International Association for the Fantastic in the Arts

Call for Papers: ‘Beyond the Graphic’ – Considering Violence, Sexuality and Obscenity in Comics

EXTENDED DEADLINE
Special blog series – US Studies Online
Edited by Dr Harriet Earle

Since the 1970s, the comics form has skyrocketed in popularity and the types of comics we are reading – and how we are engaging with them – has changed dramatically. This new and developing type of comic is often referred to as a ‘graphic novel’, a term that is not universally accepted but allows readers to understand the ways in which the form is being used to tell multifaceted stories.

However, it is a problematic term because it is so often applied to comics that are not fictional (as most novels are) and the word ‘graphic’ comes with a host of connotations related to sex, violence, swearing and ‘mature themes’. Additionally, despite a growing academic interest and a huge number of critically acclaimed comics being published each year, the reputation of the form has not developed accordingly; for some, comics is still a cheap, ‘pop’ form that does not engage with authentic social history and intricate narratives and themes.

In truth, the comics form is ideally suited to the retelling of complex, nuanced stories and to the effective and affective representations of sex and violence. Rather than disposable, needlessly ‘graphic’ stories of no value, a vast number of comics narratives are finely constructed, rather than straight-up debased, providing a platform for the telling of ‘difficult tales’, of which there is no shortage in America!

This blog series aims to provide a side-long look at comics and the ways in which the form engages with both traditionally ‘graphic’ narrative themes and arcs, and also its own ignominious past. Comics studies is a multi- and inter-disciplinary field that incorporates aspects of comics history, publications & media history, textual & visual analysis, questions of reception & reader response, sociological theory, psychoanalysis, and literary criticism & theory.

We invite contributions from researchers and academics in any field within the remit of comics studies. Suggested topics for posts may include:

• Physical violence on the comics page
• Violence and social comment
• Crime comics
• Sexual violence and rape
• Swearing, ‘obscenity’ and the ‘grawlix’
• The history and development of comics as a form for ‘difficult stories’ (especially the rise of autographics and historical conflict narratives)
• Representing sex and intimacy
• Porn comics and Tijuana Bibles
• Controversial texts and debates around reception (e.g. Wertham’s Seduction of the Innocent or the Murderdome debacle)

Please refer to the USSO submission guidelines for further information on style: http://www.baas.ac.uk/usso/blog-3/submission-guidelines/

c. 250 word abstracts should be sent to drharrietearle@gmail.com by 31st October 2016.

The series is due to be published in March 2017.

Publication schedule:
Submission of abstracts: 31st October 2016
Notification of abstract acceptance: 13th November 2016
Submission of full posts: 31st January 2016
Publication date: March 2017

The Vampire in Literature, Culture and Film

deadline for submissions:
October 1, 2016

full name / name of organization:
The Popular Culture-American Culture Association National Conference San Diego 2017

contact email:
mfindley@vtc.edu

The Vampire in Literature, Culture, and Film

2017 PCA/ACA Annual National Conference

San Diego: Wednesday, April 12th – Saturday, April 15th

The co-chairs of the Vampire in Literature, Culture, and Film area—Dr. Philip Simpson of Eastern Florida State College and Mary Findley of Vermont Technical College—are soliciting papers, presentations, panels and roundtable discussions which cover any aspect of the vampire for the Annual National Joint Popular Culture Association/American Culture Association Conference to be held in San Diego from April 12th through April 15th. We are particularly interested in papers, presentations, and panels that cover:

The vampire on television (The Vampire Diaries, The Originals, The Strain)
recent vampire films, such as Byzantium, Only Lovers Left Alive, What We Do in the Shadows, and A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night
the fraught relationship between vampires and werewolves
vampire lifestyles and subculture
the glorious return of the Vampire Lestat
the international vampire
and anything and everything in between!

Indeed, feel free to view past programs of the PCA/ACA conference at www.pcaaca.org to see what has been covered during recent conferences.

