Superheroes: Good and Evil in American Comics (2007) exhibit review

"ZAP! POW! BAM! The Superhero: The Golden Age of Comic Books, 1938-1950," the exhibit curated by the late Jerry Robinson has arrived at the Jewish Museum of Maryland in downtown Baltimore. I reviewed an earlier, smaller version of the show for IJOCA in 2007 (issue 9:1) which is reprinted below. The current exhibit includes some different pieces and some art mentioned here, such as Hasen's Dondi page aren't in the 2013 version, although a superhero page by Hasen is. - Mike Rhode

Superheroes: Good and Evil in American Comics. Jerry Robinson with Ali Gass. New York, NY: Jewish Museum, September 15, 2006-January 28, 2007.

    As Art Spiegelman pointed out when withdrawing from Masters of American Comics, this exhibit was a smaller version of Robinson’s 2005 "ZAP! POW! BAM! The Superhero: The Golden Age of Comic Books, 1938-1950." What Spiegelman neglected to mention is that Robinson most likely was asked to step in and provide his exhibit to literally fill the space left by Spiegelman’s withdrawal. The curators attempted to recast it to better fit the venue of the Jewish Museum by noting the legacy of Jewish creators in superhero comic books. Quoting from the press release, “with these fictional heroes, comic book creators often reflected their own lives as immigrants– frequently Jewish immigrants from European countries. Keenly aware of their own sense of cultural marginalization, these artists struggled to define themselves in terms of mainstream American culture. By extension, they created characters whose identities largely reflected this aspect of the immigrant experience.” These argument is an old one – Jules Feiffer made it around forty years ago – but the exhibit struggled to make the point, although the text by Robinson and Gass was well done.

    However, Superheroes was an enjoyable look at comic book art, and if taken on those terms, worked just fine. The original art by Fred Ray for the iconic Superman #14 cover showing Superman in front of an American shield as an eagle lands on his forearm remains stirring, although perhaps not as much so as it did in the first days of World War II. Many of Jerry Robinson’s golden age collaborators and friends at DC Comics (National Periodical Publications at the time) were represented including Mort Meskin, Joe Shuster, Simon & Kirby, Joe Kubert, as well as those who worked primarily for other companies like Mac Raboy, Alex Schomburg, and Lou Fine.  Mort Meskin’s “Bombshell”, a hand-colored splash page from Boy Comics was especially fine and drew attention to the fact that more widespread notice should be taken of Golden Age artists. Other pieces of note were a model sheet for Captain America from 1941, probably by Joe Simon, Charles Biro’s cover of Daredevil Comics #6, an early Dondi page by Irwin Hasen – oddly out of place in a superheroes show, Alex Schomburg’s cover to Human Torch #16, and Mort Meskin’s concept page for the Vigilante. Of special historic interest were Bill Finger’s script from Batman #31, Robinson’s original Joker sketch, and a Siegel & Shuster profile of Superman inscribed to Robinson. Joe Siegel’s typewriter occupied some weird iconic space as it should; it was just a typewriter, but... In some ways, this exhibit seemed to be a selection of Jerry Robinson’s Collection’s Greatest Hits, and that was just fine -- educational and a lot of fun.

The Canadian Committee for World Press Freedom 13th International Editorial Cartoon Competition

The Canadian Committee for World Press Freedom 13^th International Editorial Cartoon Competition

1.The theme for the 13th International Editorial Cartoon Competition is:

Hard times and free speech

When journalists and cartoonist face economic uncertainty or threats to their employment, there is great pressure to give up on tackling tough stories, give in to self-censorship or give attention to sensationalist journalism in the service of commercial sustainability. But can free speech survive hard times?

2. Prizes: three prizes will be given: a first prize of $1500 plus a certificate from the Canadian Commission for UNESCO, a second prize of $750 plus a certificate, and a third of $500 and certificate. All sums are in Canadian dollars. Ten additional cartoons will receive an 'Award of Excellence.' Regrettably no financial remuneration accompanies the Awards of Excellence.

