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

CFP: Linguistics and the Study of Comics (edited collection; revised) (Nov. 16)

Here's an updated version of an earlier post...

Second Call for Proposals

Linguistics & the Study of Comics

(Edited Collection)

Submission Deadline:

Monday 16 November 2009

Scholars are invited to submit their work on the linguistic study of the comic arts. The essays in this edited collection will focus on the ways that linguistic codes function in comics.

Any aspect of linguistic theory and analysis is welcome, and all submissions should appeal to both comics scholars and linguists. All forms of comics will be considered: graphic novels, comic strips, comic books, on-line comics, videos, etc.

Scholarship in non-English and multilingual comics is especially encouraged.

Contributor Guidelines

1. Send an abstract of 400-500 words accepted.
2. Send a one-page tailored curriculum vitae for each author and co-author. (Narrative CVs are fine.)
3. Submit abstracts and CVs as Word or Word-compatible files. PDFs are also acceptable.
4. Submission deadline: Monday 16 November 2009.
5. Materials should be sent to Frank Bramlett via email: fbramlett [at] unomaha.edu

Possible topics for this edited collection

pidgin/creole studies * politeness theory
conversation analysis * language variation
speech act theory * bilingual/multilingual texts

intercultural communication * language & gender

language & sexuality * code switching * phonology

morphology * syntax * semantics * corpus linguistics

cognitive linguistics * interactional sociolinguistics

standard/prestige language * language policy

language & ethnicity/race * constructed languages

critical discourse analysis * language socialization

language death * language preservation

We've Moved!

Hey, Boys & Girls! ComicsResearch.org has a new mailing address. Feel free to drop us a line (or a book for review or donation) at:

Dr. Gene Kannenberg, Jr., Director
ComicsResearch.org
221 Delaware Avenue
Albany NY 12209-1706
U.S.A.

And remember, you can always find current contact information at ComicsResearch.org's contact page. We look forward to hearing from you.

Pictured once again: Funny Animals (Presents The Merry Mailman), vol. 14, no. 90, April, 1955; via Scott Shaw!'s delightful Oddball Comics. You can learn more about the Mailman's television career at TV Party.

CFP: Comic Art & Comics, PCA (Nov. 30; March 31-April 3)

I've been going to the PCA for nearly 15 years. It's a great place, particularly for beginning scholars: You'll find a large, collegial, and enthusiastic community of like-minded comics academics.

Comic Art & Comics Area
Popular Culture Association
Comics:
Graphic Novels, Strips, Panels, Films,
and Everything in Between

The Comic Art & Comics Area of the Popular Culture Association invites all comics scholars to participate in the annual meeting of the Popular Culture Association and American Culture Association to be held March 31 - April 3, 2010, in St. Louis, Missouri, at the Renaissance Grand Hotel St. Louis. Details of the conference can be found at the conference website: www.pcaaca.org.

The Comic Art & Comics Area of the Popular Culture Association offers a chance for scholars from across the country to share their research and exchange ideas on the growing field of comics scholarship. Graduate students and those without current academic affiliation are also welcome. Papers on all aspects of the medium are invited. Past papers have covered mainstream comic books, graphic novels, underground comics, cartoons, comic strips, comics and film, international comics, writers, artists, teaching comics, and writing and publishing comics scholarship.

This call asks for individual paper proposals or submissions for entire panels. If you are submitting a panel, please make sure to note the members of your panel. In addition to general papers, if a presenter would like to propose a special panel or roundtable discussion, please e-mail the chair so she can forward the request to the mailing list.

Papers should be delivered in 15-20 minutes. The PCA limits presenters to one paper given at the conference, so if you are interested in presenting a paper in the Comic Art & Comics Area, do not submit a paper to another area. Participants are eligible for the annual Inge Award for Comics Scholarship, awarded to the top paper presented in the Comic Art & Comics Area of the PCA.

Scholars interested in presenting a paper at the national conference should send a 100-200 word abstract and a short introductory bio by November 30, 2009, to the area chair:

Via e-mail:
Nicole Freim: nfreim@charter.net

Via mail:
Nicole Freim
Riverside Community College
1798 Main Street
Riverside, CA 92501

For more information, please visit the PCA web site: http://www.pcaaca.org