Call for Papers on Creating and Sustaining Comics Studies Programs, Library Collections, and Journals

 

CFP: Paneled Scaffolding: Reflecting on Building and Sustaining Comics Studies Programs, Library Collections, and Journals.

 SANE Journal is seeking critical, evaluative, and reflective works from those engaged in the making, preserving, teaching, and studying of comics through the creation of comics studies programs, the stewardship of comics collections within libraries, and the establishing of comics studies-associated journals. We prefer writings that address the history, evolution, and dissolution of such entities. What is

the story of your program, collection, or journal? How does it reflect a situatedness in its field and the ontological, teleological, and epistemological surrounding it, both in relation to current exigencies but in relation to the past as well? What processes, people, and supports were in place – or not in place – to facilitate success or failure? Can the process of success and/or failure within these domains best be illuminated through a particular – or particular set – of critical lenses? In these reflections, articulate the issues regarding the proliferation of existing and future programs of study, collections, and journals within comics studies. Methodological approaches to addressing these questions are acceptable for consideration, as well as critical and reflective approaches. 

Please submit works through the SANE Journal system (https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/sane/) by February 1, 2023. Inquiries can be sent to Richard L. Graham and James B. Carter at rgraham7@unl.edu and carterj@lmc.edu, respectively. Abstracts sent in anticipation of possible submissions are appreciated.

Join Doc Carter's Truth-To-Power Army: Raise Your Teacher Voice!

Doc Carter's Truth-To-Power Army: Raise Your Teacher Voice! Closed group · 34 members Join Group Welcome! This group is the social arm of the NCNC Podcast, hosted by your NCNC MC, Doc Carter. We welcome fans of the show and all who are interested ...

What has Dr. Carter Been Up To Lately? Give a Listen!

Listen to "NCNC Podcast" on Spreaker.

Welcome to the Archive!

From 2006 to 2016, I used this space to discuss issues associated with comics and literacy. The blog was helpful to many -- probably to more than admit it! ;) -- and only after emerging from a few years of feeling silenced do I now reopen the blog as an archive.

Perhaps I'll be moved to start writing here again, but for now, welcome (again or for the first time) and may this space and its decade worth or thoughts inform and inspire your notions on comics and teaching.

Sincerely,

James B. Carter, Ph.D.

Gene Yang "Levels Up," Named Library of Congress Ambassador For Young People's Literature

Yang, pictured here with Level Up co-creator  Thien Pham, is
a long-time advocate of Asian American voices in comics and
other literatures. The multi-talented comics creator now adds
Ambassador as an *official* title, adding to a distinguished career.

Gene Yang is celebrated for his comics, his commitment to responsible diversity within them, and -- of special import to this blog -- his teaching. Yang has K12- and college-level teaching experience and gets the comics-and-literacy connections. I am so pleased he has been granted this honor and opportunity. He's the perfect person to help the rest of the comics-and-education community fight *prejudices* and bigotries associated with oppressive notions of favoritism regarding so many things, the tyranny of the printed word among them. Learn more about his new position *here*.

No Female Action Figures? No Problem! (Sort Of). Is 3D Printing a Maker-Space Solution?

Notice anything interesting about these toy sets? Go ahead, scroll on down for a bit.

They feature characters from blockbuster movie and comics chains, but where are the women characters? There is no Black Widow in the Marvel set, and no Leia in the Star Wars sets. Vision makes it into the Avengers toys, but not Scarlet Witch. If and when The Force Awakens sets are released, will they include Phasma and Rey? You won't find Rey in the new Star Wars Monopoly either, nor in several other toy sets.

Perhaps the toys are on the way, but if they aren't, is there a 21st-century solution waiting to become reality in the realm of maker spaces?

While having the toy companies decide on their own to release female figures would be great, could someone take matters into their own hands and draft some custom parts for the Mashers series via 3D printing?

 I'll bet there's a market for such parts, akin to the market for special-made LEGO sets. And if someone made such plans and wanted to distribute them for free, I am sure the internet hive-mind would approve.

I come from a tradition of unsanctioned action figure customization. Before there were viable X-Men action figures, I would use acrylic paint and markers to turn my wrestling action figures into X-Men. Larry Zybysko made a heck of a Banshee, let me tell you!One of the Fabulous Freebirds had curly hair perfect for Nightcrawler, and I even had a Colossus covered in chrome model car paint, though I do not recall whom I customized to make him. My heroes were mine, of course. I didn't have the means or desire to make them for other kids, and it took some tolerance from the adults in my life to let me mess up my toys with costumes and accessories "no one" had even heard of (yet!).

Surely if I could scrounge materials to make the heroes the toy companies weren't interested in yet, today's savvy makers can help solve the gender problem in action figure sets until some of the toy lines become more inclusive. 

(Thanks to my Facebook friend J.A. for helping this idea long via his posts on gender exclusion in toy sets!)

The right paint and cloth for the "wings" was all
it took for me to have a Banshee action figure!

Happy New Year! Welcome a 2016 Filled With Comics Goodness

May your back issues be found, your bags unyellowed, your boards crisp and straight, and may your passion for comics benefit you and those around you all  the livelong days of this new year, 2016.