To have your proposal/abstract considered for presentation, please submit your proposal/abstract of approximately 250 words through the PCA/ACA Database—http://ncp.pcaaca.org/ — by October 1st, 2016. Here you will submit your paper proposal/abstract and also provide your name, institutional affiliation, and contact information. Responses/decisions regarding your proposals will be provided within two weeks of your submission to ensure timely replies.

Complete panel proposals of 3-4 people are also welcomed, as are proposals for roundtable discussions with two or more featured speakers and a moderator. For more information, visit the PCA/ACA at www.pcaaca.org.

Special issue on “Transatlantic Renaissance Supernatural”

deadline for submissions:
October 1, 2016

full name / name of organization:
Revenant: Critical and Creative Studies of the Supernatural

contact email:
ens310@lehigh.edu

Revenant, a peer-reviewed scholarly journal dedicated to the study of the supernatural, the uncanny and the weird, based out of Falmouth University in the United Kingdom is looking for submissions for a special theme issue dedicated to the “Transatlantic Renaissance Supernatural”. Guest-edited by Ed Simon of Lehigh University, Revenant is looking for scholarly, academic and creative exploration of the supernatural during the Renaissance across literature, history, folklore, philosophy, science, religion, sociology, and popular culture. In addition to scholarly articles, Revenant promotes new writing on the supernatural, the uncanny and the weird and is looking to publish ghost stories, tales of the extraordinary, poems and nature writing.

The special issue on the Transatlantic Renaissance Supernatural is looking for contributions that analyze how the supernatural was understood in both the Old and New World during the early modern period (broadly conceived as the sixteenth through the eighteenth centuries). In terms of potential topics that could be explored there are the rich variety of Renaissance and Reformation issues including:

The supernatural in drama, for example in Shakespeare
As well as the proto-gothic theater of Marlowe, Webster, Greene, Ford and Jonson,
The high magic of astrologers like Dee, Forman and Lilly,
The folk beliefs of the English and early American working class population
Astrology, alchemy and/or the cunning men
Witch-craft accusations in both England and New England,
Hermetic beliefs as practiced by Christian (and Jewish) kabbalists
The Cambridge Neo-Platonists, and hermeticism in canonical writings by Donne, Herbert, Vaughn and Traherne.
The editor is particularly interested in papers addressing seventeenth century unorthodox religion in America, the multicultural aspect of magic in early America (as exemplified by the folk beliefs of the early Pennsylvania Dutch), and the material culture of grimoires or magic books published and printed in England and read in the colonies. But all other proposals relating to the subject will be considered too.

Creative reflections whether as poetry, drama, art or prose, which focuses on this time period, are also encouraged.

Please submit proposals for critical studies and creative pieces to Ed Simon: ens310@lehigh.edu by 1 October, 2016. Finished pieces due February 2017.

Details of submission guidelines and past issues can be found at www.revenantjournal.com.

Please address any questions to both Ed Simon ens310@lehigh.edu (guest editor) and Ruth Heholt (general editor): revenant@falmouth.ac.uk.

Essays on the Evil Dead

deadline for submissions:
January 15, 2017

full name / name of organization:
Ron Riekki / Jeffrey Sartain (contracted anthology)

contact email:
jeffrey.sartain@gmail.com

CFP: Essays on the Evil Dead Anthology

Call for chapter contributions to an edited anthology

Abstracts of 400 words may be submitted any time before September 30, 2016.

Chapters of 3000-7000 words will be due January 15, 2017.

Essays on The Evil Dead is an academic anthology, edited by Ron Riekki and Jeffrey A. Sartain, examining the extended legacy of one of the all-time great horror motion pictures. Entertainment Weekly, Rolling Stone, Slant, and a long list of any magazine that makes lists include The Evil Dead as one of the masterpieces of horror cinema. With the 2013 remake of the film, the 2015 debut of the new Ash vs. Evil Dead television series, the musical, and the ongoing comic series, The Evil Dead franchise is more popular than ever, demanding more than ever, critical examination and explanation for fans and critics alike. One of the top grossing independent films of all time, the original Evil Dead, made by Michigan natives Sam Raimi, Rob Tapert, and Bruce Campbell, sparked a worldwide cult following that has resulted in sequels, remakes, musicals, comic books, conventions, video games, and a wildly successful television series on Starz, now filming its second season. Essays on The Evil Dead gives a variety of theoretical perspectives, including feminist film theory, Marxist film theory, psychoanalytical film theory, materialist theories of adaptation, and more.

