Comics Get Medieval 2012 Update

Here are the details on our meeting in Boston:

The Comics Get Medieval 2012: A Celebration of Medieval-Themed Comics in Commemoration of the 75th Anniversary of Prince Valiant
A Special Session of the Comics Art & Comics Area
Organizer/Presider: Michael A. Torregrossa, The Virtual Society for the Study of Popular Culture and the Middle Ages

Paper 1: Integrating Ideologies: Monarchy and Democracy in Hal Foster’s Prince Valiant 
Nathan A. Breen, College of Lake County

Paper 2: Excalibur as Science Object: Democratizing the Power behind the Arthurian Throne in Camelot 3000
Michelle Braun, Mount Royal University

Paper 3: The Myth of the Death of the Hero: Eternal Return in Arthurian Literature and Neil Gaiman’s Whatever Happened to the Caped Crusader? 
Hannah Means-Shannon, Georgian Court University


Following the papers will be a roundtable discussion on the use of medieval themes in the comics medium and their impact on our conception of the Middle Ages.

Comics Get Medieval 2012 Update

To those that have submitted proposals for PCA in Boston:

We are experiencing a temporary delay in reviewing proposals but do hope to evaluate everything by the weekend.

Thanks again for your interest,

Michael Torregrossa

Medieval Comics at ICom

Medieval-themed comics were featured last month at the International Conference on Medievalism held from 21-22 October at the University of New Mexico:


The Clash of the Titans: Medieval Paganism Meets Christianity in the Graphic Novel
Gwendolyn A. Morgan, Montana State University

Superheroes of the Round Table is Out!

Jason Tondro's book Superheroes of the Round Table: Comics Connections to Medieval and Renaissance Literature is out now, as detailed on his blog. You can order it direct from publisher McFarland or your favorite online book seller (though Amazon seems to be experiencing a short delay).

Leaves of Yggdrasil

I recently came across a new comic (available in print and on the web) called Leaves of Yggdrasil by Joe McGlone. So far, only the initial part of the series has appeared, and it introduces a young woman who is revealed as a daughter of Odin and granted three gifts by her father and, in the end, the keeping of his ravens. There are some references here to Ragnarok, but no indications of how the mythological material will feature in future storylines.

Kalamazoo 2012 Roundtable Update

We have finalized our comics roundtable for the 2012 International Congress on Medieval Studies. Details as follows:

The Comics Get Medieval at Kalamazoo: New Perspectives for Incorporating Comics into Medieval Studies Teaching and Research

Organizer: Michael A. Torregrossa, The Virtual Society for the Study of Popular Culture and the Middle Ages

Presider: Mikee Delony, Abilene Christian University

1. “Grotesque in Comics”

Fabio Mourilhe, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro

2. “Caliber (2008), or Arthur’s Mystical Six-Shooter and the Gunslingers of the O.K. Corral”

Karen (Casey) Casebier, St. Mary’s College of Maryland

3. “Arthurian Themes in DC Comic’s Demon Knights (2011-)”

Jason Tondro, University of California, Riverside

Contents Update for Superheroes of the Round Table

McFarland has yet to provide further details on Jason Tondro's upcoming book Superheroes of the Round Table: Comics Connections to Medieval and Renaissance Literature, but I came across the following list of contents in the Library of Congress online catalog:

• Introduction 
• Double identities and Arthegall's Yron Man
• Kirby's masque
• "By my so potent art"
• Arthur, the four-color king
• Grant Morrison's Grail quest

Sadly a new subject heading was not created for the volume as occurred for studies of medieval film, and the book is listed instead under the following headings:

• Comic books, strips, etc.--History and criticism
• Heroes in art 
• English literature--Early modern, 1500-1700--History and criticism
• Renaissance--England
• Art and literature

Note also (a fact also true with studies of medieval film) the lack of cross-reference to studies on medievalism and, perhaps, most confusing any cross-reference to either Arthurian or medieval subjects.  

Medieval Comics at NEPCA

Three papers devoted to medieval-themed comics will be presented in November at the 2011 Annual Meeting of the Northeast Popular Culture/American Culture Association at Western Connecticut State University in Danbury Connecticut, from 11-12 November. The complete program is now available online.

FRIDAY, 11 NOV., 4-5:30 PM
8) Science and Technology I/Symposium: Geeks, Gadgets and Games: The Influence of Technology on Media Entertainment in Contemporary Culture (ROOM: WHITE 024)

PAPER 1 OF 3: “From Mighty Thor to Thor: Problematizing the Inherent Societal Values and Individual Identities of “Geek” Culture Artifacts Appropriated by Mainstream America” – Jessica Eckstein and David Kazibut, Western Connecticut State University

SATURDAY, 12 NOV., 8:30-10 AM

6) Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Legend II: Legends Old and New (ROOM: WARNER 320)

PAPER 3 OF 4: “What Do Vampires Have to Do with the Holy Grail? The Transformation of the Grail Legend in Undead Arthuriana”—Michael A. Torregrossa, The Virtual Society for the Study Of Popular Culture and the Middle Ages

SATURDAY, 12 NOV., 1:30-3 PM

2) Comics and Graphic Novels II: Damsels Causing Distress (ROOM: WARNER 226)

PAPER 2 OF 4: “Vampiric Viragoes: Villainizing and Sexualizing Arthurian Women in King Arthur v. Dracula (2005) and Madame Xanadu (2008)”—Kate Allocco, Western Connecticut State University

Thor DVD/Blu-ray Update

Amazon still has not posted the details on the extras for the Thor DVD and Blu-ray releases, but, as the film was released to home video this week, helpful Amazoners have posted images of the back cover of each. Here are the details as I can best surmise. Notice that the DVD release does include some important extras, notably the director's commentary, (but not everything) also featured on the Blu-ray:

DVD:
-4 Deleted Scenes
-Road to Avengers Featurette
-Director's Commentary


Two-Disc Blu-ray/DVD Combo + Digital Copy:

-Director's Commentary

-Marvel One-Shot: The Consultant HD

-7 Featurettes HD

-11 Deleted Scenes HD

-And More!

Comics Get Medieval at Kalamazoo Last Call

We're still looking for some papers for "The Comics Get Medieval at Kalamazoo" round table. If interested, please see the initial call for details.

Thor on DVD/Blu-Ray

Still no update on the extras for the upcoming release of the Thor feature film due out on DVD and Blu-Ray on 13 September 2011. However, the three-disc version with Blu-Ray, Blu-Ray 3D, and DVD (plus digital copy) will include (according to Amazon):

- Commentary by director Kenneth Branagh
- Marvel One-Shot: The Consultant (HD)
- Featurettes (HD)
- "Road to the Avengers" (HD)
- 11 Deleted Scenes with optional commentary (HD)
- Trailers (HD)

I expect the DVD will either be a bare-bones release or include only some of these extras, as is now typical.

Jersey Thor

This has to be seen to be believed. From Cartoon Network's parody show Mad:

Thor Blu-Ray Trailer

Marvel has released a trailer for the Blu-Ray/DVD release of the Thor feature film, though there is still no information about the distribution of the extras on each.

The Art of Thor

Marvel Worldwide has released The Art of Thor to coincide with the recent release of the Thor feature film. The book is a comprehensive guide to the making of the film (from concept art to finished film) and is written by Matthew K. Manning with commentary by the production crew, cast, and, Thor creator. Stan Lee. Thor writer and artists Walter Simonson provides a forward. A series of images from the book are available at the Marvel Store, but it is now out of stock there. Other online distributors, like Amazon, still have copies available.