3. Only one cartoon will be accepted from each cartoonist. It may be either in color or black and white and must not have won an award.

4. The size of the cartoon should not exceed A4; 21 by 29.2 cm; or 8.50 by 11 inches.

5. The name, address, telephone number and a short biography of the cartoonist must be included in the submission.

6. The Canadian Committee for World Press Freedom shall have the rights to use any of the cartoons entered in the Competition for promotion of our Editorial Cartoon Competition and World Press Freedom Day. Entrance by the cartoonist is deemed acceptance of this condition.

7. The winners of the Cartoon Competition will be announced at the World Press Freedom Day Luncheon held at the National Arts Centre in Ottawa, Canada on May 3, 2013 as well as being advised by e-mail. The winner's names and their cartoons will be posted on the CCWFP web site: http://www.ccwpf-cclpm.ca/

8. The winning cartoons will be exhibited at the luncheon.

The deadline for receipt of cartoons is 5 p.m. GMT, Friday, March 29, 2013.

Send submissions by e-mail to : info@ccwpf-cclpm.ca

Cartoons should be in jpeg format at 300 dpi

ICAF Lent Scholarship Deadline - Feb. 1

REMINDER!

ICAF John A. Lent Scholarship in Comics Studies - Applications due February 1, 2013

http://www.internationalcomicartsforum.org

The International Comic Arts Forum is proud to hold each year the John A. Lent Scholarship in Comics Studies competition. The Lent Scholarship, named for pioneering teacher and researcher Dr. John Lent, is offered to encourage student research into comic art. ICAF awards the Lent Scholarship to a current student who has authored, or is in the process of authoring, a substantial research-based writing project about comics. (Preference is given to master's theses and doctoral dissertations, but all students of comics are encouraged to apply.)

The Scholarship is subject to the condition that the recipient present a half-hour talk, based on her or his research, during ICAF. The award consists of up to US $500 in kind to offset the cost of travel to and/or accommodations at the conference. A commemorative letter and plaque are also awarded. No cash is awarded.

Applicants must be students (or have been students since the last ICAF was held), or show acceptance into an academic program at the time of submission.  For example, applicants for ICAF 2013 would have to prove their student status in calendar years 2012 or 2013, or provide evidence that they have been accepted into an academic program beginning in academic year 2013-2014.

The Scholarship competition is adjudicated by a three-person committee chosen from among the members of ICAF's Executive Committee. Applications should consist of the following written materials, sent electronically in PDF form:

• A self-contained excerpt from the project in question, not to exceed twenty (20) double-spaced pages of typescript.
• A brief cover letter, introducing the applicant and explaining the nature of the project.
• The applicant's professional resume.

A brief letter of reference, on school letterhead, from a teacher or academic advisor (preferably thesis director), establishing the applicant's student status and speaking to her/his qualifications as a researcher and presenter.

PLEASE NOTE that applications for the Lent Scholarship are handled entirely separately from ICAF's general Call for Proposals. Students who may have submitted abstracts to the general CFP are welcome to apply separately for the Lent Award. 

The deadline for the next Lent Scholarship is February 1, 2013. Please send application materials via email to José Alaniz (jos23@u.washington.edu) of the ICAF Executive Committee. The next ICAF conference, run with our host institution the University of Oregon, is taking place at the White Stag Building in Portland, OR, May 23-25, 2013.  

Follow us on Facebook! http://www.facebook.com/icafcomic

- posted by Qiana Whitted, ICAF Exec. Cmte

IJOCA 14-2 Table of Contents

We're currently having a technical issue copying the text out of InDesign, but here's scans of the Table of Contents of the current issue of the International Journal of Comic Art 14:2 (Fall 2012).

ICAF John A. Lent Student Scholarship in Comic Studies

ICAF John A. Lent Scholarship in Comics Studies

Applications due February 1, 2013

http://www.internationalcomicartsforum.org/lent-scholarship.html

 

The International Comic Arts Forum is proud to hold each year the John A. Lent Scholarship in Comics Studies competition. The Lent Scholarship, named for pioneering teacher and researcher Dr. John Lent, is offered to encourage student research into comic art. ICAF awards the Lent Scholarship to a current student who has authored, or is in the process of authoring, a substantial research-based writing project about comics. (Preference is given to master's theses and doctoral dissertations, but all students of comics are encouraged to apply.)

