CFP: The Comics of Charles Schulz / edited collection (Oct. 31)

Call for Papers
The Comics of Charles Schulz

edited by Jared Gardner

Abstract Deadline: October 31, 2013

The Comics of Charles Schulz: The Good Grief of Modern Life is a proposed volume in the new book series, Critical Approaches to Comics Artists, at the University Press of Mississippi. This volume will contain an array of critical essays on the comics of Charles Schulz, best known for Peanuts, the nationally-syndicated daily comic strip that ran for fifty years and which remains today the most recognizable strip worldwide. Essays from many disciplinary and interdisciplinary perspectives are welcome, including critical approaches from comics studies, art history, cultural studies, literary studies, philosophy, history, and political science.

Essays that address the following topics are especially welcome:

• Influences & relationship to earlier comics
• Philosophy & Ethics
• Suburbia
• Politics
• Repetition and seriality in Peanuts
• Psychological and social identities in Peanuts
• Peanuts & the 1950s, 60s, 70s, etc.
• Peanuts across media
• Peanuts and global merchandizing

Please send a 500-1000 word abstract, 3-page CV, and contact information to Jared Gardner at gardner.236@osu.edu by October 31, 2013.

Accepted abstracts will be used in a formal book prospectus, and the deadline for full-length essays will be negotiated shortly thereafter.

BD & Comics Passion in London (30 May - 2 June 2013)

A quick, last-minute announcement of an event in London I dearly wish I could attend...

BD & Comics Passion

30 May - 2 June 2013

www.bdandcomicspassion.co.uk

This year's edition will feature extraordinary creators including Posy Simmonds, Edika, Glen Baxter, Etienne Davodeau, Marc-Antoine Mathieu, Régis Loisel, Hunt Emerson, Pénélope Bagieu and more. Once again, the programme will prove “as imaginative as the work itself” (Metro) with talks, workshops, live drawing, and groundbreaking events such as Drawing Jams, and Drink & Draw, a one of a kind event mingling live drawing and wine tasting led by renowned British Master of Wine Tim Atkin.

CFP: Illustration and Narrative Construction (Sept. 10; March 28-29)

As posted on SHARP-L.

International Conference

Illustration and Narrative Construction

Hosted by the Université Paris-Diderot

28-29 March 2014

At a time of growing academic interest for the adaptation of fictional narratives across a range of different contemporary media (film, TV series, comic books, graphic novels), we would like to engage with illustration as the earliest form of visual adaptation of novelistic works.

The general aim of this conference is to explore illustration in its specifically narrative dimension. The notion of narrative construction provides an interesting paradigm to analyse the relationship between text and image within illustrated works of fiction. Though each illustration may be said to have a narrative potential of its own which is revealed by the eye perusing it, it is the sequential dimension of narrative which will be our particular focus here.

The object of the conference is to examine how a series of images accompanying a narrative does not simply illustrate separate moments singled out from the text but forms a visual narrative through its dynamic relationship with the text. We shall thus study the different processes at stake and the ways in which images, in their three-fold articulation to the work as a whole—namely to the passage which they illustrate, to what precedes and follows in the narrative, and to the sequence of interlinked images—suggest a reading of a text and open up one of its narrative possibilities.

The conference will focus on European novels from the early modern period to the present.

Possible topics include:

• The different illustrated editions of a text, targeting various readerships (bibliophiles, young people, etc.) and the type of visual narrative constructed to address each reading public
• Diachronic analyses of the illustrated versions of a single text and of the transformations of narrative over time
• Illustration as counterpoint to the text, constructing a parallel narrative, sometimes even contradicting the text
• Serialized novels and the specific narrative dynamic put into play by serialization
• The special cases of graphic novels and comic books adapted from works of fiction and the redefinition of the narrative dynamic brought about by these media

Submission for papers including an abstract (300 words maximum) and a short biographical notice should be sent to both Carole Cambray, Université Paris-Diderot (carolecambray@yahoo.fr) and Xavier Giudicelli, Université de Reims-Champagne Ardenne (xgiudicelli@yahoo.fr)

Deadline for proposals : 10 September 2013.

CFP: Global Manga: The Cultural Production of Japanese Comics outside Japan (collection; Aug. 31)

As posted on amrc-l.

