On Location - “Why Teach Batman in College?: Comics and Academia”

In the second of three podcasts shows recorded at this year’s Wizard World Austin Comic Con, here is a recording of the roundtable discussion held on Saturday evening, “Why Teach Batman in College?: Comics and Academia.” Derek moderated the panel, and joining him on the roundtable were Sam Canon (from the University of Texas at Austin), Aaron Delwiche (Trinity University), Andrew Friedenthal (St. Edward’s University), and Jackson Ayers (Texas A&M University-San Antonio). They began by discussing the crossroads of academia and comics culture — and how their own love of comics has informed, and has been changed by, their work as comics scholars — and then quickly moved into such topics as the role of fandom in comics scholarship, the use of superhero comics in the classroom, comics as a literacy tool, the problems of canon formation, teaching the formal system of comics, the use of comics as cultural markers, comic genres and pedagogy, and approaching history and politics through comics. The panelists covered a broad range of topics, and the audience chimed in with questions and commentary that helped guide the discussions.