CFP: SANE Journal (April 27)

Call for Papers

SANE Journal

April 27, 2015

SANE journal: Sequential Art Narrative in Education

Researchers, scholars, teachers, administrators, specialists, and advanced graduate students are invited to submit works of research, reviews, and rationales. The mission of SANE Journal is to promote research regarding the integration of comic books, graphic novels, or “other” sequential art narratives in educational settings; including the teaching of comics or the ways in which the comics medium can instruct or cause a change in behavior. Manuscripts should be submitted by April 27 2015, with an anticipated publication date of July 2015.

SANE Journal is a peer-reviewed, open access interdisciplinary journal covering all things comics-and-education-related, from pre-k to doctorate. For more information, email Richard Graham (rgraham7@unl.edu). Articles can be submitted for review and possible inclusion by visiting: http://www.sanejournal.net/.

CFP: The Comics World (essay collection) / Dec. 15

The Comics World:

Comics, Graphic Novels, and Their Publics

Call for Chapters

Benjamin Woo and Jeremy Stoll, eds.

In Comics versus Art, Bart Beaty introduces the notion of the comics world to describe the field of cultural production that is oriented to comics and comic art. Beaty is drawing on institutional approaches in the sociology of art that take all the actors involved in producing a work – not only the “artists” themselves but also curators, agents, dealers, critics, technical support staff, makers of specialized equipment or supplies, and various audiences – as their object of analysis. In this volume, we understand the comics world, by extension, as a set of interacting communities that condition the production, mediation, and consumption of comics and graphic novels. All these publics – in their differentiated but shared orientation to comics – make the comics world go round.

The comics world is a social space, and it needs to be approached in those terms. With this volume, we seek to provide an accessible introduction to social-scientific approaches to comics and graphic novels while simultaneously filling in the social, cultural, and institutional contexts of comics’ production and circulation with respect to particular communities of people engaged in comics-oriented practices.

We welcome contributions from a range of disciplinary perspectives and methodologies seeking to make sense of the people and practices oriented to comics. Proposals may include, but are not limited to, the following topics:

• Creator communities (defined in terms of occupational role, publishing sector, gender, race/ethnicity, nationality, etc.)
• Business, production and other support staff
• Teachers and students
• Distributors, retailers, critics, and other cultural intermediaries
• Conventions, their organizers and participants
• Audiences and fandoms
• Relations of affiliation or conflict between any of these communities

The editors have received an expression of interest from a university press with a well- established list in comics studies.

Please submit an abstract of 500–800 words to Benjamin Woo (benjamin.woo@carleton.ca) by December 15, 2014. Abstracts should clearly outline the scope of the argument and describe the nature of the research undergirding this analysis. Final chapters will be between 7,000 and 8,000 words. Submitters will be notified of acceptance by January 15.

CFP: ImageTexT Special Issue: "Comics and Post-Secondary Pedagogy" (July 20, 2013)

ImageTexT Special Issue
"Comics and Post-Secondary Pedagogy"

Guest Editor: James Bucky Carter, Ph.D.
Co-Editor: Najwa Al-tabaa

The "Comics and Post-Secondary Pedagogy" special issue of ImageTexT is accepting paper submissions that address the teaching of comics with adult learners, defined as those in post-secondary settings such as colleges, universities, technical schools, community colleges, professional schools, etc., or in other settings in which adult education, enrichment, or training is a focus (prisons, the military, government, the workplace, extension programs, mutual aid movements, etc.).
Possible topics include but are not limited to:

