Comic Art Working Group Head elections 2025

The Comic Art (COA) Working Group will be holding online elections for one chair and three vice-chair positions, for the term 2025 - 2029. The deadline to submit candidacies was 4 April.

The elections will be held online from 7 to 21 May using the SurveyMonkey platform.

Individual members and representatives of institutional members in good standing, who are also registered as members of the Comic Art Working Group by 5 May are eligible vote. Voters will receive a voting link on 7 May.

To verify if you are a member of the COA Working Group, log in to your IAMCR account and select “My Sections and Working Groups” from the menu.

View the candidates and read their statements below.

Read about the Comic Art Working Group

More information and timeline at https://iamcr.org/s-wg/elections2025

Candidates

For Chair:

For Vice-chair:

Statements

For Chair

Iván Facundo Rubinstein, National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), Mexico

Hi! I am Iván Facundo Rubinstein, professor of Communication at the School of Political and Social Science of the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM). Currently I serve as the Vice-chair of the Comic Art Working Group, and this year I am running for the position of Chair.

I have been a member of the IAMCR since the Cartagena Conference in 2017 and have participated in almost every conference since then. During my experience at IAMCR I have had the opportunity to engage with colleagues all over the world, and to share different perspectives, methodologies, and research topics. I strongly believe that intercultural exchanges among scholars are not only a matter of improvement in science but also an etic issue. We have to do our best to incorporate voices of women and men from all around the world, with different perspectives and interest. Nowadays this is especially important.

As a member of the COA Head during the period 2021-2025, I participated with Laura and Citlaly in the organization of panels that could enable discussions enriched by cultural diversity. We have also made a strong effort to include Master and PhD students, as well as early scholars. 

If chosen, I am committed to continuing the efforts to ensure cultural diversity in our Working Group among women and men, students, early scholars, and veteran scholars. I am confident that we can spread the vibrant contributions of our community along universities and institutions; in this sense, the webinars are an excellent tool to make an intercultural dialogue and expand the disciplinary boundaries. Moreover, we can continue the project of the COA e-book— with Laura and Citlaly we finished in 2023 the “First Top Ten”, that can be read in the COA website— as well as the podcast initiative originally made possible by Geisa, our former Chair. I am also committed to continuing the Best Paper Awards, which gives the winner(s) the opportunity to publish in the International Journal of Comic Art (IJOCA).

As a professor at UNAM with a network of colleagues in Argentina, Colombia, Mexico and Spain, I will do my best to improve the exchange between us and other institutions and will help to realize any projects of the COA members.

Thank you very much for your time,

Phd. Iván Facundo Rubinstein
School of Political and Social Science
National Autonomous University of Mexico 

André Pase, Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil

Graphic novels and comic books express ideas through short and long stories. In a world where cinema and video games use them as laboratories to borrow ideas and test others, visual printed media – and its derivations – are very important for Communication Studies.

Researchers who study the subject should pay attention to its different forms nowadays, ranging from superheroes to harsh themes such as climate change or refugees. It is a medium that can translate different realities and themes with the juxtaposition of images and words. Along with this, it is very important to look to the past and read again some classics, rediscovering messages and artists.

The Comic Art group is one of the most traditional ensembles of researchers inside IAMCR. The flame ignited by Professor John A. Lent brought light to other colleagues, creating a friendly community that fostered other works. The invitation to help the community is a call to arms to keep the initiatives and expand the connections of the group.

Statements

For Vice-Chair

Citlaly Aguilar Campos, UNAM, Mexico

English

I am running as Vice-Chair in these 2025 elections,

My area of ​​research is Contemporary Art and Culture. I study artistic expressions that involve images, emotions, the body, technology, and processes of signification. I am a member of the National Autonomous University of Mexico.
Comics have enormous relevance in human life as a tool for graphic and textual expression in different social dimensions. They allow us to explore and transform deep layers at a symbolic and cultural level. The plasticity of comics is astonishing; they adapt to different formats and needs. Today, in digital environments, they persist with great strength.
It is invaluable to have research groups like COA that disseminate this knowledge and provide spaces to share research on the subject.

I have been part of COA since 2015. The leadership and passion of Dr. John Lent and Dr. Geisa Fernandes, has allowed me to establish a wonderful and trustworthy alliance with the current leaders, Dr. Laura Nallely and Dr. Iván Facundo. I want to continue as Vice-Chair this work of strengthening the IAMCR research community that seeks to explore comics and their possibilities.

Thank you.

