Comics Forum

Americas

United States

Research

The Algerian War in French-Language Comics: Postcolonial Memory, History, and Subjectivity, by Jennifer Howell, has bee published through Lexington Books. Link (English, WG)

Asia

Singapore

Education

Ian Gordon (National University of Singapore) has produced the online course, Superhero Entertainments. Link (English, WG)

Europe

Belgium

Culture

From October to December, an exhibition on the Belgian small-press and alternative comics scene takes place in Brussels. It is called “Les Triplettes de Bruxelles” and is organised by three local libraries together with three publishers. Link (20/10/2015, French, BC)

Research

On the 29th October at the Université catholique de Louvain, Benoît Glaude publicly defended his doctoral dissertation, entitled “La Bande dialoguée : formes et fonctions des interactions verbales dans la bande dessinée franco-belge.” Link (20/10/2015, French, BC)

On the 6th October, the ACME Comics Research Group organised a study day on experimentation in comics, with talks by artist Pascal Matthey and scholar Pedro Moura (ULisboa/KU Leuven). Link (24/09/2015, French, BC)

L’Art d’Hergé: Hergé et l’art by Pierre Sterckx is published posthumously by Gallimard. Richly illustrated, it draws on the art historian’s research in the archives of the Hergé Museum in Louvain-la-Neuve. Sterckx focused on Hergé’s art, his style and technique, but also on Hergé’s fascination for and collection of contemporary art. Link (01/10/2015, French, BC)

France

Culture

On the 24th October, Sotheby’s held in Paris an auction of original comic art and related items stemming from the collection of Jean-Arnold Schoofs. Of note, a double page from Tintin et le Sceptre d’Ottokar sold for 1,563,000 euros, breaking a new record in the list of Hergé auctions. Link 1 (24/10/2015, French, BC), Link 2 (26/10/2015, French, LTa)

The last album in the Astérix series was released on the 22nd October, accompanied by a strong media attention for its print run of 4 million albums. Link 1 (12/10/2015, French, BC), Link 2 (23/10/2015, French LTa)

Research

The seminar “Les écritures visuelles de l’histoire de la bande dessinée”, organised by Pierre-Laurent Daurès, Vincent Marie and Adrien Genoudet, opened on the 2nd October at the Bibliothèque nationale de France. The series of conferences will run until June 2016 and tackles the visual representation of history in comics. Link (14/09/2015, French, BC)

Germany

Culture

Four exhibitions were shown as part of Comicfestival Hamburg, one of which is still on until the 7th November. Link (01/10/2015, German, MdlI)

A Line Hoven exhibition was shown in Ottobrunn from the 23rd September until the 24th October. Link (08/10/2015, German, MdlI)

ILLU festival took place in Freiburg from the 23rd October until the 1st November; guests included Marguerite Abouet, Daniel Lieske and Barbara Yelin. Link (22/10/2015, German, MdlI)

Comicfestival Köln is going to take place in Cologne from the 12th to the 14th November; guests include Flix and Ralf König. Link (German, MdlI)f

The exhibition, “Die Duckomenta – Weltgeschichte neu ENTdeckt”, is being shown in Mannheim until the 24th April 2016. Link (26/10/2015, German, MdlI)

Research

There is a call for papers for the edited collection Cultures of War in Graphic Novels. Abstracts are due by the 1st February 2016. Link (27/10/2015, English, WG)

The Netherlands

Law & Politics

The court in The Hague has once again ruled in favor of the fan-club Het Hergé Genootschap for its use of Tintin images. In May, the court had already granted right to the fan-club, a decision appealed by Moulinsart. The court decided that there was a lack of evidence regarding Moulinsart’s ownership of the copyrights for the Tintin albums and further invoked the right to quote. Link (27/10/2015, Dutch, BC)

Portugal

Culture

From 23rd October until the 8th November the city of Amadora is hosting the 26º Festival Internacional de Banda Desenhada 2015 (26th International Festival of Comics). Link (Portuguese, RR)

The publishing company Chilli com Carne is hosting the contest, “Toma lá 500 paus…e faz uma Bd” (Take 500 bucks … and make a comic book). It is open to members and they will accept works until the 5th February 2016. Link (23/10/2015, Portuguese, RR)

