuhiko, and the manga expression discourse in toto have changed considerably in the intervening years. Yomota’s Manga genron (Principles of Manga) makes reference to at least some non-Japanese comics artists, notably Windsor McCay, and in the introduction to a recent translation of two chapters of his Tezuka Osamu wa doko ni iru (Where is Tezuka Osamu?), Natsume reflects on how limited this early formalist work was and, if reproduced today, would have to be understood within the context of a global comics studies discourse:

At the time I wrote this book, my interests generally centered on postwar Japanese manga, and the scope of my inquiry was almost entirely limited to Japan.  If we were to consider European and American influences on manga from the Meiji period [1868-1912], the discussion in this book on transformations related to time and panel articulation would link to world-historical questions of modernity (changes in the expression of time and space in modern times)… Future research will surely depend on sharing knowledge and intellectual exchanges between scholars in different countries.[1]

While a turn away from more parochial concerns is admirable, a broadening of perspective on manga-as-comic expression is not guaranteed to overcome or even make apparent a number of assumptions underlying the study of manga expression as it emerged historically and in direct response to the currents of nearly two decades of manga criticism that preceded it.  In order to make those assumptions more apparent, my use of Takeuchi’s critical oeuvre here is directed more toward discourse analytical ends than toward a detailed explication of what his theory of manga expression entails.

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Posted by on 2014/10/08 in Guest Writers, Manga Studies

 

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News Review: September 2014

04 Oct

Africa

South Africa

Culture

GRAPHIC RADICALS: At the Cutting Edge of Comic Art, is an exhibition that will take place in Muizenberg, Cape Town, from the 3rd October. Link (English, WG)

Americas

Canada

Research

There is a call for papers for a collection entitled, The Canadian Alternative: Canadian Cartoonists, Comics, and Graphic Novels. Submissions are due by the 30th April 2015. Link (05/09/2014, English, WG)

United States

Business

Based on total comic book sales invoiced for August, DC’s Batman #34 ranked first according to Diamond News. Marvel Comics’ Amazing Spider-Man #5 and Original Sin #7 ranked second and third respectively. Link (English, MB)

Based on total graphic novel sales invoiced in August, Marvel’s Thanos Infinity Revelation and Deadpool vs. Carnage ranked first and third according to Diamond News. DC’s Fables Volume 20: Camelot ranked second. Link (English, MB)

Dynamite Digital announced that Bitcoin, the virtual currency, will now be an accepted form of payment, joining traditional forms of payment options. Link (17/09/2014, English, MB)

Jobs

The University of Chicago has posted a position for Assistant Professor in 20th & 21st Century Fiction and Narrative Theory, which mentions seeking scholars working on comics and video game studies. Candidates must submit a cover letter, curriculum vitae and dissertation abstract by the 3rd November. Link (12/09/2014, English, MB)

Research

The International Association for the Fantastic in the Arts is accepting proposals for their 26th annual conference being held in Orlando, Florida, between the 18th and 22nd March 2015. 400 word abstracts are due by the 31st October. Link (English, MB)

The Comics Arts Conference organisers have announced the submission deadlines for both Wondercon Anaheim (held between the 3rd and 5th April 2015), and San Diego Comic-Con conference (being held between the 9th and 12th July 2015). Proposals of between 100 and 200 words are due by the 1st December for Wondercon, and the 1st March 1 for San Diego. Link (English, MB)

The University of Florida has announced their 12th annual Conference on Comics and Graphic Novels with the theme of “Comics Read but Seldom Seen: Diversity and Representation in Comics and Related Media”. Proposals are due by the 1st January for the conference, which is being held in Gainesville, Florida between the 10th and 12th April. Link (02/09/2014, English, MB)

ImageTexT: Interdisciplinary Comics Studies is currently seeking manuscript reviewers with expertise in a variety of areas in comics studies. Link (13/09/2014, English, WG)

Cord A. Scott’s book, Comics and Conflict, has been published through US Naval Institute Press. Link (English, WG)

There is a call for papers for Marvel Feature Films edited by Robert Moses Peaslee, Matthew McEniry, and Robert G. Weiner. Abstracts are due by the 15th November. Link (17/09/2014, English, WG)

Asia

China

Education

There is a leaflet for the Hong Kong PhD Fellowship Scheme 2015/2016. There are opportunities for funded places to study a PhD in comics in the Department of English at Hong Kong Polytechnic University. Interested candidates are urged to contact Francisco Veloso (francisco.veloso@polyu.edu.hk). Link (English, WG)

Europe

Belgium

Research

Sfar So Far: Identity, History, Fantasy, and Mimesis in Joann Sfar’s Graphic Novels, by Fabrice Leroy, has recently been published through Leuven University Press. Link (English, WG)

