Lines of Transmission: Comics and Autobiography

Comics: Philosophy & Practice Conference, May 18-20, 2012

Comics: Philosophy & Practice served as both the culmination of the Alison Bechdel/Hillary Chute fellowship and the Gray Center's inaugural conference (it was also the first major conference to be held at the U of C's brand new Reva and David Logan Center for the Arts).

Artists participating in the three-day conference, which featured lectures, panel discussions, conversations and a workshop, included: Lynda Barry, Alison Bechdel, Ivan Brunetti, Charles Burns, Daniel Clowes, Robert Crumb, Phoebe Gloeckner, Justin Green, Ben Katchor, Aline Kominsky-Crumb, Françoise Mouly, Gary Panter, Joe Sacco, Seth, Art Spiegelman, Carol Tyler, and Chris Ware. 

The roster of participating academics included: James Chandler (Barbara E. & Richard J. Franke Distinguished Service Professor, Depts of English and Cinema & Media Studies, Director, Franke Institute for the Humanities, Co-Director, Scherer Center for the Study of American Culture), Julie Cooper (Assistant Professor, Dept. of Political Science), W.J.T Mitchell (Gaylord Donnelley Distinguished Service Professor, Dept. of English and Art History), Deborah Nelson (Associate Professor, Dept. of English and Associate Provost for Graduate Education), Lisa Ruddick (Associate Professor, Dept. of English), Kristen Schilt (Assistant Professor, Dept. of Sociology), Eric Slauter (Associate Professor, Dept. of English and Director, Scherer Center for the Study of American Culture), and Hamza Walker (Curator, The Renaissance Society).