VANCOUVER, Wash — Washington State University Vancouver’s Honors Program is hosting a free lecture that explores the social phenomenon of comic books on Thursday, March 13. The 7-9 p.m. program is set for the Multimedia Building, room six.
Dr. Phillip Thurtle, an assistant professor in the Mediated Culture Program at Carleton University, Ottowa, will discuss the role comic books play in society and how creators of the medium rely on a relationship between technology, art and science to build and sustain wide appeal.
According to Thurtle, comic books are fascinating to study partly because of how they are produced. They are expressly designed to have a short life span, cater to a mass audience, and rely on graphic inscription rather than words to carry the reader’s interest. “Comic books are a form of sequential art,” he said. “(It) is an interesting medium for thinking about questions of human potential.”
“Comics and Sequence” is presented by WSU Vancouver’s Honors Program in conjunction with its spring series, “Art of the Book.” The four-part seminar features scholars, artists and guest lecturers exploring the concept of sequence and book arts from a variety of disciplines and practices. Topics of discussion include underground publications, zine culture, graphic novels, sequential narrative form and the impact of digital media on bookmaking.
The lecture is free and open to the public. For more information, call (360) 546-9630. WSU Vancouver is located at 14204 N.E. Salmon Creek Ave., east of the 134th Street exit, from either I-5 or I-205.
