Comics Studies Society News, and a Personal Reflection

Forgive me for interrupting KinderComics' coverage of children's and young adult comics to report on something else (albeit something related) that is near and dear to my heart:

The 2018 officer elections for the Comics Studies Society ended last week, and I want to congratulate new CSS Board officers Colin Beineke, Leah Misemer, and Matt Smith, the newly reelected Nhora Serrano, the newly appointed Samantha Langsdale, and a new slate of Graduate Student Caucus officers including Bryan Bove, Biz Nijdam, Adrienne Resha, and Hanah Stiverson! Here is the full roster of the CSS Board at present:

• Carol Tilley, President (2018-2019) 
• Candida Rifkind, First Vice President (2018-2019) and 2019 President-Elect
• Matt Smith, Second Vice President (2018-2019) and 2020 President-Elect
• Susan Kirtley, Executive Secretary (2017-2020)
• Nhora Lucia Serrano, Executive Treasurer (2018-2021)
• Jared Gardner, Journal Editor (2015-2018) and Web Editor (2017-2018)
• Samantha Langsdale, Social Strategist (2018-2021)
• Colin Beineke, Member at Large (2018-2020)
• Blair Davis, Member at Large (2017-2019)
• Martha Kuhlman, Member at Large (2017-2019)
• Leah Misemer, Member at Large (2018-2020)
• Joshua Abraham Kopin, President of the Graduate Student Caucus (2018-2019)
• Elizabeth "Biz" Nijdam, Vice President, GSC (2018-2019)
• Adrienne Resha, Secretary/Treasurer, GSC (2018-2019)
• Bryan Bove, Member at Large, GSC (2018-2019)
• Hanah Stiverson, Member at Large, GSC (2018-2019)
• Jeremy Carnes, Web Editor, GSC (2018-2019)
• Charles Hatfield, Immediate Past President (2018-2019)

Thanks to outgoing Member at Large Christy Blanch and outgoing Social Strategist and original Web Editor A. David Lewis! Thanks also to new VP Matt Smith for his two years of service as a Member at Large. (And thanks to emeritus founding officers Corey Creekmur, Brian Cremins, Rebecca Wanzo, and Qiana Whitted, who were part of the very first Board elected in late 2014.)

You may notice that I'm the "Immediate Past President," which means that, yes, after several years on the job, I have stepped down from the Presidency and been succeeded by the very capable, tireless, and inspiring Carol Tilley! Carol is now spearheading plans for our first CSS conference, Mind the Gaps, to be held this August 9-11 at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. This innovative, forward-looking conference will include nearly fifty sessions, more than 140 program participants, and an array of special events—check it out!

Per the CSS bylaws, I'll be serving on the Board for one more year, though no longer in a leading role. It has been my pleasure, and a source of great pride, to preside over the founding and early development of the CSS, and to work with such talented colleagues to envision and help ensure the future of Comics Studies. And it is my very great pleasure to pass the torch to Carol and all those who will come after.

FYI, the CSS is a professional association and learned society for comics scholars, dedicated to (as our official mission statement says) "promoting the critical study of comics, improving comics teaching, and engaging in open and ongoing conversations about the comics world." The Society "celebrates and seeks to foster diversity in comics studies, including diversity in scholarly discipline, career position, job niche, and cultural and personal identity." Readers, if you're passionate about comics studies but don't know the CSS, I urge you to check us out—and feel free to contact me via this blog if you have questions!

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PS. As of yesterday, May 21, the CSS has just announced the winners of its inaugural prizes for scholarly writing:

The first-ever CSS Book Prize goes to Brannon Costello of Louisiana State University for Neon Visions: The Comics of Howard Chaykin (Louisiana State UP).

The first-ever CSS Article Prize goes to Benoît Crucifix of the University of Liège and UC Louvain for "Cut-Up and Redrawn: Charles Burns's Swipe Files" (Inks 1.3, Fall 2017).

The Chute Award for Best Graduate Student Conference Presentation goes to Alex Smith of the University of Cincinnati for "Breaking Panels: Gay Cartoonists’ Radical Revolt." (Chute Award judges also recognized three honorable mentions: Michael Grifka of the Ohio State University, Maite Urcaregui of UC Santa Barbara, and Andrea Horbinski of UC Berkeley.)

With these awards, the CSS inaugurates a new tradition of prizes awarded by comics scholars to comics scholars. I hope you can join us at our conference in August to witness the official conferral of these prizes!