University of Oregon hosts Understanding Superheroes Conference October 23-24, 2009
Keynote speakers include Danny Fingeroth, Charles Hatfield and Henry Jenkins and other noted guest panelists
EUGENE, Ore. — (September 4, 2009) – In conjunction with the Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art’s fall exhibition “Faster than a Speeding Bullet: The Art of a Superhero,” the University of Oregon hosts “Understanding Superheroes,” a two-day conference on October 23-24, 2009.
“Understanding Superheroes” will offer different viewpoints and insight to the genre of the superhero for enthusiasts and newcomers alike. The conference is free to attend but advanced registration is required. Activities include discussion panels with guest speakers, lectures, and a book signing at Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art.
“Faster than a Speeding Bullet: The Art of a Superhero” exhibition curator Ben Saunders has put together a panel of experts, enthusiasts, and industry-insiders to include keynote speakers Danny Fingeroth, Charles Hatfield and Henry Jenkins.
Danny Fingeroth is an American comic book writer and editor, and ran Marvel Comics “Spider-Man” editorial line for years. He has published the books “Disguised as Clark Kent: Jews, Comics and the Creation of the Superhero,” and “Superman On The Couch: What Superheroes Really Tell Us About Ourselves and Our Society,” which is now in its third printing. Currently, Fingeroth publishes “Write Now!,” a magazine about the craft of writing, and also teaches comics and graphic novel writing at New York University’s School of Continuing and Professional Studies.
Charles Hatfield is a teacher at California State University, Northridge with the Department of English, and is also the author of the book “Alternative Comics: An Emerging Literature”, published in 2005.
Henry Jenkins, professor of communication, journalism and cinematice arts at the USC Annenberg School for Communications and the USC School for the Cinematic Arts, is the author and/or editor do nine books on media and popular culture including “Convergence Culture: Where Old and New Media Collide,” “Textual Poachers: Television Fans and Participatory Culture,” “Hop on Pop: The Politics and Pleasures of Popular Culture” and “From Barbie to Mortal Kombat: Gender and Computer Games.”
Other celebrated guest panelists attending the conference include Kurt Busiek, author of numerous Superhero titles for Marvel and DC Comics and the creator of the award-winning series “Astro City;” Greg Rucka, the co-creator of “Gotham Central,” “Whiteout,” “Queen & Country” and many other projects for Marvel and DC Comics; and Gail Simone, writer on Marvel’s Deadpool, DC’s “Birds of Prey”, the co-creator of “Welcome to Tranquility” for Wildstorm- she is also the current Wonder Woman writer.
The conference will also be welcoming panelists Trevor Dodge, Andrew Grace, Kom Kunyosying, Ramzie Fawaz, Micheal P. Harrison, Jenee Wilde, Beth Davis-Stofka, Jonathan Tanner, Douglas Wolk, Brannon Costello, Corey Creekmur, Dyfrig Jones, Luke Geddes, Nathan Gray, William Kuskin, Harry Brod, Josh Plencner, and Matt Yockey.
Attendees can register at http://jsma.uoregon.edu/understandingsuperheroes.
The “Understanding Superheroes” Conference is made possible by the generous support of the following institutions, UO departments and programs: The Oregon Humanities Center, The College of Arts and Sciences, The Arts and Administration Programs, The Department of Art History, The Comparative Literature Program, The Department of Creative Writing, The Center for the Study of Women in Society, the Department of English, The Harold Schnitzer Family Program in Judaic Studies, The Knight Library- Department of Special Collections, The Office of the Vice President for Research and Graduate Studies, and the Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art.
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