CFP "The Decorated Page" of Medieval Images and Graphic Novels (Kalamazoo) (9/15/11)

My thanks to Gene Kannenberg's Comic Research & Stuff Blog for the head's up here, as I totally missed this in the Kalamazoo CFP list:

"The Decorated Page" of Medieval Images and Graphic Novels (9/15/11; Medieval Congress, May 2012)
full name / name of organization: International Medieval Congress in Kalamazoo, Michigan
contact email: dominique.hoche@westliberty.edu or dominique.hoche@gmail.com
http://call-for-papers.sas.upenn.edu/node/42046

"The Decorated Page" of Medieval Images and Graphic Novels: "Sequential Theory" in dialogue with medieval art
International Medieval Congress in Kalamazoo, Michigan
10-13 May 2012

We can follow the history of the “Decorated Page” from illuminated medieval manuscripts to the graphic novel, but what if we skip the pesky intervening years from one to the other? That is, what can the theories and analysis of medieval manuscripts, wall paintings or other medieval visual mediums tell us about how we read the graphic novel, and how might the theories behind contemporary graphic novel analysis help us read medieval illustrations and art?

Standing on the shoulders of traditional analysis of medieval images, the use of the visual theories that support analysis of the graphic novel is a way of engaging the images in a postmodern (post medieval) way. Interpreting a manuscript image is probably the most common use, but we can see the potential of “sequential imagery” analysis being used on wall paintings, sculpture, frescoes, friezes and icons.

We invite papers on a wide range of issues and fields, but the dialogue must be between graphic novel theory/practice and medieval art. Proposals should be 300+ words and must clearly indicate the significance, line of argument, principal texts and relation to existing scholarship (if possible). Email the proposal in the body of the message, a 50 word bio note, and a completed Participant Information form (http://www.wmich.edu/medieval/congress/submissions/index.html#PIF) to Dominique Hoche at dominique.hoche@westliberty.edu or dominique.hoche@gmail.com . Due September 15, 2011.

For general information about the 2012 Medieval Congress, visit: http://www.wmich.edu/medieval/congress/

CFP "Does Beowulf Allow (for) Illustration?" (due 9/5/2011)

http://call-for-papers.sas.upenn.edu/node/42051

New College Conference, March 8-10, 2012, Sarasota, FL: Call for papers: "Does Beowulf Allow (for) Illustration?" (due 9/5/2011)
full name / name of organization:
Matthew J. Snyder / University of Florida
contact email:
msnyder@ufl.edu

This session will seek to explore the question: Can Beowulf be illustrated, or does the poem exhibit and/or foster an inherent antagonism between sign and icon? Recent efforts to provide illustration that augments (or perhaps subsumes or subordinates) the poem's 3182 lines of text, including Seamus Heaney and John D. Niles' Beowulf: An Illustrated Edition (Norton, 2007), the graphic novel Beowulf: Monster Slayer (Graphic Universe, 2008), and Robert Zemeckis' 2007 motion-capture animated film, all would seem to push back against what might be termed the text's opacity of the visual imaginary. Do these works and others, including various Beowulf adaptations to film and new media, succeed in their self-appointed task of turning the poem into a (moving-)picture book? Can they? Why might – or might not – these approaches represent successful or failed (re)interpretations or adaptations of the epic, and is there some other logic or desire behind the apparent drive to illustrate Beowulf that we ought to try to get at?

Please submit 250-word abstracts of proposed twenty-minute papers in the body of an email with a current CV attached. The deadline for the submission of abstracts for this session is 5 September 2011. For more on the New College Conference on Medieval and Renaissance Studies, visit http://faculty.ncf.edu/medievalstudies/index.html.

Matthew J. Snyder
Department of English
University of Florida

UPDATE: Comics Get Medieval 2012

Further details have been made available regarding next April's Joint Meeting of the Popular Culture Association and American Culture Association. The conference is to be held from 11-14 April 2012 after Easter and Passover. This has necessitated an update to out cal for papers for The Comics Get Medieval 2012 as follows:

THE COMICS GET MEDIEVAL 2012:
A CELEBRATION OF MEDIEVAL-THEMED COMICS IN
COMMEMORATION OF THE 75TH ANNIVERSARY OF PRINCE VALIANT
CALL FOR PAPERS (PCA: BOSTON, MA 4/11-14/12)
SPECIAL SESSIONS OF THE COMICS & COMIC ART AREA
ORGANIZED BY MICHAEL A. TORREGROSSA AND JASON TONDRO
PROPOSALS DUE TO ORGANIZERS BY 1 DECEMBER 2011

Celebrating our sixth year in 2012, proposals are now being considered for inclusion at “The Comics Get Medieval 2012,” a series of panels and roundtables sponsored by The Virtual Society for the Study of Popular Culture and the Middle Ages and to be hosted by the Comics & Comic Art Area of the Popular Culture Association (PCA) for the 2012 Joint Conference of the National Popular Culture and American Culture Associations to be held from 11-14 April 2012 in Boston, Massachusetts.

The goal of these sessions is to foster communication between medievalists, comics scholars, and specialists in popular culture studies in general. The organizers define “medieval comics” as any aspect of the comics medium (panel cartoons, comic strips, comics books, comics albums, band dessinée, graphic novels, manga, webcomics, comics to film/film to comics, etc.) that feature medieval themes either in stories set during the Middle Ages or in stories presenting some element of the medieval in the post-medieval era. We are also interested in papers looking at medieval comics from a pedagogical perspective.


Completed papers should be delivered in 15-20 minutes (depending on the number of presenters).

All proposals will also be considered for inclusion in an essay collection to be edited by the panel organizers in the summer of 2012. (Individuals only interested in submitting for the collection should also send proposals by 1 December 2011 deadline and indicate their preference in the email.)

In addition, a select list of potential topics and a bibliographic guide to medieval comics will appear as part of THE MEDIEVAL COMICS PROJECT web site available at http://MedievalComicsProject.org and THE ARTHUR OF THE COMICS website available at http://Arthur-of-the-Comics.org, both organized by the Virtual Society for the Study of Popular Culture and the Middle Ages.


No later that 1 December 2011, interested individuals (who must be members of PCA or ACA or join for 2012) should submit full contact information (name, address, phone/cell, and email), titles, and abstracts of 300-500 words to the sessions’ organizers, who will then forward them to area chair.

Address all inquiries and proposals to the organizers at the following address:

Medieval.Comics.Project@gmail.com and include “Comics Get Medieval 2012” in the subject line.

CFP Comics Get Medieval at Kalamazoo

CALL FOR PAPERS

THE COMICS GET MEDIEVAL AT KALAMAZOO: NEW PERSPECTIVES FOR INCORPORATING COMICS INTO MEDIEVAL STUDIES TEACHING AND RESEARCH

A ROUNDTABLE FOR THE 47TH INTERNATIONAL CONGRESS ON MEDIEVAL STUDIES (WESTERN MICHIGAN UNIVERSITY, KALAMAZOO, MI) FROM 10-13 MAY 2012
SPONSORED BY THE VIRTUAL SOCIETY FOR THE STUDY OF POPULAR CULTURE AND THE MIDDLE AGES

PROPOSALS BY 1 SEPTEMBER 2011 (EARLY SUBMISSION RECOMMENDED)

This session has been proposed in an effort to continue and expand upon the conversations initiated in our previous sessions at the Congress (in 2004 and 2008) on the potential uses of the comics in Medieval Studies teaching and research. In prior sessions, we have touched upon both the variety and vitality of the corpus of medieval-themed comics, medievalisms that have been in existence since at least the early part of the twentieth century and that continue to flourish in both the comics (in all its varied forms) and comics-related media, like adaptations into film and television, to this day. A number of characters and series celebrate significant anniversaries in 2012 (for example, Hal Foster’s Prince Valiant will be 75; Stan Lee, Larry Lieber and Jack Kirby’s Thor 50; Roy Thomas and John Buscema’s Dane Whitman, the modern-day Black Knight, 45; Dik Browne’s Hägar the Horrible and Kirby’s Etrigan 40; and Mike W. Barr and Brian Bolland’s CAMELOT 3000 30), and we believe this is an ideal time to revisit this material at the Congress, a venue that has long been amiable to the furtherance of discussion of and debate on—goals we have adopted—representations of the medieval in popular culture.