Spanish

Me postulo como Vice-Chair en las elecciones de 2025.

Mi área de investigación es Arte y Cultura Contemporánea. Estudio las expresiones artísticas que involucran imágenes, emociones, el cuerpo, la tecnología y los procesos de significación. Soy miembro de la Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México.

El cómic tiene una enorme relevancia en la vida humana como herramienta de expresión gráfica y textual en diferentes dimensiones sociales. Nos permite explorar y transformar capas profundas a nivel simbólico y cultural. Su plasticidad es asombrosa; se adapta a diferentes formatos y necesidades. Hoy, en entornos digitales, persiste con gran fuerza.

Es invaluable contar con grupos de investigación como el COA que difunden este conocimiento y brindan espacios para compartir investigaciones sobre el tema.

Formo parte del COA desde 2015. El liderazgo y la pasión del Dr. John Lent y la Dra. Geisa Fernandes me han permitido establecer una alianza maravillosa y de confianza con los líderes actuales, la Dra. Laura Nallely y el Dr. Iván Facundo. Quiero continuar, como Vice-Chair, con esta labor de fortalecimiento de la comunidad de investigación de la IAMCR, que busca explorar el cómic y sus posibilidades.

Gracias.

Laura Nallely Hernández Nieto, Metropolitan Autonomous University (UAM)

English

My name is Laura Nallely Hernández Nieto, and I am a Professor at the Metropolitan Autonomous University (UAM) in Mexico City. I am also a member of the Latin American Graphic Narrative Researchers Network (RING). With a solid background in comic research and the organization of academic events, I have been a committed member of the Comic Art Working Group since 2017 and had the honor of serving as Chair from 2021 to 2025.

During my time as Chair, I worked to strengthen dialogue between researchers from different regions and to create spaces for early-career scholars to share their work. I would like to continue contributing to the group from a new position: Vice Chair. I see this role as an opportunity to support ongoing initiatives while fostering new collaborations that expand our network and visibility.

I believe comic studies must be part of the larger conversations happening in the humanities and social sciences today. For that reason, I propose encouraging multilingual exchanges and organizing a dynamic congress that welcomes both emerging and established voices into our community.

Spanish

Me llamo Laura Nallely Hernández Nieto y soy profesora de la Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana (UAM) en la Ciudad de México. También soy miembro de la Red Latinoamericana de Investigadores en Narrativa Gráfica (RING). Con una sólida trayectoria en investigación del cómic y la organización de eventos académicos, he sido miembro activo del Grupo de Trabajo de Arte del Cómic desde 2017 y tuve el honor de presidirlo de 2021 a 2025.

Durante mi presidencia, trabajé para fortalecer el diálogo entre investigadores de diferentes regiones y para crear espacios donde académicos en sus inicios de carrera pudieran compartir su trabajo. Me gustaría seguir contribuyendo al grupo desde mi nuevo puesto: Vicepresidenta. Considero este puesto una oportunidad para apoyar iniciativas en curso y fomentar nuevas colaboraciones que amplíen nuestra red y visibilidad.

Creo que los estudios del cómic deben formar parte de las conversaciones más amplias que se desarrollan en las humanidades y las ciencias sociales hoy en día. Por ello, propongo fomentar el intercambio multilingüe y organizar un congreso dinámico que dé la bienvenida tanto a voces emergentes como consolidadas a nuestra comunidad.

Levi Obonyo, Daystar University, Kenya

I have been an IAMCR member in good standing for over a decade and a Comic Arts Working Group member for much of this time, participating in its annual meetings. Indeed, I have long been part of the Comic Arts Working Group, given that Prof John Lent, who was associated with its founding, was my dissertation supervisor and mentor at Temple University and introduced me to the Group.

Since joining IAMCR, I have had the privilege of attending many annual conferences and speaking at the plenary session at the 2023 conference in Lyon, France. I am also a member of the Publications Committee of the IAMCR.

Comic Art may not have been part of mainstream scholarship in communication for a long time. However, it is refreshing the increasing interest in this field. Prof Lent pioneered this thinking, drawing attention to a genre of literature, social movement, and civil society discourse that has dramatically impacted society, even if drawing little attention to itself. As evidenced by the interest and contributions in the premier journal in the genre, The International Journal of Comic Art, the interest in Comic Art spans continents and is not confined to one group.

