CFP: Doctor Who: Fan Phenomena (Intellect)

May 22, 2012 by

Now accepting abstracts for consideration for the new Doctor Who (Fan Phenomena) title from Intellect Press. This will be part of the second series of Fan Phenomena books, which aim to explore and decode 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 Doctor Who (Fan Phenomena) title will look at particular examples of Doctor Who fan culture and approach the subject in an accessible manner aimed at both fans and those interested in the cultural and social aspects of Doctor Who and fan culture. The editor is particularly interested in exploring the changing characteristics of Doctor Who fandom, from scholars and fans alike, over the fifty-year history of the programme.

 

As such, we invite papers that address the nature of fandom, the unique attributes of Doctor Who fandom specifically, or the relationship between Doctor Who as a multi-generational text and its fans. Other topics could include (but are not limited to):

 

  • Fandom of specific Doctors
  • Changing norms of fandom
  • How one knows he/she is a fan
  • Aca-Fandom
  • The influence of other factors on Doctor Who fandom
  • Fandom of Doctor Who ancillary products, like the Big Finish audio or Virgin book titles
  • Specific fan practices (vidding, fanfic, cosplay, et al.)
  • Multi-generational fandom
  • Doctor Who conventions
  • Gender/Sexuality in Doctor Who fandom
  • New Who vs. Classic Who fandom
  • Fandom of Doctor Who DVD
  • Fan collecting
  • Learning through Doctor Who

 

This book is aimed at both fans and those interested in the cultural and social aspects of Doctor Who. The book is intended to be entertaining, informative, and generally jargon-free (or at least jargon-lite).

 

Abstracts should be 300 words long. Please also send a CV or resume with your abstract. Abstracts due 15 Aug 2012. Final chapters of 3000-3500 words will be due 01 Nov 2012. The final book will include ten chapters. Please direct all questions and submissions to Paul Booth, pbooth@depaul.edu.

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CFP: Comics, Religion & Politics

May 15, 2012 by

http://www.lancs.ac.uk/fass/ppr/event/3960/

Date: 4th & 5th September 2012 Time: 9.00-18:00 pm

Venue: The Storey Institute, Meeting House Lane, Lancaster, LA1 1TH,

Alongside the continued popularity of political themes in comics recent years have also seen the rise of religious themes entering into the medium. The aim of this conference is to explore the relationship between comics, religion and politics in greater depth, to show how through the unique properties of the medium comics have the ability to be as thought-provoking as they are entertaining. The conference will examine the history and impact of religious and political themes, their relationship to audiences, and consider the future of such themes in all forms of sequential art narrative.

We invite papers that address religious and/or political themes in comic strips, comic books, graphic novels, or manga. Papers working at the interface of these two areas are particularly encouraged. Topics may include, but are not limited to:

  • Comics as social, religious, political text
  • Use of religious imagery and themes
  • Fan culture
  • Political cartoons and cartoonists
  • Gothic comics
  • Comics and magic
  • Representation of politics, religion, spirituality
  • Religious or political rhetoric of comics and their authors
  • Myths, legends, fables
  • Depiction of religious figures or politicians as comic characters
  • Comics and science fiction
  • Comics and propaganda
  • Comics and conspiracy theories
  • Representation of apocalypse, utopia, dystopia
  • Representation of war
  • Superheroes and religious, political identity
  • Theoretical approaches to the study of religion, politics in comics

Contributions are sought from researchers at any stage of their careers. Abstracts (300 words) for papers 20 minutes in length should be sent with a short biography to Emily Laycock (Department of Politics, Philosophy & Religion) at e.laycock@lancaster.ac.uk

Deadline for abstracts: 31st May 2012

Venue: The conference will be held at The Storey Institute.