The Scholarship is subject to the condition that the recipient present a half-hour talk, based on her or his research, during ICAF. The award consists of up to US $500 in kind to offset the cost of travel to and/or accommodations at the conference. A commemorative letter and plaque are also awarded. No cash is awarded.

Applicants must be students (or have been students since the last ICAF was held), or show acceptance into an academic program at the time of submission.  For example, applicants for ICAF 2013 would have to prove their student status in calendar years 2012 or 2013, or provide evidence that they have been accepted into an academic program beginning in academic year 2013-2014.

The Scholarship competition is adjudicated by a three-person committee chosen from among the members of ICAF's Executive Committee. Applications should consist of the following written materials, sent electronically in PDF form:

• A self-contained excerpt from the project in question, not to exceed twenty (20) double-spaced pages of typescript.
• A brief cover letter, introducing the applicant and explaining the nature of the project.
• The applicant's professional resume.

A brief letter of reference, on school letterhead, from a teacher or academic advisor (preferably thesis director), establishing the applicant's student status and speaking to her/his qualifications as a researcher and presenter.

PLEASE NOTE that applications for the Lent Scholarship are handled entirely separately from ICAF's general Call for Proposals (http://www.internationalcomicartsforum.org/2013-call-for-papers.html). Students who submit abstracts to the general CFP are welcome to apply separately for the Lent Award.

The deadline for the next Lent Scholarship is February 1, 2013. Please send application materials via email to José Alaniz (jos23@u.washington.edu) of the ICAF Executive Committee. The next ICAF conference, run with our host institution the University of Oregon, is taking place at the White Stag Building in Portland, OR, May 23-25, 2013.   

New issue of International Journal of Comic Art out now

International Journal of Comic Art

Vol. 14, No. 1, Spring 2012

 

Comic Strips:

An International Symposium

edited by

John A. Lent

Until Death Do Them Apart:

Gender Relations in the Brazilian Comic Strip "Radicci"

Ediliane de Oliveira Boff

3

 

Funny Papers, Unfunny Wars:

A Comparison of Three Armed Conflicts

as Depicted in "Doonesbury"

Michael Freund

17

 

Sanmao and Tokai:

Popular Street Urchins of Asian Comic Strips

John A. Lent

35

 

Lessons Learned: Milton Caniff's "Dickie Dare"

Sean P. Connors

51

 

Schulz, "Peanuts," and Metafiction

Roy T Cook

66

 

Stories of an Invisible War:

Comics and the Peruvian "Internal Conflict" (1980-2000)

Pedro Pérez del Solar

93

 

Graphic Tales of Cancer

Michael Rhode and JTH Connor

112

Ancient Egyptian Parodic Ostraca and "Comics"

Jennifer Babcock

157

 

The Picture Story Principle

Dietrich Grünewald

171

 

"A Groovy, Different Kind of Lay":

Sex, Disability, and Amputee Love

José  Alaniz

198

 

Tibetan Mysticism and

the Development of Golden Age Superheroes

Peter Sandmark

216

 

Expanding Female Manga Market:

Shungiku Uchida and the Emergence

of the Autobiographical Essay

Kotaro Nakagaki

236

 

Strength and the Supernatural:

Navigating Liminal Zones in

the Herakles Tradition and Alan Moore's Tom Strong

Hannah Means-Shannon

251

 

Reminiscences

John A. Lent

267

 

Saseo Ono in His Nichiyo Hochi Days

Kosei Ono

268

 

Recalling Ah Da

Xu Chang (Charles)

Translated by Xu Ying

283

Memory of the Past

Wang Yiqian

Translated by Xu Ying

292

 

Recalling My Father Bit by Bit in His Daily Life

Sheng Dalong

Translated by Xu Ying

305

 

