The Lakes International Comic Art Festival will be hosting the LICAF Academic Sessions 2017 on Friday 13th October, the first day of its three-day Festival Weekend, kindly supported by Lancaster University.
A small scale conference for those interested in comics and graphic novels and their growing impact in universities and beyond, guest speakers will be John McShane, translator and editor of the Festival’s recent publication, How to Create Graphic Novels by Rodolphe Töpffer; Dr Stuart Medley and Bruce Mutard from Australia’s Edith Cowan Univeristy, Perth; Dr Joan Ormrod from Manchester Metropolitan University and Erika Fulop from Lancaster University, author of Comics on Comics Research (with Graphic Recording by Melbourne based comics artist Sarah Firth). Plus, Dr Andrew Tate and Natasa Lackovic from Lancaster University, who is one of the co-investigators of Lancaster University: A Year on Comics.
The ticket price of £35 includes lunch at the Brewery Arts Centre in Kendal, evening drinks reception and ticket to the Gala Opening Night event “Quick on the Draw” with the legendary Sergio Aragonés.
• Click here to buy tickets from EventBrite
• Find out more about the Lakes International Comic Art Festival (13th 15th October 2017) in Kendal
The Presentations:
John McShane MA (Hons) Glasgow University: The Origins of Comics and Graphic Novels
John McShane contends that the history of comics really begins with the invention of lithography – with one major exception, the engravings of William Hogarth. John will explore the sequential aspects of Hogarth’s work, contend that the next important step is The Glasgow Looking Glass (1825) (now generally acknowledged as the world’s first comic magazine published by John Watson), and look at the graphic novels of Rodolphe Töpffer (produced between 1827 and c. 1845).
These three bodies of work introduced the reading public to all the visual and verbal tropes of the comic art form and are arguably the true origins of comics and graphic novels. Attendees will receive a complimentary copy of How to Create Graphic Novels by Rudolphe Topffer (translated and edited by John McShane and published by the Lakes international Comic Art Festival)
Dr Stuart Medley and Bruce Mutard from Edith Cowan University Perth, Dr Joan Ormrod of Manchester Metropolitan University and Erika Fulop of Lancaster University Comics on Comics Research (with Graphic Recording by Melbourne-based comics artist Sarah Catherine Firth)
Comics have become a serious academic subject or a form through which serious academic subjects can be communicated. Rarely do we see the two combined; comics scholarship itself is written out as traditional, albeit occasionally illustrated, text. In many ways, the special and spatial communication advantages of comics are lost in translation. What might be the issues, positive and negative, in developing a journal about comics that is itself in comics form?
To illustrate how effective the comics form can be the main points of this conversation will be translated live into pictures and words.
Dr Andrew Tate and Natasa Lackovic of Lancaster University: Lancaster University – A Year on Comics
In late 2015 Lancaster University appointed the UK’s first Visiting Professor in Graphic Fiction and Comic Art. Since then, they have formed an Memorandum of Understanding with and sponsor theLakes international Comic Art Festival, sponsor the Comics Laureate Programme in 2016/17 and have recently launched their own Comics and Graphic Novels network and website… Hear how comics have infiltrated the university and about the impacts on the university and its community partners.
The founder of downthetubes, which he established in 1998. John works as a comics and magazine editor, writer, and on promotional work for the Lakes International Comic Art Festival. He is currently editor of Star Trek Explorer, published by Titan – his third tour of duty on the title originally titled Star Trek Magazine.
Working in British comics publishing since the 1980s, his credits include editor of titles such as Doctor Who Magazine, Babylon 5 Magazine, and more. He also edited the comics anthology STRIP Magazine and edited several audio comics for ROK Comics. He has also edited several comic collections, including volumes of “Charley’s War” and “Dan Dare”.
He’s the writer of “Pilgrim: Secrets and Lies” for B7 Comics; “Crucible”, a creator-owned project with 2000AD artist Smuzz; and “Death Duty” and “Skow Dogs” with Dave Hailwood.
Categories: Comics Education News, Comics Studies, Creating Comics, downthetubes Comics News, downthetubes News, Events
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