Storey Creative Industries Centre, Meeting House Lane,Lancaster, LA1 1TH,

UK

http://www.thestorey.co.uk/

Details of registration: TBA

Keynote speakers:

Dr Will Brooker, Reader and Director of Research, Film and TV, Kingston University

Mike Carey, English writer (comics, novels, film scripts, and TV shows)

Dr Lincoln Geraghty, Reader in Popular Media Cultures, University of Portsmouth

Contact: e.laycock@lancaster.ac.uk

Who can attend: Anyone

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Call for Chapters: On the Highway to Hell and Back: Critical Essays on the Television Series Supernatural

May 9, 2012 by

Supernatural, now in its seventh season, has gained a cult status and has spawned comic books, novels, fan fiction, and an assortment of companion books. Like other cult TV shows before it, such as The X-files, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and Angel, part of the series’ success lies in the way it combines plot and character with serious investigations of folklore, myth, religion, psychology, and family dynamics. Supernatural’s story arcs have dealt with, and commented on, issues as diverse as fan culture, sexual orientation, father/son conflict, the changing nature of the U.S. family, and the Apocalypse. This collection of critical essays will be thematic in nature, focusing on the social, psychological, philosophical, religious and mythic themes of the series. Specifically it will examine how the series addresses horror in a postmodern context through character and story as well as the recurring use of symbols and plot devices such as the music, cars, the crossroads, biblical texts and religious icons.

Possible topics include but are not limited to the following:

• Representations of mythic and folkloric themes: fairy tales, non-Western folklore, urban myth/legend, shape shifters
• Representations of religious themes: God/gods, angels, demons, Satan, Book of Revelations, Western and non-Western religious themes etc
• Monsters and the monstrous in Supernatural
• Gender and sexuality
• Representations of mortality: personifications of Death, reapers, ghosts
• Family: fathers/sons, mothers, family/domesticity as safety, family as danger/curse hunting as “family business.”
• Post-modernist themes: self-referential humor, the writer as God, representations of fans and fanfiction in the series
• Literary themes: Dracula, Biblical stories, vengeful spirits, the woman in white
• Music in Supernatural: original soundtrack and Dean’s “car tunes”

Please contact Susan A. George (sageorge13@yahoo.com) and Regina Hansen (rhansen@bu.edu) with questions or brief description (no more that 25 words) of your topic and a current CV before submitting an abstract. One-page Abstracts Due June 20th, 2012. First complete draft (15-20 pages plus works cited) due by September 20th, 2012.

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CFP: The Fan Studies Network: New Connections, New Research

May 4, 2012 by

Formed in March 2012, the Fan Studies Network was created with the idea of cultivating a space in which scholars of fandom could easily forge connections with other academics in the field, and discuss the latest topics within fan studies. Having attracted close to 200 members, the network is already fostering a sense of community and engendering fruitful debate. We intend to capture this dynamic intersection of scholars working in the field, and present it in a special issue of Participations: Journal of Audience & Reception Studies.

Read the rest of this entry »

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May 3, 2012 by

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FanCulture: The Evolution of Influence

May 1, 2012 by

The full version of Bexy Cameron’s short film FanCulture: The Evolution of Influence is now available to view online for free on the Amplify website. Follow this link to view the film.

Synopsis:

A short film exploring the role fans could, and should, play in brands and marketing. Featuring expert opinion and insight from academics, marketeers and the fans themselves, this documentary looks at how a brand can identify their fans and, more importantly, harness their passion.

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Report: La Culture du Fan Symposium, Paris-Sorbonne University

April 30, 2012 by

NB: As the morning session was conducted in French – and my own grasp of the language is poor, at best – this report will cover just the English afternoon session. However, those of you more cultured than I may find the Storify live tweet report of the event useful, as the #CultFan hashtag was used throughout the day. A special mention must also go to Sebastien Francois, who provided English commentary on the French content. ‏

Organised in association with the Maison des Sciences and held at Paris-Sorbonne University on 27th April 2012, the Culture du Fan Symposium brought together European scholars of fandom in a bilingual event that featured papers both focused on specific case studies, and asking larger questions about the state of the field. Read the rest of this entry »

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CFP: Shapeshifters, Cyborgs, and Psychedelics: Analyzing the Alternate Worlds of J. J. Abrams’ Fringe

April 26, 2012 by

Coeditors Sherry Ginn, Tanya R. Cochran, and Paul Zinder invite proposals or completed essays for an edited collection of scholarly works that explore J.J. Abrams’ science fiction television series Fringe (2008-present). We are interested in a variety of topics as well as diverse disciplinary approaches. Proposals should demonstrate not only a clear methodology and strong thesis but also a familiarity with current conversations and publications about the series. We would be especially pleased to see innovative perspectives on unusual topics such as the show’s paratexts or production elements. Though not prescriptive, the following list of topics may be productive to consider:

*Alternate Worlds *Auteur Theory—J.J. Abrams, creator *Broadcasting/Scheduling *Casting *Characters/Character Development *(Dis)Ability—representations of mental illness, psychotherapeutic techniques, (de)institutionalization *Drug Use—recreational use as well as therapeutic use of recreational drugs *Discourse Analysis *Fandom *Gender *Genre *Government Intervention/Conspiracy Theories *History—LSD trials, emergence of transpersonal psychology/Consciousness Studies *Intertextuality *Interpersonal Communication *Myth(ologies) *(Neuro)Science and Technology—ethics (e.g., human experimentations) *Philosophy/Spirituality/Religion *Paratexts—web content, fan fiction, glyphs *Production—cinematography, editing, musical score *Predecessors—The X-Files, Regenesis, Eleventh Hour, etc. *Psychology *Race *Rhetoric

We strongly recommend authors familiarize themselves with these publications to extend and/or challenge published analyses of the series:

*Grazier, Kevin R., ed. Fringe Science: Parallel Universes, White Tulips, and Mad Scientists. Dallas: Smart Pop, 2011. Print. *Stuart, Sarah Clarke. Into the Looking Glass: Exploring the Worlds of Fringe. Toronto: ECW, 2011. Print.

QUERIES AND SUBMISSIONS
Queries are welcomed; please email us at fringecollection@gmail.com Send 350-500-word proposals or 5,000-7,000-word essays in Microsoft Word or Rich Text Format (RTF) to the same email address; please label your attachment with “Fringe,” your last name, and the date (day.month.year)—e.g., “Fringe, Cochran, 1.3.12.” We suggest but do not require that proposals include a working bibliography. Please provide in a separate document or in the body of the email a brief biography and selected vita.

PRODUCTION TIMELINE
We are currently negotiating with a publisher and working on the following timeline:
*Proposals Due: 15 May 2012
*Notification of Acceptance: 15 June 2012
*First Drafts Due: 1 November 2012

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Hunting the Dark Knight: Twenty-first Century Batman

April 24, 2012 by

(Information from the I.B. Tauris website)

Publishing alongside the world premiere of Christopher Nolan’s third Batman film The Dark Knight Rises, Will Brooker’s new book explores Batman’s twenty-first century incarnations. Brooker’s close analysis of Batman Begins and The Dark Knight offers a rigorous, accessible account of the complex relationship between popular films, audiences, and producers in our age of media convergence. By exploring themes of authorship, adaptation and intertextuality, he addresses a myriad of questions raised by these films: did Batman Begins end when The Dark Knight began? Does its story include the Gotham Knight DVD, or the ‘Why So Serious’ viral marketing campaign? Is it separate from the parallel narratives of the Arkham Asylum videogame, the monthly comic books, the animated series and the graphic novels? Can the brightly campy incarnations of the Batman ever be fully repressed by The Dark Knight, or are they an intrinsic part of the character? Do all of these various manifestations feed into a single Batman metanarrative? This will be a vital text for film students and academics, as well as legions of Batman fans.

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CFP: The Hunger Games: Critical Examinations

April 8, 2012 by

We are seeking scholarly contributions and critical examinations focused on the young adult novel and cultural phenomenon The Hunger Games. This book intends to interrogate the features that make Hunger Games such an important cultural artifact. Despite the recent book of commentary written by popular YA novelists—The Girl Who Was On Fire— few scholars have paid critical attention to Collins and Hunger Games. We are looking for essays that will begin to fill the gap in the scholarly conversation about YA literature by investigating the social and rhetorical work achieved in and through The Hunger Games.

This particular collection of essays seeks to investigate issues of audience and the novel’s function within real world spaces and situations, as well as traditional readings of the trilogy as literature, specifically as a work of children’s or YA literature. Topics include (but are not necessarily limited to) media studies and fan culture, social realities and identity, and young adult literature as a genre.

We are also interested in a limited number of creative contributions from an undergraduate audience that explore grassroots reactions to Collins’s text.

For more information, please email wjones23@utk.edu.

To propose an essay, please send a 300-400 word proposal and an informal bio to the above email address no later than June 15, 2012.

Deidre Evans Garriott, Julie Tyler, Whitney Jones; University of Tennessee

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