2019 Program

12th Annual
Comics and Popular Arts Conference

Friday

Understanding Manga across Languages

Time: Fri 10:00 am Location: Galleria 1 – Hilton 

This presentation aims to discuss the connection between the representation of images and language in the Brazilian translation of Knights of the Zodiac, and the ways that this relationship produces unique meanings in readers’ experiences of the text.

  • Presenter: Rafael Schaubb
  • Moderator: Johnathan Flowers (Worcester State University) 

Animation Studies: Visual Coding & Glitch Theory

Time: Fri 11:30 am Location: Galleria 4 – Hilton 

Scholars discuss topics in animated films including what Glitch Theory tells us about Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse and the use of visual codes for villains in Disney princess films. These theoretical lenses help us better understand both the narratives and the visual metaphors and references within these works.

  • Presenters: Nicholas Miller (Valdosta State University), Melanie Waddell
  • Moderator: Daniel Amrhein 

Critical Studies in RPGs: Narrative Power & Playability

Time: Fri 02:30 pm Location: Augusta 3 – Westin

Scholars will explore the inherent tension between “playability” and “realism” and the power dynamics between players and game masters in tabletop RPGs.

  • Presenters: Kathryn Burt (North Carolina State University) & Jon Garthoff (University of Tennessee)
  • Moderator: Matthew J. Brown (UT Dallas)

Look for What’s Not There: Hidden Biases in SF Media

Time: Fri 02:30 pm Location: M301-M301 – Marriott 

Scholars explore the way that SFF genre television and film can help us understand cultural bias, from the erasure of elements of gendered and sexual experience from such narratives, to implicit biases that are never directly articulated. 

  • Presenters: Erin Gordon (University of Florida), John Baldari (Stratford University)
  • Moderator: Jillian Marie Browning (University of Florida)

Challenging Gender & Disability Representation in Star Trek

Time: Fri 04:00 pm Location: Galleria 2-3 – Hilton 

From the start, Star Trek has challenged hegemonic notions about humanity. Two scholars explore the representations of disability and gender in the Star Trek franchise, focusing on the way depictions of disability and of Vulcan masculinity reproduce and challenge mainstream tropes. 

  • Presenters: Johnathan Flowers (Worcester State University) 
  • Moderator: Damien Williams (Virginia Tech)

Representation in Comics 

Time: Fri 05:30 pm Location: 204I – Mart2

Comics Scholars analyze the representation of race, gender, and disability status in comics, from black female hair representation across comics to Afrofuturism in Wakanda, as well as representations of (dis)ability in Professor X, Daredevil, and Echo. 

  • Presenters: Christiana Ares-Christian (Southern New Hampshire University), Courtney Bliss (Bowling Green State University), Jillian Browning (University of Florida)
  • Guest Creator: Erica Henderson (Unbeatable Squirrel Girl)
  • Moderator: Matthew J. Brown (UT Dallas)

Conference Dinner

Time: Fri 07:00pm 

For Participants Only

Saturday

Vigilantism and Immigration: Law and Advocacy in Comics

Time: Sat 11:30 am Location: 204I – Mart2

Comics Scholars explore the legal and political issues that can deepen our understanding of comics narratives. What do superhero comics get right about due process and immigration law, and what do they get wrong? How do comics explore attitudes and advocacy towards immigration issues? Ms Marvel, Buffy, and Vaughan’s and Martin’s Barrier are among the comics analyzed. 

  • Presenters: Tiernan Cole; Margaret Robbins (Mount Vernon Presbyterian School)
  • Moderator: Kari Neely (Middle Tennessee State University)

Free as in Speech: The Limits of Politics, Privacy, and Propaganda

Time: Sat 01:00 pm Location: 208-209 – Hilton 

This panel will examine contested and politicized definitions of free speech and privacy in specific online contexts, investigating the overlap between conservative and progressive definitions of free speech and analyzing the methodology and rationale behind the doxxing work of Atlanta Antifascists.