With this call for papers, the editors are seeking essays of 3000-7000 words onany aspect of The Evil Dead films and media franchise:

Film and television studies essays related to Evil Dead (1981), Evil Dead II (1987), Army of Darkness (1992), Evil Dead (2013), and/or Ash vs. Evil Dead (2015- ) such as horror, comedy, affect, corporeality, embodiment, materiality, gender studies, psychoanalysis, production and distribution, cinematography and technology, history of cinema, independent film, media franchises, sequels, adaptations, long form television, or others.
Essays about comics and graphic narratives, as well as issues related to adaptation that are related to any of the numerous Evil Dead/Army of Darkness comics by a variety of publishers
Essays on video games, gaming narratives, and adaptations into games of any of the Evil Dead/Army of Darkness video games.
Essays related to Evil Dead: The Musical, drama, adaptation, theater and performance studies.
Essays related to the various toys, miniatures, collectibles, and other material ephemera associated with the Evil Dead franchise.
The editors are also open to projects with any other emphases that are related to the Evil Dead media franchise.
The anthology is under contract with McFarland and will be released in 2017.

Please submit abstracts of up to 400 words anytime before September 30, 2016 to jeffrey.sartain@gmail.com. Completed essays of 3000-7000 words will be due January 15, 2017.

Call for Submissions for an anthology volume: Fantastic Fan Cultures and the Sacred

A number of great abstracts have been submitted, but we need a few more chapters to have a complete volume. Please take a look at this second call for submissions.

They ways in which people pursue religion have changed in America and the West. Traditional, institutional religions are in decline, and even among those who claim “None” as their identity, an individualized spirituality of seeking is growing in popularity. As a part of this quest, the sacred often comes in seemingly nonreligious forms. Gary Laderman, a scholar of religion asks in light of this situation:

“So what if the sacred is not only, or even primarily, tied to theology or religious identity labels like more, less, and not religious? We might see how religious practices and commitments emanate from unlikely sources today…”

One of those unlike sources of the sacred is fantastic fan cultures. Science fiction, fantasy, and horror genres are incredibly popular and have become multimillion dollar facets of the entertainment industry. But there is more here than meets the eye. Fantastic fandom has also spawned subcultures that include sacred aspects.

Fantastic Fan Cultures and the Sacred will be an edited anthology that explores the sacred aspects of fantastic fandom. Submissions should focus on how aspects of the fantastic function in religious or spiritual ways for individual fans, and fan cultures and communities. Chapters will be academically informed, but accessible to average readers so that it appeals not only to scholars wanting to learn more about pop culture and religion, but also to average fans who will expand their understanding of their fandom and culture. McFarland has expressed an interest in this volume, and if a contract is signed with them it will involve double blind peer review of the manuscript. Contributions should be in the 6,000 word range with a submission deadline to be determined in the near future.

Possible topics for this volume include but are not limited to:

· Collecting and sacred relics – Of special interest is Guillermo del Toro’s and Bleak House, and his connection of this to his unique form of primal spirituality and Roman Catholic background: “I’m not a collector. I’m a religious man.”

· Convention participation as religious pilgrimage

· Cosplay as immersion in sacred narrative and identity

· Horror conventions as worlds “of gods and monsters”

· Pop culture phrases as sacred wisdom teachings

· Science fiction, fantasy, and horror as sacred narratives and mythology

· Star Trek fandom as secular civil religion/spirituality

· Buffyverse fandom and other genre “cult fandoms”

This volume will be edited by John Morehead. Morehead is the proprietor of TheoFantastique.com. He has contributed to various online and print publications including Cinefantastique Online, the Journal of the Fantastic in the Arts, and Extrapolation. In addition, he is the co-editor of The Undead and Theology, Joss Whedon and Religion, and the editor of The Supernatural Cinema of Guillermo del Toro. A publisher is interested in this volume, and if accepted, it will be peer-reviewed.