• Teaching comics in university courses
• Teaching the self-contained or special topics comics course
• Comics in the ____________ course (History, Philosophy, Graphic Design, Literature, Media, etc.)
• Introducing students to comics/specific comics in courses that do not feature much comics content otherwise
• Advocating for the incorporation of comics in your discipline/field/class: What works and what hasn't?
• Using comics to inform or educate at the university level in ways beyond the traditional college course (student life, retention, etc.)
• Teaching comics with non-traditional students
• Using comics to educate in the workplace
• Teaching comics in prison settings
• Comics as educational materials in professional development or training programs
• Using comics to assist college student or adult learners in English acquisition
• Adults' concepts and precepts regarding comics and teaching comics
• Using comics in medical, law, and business schools.
• Using comics to teach those who teach others
• Teaching the works of a specific comics artist
• Using/creating comics as a medium of expression/critical thought for students/Integration of comics-creating assignments

Please send completed papers in MLA citation format to James Bucky Carter at jbcarter777@gmail.com by July 20th, 2013. Copy all submissions to Najwa Al-tabaa at naltabaa@ufl.edu.

Articles submitted should usually not exceed 10,000 words including notes and should be presented to generally accepted academic standards. Please submit all articles by sending an email with the submission attached (including images, video etc.). Articles should be submitted preferably in HTML, or as Microsoft Word, StarOffice, or OpenOffice documents. Webbed essays are encouraged.
---
See this CFP also at: http://www.english.ufl.edu/imagetext/news.shtml?/cfp/comics_and_pedagogy_cfp.shtml 

CFP: Ethics Under Cover: Comics, Medicine and Society (Feb. 22; Jul. 5-7)

4th International Conference

of Comics and Medicine

Ethics Under Cover:

Comics, Medicine and Society
5th-7th July 2013
Brighton and Sussex Medical School

Brighton and Sussex Medical School in collaboration with Brighton and Sussex University Hospital Trust and Graphic Medicine invites papers for the fourth international conference on Comics and Medicine. Previous meetings have been held in London, Chicago and Toronto (more information at www.graphicmedicine.org).

This interdisciplinary conference intends to appeal to a wide audience, including healthcare professionals, comics creators, students, academic scholars, comics enthusiasts, and various stakeholder groups. The meeting will consist of a mix of peer reviewed academic papers, lectures and workshops. There will also be an exhibition and stalls for participants’ work.

We invite proposals for scholarly papers (15-20 minutes) or panel discussions (60 minutes) focusing on medicine and comics in any form (e.g. graphic novels, comic strips, graphic pathographies, bande dessinées, manga, and/or web comics). The theme of this year’s conference means we are interested in work with an ethical flavour. In particular, we seek presentations on:

• Ethics under cover (i.e. how ethical issues are tackled under the surface of graphic works)
• Illness narrative and the comic form
• Balancing humour and respect in comics about illness and disability
• Comics as resistance to the biomedical mainstream
• Comics as a way of seeing and representing illness and the role of healthcare professionals
• Comics in practitioner research and as a method of reflection
• Comics in cross-disciplinary education as both subject and tool
• Comics in literature, medicine and the bioethics classroom
• Comics within different healthcare systems
• European and international perspectives on graphic medicine and the scope for cross cultural analysis

We also welcome workshops (120 minutes). These are intended to be “hands-on” interactive workshops for participants who wish to obtain particular skills with regard to comics and medicine. Suggested subjects for workshops are:

• Creating comics
• Understanding, reviewing and critiquing comics
• Getting comics published
• Teaching and learning with comics
  

Proposals may be in Word, PDF, or RTF formats with the following information in this order:

• author(s)
• affiliation
• email address
• title of abstract
• body of abstract
• Sample images or weblinks to work being discussed

Please identify your presentation preference:

• oral presentation
• panel discussion
• workshop 

Please also specify equipment you might need (e.g. AV projection, whiteboard, easel, etc.)

300-word proposals should be submitted online by Friday, 22nd February 2013 to submissions@graphicmedicine.org

Abstracts will be peer-reviewed by an interdisciplinary selection committee. Notification of acceptance or rejection will be completed by 15th March 2013. While we cannot guarantee that presenters will receive their first choice of presentation format, we will attempt to honour people’s preferences, and we will acknowledge the receipt of all proposals submitted. Please note: Presenters are responsible for session expenses (e.g. handouts) and personal expenses (travel, hotel, and meeting registration fees). All presenters must register for the conference (maximum registration fee will be £70 or approximately US $115). Also see the CFP at the conference website.

