Proposals by April 30th 2012, essays submitted by August 2012.
Seven essays each 1,000 words, illustrated by images/screen captures, on an aspect of Audrey Hepburn as a cultural/screen phenomenon. The essays will be part of the Audrey Hepburn book in Intellect’s new series Fan Phenomena.
The Fox television series Glee is nothing short of a phenomenon—hit show, sell-out concerts, extensive merchandising, chart-topping hits (eighth in digital sales), and a very passionate fandom. Glee is also simultaneously celebrated and disparaged for its tackling of timely cultural topics, such as bullying, coming out as gay or lesbian, and teen pregnancy. Much of this blurring of praise and derision centers on the program’s representations of gender and sexuality issues, like those previously mentioned.
This collection aims to illustrate how multiple fields of study inform, shape, challenge, and/or complicate gender and sexuality representations on Glee.
The varying types of diversity represented by the characters featured on Glee, as well as the ensemble cast portraying them, provides the opportunity to examine representations of gender and sexuality from multiple perspectives.
Possible disciplinary approaches include but are not limited to:
• Pedagogy
• Teacher education
• Music/music education
• LGBT/queer studies
• Feminist studies
• Fan studies
• Race/ethnicity
• New media fandoms
• Theater studies
• Disability studies
Submissions should include a proposed title, an abstract of no more than 500 words, and a short author biography. Please email the above to Michelle Parke at mparke@carrollcc.edu by May 15, 2012. Complete chapters manuscripts of 3,000-5,000 words will be due by August 15, 2012.
An interdisciplinary conference celebrating 50 years of adventures in time and space
Deadline for submission of abstracts: 1 September 2012
Conference dates: 3-5 September 2013
Venue: University of Hertfordshire
Keynote speakers will include:
James Chapman (author of Inside the Tardis: The Worlds of Doctor Who)
David Butler (editor of Time and Relative Dissertations in Space: Critical Perspectives on Doctor Who)
Matt Hills (author of Triumph of a Time Lord: Regenerating Doctor Who in the 21st Century)
David Lavery (editor of The Essential Cult Television Reader)
Lorna Jowett (author of Sex and the Slayer: A Gender Studies Primer for the Buffy Fan)
‘I’m a Time Lord. I’m not a human being. I walk in eternity.’
Since it first aired in the shadow of the assassination of John F. Kennedy on Saturday 23 November 1963, Doctor Who has become one of the most distinctive, powerful, varied, persistent and singular myths of the modern era. This quintessentially British television programme has developed a life far beyond the ‘one page of notes’ that was shown to its first producer, Verity Lambert, by BBC Head of Serials Donald Wilson and Head of Drama Sydney Newman. Originally screened by the BBC from 1963 to 1989, Doctor Who was originally a cult favourite, notable for its low-budget special effects and its pioneering use of music. In 2005 the series received a face-lift from executive producer, Russell T. Davies, and enjoyed a global resurgence winning the BAFTA Award for Best Drama Series in 2006 and five consecutive wins at the National Television Awards (2005-10) in the Drama category. In 2011 Matt Smith was nominated for a BAFTA for his portrayal of the latest incarnation of the Doctor. In short, Doctor Who, is a national and global phenomenon.
This conference will look at the Doctor Who phenomenon as it celebrates its 50th anniversary, bringing together figures who have worked on the show as well as journalists, writers and academics from a wide range of disciplines.
Proposals for 20 minute papers are now invited.
Papers will be considered on any Who-related themes. Abstracts of 300 words should be submitted by 1 September 2012 to
Steven Peacock: S.Peacock@herts.ac.uk
Kim Akass: K.Akass@herts.ac.uk
CFP: The Adventures of Tintin (essay collection)
Abstracts are now being accepted for possible inclusion in an anthology on “The Adventures of Tintin.” Proposed essay topics should creatively engage with the critical, philosophical, and social issues explored in the Tintin universe. Possible topics include, but are not limited to:
• Tintin and Hergé
• Tintin and comic book history
• Tintin and detective fiction
• Tintin and the adventure story
• Tintin in translation
• Censorship of Tintin
• Tintin’s spinoffs
• Tintin in adaptations
• Tintin in films
• Tintin clubs
• Tintin and geography
• Tintin and travel
• Travel and colonialism
• Treatment of race in Tintin
• Snowy as sidekick
• Animal welfare
• EcoTintin
• Tintin and gender
• Tintin and masculinity; homosocial relations
• Tintin in criticism
Submission Guidelines:
1. Submission deadline for abstracts (100-500 words) and a short biography(100-250 words): 30 April, 2012
2. Submission deadline for first drafts of accepted papers: 15 September 2012. 3. Submission deadline for final papers: 1 December 2012
Kindly submit abstracts (as Word Document attachment) to BOTH Tyler Shores (tyler.shores@gmail.com) and Tom Ue (ue_tom@hotmail.com).