Those interested in being a part of this volume are encouraged to send a 300-word proposal and your curriculum vitae by email. Both should be in MSWord or PDF format. The deadline for submission is September 2, 2016. Materials and questions should be sent to John Morehead at johnwmorehead@msn.com.

JGB Day 2016: ‘J. G. Ballard and the Natural World’
School of English, Birmingham City University, Saturday, 29 October, 2016
2nd Call for Papers

‘Is there such a thing as authentic “Nature” these days? Or is it now merely an adjunct to the electronic media, almost a TV gimmick? Is it rapidly turning into a theme park?’

Confirmed speakers: Keynote presentation by Richard Brown (Leeds), ‘Ballard: Food, Sex and Nature’; Gabriella Bunn (Nottingham) ‘Climate (Change) Fiction?: J. G. Ballard’s The Drowned World’; Thomas Knowles (BCU), ‘Dreams of Mediation: J. G. Ballard’s The Day of Creation’.

J. G. Ballard’s fictions famously explore the meeting point between the inner world of the psyche and the outer realm of ‘reality’. Ballard called this convergence ‘inner space’, a dimension which, in a Romantic echo, is half perceived and half created. This one-day, interdisciplinary symposium seeks to understand the importance of Ballard’s works as we enter into (or continue on in) the age of the Anthropocene. What do Ballard’s vivid depictions of flora and fauna, or their disturbing absence, have to say to a world that is obsessed with images of plant and animal life, but is destroying the same at an unprecedented rate? How do Ballard’s landscapes, transformed by human mismanagement and/or the imagination, speak to concerns about our rapidly changing climate? What hope does the power of the imagination, central to so much of Ballard’s writing, offer in terms of anthropogenesis – and what dangers might it disguise?

250-word abstracts for 20-minute presentations are invited, and both creative and critical responses are welcomed. Themes might include, but are not limited to

o Ballard and ecology
o War and the environment
o Animals/plant-life/the natural world in Ballard’s fiction
o Ecology and the city
o Ballard and the weather
o The mind/world dyad
o Sight and sound in a changing world
o Nature and mediation

Please send proposals and any questions to thomas.knowles@bcu.ac.uk. The deadline for abstracts is the 30th of September 2016.

CALL FOR CHAPTERS:
Star Wars and the History of Transmedia Storytelling
Edited by Sean A. Guynes and Dan Hassler-Forest

We seek chapter proposals for a volume titled Star Wars and the History of Transmedia Storytelling, which aims to provide an account of the history of the franchise, its transmedia storytelling and world-building strategies, and the consumer practices that have engaged with, contributed to, and sometimes also challenged the development of the Star Wars franchise. We aim to have the collection in print by 2017, the year that marks the 40th anniversary of the first Star Wars film’s release. In those forty years, its narrative, its characters, and its fictional universe have gone far beyond the original film and have spread rapidly across multiple media—including television, books, games, comics, toys, fashion, and theme parks—to become the most lucrative franchise in the current media landscape, recently valued by Forbes at roughly $10 billion (Damodaran 2016).

A key goal of this project is to highlight the role and influence of Star Wars in pushing the boundaries of transmedia storytelling by making world-building a cornerstone of media franchises since the late 1970s. The chapters in this collection will ultimately demonstrate that Star Wars laid the foundations for the forms of convergence culture that rule the media industries today. As a commercial entertainment property and meaningful platform for audience participation, Star Wars created lifelong fans (and consumers) by continuing to develop characters and plots beyond the original text and by spreading that storyworld across as many media platforms as possible.

While there is much to be said about recent installments in the franchise, we discourage submissions that focus exclusively on Star Wars texts produced since the sale to Disney in 2012. Priority will be given to those submissions that demonstrate an ability to engage with the breadth of Star Wars media and fan activity, including (but not limited to) digital and analog games, novels, comics, televisions shows, tie-in merchandise, fanfic, and Star Wars events, places, and gatherings (conventions, exhibitions, shows, theme parks, performances, etc.); or that bring new approaches from transmedia and franchise studies to old topics. Chapters solicited from invited authors, for example, already propose a broad range of topics, including transmedia worldbuilding in comics and novels surrounding the original trilogy; the limits and criteria that define the limits of “A Star Wars Story”; transmedia erasure and the Holiday Special; and the Star Wars collectible card game.

