Comics and Conflicts Conference schedule published

Conference Poster designed by Pete Stanbury

The full schedule for the Comics and Conflicts Conference, which will be held on 19-20th August, 2011 at the Imperial War Museum in London aimed at comics scholars, practitioners, and enthusiasts has now been published.

As we previously reported, the conference speakers and guests include Charley's War co-creator Pat Mills; Martin Barker and Roger Sabin on Doonesbury; Garth Ennis (Troubled Souls, War Stories) and Francesca Cassavetti (Fabtoons).

The Conference has been organised by Alex Fitch (presenter of Panel Borders, the UK’s only weekly broadcast radio show about comics), Ariel Kahn (Senior Lecturer in Creative Writing at Roehampton University) and ComICA director Paul Gravett.

The Comics and Conflicts events form part of a Children’s literature festival being held from 13-21st August 2011, which accompanies the Imperial War Museum’s new exhibition Once Upon A Wartime: Classic War Stories for Children.

For more information about the exhibition and the festival visit the Imperial War Museum web site.


Here’s a run down of the two days of events:

Friday 19th August:
9.00am – War Comics Conference opens; coffee and registration
10.00am –Introductory talk by Martin Barker and Roger Sabin about the depiction of war in the Gary Trudeau’s comic strip, Doonesbury
11.00am – Choice of parallel sessions: Representing Trauma (Chair, Ariel Kahn) / Ethnicity, Nationalism and Representation (Chair, Paul Gravett)
12.20pm – Lunch
1.20pm – Panel on The Image and Reality of War: (Chair, Garth Ennis) featuring ILEX book editor Tim Pilcher, Darin Jensen, Isabelle Delorme
2.40pm – choice of parallel sessions: Form and Content: (Chair, Roger Sabin) / Conflict and Ideology: (Chair, Alex Fitch)
4.00pm – Coffee break
4.20pm – In conversation with Pat Mills, from Charley’s War to Ayatollah’s Son followed by signing
6.00pm – Close
Please note: ticket cost for the entire day is £30.00 / Students £15.00 including Pat Mills talk or £6 for Mills talk only.

Saturday 20th August

10.30am – Celebrated Canadian artist David Collier talks about his work, followed by comic making master class at noon (separate ticket).  David was inspired to become a cartoonist by Robert Crumb, who published his first comic. He is the author and illustrator of Chimo, which depicts his decision to re-enlist in the Canadian army and go through basic training again at age 40. David has been creating since his first tenure in the army, when he drew strips and discovered his talent for the biathlon in which he has competed nationally. There will be a signing after this event.


11.30am Artists and publishers discuss Trauma and Conflict (Chair, Paul Gravett) with Danish artist Mikkel Sommer, writer and illustrator of Obsolete, and Adrian Searle, the publisher of Dougie’s War, plus artist Dave Turbitt.

2.00pm Artists and publishers discuss The Personal and the Political (Chair, Alex Fitch) with Francesca Cassavetti and her mother, Eileen Cassavetti talking about the latter’s wartime diary which Francesca has published as a comic; joined by Sean Duffield, publisher of War – the Human Cost plus contributing artists Dan Locke and Ben Naylor. There will be a signing after this event.

3.00pm In Conversation with Garth Ennis – from Troubled Souls to Battlefields; a rare UK appearance by the writer, followed by signing

4.30pm Film Screening: Comics go to War, directed by Mark Daniels. This fascinating documentary directed by Mark Daniels looks at the work of artist who are either born into conflict, or engage with it as journalists. Artists whose work is discussed include Joe Sacco, author of two books about the Middle East (Palestine, Footsteps In Gaza) and several from the former Yugoslavia. Greg Cook documented his experiences in Iraq. Keiji Nakazawa was a young boy when an atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima, an experience he depicts in his celebrated manga Hadashi no Gen (Barefoot Gen). Zeina Abirached’s comic Le Jeu des Hirondelles describes her childhood during the civil war in Lebanon. In her award-winning Persepolis Marjane Satrapi gives compelling insights into life in Iran before, during and after the Islamic Revolution.

All Saturday events are £6 / the film screening is free.

• The Conference takes place at the Imperial War Museum, Lambeth Road, London SE1 6HZ. Nearest tube: Lambeth North (Bakerloo) / Elephant and Castle (Northern line, City Branch) / Southwark (Jubilee).  Book tickets at http://wartime.iwm.org.uk