CFP: Anime and Manga [PCA/ACA, Washington D.C.] (Nov. 30; Mar. 27-30)

CFP:

Anime and Manga

PCA/ACA 2013 National Conference

Washington D.C.

March 27-30, 2013

www.pcaaca.org

This is the national meeting of the Popular Culture Association and the American Culture Association. This submission is under the area “Asian Popular Culture.” There are two “Calls for Papers.”  

Deadline: November 30, 2012

Submissions should be submitted online. Instructions can be found here: http://pcaaca.org/national-conference-2/proposing-a-presentation-at-the-conference/

In addition, please submit your proposal to Wendy Goldberg (wdgoldbe@olemiss.edu), who will organize these panels.

CFP: The “Abject” in Anime and Manga

This call is for papers that focus on the “abject” in anime and manga. French theorist, Julia Kristeva, in her essay, “Powers of Horror,” defines the abject as that which threatens the boundary between subject and object, producing fear and revulsion.  The classic “abject” example would be the corpse which is like/unlike a living body.

Papers may not necessarily deal directly with Kristeva’s theories but participants are encouraged to explore the use of the horrific or the grotesque in anime and manga. Papers may explore how the abject comment on social or political institutions in addition to individual identities.

CFP: Teaching with Anime and Manga

Participants are encouraged to submit proposals about how they teach courses on anime and manga or how they integrate anime and manga into classes. Some questions to consider:

• What do you teach and how do you teach it? 
• How does anime and manga support the goals of the class?
• What has been student reaction to the subject?
• What has been the institution’s reaction to the subject?

CFP: Rocky Mountain Conference on Comics and Graphic Novels, June 13-15, 2012

As announced on the Comics Scholars Discussion List...

CFP:

Rocky Mountain Conference

on Comics and Graphic Novels

June 13-15, 2012

Rocky Mountain Conference on Comics and Graphic Novels, June 13-15, 2012, is a new literary conference devoted solely to the scholarly study and teaching of the sequential arts. What sets this conference apart from others is its unique mission to combine an educational classroom initiative with the benefits of theoretical and critical discourse. RMCCGN is being held in conjunction with the newly-emerging Denver Comic Con at the top-rated Colorado Convention Center, June 15-17 2012. All profits from both events directly benefit Comic Book Classroom, a nonprofit free after-school program for children, whose focus is raising literacy through comic books and graphic storytelling.

The conference is designed to bring together a wide range of theoretical, pedagogical, and disciplinary perspectives, and is open to both undergraduate and graduate students, as well as academic, independent, and fan scholars. Any topics in the field of comics and graphic novels are welcome.

We seek proposals of 200-300 words for talks of 15-20 minutes in length and should be sent along with a brief, 100-word biography to Christina Angel at christina@comicbookclassroom.org. Deadline for submission is January 15, 2012 and notification of acceptance or rejection will be emailed by or before March 1, 2012.

Please visit our websites: www.comicbookclassroom.org and www.denvercomiccon.com for more information about these events.

Exciting guest announcements are coming soon – stay tuned!

SANE Journal 1.1 On-Line

SANE (Sequential Art Narrative in Education) Journal vol. 1 issue 1 is now available on-line. Titled "Comics in the Contact Zone," it includes articles and features on X-Men, Thor, Citizen 13660, Pride of Baghdad, Magneto: Testament, Teaching Graphic Novels, and more. Congrats to all involved!

CFP: New England Comic Arts in the Classroom (Dec. 15; March 26)

New England Comic Arts in the Classroom

Rhode Island College, March 26, 2011

Call for Proposals

The New England Comic Arts in the Classroom Conference invites you to submit a proposal for a paper presentation, lesson demonstration, workshop or panel discussion relevant to the use and/or study of comic arts in educational settings.

