Call for Papers for the Panel:
Colonial Metaphors Through Sequential Art: Domination, Exotic Places and Alterity in European Comic Books

Panel organized by Delmo Arguelhes, Contro Universitario Unieuro, Brasilia, Brazil

The comics books are nowadays a well-know kind of art, after decades of being perceived as a dangerous childish entertainment. Since the end of nineteenth century and the beginning of the twentieth century, the comics were not considered as an art, but often as a threat to education. This position called in a double prejudice: comics are suitable for children or beings whose brain is not fully functional; and comics are considered jeopardizing to those underdeveloped minds. In the late 1950's decade, the publication of The Seduction of Innocent, by Frederic Wertham, raised up a great debate, opening the path to censorship in those publications. The situation has changed between the 1970’s and 1980’s.

In this sense, through comics it’s possible to indicate some historical realities insofar the realm of art can illuminate the life's condition. This is of course not a specular relation, in the sense of a direct projection of realities in the artistic works,. But, through the authors’ metaphors and metonyms it is possible to trace alternates visions of colonialism through a game of alterity: Europeans seeing ‘others’ and vice versa. This panel will take as trademarks four representative comics: Herge’s Tintin, Hugo Pratt’s Corto Maltese, Jano’s Kebra and Keubla, and Moebius’ Hermetic Garage. Other illustrative choices are of course welcomed.

This panel welcomes contributions on comic books and their illustrative power to indicate or identify elements of Europeaness be it in its assertive identitarian form or in its exclusive features of making ‘the others’ through representations. The panel places the comic books as central element in positioning Europe but welcomes as well alternative contributions from other visual representations as cartoons and caricatures.

Please send your 300 words abstract together with the name and affiliation to application@euroacademia.eu until 25th of January 2013