1st Global Conference on Shapeshifters CFP (6/14/13)

This one sounds really interesting:

1st Global Conference: Shapeshifters: Transformations, Hybridity and Identity
Location: Greece Conference Date: 2013-11-01
Date Submitted: 2013-03-26
Announcement ID: 202533

1st Global Conference Shapeshifters: Transformations, Hybridity and Identity
Friday 1st November 2013 – Sunday 3rd November 2013
Athens, Greece

Call for Presentations

This conference seeks to explore the role of the shapeshifter in popular and literary culture. Chantal Bourgault du Coudray notes that ‘an ever- growing body of scholarship utilizes the concept of hybrid or heterogeneous identity. The hybrid identity is theorized and celebrated as a response to the demands of a fragmented, multi- dimensional, postmodern world, one in which shifting boundaries and a multiplicity of subject positions make it impossible to assume a homogeneous or stable subjectivity.’ Theorists such as Katherine Hayles and Donna Haraway discuss the implications of hybridity in the posthuman. Asa Simon Mittman and Peter J. Dendle deal with the monstrosity of hybridity. Many critics discuss iterations of the werewolf in literature and film. However, relatively few scholars have addressed the figure of the shapeshifter other than the werewolf, despite the rising number of shapeshifters appearing in a variety of genres. This conference seeks to address that lack by examining the role of the shapeshifter in culture, including literature, film, television, graphic novels, fan cultures and video games. We are interested in essays dealing with any time period or genre. We welcome contributions from all disciplines.

We invite perspectives that explore the shapeshifter as symbol of identity, hybridity, boundary, or sexuality.

We likewise invite reflections on whether the nature of our tales of shapeshifters tells us anything about who and what we are and where we might be headed. What does it mean to change shape? What problems/issues could arise from such an ability? What concerns are raised about physicality historically, culturally, politically? What about non- human shifters? Ghosts that change form? Individuals that can change into non corporal forms like smoke? Humans that change into other humans? Note that we do not seek to limit the idea of “shapeshifters” to human- to- animal changes such as werewolves; we are interested in the idea of shifting shapes in a variety of contexts.

We encourage scholarly contributions from inter-, multi-, and transdisciplinary perspectives, from practitioners working in all contexts. We will entertain submissions drawn from literature, medicine, politics, social history, film, television, graphic novels and manga, from science to science fiction.

Topics may include but are not limited to:
 -Historical medical discourses about shapeshifters
-The monstrosity of shapeshifters
-Freak(s) – of nature; of technology; accidents of birth
-Queering form
-Invading and possessing bodies
-Science fiction: inter- species reproduction: non-human reproduction, hybrids
-Issues of identity: does the shapeshifitng entity share one identity? Are multiple identities cohabitating in one body?
-Issues of body image: to what degree does control of one’s own body tie into the idea of “shapeshifting”? How does the issue of changing shape tie in to plastic surgery? What about eating disorders? To what degree are our identities anchored to our outward appearances; does a change in one affect the other?
-What could be possible reasons for the rising occurrence of shapeshifitng bodies in popular culture during the last ten years?
-Paranormal romance novels feature an abundance of shapeshifitng
-Posthumanism: has the issue of “shape” become irrelevant in posthuman studies? How does shifting shape tie in to posthumanism?
-Cyberspace issues: Have we indeed become the cyborg?
-DNA gambles and gene manipulations: the meaning of the shapeshifter in science and culture
-Alternate Worlds/realities
-(Dis)Ability—representations of mental illness, psychotherapeutic techniques, (de)institutionalization in the changing of the body
-Interpersonal Communication: body language
-(Neuro)Science and Technology—ethics (e.g., human experimentations)
-Teen shapeshifters
-Role-playing, gaming and MMORPGs
-Mythologies and folkloric belief
-Magic, transformation and the body
-Theoretical considerations of gender, female and non-normative sexuality
-The female shapeshifter as/and the other
-The male shapeshifter as/and the other
-Post-9/11 shapeshifting and its implications
-Cultural shapeshifting, mimcry, integration and post-colonial identity
-Carnivalesque as a performance
-Performance in relation to the shapeshifter: performing gender, performing identities, performing sexuality, performing cultural belonging/stereotypes
-The way we dress as a shapeshifting act: cross- dressing, transvestism, drag
-McDonald´s is going green: The shapeshifting nature of corporations and institutions

The Steering Group particularly welcomes the submission of pre-formed panel proposals. Papers and presentations will also be considered on any related theme. 300 word abstracts or presentation proposals should be submitted by Friday 14th June 2013. If an abstract is accepted for the conference, a full draft paper, if appropriate, should be submitted by Friday 13th September 2013.

