From the press release:
An Event for Scholars, Creators, and Fans
EAST LANSING, MI (February, 23 2009)- The Michigan State University Comics Forum is an annual event that brings together scholars, creators, and fans in order to explore and celebrate the medium of comics, graphic storytelling, and sequential art. The Michigan State University Comics Forum 2009 is scheduled to take place March 27-28 on the campus of Michigan State University.
This year’s keynote address will be given by David Petersen, creator of the critically acclaimed Mouse Guard. David Petersen won the 2007 Russ Manning Award for Most Promising Newcomer. In 2008, David won the Eisner Awards for Best Publication for Kids (Mouse Guard Fall 1152 & Winter 1152) and Best Graphic Album ? Reprint (Mouse Guard Fall 1152 Hardcover).
The event will also feature an Artist’s Alley as well as several panel discussions with academics studying comic books and professionals working in the comic book industry.
The Michigan State University Comics Forum is accepting entries for the 2009 Original Comics Collection. Ten finalists will be chosen from among the entries, from which judges will choose a single winner who will receive a $150 award. Entries will be judged based on their creativity, quality, and storytelling. The work of all finalists will be displayed at the Michigan State University Comics Forum 2009, and be collected, archived, and preserved in the Comic Art Collection housed in Michigan State University?s Special Collections. The Comic Art Collection holds over 200,000 items and is the primary library resource for the study of U.S. comic book publications.
For more information concerning The Michigan State University Comics Forum 2009, as well as submission guidelines for the 2009 Original Comics Collection, please visit http://www.comicsforum.msu.edu/. You can also follow the The Michigan State University Comics Forum 2009 on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/msucomicsforum.
Sounds kind of awesome, eh? I wish my university had a comics forum (though one of our professors does produce the International Journal of Comic Art).
February 25th, 2009 at 3:30 pm
Huzzah! I live in East Lansing!
Weirdly, I’ve lived here for years and never knew they did this. Awesome awesome awesome.
Makes sense, really, given that they’ve got the largest comic collection in the country here, I believe.
February 26th, 2009 at 9:55 am
Interesting. I’m an alumnus, and I didn’t know they did this up there. May have to try to check it out. I’m still bummed I never checked out the comic collection when I was there.
February 27th, 2009 at 12:26 am
This is a newer annual event. 2009 is year two.