On the 29th October the book Lisboa é very, very typical (Lisbon is very, very typical) was published. The book is composed by comics created by artists with multiple nationalities that had lived in Lisbon. Link (29/10/2015, Portuguese, RR)

Obituaries

On the 3rd October the Portuguese comic and cartoon author José Vilhena passed away. Link (03/10/2015, Portuguese, RR)

Spain

Business

Spaceman Project, a new crowdfunding project exclusive to comics, has been created. Link (02/10/2015, Spanish, EdRC)

Culture

Cómics sensacionales, a personal selection by Santiago García of some of the greatest comics in history, has been published by Larousse. Link (20/10/2015, Spanish, EdRC)

Las Meninas, by Santiago García and Javier Olivares, has been awarded the National Comics Prize (The first chapter can also be read through the link). The comic has been already published in French and Santiago García has announced that it will be published in English too. Link (22/10/2015, Spanish, EdRC)

An exhibition with some originals and sketches of the last album of Asterix can be visited at Biblioteca Eugenio Trías in Madrid until the 30th November. Link (24/10/2015, Spanish, EdRC)

UK

Culture

The Dundee Literary Festival took place at the University of Dundee between the 21st and 25th October. It included the opening of the Dundee Creative Comics Space by comics artist, Dave Gibbons. Link (14/10/2015, English, WG)

The ninth annual Cine Excess international Festival will feature a special panel discussion on violence in comics featuring Professor Martin Barker, comic book writer and editor Pat Mills, and 2000AD artist Jim McCarthy.  The event takes place on the 14th November at the University of Brighton. Link (21/10/2015, English, WG)

Downthetubes reviews The Lakes International Comic Art Festival, which took place in Kendal. Link (20/10/2015, English, WG)

Research

The new issue of the European Journal of American Studies 10.2 includes the special issue: “(Re)visioning America in the Graphic Novel”. Link (English, WG)

Brenna Clarke Gray and Peter Wilkins (Graphixia; The Comics Grid) will be in City University London on the 10th November to give a seminar on how to build scholarly communities online. Link (28/10/2015, English, WG)

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

Correspondents: Enrique del Rey Cabero (EdRC, Spain), Benoît Crucifix (BC, Belgium, France, and The Netherlands), William Grady (WG, UK), Martin de la Iglesia (MdlI, Germany), Renatta Rafaella (RR, Portugal), Lise Tannahill (LTa, France).

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.

Americas

United States

Research

The conference, Comics and Visual Culture: A Conference for Student Research, will take place on the 27th February 2016, at California State University, Northridge, Los Angeles. Those interested must send completed papers by the 4th December. Link (19/09/2015, English, WG)

There are currently two call for papers published on the ImageText website. One is a special issue on the topic of “Comics and Fine Art”, which requests full submissions by the 1st April 2016. The other is a special themed issue entitled “Traumics: Comics Narratives of Trauma”, with submissions for this special issue due by the 1st November 2015. Link (English, WG)

The editors on a collection focusing upon the DC Comics character, Harley Quinn, are seeking proposals for essays dealing with all aspects of the character. Link (29/09/2015, English, WG)

“The Worlds of Grant Morrison”, a special issue of ImageTexT, has been published online. Link (English, WG)

There is a call for papers for a special themed issue of American Literature: “Queer about Comics”. Submissions are due by the 31st July 2016. Link (English, WG)

Asia

Japan

Culture

The 40th meeting of the Kyushu branch of the Japanese Society for Studies in Cartoons and Comics, held on the 31st October, will feature Sakaguchi Shoji and Yonemura Noriko as speakers. Topics will include character design of monsters in series like Ultraman, as well as in shojo manga. Link (Japanese, JBS)

Europe

Germany

Culture

Deutsche Post issues Asterix stamps. Link (01/09/2015, German, MdlI)

An exhibition of “graphic novels from Europe” is shown in Berlin until the 14th November. Link (03/09/2015, German, MdlI)

A Max & Moritz exhibition is shown in Bückeburg until the 20th December. Link (07/09/2015, German, MdlI)