What to Send
300 word abstracts or presentation proposals should be submitted simultaneously to both Organising Chairs; abstracts may be in Word, WordPerfect, or RTF formats with the following information and in this order:

a) author(s), b) affiliation, c) email address, d) title of abstract, e) body of abstract, f) up to 10 keywords. E- mails should be entitled: SHAPE1 Abstract Submission

Please use plain text (Times Roman 12) and abstain from using footnotes and any special formatting, characters or emphasis (such as bold, italics or underline). We acknowledge receipt and answer to all paper proposals submitted. If you do not receive a reply from us in a week you should assume we did not receive your proposal; it might be lost in cyberspace! We suggest, then, to look for an alternative electronic route or resend.

Organising Chairs:
Margo Collins: margoc@inter-disciplinary.net
Rob Fisher: shape1@inter-disciplinary.net

The conference is part of the Probing the Boundaries programme of research projects. It aims to bring together people from different areas and interests to share ideas and explore various discussions which are innovative and exciting. It aims to bring together people from different areas and interests to share ideas and explore discussions which are innovative and challenging. All papers accepted for and presented at this conference are eligible for publication in an ISBN eBook. Selected papers may be invited to go forward for development into a themed ISBN hard copy volume.

For further details of the conference, please visit: http://www.inter-disciplinary.net/at-the-interface/diversity-recognition/shapeshifters-transformationshybridity-and-identity/call-for-presentations/

 Please note: Inter-Disciplinary.Net is a not-for-profit network and we are not in a position to be able to assist with conference travel or subsistence

Priory House
149B Wroslyn Road
Freeland, Oxfordshire OX29 8HR
United Kingdom
Tel: +44 (0)1993 882087
Fax: +44 (0)870 4601132
Email: shape1@inter-disciplinary.net
Visit the website at http://www.inter-disciplinary.net/at-the-interface/diversity-recognition/shapeshifters-transformationshybridity-and-identity/call-for-presentations/

Material and the Immaterial in Modern Spanish Literature and Film CFP (NeMLA 9/30/13)

Two calls for paper to post tonight. Here's the first:

NEMLA 2014: Physical Transcendence: The Relationships between the Material and the Immaterial in Modern Spanish Literature and Film
Location: Pennsylvania, United States
Call for Papers Date: 2013-09-30
Date Submitted: 2013-05-22
Announcement ID: 203975

This panel seeks proposals analyzing the interaction of the material and the immaterial in the creation of literary and filmic works in Spain from the 19th century to the present day. The recurrent emphasis on the physical in modern literary and filmic texts does not preclude, and in fact often leads to, an exposition of untouchable realities. The materiality of bodies and objects, on the one hand, and the relationship between movement and space, on the other, has been instrumental in a wide array of works of fiction, poetry and film. In this panel we ask participants to reflect on how these elements of the physical world combine with those of dream, fantasy, imagination, and hallucination. Instead of treating the material and immaterial as separate domains, this panel seeks to explore how their convergence leads to the transcendental, the surreal or the fantastic in the works of modern Spanish writers and directors. It thus aims to surpass aesthetic, cultural and historical limitations by not merely linking physical objects to symbolic meaning, but also exploring how the two are interwoven in literary and filmic texts. The topics of these works frequently deal with the construction of city and state in the wake of the Disaster of 1898, the Spanish Civil War and its haunting presence in fiction, walking as an expression of desire and individuality, fetishism and its revelation of the unconscious, and more. By linking the terrestrial and corporal to the intangible and supernatural, this panel will explore the ways in which Spanish literature and film embed layers of meaning into phenomenological reality. Please send 250-300 word abstracts in English or Spanish to laurie.lomask@yale.edu or tanya.romero-gonzalez@yale.edu.

