Norfolk State University to Host Graphic Novel Conference as part of 1619 Making of America Series

(NSU NEWSROOM) — Norfolk State University will host its first-ever Graphic Novel Conference andCompetition this weekend (Nov. 18-19) bringing together scholars, artists, designers and students to discuss the power of art and graphic novels in communicating history and ideas to a larger audience.

The two-day conference will begin at 10 a.m. on Nov. 18 at the NSU Student Center and will feature more than 20 local and regional artists, developers and Norfolk State faculty who will participate in panel discussions, presentations and workshops about art and history-related topics for attendees. The conference is free and open to the public.

“The goal of the conference is to discuss from a visual standpoint, how we can create a real narrative that tells the story of America,” said Dr. Cassandra Newby-Alexander, dean of the NSU College of Liberal Arts. “We can’t talk about our accomplishments as a country and where we came from without talking about the good, the bad and the ugly,” NewbyAlexander said.

The first day of the conference will feature special guests and faculty lectures about the important and transformative story of the first Africans who were forcibly transported to the Virginia colony beginning in 1619 and the historical and archeological discoveries being made today. Nationally recognized artists who have worked with companies like Marvel,
Miramax, Warner Brothers and Topps will hold demonstrations about the process of developing graphic novel animation storylines and about 2D and 3D animation. The second day will begin at 10 a.m. and features sessions about how artists can create their own comic books, a panel about character design and a workshop about career paths for freelance
artists.

The conference will also feature a contest where participants can create their own graphic novel that incorporates a storyline to interpret the arrival and lives of the first Africans brought to the shores of Virginia at Point Comfort in 1619.

The event is sponsored by Norfolk State University, American Evolution and 1619 The Making of America.

For more information, contact the NSU College of Liberal Arts at (757) 823-8118. If your media organization plans to attend the conference, contact the NSU Office of Communications and Marketing at (757) 823-8373.