Comic heroes were born amidst the tumult of World War II and became pillars of the American century. They reflected the muscular interventionism central to postwar nationalism even as soapy personal dramas internalized an ambiguity toward war, empire, and domestic society felt by writers and their often youthful readership. These seemingly contradictory impulses have defined the comics medium, even as the ubiquity of pulp adventurism in contemporary media drives a new era of US-led cultural globalization. The conference will explore this history by bringing together nationally renowned specialists on foreign affairs and political messaging. It will ask how government priorities shaped four-color responses to global conflicts, and to what extent disruptive events like the Vietnam War challenged their ability to stand for truth, justice, and the American way? Did the late Cold War and 9/11 revive patriotic narratives? And how have multimedia adaptations handled the long evolution of iconic characters while addressing contemporary matters ranging from the War on Terror to new political divisions? These discussions will consider how comics and pulp adventures inform popular narratives of conflict, insecurity, and heroism, and what their long history reveals about cultural attitudes toward U.S. power.

View the full schedule for the November 4 conference here: CONFERENCE SCHEDULE

REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER FOR THIS EVENT >

This event will be presented via Zoom and is the keynote for the November 4, 2022 conference. Paul will discuss his book Pulp Empire: The Secret History of Comic Book Imperialism (2021, University of Chicago Press).

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER FOR THIS EVENT >

**Due to health precautions, Paul Hirsch will be unable to join us in Columbus. We are moving his talk to Zoom and will commence our in-person gathering for the conference on November 4th**

CXC attendees and guests are invited to kick off the weekend with our annual Friday party at the Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum, the mecca for cartoons and comic art! Explore our current exhibits, enjoy refreshments, and cheer on your cartoonist colleagues as we give out our annual awards.

Visitors will get to peruse an open-house display of materials in the reading room, and view our current exhibitions in the galleries: STILL…Racism in America: A Retrospective in Cartoons by Brumsic Brandon Jr. and Barbara Brandon-Croft, and Celebrating Sparky: Charles M. Schulz and Peanuts. The Cleveland-based Cliff Habian jazz trio will perform the music of Vince Guaraldi throughout the reception, highlighting the music Guaraldi wrote for the Peanuts television specials.

Don’t miss the award ceremony in our lobby at 6:00pm!

Cartoon Crossroads Columbus (CXC) 2022 has over 55 hours of programming beginning Wednesday, October 5. Visit CXC’s website for complete information: https://www.cartooncrossroadscolumbus.org/

To ring in the back-to-school season, the Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum is holding a book sale!

Friday, August 19, 4pm – 7pm

The sale will be held at the North entrance to Sullivant Hall (1813 N. High St., Columbus OH 43210).

ALL ITEMS RANGE FROM $2 – $20!

Hundreds of duplicate items from our collection will be available for the public to purchase. We will be accepting both cash and credit card, and all proceeds will be used to help process our collections. Don’t miss out!

Included in the sale will be:

Graphic novels
Comic books
Comic strip reprint books
Humor magazines
Comic and cartoon art history books
…and much, much more.

Please plan to bring a bag or box for carrying home your great finds.

For more information about our location and parking, please see cartoons.osu.edu/visit-us

For more information email cartoonevents@osu.edu

FREE Event for ages 14+

Participation is limited and registration is required: email cartoonevents@osu.edu

Please include names and ages of participants
Deadline to register is August 12, 2022

Students and young adults are invited to create expressive art and designs based on their experiences with the artwork displayed in the BICLM exhibit STILL… Racism in America. Father/daughter cartoonists Brumsic Brandon Jr. and Barbara Brandon-Croft independently created the work shown in STILL between the 1960s and the present day, frequently reflecting on similar themes of social justice, racial disparities, and hope. As students take in the satire and harsh truths about the prevalence and history of racism in our society, they will be guided by cartoonist and instructor J.M. Hunter to lend their own voices to the cause by utilizing their personal visual expression. Basic cartooning concepts and methods will be covered. No previous drawing experience required.