One of the emerging areas of interest in technological evolution and the emergence of digital platforms is undoubtedly the creative industry. As communication scholarship appropriates the notion that media is part of our cultural ecosystem, the canvas for self-expression is expanding. This expansion incorporates its democratisation, allowing players previously confined to the periphery to access the space. Comic arts, previously viewed mainly as children’s domain, are increasingly part of popular culture, playing a critical role in education, social commentary, political discourse, and cultural identity.

This marks a long path through which Comic Art has travelled. In Africa, some of the early caricaturing has been spotted in stone carvings of Southern Africa for thousands of years. Doodles, however, came of age in their appearances in the newspapers and later comic magazines and books. Now, we have graphic novels and webcomics exemplified in Manga.

It is gratifying that IAMCR, a premier international communication platform, provides a platform for this expression through this working group. It is bringing protest, alternative, and visual communication into the mainstream. The task of the Comic Art Working Group is to continue providing this space for this type of visual expression, inspire further engagement in this area, and champion the space for different forms of communication at a moment of flux not only in the evolution of the media sector but also in the global order. 

I would be delighted to have an opportunity to contribute to the excellent work that the leadership of the Comic Art Working Group in IAMCR is doing to enhance scholarship in comic arts. It is for this reason that I would be interested in joining the leadership team

Thanks,

Levi Obonyo
Dean, School of Communication, Daystar University

Shamala Ramappa, Central University of Tamil, India

I am Dr.Shamala Ramappa with 13 plus years of teaching, research and industrial experience in Media and communication studies currently working as Assistant Professor at Department of Media and Communication,School of Communication,Central University of Tamil Nadu, Thiruvarur, India.

At the outset I have been teaching for 13 years of teaching experience . My interest in comics started from my school days through newspapers. Where comics were published in the pages of newspapers created a critical thinking  of comic studies.  and had practical hands-on experience working in the transmission of programmes at All India Radio, Government of India’s public Broadcasting service. Additionally I have a degree in International Relations and studied
International Communication in PostGraduate. I introduced International communication at my University and discussed the comic stories published in magazines and long-form narratives featured in standalone books.

If selected as Vice Chair, my goal  will be to contribute to the area of comics and visual narratives through interdisciplinary research across socio-political discourse. I wish to organize webinars  in different countries to understand the culture specific comic creation. Among other things, I intend to shore up educational integration, investigate corporate influence on independent comic art and support international cooperation. I strive to promote critical conversations about the evolving position of comic art within media and society. It will be a great opportunity to be a part of this group and looking forward to long standing cooperation.

Dr. Shamala Ramappa
Assistant Professor and Co-ordinator Community Radio Station
Department of Media and Communication,
School of Communication,
Central University of Tamil Nadu, Thiruvarur
Ministry of Education, Government of India
ltshamalancc@gmail.com, +91 9489270696

Zhang Qiyun, Tsinghua University, China

Hi, I am Zhang Qiyun, and I am a Ph.D. student at the School of Journalism and Communication, Tsinghua University. I have been a member of the Comic Art Working Group since 2023, and since then, I have been deeply inspired by the group’s academic energy and collaborative spirit. I was honored to serve as a panel chair for our division at the 2024 conference in New Zealand, which allowed me to make a small contribution to our community and further experience the vibrancy of the team.

I am now running for the position of Vice-Chair. I bring with me experience in organizing large-scale academic conferences and events, as well as a solid foundation in research. My research closely aligns with the core themes of this working group. From a Chinese perspective, I explore the cultural and international communication of animated art. By analyzing the practical content of animation and international audience reception—including thematic orientation and emotional tendencies—I aim to propose feasible strategies for the future development of animated films and to explore theoretical pathways for animation as an art form. My specific research topics include the cross-cultural communication of Chinese animated films, case studies of animation, cultural concepts in animation (such as representations of life and death), iconic Chinese animated figures (such as Nezha and the Monkey King), and animation technologies. I have published five academic articles in journals including CSSCI, and have presented nearly 20 papers at major academic conferences both in China and internationally — including four solo-authored papers at the ICA, two first-author papers at the NCA, and six papers at IAMCR(four solo-authored). One of my first-authored papers has been reprinted by Xinhua Digest, a leading journal in China, as part of its curated article collection. Throughout my academic journey, I have received the National Scholarship four times, along with over 70 awards at the university and national levels.

I sincerely hope to contribute more to our group — by strengthening connections among members, building a larger, more engaged community of scholars passionate about comics, animation, art, and cultural heritage, and by organizing more interdisciplinary academic exchange opportunities. I look forward to delving deeper into this field and growing together through collaboration with all of you.