Banned Books Week is one of the most important events in literature, as every year a spotlight is shone on those books that are almost always unfairly banned from school reading lists. Most of these bans are due to political self-interests rather than the actual content found within the pages. To celebrate this notable week, Image Comics is partnering with the American Library Association for a series of free, livestream webinars to bring attention the problem that is censorship.
Celebrate Banned Books Week At Your Library With Image Comics & the American Library Association
PORTLAND, Ore. 09/23/2019 — Image Comics is celebrating Banned Books Week with the ALA Graphic Novels and Comics Round
Table and the ALA Intellectual Freedom Round Table by producing a week of Library Livestream webinars featuring creators and librarians in conversation on a number of pressing topics.
Libraries around the country are invited to welcome their patrons for these exciting creator conversations during Banned Books Week, the annual celebration of the freedom to read.
The webinars are scheduled daily during Banned Books Week – September 23–27 at 12 pm CT (1 pm ET / 10 am PT) and will be hosted on the Zoom platform and live-streamed to the American Library Association YouTube channel.
REGISTER FOR EACH INDIVIDUAL LIVESTREAM BELOW:
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 23 – HISTORICAL VOICES
Andre R. Frattino (SIMON SAYS) and Sanford Green (BITTER ROOT) in conversation with Dr. Katie Monnin (Author of 8 books on teaching graphic novels, Why so serious? Productions Founder) about banned voices throughout history.TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 24 – BANNED PEOPLE & POST-COLONIAL NARRATIVES
Sloane Leong (PRISM STALKER) and Henry Barajas (VOZ DE M.A.Y.O. TATA RAMBO) in conversation with Alea Perez (GNCRT President-Elect) about banned people, the legacy of colonialism in literature and popular culture, and the rise of post-colonial voices.WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 25 – BANNED BOOKS & CIVIL RIGHTS
Ronald Wimberly (BLACK HISTORY IN ITS OWN WORDS) and Nate Powell (MARCH) in conversation with Scott Bonner (IFRT, Ferguson Municipal Public Library Director) about the role of censorship in civil rights movements, and how their comics address legacies of erasure.THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 26 – LGBTQ CHALLENGES
Michelle Perez (THE PERVERT) and Grace Ellis (MOONSTRUCK) in conversation with Monica Barette (Principal Librarian at Chula Vista Library) about the disproportionately high incidence of bans and challenges levied against LGBTQ+ books and programs in libraries.FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 27 – PRIVATIZATION & GATEKEEPING
David F. Walker (BITTER ROOT) in conversation with Ray James (IFRT Coalition Building Committee) about how privatization impacts access, particularly as it relates to prison libraries. This discussion will also touch on gatekeeping and biases.ABOUT IMAGE COMICS
Image Comics is a comic book and graphic novel publisher founded in 1992 by a collective of bestselling artists. Image has since gone on to become one of the largest comics publishers in the United States. Image currently has six individuals on the Board of Directors: Robert Kirkman, Erik Larsen, Todd McFarlane, Marc Silvestri, Jim Valentino, and Eric Stephenson. It consists of five major houses: Todd McFarlane Productions, Top Cow Productions, Shadowline Comics, Skybound Entertainment, and Image Central. Image publishes comics and graphic novels in nearly every genre, sub-genre, and style imaginable. It offers science fiction, fantasy, romance, horror, crime fiction, historical fiction, humor and more by the finest artists and writers working in the medium today. For more information, visit www.imagecomics.com.