France

Business

Astérix co-creator, Albert Uderzo, and his daughter Sylvie have ended their seven-year legal feud amicably, agreeing to drop their respective lawsuits. Link (26/09/2014, English, LTa)

French newspaper L’Humanité is preparing to relaunch its BD magazine Pif Gadget (1969-1993; 2004-2009) in the coming months. Link (12/09/2014, French, LTa)

Culture

Franco-German TV network ARTE has shown an adaptation of Frederik Peeters’ Pilules Bleues. Link (01/09/2014, French, LTa)

Research

There is a call for papers for the conference, Voyages, the theme for the Sixth International Graphic Novel and Comics Conference / Ninth International Bande Dessinée Society Conference. Abstracts are due by the 31st December for the conference which takes place in Paris between the 22nd and 27th June. Link (23/09/2014, English, WG)

Germany

Culture

Comicfestival Hamburg is taking place from the 2nd until the 5th October; guests include Amanda Vähämäki, Luke Pearson, and Mawil. Link (01/09/2014, German, MdlI)

An exhibition of the winners of this year’s Max-und-Moritz-Preis is shown in Wiedensahl from the 14th September 2014 until the 24th May 2015. Link (08/09/2014, German, MdlI)

The exhibition, “Streich auf Streich – 150 Jahre Jahre Max und Moritz. Deutschsprachige Comics von Wilhelm Busch bis heute”, is shown again in Oberhausen from the 14th September 2014 until the 18th January 2015. Link (08/09/2014, German, MdlI)

The award, “Comicbuchpreis 2015 der Berthold Leibinger Stiftung”, goes to Birgit Weyhe for her comic Madgermanes. Link (10/09/2014, German, MdlI)

Research

A workshop on “Empirical Approaches to Comics” took place in Berlin on the 20th September. Link (04/09/2014, English, MdlI)

A lecture series on holocaust representations, including two lectures on comics by Ralf Palandt (23rd October) and Ole Frahm (6th November), is going to take place in Bochum. Link (15/09/2014, German, MdlI)

Ireland

Culture

Various Irish comics creators were involved in panels at DICE 2014, which took place in Dublin on the 27th and 28th September. Link (06/09/2014, English, SC)

Portugal

Culture

The Casa da Baía in Setúbal is hosting an exhibition titled “Portos em Banda Desenhada” (Ports in Comics), dedicated to port activity and the maritime world. The exhibition can be visited until the 19th October and is open daily, from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Link (25/09/2014, Portuguese, RR)

From the 25th October until the 10th November, the city of Amadora is hosting the 25º Festival Internacional de Banda Desenhada 2014 (25th International Festival of Comics). Link (19/09/2014, Portuguese, RR)

Spain

Business

Spaceman Books, a new publishing house specialising in comics associated to ECC, has been created. Link (05/09/2014, Spanish, EdRC)

Culture

The 4th edition of GRAF, the independent comics publishing festival, will take place in Madrid on the 14th and 15th November at Museo ABC (Madrid). Link (29/09/2014, Spanish, EdRC)

Issue 10 of DON, a free online magazine (available on App Store and Play Store), is integrally dedicated to comics and includes many interviews and selections of comics from international and Spanish authors. Link (09/09/2014, Spanish, EdRC)

The winners of the 14th edition of Dolmen’s Premios de la crítica (Critics’ prizes) have been announced. Link (15/09/2014, Spanish, EdRC)

The cultural magazine Jot Down has published “100 tebeos imprescincibles”, a guide to the 100 indispensable comics. Link (03/09/2014, Spanish, EdRC)

The exhibition Dibujar las meninas, which explores the creation of the graphic novel of the same name by Jabier Olivares y Santiago García, is being shown at Museo ABC (Madrid) from the 26th September until the 16th November. Link (26/09/2014, Spanish, EdRC)

Education

A new edition of the Master de novela gráfica (Master in graphic novels) has been announced. Enrollment is open  until the 14th December this year, and the course will start on the 14th January 2015. Link (04/09/2014, Spanish, EdRC)

Research

The book Breve historia del cómic, by Spanish comics specialist, Gerardo Vilches, has been published. Link (03/09/2014, Spanish, EdRC)

Switzerland

Culture

A comics exhibition titled “Bulles – in Blasen sprechen” is shown in Zurich from the 5th until the 19th October. Link (15/09/2014, German, MdlI)

Research

Peter Gautschi and Christian Gasser are going to give a lecture on violence and history in comics at Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts on the 15th October. Link (20/09/2014, German, MdlI)

UK

Culture

Southeast Asian Comics, an exhibition curated by CT Lim, will be at the The Proud Archivist – Library, London, between the 24th October and 2nd November. Link (English, LCT)

Research

There is a call for papers for a Special Issue of the journal, South Asian Popular Culture, entitled “Graphic Novels and Visual Cultures in South Asia.” The editors welcome enquiries or proposals in the form of a 150-200 words abstract by the 14th November. Link (English, WG)