A series of comic artist talks takes place in Frankfurt until the 14th October. Link (10/09/2015, German, MdlI)

Frankfurt Book Fair is going to take place from the 14th until the 18th October; guests include Jean-Yves Ferri and Didier Conrad. Link (15/09/2015, German, MdlI)

The award, “Comicbuchpreis 2016 der Berthold Leibinger Stiftung”, goes to Uli Oesterle for his comic Vatermilch. LInk (15/09/2015, German, MdlI)

The dōjinshi of the year 2014 award goes to Sophie Schönhammer and Anna Backhausen for their comic He‘s half-baked. Link (17/09/2015, German, MdlI)

A Gerhard Seyfried exhibition is shown in Frankfurt until the 24th January 2016. Link (28/09/2015, German, MdlI)

Education

A workshop for teachers on comics in the classroom took place in Paderborn on the 15th September. Link (14/09/2015, German, MdlI)

Research

A symposium titled “Science meets Comics. The Anthropocene Kitchen: designing the future of food” is going to take place in Berlin on the 5th and 6th October. Link (24/09/2015, German, MdlI)

Portugal

Culture

Until the 10th January the Casa da Cerca in Almada is hosting the exhibition, “Viagem Desenhada” (drawn travel), composed by images extracted from the comics by Ricardo Cabral. Link (Portuguese, RR)

The Abysmo Galeria in Lisbon is hosting the exhibition “Bartoon 25”. The exhibition is a collection of some comic strips by Luís Afonso that have been published in Público Newspaper. It can be visited until the 16th October. Link (15/09/2015, Portuguese, RR)

From the 29th September until the 6th October, the Ordem dos Arquitectos in Lisbon (headquarters of the National Association of Architects) will be hosting the exhibition “Cidades Invisíveis – Fronteiras entre Arquitectura e Banda Desenhada” (Invisible cities – boundaries between architecture and comics), curated by the architect Pedro Novo. Link (14/09/2015, Portuguese, RR)

Spain

Business

The comics publishing house Astiberri is now selling digital comics from its catalogue, with around 50 titles already available. Link (21/09/2015, Spanish, EdRC)

Culture

The comic bookstore Akira (Madrid), awarded the Spirit of Comics Retailer award in 2012, has opened a museum with 40 original drawings. Link (28/09/2015, Spanish, EdRC)

An exhibition organised by Casa Árabe about contemporary Arab comics can be seen in Segovia from the 19th September to the 18th October. Some of the contents can be accessed online. Link (26/09/2015, Spanish, EdRC)

Research

The Spanish Open University (UNED) is celebrating the fifth edition of “Una mirada antropológica al mundo de la viñeta” (An anthropologic look at the world of comics), a two-week course between the 26th October and the 6th November. The course can be both followed face-to-face or online. Link (23/09/2015, Spanish, EdRC)

The edited collection, On the Edge of the Panel: Essays on Comics Criticism, by Julio Cañero and Esther Claudio, has been published through Cambridge Scholars Publishing. Link (English, WG)

UK

Research

A special issue of European Comic Art, focusing upon the theme of “Boundary Crossing”, has been published. Link (English, WG)

The Comic Electric: A Digital Comics Symposium will be held at The University of Hertfordshire on the 14th October 2015. Link (English, WG)

Oceania

Australia

Culture

Kyoto International Manga Museum and Kyoto Seika International Manga Research Center are in cooperation with the Japan Foundation to bring their collection of Edo Giga woodblock prints to Sydney. These prints, many of them very humorous in a cartoonish way, form a significant part of the history of Japanese visual arts, and are deeply connected with manga culture. Part II of the Exhibition “EDO GIGA: Comical Woodblock Prints from Japan”, will run from the 13th October until the 2nd November, at the Japan Foundation Gallery. Link (English, JBS)

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

Correspondents: Jessica Bauwens-Sugimoto (JBS, Japan & Australia), Enrique del Rey Cabero (EdRC, Spain), William Grady (WG, UK), Martin de la Iglesia (MdlI, Germany), Renatta Rafaella (RR, Portugal).

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.

