If you were around comics in New York in 2008, you know that that was the Year of the Symposium, with Post Bang, SPLAT, and probably something else that wasn’t named after a sound effect. Since that epic year, when comics were discussed and analyzed by panels of every type, there have been a few scattered symposia, but nothing that big. Until the announcement of Comic New York: A Symposium, to be held Saturday and Sunday March 24-25 at Columbia University. Curated by Jeffrey Dauber, Karen Green, and Danny Fingeroth, the event will:
…bring together creators and academics to discuss the intertwined histories of American comics and the town where they were born: New York City. From the role of New York as breeding ground for generations of comics talent to the political, periodical, and alternative nature of the comics themselves, the best NYC has to offer celebrates this unique medium.
The full event lineup is here, but the keynote will be Chris Claremont in conversation with Louise Simonson on the occasion of donating his papers to the Rare Book and Manuscript department.
Here’s the rest of the schedule:
SATURDAY, MARCH 24
◦ 10:00 AM: Welcome and Opening Remarks
◦ 10:30-11:30 AM: New York, Real and Imagined
◦ Kent Worcester
◦ Ariel Schrag
◦ Molly Crabapple
◦ John Romita Sr
◦ John Romita Jr
◦ Moderator: Chris Irving
◦ LUNCH BREAK 12:00-1:30 PM
◦ 1:30-2:30 PM: Political New York
◦ Peter Kuper
◦ Denis Kitchen
◦ Sabrina Jones
◦ John Carey
◦ Moderator: David Hajdu
◦ 3:00-4:00 PM: Alternative New York
◦ Bill Griffith
◦ R Sikoryak
◦ Charles Brownstein
◦ Julia Wertz
◦ Moderator: Gene Kannenberg jr
◦ 4:30-6:30 PM: Keynote: a conversation with Chris Claremont and Louise Simonson
SUNDAY MARCH 25
◦ 10:30-11:30 AM: Periodical New York
◦ Ben Katchor
◦ Irwin Hasen
◦ Emily Flake
◦ Lauren Weinstein
◦ Moderator: Eddy Portnoy
◦ LUNCH BREAK: 12:00-1:30 PM
◦ 1:30-2:30: New York as Breeding Ground
◦ Al Jaffee
◦ Miss Lasko-Gross
◦ Tracy White
◦ Dean Haspiel
◦ Moderator: Danny Fingeroth
◦ Dedicated to the memory of JERRY ROBINSON
◦ 3:00-4:00 PM: Comic New York and the Academy
◦ Jonathan W. Gray (CUNY/John Jay)
◦ Paul Levitz (Columbia University)
◦ N.C. Christopher Couch (University of Massachusetts/Amherst & the School of Visual Arts)
◦ Moderator: Jeremy Dauber (Columbia University)
◦ Closing remarks
Thanks so much, Heidi!