A2CAF and Medieval Manuscripts
Hello wonderful people! Here’s a little update about what I’m up to.
Ann Arbor Comic Arts Festival
I’ll be tabling at A2CAF this weekend, June 14th and 15th. Come say hi! I’ll have a new minicomic of Peek and Plover stories, including Another Blasted Cave as well as a couple of new stories.
I’ll also be participating in the Quick Draw event at 1pm on Sunday. Super excited for that!
(I mentioned in my last newsletter that I was set to table at PIE, but sadly, I had car troubles along the way to Pittsburgh, and ultimately didn’t make it. Mea culpa to the wonderful PIE organizers!)
The intersection of Medieval Europe and Cartooning
I recently had the great good fortune to participate in an event called Cartooning the Medieval, which brought together Medievalists and cartoonists in an unlikely yet exciting pairing. This symposium was the brainchild of Kristen Haas Curtis, cartoonist and Chaucer scholar, and Christopher Fletcher, Assistant Director of the Newberry Library.
Us cartoonists got a chance to view a number of manuscripts in the Newberry’s collection, a thrilling and humbling experience. We heard insightful and personal talks from embedded artists Lucy Bellwood, Chris Schweizer, and Marnie Galloway about what new ideas these works of art have inspired in them.
We also learned about how Medievalists can better share their work with the public, how folks like Kristen (University of Bern) and Patrick Murphy (Miami University Ohio) use comics as effective teaching aids, and how Medievalists and cartoonists like to nerd out about tiny details in the same way. The unexpected synergy was a joy to witness. Folks from both groups marveled, “Wow, I knew lots of US would be interested in this event, but I didn’t know so many of YOU would be!”
The event also involved a tour of the Newberry’s current exhibit, titled Native Pop!, by one of the curators. This exhibit focuses on how Indigenous people have interacted with and shaped popular culture, and it spans time periods, media, and genres in a way I’ve never seen before in a museum exhibit. It’s open until July 19th and FREE, and I recommend it to anyone in the Chicago area!
Side note, access to the Newberry’s collection is also free and open to the public. Anyone over age 14 can apply for a readers card, which allows you to look at extremely cool centuries-old manuscripts. No credentials required beyond curiosity and a willingness to treat the materials with care. How cool is that?!
A big thank you to the Newberry and everyone who worked hard to put this one-of-a-kind event together!
P.S. important information
June 14th is National Strawberry Shortcake Day. If you want my family recipe, just ask.
See you next time :)