 

Americas

Argentina

Research

There is a call for book chapter proposals for the collection, Todo Fontanarrosa: la obra de un completo humorista / All Fontanarrosa: The Work of a Complete Humourist. Abstracts are due by the 31st December. Link (English, WG)

United States

Research

In connection with the Children’s Literature Association Conference that is being hosted by The Ohio State University in 2016, the Billy Ireland Cartoon Library and Museum will mount an exhibit on children’s comics, (running from the 4th June to the 30th October 2016). In conjunction with this exhibition, there is a call for papers for a peer-reviewed digital exhibit catalogue of critical essays about children’s comics, past and present. 500 word proposals are due by the 15th October. Link (English, WG)

The Comics Of Joe Sacco: Journalism in a Visual World, edited by Daniel Worden, has been published through the University Press of Mississippi. Link (English, WG)

The Comic Art of War: A Critical Study of Military Cartoons, 1805–2014, with a Guide to Artists, by Christina M. Knopf, has been published by McFarland Books. Link (English, WG)

Sequart has published The Sacred Scrolls: Comics on the Planet of the Apes, edited by Rich Handley and Joseph F. Berenato. Link (English, WG)

Bending Steel: Modernity and the American Superhero, by Aldo J. Regalado, has been published through the University Press of Mississippi. Link (English, WG)

There is a call for papers for the International Comic Arts Forum (ICAF), to be held at the University of South Carolina between the 14th and 16th April 2016. Confirmed guests include comics artists Howard Cruse, Keith Knight, Cece Bell, and keynote speaker, Professor Michael Chaney. Proposals are due by the 6th November. Link (English, WG)

Asia

Japan

Culture

The Exhibition “Homage of Rinpa: RIMP-A NIMATION”, celebrating the 400th anniversary of the art village by Hon’ami Koetsu (one of the founders of the Rinpa school of painting), will run from the 19th September until the 3rd November at Kyoto International Manga Museum. Link (English, JBS)

Research

The 7th International Scholarly Conference, “Comicology: Probing Practical Scholarship”, will be held from the 25th to the 27th September at Kyoto International Manga Museum. The conference will feature a number of prominent guests from around the world in the field of comics and manga studies. Find the full program through the link. Link (English, JBS)

Europe

Austria

Culture

A Fix & Foxi exhibition is shown in Vienna until the 4th October. Link (27/08/2015, German, MdlI)

Belgium

Research

A special issue of Image and Narrative, which focuses on the Narrative Functions of Photography in Comics, has been published. Link (English, WG)

Denmark

Research

Comics and Power: Representing and Questioning Culture, Subjects and Communities, edited by Rikke Platz Cortsen, Erin La Cour, and Anne Magnussen, has been published through Cambridge Scholars Publishing. Link (English, WG)

Finland

Culture

The 30th Helsinki Comics Festival took place between the 28th and 30th August 2015. Link (English, WG)

France

Obituary

Coyote, author of the Litteul Kévin series for Fluide Glacial and Le Lombard, has died aged 52. Link 1 (10/08/2015, French, LTa), Link 2 (10/08/2015, French, LTa)

Germany

Business

Publisher Carlsen launches a crowdfunded imprint. Link (25/08/2015, German, MdlI)

Culture

Comicgarten festival is going to take place in Leipzig on the 5th September; guests include Fil. Link (German, MdlI)

The MMC manga and anime festival is going to take place in Berlin from the 23rd until the 25th October; guests include Martina Peters and Ralf König. Link (German, MdlI)

The Connichi 2015 festival is going to take place in Kassel from the 18th until the 20th September; guests include Rihito Takarai. Link (18/08/2015, German, MdlI)

A 24 hour cartoon reading festival is going to take place in Berlin on the 5th and 6th September; participants include Ralf König and Flix. Link (31/08/2015, German, MdlI)

Internationaler Graphic Novel Salon, and Comicfestival Hamburg will take place from the 8th until the 11th October. Link (24/08/2015, German, MdlI)

Education

A workshop on French-German comics translation is going to take place in Stuttgart from the 23rd until the 27th November. Link (17/08/2015, German, MdlI)

Italy

Research

There is a call for papers for the panel, The Sequential Art: Comics as a Cultural Nexus, which will be attached to the Fourth Global Forum of Critical Studies, and will take place in Lucca, Italy, between the 23rd and 24th October. Link (English, WG)