This conference, sponsored by Rhode Island College, the Rhode Island College English and Art Departments, and the Rhode Island Writing Project, is designed to bring together comic art teachers, scholars and professionals who wish to engage in serious study of the comic art medium in an educational forum. We seek proposals from a broad range of disciplinary and theoretical perspectives, and welcome the participation of academic and independent teachers and scholars. We also welcome professionals from all areas of the comics industry, including creators, editors, publishers, retailers, and distributors.

Proposals should focus on educational contexts, theories and methods for using graphic novels, visual storytelling and/or sequential art in educational settings. Conference presentation sessions will be 55 minutes, and, in the spirit of engaging your audience no matter what your format, we ask that you make sure to leave time in your session for questions and answers. Proposals from K-16 practicing teachers are strongly encouraged.

NECAC 2011 proposals are due to michaelg@necac.net by December 15, 2010.

Proposals should include:

• The type of presentation (paper presentation, lesson demonstration, panel discussion or workshop).
• A brief description (50 words or less) of the presentation or workshop for the conference program.
• A summary (500 words or less) of the workshop, including rationale/theoretical grounding, practical application, and the benefit to participants.
• The name(s), contact information, and affiliation of presenter(s).

CFP: Sequential Art, Graphic Novels, and Comics in Education (edited collection; Jan 15)

CFP:

Sequential Art, Graphic Novels,

and Comics in Education

Edited by
Robert G. Weiner and Carrye Syma

Texas Tech University Library

In recent years the use of graphic novels, comics, and sequential art in education has exploded. This is due not only to the boom in superhero movies that are based on comic book characters, but also to the wide literary range that graphic novels now have. There are now literally hundreds of college and university courses all over the world that are using graphic novels in their curriculum. The days when comics were just seen as children’s trash, with no redeeming literary or educational value, are hopefully behind us.

Contrary to the idea that comics “dumb” down material, it takes both sides of the brain to read and interpret sequential art stories: the right side to interpret the pictures and the left side to understand the narrative text. Our goal with this collection is to provide the educator and scholar with a collection of essays that show how graphic novels and comics are being used in the classroom today, as well as some historical pieces that detail how the educational fields often have and have had a “rocky” relationship with the use of comics in educational settings. We want both theoretical and practical essays showing how sequential art can be and is being used to teach and illustrate concepts and ideas. We are especially keen on pieces related to higher education, military and government uses of comics to educate, but all aspects of comics and education are under consideration. In addition, we would like to have educators from a wide spectrum of the educational fields from K-12, to undergraduate and graduate educational levels. Those using sequential art in adult education and pre-school are encouraged.

Some possible questions/ideas that could be addressed include:

• The Military’s use of comics to teach.
• Graphic Novels and comics in library science education.
• How relationships can be understood through the use of graphic novels in human science education.
• Teaching mathematical concepts using graphic narrative.
• Grade school use of comics.
• Middle school use of comics.
• High school use of sequential art (say something like Maus to teach the Holocaust).
• Comics and Film to teach about blockbuster cinema.
• Philosophical issues raised by graphic novels (The Watchmen in a philosophy class about ethics).
• Biological and scientific concepts using graphic novels.
• The use of mainstream superhero stories in the classroom.
• Superman, Batman, Spider-Man to further understand the concept of the hero Mythology (i.e., Odysseys, Hercules etc.).
• Graphic Novels and history, how effective a tool is the graphic novel in teaching a historical concept?
• Sequential art in teaching foreign language or English as a second language.
• Comics in literacy and adult education programs.
• Graduate courses using graphic novels.
• The History of sequential art in education.
• Medical education using comics. 

