Biff! Bam!! Crikey!!!
Comics as Art, Entertainment and Design
Fri 25th & Sat 26th May 2007
D'Arcy Thompson Lecture Theatre, Tower Building
University of Dundee
Free Entry
Comics stalls by Forbidden Planet;
Exhibitions of comic artwork;
Talks on comics by leading comics scholars and historians
All Welcome!
"Biff! Bam!! Crikey!!!: Comics as Design and Entertainment" represents an opportunity for Dundee to celebrate its long history at the forefront of comics production in Britain. Leading comics historians Paul Gravett and Roger Sabin will present talks on the origins and importance of comics in Britain, while other talks will explore the contribution of DC Thomson, the work of contemporary British comics writers and artists, and the interactions between comics and other media (film, computer games, etc). Other presentations will tackle political issues in comics, as well as the role of comics as design and entertainment.
These lively and entertaining talks, spread over two days, are open to all, young and old, and entry is free.
Dundee is the perfect venue for this conference as the comics of Dundee based publisher DC Thomson are known all over the world, and 2007 marks the 70th anniversary of The Dandy, widely recognised as the world's longest running comic. The conference is part of the Six Cities Design Festival, funded by the Scottish Executive.
Programme
FRIDAY 25th MAY, D'Arcy Thompson Lecture Theatre,
Tower Building, University of Dundee |
| 1.00pm | Registration, then 1.30pm Welcome: Chris Murray (University of Dundee) |
| Session 1: Gazooks! Defining Comics (Chair: Keith Williams) |
| 1.40pm | Matthew Jarron, Before the Beano: The Prehistory of Dundee Comics |
| 2.00pm | Anna Zanfei, Defining web-comics and Graphic novels |
| 2.20pm | Questions, then 2.30pm BREAK |
| Session 2: Bam! Creating Comics (Chair: Hamid Van Koten) |
| 3.00pm | John Chalmers and Sandra Marrs, Meeting with Metaphrog |
| 3.20pm | Lyall Bruce, Creating See New Worlds |
| 3.40pm | Questions, then 3.50pm BREAK/REFRESHMENTS |
| Public Lecture (Chair: Nicholas Davey) |
| 4.30pm | Paul Gravett, Whatever Happened to British Comics? |
| 5.30pm | Exhibition Launch, Tower Foyer and Lamb Gallery |
| 7.00pm | Conference Dinner |
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SATURDAY 26th MAY, D'Arcy Thompson Lecture Theatre,
Tower Building, University of Dundee |
| 9.00am | Registration, then 9.25am Welcome, Chris Murray (University of Dundee) |
| Keynote Address (Chair: Chris Murray) |
| 9.30am | Roger Sabin, The Problem with "Firsts": Perspectives on the Origin of Comics in Britain |
| 10.10am | Questions, then 10.30am BREAK |
| Session 3: Wizard! Morrison and Moore (Chair: Andy Wood) |
| 10.50am | Shaun Manning, Language and Fiction in the Creation of Reality in The Invisibles |
| 11.10am | Chris Murray, Invisibles Symmetries: Grant Morrison and the Media |
| 11.30am | Julia Round, London's Calling: Alternate Worlds and the City as Superhero |
| 11.50pm | Questions, then 12.00pm LUNCH |
| Session 4: Zoinks! Comics and Politics (Chair: Laurence Grove) |
| 1.00pm | Peter Hughes Jachimiak, Boys' Comics, Club Membership, and Ways of Being Male |
| 1.20pm | Louise Weston-Condon, "You Headed For Hicksville?" Low art in a small Provence |
| 1.40pm | Nicole Devarenne, Comics and Literature against Nationalism |
| 2.00pm | Questions, then 2.15pm BREAK |
| Session 5: Smash! Style and Genre (Chair: Tim Morris) |
| 2.35pm | Brian Hoyle, Legitimising the Comic to Film Adaptation |
| 2.55pm | Gary Smith, Essential or Outdated? The Secret Identity in Superhero Comics |
| 3.15pm | Questions, then 3.30pm BREAK |
| Session 6: Zap! Computer Games and Comics as Design (Chair: Gordon Spark) |
| 4.00pm | Kevin Corstorphine, Comic Book Aesthetics in Contemporary Video Games |
| 4.20pm | Brian Baglow, "But it's not ART...": Comics and the Computer Games Industry |
| 4.40pm | Questions, then 5.00pm Closing remarks |
| 5.30pm | Drinks at DCA, reading by Alan Bissett from his novel The Incredible Adam Spark |
| 7.00pm | Dinner, DCA |
To book your place, please print and complete the Registration Form [PDF] and return by 15th May 2007.
If you are looking for somewhere to stay while in Dundee, please see our page on Accommodation [PDF].
For further information regarding the conference contact:
Dr Chris Murray
English
162 Nethergate
University of Dundee
DD1 4HN
Scotland, UK
e-mail: C.Murray@dundee.ac.uk
A poster about the Conference [PDF] is also available for printing.
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