In The Secret Origins of Comics Studies, today’s leading comics scholars turn back a page to reveal the founding figures dedicated to understanding comics art. Edited by comics scholars Matthew J. Smith and Randy Duncan, this collection provides an in-depth study of the individuals and institutions that have created and shaped the field of Comics Studies over the past 75 years. From Coulton Waugh to Wolfgang Fuchs, these influential historians, educators, and theorists produced the foundational work and built the institutions that inspired the recent surge in scholarly work in this dynamic, interdisciplinary field. Sometimes scorned, often underappreciated, these visionaries established a path followed by subsequent generations of scholars in literary studies, communication, art history, the social sciences, and more. Giving not only credit where credit is due, this volume both offers an authoritative account of the history of Comics Studies and also helps move the field forward by being a valuable resource for creating graduate student reading lists and the first stop for anyone writing a comics-related literature review.
Edited by:
Matthew Smith,
Randy Duncan
Imprint: Routledge
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions:
Height: 246mm,
Width: 174mm,
Weight: 720g
ISBN: 9781138884519
ISBN 10: 1138884510
Pages: 328
Publication Date: 28 February 2017
Audience:
College/higher education
,
Primary
,
A / AS level
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Active
"Foreword by Charles Hatfield Preface by Matthew J. Smith and Randy Duncan Chapter 1- Educating with Comics by Carol L. Tilley Chapter 2 - Educating about Comics by Robert G. Weiner Chapter 3 - The Historians of Creators by Brad Ricca Chapter 4 - The Historians of the Comics Industry by Julie Davis and Robert Westerfelhaus Chapter 5 - The Historians of the Art Form by Ian Horton Chapter 6 - The Librarians and Archivists by Jenny Robb Chapter 7 - Literary Theory/Narrative Theory by Barbara Postema Chapter 8 - Semiotics and Linguistics by Gert Meesters Chapter 9 - Myths, Archetype, and Religion by Beth Davies-Stofka and David McConehy Chapter 10 - Ideological/Sociological by Ian Gordon Chapter 11 - Formalist Theory: The Cartoonists by Henry Jenkins Chapter 12 - Formalist Theory: Academics by Ann Miller Chapter 13 - Psychology/Psychiarty by Travis Langley Chapter 14 - Gender Studies and Queer Studies by Kane Anderson Chapter 15 - Manga Studies, A History by Nicholas A. Theisen Chapter 16 - The Organizations by Jeremy Larance Chapter 17 - The Galleries by Kim Munson Chapter 18 - The Conferences by Julia Round and Chris Murray Chapter 19 - The Journals by Alec R. Hosterman Chapter 20 - The Presses by Joseph Michael Sommers Featuring additional sidebars from José Alaniz, Jacqueline Berndt, Christina Blanch, Ian Hague, A. David Lewis, and William Proctor along with 'Pioneer Perspectives' from trailblazing scholars James ""Bucky"" Carter, Peter M. Coogan, Maurice Horn, M. Thomas Inge, David Kunzle, Pascal Lefèvre, John Lent, and Waldomiro Vergueiro."
Matthew J. Smith is Professor and Director in the School of Communication at Radford University in Virginia. Along with Randy Duncan, he is co-editor of Routledge’s Advances in Comics Studies series. Previously, the two writing partners teamed with former DC Comics President and Publisher Paul Levitz to produce The Power of Comics: History, Form, and Culture (2nd Edition). Randy Duncan is Professor of Communication and Director of the Comics Studies Minor at Henderson State University. He is co-editor, with Matthew J. Smith, of the Eisner-nominated Critical Approaches to Comics: Theories and Methods. He is a co-founder, with Peter M. Coogan, of the Comics Arts Conference and received the Inkpot Award for contributions to Comics Studies.
Reviews for The Secret Origins of Comics Studies
This landmark book makes a compelling and coherent narrative out of the complex and multi-threaded history - and pre-history - of comics studies. Its existence and publication is a powerful testament to just how far comics studies have now progressed. -Richard Reynolds, University of the Arts, London The emergence of comics studies as a full-blown academic discipline constitutes one of the most exciting and important developments in the contemporary humanities. This valuable book explores the circumstances that made our present moment possible while paying a generous and necessary tribute to many early pioneers of the field. -Ben Saunders, University of Oregon