Please send 200 word abstracts by January 15th 2011 to Rob Weiner Rob.weiner@ttu.edu

Final papers will be due February 28th 2011. No exceptions. Please note the submission of an essay does NOT necessarily mean publication in the volume. Essays will be going through a rigorous peer review process and we have asked a number of scholars to serve in this capacity. We are striving to put together as an excellent collection with diverse viewpoints covering all aspects of comics and education. Authors are also expected to follow the editor’s style guide and be willing to have their work edited.

Thank you

Carry Syma
Texas Tech University Library

Rob Weiner
Texas Tech University Library

CFP: Sequential Art, Graphic Novels, and Comics in Education (collection; Jan. 15)

Sequential Art, Graphic Novels,

and Comics in Education

Edited by Robert G. Weiner and Carrye Syma

Texas Tech University Library

In recent years the use of graphic novels, comics, and sequential art in education has exploded. This is due not only to the boom in superhero movies that are based on comic book characters, but also to the wide literary range that graphic novels now have. There are now literally hundreds of college and university courses all over the world that are using graphic novels in their curriculum. The days when comics were just seen as children’s trash, with no redeeming literary or educational value, are hopefully behind us.

Contrary to the idea that comics “dumb” down material, it takes both sides of the brain to read and interpret sequential art stories: the right side to interpret the pictures and the left side to understand the narrative text. Our goal with this collection is to provide the educator and scholar with a collection of essays that show how graphic novels and comics are being used in the classroom today, as well as some historical pieces that detail how the educational fields often have and have had a “rocky” relationship with the use of comics in educational settings. We want both theoretical and practical essays showing how sequential art can be and is being used to teach and illustrate concepts and ideas. We are especially keen on pieces related to higher education, military and government uses of comics to educate, but all aspects of comics and education are under consideration. In addition, we would like to have educators from a wide spectrum of the educational fields from K-12, to undergraduate and graduate educational levels. Those using sequential art in adult education and pre-school are encouraged.

Some possible questions/ideas that could be addressed include:

• The Military’s use of comics to teach.
• Graphic Novels and comics in library science education.
• How relationships can be understood through the use of graphic novels in human science education.
• Teaching mathematical concepts using graphic narrative.
• Grade school use of comics.
• Middle school use of comics.
• High school use of sequential art (say something like Maus to teach the Holocaust).
• Comics and Film to teach about blockbuster cinema.
• Philosophical issues raised by graphic novels (The Watchmen in a philosophy class about ethics).
• Biological and scientific concepts using graphic novels.
• The use of mainstream superhero stories in the classroom.
• Superman, Batman, Spider-Man to further understand the concept of the hero Mythology (i.e., Odysseys, Hercules etc.).
• Graphic Novels and history, how effective a tool is the graphic novel in teaching a historical concept?
• Sequential art in teaching foreign language or English as a second language.
• Comics in literacy and adult education programs.
• Graduate courses using graphic novels.
• The History of sequential art in education.
• Medical education using comics.

Please send 200 word abstracts by January 15th 2011 to Rob Weiner Rob.weiner@ttu.edu

Final papers will be due February 28th 2011. No exceptions. Please note the submission of an essay does NOT necessarily mean publication in the volume. Essays will be going through a rigorous peer review process and we have asked a number of scholars to serve in this capacity. We are striving to put together as an excellent collection with diverse viewpoints covering all aspects of comics and education. Authors are also expected to follow the editor’s style guide and be willing to have their work edited.

Thank you

Carry Syma
Texas Tech University Library

Rob Weiner
Texas Tech University Library

1st Annual Comic Expo: “Comics On the Wall” April 1st-3rd 2010 (Hot Springs, AR)

Comic Expo is "a Comic-Con type event [primarily for educators and students] to be held at the Artchurch Studio, Hot Springs National Park urban arts studio and gallery on April 1-3, and sponsored partially by Hot Springs High School and Henderson State University." For full details, visit the event's website: http://artchurch.org/comic-expo/

The Use of Sequential Art in Therapy: A Qualitative Study

I received this request over email from Roderick Castle, and I'm posting it here in hopes that some of you might choose to participate. --Gene

I am a graduate student in Art Therapy at Nazareth College in Rochester, New York. My thesis is a qualitative study on the use of "comics" in counseling and education. I would appreciate any help you could provide in getting responses to this short questionnaire on the subject. This study has already been approved by my school's Human Subjects Research Board. Thank you. Here is the link:

http://www.surveygizmo.com/s/181557/the-use-of-sequential-art-in-therapy-a-qualitative-study-questions-for-professionals

CFP: SANE journal (July and October)

This looks like it could become a very important new journal...