Unlike other forms of medievalism, like film and Tolkieniana, that receive multiple sessions at conferences, like the Congress, each year, medieval-themed comics remain neglected and in need of much further research. Despite the vitality of these long-running series and other comics with medieval themes, the corpus of medieval comics as a whole has largely been ignored (though with a few notable exceptions) by medievalists except as curiosities, a pattern replicated largely in other academic disciplines. However, due to the interdisciplinary nature of Medieval Studies, our field (especially given the welcomeness many medievalists have for medievalisms) is ideally suited to tap into the high potentiality of the corpus for both teaching about the medieval to audiences of all ages, from children to adults, and, like other forms of medievalism, for understanding, through the processes of adaptation and appropriation, the contemporary reception of the medieval in popular culture. The general neglect of the corpus suggests that most medievalists are wary of studying these types of texts, and, in an effort to combat this apparent distrust, we endeavor in this session to create an environment where medievalists, perhaps familiar with some of more celebrated texts, can learn more about these works of popular medievalism. It is our intent that the papers presented at this roundtable will offer new possibilities to access this corpus so we may all come to a greater appreciation of its contents and contexts.

PLEASE SUBMIT PROPOSALS OF 500 WORDS OR LESS, PARTICIPANT INFORMATION FORM (AVAILABLE AT
http://www.wmich.edu/medieval/congress/submissions/index.html), AND A COPY OF YOUR CV TO THE ORGANIZERS AT

Popular.Culture.and.the.Middle.Ages@gmail.com

PLEASE INCLUDE “KALAMAZOO COMICS PROPOSAL” IN THE SUBJECT LINE


FOR FURTHER DETAILS ABOUT MEDIEVAL-THEMED COMICS, WE INVITE YOU TO VISIT OUR WEBSITES AT Arthur-of-the-Comics.org AND MedievalComicsProject.org

FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE VIRTUAL SOCIETY FOR THE STUDY OF POPULAR CULTURE AND THE MIDDLE AGES, PLEASE ACCESS OUR
BLOG AT http://PopularCultureandtheMiddleAges.blogspot.com/

Thor on TV on DVD

Thor features prominently in the recent series The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes airing on Disney XD. Thirteen episodes from the series are now available on DVD, while the complete series can be accessed at various sites for digital download.

Thor-Wear

In case you can't get enough Thor-related apparel, Junk Food Clothing now has 3 new tee-shirts available:

http://www.junkfoodclothing.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Product1_10052_10051_-1_20266_18552_14055

http://www.junkfoodclothing.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Product1_10052_10051_-1_20506_18552_14055

http://www.junkfoodclothing.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Product1_10052_10051_-1_20156_18552_14055

Tondro on Superheroes of the Round Table

Jason Tondro comments on his blog about the development of his forthcoming book Superheroes of the Round Table.

New Smurfs Trailer

Due out this summer:

Out Now Thor Productions

Now in theaters:




And on DVD and BluRay:




And other media:

Tondro's Superheroes of the Round Table

In a fitting follow-up to my last post, Jason Tondro's Superheroes of the Round Table is now available for pre-order from McFarland. Here are the details:

Superheroes of the Round Table: Comics Connections to Medieval and Renaissance Literature
Jason Tondro

Print ISBN: 978-0-7864-6068-7

ca. 65 illustrations, notes, bibliography, index
softcover 2011

Price: $40.00
Not Yet Published, Available Spring/Summer 2012

About the Book
Few scholars nursed on the literary canon would dispute that knowledge of Western literature benefits readers and writers of the superhero genre. This analysis of superhero comics as Romance literature shows that the reverse is true--knowledge of the superhero romance has something to teach critics of traditional literature. Establishing the comic genre as a cousin to Arthurian myth, Spenser, and Shakespeare, it uses comics to inform readings of The Faerie Queene, The Tempest, Malory’s Morte and more, while employing authors like Ben Johnson to help explain comics by Alan Moore, Jack Kirby, and Grant Morrison and characters like Iron Man, the Hulk, the X-Men, and the Justice League. Scholars of comics, medieval and Renaissance literature alike will find it appealing.

About the Author
Jason Tondro teaches superhero comics and graphic novels in the English department at the University of California, Riverside, as well as at community colleges in the Southern California area. He also blogs regularly as "Doctor Comics," both on his own blog at doctorcomics.blogspot.com and at other comics sites such as Comic Book Therapy.

Scholarship by Jason Tondro

Here's a list of presentations and publications by Jason Tondo. Its a nice mix showing the potential for presentations at both popular-culture and traditionally non-popular-culture conferences. As the fruit of his labors, Jason has produced the essay “Camelot in Comics,” in King Arthur in Popular Culture (2002) and a dissertation on medieval comics: “An Imaginary Mongoose: Comics, Canon, and the Superhero Romance” (Univ. of California, Riverside, 2007), which is underrevision and set to be published by McFarland as Superheroes of the Round Table: Comics Connections to Medieval and Renaissance Literature. While writing his dissertation, Jason was also interviewed for the online magazine Sequential Tart.

“Spenser and the Comics Critic.” International Journal of Comic Art (vol 11, number 1: Spring 2009).

“Grant Morrison’s Grail Quest.” National Popular Culture and American Culture
Associations Conference (Comic and Comic Art Section). San Francisco, CA: April,
2008.

“Spenser’s Secret Identities: Arthegall and Talus the Yron Man.” National Popular
Culture and American Culture Associations Conference (Comic and Comic Art Section).
Boston, MA: March, 2007.

“Hwaet If: Beowulf as Comic Book Superhero.” Beowulf #4. San Diego: IDW
Publishing, 2007.

“The Superheroic Romance: A New Look at the Question of Genre.” National Popular
Culture and American Culture Associations Conference (Comic and Comic Art Section).
Atlanta, GA: March, 2006.

"Understanding Dante: Comics in the Commedia." National Popular Culture and
American Culture Associations Conference (Comic and Comic Art Section). San Diego,
CA: March, 2005.

“Hamlet on a Rooftop.” National Popular Culture and American Culture Associations
Conference (Comic and Comic Art Section). San Antonio, TX: April, 2004.

“Douce 104: A Comics Criticism Approach.” 10th (Dis)junctions Graduate Humanities
Conference. Riverside, CA: April, 2003.

“Holy Hagiography! Medieval Mystics and the Superhero.” 24th Southwest/Texas
Popular Culture Association Meeting (Medievalisms Section), Albuquerque, NM:
February, 2003.

“Camelot in Comics.” King Arthur in Popular Culture, ed. Elizabeth Sklar and Donald
Hoffman. Jefferson, NC: McFarland Press, 2002. 169-181.

“Carnival in Comics.” 34th Rocky Mountain Medieval and Renaissance Association
Meeting. Las Vegas, NV: May, 2002.

“The Four Color King is Dead,” 32nd Popular Culture/24th Annual American Culture Association Meeting (Arthurian Studies Section). Toronto, Ontario: March 13-16, 2002.

“Camelot in Comics.” National Popular Culture and American Culture Associations
Conference (Arthurian Studies Section). Philadelphia, PA: April, 2001.

“Return of the Four Color King: Arthurian Comics in the Year 2000.” National Popular
Culture and American Culture Associations Conference (Arthurian Studies Section). New Orleans, LA: April, 2000.