Call for Book Chapters:

Global Manga:

The Cultural Production of

Japanese Comics outside Japan

According to Wikipedia, "'manga' as a term used outside Japan refers specifically to comics originally published in Japan." Yet careful inspection of the Manga section of any chain bookstore in the English-speaking world quickly reveals that the books on the shelf are not exclusively comics originally published in Japan. Svetlana Chmakova's Nightschool sits alongside Masashi Kishimoto's Naruto, the Soulless adaptation alongside Soul Eater. And beyond the Manga section proper, there abound comics and graphic novels published within the last decade or so whose very existence is possible only in cultural and economic contexts rich with Japanese comics in translation, such as Scott Pilgrim, Megatokyo, and Yen Press's Twilight graphic novels.

There is no one universally agreed-on name for these works; appellations include OEL manga, world manga, Amerimanga, international manga, and—the term used here—global manga. Some would dismiss global manga as "fake manga," as pale imitations of their Japanese counterparts, as unworthy of attention from readers, let alone researchers. This book aims, however, to take seriously the political economy and cultural production of these Japanese comics outside Japan.

The phrase "Japanese comics outside Japan" does not merely suggest manga published in translation or manga materially exported from Japan. At its most radical, it suggests, rather, manga without Japan. There is a sometimes globalized, sometimes transnational, and sometimes hyperlocal world in which manga can be produced without any direct creative input at all from Japan. And if something called "manga" that is not in any strict sense Japanese can be published, there are a number of important questions to be asked: What do these fields of cultural production look like? Why and under what sorts of conditions do they arise and flourish? Who gets to decide what counts as "manga," and who benefits from that decision? What are global manga's implications for contemporary economies of cultural and creative labor? And finally—perhaps most important of all—what does it mean, therefore, for manga to be "authentically" Japanese?

This anthology takes the problematic of what it means to have manga without direct Japanese involvement as its focus. Chapters addressing the theme of global manga outlined in the previous paragraphs are solicited, with a view toward the publication of a multi-authored volume consisting of between 10-12 chapters. A commissioning editor from a well-known academic press has expressed preliminary interest in this project.

Possible topics include (but are not limited to):

• OEL manga, GloBL manga, amerimanga, manhwa, and/or manhua creation/publishing
• local manga production in Korea, France, China, Indonesia, Germany, or other national territories
• single title case studies
• amateur manga/doujinshi publishing outside Japan
• theoretical analyses of "real" versus "fake" manga 
• first-person historical overviews/reflective essays by industry insiders
• the production of transmedia tie-in manga

SUBMISSION PROCEDURE:

Chapter proposals from authors with both academic and industry/practitioner backgrounds are welcome. Prospective contributors should submit 1) an extended abstract of 450-500 words, 2) an indicative bibliography, and 3) a short biographical sketch no later than August 31, 2013.
The deadline for full manuscripts of 5000-7000 words will be three months from notification of acceptance.

Please direct any inquiries and submissions to Casey Brienza, City University London (casey.brienza.1@city.ac.uk).

CFP: Mix 2013 (June 10; September 27-28)

Mix 2013

Call for Proposals

Keynote Guest: Jeff Smith

Symposium Dates: September 27-28, 2013

Proposal Deadline: June 10, 2013

Columbus College of Art and Design's Mix 2013 includes a comics symposium, an art competition for college students, an onstage conversation with our keynote guest, Jeff Smith, author of Bone and RASL, on Friday, September 27 at 7pm, and a never-before-seen exhibit of Smith's original artwork from RASL. Additionally, concurrent with Mix 2013, CCAD will exhibit the paintings of Gary Panter (Jimbo in Purgatory). Please visit our event page for updates: http://www.ccad.edu/events-2013/mix

This call invites proposals for the comics symposium, a celebration of comic books, graphic novels, comic strips and webcomics. Designed to bring together a variety of perspectives in an open and egalitarian environment, Mix 2013 seeks to create a public forum emphasizing the wide array of highly skilled, ambitious, and thoughtful work being done in the comics medium today. Therefore, CCAD welcomes submissions from artists, scholars, educators, publishers, graduate students, curators and critics alike. Note that proposals which emphasize cross-disciplinary approaches and/or formats will also merit special attention. All presentations at Mix 2013 should utilize significant visual elements.