  • Presenters: Rebecca Hill (Kennesaw State University); Pete Rorabaugh (Kennesaw State University)
  • Moderator: Matthew J. Brown (UT Dallas)

Roundtable: Appropriating Global Media for American Audiences

Time: Sat 04:00 pm Location: M301-M301 – Marriott 

Streaming services, especially Netflix, have increasingly been acquiring foreign genre film and television from around the world and bringing them to Anglophone, especially American, audiences. What gets lost in translation, and how might audiences resist embracing this move? Three scholars explore the possibilities and critically analyze the problems. 

  • Discussants: Johnathan Flowers (Worcester State University), Kari Neely (Middle Tennessee State University), Richard Nokes (Troy University)

Teaching and Learning Ethical Thinking through Tabletop RPGs

Time: Sat 05:30 pm Location: Augusta 3 – Westin 

An interactive workshop and group RPG exploring the educational value of RPGs and how they can be used to teach philosophical pedagogy.

  • Presenters: Ryan Windeknecht (The University of Tennessee, Knoxville)
  • Moderator: Matthew J. Brown (UT Dallas)

Culture, Language and its use in Netflix’s Daredevil

Time: Sat 05:30 pm Location: M301-M301 – Marriott 

Dr. Kari Neely explores the way that languages and non-English speakers are represented in Daredevil, and how decisions about to translate or subtitle (or not) impact storytelling. 

  • Presenters: Kari Neely (Middle Tennessee State University)
  • Moderator: Johnathan Flowers (Worcester State University)

CPAC Scholars Forum Meeting

Time: Sat 07:00 pm Location: Private event, announced by email

Forum topic: “Current and Future Approaches to and in Comics and Pop-Culture Studies.” We will also have an open discussion of CPAC procedures and future plans. 

  • Presenter and Discussion Leader: Johnathan Flowers (Worcester State University)

Sunday

Social Issues in Anime and Manga

Time: Sun 10:00 am Location: Galleria 1 – Hilton 

Scholars will explore concepts of gender in Magical Girl anime through series that act as deconstructions of the genre, as well as representations of the possibilities of an optimistic post-cyberpunk utopia through Sword Art Online.

  • Presenters: Jasper Ferehawk, Lindamarie Tonn
  • Moderator: John Flowers (Worcester State University)

Roundtable: Critical Studies of Diversity and Representation in SF

Time: Sun 11:30 am Location: Inman – Hyatt 

In this panel, pop culture scholars critically analyze the role of diversity and representation in science fiction and fantasy media, exploring racial and LGBTQ representation in the newly-identified “hopepunk” genre.

  • Discussants: Jillian Marie Browning (University of Florida); Vickie Navarra (Georgia State University); John Flowers (Worcester State University)
  • Moderator: Damien Williams (Virginia Tech)

Reacting to the Past: Using RPGs in The Classroom

Time: Sun 01:00 pm Location: Augusta 3 – Westin 

A group of academics will discuss the role playing pedagogy known as Reacting to the Past. The discussion will also cover the benefits and effects of teaching using RPGs and how to implement them in the classroom.

  • Presenters: Scout Blum (Troy University), Chase Hagood (University of Georgia), Montgomery Wolf (University of Georgia), Naomi Norman (University of Georgia), & David Carlson (Troy University)
  • Moderator: Richard Scott Nokes (Troy University)

Critical Studies in Video Gaming

Time: Sun 02:30 pm Location: Augusta A-B – Westin 

Scholars discuss the role that transactionism, meta-gaming, and meta/intertextual narratives have on video gaming, opening up spaces for more audience engagement while challenging the image of an isolated player. 