American Arthurian Medievalisms
Sponsor: The Medieval Association of the Midwest
Organizer: Peter H. Goodrich, Northern Michigan Univ.
"A Four-Color King: Arthur as American Comic Book Superhero." International Congress on Medieval Studies. May 1999.

“Four Color Kings: Arthur as Comic Book Superhero.” National Popular Culture and
American Culture Associations Conference (Arthurian Studies Section). San Diego, CA:
April, 1999.

“Blood in the Gutters: the Impact of Visual Storytelling on the Arthur Narrative.” Far West Popular Culture Association Meeting. Las Vegas, NV: Feb. 1999.

Medieval Comics Scholarship 2010

Getting closer to now:

Forty-fifth International Congress on Medieval Studies
May 13–16, 2010

Global Progeny
Sponsor: Scholarly Community for the Globalization of the Middle Ages
(SCGMA)
Organizer: Gabriel Gryffyn, Univ. of Minnesota–Twin Cities
The Percival Complex: Understanding the Role of the Imperfect Hero in the Global Popularity of Juvenile Manga Series
Lorna Wolcott Cooper, Lubbock Christian Univ.

Medievalism in Music and the Fine Arts
Sponsor: Studies in Medievalism
Organizer: Richard Utz, Western Michigan Univ.
Jeff Smith’s “Bone”: Revising Tolkien and Lewis’s Antimodernist Fantasies
Andrew Taylor, Western Michigan Univ.


2010 Joint Conference of the National Popular Culture and American Culture Associations
March 31 – April 3, 2010
Renaissance Grand Hotel St. Louis

“Darkly Dreaming Dexter and the Incredible Hulk: Modern Gothic Mutations of Stevenson’s Iconic Doppelganger” (?)
Matthew English
(Presented under the Gothic in Literature, Film, & Culture Area)

“'The Past and Future King!': Camelot 3000, Context, and the Limits of Adaptation”
Dion Cautrell, University of Nebraska at Kearney
(Presented under the Arthurian Legends Area)

“Her Guardiner: Alan Moore’s Swamp Thing as the Green Man” (?)
Colin Beineke, University of Nebraska, Lincoln
(Presented under the Comic Art & Comics Area)

Medieval Comics Scholarship 2009

STUDIES IN MEDIEVALISM CONFERENCE
OCTOBER 8-10, 2009

“The Dragon Ne Dyeth Nat: Alchemical Sins and Sacrifice in 'The Canon’s Yeoman’s Tale’ and Full Metal Alchemist.”
Lorna Wolcott Cooper, Texas Tech University

Medieval Comics Scholarship 2005

Fortieth International Congress on Medieval Studies
May 5–8, 2005

Pop Cultural Medievalism in the Late, Long Twentieth Century
Sponsor: Medieval Studies Institute, Indiana Univ.–Bloomington
Organizer: Brent Addison Moberly, Medieval Studies Institute, Indiana Univ.–
Bloomington

Professor A and the X-Men: Augustine of Hippo’s Neo-Platonic Demonology
Matthew McConnel, Western Michigan Univ.

Medieval Comics Scholarship 2006

PCA / ACA 2006
Atlanta, GA

The Once and Future Queen: Reincarnating Femininity in Camelot 3000
Christine Neufeld, Eastern Michigan University
(Presented under the Arthurian Legends Area)

Medieval Comics Scholarship 2007

Now from 2007:

Culture and the Medieval King
University of Northern Iowa: April 13, 2007

The Noble Eightfold Path to Camelot: Samsara and Nirvana in Camelot 3000
Matt Bloom, University of Northern Iowa

Mike W. Barr and Brian Bolland’s graphic novel Camelot 3000 tells the story of King Arthur and his knights’ return in the year 3000. The majority of the characters have all undergone the process of reincarnation; their souls reside in new bodies, oftentimes quite different from the ones they knew when they first served with Arthur. Reunited with their king, the knights attempt to not only
defend Earth from Morgan Le Fay and her alien army, but to build a bright new Camelot which will encompass the whole world. This effort ultimately proves futile, however, as the baggage of the knights’ past lives continuously weigh them down, causing them to repeat past sins and to sabotage present endeavors.

The struggles that the knights experience in their new lives serves as a metaphor for samsara, the process of rebirth taught in Eastern religions such as Hinduism and Buddhism. In samsara, a person is continuously reborn into new lives, with the ultimate goal being to eventually shrug off worldly attachments and attain a blissful state of existence sometimes referred to as nirvana. For the Knights of the Round Table, that nirvana is Camelot itself, and their attachments to their own pasts are what prevents a new Camelot from being realized in the year 3000.

This paper will examine this metaphor in depth, looking especially at the over-attachment to the past found in Arthur, Lancelot, Guinevere, Morgan Le Fay and Modred. And to provide contrast, it will also examine the development of Tristan, the only character in Camelot 3000 who manages to let go of her past and subsequently find a form of bliss previously unobtainable to her.

2007 Joint Conference of the National Popular Culture and American Culture Associations
April 4 - 7, 2007
Boston Marriott Copley Place


The Symbiosis of Norse and Medieval Christian Eschatology in DC Vertigo’s Lucifer Series
Katherine Allocco, Western Connecticut State University
(Presented under the Medieval Popular Culture Area)

Further Comics Scholarship 2008

Here are some further examples of medieval comics scholarship presented at various conferences since 2000, when I started tracking them.

REGIONAL MEDIEVALISMS
AT WESLEYAN COLLEGE
The 23rd Annual Conference on Medievalism
October 9th - 11th, 2008

Excalibur as Science Object: Democratizing the Power behind the Arthurian Throne
Michelle Braun (Northeastern)

Magical objects frequently appear in Arthurian narratives and the object that appears most frequently in stories about King Arthur is his sword, Excalibur. In medieval and other Arthurian texts, Excalibur is a magical object, but in some contemporary iterations of the legend, Excalibur becomes a technological object, whose function can be explained by scientific principles. The graphic novel, Camelot 3000 (1988) reimagines Excalibur as a nuclear powered weapon, while A.A. Attanasio’s Arthurian tetrology (1996-1999) reveals the sword-in-the-stone episode as a trick made possible by manipulating a magnetic field. Both magic and science are forms of power, so that in translating Excalibur as a technical object, the reader is invited to share in the understanding of its power. These Arthurian narratives democratize the process of king-making by revealing it to be facilitated by science. Science is more democratic than magic (we teach it in our schools believing that anyone can learn science) and magic is most often represented as something that only certain people have a facility for and it is therefore a more exclusive pursuit. By re-imagining Excalibur as a technological, rather than a magical object, these Arthurian narratives become more democratic, reflecting the tastes and interests of their twentieth century readers. This paper will describe the use of science and technology as a means for explaining the king-making events involving Excalibur in two contemporary Arthurian tales. As a manifestation of power, Excalibur’s status as magical symbol shifts to technological tool in Attanasio’s work and Camelot 3000, but its essential function stays the same. These authors’ decision to use science and technology instead of magic to validate Arthur’s authority and reign, invites readers to participate in the legend by explaining it in language that twentieth century readers understand and value.