Symposium: 5th September 2012.
This one-day Symposium on Japanese popular media investigates the significance of contemporary Japanese media to the wider industries and cultures that they serve. Although access to Japanese media cultures has never been better for those living outside Japan, there remains a dearth of analytical engagement with how the Japanese media industries function, and only patchy coverage exists of the media texts produced within Japan. Therefore, this Symposium seeks to unpack some of the complexities within the Japanese media landscape, by considering how differing media industries work in collaboration as well as in competition with one another. In doings so, the aim is to bring together speakers utilising a wide range of approaches and specialist knowledge to discuss the interconnectivity of Japan’s media industries, visible in phenomena such as cross-media adaptations, franchising practices, remakes of texts and international distribution. We also aim to complicate the notion of Japanese media industries as “national” by investigating the regional, transnational and global reach of their texts.
We seek papers examining how Japanese media, including (but not limited to) manga, anime, video games, television, magazine publishing and film operate within and beyond Japanese borders. The aim is to bring together experts able to discuss how Japanese media products get made, and why, who gets to see them (legally or otherwise) and what it is that academic explorations of Japan’s media might be able to offer the industries and cultures they study.
Topics might include (but are in no way limited to):
• Japanese media franchising
• National, regional, transnational and/or global distribution of Japanese media
• Japanese media industries
• Cross-media adaptation
• Transmedia storytelling
• Media production techniques and systems
• Cross-media genres
• New media texts
• Ancillary industries (e.g. Japanese special effects houses, animation outsourcing, voice acting, stars and their agents)
• Translation of media from Japanese to other languages
• Invisible media (e.g. texts or genres popular in Japan, but not often exported or studied)
• Popular cross-media franchises (e.g. Naruto, Bleach, One Piece, Atom Boy, Bayside Shakedown)
• Reception of Japanese media texts
• Audiences, fans and subcultures
Symposium to be held in Norwich, in conjunction with the University of East Anglia, the British Association of Japanese Studies and the Arts and Humanities Research Council
Papers proposals of no more than 300 words should be sent to mangamoviessymposium@gmail.com by, Monday 30th April 2012. If you would like more information, please contact r.denison@uea.ac.uk.
The editors of the forthcoming book “Fan Phenomena – Twin Peaks” (Intellect Press) are seeking contributions centered around the iconic cultural influence of David Lynch’s series “Twin Peaks”. Topics suggested by the publisher include: Fashion, Fan Media, Language, Economics, Virtual, Influence, Philosophies, Character/Characterization. The book will be composed of ten essays, 3,000-3,500 words each.
We are particularly interested in contributions that address the following topics:
Language – linguistic analysis of the show (general or specific i.e. specialized topics such as language in the use of diaries, dictation, etc.).
Fashion – a fashion history or textiles approach to analyzing the unique blend of 1950s-era fashion within the setting of the 1980s (general or focused on particular characters, i.e. Audrey Horn).
Characters – analysis of two “twin peaks”, Dale Cooper & Laura Palmer (duality), or character acting in “Twin Peaks”, women and gender in “Twin Peaks”, etc.
For editorial guidelines and more information, please e-mail the book’s co-editors: marisaATvideodansebourgogne.com & franckATvideodansebourgogne.com
To propose an essay, please send both editors a 200-300 word proposal and a CV, including a description of your previous written publications and areas of research, no later than March 18, 2012.
If selected for publication, the complete essay will need to be submitted by June 1, 2012.
(please note that the abstract deadline, 2nd April, is in less than three weeks)
Media Across Borders: The 1st International Conference on the Localisation of Film, Television and Video Games
Saturday 9th June, 2012 at the University of Roehampton, London
Launch event of the Media Across Borders network, funded by the Arts & Humanities Research Council (AHRC) as part of the Translating Cultures programme.
Confirmed speakers include amongst others, Kevin Robins, Jeanette Steemers, Lucy Mazdon, Laurence Raw, Jean Chalaby, Lothar Mikos and Pia Jensen.
The network aims to interrogate the myriad ways in which media content is translated and adapted across cultural borders. What happened, for example, when the UK TV series The Office was reworked for French audiences as Le Bureau? Or when Vishal Bhardwaj adapted Othello in the Bollywood musical Omkara? Or when the Tomb Raider video game had to be altered for the Japanese market? The practice of adapting media content across borders is spreading. Opportunities offered by digital technologies have accelerated creative borrowing, the franchising of media content has become firmly established.
