Comics, Creativity, and Culture
Co-directors: Corey Creekmur (Cinema & Comparative Literature); Ana Merino (Spanish & Portuguese); Rachel Williams (Gender, Women’s & Sexuality Studies)
Comics, Creativity, and Culture was a three-day symposium (October 5-8, 2011) intended to foster dynamic exchanges between notable creators and publishers of comics and scholars engaged in the cultural analysis of comics. It was a unique opportunity for students, faculty, and the community to join in a discussion of the ever growing area of comics, broadly defined to include comic strips, comic books, and graphic novels.
- Keynote presenters:
- Gilbert and Jaime Hernandez (Love and Rockets)
- Joe Sacco (Palestine and Footnotes in Gaza)
- Phoebe Gloeckner (A Child’s Life and Other Stories).
- Craig Yoe (Yoe! Studios and Yoe! Books)
- Visiting scholars:
- Jeet Heer (Toronto)
- Craig Fischer (Appalachian State University)
- Charles Hatfield (California State University, Northridge)
- Frenchy Lunning (Minneapolis College of Art and Design)
- John Lent (Temple University)
- Jose Alaniz (University of Washington)
- Bart Beaty (University of Calgary).
MediaThe UI WorldCanvass program devoted its September 2011 program to "Comics, Creativity and Culture." Following are two links to that program:
- http://itunes.apple.com/itunes-u/worldcanvass/id433243182
- http://www.prx.org/pieces/68548-worldcanvass-comics-creativity-and-culture
The UI's Spectator Magazine ran a feature article on "Comics and Culture. Co-sponsored by The Obermann Center for Advanced Studies Annual Humanities Symposium, An International Programs Major Projects Award, the Arts and Humanities Initiative Conference Grant (Office of the VP for Research), The Ida Beam Visiting Professorship Program, the UI Lecture Committee, and The UI Center for the Book.