We encourage proposals regarding the following key themes:

o   Independently-published or creator-owned comics (including small presses) from any time period, and the business of publishing those comics in the past, present, or the future.

o   Race and ethnicity in comics with a special focus on African-American writers and artists, characters, titles, and publishers, ranging from the mainstream to the indie and including historical and international perspectives.

o   The (im)materiality of comics, from mini-comics, the 'floppy,' and intersections between the graphic novel and the artist's book, to changing concepts in regards to digital comics.

o   Women and comics, including artists and writers, characters, titles and publishers; both historical and contemporary perspectives are encouraged.

o   Discussions of the tensions between "high" and "low" art in regards to comics, fine art, and literature, particularly as these tensions have played out in postwar American consumer culture.

These are suggested themes; we will consider all proposals on their merit and compatibility with other submissions.

We welcome proposals for the following presentation formats:

Panels and Presentation-Oriented Roundtables

o   Each format includes presentation and discussion, including time for Q&A;

o   Describe your proposal's ideal format. A traditional panel is composed of presentations/talks of twenty minutes per participant with some Q&A between participants and with the audience; a presentation-oriented roundtable uses shorter presentations and substantial Q&A;

o   Participants' topics must be related to one another;

o   Sessions will include at least three participants (including yourself) and last no less than an hour; additional time may be allotted based on need;

Q&A Roundtables

o   This format consists entirely of roundtable discussion on a central topic;

o   Propose a topic and structure for your roundtable;

o   Sessions must include at least four participants (including yourself) and last no less than forty-five minutes; additional time may be allotted based on need

Workshops

o   Hands-on practical workshops focused on subject matter related to comics;

o   Workshop sessions should be designed to last no more than two hours;

o   Proposals should indicate the ideal skill level of participants: college-student, recently graduated professionals, or more experienced professionals;

o   Special consideration will be given to workshops which connect symposium themes with hands-on practice, but not all workshops need do so

Individual Papers

o   Should be no more than twenty minutes in presentation length;

o   Will be grouped with other papers into panel or roundtables according to content

Pecha Kucha Presentations

o   Presentations will follow Pecha Kucha guidelines: 20 image-based slides, each displayed for exactly 20 seconds, creating a 6 minute-and-40 second presentation;

o   Presentations may be on any comics-related topic and will not be selected on the basis of compatibility with other submissions

Artists please note: if you are accepted to present in one of the above formats, you may sell your work—including comics, graphic novels, prose books, but not original artwork—at our MixStore during the symposium. We provide this service to help offset your travel costs.

Please read these instructions and additional guidelines before submitting:

• Submit one proposal as one electronic document containing the following information:
  • a 200-word maximum abstract or description of the panel, roundtable, workshop, or paper to be presented; please be sure to indicate the intended format of your presentation;
  • a copy of the presenter's CV or resume; if submitting a group proposal, include CVs or resumes from each participant

Important Notes:

Applicants may submit only one (1) proposal

Applicants must not include additional media files

• All sessions will have access to a projection screen and digital projector which can be run from an available desktop computer or a personal laptop. Any other audio-visual needs must be noted in the proposal and are subject to CCAD approval.
• If individual participation in the symposium must be limited to a certain time or day, it should be indicated in the proposal. CCAD cannot guarantee that the symposium schedule will be able to accommodate individual scheduling limitations. 
• Those selected to contribute to a panel or other symposium event will have their registration fees waived; however, no additional funding will be provided. Papers must be presented in person.
• Applicants will be notified of their proposal's status by the end of June.
• The symposium schedule will be finalized in early August 2013.

If you have read the above and agree to these terms, submit your proposal to: MixComicsSymposium@ccad.edu 

Questions should be directed to: Robert Loss, Programming Chair, rloss@ccad.edu

Mission Statement: 

Columbus College of Art & Design prepares tomorrow's creative leaders for professional careers. With a history of commitment to fundamentals and quality, CCAD advances a distinct, challenging, and inclusive learning culture that supports individual development in art, design, and the humanities.

About the College and the City:

Columbus College of Art & Design is located in downtown Columbus, Ohio in a thriving, up-tempo environment. Numerous hotels are within close proximity by cab, rental car or public transportation. Specific parking lots on the CCAD campus will be reserved for symposium participants. Columbus is served by Port Columbus International Airport, roughly 15 minutes from campus and the downtown area. Nearby attractions include the Columbus Museum of Art (across the street from CCAD), the Thurber House, the Ohio Statehouse, the Short North gallery district, and the Billy Ireland Cartoon Library and Museum at The Ohio State University.