The conference brings together academic scholars and industry professionals working in the field. It will address processes of media localisation and contemplate the broader significance of cultural translation within the creative industries. It will feature academic papers and roundtable discussions, and offer sufficient time for networking and discussions of future collaborations.
All proposals relevant to the theme will be considered, but particularly welcome are those engaging with:
– Cross-cultural remakes and adaptations
– TV Formats
– Video game localisation
– Media content franchising
– Transmedia storytelling
– Localisation through para-texts
– Fan appropriation across borders
– Cultural translation
– The universal and the particular
Abstracts of 300 words along with a short biographical note should be submitted by April 2 to mab@roehampton.ac.uk. Selected papers and case studies will be published in an edited collection.
For administrative queries please contact the network coordinator, Irene Artegiani, via the above email. For queries with regards to content please contact one of the conference organisers:
Miguel Bernal-Merino (Video Games), M.Bernal@roehampton.ac.uk, Tel. +44 20 8392 3799
Dr. Andrea Esser (TV Formats), a.esser@roehampton.ac.uk, Tel. +44 20 8392 3357
Dr. Iain Smith (Film), Iain.Smith@roehampton.ac.uk, Tel. +44 20 8392 3095
Intellect is currently seeking contributors for the Marilyn Monroe volume of Fan Phenomena. Fan Phenomena is a new book series prompted by a growing appetite for books that tap into the fascination we have with what constitutes an iconic or cultish phenomenon and how a particular person, TV show or film character/film infiltrates into the public consciousness. This series aims to ‘decode’ cult subjects in terms of the appeal and far reaching connections each of them have in becoming part of popular culture.
Papers are invited that discuss any aspect of Marilyn Monroe and Fandom. Abstracts of 300 words and a brief CV (maximum 1 page) ought to be emailed to me (see email addresses below) by April 1, 2012. Final chapters will be 3,000-3,500 words with a projected July 2012 deadline.
If you have questions or need more information about this project, please don’t hesitate to contact me.
Regards,
Marcelline
mblock@princeton.edu
marcelline@post.harvard.edu
On the eve of Christopher Nolan’s trilogy-closer The Dark Knight Rises, Intellect is seeking contributors for Fan Phenomena: Batman. This new series, Fan Phenomena, is prompted by a growing appetite for books that tap into the fascination we have with what constitutes an iconic or cultish phenomenon and how a particular person, TV show or film character/film infiltrates their way into the public consciousness. The series will look at particular examples of ‘fan culture’ and approach the subject in an accessible manner aimed at both fans and those interested in the cultural and social aspects of these fascinating – and often unusual – ‘universes’.
Papers are invited that discuss any aspect of Batman and Fandom, including, but not limited to, the following:
FAN MEDIA
From widely distributed fan films such as Batman: Dead End to slash fiction that imagines Batman and Robin as more than just crime-fighting colleagues, fan responses to Batman frequently broaden the scope of the source material. Topics might include: fan art and fiction, fan films, mashups, machinima as well as issues surrounding authorship and copyright.
ADAPTATIONS and INFLUENCE
Although Batman may have his origin in comics, the Dark Knight has cast his shadow over a number of media and entertainments. Batman fans also migrate between media, often bringing their expectations and habits with them. Papers are invited which consider the interaction between Batman, adaptations and fans. Topics might include: Online fandom, Fan criticism of adaptations, viral marketing such as The Dark Knight, Comic-Conventions, Transmedia Storytelling and Convergence Culture.
FASHION
From Bat-Symbol emblazoned T-shirts to full on cosplay, Batman’s ionic status has inspired many fashion choices. Papers are invited which consider this relationship. Topics might include: Merchandise, Escapism, Fashion Trends and Cultural Impact of Style.
REPRESENTATIONS OF FANS
Papers are invited which discuss representations of “fans” in Batman texts such as the “Beware the Gray Ghost” episode of Batman: The Animated Series in which Bruce Wayne meets his childhood icon, or The Dark Knight in which Batman inspires like-minded vigilantes.
ECONOMICS AND POPULARITY
Despite occasional dips in popularity, Batman has been an important force in popular culture for over seventy years. Papers are invited which consider the role fans have played in sustaining the hero’s recognition.
Please submit abstracts of no more than 300 words, an academic bio and contact details (either in the body of a mail or as a single attachment) to Liam Burke atliam.burke@nuigalway.ie by 12 March 2012. Final papers will be 3,000 – 3,500 words and will be need to be submitted no later than 31 May 2012.
The Fan Studies Network 