Machiko Kyō’s 2011 graphic novel Cocoon tells a harrowing story based on the historical circumstances of a group of teenage girls who died in Okinawa during the Pacific War. An animated adaptation of Cocoon is scheduled to be released in Summer 2025, bringing this tragic chapter of Japanese history to a new generation. Although Cocoon…
REVIEW: Comics and Archaeology Didn’t Do the Reading
I have been watching out for Comics and Archaeology. And…you can probably guess why. And in case you can’t, it’s because I also write about archaeology and comics (as does Steph Halmhofer here at WWAC). But as someone who writes about archaeology and comics, there are a number of things missing from this volume that…
INTERVIEW with an illustrator: Julia Warren’s Dreamy Alice
Earlier this year, artist Julia Warren independently published an edition of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland with her new illustrations, surreal digital collages with rich color and a fitting dream-like quality. She corresponded with me extensively to answer my many questions about her inspirations and process.
ESSAY: Laura Gao’s Navigation Through Asian American Identity in Messy Roots: A Graphic Memoir of a Wuhanese American
Written and illustrated by Laura Gao, Messy Roots: A Graphic Memoir of a Wuhanese American is a Harvey-nominated coming-of-age story about the hardship of identity and the beautiful but messy journey to find it. After spending her early years in Wuhan, China, Laura immigrates to Texas with her family, where she finds herself constantly having…
COMICS ACADEME: Comics Are a Graphic Education for Dyslexic Readers
I am more than a fan of comics. I have made them my career, and I advocate for their importance any chance I get. One of the major reasons why I do so is because of the impact comics have had on me as a dyslexic woman, as well as the potential they have to…
COMICS ACADEME: Spriggan: A Fun, Action-Packed Mix of Archaeology, Aliens, and International Politics – Part Three
By Solène Mallet Gauthier and Stephanie Halmhofer This text contains spoilers This post concludes a three part series! Read Part One here, and Part Two here. Spriggan made a comeback in 2022 with the release of a deluxe edition of the complete original 1989-1996 manga series (Seven Seas Entertainment) and a 6-episode Netflix animated series….
COMICS ACADEME: Spriggan: A Fun, Action-Packed Mix of Archaeology, Aliens, and International Politics – Part Two
By Solène Mallet Gauthier and Stephanie Halmhofer This text contains spoilers This is Part Two of a series! Read Part One here. Spriggan made a comeback in 2022 with the release of a deluxe edition of the complete original 1989-1996 manga series (Seven Seas Entertainment) and a 6-episode Netflix animated series. In both the original…
COMICS ACADEME: Spriggan: A Fun, Action-Packed Mix of Archaeology, Aliens, and International Politics – Part One
By Solène Mallet Gauthier and Stephanie Halmhofer This text contains spoilers Spriggan made a comeback in 2022 with the release of a deluxe edition of the complete original 1989-1996 manga series from Seven Seas Entertainment and a 6-episode Netflix animated series. In both the original manga and recent Netflix adaptation, Spriggan follows the adventures of…
ESSAY: Disability and the Joy of Community in My Beijing by Nie Jun
Disability has long had a presence in visual culture, but all too often it has been represented as something monstrous and non-normative. Scars and other disfigurements have been used as an easy way to signal a character’s moral depravity, how they deal with painful trauma, or how they’ve been deified into inspirational figures (as Stella…
ESSAY: The Role of Dōjinshi in Comic Fanzine Discourse
In December 2021, a conversation concerning the definition of the term “zine” unfolded on Twitter. This conversation arose from anxieties surrounding the rise of professionally printed and highly selective fanzines. Many comic artists lamented what they perceived as a betrayal of the DIY ethos of North American zine culture, while others expressed their frustrations regarding…
The Symposium on Comic Arts: At the Intersections of Comics Education and Industry
Timing is everything, and for this Comics Academe, I wanted to share another type of Comics Academe submission: Con Diaries. Just like our WWAC con diaries, Comics Academe con diaries are a way for contributors to share their experiences when attending conventions that are organized by academic organizations in comics studies — like ICAF or…
Comics Academe Review: ‘Supersex’ Puts the Sex Back into Comics Scholarship
Superhero bodies and superhero sexuality are frequent talking points. As on-screen bodies increase muscle, with actors bulking themselves to unattainably immense proportions, the superhero sex drive remains virtually non-existent. It often appears redundant and a contradiction, mainly because the actors portraying superheroes are objects of desirability. But on screen, they are sexless, without desire, and…