St. Mary’s University, London, is welcoming participants for workshops and a symposium focused on “Graphic Justices of the Future: Law and Jurisprudence in Futuristic Comics.” Link (16/09/2014, English, WG)

Oceania

Australia

Culture

At the 2014 Small Press Expo (SPX), Australian comics creator Simon Hanselmann was nominated for the Ignatz Award for Outstanding Story. He was also ‘married to comics’ in a ceremony conducted by Gary Groth. Link 1 (English, ALM), Link 2 (English, ALM)

Creators representing Australia (and New Zealand) at SPX 2014 also include Matt Emery (Pikitia Press), Frank Candiloro (FrankenComics), Nicholas (NikNik) McIvor, Matthew Hoddy and Caitlin Major (Space Pyrates), and Alexis Sugden (AnimatorLex). Link (English, ALM)

Pikitia Press, a news site about Australian and New Zealand comics, has recently expanded its content to include a monthly review column. The reviews will be written by Philip Bentley, a judge of the national comics art awards, the Ledgers. Comics and zines can be sent in for critical review. Link (English, ALM)

Registration has now opened for the Australian Cartoonists Association 30th Annual Stanley Awards. “The Stanleys” will be held on the 14th and 15th of November, at the Menzies Hotel in Sydney. Link (English, ALM)

Research

The Inkers and Thinkers Interdisciplinary Comics Symposium has released its Call for Papers for the 2015 conference. The theme is ‘The Alternative’, and as well as abstracts the organisers are seeking creative workshop proposals. The deadline for abstracts is the 15th October, and the deadline for workshop proposals is the 31st October. Link (English, ALM)

*                    *                    *

 

News Editor: Will Grady (comicsforumnews@hotmail.co.uk)

Correspondents: Michele Brittany (MB, North America), Enrique del Rey Cabero (EdRC, Spain), Shelley Culbertson (SC, Ireland), William Grady (WG, UK), Martin de la Iglesia (MdlI, Germany & Switzerland), Amy Louise Maynard (ALM, Australia), Renatta Rafaella (RR, Portugal), Lise Tannahill (LTa, France), Lim Cheng Tju (LCT, UK).

Click here for News Review correspondent biographies.

Click here to see the News Review archive.

Suggestions for articles to be included in the News Review can be sent to Will Grady at the email address above.

 
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Posted by on 2014/10/04 in News Review

 

EPIC THEMES IN AWESOME WAYS: How we made Asteroid Belter: The Newcastle Science Comic, and why it matters by Lydia Wysocki and Michael Thompson

23 Sep

Asteroid Belter Cover

1. Introduction

Asteroid Belter: The Newcastle Science Comic is a 44-page, newsprint, 10000 copy print run comic for the British Science Festival 2013 hosted by Newcastle University, England. It was produced as collaboration between a total of 76 artists, writers and scientists, led by our editorial team: Lydia Wysocki, Paul Thompson, Michael Thompson, Jack Fallows, Brittany Coxon and Michael Duckett. The comic sought to put university science research and concepts into the hands of children in a way that is meaningful, interesting, and inspiring to them. We did this by supporting scientists and comics creators to work together and increase each party’s understanding of the value of the other’s work. This article first outlines how we made Asteroid Belter, where we locate it in the wider field of comics, and then goes on to identify what we can and cannot show as evidence of its success.

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Posted by on 2014/09/23 in Guest Writers

 

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From Random House to Rehab: Julia Wertz, The Small Press, Auteurism and Alternative Comics by Paddy Johnston

16 Sep

Brooklyn-based autobiographical cartoonist Julia Wertz published her first graphic novel, Drinking at the Movies, through Three Rivers Press, an imprint of Random House, during a brief period which she depicts in her second book, The Infinite Wait, as something of a minor boom in interest in comics from mainstream book publishers. However, once this period was over and the sales of Drinking at the Movies had proved lower than expected (in the words of Wertz’s publisher, ’these numbers would be great if it was with a smaller comics press, but since it’s with a major publisher whose standards are much higher…’) (Wertz 2012: 91), Wertz found herself dropped from her publisher. The Infinite Wait was published in 2012 by Koyama Press, a Canadian small press. Wertz is more comfortable with this arrangement, as evidenced by her autobiographical stories’ portrayals of events. Drawing herself writing to Annie Koyama, publisher of Koyama Press, she says ‘I just want to be with my people,’ (Wertz 2012: 93) the implication being that mainstream book publishers, despite their ability to pay her enough money to enable full-time cartooning, are not a home for the work of an alternative cartoonist. This article will explore the relationship between small presses and alternative comics, with Wertz’s two graphic novels and their publishing background as a case study, examining Wertz’s above implication that her work is best suited to being published with a small press.

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Posted by on 2014/09/16 in Guest Writers

 

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