Conference announcement: In Godzilla's Footsteps: Japanese Pop Culture Icons on the Global Stage, Lawrence, KS, Oct. 28-30, 2004

Ito, Michiko mito
Wed Sep 1 12:15:28 EDT 2004


Conference announcement: In Godzilla's Footsteps: Japanese Pop Culture
Icons on the Global Stage, Lawrence, Kansas, October 28-30, 2004.

Sorry for cross-posting:

*  *  * 

To commemorate the King of the Monsters' fiftieth birthday, the
University of Kansas Center for East Asian Studies is hosting a
conference in which scholars from around the world will consider the
Godzilla films and their surprising impact on global culture. Find out
what a man in a latex lizard suit can tell us about the making of media
icons, the international appeal of Japanese pop culture (from AstroBoy
and Hello Kitty! to anime and Yu-Gi-Oh!), and the enduring charm of
creature features.

Invited presentations will be made by Susan Napier (University of Texas,
Austin) and Ted Bestor (Harvard University).  Conference speakers will
include Anne Allison, Mark Anderson, Joanne Bernardi, Joyce Boss, Martin
Boyden, Yoshikuni Igarashi, Hirofumi Katsuno, Barak Kushner, Yulia
Mikhailova, Gregory Pflugfelder, Eric Rath, Sayuri Shimizu, Kevin
Wetmore, and Christine Yano.

In addition to the academic conference, events will include a Godzilla
film festival, a pre-conference presentation by manga expert Frederik
Schodt on October 5, and an original theatrical performance.  Special
exhibitions will be held at KU's Spencer Museum of Art ("Pop Goes
Godzilla: Japanese Pop Culture and Globalization"), Museum of Natural
History ("The Godzilla Body Parts Tour"), and Watson Library.

Students, scholars, families, and fans young and old are invited to
attend this monster extravaganza to be held in Lawrence, Kansas from
October 28-30, 2004.  A full schedule of events and online conference
registration is available at www.g2004.ku.edu  For more information
email Bill Tsutsui at g2004 at ku.edu 

All events are free, because that's how Godzilla would want it. 

"In Godzilla's Footsteps" is sponsored by the Center for East Asian
Studies at the University of Kansas, with generous financial support
from the Japan Foundation and the Toshiba International Foundation, as
well as the University of Kansas College of Liberal Arts and Sciences,
Hall Center for the Humanities, Center for Research, the Kansas Asia
Scholars, and the Kansas Consortium for Teaching About Asia.

Submitted by:

Michiko Ito
Japanese Studies Librarian
East Asian Library
University of Kansas Libraries
Watson Library
1425 Jayhawk Blvd.
Lawrence KS 60045-7544
TEL: (785) 864-4669
FAX: (785) 864-3850




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