Futures of Comics at Fumetto Festival Luzern
I am at Fumetto International Comic Festival in Luzern, Switzerland for Futures of Comics, an exhibition / library / talks / reading sessions / symposium, directed by Ilan Manouach.
I have four daily reading sessions / talks / discussions starting today until Thursday with 20 of the most forward-thinking contemporary comics I brought with for the exhibition/library (list of comics is at the end of this post).
First two sessions question histor(iograph)y of comics. To talk about the future is to talk about history and/or historiography—HOW we talk about history—. Any writing of history is subjective but comics community usually consider the history as the fact. The first session examines the concept of national comics with Canadian comics as the case study. The second session critiques the widespread misogynic narrative of comics history, especially in North American alternative comics.
Last two sessions discuss two of the most popular and fascinating methods in post-digital/internet comics and visual culture: deskilling and appropriation/collage/remix. I will end the program considering Meme as the most popular comics genre now by synthesizing the two sessions.
Monday 8th, April. 16.00–18.00 On Trans/National Comics: the Canadian Case Canada, an officially multicultural and bilingual country in constant search of national identity (especially distinct from its Southern neighbor), offers a fascinating case study on the concept of National Comics. In addition, I thought it would be interesting to talk about Canadian comics by myself “RealAsianFriend” in Switzerland. We will discuss: Why does Canadian Comics matter? What is national comics? Most popular comics? Best comics? Who decide them? What about immigrants and emigrants? Roles of public and private institutions; vs. transnational individual, idea, and influence; vs. local, regional, transnational, global; (re)publishing as (re)writing the history; Anderson’s imagined community; and how cartoonists influence the aesthetics of the local and the national. I will provide An Alternative History of Contemporary Canadian Comics while acknowledging my limitation.
Tuesday 9th, April. 16.00–18.00 Feminist Critiques of Comics Histor(iograph)y Sadly, comics have a longstanding tradition of sexism. Primarily focusing on North American/Canadian comics, we will discuss how sexism has affected the writing of the history of comics and the lack of historiographical discussion in comics. We will also see how contemporary creators (including men), publishers, and readers reflect the rise of feminism in recent years.
Wednesday 10th, April. 16.00-18.00 Notes on Deskilled/Ugly Comics Deskilled Comics are intentionally poorly drawn comics. We will discuss: Why are deskilled or unskilled comics so much popular online? Precursors such as Gary Panter and Heta Uma; deskilled in fine art; deskilled in zines; influence of Paper Rad in contemporary visual culture; related theories from taste politics (Bourdieu, Jankovich, Liu, Sontag, Thornton, Jankovich, Liu) and new media / post digital (Cramer, Jameson, Douglas, Manovich, Shifman, Goriunova, Shifman, Steryerl); and Meme as the most popular comics genre in the world now.
Thursday 11th, April. 16.00-18.00 Appropriation/Collage/Remix/Comics: From Sources to Subjects Comics’ entry to the fine art world was being the source of the appropriation art (Roy Lichtenstein & Détournement). Now appropriation/collage/remix became a tool of popular visual culture with the development of photo editing software. We will discuss: comics as collage; superhero comics as appropriation; the nature of the artist, creation, originality, copyright in the age of appropriation; why is appropriation so popular now; theories from Bourriaud, Manovich, and Jameson; and Meme as the most popular comics in the world.
List of comics at the exhibition / library / talks / reading sessions are:
Hot Potatoe by Marc Bell (Drawn and Quarterly)
Undocumented by Tings Chak (Ad Astra Comix)
Hellberta by Michael Comeau (Colour Code)
Rudy by Mark Connery, edited by Marc Bell (2dcloud)
Leaving Richard’s Valley by Michael DeForge (Drawn and Quarterly)
FREAKER UNTLD IV by DDOOGG
Carpet Sweeper Tales by Julie Doucet (Drawn and Quarterly)
Flourescent Mud by Eli Howey (2dcloud)
Red Rainbow & It’s Time to Wake Up Now by Hue Nguyen
Climb-ing Mushrooms Fabric Zine by Ginette Laplame
Meow Means Hi by Ginette Lapalme, Mark Connery, and Zuzu Knew
Roaming Foliage by Patrick Kyle (Koyama Press)
Hey, I don’t mean to be condescending or anything, but we’re friends, you don’t have to be afriad of me by Victor Martins
Sprawling Heart by Sab Meynert (2dcloud)
Flash Marks by Carel Moiseiwistch (Fantagraphics Books)
310,310 and Drone by Mushbuh (Peow studio)
Nexus by Aeon Mute
Somnambulance by Fiona Smyth (Koyama Press)
Boundless by Jillian Tamaki (Drawn and Quarterly)
The Palace of Champions by Henriette Valium (Conundrum Press)
Condo Heartbreak by Eric Kostiuk Williams (Koyama Press)
Magical Beatdown by Jenn Woodall
Seasons of Butterfly by Kendra Yee
All programs are held at the amazingly beautiful The Phrontistery (Löwenpl 6, 6004 Luzern, Switzerland)