CFP: First and Second issues of
SANE journal:
sequential art narrative in education
(ISSN 2153-2613)

SANE journal is now seeking submissions for works of research, practitioner-based articles, reviews, and rationales regarding its first two themed issues. Information about this new peer-reviewed, open access interdisciplinary journal covering all things comics-and-education-related, from pre-k to doctorate, can be obtained by visiting http://www.sanejournal.net. For more information, e-mail James Bucky Carter: jbcarter2 at utep dot edu.

V1.1 (late 2010 release or per article as considered ready by review board): “Comics in the Contact Zone.”

Mary Louis Pratt defines the contact zone as “social spaces where cultures meet, clash and grapple with each other, often in the contexts of highly asymmetrical relations of power, such as colonialism, slavery, or their aftermaths as they are lived out in many parts of the world today” and where those involved in the educational experience may “reconsider the models of community that many of us rely on in teaching and theorizing and that are under challenge today.” Texts are social spaces, of course, and the comic book may be the best indicator of this fact. How do you see comics as meeting, clashing, and grappling with social issues in your classrooms when you teach them? How do comics illustrate contact zone precepts such as speech acts, transculturation, unsolicited oppositional discourse, autoethnography, and safe houses? How does the integration of comics themselves set up contact zones in the classroom? Which texts do you teach to get at notions associated with contact zone pedagogy? How does teaching a comics course set up a contact zone with professional colleagues, departments, university officials, etc? Articles should make explicit mention to contact zone theory and its component concepts. Deadline July 2010.

V1.2 (planned 2011 released or per article as considered ready by the review board): “Teaching the Works of Alan Moore.”

Alan Moore may be the most influential and controversial comics writer of the 20th and 21st centuries. How do you teach his complex, multilayered works in your high school classrooms, your college courses, etc? What are the challenges associated with teaching his texts or specific texts and how do you and your students address them? Can they be addressed? How does his output “fit” with notions of literature, literary, canon, etc. as you teach them in your courses? Articles may cover several of Moore’s texts or focus specifically on one. Deadline October 2010.

CFP: Critical Approaches to Teaching Graphic Narratives in the Literature Classroom (edited collection; 9/15/2009)

Thanks to ComicsResearch.org pal Dennis Gouws for the tip.
Friends from graduate school + Facebook = networking deluxe!

Critical Approaches to
Teaching Graphic Narratives
in the Literature Classroom

Deadlines: proposal by September 15, 2009; essay by December 15, 2009.

This edited collection is tentatively titled Critical Approaches to Teaching Graphic Narratives in the Literature Classroom. Commonly known as book-length comics, graphic narratives cover a broad range of topics and formats. The past three decades have seen an increase of readership of graphic narratives as well as scholarly interest in this subject. This collection brings together scholarly essays that discuss the challenges, methodologies, and strategies for using graphic narratives in both undergraduate and graduate classes. This volume hopes to fill in the gap between the texts and the classroom by providing a platform for scholars to discuss the connection between graphic narratives and other genres, themes, criticism, and theories. With scholarly essays from various disciplines as well as interdisciplinary fields this collection aims to promote discussion on critical approaches and pedagogical and methodological challenges facing instructors. Emphasizing a combination of practical and theoretical strength, this collection encourages dialogues among teacher-scholars, advances the new constellation of scholarship on the teaching graphic narratives, and provides students with useful references and critical approaches to analyzing particular texts as well.

