Comic New York Symposium at Columbia U This Weekend!

I'm delighted (and honored!) to be participating in the "Comic New York" symposium this weekend at Columbia University in NYC, on the occasion of their library's acquisition of the Chris Claremont archive. Here's a brief video produced by Columbia that talks about the importance of the archive, the larger library comics and graphic novel collection, and the symposium:

And here's an overview of the conference, with links to the main website:

The Comic New York symposium brings together creators and academics to discuss the intertwined histories of American comics and the town where they were born: New York City. From the role of New York as breeding ground for generations of comics talent to the political, periodical, and alternative nature of the comics themselves, the best NYC has to offer celebrates this unique medium.

KEYNOTE: the featured session is a discussion with Chris Claremont and his long-time editor Louise Simonson, in recognition of Claremont’s recent gift of his complete archives to Columbia’s Rare Book and Manuscript Library.

This event is free, and open to the public. For more information, please see:
http://conferences.cdrs.columbia.edu/comicny/

PROGRAM:

SATURDAY, MARCH 24

10:00 AM: Welcome and Opening Remarks

10:30-11:30 AM: New York, Real and Imagined

Kent Worcester
Ariel Schrag
Molly Crabapple
John Romita Sr
John Romita Jr
Moderator: Chris Irving

LUNCH BREAK 12:00-1:30 PM

1:30-2:30 PM: Political New York

Peter Kuper
Denis Kitchen
Sabrina Jones
John Carey
Moderator: David Hajdu

3:00-4:00 PM: Alternative New York

Bill Griffith
R Sikoryak
Charles Brownstein
Julia Wertz
Moderator: Gene Kannenberg Jr.

5:00-6:30 PM: Keynote: a conversation with Chris Claremont and Louise Simonson

SUNDAY MARCH 25

10:30-11:30 AM: Periodical New York

Ben Katchor
Irwin Hasen
Emily Flake
Lauren Weinstein
Moderator: Eddy Portnoy

LUNCH BREAK: 12:00-1:30 PM

1:30-2:30: New York as Breeding Ground

Al Jaffee
Miss Lasko-Gross
Tracy White
Dean Haspiel
Moderator: Danny Fingeroth
Dedicated to the memory of JERRY ROBINSON

 3:00-4:00 PM: Comic New York and the Academy

Jonathan W. Gray (CUNY/John Jay)
Paul Levitz (Columbia University)
N.C. Christopher Couch (University of Massachusetts/Amherst & the School of Visual Arts)
Moderator: Jeremy Dauber (Columbia University)

Closing remarks

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My thanks to the organizers, Jeremy Dauber, Danny Fingeroth, and Karen Green, for the invitation!