As part of a cooperation with the Comic Arts Collection at Michigan State University, the largest of its kind, the JFKI library additionally started collecting comic books. Michigan State University will give double issues from its collection as a continuing donation to JFKI library. The donations span genres and time periods, from Action Comics of the 1960s and 70s to science fiction comics from the 1980s and current superhero comics. The JFKI library is now the first academic library in Germany to collect American comic books systematically.

The collection serves teaching and research at the John F. Kennedy Institute and is of special interest to the Research Unit "Popular Seriality—Aesthetics and Practice".

We will celebrate the opening of this new special collection with a slideshow by renowned comic artist Keith Knight.

Program:

Frank Kelleter: Introduction / Einführung

Julia Mayer: : Comics in wissenschaftlichen Bibliotheken und die Comic-Sammlung der Bibliothek des JFKI

Daniel Stein: Comics Studies and the Research Unit "Popular Seriality—Aesthetics and Practice"

"They Shoot Black People, Don't They? A Cartoonist's Look at Police Brutality in the U.S."

Brand-new Power-point slideshow from nationally syndicated cartoonist Keith Knight (The Knight Life, The K Chronicles, (th)ink). Presenting his unique take on the militarization of the nation's police force and the unchecked killing of unarmed citizens, Knight's cartoons are infused with urgency, humor, satire, politics, and race. His work is designed to provoke constructive, civil dialogue amongst people young and old, left and right, of all colors and orientations.

Keith Knight's work has graced the pages of the Washington Post, the San Francisco Chronicle, Daily KOS, Medium.com, MAD Magazine. He is the recipient of Comic-Con International's Inkpot Award for achievements in his field. Steven Spielberg won the award a year later.

Poster here.