Each chapter is between 6000 and 7000 words including notes and works cited (MLA format). Please send a 500-word proposal, a 2-page CV, and a paragraph of bio note by September 15, 2009. Essays are due by December 15, 2009. Please do not submit works that are under consideration elsewhere or have been published previously.

Send inquiries and proposals to:

Lan Dong
English Department, UHB 3050
University of Illinois
Springfield, IL 62703
Email: baerchendong@yahoo.com

TeachingDegree.org's "Comics in the Classroom: 100 Tips, Tools, and Resources for Teachers"

The TeachingDegree.org Blog posted a great entry this past Sunday: Comics in the Classroom: 100 Tips, Tools, and Resources for Teachers. I'll let the site speak for itself...

Gone are the days of children sneaking comics past diligent parents and teachers watching out for sub-par literature. The comics of today not only have plenty to offer, they are gaining well-deserved recognition and awards. Take advantage of the natural affinity children have for comics and use them as a powerful teaching tool in your classroom. The following tips, tools, and resources will get you started.

They've organized these 100 links into the following categories:

• Understanding Benefits and Usage in the Classroom
• Resources for Using Comics in the Classroom
• Suggested Comics for the Classroom
• Tools
• Creative Ways to Use Comics in the Classroom
• Lesson Plans for Elementary
• Lesson Plans for Middle School
• Lesson Plans for High School
• Lesson Plans for All Ages
• Manga and Anime
• Free Comics for Educators

That website again: Comics in the Classroom: 100 Tips, Tools, and Resources for Teachers.

Big thanks for the tip to sister-in-law extraordinaire Alessandra Gillen, who in turn found this website listed on MetaFilter. Those among you who study comics or use comics in the classroom will be at turns encouraged, saddened, and horrified by the comments posted at the MetaFilter link. Many of them are textbook examples of people arguing "from the gut," knowledge or facts be damned. Sigh.

CFP: Graphica in Education (Fordham University; Jan 31, 2009; Proposals Due Dec. 1)

Graphica in Education:

Bringing the Discussion of Graphic Novels
Out from Under the Desk
January 31, 2009
Fordham University
Lincoln Center Campus, New York, NY

Hosted by the Graduate School of Education at Fordham University

General Information
The inaugural Graphica in Education conference is designed to open a discussion among educators about the place of graphica in the field of education. It will serve teachers, instructional designers, administrators, librarians, and other interested individuals who would like to explore the use of graphic novels and other graphica in the classroom. Participants in the conference will have the opportunity to hear from authors, teachers, and researchers about the nature of writing, reading, and teaching graphic novels.

The conference will offer a full day of workshops to complement a keynote address and panel discussion. The conference will also include sponsor presentations and exhibits. Lunch will be included with conference registration.

Invitation to Respond to the Call for Proposals
The Graphica in Education Conference planning committee seeks interactive and engaging proposals for presentations in the breakout workshops of the conference. Workshops will be approximately 60 minutes in length. Paper presentations may be combined into panel discussions. Proposals from practicing teachers about pedagogical methodologies and from researchers about application of graphica in the classroom are encouraged.

Proposals should include:

• The type of presentation (e.g., paper presentation, teaching demonstration, panel discussion)
• A brief description (50 words or less) of the presentation or workshop
• A summary (500 words or less) of the workshop, including rationale/theoretical grounding, practical application, and participant involvement (the benefit to participants)
• The name(s), contact information, and affiliation of presenter(s)

Proposal submission deadline: December 1, 2008

Proposals should be submitted electronically to krturner [at] fordham.edu.

Conference Registration
Presenters for accepted proposals will receive free registration to the conference.

For More Information
For more information on the proposal submission process or the conference in general contact Kristen Turner at krturner [at] fordham.edu.