Manga and Medieval Romance: Bleach and Boys’ Tales
Lorna Cooper (Texas Tech)

Manga, or Japanese comics, is not only a new media that has emerged in the last few decades, but it is also a new outlet for medievalism. To say that a Western genre like the medieval chivalric romance has influenced the twentieth and twenty-first century Eastern popular culture phenomenon like Japanese manga could seem unfounded. A myth criticism study could easily be done comparing a hero comparing the heroes of chivalric romance to those of shonen (boys') manga. The fact that medievalism is appearing specifically in boys' manga is significant when one considers that the Arthurian tales in the Mabinogion are also widely speculated to be boys' tales. The root word "mab" means boy, leaving room to speculate that the tales were either for boys or about knights in their boyhood. A centuries-wide span still reveals that that chivalric tales are about boys and intended to inspire boys. Comparing twenty-first century manga with chivalric courtly romance reveals an almost identical treatment of the individual in his relation to his idealized abilities, nobility, other world journeys, training, friends, and love. The only topoi that seem to have changed over the centuries are the treatment of women who are allowed to be part of the warrior class and the hero whose weaknesses are more realistically portrayed. He is still the best, strongest, and most determined, but the audience is allowed to see him draw at a battle or be injured near death and undergo a long recovery process. Nonetheless, he is still the hero. In addition, his true love also shares the heroic spotlight. She is only worthy of the hero if she possess similar "supernatural" powers. I have chosen to examine the series Bleach out of a dozen boys' manga that contain numerous influences of medievalism.

22e Congrès de la Société Internationale Arthurienne
Rennes, 15-20 Juillet 2008

« Spanish Arthuriana and the treatment of its sources: form medieval romances to modern-day comics »
Juan Miguel ZARANDONA


Forty-third International Congress on Medieval Studies
May 8–11, 2008

Arthur and Dilbert
Dominick Grace, Brescia Univ. College
(Presented as part of Mass Media Arthuriana: The Matter of Britain in Modern Popular Culture, a session sponsored by The Society for the Study of Popular Culture and the Middle Ages)


2008 Joint Conference of the National Popular Culture and American Culture Associations
March 19 – 22, 2008
San Francisco Marriott

“Lady Death, Lady Pendragon and the Battleaxes: the Peculiar Guidelines for Medieval Women with Power in Modern Comic Books”
Katherine Allocco, Western Connecticut State University
(Presented under the Medieval Popular Culture Area)

“Playing with Gender in Arthur, King of Time and Space”
Christina Francis, Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania
(Presented under the Arthurian Legends Area; published as "Playing with Gender in Arthur, King of Time and Space" in Arthuriana 20.4.)

Presentations/Publications by Michael A Torregrossa

My focus has been mostly on Arthurian comics but at times I've expanded to look at the larger corpus of medieval-themed comics.

“Prince Valiant and Beyond: (Re-)Assessing the Corpus of Medieval-Themed Comics.” “Love, Friendship, Marriage”: 32th Annual Medieval and Renaissance Forum, Plymouth State University (Plymouth, NH). 16 April 2011.

“Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man in King Arthur’s Court: A Way into the Corpus of Arthurian-Themed Comics.” Presented under The Beowulf to Shakespeare: Popular Culture in the Middle Ages and the Renaissance Area. 2009 Mid-Atlantic Popular/American Culture Association Conference, Hilton Boston Logan Airport (Boston, MA). 7 November 2009.

“America’s First Arthurian-Inspired Superhero: Quality Comics’ Merlin the Magician (1940-42).” Presented under The Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Legend Area. 2009 Conference of the Northeast Popular Culture/American Culture Association, Queensborough Community College, CUNY (Bayside, NY). 24 October 2009.

“Contextualizing King Arthur Was a Gentleman (1942): The Matter of Britain as World War II Propaganda: Focus on Ace Magazine’s The Sword (1942-45).” Presented as part of “Medievalisms at War I,” a session sponsored by The Society for the Study of Popular Culture and the Middle Ages and organized by Michael A. Torregrossa. 44th International Congress on Medieval Studies, Western Michigan University (Kalamazoo, MI). 8 May 2009.

“Introducing the Medium,” “The Medieval Comics Project: Defining the Corpus (Again),” and “Using Comics in Your Teaching and Research.” PowerPoint presentations presented as part of “The Comics Get Medieval at Kalamazoo: A Workshop on the Comics Medium in the Medieval Studies Classroom and Medievalist Research,” a session sponsored by The Society for the Study of Popular Culture and the Middle Ages and organized by Michael A. Torregrossa. 43rd International Congress on Medieval Studies, Western Michigan University (Kalamazoo, MI). 10 May 2008.

“Holy Grail, Batman! The Use (and Abuse) of the Grail Legend in the DC Comics Universe.” Presented as part of “The Grail in Popular Culture,” a session sponsored by the International Arthurian Society, North American Branch, and organized by Janina P. Traxler of Manchester College. 43rd International Congress on Medieval Studies, Western Michigan University (Kalamazoo, MI). 8 May 2008.

“Undead Arthuriana: Vampires and the Matter of Britain.” Presented as part of “Manuscripts, Monsters, and Medievalism,” a session sponsored by the Society for the Study of Popular Culture and the Middle Ages for the Medievalism in Popular Culture Area and organized by Michael A. Torregrossa. 2007 Conference of the Northeast Popular Culture/American Culture Association, Clark University (Worcester, MA). 27 October 2007.

“Lost in the Stargate? The Matter of Britain in Science Fiction Film and Television Programming.” Presented as part of “Cinema Arthuriana: Old and New,” a session sponsored by the International Arthurian Society, North American Branch, and organized by Peter H. Goodrich of Northern Michigan University. 41st International Congress on Medieval Studies, Western Michigan University (Kalamazoo, MI). 5 May 2006.

"Comics." In “The Arthurian Legend in Literature, Popular Culture, and the Performing Arts, 1999-2004.” Eds. Raymond H. Thompson and Norris J. Lacy. Arthurian Literature 22 (2005). Print, ISBN 1-84384-062-6. (This listing is the fourth supplement to The New Arthurian Encyclopedia, ed. Norris J. Lacy [New York: Garland, 1991].)

“A ‘Marvel’-ous Morgan: Phillip De Guere’s Dr. Strange (1978), a Forgotten Example of Cinema Arthuriana.” Presented as part “Arthurian Film,” a session sponsored by the Society for the Study of Popular Culture and the Middle Ages and organized by Michael A. Torregrossa. 28th Annual New England Popular Culture Association Conference, Sacred Heart University (Fairfield, CT). 29 October 2005.

“Holy Grail, Batman! The Dark Knight Detective in King Arthur’s Court—DC Comics’ Batman and the Arthurian Legend.” Presented as part of “The Comics Get Medieval 2005,” a session sponsored by the Society for the Study of Popular Culture and the Middle Ages and the Arthurian Legend, the Comics & Comic Art, and the Medieval Popular Culture Areas of the Popular Culture Association and organized by Michael A. Torregrossa. 35th Annual Meeting of the Popular Culture Association, San Diego Marriott Hotel and Marina (San Diego, CA). 24 March 2005.

“Once and Future Kings: The Return of King Arthur in the Comics.” In Adapting the Arthurian Legends for Children: Essays on Arthurian Juvenilia. Ed. Barbara Tepa Lupack. Studies in Arthurian and Courtly Cultures. Series ed. Bonnie Wheeler. New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2004. Pp. 243-262.

“The Many Returns of King Arthur during World War Two: King Arthur Was a Gentleman (1942) and Its Contexts.” Presented as part of “Heroes and Heroism in Medieval Films at War,” a session sponsored by The Society for the Study of Popular Culture and the Middle Ages and organized by Michael A. Torregrossa. War in Film, Television, and History: 3rd Biennial Conference of the Film & History League, American Airlines Training & Conference Center (Dallas, TX). 12 November 2004.

“The Comics Get Medieval: Defining the Corpus.” Presented as part of a “Medieval Classics Illustrated: Using the Comics to Teach Medieval Legends and Text (A Roundtable),” a session sponsored by the Arthurian Comics Discussion List/Society for the Arthurian Popular Culture Studies and organized by Michael A. Torregrossa. 39th International Congress on Medieval Studies, Western Michigan University (Kalamazoo, MI). 9 May 2004.

