CFP: Appropriating, Interpreting, and Transforming Comic Books

FYI.

Transformative Works and Cultures (TWC) will publish a special issue devoted to comics and comic fandom in 2013. TWC seeks theoretically informed essays that explore how dedicated fans as well as the broader public have appropriated, interpreted, re-invented and transformed comic books and comic book characters to define visions of themselves, their groups, and their relation to broader society, both national and global. The deadline for submission is 1 April 2012.

Transformative Works and Cultures (TWC) is a Gold Open Access international peer-reviewed journal published by the Organization for Transformative Works that publishes articles about popular media, fan communities, and transformative works, broadly conceived. TWC's aim is twofold: to provide a publishing outlet that welcomes fan-related topics, and to promote dialogue between the academic community and the fan community.

For the full CFP, visit the website at
http://journal.transformativeworks.org/index.php/twc/announcement/view/20

Joint International Conference of Graphic Novels, Bandes dessinées and Comics 2011 (UK)

A conference announcement of definite interest; I dearly wish I were able to attend! Click here for the conference website.

Joint International Conference of Graphic Novels, Bandes dessinées and Comics 2011

The comic strip, having been viewed as a lower form of art for decades, is increasingly being recognised as a phenomenon worthy of academic study. We are therefore proud to be hosting a major academic conference on comics, bandes dessinées and graphic novels at MMU from 5-8 July 2011.
We have had a fantastic response to our Call for Papers from people all over the world. This has enabled us to put on one of the very rare four day events of its kind , at what we hope is a reasonable price.

Given the response, we shall have two sets of parallel sessions running all day. The first two days will concentrate on Anglophone comics and manga. The second two days centre on European comics.

The keynote speakers are :

• the American artist Melinda Gebbie
• the English Artist and Writer, Hunt Emerson
• the French artist Edmond Baudoin
• Professor Pierre Fresnault-Deruelle from the Sorbonne University, Paris.

Other speakers include established experts such as Bart Beaty, Martin Barker and Ann Miller. However, we also pleased to welcome younger scholars and postgraduates.

The main themes of this conference are space and time in comics and audiences and readership. We also have panels on much else, including comics and gender, architecture and Francophone Africa. It is hoped that this conference will be a major landmark in the international study of comics.

The conference is being organised with the support of:

• the Alliance Française de Manchester
• Institute of Humanities & Social Science Research at MMU
• Manchester Institute for Research and Innovation in Art and Design (MIRIAD)

and under the aegis of scholarly peer-reviewed journals :

• European Comic Art
• Journal of Graphic Novels and Comics
• Studies in Comics

Papers given at conference will be considered for publication in one of these journals.