CFP: Animals in Graphic Novels (journal issue; December 1)

H/T to Richard De Angelis...

CFP:
Animals in Graphic Novels

Antennae: The Journal of Nature in Visual Culture is seeking submission for its June 2010 issue devoted to the subject of "animals in graphic novels."

The issue will primarily focus on papers that examine contemporary graphic novels; examples of these might include Pride of Baghdad (Brian K. Vaughan), First in Space (James Vining), the works of Osamu Tezuka, Animal Man (Grant Morrison), Rabbi's Cat (Joann Sfar), Fables (Bill Willingham), and Maus (Art Spiegelman), among others. Papers that examine the subjects of comics for children and comic strips that appear in newspapers may also be considered, depending on the originality of the contextualisation through which they may be presented.

We are looking at gathering a wide range of perspectives, themes and ideas within the broad scope of "animals in graphic novels." These may include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Exploring animality in the graphic novel medium
• Representing the human/animal divide
• Positive and negative aspects of anthropomorphism
• Becoming animal
• Links between sexism, racism and speciesism
• Non-western graphic novels
• The challenges of animal first-person narratives
• Ecocriticism and nature in graphic novels

As per usual, Antennae is open to consideration of academic essays as well as fiction and experimental writing. Submission of abstracts and proposals is 1st of December 2009. Final deadline for submissions is 1st of March 2010. For any questions please contact Giovanni Aloi and Lisa Brown (Guest Editor of the Animals in Graphic Novels Issue) at antennaeproject [at] gmail.com