Humanities Washingon, one of the best and most creative organizations in the state, has chosen Megan Kelso to participate in the 2015-16 Speakers Bureau! What Speakers Bureau does is create a roster of cultural experts and scholars who travel to all corners of the state to provide diverse public presentations that “encourage audiences to think, learn and engage in conversation.”
A Seattle cartoonist, Megan Kelso is the creator of Queen of the Black Black , Artichoke Tales, and The Squirrel Mother for Fantagraphics, as well as the “GirlHero” mini comic. Megan’s unique lecture that she’ll be taking on the road with her is titled “Comics Can Take Us Places”. From Humanities Washington:
“What role does a sense of place play in cartoons and comic storytelling? How does place influence the character and plot of these images and the stories they tell? As a visual medium, comics tap directly into our sense of memory, time and place – sometimes without words. In this fascinating presentation, cartoonist Megan Kelso explains how she uses memory, her own life, research, and photo references to create sequential panels that evoke the feeling of a specific, inhabited world. Kelso illustrates the presentation with examples of her work and pictures of places that have inspired her to share how central the role of place is to these popular art forms, particularly from storytelling and social commentary perspectives.”
(The Squirrel Mother 2010)
Megan’s next stop around the state will be on Saturday, May 2nd in Olympia, WA at the Tumwater Timberland Regional Library in conjuction with the library’s comic celebration day. Check back into Megan’s blog for updates on where she’ll be next. OR if you’re a non-profit/school/library etc, find out how you can apply to have Megan speak to your organization!