  • Andrew Kemp (Georgia State University), Savanna Teague (Middle Tennessee State University)
  • Moderator: John Flowers (Worcester State University)

The Comics Form

Time: Sun 05:30 pm Location: 204J – Mart2 

The medium of comics has unique formal properties, and the comics form has been a central focus of Comics Scholarship. The panelists will analyze the ways in which comics use visual and spatial techniques to communicate narratives and ideas, focusing on Deadly Class by Remender, Craig, and Loughridge and Unflattening by Sousanis. 

  • Presenters: Matthew J. Brown (UT Dallas)
  • Moderator: Damien Williams (Virginia Tech)

CPAC Coordinating Board Meeting

Time: Sun 07:00 pm Location: Board members only – see email

Roundtable: Sex and Sexuality in Comics

Time: Sun 10:00 pm Location: Kennesaw – Hyatt 

The Scholars in this panel analyze depictions of sex, sexuality, sex work, and sexual violence, exploring the way that comics both uphold and subvert mainstream attitudes. 

  • Discussants: Daniel Amrhein, Johnathan Flowers (Worcester State University), Matthew J. Brown (UT Dallas); Erin Gordon (University of Florida); Jillian Marie Browning (University of Florida)
  • Moderator: Richard Scott Nokes (Troy University) 

Monday

Parasocial Relationships in Actual Play Podcasts

Time: Mon 10:00 am Location: Galleria 6 – Hilton 

The popularity of titles such as Critical Role and The Adventure Zone are introducing the genre of actual play podcasting to wider audiences, but with celebrity comes other problems. Fans spend a large amount of time consuming the content and forming one-sided relationships with the cast members, sometimes leading to power imbalances with the unintentional or intentional exploitation of fans. This panel will offer a scholarly discussion from a sociological prospective on the intimate experience of table top rpg podcasts and the parasocial relationships that develop around them.

  •       Presenters: Camille Butera (Smith College)
  •       Moderator: Jillian Marie Browning (University of Florida)

Comics in the Classroom

Time: Mon 01:00 pm Location: 204J – Mart2

In visual art education, comics can and do play important roles in the classroom. This panel of Comics Scholars and teachers explores both best practices and specific pedagogical examples.

  • Presenters: Rachel Branham (Marblehead High School)
  • Guest Creator: Andy Runton (Owly)
  • Moderator: Matthew J. Brown (UT Dallas)

Historical Contexts and Comic Book Heroes

Time: Mon 02:30 pm Location: 204J – Mart2 

Comics Historians explore the historical influences on and contexts for the creation of heroic comic books, from the influence of circus performers on “Golden Age” superhero characters, the influence of Dorothy Day on Batman character Dr. Leslie Thompkins, and the relationship between the US Military and the Marvel G.I. Joe comics. 

  • Presenters: Durf Humphries; Ed Salo (Arkansas State University)
  • Moderator: Matthew J. Brown (UT Dallas)

The Comics and Popular Arts Conference (CPAC) is an annual academic conference for the studies of comics and the popular arts, including science/speculative fiction and fantasy literature, film, and other media, comic books, manga, graphic novels, anime, gaming, etc. CPAC presentations are peer reviewed, based in scholarly research. Find out more at our website: 

http://comicspopularartsconference.org/

CPAC Coordinating Board:

Matthew J. Brown, University of Texas at Dallas – Coordinator

Richard Scott Nokes, Troy University 

Daniel Amrhein, Independent Scholar

Jillian Marie Browning, University of Florida

Johnathan Flowers, Worcester State University

Kari Neely, Middle Tennessee State University

Damien Williams, Virginia Tech

Vickie Willis Navarra, Independent Scholar

Program Committee

Keep an eye on our website and social media for our Call for Papers for CPAC 2020!

CPAC takes place at DragonCon each year thanks to the generosity of the DragonCon track heads and other organizers. CPAC is not affiliated with the DragonCon organization. CPAC is an all-volunteer group aimed at bringing peer-reviewed academic content to DragonCon. It is supported by the Center for Values in Medicine, Science, and Technology at the University of Texas at Dallas. We hope you enjoy our programming! Please ask us how to get involved.