Call for Papers

Framing New York City in Comics

Arts media including film, literature, music, painting, and photography widely suggest that a place might be constructed and perceived as a character with its own identity. How does place become a character in comics and how does this process uniquely manifest in the comics imaginary? In what ways might comics featuring New York City represent the range of this unique manifestation? To what extent does navigating identities of place in comics depend on conventions of framing such as architecture, closure, encapsulation, layout, and/or incrimination? Panelists will examine these questions at the 2018 Modern Language Association's annual convention in New York City. Papers may emphasize the framing of NYC in comics from perspectives including though not limited to specific works or series by comics creators, boroughs and neighborhoods, government and governance, ethnicity, religion, age, and LGBTQ+.

Submit abstracts of 150-200 words and brief bio by 13 February 2017 to Robin Hammerman (rhammerm@stevens.edu), Stevens Institute of Technology.