International Conference Comic and Social Commitment
Valencia, November 18th-20th, 2015
The comic’s place in academic studies had been mostly disregarded and relegated due to its pop-culture nature as well as its association with an exclusively infantile or young audience. Nevertheless, from the 60s on, its function as a communicational medium has been gradually recognized and, thus, the comic has been renewed with important changes in its graphic style, in its signs and especially in its themes, genres and narrative. As an example, we can point to the dynamic debate generated by the concept of “graphic novel”.
This transformation has given way to a group of mature works that, with the primary function of entertaining, unite the reflection on concrete aspects and problems in society, while proposing a more critical reading directed at mature readers. Since these initial considerations, important works have emerged, such as Maus (Art Spiegelman), El eternauta (Oesterheld), Message to Adolf (Tezuka), Paracuellos (Giménez), From Hell (Campbell/Moore), The Cry of the People (Tardi), Streak of Chalk (Miguelanxo Prado), Valentina (Guido Crepax), No Pasarán (Vitorio Giardino), Persepolis (Marjanie Satrapi), Palestine (Joe Sacco), etc.
In this way, within the framework of public uses of the past, the comic has been constructed as a tool of collective memory, capable of transmitting the artist’s underlying concerns and permeating the work with a responsible gaze of one’s environment. As literature, painting or cinema have also done, the comic has shown its subversive vigor in posing questions and destabilizing topics, as well as other similar manifestations, such as graphic humor, the vignette, or more recently, internet memes, which have the advantage of reaching a much wider audience, making them an idoneous medium for reflecting on certain historical events, traumatic processes or social themes.
Therefore, from an clearly interdisciplinary perspective, at the Comic and Social Commitment Conference which will take place at the Faculty of Philology, Translation and Communication at the University of Valencia from 18-20 November 2015, we will mainly seek to discuss the comic’s capacity to represent social, political and cultural changes.
THEMATIC LINES
The following thematic lines are to be considered as general guidelines for participants:
- The comic in the construction of identity
- The comic and public uses of the past
- Memory and Testimony
- Vignettes of exile
- The Spanish Transition in drawing
- Genres and boundaries between drawings and written word
- Satire, freedom of expression and social impact
- Graphic and political humour
- The comic as a didactic tool
- Old age and sickness
DATE AND LOCATION OF EVENT
The conference will be held in the Faculty of Philology, Translation and Communication on the 18th, 19th and 20th of November 2015.
PRESENTATION OF PAPERS/POSTERS
The presentations should be unpublished. Each presenter will have 20 minutes for the exposition. The summaries should not exceed 300 words. Those interested can send their proposals to comicycompromisosocial@gmail.com.
Furthermore, we will be accepting the presentation of posters. In this case, we invite creators who wish to exhibit their work, relating it with the described thematic lines. Al of the accepted posters will be shown during the Conference.
The deadline for sending proposals –for presentations and posters- has been extended until 11 September 2015. Before 25 September the accepting proposals will be confirmed. In all cases, the Organizing Committee will certify the participation in the conference.
Registration fee for presenters: 50 €
Attendance will be free, except in the case of those who require the recognition of their participation in the following ways
Registration fee for students who wish to receive elective credit for attending (1 ECTS): 30 €
Registration fee for attendees who which to receive a certificate: 20 €
Cómic y Compromiso Social 