The Columbia University Summer Experience gives you an opportunity to dig into a truly special collection in one of the Ivy League’s most celebrated institutions, Columbia University’s Butler Library. The host of this summer’s special Comics and Graphic Novel Collection program: Karen Green, curator for Comics and Cartoons and lecturer in English and Comparative Literature. Karen has spearheaded Columbia University’s groundbreaking Comics and Graphic Novel Collection, which held just three titles in 2005 and now contains roughly 20,000, in more than two dozen languages, including archives of creators, editors, publishers, researchers, and fans that are now housed in the Rare Book & Manuscript Library. The collection includes the papers of Chris Claremont—legendary X-Men author and the creator of beloved X-Men characters like Mystique, Gambit, Kitty Pryde, and Rogue—and items from the estate of Jerry Robinson, co-creator of famous Batman characters Robin and the Joker.
The extensive Columbia University Comics and Graphic Novel Collection is one of the many resources at Columbia that make it such an exceptional place to teach and to learn.
Our summer public program provides an opportunity to connect with one another, the faculty, and the scholarship that makes Columbia University such a special place.
The Columbia University Summer Session presents an outstanding opportunity to open the world to Columbia, and to open Columbia to the world. Through our summer programming, students from around the globe have the chance to engage with materials and topics unique to our school.
The Experience Columbia series features the Comics and Graphic Novel Collection and provides a unique opportunity to learn about, explore, and experience the influence comics have had on culture. Karen Green will moderate special conversations with Assistant Professor of French Aubrey Gabel and Atran Professor of Yiddish Language, Literature and Culture Jeremy Dauber; host a special tour of the collection; and screen a movie on campus. We will explore how current events have been reflected in the graphic medium, the role of comics in academia, and the question “Are comics actually the most influential media in American history?”
Session A Events
Bandes dessinées and Comics: From Journalism to Global Politics
Friday, June 9, 2023, 5:30–6:30 p.m.
Lerner Hall, Room 555
2920 Broadway, New York, NY 10027
This conversation will cover a wide range of topics, exploring graphic artists from America, France, and Canada, and comparing differences in cultural approaches. The interactive, visual, and textual elements of sequential art and storytelling will be discussed.
Speakers include:
- Karen Green, Curator for Comics and Cartoons; Lecturer in English and Comparative Literature
- Aubrey Gabel, Assistant Professor of French
Comic, Cartoon, and Graphic Novel Collection Tour
Friday, June 23, 2023, 4:30–5:30 p.m. and 5:30–6:30 p.m.
Butler Library
535 W. 114th St., New York, NY 10027
Join Karen Green for a guided tour of the “Fanzines: Passion Made Personal” exhibit and Columbia’s extensive Comics and Graphic Novel Collection. Offered to a limited number of participants, this tour offers an unparalleled opportunity to see the roughly 20,000 items in the collection.
Scott Pilgrim vs. the World Movie Screening
Friday, June 23, 2023, 7:00–9:30 p.m.
Miller Theatre
2960 Broadway, New York, NY 10027
Attend the screening of Scott Pilgrim vs. the World (2010), with an introduction by Karen Green.
Session B Events
Comics and Graphic Novels: America’s Most Influential Medium? Inspiration and Influence
Tuesday, August 1, 2023, 5:30–7:00 p.m.
Buell Hall, Maison Française
515 W 116th St., New York, NY 10027
These scholars will discuss the influence of comics in America, and the authors and artists who shaped the medium.
Speakers include:
- Karen Green, Curator for Comics and Cartoons; Lecturer in English and Comparative Literature
- Aubrey Gabel, Assistant Professor of French
- Jeremy Dauber, Atran Professor of Yiddish Language, Literature and Culture
Comic, Cartoon, and Graphic Novel Collection Tour
Thursday, August 3, 2023, 4:30–5:30 p.m. and 5:30–6:30 p.m.
Butler Library
535 W. 114th St., New York, NY 10027
Join Karen Green for a guided tour of the “Fanzines: Passion Made Personal” exhibit and Columbia’s extensive Comics and Graphic Novel Collection. Offered to a limited number of participants, this tour offers an unparalleled opportunity to see the roughly 20,000 items in the collection.
