Concordia University's President's Conference Series Focuses on Media Convergence, Japanese Style
Montreal, January 18, 2012 - Concordia University celebrates a rich cultural heritage and its modern re-versioning in the upcoming President's Conference Series, Experiencing the Media Mix: Anime, Manga, Video Games, February 4 through 6. In an era when not only books but video games and cartoon/comic book characters are increasingly brought to movie screens, the internet and toy stores, the three-day program will examine the Japanese media mix and its wider commercial and cultural impact.
Scholars from Japan, Canada and the United States will join the university's own experts to look at the current synergy between films, video games, comic books, novels and soundtracks. Graduate students from these countries will also attend a master class on February 6 to deepen their understanding of the phenomenon and its implications on a wide range of academic fields from history and sociology through film and communication studies to literature.
Following last year's launch of its five-year partnership with the Bibliothèque et Archives nationales du Québec (BAnQ), activities will take place both at the university and at the Grande Bibliothèque.
The following events are open to the public and free of charge:
Keynote address by Eiji Otsuka (Partnership with BAnQ)
“The Unholy Alliance of Disney and Eisenstein: The Wartime Origins of Manga, Animation and Otaku Culture”
A leading Japanese cultural figure and critic, Eiji Otsuka is the author of more than two dozen books, including novels and the acclaimed manga series The Kurosagi Corpse Delivery Service. Otsuka is also the creator of the anime Mahō no Rouge and is a professor of Media Arts at Kobe Design University. Otsuka will discuss the roots of anime and manga forged during Japan's Pacific War as an amalgamation of Eisenstein's style of montage and Disney's character aesthetic.
In Japanese with English/French simultaneous translation
Saturday, February 4, at 5 p.m.
Grande Bibliothèque - Auditorium
475 De Maisonneuve Blvd. East
Free admission – tickets by reservation at banq.qc.ca
Symposium
Topics include: The Autonomy of Gaming (and the Dark Value of Guns), Nausicaä Now More Than Ever, Media Mix as Experience, Miku: Virtual Idol as Media Platform. [more details to follow]
Sunday, February 5, 9:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m.
Concordia University - J.W. McConnell Building - Cinema J.A. De Sève
1400 De Maisonneuve Blvd. West
“Mixcade” Games Arcade
The Mount Royal Games Society, in partnership with Concordia's innovative research centre in Technoculture, Art and Games (TAG) invite gamers to play. The experience will include the unveiling of new creations originating at Concordia and rediscovery of old favorites some played on vintage consoles, others to be shared through large scale projections. This unique arcade promises to break gaming out of its traditional boundaries and bring it outside the confines of the building itself. [more details to follow]
Sunday, February 5, 4 p.m. - 9 p.m.
Concordia University – Engineering, Computer Science and Visual Arts Integrated Complex (EV) building - Lobby
1515 Ste-Catherine Street West (corner Guy)
In addition to these public events, a select group of twenty graduate students from Japan, the United States and Canada who are studying themes related to Japanese media and popular culture will attend a day-long master class. This event will take place on Monday, February 6 at Concordia but is not open to the public or journalists.
Related links:
· Research Centre in Technoculture, Art and Games (TAG)
· Participants' Biographies
· President's Conference Series
Follow us on Twitter : # CUpcs
Scholars from Japan, Canada and the United States will join the university's own experts to look at the current synergy between films, video games, comic books, novels and soundtracks. Graduate students from these countries will also attend a master class on February 6 to deepen their understanding of the phenomenon and its implications on a wide range of academic fields from history and sociology through film and communication studies to literature.
Following last year's launch of its five-year partnership with the Bibliothèque et Archives nationales du Québec (BAnQ), activities will take place both at the university and at the Grande Bibliothèque.
The following events are open to the public and free of charge:
Keynote address by Eiji Otsuka (Partnership with BAnQ)
“The Unholy Alliance of Disney and Eisenstein: The Wartime Origins of Manga, Animation and Otaku Culture”
A leading Japanese cultural figure and critic, Eiji Otsuka is the author of more than two dozen books, including novels and the acclaimed manga series The Kurosagi Corpse Delivery Service. Otsuka is also the creator of the anime Mahō no Rouge and is a professor of Media Arts at Kobe Design University. Otsuka will discuss the roots of anime and manga forged during Japan's Pacific War as an amalgamation of Eisenstein's style of montage and Disney's character aesthetic.
In Japanese with English/French simultaneous translation
Saturday, February 4, at 5 p.m.
Grande Bibliothèque - Auditorium
475 De Maisonneuve Blvd. East
Free admission – tickets by reservation at banq.qc.ca
Symposium
Topics include: The Autonomy of Gaming (and the Dark Value of Guns), Nausicaä Now More Than Ever, Media Mix as Experience, Miku: Virtual Idol as Media Platform. [more details to follow]
Sunday, February 5, 9:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m.
Concordia University - J.W. McConnell Building - Cinema J.A. De Sève
1400 De Maisonneuve Blvd. West
“Mixcade” Games Arcade
The Mount Royal Games Society, in partnership with Concordia's innovative research centre in Technoculture, Art and Games (TAG) invite gamers to play. The experience will include the unveiling of new creations originating at Concordia and rediscovery of old favorites some played on vintage consoles, others to be shared through large scale projections. This unique arcade promises to break gaming out of its traditional boundaries and bring it outside the confines of the building itself. [more details to follow]
Sunday, February 5, 4 p.m. - 9 p.m.
Concordia University – Engineering, Computer Science and Visual Arts Integrated Complex (EV) building - Lobby
1515 Ste-Catherine Street West (corner Guy)
In addition to these public events, a select group of twenty graduate students from Japan, the United States and Canada who are studying themes related to Japanese media and popular culture will attend a day-long master class. This event will take place on Monday, February 6 at Concordia but is not open to the public or journalists.
Related links:
· Research Centre in Technoculture, Art and Games (TAG)
· Participants' Biographies
· President's Conference Series
Follow us on Twitter : # CUpcs
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