Consistent with the goals of "WeTell spin-Off: Permanent Seminar on Comics," the "Talking Comics" series is intended to be an opportunity to reflect on the comics medium through a transdisciplinary approach (semiotics, visual studies, cultural, historical, narratological, pedagogical, sociological and artistic studies) to explore new horizons and to experience the potential that the medium has not only to narrate, but also to promote change in our societies.
09.00-11.00 “Picturing Race and Social Justice in U.S Comics” Prof. Qiana Whitted (University of South Carolina)
This presentation explores comics by and about African Americans from the 1940s to 1970s, with an emphasis on the Civil Rights Movement era. Professor Whitted will also discuss the visual and aesthetic challenges that come with representing race and difference, and consider the strategies that creators use to confront stereotypes in order to portray a wider range of Black experiences
14.00-15.00 “The Forgotten World of French Indochina War Comics: A New History” Prof. Hugo Frey (University of Chichester)
15.00-17.00 “Huh? Why So Many Games in Graphic illness Narratives?” Prof. Nancy Pedri (Memorial University of Newfoundland and Labrador)
FEATURING: JAN BAETENS (University of Leuven)
Comics do not only tell stories, they also explore the field of poetry, a practice that is often considered nonnarrative or antinarrative. There exist many answers to the question: What do we mean when we say poetry comics or comics poetry? In this lecture, I will discuss the most important contributions to the debate and present some examples that illustrate an open, non-binary approach of the issue.
