Articles from and news about the premier and longest-running academic journal devoted to all aspects of cartooning and comics -- the International Journal of Comic Art (ISSN 1531-6793) published and edited by John Lent.

Wednesday, October 19, 2022

CFP: Turn The Page! Illustrating Indian Comics Scenes

Heads up on a forthcoming monograph on comics in India edited by Shreyas R. Krishnan, Vidyun Sabhaney, Dr. Jeremy Stoll, and Mara Thacker - Turn The Page! Illustrating Indian Comics Scenes. Our goal is to bring together creators, researchers, academics, and others to illustrate how comics artists in India practice their craft. The resulting collection of essays, interviews, and research will make space for practitioners to intervene in the historicization of their own practice and unite scholars and practitioners in envisioning possible futures for Indian comics and comics studies. Collectively, we will make visible throughlines, blindspots, patterns, struggles, and achievements in the practice and study of comics in India. We will be creative, we will be disruptive, and we will be inclusive. 


If you are interested, consider sharing a proposal through our Submission Form. Overall, we are seeking proposals from scholars, creators, and otherwise – including:


·      Articles or Essays of 4 to 6,000 words in length

·      Comics / Illustration / Visual Essays of 4 to 8 pages in length

·      Essays with Original Illustrations of 2 to 4,000 words with 4 to 6 illustrations


We are looking to foreground scholars, creators, and academics from marginalized communities, so please consider sharing more with the Tell us about yourself prompt. As part of the submission form, you'll also be able to select the Thematic Section of Turn The Page! that seems to best align with your project - 1) Histories, 2) Practices, or 3) Contexts. At base, when submitting your proposal, please be prepared to provide the following information:


·      Name & Pronouns of yourself and any co-authors or co-creators

·      Preferred Email and Bio for each author or creator

·      Institutional Affiliation and Position in Comics Scene(s)

·      Proposal with Curriculum Vitae or Resume, plus Work Sample(s)


Please note that each essay, interview, or chapter must directly offer an insight into aspects of comics work(s) and/or comics community in and of India. Possible proposal topics could include, but are not limited to:  


• Interrogating what is an "Indian" comic

• Readers, fans, and creators of Indian comics

• Histories and cultures of comics, and related visual practices in India

• Forms and format of comics in India: anthologies, zines, mini-comics, translations, adaptations, etc.

• Labor, production, and distribution in the comics industry in India

• Politics, ideology and activism via comics in India

• Addressing inequities in and through comics in India

• Representation of caste, class, religion and gender in comics

• Comics studies, comics archives, and comics pedagogy in India

• First-hand accounts from Indian creators about comics practice, research, and professional experience


We are currently in conversation with multiple leading international publishers, so submissions will close on November 30, 2022. If you have any questions - or are considering submitting a multi-lingual proposal - please reach out to the editors at turnthepageeditors@gmail.com before submitting your proposal.


Sunday, October 16, 2022

Comments on the Top - John Lent & the history of the Comics Working Group of the IAMCR

Comments on the Top

Comments on the Top: the podcast of the IAMCR Comic Art Working Group. Celebrating the 35th anniversary of the CAWG. The Comic Art Working Group, most probably the oldest working group in IAMCR, having been founded by John A. Lent at the 1984 conference in Prague. From its launch, it has been dedicated to finding a niche within mass communication scholarship for comic art, which it has succeeded in doing, and in a spirit of serious and pleasurable study and cooperation.

Comments on the Top - The Podcast of the IAMCR Comic Art Working Group

Geisa Fernandes
Comments on the Top - The Podcast of the IAMCR Comic Art Working Group

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From its launch, the Comic Art Working Group, created by founded by Prof. John A. Lent has been dedicated to finding a niche within mass communication scholarship for Comic Art, which it has succeeded in doing, in a spirit of serious and pleasurable study and cooperation.

Comments on the Top:

Production and announcements: Geisa Fernandes
Incidental music: Brejeiro (Ernesto Nazareth)
Comments on the Top was funded by the IAMCR Section & Working Group Project Fund


Check the e-book Comic Art Working Group: the (first) Top Ten, a compilation of articles written by members of the group.

#1 Prof. John A. Lent

Comments on the Top September 8 2022

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In the first episode of Comments on the Top, the founder of the group and living legend of comic book research, Professor John A. Lent tells how it all started: the pioneering spirit of the group, its first edition, the interaction with the cartoonists, the reaction of the academy, memorable moments and a lot of precious information for lovers of the Ninth Art. Enjoy!

#2 Geisa Fernandes

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In the second episode of Comments on the Top, Dr. Geisa Fernandes the former chair of the group tells how it all started: the pioneering spirit of the group, its first edition, the interaction with the cartoonists, the reaction of the academy, memorable moments and a lot of precious information for lovers of the Ninth Art. Enjoy!

#3 Asli Tunc

 

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In the third episode of Comments on the Top, Prof. Asli Tunc (New Media and Communication Department at Istanbul Bilgi University) tells us how she became interested in comics as an object of research, the influence of Prof. John A. Lent to her work and group meetings that were also gastronomic gatherings. Enjoy!

#4 Leonard Rifas


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In the fourth episode of Comments on the Top, pioneering comic book scholar, cartoonist, comic book editor and founding owner of the educational comics company EduComics Leonard Rifas (Seattle Central College) takes a trip down memory lane to recall his experience at a series of comic books related events in 1990, including the IAMCR conference, giving us a taste of what comic scholarship was like back then. Enjoy!

#5 Lim Cheng Tju

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In the fifth episode of Comments on the Top, author, educator, country editor (Singapore) for the International Journal of Comic Art and also co-editor of Liquid City 2, an anthology of Southeast Asian comics ( Image Comics), Lim Cheng Tju tells us the story of the first meeting with Prof. John A. Lent, his presentation at the 2000 IAMCR edition and the importance of establishing collaborative and friendly networks . Enjoy!


Check the e-book Comic Art Working Group: the (first) Top Ten, a compilation of articles written by members of the group.

# 6 Paola Moreno

Comments on the Top October 13 2022

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In the sixth episode of Comments on the Top, cartoonist and radiologist Paola Moreno tells how the Comic Art Working Group made it possible for her to combine the knowledge of her area of professional training with comics, which are her art and passion. Enjoy!
(ES) Haga clic aquí para el audio original en español: https://on.soundcloud.com/CXd1f