Submissions might consider, but are certainly not restricted to, some of the following topics:

Children’s media, kidification, and Star Wars
Star Wars and/on television
Star Wars video games
Transmedia “metaseries,” e.g. Dark Empire
Star Wars comics and graphic novels
(Un)Adaptation and Dark Horse’s The Star Wars (2013-2014)
Licensing, intellectual property, and canon
Star Wars “Legends” imprint of novels and comics
Children’s literature, YA literature, and Star Wars novels
Star Wars and fandom, cosplay, fanfic, consumption practices, collecting
Generational shifts in Star Wars fandom and creators as consumers
Gender, race, and sexuality in Star Wars (especially where readings of lesser known characters, novels, comics are forwarded)
Genre flexibility across Star Wars media
Star Wars action figures and world-building through play
Star Wars (tabletop) role-playing games
Star Wars merchandising, franchising, and branding
Mash-up/remix culture and Star Wars
Music in and across Star Wars media

If you have any questions, do not hesitate to contact the editors about the suitability of your topic for the collection.

Submissions should include a provisional title, a 200-word abstract, and a 100-word biographical note. Abstract submissions are due by October 1, 2016.

Please send submissions simultaneously to both editors, Sean A. Guynes (guynesse@msu.edu) and Dan Hassler-Forest (d.a.hassler-forest@uu.nl), with the subject line “SURNAME Star Wars Transmedia Book.”

Drafts will be due February 5, 2017, with a quick turnaround for editing and revisions so as to publish by Autumn 2017 before the 40th anniversary year ends.

Thinking with Stories in Times of Conflict: A Conference in Fairy-Tale Studies

Where: Wayne State University, Detroit, MI

When: August 2-5, 2017 Deadline for Abstracts: January 10, 2017 Acceptances by February 15, 2017

Plenary Speakers and Workshop Leaders: Pauline Greenhill, Dan Taulapapa McMullin, Veronica Schanoes, Kay Turner, Jack Zipes, and more to be confirmed.

Conflict can give rise to violence but also to creativity. In the 1690s, French fairy-tale writers imagined through their fairy tales ideal resolutions to political conflict (Louis XIV’s absolutism), as well as conflict in conceptions of gender and marriage practices. The German tale tradition was transformed by the migration of French Huguenots to Germanic territories after the Revocation of the Edict of Nantes in 1685, which prohibited the practice of Protestantism in France. The German Grimm Brothers drew from the tale tradition to create a cohesive notion of Germanic traditions and to contest French domination in the nineteenth century. Postcolonial writers such as Salman Rushdie, Patrick Chamoiseau, Nalo Hopkinson, and Sofia Samatar draw from wonder tale traditions in ways that disrupt Western narrative traditions. And multimedia storytelling that dips both into history and the fantastic has advanced decolonial and social justice projects. These are only a few examples of the ways in which authors think with stories in times of conflict. With this conference we hope to bring fairy-tale scholars together to reflect upon the genre in relation to questions that include but are not limited to: migrants and migration in different geographical locations and historical periods; political and social upheaval; and transformations with an eye to alternative futures.

One of our goals is to encourage a dialogue between creative and scholarly thinking with wonder tales in times of conflict. The conference will consist of plenary talks, workshops, panels with papers, and roundtables.

Papers for panels: Please send us a 300-word abstract along with your institutional affiliation for papers of no more than 20 minutes.

Roundtables: If you would like to propose a roundtable, please include a 150-word abstract of the topic and a list of participants with their institutional affiliations; each presentation by roundtable participants should be no more than 10 minutes.

Cristina Bacchilega (cbacchi@hawaii.edu) and Anne Duggan (a.duggan@wayne.edu)