 Laurie Lomask and Tanya Romero-González
Email: laurie.lomask@yale.edu; tanya.romero-gonzalez@yale.edu

Trailer for NBC's Dracula

A final post for the weekend. NBC is apparently airing an adaptation and/or series based on Bram Stoker's Dracula this fall. The official trailer was just released:

CFP Folk Belief and Traditions of the Supernatural (no deadline listed)

"Folk Belief and Traditions of the Supernatural: Experience, Place, Ritual, and Narrative"
Location: United Kingdom
Conference Date: 2014-03-25
Date Submitted: 2013-02-07
Announcement ID: 201181

This folklore conference will explore past and present supernatural traditions worldwide, focusing on how they relate to experience, place, ritual, and narrative.

Throughout history, scholars and laypeople have theorised on supernatural experience. Europeans have debated, for example, whether fairies should be identified as demons, Jungian archetypes, symbols of nature, a race of humans, childhood bogeymen, or liminality made manifest. Is precognition a blessing, curse, delusion, or ransfer of spiritual energy? What about encounters with ghosts, gods, aliens, monsters, or the Virgin Mary? How comparable are traditions from different cultures? Where do we draw the line between religion, folk belief, science, and entertainment?

From the evening of 25 March to the afternoon of 28 March, we will be based at remote and windswept cottages on the island of Unst, where we will speak with tradition bearers and visit sites of local legend. We will spend the last two nights in Shetland’s main town of Lerwick, where delegates will give academic presentations. Throughout the event, delegates will prepare and dine on locally produced food. The events of 29-30 March take place in association with The Supernatural in Literature and Film: No separate registration is required to hear talks belonging to this conference.

 Attendance is limited to around 20 delegates, accepted on a first-come, first-serve basis. If you would like to give a talk, send an abstract (150-200 words) and biography (max. 100 words) to convenor Adam Grydehøj at agrydehoj@islanddynamics.org. Selected papers will be collected for publication in book form.

Expressions are interest are welcome, but you must register to save a place at the event. Write to convenor Adam Grydehøj at agrydehoj@islanddynamics.org to learn more.

Adam Grydehoj
Phone: +45 53401982
Email: agrydehoj@islanddynamics.org
Visit the website at http://www.islanddynamics.org/folkloreconference.html

CFP Supernatural in Literature and Film (6/1/13)

Our first CFP for the new blog:

"The Supernatural in Literature and Film: Ghosts, Fairies, Aliens, Vampires, Monsters, and Demons"
Location: United Kingdom Conference
Date: 2014-03-29
Date Submitted: 2013-02-07
Announcement ID: 201182

This conference will bring together researchers and practitioners to discuss the role of the supernatural in books and movies, past and present, worldwide.

Ever since the dawn of literature, the supernatural has played a role in the stories humanity has told about itself. But how are we to compare Medieval historical writing – with its naturalistic narratives of fairies, demons, and monsters – with present-day written and film fiction concerning vampires, aliens, and ghosts? Similarly, what are today’s readers to make of Medieval texts of a consciously fictional nature? Even in 12th Century Britain, the serious author Gerald of Wales could criticise his earlier contemporary Geoffrey of Monmouth for writing lies, yet Gerald himself delights in tales of demons and enchantment. The fascination and horror of the supernatural in film and literature is no less complex today: Whether Hollywood’s various fairy tale reboots, the ancient evils of Lovecraftian horror, the vampires and werewolves of the Twilight series, or the vengeful ghosts and giant monsters that wreak habitual destruction in Japanese cinema, popular culture has never been more magical.

29-30 March will feature academic presentations by conference delegates. On 31 March, visiting delegates will take part in a coach tour of Shetland’s wild and magnificent natural and cultural heritage sites, guided by a local storyteller. The events of 29-30 March take place in association with "Folk Belief and Traditions of the Supernatural": No separate registration is required to hear talks belonging to this conference.

