Abstract

On the 25th October 2009, the New Hall Art Collection will be hosting a one-day conference entitled, Women in Comics. With its unique collection of 20th Century Women’s art, the Art Collection provides the perfect venue for the invited speakers who include practitioners and academics, curators and enthusiasts. Women comic artists will be invited to speak about their work, and topics to be discussed will include the representation of women in comics, bande dessinée and manga. The conference celebrates the current popularity of comics that has led to a profusion of creativity of amongst female comic artists. These artists are embracing the genre of autobiographical comics and graphic novels, and the challenge of creating a new generation of superheroes.

Highlights will include Woodrow Phoenix author of Rumble Strip who will be in conversation with illustrator and designer Corinne Pearlman, and Paul Gravett will talk with Belgium comic artist Dominique Goblet. Other guest speakers include cartoonist Kate Evans, comics academic Dr. Mel Gibson, bande dessinée academic, Dr. Ann Miller, manga expert Helen McCarthy, and manga artist Asia Alfasi and illustrator Sarah McIntyre. For a full line up and titles of papers please see http://www.art.newhall.cam.ac.uk/events/comics.html.

The conference is funded by the Graduate School of the Arts and Humanities, University of Glasgow and organised by Sarah Lightman, Dr. Laurence Grove, and Catriona MacLeod from the University of Glasgow.

The conference will run as part of the Cambridge Festival of Ideas week. http://www.cambridgefestivalofideas.org

Pre-booking is essential. Tickets cost £12 (£10 students). Please email Amanda Rigler at art@newhall.cam.ac.uk for more information and to book your place.