Comic-Con 2014

The CAC's poster session gives attendees the opportunity to interact directly with presenters. Come talk one on one with these scholars about their projects!

Marisa Brandt (University of California, San Diego), Erika Cheng (University of California, San Diego), and Emily York (University of California, San Diego) investigate instrumental applications of comics in domains where they are being used not only to entertain but to accomplish a goal and show that comics and their creation can have transformative effects on those who create and consume them.

Andrei Molotiu (Indiana University, Bloomington) begins Alex Toth's scholarly reevaluation with an examination of the sophisticated narrative techniques and page design he employed in his comics of the 1950s and '60s.

Allen Thomas (University of Central Arkansas) and Mara Whiteside (University of Central Arkansas) examine the relationship between readers and minority comic book characters, namely the connection a reader feels to a particular character, and discuss the future direction of comic books in regards to minority representation.

Neil Granitz (California State University, Fullerton) and Steven Chen (California State University, Fullerton) investigate what factors compel a consumer to seek out more elements of a story across different media and present strategies to increase consumers' consumption of transmedia storytelling.

Michael L. Kersulov (Indiana University) addresses data collected from a research project focused on classes in which gifted high school students created their own autobiographical comics, presenting examples of student-created comics and discussing how they worked to authenticate the students' personal narratives.

William Kuskin (University of Colorado Boulder) presents an overview of UC Boulder's MOOC "Comic Books and Graphic Novels," suggesting that when coupled with online technology, comics offer a transformative energy for humanities disciplines.

J. Scott McKinnon (Henderson State University) identifies the factors that contribute to ethnic minority characters either succeeding or failing, examining online discussions, reviews, and published articles.

Drew Morton (Texas A&M University-Texarkana) argues that the majority of motion comics are less an ontologically unique medium and more a cheaply produced synergistic text that primarily exist as a marketing tool.

Rich Shivener (Northern Kentucky University) continues critical discussions on the implications of adaptation and transmedia storytelling, especially as they relate to comics. Hannah Diaz (California State University, Fullerton) examines how superhero comics can use greater variation in costume design and body type to distinguish characters and personalities more effectively.

Nami Hatfield (University of California, Los Angeles) documents the initial development and eventual buyout of Studio Proteus, a United States manga translation company active from 1986-2004.P. Andrew Miller (Northern Kentucky University) presents how he and others pair poetry and graphic art to create lyric comics. Matt Yockey (University of Toledo) considers how the "retro" qualities of Batman '66 exploit both a nostalgic appeal for the Adam West television series and demonstrate a progressive sensibility that moves beyond regressive nostalgia. Pamela Jackson, Anna Culbertson, Michael Lapins, Katie Stapko, Markel Tumlin, and Wil Weston, members of the San Diego State University Library Comic Arts Committee, discuss SDSU's strategic "Arts Alive" initiative and highlight activities sponsored by the committee that expose students to the rich and vibrant world of comics and popular arts.

Jake Talley (San Diego State University) compares the female and minority populations in the Marvel and DC universes at various points in their histories to illustrate how their race and gender makeups have evolved over time, and compares the Big Two with younger publishers to see if the lack of decades of continuity produces a more representative character population.

Barbara Glaeser (California State University, Fullerton) and Amanda Francis (Crafton Hills College) present the rubric they designed to evaluate the level of sexuality in comics in their search for "safe" titles to use in school-based research, as well as discussing the results of their project to use those comics to teach reluctant readers.

Shawn Sellers (Western Oregon University) and Eric Bruce (Western Oregon University) investigate public health concepts found in Y: The Last Man and discuss bioethics, occupational health, and women's sexual and gender health issues in the comic.

Thomas Speelman (Calvin College) analyzes the work and career of Carl Barks, who wrote and illustrated over 500 stories for Western Publishing featuring Walt Disney characters such as Donald Duck and Scrooge McDuck.

Joyce C. Havstad (University of California, San Diego) explores what it means to be a major feminist work in order to evaluate whether Y: The Last Man ought rightfully to be considered one-and if so, whether it is a successful one.

Jeff Brain (San Francisco State University) discusses how to create a curriculum blending digital citizenship objectives, Common Core standards and superheroic storytelling into a course of study for middle school students.

Damien Tomaselli (University of KwaZulu-Natal) analyzes how the visual rhetoric of comic books continues to develop, with specific reference to digitally manipulated comic books, primarily Madefire's motion books.