 If you are interested in giving a talk, please send an abstract (150-200 words) and biography (max. 100 words) to Adam Grydehøj at agrydehoj@islanddynamics.org. All abstracts are subject to peer review, and selected papers will be collected for publication. Note that the oral presentations on 29-30 March will be delivered to a mixed audience of academics and non-academics. The final deadline for abstracts is 1 October 2013, but to take advantage of early registration rates, you must submit your abstract by 1 June 2013 at the latest.

Adam Grydehoj
Tel.: +45 53401982
Email: agrydehoj@islanddynamics.org
Visit the website at http://www.islanddynamics.org/supernatural-2014.html

Cryptid Heroes from the Kroffts

Here's the last set for tonight, two cryptid heroes from Sid and Marty Krofft:

Monster (Super)Heroes and (Super)Villains

Here's a mixed group of shows featuring monsters as superhero-like heroes and villains. Details on all five shows can be found on their respective Wikipedia pages.

Frankenstein's Cat!

Here's a fun one I came across last summer. Its very much in the vein of Beetlejuice with Nine, the eponymous Frankenstein's Cat, providing adventure for his human playmate, Lottie. The series, now out on DVD,  is based on a picture book by Curtis Jobling.

Relative of Kong?

Grape Ape, also from Hanna-Barbera, is a humorous take on the figure of King Kong. Grape is a hero and, instead of a boy, has a canine companion.

The First Family of Fright

First airing in the mid 1960s, The Munsters, a series inspired by the Universal horror films of the 1930s and '40s and depicting friendlier versions of their monstrous cast, remains a popular series with a number of reboots (the latest, Mockingbird Lane, airing last October) and continuations.

Frankenstein Jr.

Another classic Hanna-Barbara series. Again, like Frankenstein, Milton, and Speed Buggy, the robot known as Frankenstein Jr. (voiced by Ted Cassidy) is a created being and, like Godzilla and The King Kong Show, has a boy companion.




Frankenstein Jr. seems also a bit inspired by another series from the 1960s, Gigantor, as revealed below:

Speed Buggy?

Here's another example of a created being, perhaps (?) inspired also by Frankenstein.

Milton the Monster?

Here's a good version of Frankenstein's Monster. I'm not familiar with this series at all, so I will try to post further on it in the future. The first clip is apparently an early opening for the series and includes Milton's origin. The second one must be later in the series' run and focuses on other characters of the show.

Godzilla Animated

Two Godzilla cartoons up next based on the world's best known kaiju. The first from the 1970s features Godzilla and his diminutive cousin Godzooky (a pale imitation of Godzilla's filmic offspring Minya) as heroes aiding a small group of humans. 



A more recent series (based on the American feature film) puts Godzilla in a more ambivalent light, but he (she?) proves to be a hero when confronted with other monstrous creations.

King Kong Cartoons

Two series featuring the cryptid King Kong. Both feature the giant gorilla (Gigantopithecus?) as a heroic figure.

The first series, from the 1960s, introduces a recurrent theme when the preternatural is translated into children's culture and follows the now familar motif of a boy and his monster.



The second, a more recent series, also allies Kong with humans and, like the Godzilla cartoon from the 1980s, grants the monstrous hero superpowers.

Starting the Blog

I'm going to start off the blog with a series of video clips (more to follow in the coming weeks) of children's series and other television programs featuring the preternatural. I am basically looking to set a base both for what the prenatural is and how it can used both positively and negatively (and sometimes both) in popular culture.

Michael Torregrossa

Welcome

Welcome to Popular Preternaturaliana: Studying the Monstrous in Popular Culture, a new resource sponsored by the Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Legend Area of the Northeast Popular Culture/American Culture Association and hosted by The Virtual Society for the Study of Popular Culture and the Middle Ages. I've spent a number of years exploring the monsters of medievalism and have come to the conclusion that, in order to understand the monstrous, one needs to look at the bigger picture and take into account the complete history of preternatural entities, including their origins, evolution over time, and relationship to similar creatures across the globe. As a result, this blog was brought to life in May 2013 in the hopes of providing a place to promote further study and debate of the preternatural where ever and when ever it may appear. 

Michael A. Torregrossa
Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Legend Area Chair, Northeast Popular Culture/American Culture Association
Co-Founder, The Virtual Society for the Study of Popular Culture and the Middle Ages