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Turn Your Eyes Toward March


Don't worry if the title doesn't make sense, give it a minute.

Ages of Heroes, Eras of Men is coming along. Our contributors are finishing up the last touches and the editors are making our list and checking it twice. As I have mentioned in the past, the book's contributors offer a complex and interesting look at comics and comic culture in the United States. Nonetheless, sealing the deal in regards to this book is keeping me working during my summer "vacation." I'm starting to miss the regular grind of grading papers and hearing student complain (I'm kidding...mostly). Anyway, I think the key to this process is to stay focus and work the process. The book exists, it just not in its final form. As it always the process, there are some people sending things in late, but most people have the their submissions done. We are a little concerned about length (the problems of a down economy, everything is more expensive--shaving a few pages from each submission will put us in a better position with the publisher).

Editing aside, I can see from our submissions that we have something to offer for comic fans and scholars alike. I'm not sure how to get the word out to the average comic fan (how many can be reading this blog? hundreds? thousands?), but for scholars the process is go to conferences. We have gotten together at the Florida Conference of Historians and the next step is to go to a bigger conference. The Popular Culture Association meeting is a good choice, but another great choice is the International Association for the Fantastic in the Arts. The IAFA is a scholarly organization devoted to the study of the fantastic (broadly defined) as it appears in literature, film, and the other arts. The purpose of the organization is to promote and recognize achievement in the study of the fantastic. This may seem like an interesting choice, but it makes sense--it sure to have a big audience and given our interdisciplinary approach, we may attract more readers or perhaps contributors for a second volume. I know it crazy to consider what happen after the book you haven't gotten a contract for is published. On the other hand, those that don't consider their options are likely not to have any. The next meeting of the IAFA is March 17-21 in Orlando, FL. Look for panels based on Ages of Heroes, Eras of Men.

See that title makes sense now:)

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