Comics & Beer: Space, Location, and Virtual Travel in Comics (A Cedar Rapids Comic Con Affiliate Event)

Spend an amusing afternoon at the museum enjoying a Czech-style pilsner (or other beer of your choice) and working on that artistic flair! No prior comic-drawing experience is required for this hands-on workshop. One beverage is included; IDs are required.

The National Czech & Slovak Museum & Library is proud to host this event in affiliation with Cedar Rapids Comic Con 2017!

Where in the World?: Space, Location, and Virtual Travel in Comics
From Superman’s fictional Metropolis and Batman’s Gotham City to the actual spaces of Tokyo, Paris, or Bombay, comics have made rich use of the locations in which their stories are set.  Why is the backdrop of Riverdale important to Archie comics?  What is the deep connection between comics and urban space, and its vertical architecture?  This interactive workshop will explore the spatial aspects of comics and their frequent use of fully realized imaginary and actual locations as a form of virtual travel.  In addition to a bit of comics history, participants in the workshop will creatively engage with ways of exploring their own comics panels and pages as a spatial grid, not unlike a blueprint for a building or a map for a city block.

Corey K. Creekmur teaches classes on cinema, comics, and popular literature as an Associate Professor at the University of Iowa, where he is appointed in three departments: Cinematic Arts, English, and Gender, Women’s and Sexuality Studies.  He earned his BA at the University of Florida, his MA at the University of Chicago, and his PhD at the University of Illinois. He also edits a book series, Comics Culture, for Rutgers University Press, and was a founding member of the Society for Comics Studies: currently he is also on the Board of Directors of FilmScene, Eastern Iowa’s independent movie theater.  His current projects include a book-length study of Love and Rockets, the groundbreaking independent comic by the brothers Gilbert and Jaime Hernandez.