More Comics Sessions for Kalamazoo (9/15/2026)

Shared from the Medieval Comics Discussion List.

My thanks to organizer Andy Hartzell for the reminder.

CFP–Graphic Novel Antecedents: Sequential Art in the Premodern Era

Please consider submitting a presentation to this poster session at the ICMS next May!

Before mass literacy, creators leveraged imagery to communicate stories. The era is characterized by sophisticated compositions and interplay of image and text.

This poster session will highlight novel and noteworthy examples of serial imagery from the Medieval era. Subjects can be drawn from any form, from manuscript to tapestry to altarpiece, as long as they demonstrate narrative progression. Each display will highlight the methods by which sequence and meaning are encoded and the ways in which contemporary viewers would have unpacked this content. Discussion might focus on how time and change were perceived and communicated in the Medieval age.

CFP – The Medieval Turn and Contemporary Comics Creators

This roundtable is also on the schedule for the next Kalamazoo Medieval Congress. Please consider submitting a paper!

Comics have long drawn inspiration from the Middle Ages, echoing medieval storytelling styles and values such as chivalry and honor. Like illuminated manuscripts, comics emphasize the creator’s hand, preserving individual style and immediacy. Today, many creators actively revisit medieval themes and practices, finding fresh ways to integrate them into contemporary works. This panel will showcase comics and graphic novelists who look to the medieval past for creative inspiration.