All posts by A. David

Bosch Fawstin Takes Further Pigman Adventures Digital

The subject of a previous posting (and Daily Show segment) Bosch Fawstin announced the following on his website this week:

Earlier today, I received word that the ePUB generator/distributor I had selected to try and distribute my book through conventional channels, had rejected The Infidel #1 as violating their “terms of service.” As you’ll see, if they rejected #1, they would certainly reject #2, and so I’ve decided to go ahead and make it available myself, through pdf download, as I did with #1. This means you can be reading it in mere minutes. Even though ePUB offers the advantage of panel isolation, note that you will still be able to read this pdf on many of the popular ebook readers. I viewed it myself on my iPad through iBooks and it looks great. This issue is 22 story pages, in full color, for $3.00.

It may not be surprising that the title was not cleared for distribution given its highly controversial (and some say inflammatory) content. Still, it remains to be seen what success Fawstin might have with the comic through his own online means.

CFP: Comics, Religion & Politics

From Emily Laycock at Lancaster University:

‘Comics, Religion & Politics’

4-5th September 2012

Lancaster University, UK

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 cultural, 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

– 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

Read the original Call For Papers at NSRN Online

CFP: Religion and Doctor Who: Time, Space, and Faith

From Dr. James F. McGrath, the man behind Religion and Science Fiction:

Doctor Who is a cultural phenomenon in both the UK and the United States, continuing to go from strength-to-strength as it approaches its 50th anniversary in 2013. Over the show’s long history on television—and in various spin-off TV shows, audio adventures, novels and comic books—religion and religious themes have consistently been a subject of interest. In recent years the show has attracted everything from Church of England conferences dedicated to its use in preaching to guest appearances by Richard Dawkins. Abstracts of 300 words are therefore invited for a proposed edited collection examining Religion and Doctor Who. The collection will consider the subject in its widest sense, examining portrayals of religion on the show, in spin-off media (including TV, audio, internet, comic books and video games); fan cultures, and the use of Doctor Who in religious debates. The book will be aimed at popular-academic readership. Possible subjects include, but are not limited to:

• Religious or mythic themes (salvation, return, ritual etc.) in the series.
• Critiques and deconstructions of religion in Doctor Who.
• The use of Doctor Who to chart British religious history from 1963 to the present.
• Death and the afterlife in Doctor Who and Torchwood.
• The Doctor as a Christ figure.
• Portrayals of non-Christian religion in the classic series or BBC revival.
• Fan response to “religious” episodes.
• The use of Doctor Who by religious organisations.
• Religion in audio adventures, comic books and video games.
• Canonicity and Doctor Who as a surrogate religion.
• Doctor Who as a tool for theological reflection.
• Using Doctor Who to teach Religious Studies.

Abstracts should be 300 words in length, and include a short biography of the author. Abstracts should be sent to DrWhoReligion@gmail.com. Deadline for receipt of abstracts: 20th April 2012.

Doctor Who

The full Call For Papers can be found at Patheos.com.