Diane R. Wiener, Research Professor and Associate Director of Interdisciplinary Programs and Outreach at the Burton Blatt Institute, will be presenting on “(Dis)ability in Comics and Cosplay” as part of at Geek/Art CONfluence, a one-day CON celebrating the artistry in geek culture, organized by Chris Wildrick, Associate Professor of Studio Arts (School of Art, College of Visual and Performing Arts).  The event, which is free and open to the public, features two faculty/professional panels, a student panel, and a variety of other geek-friendly components (information below).

Wiener’s presentation will be part of the faculty/professional panel entitled, “History, Identity, and Values in Fan Culture.”
In 2013, with Rachael Zubal-Ruggieri (Administrative Assistant, BBI’s Office of Interdisciplinary Programs and Outreach) and others, Wiener co-created the first-ever entirely disability-themed comic con, “Cripping” the Comic Con, which occurred annually between 2013 and 2017, then became biannual.  The 2019 symposium expanded the “CripCon”’s continuous local, national, and international interdisciplinary work on disability culture, teaching, research, advocacy, inclusion, and the arts, by engaging with disabled and nondisabled artist-scholar-activists from across the globe and around the corner.

Wiener also teaches “(Dis)abling Comic Books” for the Renée Crown University Honors Program at SU.  The course, which will be offered for the fifth time in spring 2020, examines: the representations of disability in the comics world; the necessity of creating accessible, inclusive comics and media adaptations; and the roles of disabled artists, writers, editors, performers, and others in the comics industry and beyond.

The Geek/Art CONfluence takes place at the SU Art Gallery on the first floor of the Shaffer Art Building on Saturday, October 5, from 1:00 to 5:00 p.m., and will feature artists, academics, faculty, and students from multiple central New York universities, all discussing and showing off their work about geek culture.  The event will also feature cosplaying, cosplay demos, lightsaber demonstrations, and more.  Everyone who likes geek culture, or wants to know more about it is invited and welcome.  Questions can be directed to Prof. Chris Wildrick at: cwildric@syr.edu.

Facebook event page [www.facebook.com/events/3123302441044190]
SU Art Gallery event page [galleries.syr.edu/event/geek-art-confluence]
View Event Poster [Poster includes text with Geek Art/CONfluence information and schedule, and including a photograph of a Jon Arbuckle being attacked by a mutant Garfield cartoon cat cosplay]

About the Burton Blatt Institute
The Burton Blatt Institute (“BBI”) at Syracuse University reaches around the globe in its efforts to advance the civic, economic, and social participation of people with disabilities. Through program development, research, and public policy guidance, BBI advances the full inclusion of people with disabilities. BBI builds on the legacy of Burton Blatt, a pioneering disability rights scholar. BBI has offices in Syracuse, NY; Washington, DC; Atlanta, GA; New York City, NY; and Lexington, KY. bbi.syr.edu