Recalling My Father -- Zhan Tong

Zhan Yong

Translated by Xu Ying

321

 

Farewell to My Father

He Ting

Translated by Xu Ying

332

The Man Without Fear, a Time of Fear:

A Review of Countercultural Themes

in the First 100 Issues of Daredevil

Bill Schulte

339

 

"What Can We Ever Have to Fear From a Blind Man?!!" or Spoiled (Secret) Identities: Disability, Daredevil and Passing

Jose Alaniz

360

 

Journalistic Comic Art of Pakistan:

Coverage of the Kerry Lugar Bill 2009

Amna Ashraf and Naveed Iqbal Chaudhry

376

 

The Comic Book in Brazil:

The Consolidation of a Publishing Format

Roberto Elísio dos Santos and

Waldomiro Vergueiro

391

 

Comics in the Life of the Young Adult Reader:

Understanding the Experience

of Reading Comics in Contemporary Society

Lucia Cedeira Serantes

407

 

Tomáš Kucerovský Interview

Jose Alaniz

419

 

Lost in Translation --

The Translations of

Wilhelm Busch's Illustrated Stories in Brazil

Gerson Luís Pomari

432

 

"I Love the Mayhem More Than the Love:

Homosocial Masculinity in Sgt. Fury and

His Howling Commandos

Justin Raymond

463

 

An Auteur Theory: Pro and Con

 

The Auteur Theory of Comics

Arlen Schumer

474

 

Jack Kirby Makes an Auteur Detour

Barry Pearl

485

 

Quan Yingsheng and

the Blending of Traditional Chinese Painting

with Comic Books

John A. Lent and Xu Ying

492

 

Myth and the Superhero:

Personal Choice in Batman, Arkham Asylum:

A Serious House on Serious Earth

Leslie J. Anderson

507

 

A Puppet´s Life

Kawamoto Kihachiro

Translated by Hiroko Takada Amick and Linda C. Ehrlich

525

 

The Battles of Herbie, Willie and Joe:

The Depiction of the Allied Soldier in World War II

through Comic Illustration

Cord Scott

530

 

"A Man Has Risen":

Hard Bodies, Reaganism, and The Dark Knight Returns

Richard Iadonisi

543

 

An Interview with

Malaysia's Political Cartoonist Zunar

Lim Cheng Tju

554

 

The Printed Word

John A. Lent

562

 

A Review Essay

La composition de la bande dessinée.

Renaud Chavanne (PLG: Montrouge 2010)

Review and interview by Pedro Moura

566

Book Reviews

Murray Lee Eiland

Simon Wigzell

Pascal Lefèvre

John A. Lent

595

 

Exhibition and Media Reviews

Edited by Michael Rhode

Nick Thorkelson

Michael Dittman

José Alaniz

Nicolas Pilla

604

 

He Wei (1934-2012)

John A. Lent and Xu Ying

623

 

Portfolio

626

CFP: Mix 2012: A Comics Symposium, Marathon and Exhibition

UPDATE: We've extended the deadline for the CFP to July 6. We've posted the revised call on this webpage: http://www.ccad.edu/events-2012/mix2012

Mix 2012: A Comics Symposium, Marathon and Exhibition

Call for Papers, and Roundtable and Workshop Proposals 

Keynote Speaker: Theme: Symposium Dates: Proposal Deadline:

Chris Ware Epic Narratives October 4 – 6, 2012 June 4, 2012

Columbus College of Art & Design's Mix 2012 is comprised of three events: a symposium, a comics marathon (a student competition), and a comics exhibition. 
This call invites proposals for papers, workshops and roundtables for the Comics Symposium, a celebration of and investigation into the art of the comic book, the graphic novel, and other book-length forms of sequential art narrative, featuring keynote guest Chris Ware, author of Jimmy Corrigan: The Smartest Kid on Earth. Consistent with the work of its keynote speaker, the Comics Symposium will be a two-day event for papers, workshops and roundtables, built around the theme "Epic Narratives".  Details on the panel topics are below.  Some of these panels will also connect to the hands-on workshops and discussion roundtables that follow them.
Designed to bring together a variety of perspectives in an open and welcoming environment, the College encourages submissions from artists, writers, educators, publishers, students, curators, and critics.  As a proposal for a paper, workshop or roundtable is being reviewed, consideration will be given to this diverse population.  Note that special consideration is also given to proposals which emphasize cross-disciplinary approaches and/or formats, and to roundtables or workshop proposals that connect the symposium theme and its panels to hands-on practice.
Proposals for papers for the following panels are welcome:

