CFP: The 'Slayage' Conference on the Whedonverses

Courtesy beakernet.net

In 2004, the first Slayage Conference on Buffy the Vampire Slayer was held in Nashville, Tennessee, an event organized by David Lavery and Rhonda V. Wilcox. Interest in meeting again was so high that the conference became a biennial gathering of scholars and other enthusiasts. Today, the Slayage Conference on the Whedonverses has convened in Georgia (2006), Arkansas (2008), Florida (2010), British Columbia (2012), and California (2014).

In 2016, the conference celebrates the 12th anniversary of its first gathering by convening at Kingston University, Kingston upon Thames, England, UK, 7-10 July 2016.

Slayage: The Journal of the Whedon Studies Association, the Whedon Studies Association, and conveners Stacey Abbott and Tanya R. Cochran solicit proposals for the seventh biennial Slayage Conference on the Whedonverses (SCW7), a conference dedicated to the imaginative universe(s) of Joss Whedon. Simon Brown of Kingston University will serve as local arrangements chair, supported by the Euroslayage organizing committee Bronwen Calvert, Lorna Jowett, and Michael Starr.

They welcome proposals of 200-300 words (or an abstract of a completed paper) on any aspect of Whedon’s television and web texts (Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, Firefly, Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog, Dollhouse, Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.); his films (Serenity, The Cabin in the Woods, Marvel’s The Avengers, Much Ado About Nothing, The Avengers: Age of Ultron); his comics (e.g. Fray; Astonishing X-Men; Runaways; Sugarshock!; Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Eight, Nine, and Ten; Angel: After the Fall; Angel & Faith Season Nine and Ten); or any element of the work of Whedon and his collaborators. Additionally, a proposal may address paratexts, fandoms, or Whedon’s extracurricular—political and activist—activities, such as his involvement with Equality Now. 

As this is the first Slayage conference to take place in Europe, they also welcome proposals about Whedon’s work in relation to notions of Britishness, heritage, globalization, language, as well as its transnational and international reception. 

Submissions must be received by Monday, 4 January 2016. Decisions will be made by 1 March 2016. Questions regarding proposals can be directed to Rhonda V. Wilcox at the conference email address: slayage.conference@gmail.com.

The conference website is http://scw7.whedonstudies.tv/