“Visions of Merlin in Four Colors: Illustrating the Legend of Merlin in the Comics.” Presented as part of “Arthurian Illustration,” a session sponsored by the International Arthurian Society, North American Branch, and organized by Donald L. Hoffman of Northeastern Illinois University. 38th International Congress on Medieval Studies, Western Michigan University (Kalamazoo, MI). 10 May 2003.

“The Women of Camelot in Four Colors: Representations of Arthurian Women in the Comics Medium.” Presented under the Arthurian Legends Area. 33rd Annual Meeting of the Popular Culture Association Conference, Marriott Hotel (New Orleans, LA). 17 April 2003.

"Comics." In “Arthurian Literature, Art, and Film, 1995-1999.” Eds. Norris J. Lacy and Raymond H. Thompson. Arthurian Literature 18 (2001): 193-255. Print. ISBN 0-85991-617-0. (This listing is the third supplement to The New Arthurian Encyclopedia, ed. Norris J. Lacy [New York: Garland, 1991].)

“Professor Pendragon and His Uncanny X-Knights of the Round Table: The Use and Abuse of the Arthurian Legend by Marvel Comics.” Presented as part of “The Medieval in Popular Culture,” a session organized by Michael G. Cornelius of the University of Rhode Island. English Studies and the Uses of Popular Culture III, University of Rhode Island (Kingston, RI). 27 October 2001.

“An Abundance of Arthurs: The Myth of the Return of King Arthur in the Comicbook Medium.” Camelot 2000: A Millennial Conference on the Arthurian Legends, University of Rochester (Rochester, NY). 26 October 2000. (Portions incorporated, with extensive revision, in my essay “Once and Future Kings? The Return of King Arthur in the Comics” [2004].)

“Camelot 3000 and Beyond: An Annotated Listing of Arthurian Comic Books Published in the United States c. 1980-1998. Revised ed. (May 2000).” Part of The Arthuriana / Camelot Project Bibliographies. Maintained by Alan Lupack. University of Rochester, May 2000. Available at http://www.lib.rochester.edu/camelot/acpbibs/comicbib.htm. Web.

“Merlin at the Multiplex: A Filmography of Merlin in Arthurian Film, Television and Videocassette 1920-1998.” In 1999 Film & History CD-ROM Annual. Eds. Peter C. Rollins, John E. O’Connor, and Deborah A. Carmichael. Cleveland, OK: Film & History, 1999. 31 pp. CD-ROM. ISBN 0-641775-6-8.

“Camelot 3000 and Beyond: An Annotated Listing of Arthurian Comic Books Published in the United States c. 1980-1998.” In Modern and Post-Modern Arthurian Literature. Ed. John Matthews. Spec. issue of Arthuriana: The Journal of Arthurian Studies 9.1 (Spring 1999): 67-109. Print. ISSN 0890-4944.

Robin Hood Comics Scholarship

I've been working recently on assessing the history of medieval comics scholarship. Here are the details based on the various meetings of The International Association for Robin Hood Studies based at The University of Rochester. I had access to all of the programs but that for 2007 and 2011 (to be held July 8-10).

Playing with Transgression: Cultural Transformations of Robin Hood
at The University of Rochester
16-18 October 1997

"Robin Hood and Green Arrow: Outlaw Bowmen in the Modern Urban Landscape"
Sarah Beach (Los Angeles, CA)
(Published in Robin Hood in Popular Culture: Violence, Transgression, and Justice, ed. Thomas Hahn [D. S. Brewer, 2000])


Robin Hood: Past and Present, Local and Global
The Second International Conference of Robin Hood Studies
Nottingham, 14th - 18th July, 1999

‘"Begone, Knave! Robbery is out of Fashion Hereabouts!": Robin Hood in 1950s Comic Books’
Allen W. Wright


The Third Biennial Robin Hood Conference
The University of Western Ontario
May 31-June 2, 2001

"The Archer Explodes: Green Arrow, Social(ist) Justice, and the Reinvention of
the Playboy Comic Book Adventurer,1970-1986"
Jonathan Stover (UWO)


IMAGES OF ROBIN HOOD
Fifth Biennial Meeting of the International Association for Robin Hood Studies
September 29 to October 2, 2005
University of Delaware (Newark, Delaware)

Robin Hood Comic Books From the 1970s to the Present
Allen Wright, Mohawk College


ROBIN HOOD: MEDIA CREATURE
The Seventh Biennial Conference of the International Association for Robin Hood Studies
October 22-25, 2009
University of Rochester, Rochester, NY (USA)

“Investigating the Robin Hood/Green Arrow Identity Crisis”
Jeff Kirchoff (Bowling Green State University)

“Spin-Offs and Stand-Alones: The Co-Dependency of Robin Hood Comics”
John H. Chandler (University of Rochester)

“The Secret Origin of Robin Hood” (?)
Allen W. Wright (Independent Scholar)

Medieval Comics at PCA/ACA

There were a number of papers of interest at last month's Joint Conference of the National Popular Culture & American Culture Association and the Southwest/Texas Popular Culture & American Culture Association held in San Antonio, Texas, from 4/20-23/11. They included the following:

Session 6115: Graphic Novels, Comics, and Popular Culture: Alan Moore
Paper 2 of 4: Socializing the Heroic Psyche: Organized Outsiders in the Irish Finn Cycle and Alan Moore's Top Ten
Hannah Means-Shannon (Georgian Court University)

This study investigates the alternative heroic society of super-powered policemen of Alan Moore’s Top Ten in comparison to earlier mythological “outsider” motifs found in the Irish Finn Cycle. Both outsider groups are formed as microcosms of society as a whole founded upon inverse principles, valuing qualities which in “mainstream” society function as indicators of difference. The development of characters in Top Ten also suggests the development of necessary “insider” qualities such as community loyalty and the support of community goals. In order for a cohesive alternate society to function, a balance must be struck between the potential power and violence of the psyche and the potential unity and collectivising aspects of the social ego consciousness. Using the psychoanalytical writings of Carl Jung and Erich Neumann as well as scholarship on the “warband” literature of the Irish Finn Cycle, this study will illustrate the traditional and ongoing concern in heroic literature for the inherent conflict between the organized, collective aspects of an ego-based society and the less controlled but empowering aspects of the psyche-driven individual.


Session 8076: Arthurian Legends: Women in Arthuriana
Paper 1 of 4: Frailty Thy Name is Woman: An Examination of Arthurian Women in Modern Comics and Graphic Novels
Jody Helme-Day (Wayne State University)

The legends of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table have experienced renewed interest in the past two decades, with several books, plays, and movies created. One of the most innovative genres used to retell the tales has been comic books and graphic novels. The King and his Knights, and their code of chivalry and moral and physical strength, have been integrated into well-known super hero comics such as Spider Man and Batman, or they have been re-situated into whole new stories with more modern scenes and situations, such as Camelot 3000. The women of the legends have found their way into these comics as well, and just as modern writers have carried over the traditional, glorious depictions of the men, they have also kept those of the women: the weakness of Guinevere, the evil sensuality of Morgan and Nimue, and the danger a woman represents to a man if he is distracted by her charms, or if she does not play the required role in a world of male warriors. The authors of these comics are held by the constraints of the legends themselves, as there is no room for female power if an Arthurian tale is to be told in a recognizable way, but the exaggerated depiction of the female Arthurian characters suggests a latent anxiety about female power that has not changed since Malory’s time.


