Perspectives on Digital Comics

Editors: Jeffrey S.J. Kirchoff (Texas A&M University Central Texas) and Mike P. Cook (Auburn University)

Publisher: Under Contract With McFarland (www.mcfarlandbooks.com)

Introduction
Digital comics is a broad, umbrella term that scholars have been using to describe a wide array of comic-types. As Lukas Wilde (2015) points out, digital comics can be used to denote web-comics produced originally for online consumption; digital versions of print comics that are consumed using reading technologies such as Comixology’s guided view; and finally, scanned comics—whether for educational, archival, or piracy purposes. As one might suspect, the migration from print to digital—in any or all of the three forms described—has spawned a wide range of scholarly responses. Some believe digital comics to be the “future” and “savior” of print comics, while others argue vehemently that digital comics aren’t comics at all. Much of the current scholarship, however, occupies the middle ground that argues digital comics offer new understandings of the comic book medium that are equally important as print comics. These diverse perspectives are important to grow our understanding of comics—specifically, what it means to be a “comic,” how to read a comic, interpreting comics as literature (or art), and implementing comics into a classroom setting. Indeed, digital comics represent a new, yet significant, part of comic book scholarship and there is a need for a collection that shares these new ideas in meaningful ways.

Objectives of the Book and Call for Submissions
The goal of our collection is to demonstrate the varied ways one can read, interpret, view, and use digital comics, including comics made specifically for web consumption, digital reproductions of print-comics, and scanned comics. We want to collect the valuable perspectives on many different facets of digital comic scholarship, including the history/evolution of digital comics, theories for understanding and reading digital comics, criticism and analysis of specific digital comic titles, and how digital comics can be used in educational settings.

To that end, we invite established and up-and-coming scholars to submit 500-750 word abstracts that respond to one of the following topics:

History, including, but not limited to:
·      Interactive CD-Rom Comics
·      The rise of the digital reader
·      Piracy and digital comics
·      Digital comics vs. web-comics
·      The evolution of multimedia comics
·      The history and evolution of motion comics
·      Genre and thematic expansion/evolution through digital comic circulation

Theory, including, but not limited to:
·      Rhetoric
·      Literature
·      Media Studies
·      Gaming Studies
·      Film Studies
·      Affect
·      Computer Science
·      Economics

Criticism, including, but not limited to:
·      Specific web comics
·      Specific multimedia comics
·      Specific motion comics
·      Digital Comic Creators
·      Digital Comic Readers

Education, including, but not limited to:
·      Supporting digital literacy
·      Composition instruction
·      Design, creation, and critical thinking
·      Supporting content-area instruction (e.g., Language Arts, History, Science, etc.)

Submission Procedure
Authors are invited to submit abbreviated CVs (with relevant publications and conference presentations highlighted) and 500-750 word abstracts that describe and articulate their vision for a chapter related to one of the above topics; please be specific regarding which section you see your submission responding to. Your proposals should have contact information. Chapter proposals should be submitted as PDFs and emailed to both editors: Jeffrey S.J. Kirchoff (jeff.kirchoff@tamuct.edu) and Mike P. Cook (mpc0035@auburn.edu). Questions can be sent to either editor.

Authors of accepted proposals will be notified by July 1, 2017. Full chapters (approximately 6,000 words including references) are to be submitted to the editors October 1, 2017. APA citation style will be used for this collection.

Important Dates
Abstracts due June 1st 2017.
Authors notified of acceptance July 1st 2017.
Full draft of chapters (for accepted authors) due October 1st 2017.
Chapter review and author revisions ongoing in Winter 2017/2018
Anticipated delivery of manuscript to publisher Summer 2018