Comic author Chris Claremont will join the ReggieCon panel “Mutant and Proud: Diversity in the World of X-Men!” 7-8:30 p.m. April 15 via Zoom.
In celebration of Diversity Month, the panel will focus on the X-Men comics. Suggested reading is God Loves, Man Kills by Chris Claremont and illustrated by Brent Anderson.
Claremont will be on hand to discuss his work, along with fellow guest panelist, trauma specialist Dr. Leandra Parris. There is no cost to attend. Those interested can join the Zoom webinar at the ReggieCon website.
Regular ReggieCon panelists include Dr. Scott Jordan, chair of the Department of Psychology at Illinois State University; Victor Dandridge, founder of Vantage InHouse Productions; Dr. Theresa Rojas, professor of English at Modesto Junior College and director of the Latinx Comic Arts Festival; and Dr. Eric Wesselmann, associate professor of psychology at Illinois State.
Claremont is best known for his work on Marvel Comic’s X-Men series, where he created the characters of Legion, The New Mutants, Rogue, Gambit, Sabretooth, Kitty Pryde, and the White Queen among others. He has also written seminal characters such as Batman and Superman; originated The New Mutants and Captain Britain for Marvel, and several creator-owned series. A NY Times best-selling author, he been awarded the prestigious Kellogg Award in Arts and Letters by Bard College, inducted into the Will Eisner Comics Industry Awards Hall of Fame.
Dr. Leandra Parris is an assistant professor in school psychology at William & Mary. Her work focuses on peer relationships among middle and high school students within a trauma-informed framework. She is currently the co-chair of the National Association of School Psychologists’ Social Justice Committee. Parris has presented Wizard World Comic Con panels on the topics of heroes and villains.
Sponsored by the Office of Enrollment Management and Academic Services, ReggieCon is a series of virtual events held throughout the fall 2020 and spring 2021 semesters. Each event consists of a panel of experts in comic and popular media and focuses on issues of race and diversity. Panel topics align with national recognition months such as Black History, LGBTQ History, and Asian Pacific Heritage Month.
Upcoming panels include:
Eyes Unclouded by Hate: The Spirit of Hayao Miyazaki!
May 6
Asian Pacific Heritage Month
Guest panelists: Tatsu Shigeta, Rio Shigeta, and Larry Houston
Suggested viewing: Princess Mononoke
