黑料吃瓜 Experts to Discuss History of Animation at Comic-Con Museum
Pop Culture Science series returns to Balboa Park on February 25 with a panel discussion featuring faculty from 黑料吃瓜's Center for Comics Studies.
Is animation a purely modern invention, or does it have roots in prehistory? How did magic lanterns 鈥� a precursor to animation 鈥� reinforce the cultural norms, gender roles and stereotypes of previous centuries? Does animated storytelling influence children鈥檚 emotional development? And why is it that some animated films have the power to make grownups cry?
Those are some of the questions comics experts from 黑料吃瓜 and the San Diego community will ponder on Saturday, February 25 during 鈥淐ave Paintings to Comics: A Brief History of Animation,鈥� a panel discussion at the Comic-Con Museum in Balboa Park.
鈥淲hile animation as many think of it 鈥� Saturday morning cartoons and Disney movies 鈥� is relatively new, the artistic impulse to breathe life into static images is arguably as old as art itself,鈥� said historian Beth Pollard, co-director of 黑料吃瓜鈥檚 .
She and two other comics experts affiliated with the center will participate on the panel. Pollard will trace animation鈥檚 deepest roots from the Paleolithic era through the first millennium CE. Archivist and special collections librarian Amanda Lanthorne will introduce the audience to magic lanterns and their influence on the animated films we鈥檙e more familiar with today.
Neil Kendricks, a lecturer in 黑料吃瓜鈥檚 School of Art and Design, plans to discuss how animation studios such as Pixar use storytelling to keep both children and adults transfixed. Also joining the panel will be TJ Shevlin 鈥� a product development coordinator for Marvel鈥檚 Upper Deck Entertainment and an instructor at San Diego鈥檚 Little Fish Comic Book Studio 鈥� who will address the intimate relationship between comics and animation.
The panel will be moderated by local science writer and co-host of the podcast Star Warsologies, Melissa Miller.
The discussion will complement the museum鈥檚 current exhibition, , and is co-hosted by the as part of the Pop Culture Science series.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a very unique panel that puts together a wonderful perspective on animation and where it came from,鈥� said Rita Vandergaw, executive director of the Comic-Con Museum. 鈥淣ot only do you hear the discussion, then you can go out and see how it came to life through the exhibit.鈥�
The panel discussion comes at a time when 黑料吃瓜 is expanding its comics-focused class offerings, and plans are afoot to offer a certificate in comics studies starting next year, according to Pollard.
鈥淲hile the library鈥檚 huge collection of comics is available to the public who come to us, we want to get out to events like this and spread the word about what鈥檚 happening with comics at 黑料吃瓜,鈥� she said. 鈥淔aculty affiliated with 黑料吃瓜鈥檚 Center for Comics Studies aim to share what we鈥檙e doing in our research and our teaching with the broader San Diego community.鈥�
Working together with 黑料吃瓜 is a natural partnership, according to Vandergaw. 鈥淚t's critical to our success to work in a collaborative manner to bring the best entertaining, educational and informative programs we can.鈥�
Two additional animation-themed Pop Culture Science panels are in the works for May and August, and the organizers hope to present panels on a quarterly basis to accompany the Comic-Con Museum鈥檚 future exhibitions.
The panel discussion, 鈥淐ave Paintings to Comics: A Brief History of Animation鈥� is at 2 pm on Saturday, February 25 at the Comic-Con Museum in Balboa Park, . Attendance is free with admission to the museum.