Study SF & Fantasy Writing with Neil Gaiman

Clarion is accepting applications for this year's Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers' Workshop, to be held June 29 - August 9, 2008 at University of California, San Diego. The instructors for 2008 include Kelly Link, James Patrick Kelly, Mary Anne Mohanraj, Nalo Hopkinson, Geoff Ryman, and Neil Gaiman. From the website:

The Clarion Workshop is an intensive six-week summer program focused on fundamentals particular to the writing of science fiction and fantasy. It is considered a premier proving and training ground for aspiring writers of science fiction, fantasy and horror. Now in its fortieth year, the Clarion Workshop boasts national and international visibility. Instructors are among the most respected writers and editors working in the field today. Over one third of our graduates have been published and many have gone on to critical acclaim.

Applications are due by March 1st. For more information on applying, click here.

Guy Gilchrist's Cartoonist's Academy to Hold Monthly Seminars with Legendary Artists

Here's a press release about a series of artist appearances in New England - and information about Guy Gilchrist's Cartoonist's Academy:

Meet World-Famous Comic Book Artists of
Marvel Comics, Flintstones and Popeye:
Guy Gilchrist's Cartoonist's Academy to Hold
Monthly Seminars with Legendary Artists

Contact: Angie Gilchrist
Guy Gilchrist's Cartoonist's Academy
237 Hopmeadow Street
Simsbury, CT 06089
Tel. (860)651-4400, fax (860)651-6688
e-mail: info @ gilchristcartoonacademy.com

SIMSBURY, CT, January 24, 2008 -- Silver Age legend of major comic publishers, Marvel and DC, Richard "Dick" Ayers will kick off a monthly series of seminars as special guest at Guy Gilchrist's Cartoonists Academy. Located at 237 Hopmeadow St., Weatogue, the seminar will be held on Saturday, March 1, from noon to 3:00 p.m. Call early to register for this full afternoon of family fun, as there is limited seating, 860-651-4400.

Ever since serving his country in WWII, Dick Ayers has created some of the greatest comic book art of all time: The Incredible Hulk, Thor, Sgt. Fury and His Howling Commandos, Captain America, and the Two-Gun Kid. You have a chance to meet Dick and spend an afternoon hearing about his life and art. He will demonstrate drawing techniques, answer questions, autograph his books and art prints, and pose for photos. See original 1949 live TV footage in which Dick and his cartooning were featured on the CBS suspense show, The Comic Strip Murder, starring Lili Palmer. The film was lost for decades, and was only recently found. Refreshments will be served, and tickets are $30 per person to help the Academy fund the military scholarship, outreach programs, special enrichment programs such as this one, and the filming of this lecture for future students.

April's workshop, with Mike Valentine is two workshops in one: an hour will be spent on how to draw Flintstones, followed by a 2-hour course, "How to Draw Caricatures for Fun and Profit." Mike Valentine is the artist of all Hanna-Barbera characters, including The Flintstones, Captain Caveman, Scooby-Doo, Huckleberry Hound, and many more. Mike's seminar will be held at the Academy on Saturday, April 12, from noon to 3:00 p.m. Refreshments will be served and cartoons of featured characters will be shown. Admission is $25, and again, please call early. This is a great family event for all ages, and a wonderful chance to learn from a master caricature artist, with lots of one-on-one, in a small setting.

Yet to come is George Wildman, comic book editor, primarily known for drawing Popeye. All three legendary artists, Dick Ayers, Mike Valentine, and George Wildman, have decades of professional experience in many styles of illustration appearing in numerous forms of media. For more information, please call 860-651-5733 for availability and also visit http://www.gilchristcartoonacademy.com.

Guy Gilchrist is the award-winning cartoonist of Nancy®, Mudpie, Your Angels Speak, and The Muppets, and is a writer and illustrator of children's books. His internationally syndicated column Night Lights & Fairy Flights appears weekly in the Sunday Hartford Courant and in 100 papers around the world.

Note: For media interviews contact Angie at info @ gilchristcartoonacademy.com.