Framing the Past in Comics June 16-18, 2023
The objective of HistorioGRAPHICS: Framing the Past in Comics is essentially three-fold: First, we seek to review and expand comics studies’ approaches to historiography and representations of the past in comics. Second, we aim to bring together the fields of history and comics studies more closely to deepen our understanding of visual representations not only as primary sources but also as a format of historiography. What does the fragmented mediality of comics offer to the representation of history? How do comics criticize and contextualize historical sources and historiographical practices? What futures do comics have in store for representing the past? Thirdly we emphasize the transnational approach to this topic, in the stories told as well as in the research about them, with a particular emphasis on the transatlantic perspectives.
Contributions may choose to engage with themes that may include but are not limited to:
• Holocaust comics and memory culture
• Indigenous histories and their graphic narrative representations
• The (long) Civil Rights Movement in the United States and graphic narratives of protest
• Histories of the Americas and the Global South in Comics
• Representation of historical crises as well as personal and collective trauma
• Comics in the classroom / the classroom and the public eye: politics and censorship
• Ideologies of historical representation in comics
• Institutions, political education, and (individual) activism
• Comics and/as Public History
• History in autobiographical comics, graphic memoir, and comics journalism
• Theories and methodologies of analyzing historical representations in comics
We are happy to cooperate with the Bavarian American Academy and the German Society for Comics Studies (ComFor). Confirmed keynote speaker: Prof. Dr. Hillary L. Chute (Northeastern University, United States)
As of the current planning stage, the conference will be held in person at the Amerikahaus Munich. The availability of travel reimbursements for active participants remains pending, subject to a grant application for additional funding currently underway.
We invite proposals for individual research papers (20 min.) as well as entire panels (3 papers). Moreover, we also welcome more open and innovative formats of presentation.
Submissions (preferably as one PDF document) should include:
• The title of your paper (and panel, if applicable)
• Your name and affiliation
• Summary of content (max. 300 words, excl. references)
• Short biography (max. 150 words)
Please send your proposal no later than September 30, 2022 to both organizers
Charlotte.Lerg@lmu.de and Johannes.Schmid@uni-flensburg.de
Feel free to contact us with any further questions.