Session 9486: Comic Art and Comics: Comics and Some Old Fashioned Ideas
Paper 2 of 4: Holding Out for a Hero: The Recasting of the Renaissance Epic Hero as a Contemporary Comic Superhero
Cheyenne Matthews (Independent Scholar)

Despite the division of literature into such categories as classical, Renaissance, or modern periods, the use of conventions, characters, and themes is cyclical, with the same myths and archetypes appearing in different manifestations through the ages. The evolution of one such archetype can be traced from the Renaissance epic hero to the contemporary comic book superhero, which both exhibit traits of heightened morality, mental fortitude, and exceptional strength while combating oppressive influences. Although these exemplary figures serve a dual purpose of entertainment and instruction to reinforce a value system threatened by an unstable, oppositional society, they communicate markedly divergent messages regarding sociopolitical institutions and ideological elitism. Providing a distinct correlation between vastly different time periods, this paper will analyze these messages by using Joseph Campbell’s comparative mythology and Soren Kierkegaard’s philosophy of morality and its “double danger” to examine the reconstitution of the epic poem as serialized comics and their multimedia spin-offs, the recasting of the Renaissance epic heroes of Torquato Tasso’s Jerusalem Delivered as modern superheroes in Stan Lee’s X-Men, and the convergence of these archetypes and themes in Neil Gaiman’s graphic novel Marvel 1602.

Paper 3 of 4: Medieval Literature, Modern Comics
Tom Miller (McMaster University)


Session 6175: Graphic Novels, Comics, and Popular Culture: Teaching With Comics and Graphic Novels
Paper 1 of 4: Teaching Medieval and Renaissance Literature and Culture through the Comic/Graphic Novel
Christina Angel (Metropolitan State College of Denver)

In the field of Medieval and Renaissance studies, it is often difficult to engage students in new and meaningful ways, particularly since the traditional method of teaching these subjects often provides no relevance to the average student (one can practically hear the “but it’s boring” lament right here). This paper explores the various ways we can reinvigorate the study of the English Middle Ages and Renaissance via engagement with the graphic novel. Opening from a discussion of Moore and Lloyd’s V for Vendetta as segue into the early modern space of Shakespearean intrigue and Jacobean politics, the essay further explores uses of Gaiman’s Sandman and Gareth Hinds’ Beowulf series, for example, as gateways to literary discovery. My general assertion is that students will come to appreciate (or even adore) this area of literature if they are provided relevance and a reason to read within and around it.


Session 7659: Anime Manga: Cross-Cultural Themes in Anime & Manga
Paper 3 of 3: Narukami: The Depiction of the Norse god Thor in Matantei Loki
Traci Cohen (CSU Sacramento)

Thor is easily the most recognizable character in Norse mythology. Even if someone has no familiarity with mythology they will know the image of Thor. In America that image is based on the Marvel comic book The Mighty Thor. Eastern countries, such as Japan have also integrated Thor into their popular culture. In Matantei Loki (Mythical Detective Loki), a manga about Norse gods being sent to modern day Japan, by Sakura Kinoshita there is an emphasis on traits within Thor that coincide with the samurai value system. Because Kinoshita had these traits to work with in the character of Thor she is able to appropriate the epitome of Norse culture, Thor, and place him within a Japanese background without forfeiting his basic nature.

In my paper I am discussing the character of Narugami (Narugami is the human name of the god Thor) in Kionshita’s work and how, although he has been give Japanese characteristics, Narugami still retains a connection to the god Thor off of which he was based. I look at both Thor and Narugami in their relation to the samurai code as laid out in Yamamoto Tsunetomo’s Hagakure. The specific values I look at are loyalty, bravery, simplicity, truthfulness and politeness. Ultimately, through Narugami Kinoshita is reworking and, in some cases, mocking these traditional values in the modern world.

Session 7646: Medieval Popular Culture: Medievalism and the Modern
Paper 3 of 4: Red Days, Black Knights: The Middle Ages in American Containment Culture
Peter Lee (Independent Scholar)

My proposed topic examines the European Middle Ages as presented in American comic books after the Second World War. With the onset of the Cold War and descent of the Iron Curtain, American comic books, film, magazines, and other mediums of popular culture reinforced the United States as the leader of the Free World. Stories set in the Middle Ages underscored various facets of American culture; in re-imagining the past, creators infused American myths and enlightenment into the Dark Ages. Such themes included the “Horatio Alger” motif of untitled youths working their way up a chivalric ladder, an affirmation of Christian values over other faiths, and a demonization of a barbaric other in contrast to Anglo-Saxon heroes. While some of these themes stemmed from the Middle Ages itself, as well as later historical novels, creators adapted these tales to reflect American standards in the postwar decade. In infusing the Middle Ages with these stories, creators implied the longevity, legitimacy, and superiority of American values over that of their communist antagonists.

Comics Get Medieval 2012 Call for Papers

THE COMICS GET MEDIEVAL 2012:
A CELEBRATION OF MEDIEVAL-THEMED COMICS IN
COMMEMORATION OF THE 75TH ANNIVERSARY OF PRINCE VALIANT
CALL FOR PAPERS (PCA: BOSTON, MA 4/4-7/12)
SPECIAL SESSIONS OF THE COMICS & COMIC ART AREA
ORGANIZED BY MICHAEL A. TORREGROSSA AND JASON TONDRO
PROPOSALS DUE TO ORGANIZERS BY 1 DECEMBER 2011

Celebrating our sixth year in 2012, proposals are now being considered for inclusion at “The Comics Get Medieval 2012,” a series of panels and roundtables sponsored by The Virtual Society for the Study of Popular Culture and the Middle Ages and to be hosted by the Comics & Comic Art Area of the Popular Culture Association (PCA) for the 2012 Joint Conference of the National Popular Culture and American Culture Associations to be held from 4-7 April 2012 in Boston, Massachusetts.

The goal of these sessions is to foster communication between medievalists, comics scholars, and specialists in popular culture studies in general. The organizers define “medieval comics” as any aspect of the comics medium (panel cartoons, comic strips, comics books, comics albums, band dessinée, graphic novels, manga, webcomics, comics to film/film to comics, etc.) that feature medieval themes either in stories set during the Middle Ages or in stories presenting some element of the medieval in the post-medieval era. We are also interested in papers looking at medieval comics from a pedagogical perspective.


Completed papers should be delivered in 15-20 minutes (depending on the number of presenters).

All proposals will also be considered for inclusion in an essay collection to be edited by the panel organizers beginning in late 2011/early 2012. (Individuals only interested in submitting for the collection should also send proposals by 1 December 2011 deadline and indicate their preference in the email.)

In addition, a select list of potential topics and a bibliographic guide to medieval comics will appear as part of THE MEDIEVAL COMICS PROJECT web site available at http://MedievalComicsProject.org and THE ARTHUR OF THE COMICS website available at http://Arthur-of-the-Comics.org, both organized by the Virtual Society for the Study of Popular Culture and the Middle Ages.


No later that 1 December 2011, interested individuals (who must be members of PCA or ACA or join for 2012) should submit full contact information (name, address, phone/cell, and email), titles, and abstracts of 300-500 words to the sessions’ organizers, who will then forward them to area chair.

Address all inquiries and proposals to the organizers at the following address:

Medieval.Comics.Project@gmail.com and include “Comics Get Medieval 2012” in the subject line.

Suter's "From Jusuheru to Jannu"

The following article is now available to all viewers as part of a sample issue of Mechademia on Project Muse:

Rebecca Suter. "From Jusuheru to Jannu: Girl Knights and Christian Witches in the Work of Miuchi Suzue." Mechademia 4 (2009): 241-256.

Suter, a professor of Japanese Studies at the University of Sydney, offers a summary and discussion of Suzue's two-part manga Shirayuri no kishi (1975, Knight of the White Lily), a manga adaptation of the life of Joan of Arc. She also presents some interesting comments on the representations of warrior women in manga.