• The Epic Ordinary: Contemporary Life and the Epic Narrative in Comics

Contemporary comics regularly feature mundane subjects, characters, and plots that tend to emphasize routines of work, domesticity and leisure, and the dissatisfaction, boredom, and anxiety that come with contemporary life. However, through the art form's unique language of image and word, these same comics sometimes reach for and achieve an epic scope and/or tone. Works as diverse as Harvey Pekar's series American Splendor and Chris Ware's Jimmy Corrigan: The Smartest Kid on Earth challenge our understanding of what "epic" means. This panel will consider the dialogue between form and content, and examine how comics find the extraordinary in the ordinary. Panel Chair: Robert Loss

• Extraordinary Epics: Reshaping History and Myth in Contemporary Comics

Modern visions of heroism and adventure remain important elements of mainstream and small-press comics, frequently drawing on history and myth for inspiration and reconsideration. At times these works explicitly and implicitly use the characters and structures handed down from the epic poem. This panel will examine the literary tradition of epic forms and its non-traditional uses by contemporary comic artists. In what ways do comics encourage us to reconsider the past? How influential is the serial publication format of many, if not most, comics? Is heroism an outdated idea? Panel Chair: Craig Fischer

• Dimensions of Gender: Depictions of Sex, Sexuality and Gender in Comics

This interdisciplinary panel explores the various ways that sex, sexuality and gender are depicted in graphic narrative and design. Comics and graphic novels do not shy from sex, but what of its depictions of "typical" body type, gender identity and sexuality? The comic art form is in a unique position to shape a generation's ideals and often mark inter-generational changes in these ideas within our society. From words and deeds, to lines and colors, this panel explores the multiple dimensions that create the gender and the sexual identities of comic figures. This panel offers many roads of inquiry. Panel Chair: Jon Racster

• Sustainability or Apocalypse? Imagining the Future Through Comics

The future is a frequent topic in comics, be it the dystopian visions of Frank Miller's Give Me Liberty, Akira by Katsuhiro Otomo; or the science-fiction of Flash Gordon, Moebius' The Airtight Garage and Alan Moore's Tomorrow Stories, among many others. Ideas, hopes, and fears about the future are traditions of the comic book genre dating to its earliest incarnations. What can comics tell us about the way we perceive the future today? This session will explore the explicit and implicit arguments about the possibility of a sustainable future, and why comics—like much popular art—so often depict a grim Earth ravaged by ecological disaster. Is this simply a matter of the need for conflict in narrative, or does it reflect uncertainty, pessimism, and even naiveté about the power of science and technology? What are the alternatives? Panel Chair: Kim Landsbergen
Proposals for workshops that are linked to the panels listed above are welcome. Proposal topics for additional panels and roundtables could include:

• Historical, Cultural and Ethnic Perspectives and Subjects in Comics
• Form and Style Considerations in Comics
• Images of Violence: Realism, Morality, Exploitation
• Digital Comics and the Technology of Making and Distributing Comics
• Depictions of 'Other' in Comics
• Curating Challenges
• Gender & Sexuality Representations
• Manga and Anime
• Comics and Memoir

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 paper, workshop or roundtable to be presented
• a copy of the presenter's CV or resume

Important Notes:

Applicants may submit only one (1) proposal

Applicants must not include additional media files

Group proposals must include CV/resume information for all participants

• 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 by July 2, 2012 of their proposal's status.
• The schedule will be finalized in August 2012.

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.