Portugal

Culture

The Museum of Electricity in Viseu is hosting an exhibition titled “Viriato na Banda Desenhada” (Viriato in Comics). The exhibition includes works by 21 comic artists about this historical character. Entry to the exhibition is free and it can be visited until the 13th September. Link (27/08/2015, Portuguese, RR)

On the 15th August, the author Fernando Relvas published his book Nau Negra – The Last Black Ship. The book was published by Edições El Pep. Link (11/08/2015, Portuguese, RR)

The Festival of Comics AmadoraBD is promoting its 26th contest. Works can be submitted until 21st September, and the best Portuguese comics books will receive awards. The applications for these prizes can be submitted until the 7th September. Link (07/08/2015, Portuguese, RR)

Spain

Culture

The association ACD Cómic has published its selection of essential works published in Spain in the first half of 2015. Link (05/08/2015, EdRC, Spanish)

Jobs

Acción Cultural Española and the Cité internationale de la bande dessinée et de l’image are offering a residency in the Maison des Auters, in Angoûleme, to a Spanish graphic novel author from December 2015 to March 2016. It includes accommodation, a stipend and a return train ticket. The deadline for applications is the 21st September. Link (05/08/2015, Spanish, EdRC)

Research

Torpedo 1936: Historia de un gangster sin alma, a book by Javier Mesón about the famous comic, Torpedo 1936, will be published in September by Drakul. Link (26/08/2015, Spanish, EdRC)

Switzerland

Education

Comic artist David Boller has founded a Virtual Comics School. Link (03/08/2015, German, MdlI)

UK

Jobs

Comics Forum is seeking to appoint three or more individuals to the roles of Articles Editor(s), News Editor(s), and Reviews Editor(s). The deadline for applications is the 25th September. Link (28/08/2015, English, WG)

Research

A themed issue of the British open-access journal New Readings, focusing upon Comics and Translation, has just been published. Link (English, WG)

Jane L. Chapman, Anna Hoyles, Andrew Kerr, and Adam Sherif’s Comics and the World Wars: A Cultural Record has been published through Palgrave Macmillan. Link (English, WG)

D.I.E. Superheroes: Depictions, Impacts, and Ethics of Enhanced Bodies, is a one day discussion that takes place on the 16th September, at the Manchester Meeting Place. Link (English, WG)

Transforming Anthony Trollope: Dispossession, Victorianism and Nineteenth-Century Word and Image, edited by Simon Grennan and Laurence Grove, has been published by Leuven University Press. Link (English, WG)

The Comics Grid invites authors and artists to submit contributions for a special collection on the general topic of Jazz and Comics. The submission deadline is the 15th January 2016. Link (30/07/2015, English, WG)

Oceania

Australia

Culture

Tickets are now available for the Graphic festival of graphic storytelling, animation and music, which will be held at the Sydney Opera House on the 28th September, and the 10th and 11th October. There will be film screenings, and talks and performances from Ólafur Arnalds, Sarah Blasko, Brendan McCarthy, George Miller, Nicola Scott, Kevin Smith. Many events are free; ticketed performances range from between $25 and $75. Link (English, AH)

Jobs

The University of Tasmania is seeking a lecturer or senior lecturer in interdisciplinary creative practice to head up its new Creative Exchange Institute which is “powered by experimental approaches in the visual and performing arts, architecture and design.” This role could potentially suit a comics creator/academic with national/international recognition. Link (English, AH)

Research

The Inkers and Thinkers comics art symposium has published podcasts of the keynote speech from Pat Grant and presentations delivered at this year’s symposium from Liam Burke, Anthony Castle, Ben Juers, Ronnie Scott, and Can Yalcinkaya. Link (11/08/2015, English, AH)

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

Correspondents: Jessica Bauwens-Sugimoto (JBS, Japan), Enrique del Rey Cabero (EdRC, Spain), William Grady (WG, UK), Aaron Humphrey (AH, Australia) Martin de la Iglesia (MdlI, Austria, Germany & Switzerland), Renatta Rafaella (RR, Portugal), Lise Tannahill (LTa, France).

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.