Medieval Comics Papers at Plymouth State

Last weekend there were several medievalism-themed papers at Plymouth State University's annual Medieval and Renaissance Forum. My session included two on medieval comics. Details as follow:


SATURDAY, 16 APRIL

3:00-4:20 Session 7
Medieval Roots, Modern Dreams Rounds 303
Moderator: Arthur Fried, Plymouth State University
2) Print Warfare and Foxe’s The Book of Martyrs: Woodcuts as an Early Modern Precursor to 20th-21st Century Comics, Forrest C. Helvie, Norwalk Community College
3) Prince Valiant and Beyond: (Re-)Assessing the Corpus of Medieval-Themed Comics, Michael A. Torregrossa, Independent Scholar

Vikings on Film Contents

McFarland has at last posted the contents for Kevin J. Harty's latest collection The Vikings on Film: Essays on Depictions of the Nordic Middle Ages. Complete details can be accessed at McFarland's website.

Relevant contents are as follows:

Silly Vikings: Eichinger, Hickox, and Lorenz’s Anglo-German-Irish Production of Hal Foster’s Prince Valiant (1997) 56
JOSEPH M. SULLIVAN

Time Out of Joint: Why a Gaul Fought the Normans in Astérix and the Vikings (2005) 165
ANDREW B. R. ELLIOTT

Additional chapters that offer surveys on Vikings in film also look promising.

Kalamazoo 2012 Proposals

1. The Virtual Society for the Study of Popular Culture and the Middle Ages has proposed the following session for the 47th International Congress on Medieval Studies to be held from 10-13 May 2012. Interested parties should contact the Society at Popular.Culture.and.the.Middle.Ages@gmail.com (please note "Comics Get Medieval at Kalamazoo 2012" in the subject line). An official call for papers will be distributed this summer upon notification of acceptance from the Congress's organizing committee.

The Comics Get Medieval at Kalamazoo: New Perspectives for Incorporating Comics into Medieval Studies Teaching and Research (Roundtable)

The Virtual Society for the Study of Popular Culture and the Middle Ages proposes this session in an effort to continue and expand upon the conversations initiated in our previous sessions at the Congress (in 2004 and 2008) on the potential uses of the comics in Medieval Studies teaching and research. In prior sessions, we have touched upon both the variety and vitality of the corpus of medieval-themed comics, medievalisms that have been in existence since at least the early part of the twentieth century and that continue to flourish in both the comics (in all its varied forms) and comics-related media, like adaptations into film and television, to this day. A number of characters and series celebrate significant anniversaries in 2012 (for example, Hal Foster’s Prince Valiant will be 75; Stan Lee, Larry Lieber and Jack Kirby’s Thor 50; Roy Thomas and John Buscema’s Dane Whitman, the modern-day Black Knight, 45; Dik Browne’s Hägar the Horrible and Kirby’s Etrigan 40; and Mike W. Barr and Brian Bolland’s Camelot 3000 30), and we believe this is an ideal time to revisit this material at the Congress, a venue that has long been amiable to the furtherance of discussion of and debate on—goals we have adopted—representations of the medieval in popular culture.

Unlike other forms of medievalism, like film and Tolkieniana, that receive multiple sessions at conferences, like the Congress, each year, medieval-themed comics remain neglected and in need of much further research. Despite the vitality of these long-running series and other comics with medieval themes, the corpus of medieval comics as a whole has largely been ignored (though with a few notable exceptions) by medievalists except as curiosities, a pattern replicated largely in other academic disciplines. However, due to the interdisciplinary nature of Medieval Studies, our field (especially given the welcomeness many medievalists have for medievalisms) is ideally suited to tap into the high potentiality of the corpus for both teaching about the medieval to audiences of all ages, from children to adults, and, like other forms of medievalism, for understanding, through the processes of adaptation and appropriation, the contemporary reception of the medieval in popular culture. The general neglect of the corpus suggests that most medievalists are wary of studying these types of texts, and, in an effort to combat this apparent distrust, we endeavor in this session to create an environment where medievalists, perhaps familiar with some of more celebrated texts, can learn more about these works of popular medievalism. It is our intent that the papers presented at this roundtable will offer new possibilities to access this corpus so we may all come to a greater appreciation of its contents and contexts.


2. The Virtual Society for the Study of Popular Culture and the Middle Ages in association with The Alliance for the Promotion of Research on the Villains of the Matter of Britain and The Institute for the Advancement of Scholarship on the Magic-Wielding Figures of Visual Electronic Multimedia has proposed the following session for the 47th International Congress on Medieval Studies to be held from 10-13 May 2012. Interested parties should contact the Society at Popular.Culture.and.the.Middle.Ages@gmail.com (please note "Are You From Camelot 2012" in the subject line). An official call for papers will be distributed this summer upon notification of acceptance from the Congress's organizing committee.

Are You From Camelot? Recent Arthurian Film, Television, and Electronic Games as Innovators of the Arthurian Tradition and Their Impact (Roundtable)

Hannah Means-Shannon's Seeing double: the transforming personalities of Alan Moore's Promethea and the Ulster Cycle's Cuchulain

The latest number of the Journal of Graphic Novels and Comics includes the following essay:

Means-Shannon, Hannah. “Seeing Double: The Transforming Personalities of Alan Moore's Promethea and the Ulster Cycle's Cuchulain.” Journal of Graphic Novels and Comics 1.2 (2010): 93-104.

Abstract

This article explores the physical and psychic transformation of Sophie-Promethea®, of Alan Moore's Promethea, and Cuchulain, of the Irish Ulster Cycle, into dual heroic identities, illustrating the psychological concerns present in the texts. This heroic process of establishing a dual identity dramatizes the creation of a balance between the conscious ego and the unconscious psyche, a pattern of individuation put forward by theorist Carl Jung and subsequently explored by Erich Neumann and James Hillman. The plot structure of the texts, as well as elements of visual/descriptive detail concerning transformation support this comparative examination and confirm a concern for an attempted resolution between conflicting psychological aspects of the heroic individual. This study highlights both the heroic failure of Cuchulain to attain this desired resolution and Moore's creation of a new paradigm for potential synthesis between the worlds of the ego and the psyche as illustrated through his character, Promethea®.

The article can be downloaded free of charge through the end of this month.

Listserv Updates (Cross-Posted)

It is with deep regret that I write to inform readers of the demise of the following listservs sponsored by the Society: The Society for the Study of Popular Culture and the Middle Ages Discussion List, The Medieval Studies at the Movies Discussion List and The Medieval Comics Project Discussion List. The three have been disbanded due to lack of interest by the members. Archives for these lists will remain online for the time being, but further items of interest on these topics can be found instead on the various blogs currently sponsored by the Society, including Studies of Popular Culture and the Middle Ages and The Medieval Comics Project Blog.

Michael A. Torregrossa
Blog and Listserv Editor
Co-Founder

PS. The Medieval Comics Project Discussion List was, unfortunately, never very active and should have probably been put down much sooner. I do hope that this blog will be a welcome addition to furthering the study of medieval-themed comics.

Comics Get Medieval 2011 Update

A belated update on the status of The Comics Get Medieval 2011 sessions for the upcoming Popular Culture Association/American Culture Association's annual meeting this spring:

The session has been cancelled due to lack of interest.

Please consider submitting a proposal for The Comics Get Medieval 2012 sessions to convene at PCA/ACA in Boston and (pending approval) at Kalamazoo. 2012 is the 75th anniversary of Prince Valiant, and it would be great to make ourselves visible as we commemorate this landmark event.

Michael Torregrossa

Blog and Listserv Editor
Co-Founder

King Arthur Forever Returns

The Society is pleased to announce the relaunch of KingArthurForever.org as a blog dedicated to study and debate of the representations of the Matter of Britain in post-medieval popular culture produced from the close of the Middle Ages through tomorrow.