Last modified: Thursday, October 1, 2009
Indiana University's Union Board to present comic book talk by Scott McCloud
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Oct. 1, 2009
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- The Indiana Union Board will present comic book pioneer and innovator Scott McCloud to give an expert view on the comic world's challenges, innovations and motifs on Oct. 5, at 7 p.m. at the Whittenberger Auditorium at the Indiana Memorial Union. No ticket is required. The event sponsored by Union Board's Canvas Creative Arts Magazine.
McCloud is one of the first and most vocal supporters of Web comics, putting him at the forefront of the modern comic book industry. Considered by many as a "Renaissance man" of comics, he began his comic career with his series Zot! in 1984,then considered a lighthearted alternative to the darker, more violent comics of the period.
In 1993, McCloud released his award-winning nonfiction book, Understanding Comics: The Invisible Art, which was considered the first book to discuss the comic medium as a whole. The book has been translated into more than 16 languages and won awards including the Harvey and Eisner Award and a New York Times Notable Book Award (1994). McCloud has also written the books Reinventing Comics and Making Comics as well as a print comic series Destroy!! and various Superman scripts.
More recently, McCloud has been touring the country and voicing his support of the Web as the "infinite canvas." Using the Web as his sketchbook, McCloud is translating his 2D comics into an accessible and Web-based form, paving the way for future comics. In September 2008, the comic master took a huge step for the comic book industry's international Web-face by creating a comic book that introduced Google Chrome to the world.
"Scott McCloud is an influential advocate in the world of underground comics, and is a premier representation of the fusion of visual and written artwork, bonding the artistic interests of our campus," said Justine Carlotta, director of Canvas magazine. McCloud has done presentations at institutions such as Princeton, New York University, Pixar, Disney Comic Writers Seminar and Harvard, Carlotta said.
The Indiana Memorial Union Board is IU's largest student programming organization and also serves as the governing body of the Indiana Memorial Union. Founded in 1909 by John Whittenberger, Union Board is currently celebrating its centennial year, a year marked by reverence for tradition and commitment for innovation. The Board is composed of 16 student directors, four non-student directors and student committee members. Union Board provides the IU Bloomington campus with an array of event and activities, including concerts, lectures, films, a campus arts magazine and more.
For more information, call 812-855-4682,visit https://www.imu.indiana.edu or e-mail ubpr@indiana.edu.
