Abstract
Deadline: 12/1/2002
Event:
The
Center for East Asian Studies at the University of Kansas
Interdisciplinary Symposium
Event
Date & Location:
October 2004, in commemoration of the 50th anniversary
of the release of the original film Gojira.
Information:
The Center for East Asian Studies at the University
of Kansas invites proposals for papers to be delivered at
an interdisciplinary symposium "In Godzilla's Footsteps:
Japanese Pop Culture Icons on the Global Stage." The
symposium will be held in late October 2004 in commemoration
of the 50th anniversary of the release of the original film
Gojira. Proposals from all disciplines - history, film studies,
culture studies, literature, anthropology, etc. - will be
welcomed. The symposium will consider the Godzilla films
and how they were shaped by (and in turn shaped) postwar
Japanese culture, as well as the globalization of Japanese
popular culture icons in the wake of the Godzilla phenomenon.
Possible themes include Japanese science fiction and kaiju
eiga, the history of Japanese "tokusatsu (special effects)"
movies, Godzilla and Japanese nationalism, fan cultures,
the domestic and international marketing of Japanese popular
culture, Japanese animation and the legacy of Gojira, Japanese
cultural imperialism, freedom of speech and censorship,
transformations of Godzilla in American popular culture,
and so forth. This symposium is intended to be a serious
(but enjoyable) academic gathering, not a fan-oriented or
commercial event.
Submission
Guidelines / Information:
Please submit a current curriculum vitae and a proposal
of 250-500 words by December 1, 2002. Electronic submissions
are encouraged. The organizers plan to publish selected
papers and limited funding should be available to help defray
travel costs for those participating in the symposium. Proposals
from advanced graduate students will be given full consideration.
Contact:
William M. Tsutsui (btsutsui@ku.edu)
or Michiko Ito (mito@ku.edu)
Center for East Asian Studies
University of Kansas
1440 Jayhawk Blvd., Rm. 202
Lawrence, KS, 66045-7545
