CALL FOR PAPERS
MELUS Panel at the American Literature Association Conference
May 25-28, 2006 - San Francisco, CA
Topic: Multi-Ethnic American Graphic Narrative

We invite paper abstracts concerning the theoretical, literary, and
historical sweep of graphic narrative and its links to multi-ethnic
discourse for a MELUS panel to be held at the 17th annual American
Literature Association Conference in San Francisco, CA, May 25-28. Possible
topics could include, but are certainly not limited to:

. The evolution of ethnic representation in comics since the 1980s
(presented through the work of such artists as Gilbert and Jamie Hernandez,
Adrian Tomine, Art Spiegelman, Ben Katchor, Kyle Baker, Ho Che Anderson,
Howard Cruise, and R. Kikuo Johnson)
. The coinage of "graphic novel" (by Will Eisner) as a literary form and its
links to multi-ethnic expression
. The growth of graphic novels as a vehicle of American ethnic expression in
the wake of Art Spiegleman's groundbreaking Maus
. The ways in which recent films have adapted comic-inspired figures to
explore the ethnic other
. The impact of Japanese Magna on American comics and culture
. Problems of ethnoracial representation in the underground comix of the
1960s
. The uses of classic superheroes, historic and contemporary, as images of
the ethnic outsider
. Comic journalism, such as that found in the work of Joe Sacco, as a medium
to explore ethnoracial conflicts
. Tropes of the monster, mutant, or zombie as a figuration of "the alien"
. Graphic narratives of the U.S. border, both in south (e.g., the work of
Los Bros Hernandez) and in the Canadian north (e.g, the comic art of Seth,
Julie Douchet, Ho Che Anderson, and Chester Brown)
. The cross-fertilization of comics and more traditional fictional narrative
(such as that surrounding Michael Chabon's character, The Escapist)

All abstracts should be approximately 250 words. We ask that submissions
detail requests for specific audiovisual equipment. Please send all paper
abstracts (email preferred) to
Derek P. Royal
Department of Literature and Languages
Texas A&M University-Commerce
Commerce, Texas 75429-3011
E-mail: Derek_Royal_at_tamu-commerce.edu / Fax: 903-886-5980

Deadline for submissions is 10 January 2006.

Only members of The Society for the Study of the Multi-Ethnic Literature of
the United States may publish articles in MELUS

For more information on MELUS and its journal, please visit the MELUS web
site at http://www.melus.org

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Received on Mon Dec 05 2005 - 13:15:02 EST