Renowned comic artists and graphic novelists will converge on Burlington later this month for the “Pulp Culture Comic Arts Festival and Symposium 2018” sponsored by the University of Vermont and the Vermont Folklife Center.
Scheduled for Friday through Saturday, October 26-27, this festival of comic arts features keynote presentations by acclaimed graphic novelist Jaime Hernandez (Love and Rockets) and comics studies scholar, Julian Chambliss, along with workshops, panel discussions and over 25 cartoonists from the United States and Canada including Stephen R. Bissette, Jon Chad, Glynnis Fawkes, Julia Gfrörer, James Kochalka, Rachel Lindsay, Eric Shanower, Rob Walton, Craig Yoe and many others displaying and selling their work.
“This year we’re excited to focus on the way comics and culture connect through folklore,” said Andy Kolovos, director of archives and research at the Vermont Folklife Center. “Fairy tales, monsters and mythology—and even the modern mythology of superheroes—have been central to comic books and strips since the beginning, and we’ve brought together an amazing group of cartoonists and scholars to explore these topics across the 20th and 21st centuries.”
Highlights include:
An Evening with Jaime Hernandez, October 26, 7 p.m., Benedict Auditorium (UVM Marsh Life Science Building, room 235). Jaime Hernandez gives an on-stage interview, discussing his ongoing work with Love and Rockets, his most recent project for Toon Books, The Dragon Slayer, his contributions to First Second's Fairy Tale Comics collection, and a range of other topics from cartooning to music to professional wrestling.
The Evolution of the Dream: Ta-Nehisi Coates’ Comic Imaginary, October 27 at 6 p.m., Fleming Auditorium (Room 101), Fleming Museum. Julian C. Chambliss, professor of English at Michigan State University, focuses his research on race, identity and power. He’ll discuss how comic book adventures offer avenues for Ta-Nehisis Coates, author of Between the World and Me and writer of the Black Panther series for Marvel Comics, to explore themes of power and community.
Panel Discussions. On October 27, the symposium features four panels that explore topics related to the "Folklore: Fairy Tales, Monsters and Mythology" theme. Bringing together cartoonists, writers and academics, each hour-long panel will foster a rich dialog between panelists and audience.
“Superheroes, Myth and Culture” (11 a.m.- noon in the Fleming Museum Auditorium, Room 101). Panelists Julian Chambliss, Jennifer Dickinson, Dan Peretti and Rob Walton explore the cultural and mythic implications of superheroes from the perspectives of literature, history, race, anthropology, folklore and religion.
“Brown Bag Panel—Pen to Print, Lo-fi, Hi-fi and Underground: Making Your Own Comics” (noon to 1 p.m. in the Fleming Museum Education Classroom). This discussion sponsored by the Vermont Comic Creators Group provides down and dirty advice about making comics.
“Adapting Fairy Tales” (1-2 p.m. in the Fleming Museum Auditorium, Room 101). Cartoonists Allison Bannister, Jaime Hernandez, Daryl Sietchik and Craig Yoe explore the history and breadth of fairy tale comics and discuss how they themselves adapt traditional narratives to the comics form.
“Classical Mythology” (2:30-3:30 p.m. in the Fleming Museum Auditorium, Room 101). Glynnis Fawkes, Guy Hedreen and Eric Shanower explore how ancient Greek and Roman myth functioned in the past, as well as what it means to engage with these ancient stories in comics today.
Exhibition Hall. Visit the Marble Court of the Fleming Museum on October 27 from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. and meet dozens of cartoonists from around the northeast region.
Folktales, Fairy Tales, Monsters, Myths and Legends: A Comics Workshop Friday, October 26, 2 p.m.-6 p.m. (UVM Special Collections, Marsh Room, Billings Library). Join artist and educator Marek Bennett for this hands-on comics creation lab. We'll look at basic techniques of cartooning, then try our hands at drawing original comics based on folk tales, fairy tales, myths and legends. The workshop is free; registration is required. Register on a first-come first served basis at the Vermont Folklife Center.
All events are free and open to the public. For more details visit www.vermontfolklifecenter.org/pulp-culture
The “Pulp Culture Comic Arts Festival and Symposium” is presented by the Fleming Museum, the University of Vermont and the Vermont Folklife Center. Sponsors include the UVM College of Arts and Sciences, Office of the President, Office of the Provost, UVM Humanities Center, and the Departments of English and Classics.