Author: Ryan Claytor
//If you’re unable to attend the 2018 MSU Comics Forum, each of our keynote speakers’ presentations will be liveStreamed at:
And here are the times that you’ll be able to watch (remember, times are in Eastern Standard Timezone):
Lucy Knisley
Fri., Feb 23rd, 2018
7pm EST
Diana Schutz
Sat., Feb 24th, 2018
12:15pm EST
//The 2018 MSU Comics Forum schedule featuring our Keynote Speakers, Artist Alley participants, Panel Discusions, and more are completely up-to-date for this year’s event, all of which take place at various times, days and locations surrounding the final weekend of February. We’ve tried to top ourselves in terms of programming yet again, so I hope you’ll take a moment to familiarize yourself with our keynote speakers and event line-up.
Finally, I’d like to make a brief mention that our venue has changed to the MSU Library and as usual all events are free and open to the public.
Looking forward to seeing you next month,
Ryan Claytor
MSU Comics Forum – Director
//Our posters list the location for the Penelope Bagieu signing as:
Schuler Books – Eastwood
2820 Towne Centre Blvd.
Lansing, MI 48912
Unfortunately Schuler Books – Eastwood recently announced that they will be closing. However, Schuler Books – Okemos will remain in operation and will be the new host for the signing. Here is their address:
Schuler Books – Okemos (inside Meridian Mall)
1982 W Grand River Ave
Okemos, MI 48864
Despite a location change, the signing will still take place on March 9th, 2018 at 7pm. Sorry for any inconvenience this may have caused. We look forward to seeing you in Okemos.
//Inspiring Young Minds: Comics, Cartoons, and Other Graphic Forms of the 60s and 70s
Join our own Comics Forum Panel Coordinator, Zack Kruse, to uncover some of the comics that influenced Michigan Stories artists Mike Kelley and Jim Shaw throughout their lives, from their early adolescence to their most recent projects.
Zack Kruse is a PhD candidate in MSU’s English Department pursuing Comics Studies.
Thursday, February 1, 7pm
MSU Broad Art Museum
547 E Circle Dr
East Lansing, MI 48824
Cost: Free
//The MSU Comics Forum is excited to announce that the rosters for our Artist Alley and Panel Discussions are now posted on their respective pages.
Many thanks to the increasing number of applicants to this year’s event. Each of you have continued to allow the MSU Comics Forum to grow and hone our mission of inclusivity and professionalism. We look forward to presenting our eleventh year of high caliber programming at the end of February 2018 in our new location, the Michigan State University Main Library.
//
Click image for high resolution version
The 2018 Comics Forum poster and schedule of events were proudly unveiled via the Michigan State University Comic Art and Graphic Novel Podcast earlier this morning. Our Creator Keynote Speaker, Lucy Knisley, illustrated the image you see above, which will be printed as 18″x24″ posters in advance of the event. If you are a business or school who is interested in helping us promote the MSU Comics Forum by hanging these in a public location, please contact MSU Comics Forum Director, Ryan Claytor, via the CONTACT page of this website and we will send several free of charge.
//For those unable to attend this year’s event, the 2017 MSU Comics Forum Keynote speeches have been archived:
2017 MSU Comics Forum Creator Keynote Speech – James Sturm:
2017 MSU Comics Forum Scholar Keynote Speech – Charles Hatfield:
Thanks, again, to our keynote speakers, James Sturm and Charles Hatfield!
//
The 2017 MSU Comics Forum has come and gone and I wanted to take a moment to reflect on last weekend, as well as thank the folks who made it possible.
Our Creator Keynote Speaker, James Sturm, took the stage on Friday, Feb 24th:
And spoke to a healthy crowd of comics scholars, artists, and community memebers.
Our two keynote speakers (James Sturm and Charles Hatfield) were part of a limited tour of the MSU Special Collections Library (the largest public collection of comic books in the world) on the morning of Saturday, Feb 25th. Charles Hatfield in foreground, below:
Randy Scott, MSU Special Collections Comics Bibliographer, administers the tour while James Sturm, 2017 MSU Comics Forum Creator Keynote Speaker, looks on in the foreground:
After the tour, both keynote speakers sign some of their work pulled from the MSU Special Collections Library:
Shortly after noon on Saturday, Feb 25th, our Scholar Keynote Speaker, Charles Hatfield, spoke to a full room about “Collage in Comics”:
After the event was over, I recorded a couple of interviews with our keynote speakers for season #2 of the MSU Comics Art and Graphic Novel Podcast, which will air next academic year. I was joined by Zack Kruse, MSU Comics Forum Panel Coordinator, for the interview with Charles Hatfield.
There was also an exhibition of Underground Comix which ran from Feb 20th-Mar 3rd. Selections were pulled from the MSU Special Collections Library and the exhibit was curated by Susan Bandes’ Museum Studies course:
In closing, I’d like to thank all of our sponsors for helping this event to take place, all of the artists who exhibited their comics in our Artist Alley, the book discussion on Ms. Marvel that was sponsored by Muslim Studies (an event from which, sadly, I do not have pictures), the MSU Comics Forum Promotions Committee for helping spread the word and take care of event planning details on our big weekend, both of our accomplished keynote speakers who not only helped to make our 10th year a benchmark but were incredibly giving of their time throughout the weekend, and finally the MSU Comics Forum Core Committee; Jay Jacot, Zack Kruse, and Jason Larsen, this couldn’t happen without you. I’m extremely pleased with our 10th anniversary event and I’m looking forward to the next decade and beyond.
Sincerely,
Ryan Claytor
MSU Comics Forum – Director
//Due to the recent travel ban, a number of our international scholars are unable to participate in their originally scheduled panel discussions. Based on this news, the panel discussions have been reorganized. Please see the Schedule page for the updated panel discussions. We appreciate your understanding regarding these circumstances, and we wish our international colleagues the very best.
Zack Kruse
MSU Comics Forum – Panel Coordinator
//If you’re unable to attend the Comics Forum this year, both keynote speeches will be LiveStreamed at:
James Sturm
2017 MSU Comics Forum Creator Keynote Speaker
Starting at 7pm EST, Friday, Feb 24th
Charles Hatfield
2017 MSU Comics Forum Scholar Keynote Speaker
Starting at 12:15pm EST, Saturday Feb 25th