Scott McCloud to present visual lecture on comics, technology Scott McCloud will give a visual lecture on comics and technology at 4 p.m. Wednesday, April 18, in the Memorial Union Lecture Bowl. Following the presentation there will be a book signing, sponsored by Barnes & Noble. McCloud, a cartoonist and a leading popular scholar of comics as a distinct literary and artistic medium, was born in Boston, Mass. He created the light-hearted science fiction/superhero comic book series Zot! in 1984. It became a cult classic. His other print comics include Destroy!!, the graphic novel "The New Adventures of Abraham Lincoln," and 12 issues writing DC Comics' Superman Adventures. He is best known as a comics theorist, following the publication in 1993 of "Understanding Comics," a wide-ranging exploration of the definition, history, vocabulary, and methods of the medium of comics, itself done in comics form. As the most ambitious book on the subject to date, it sparked considerable discussion among comics’ creators and readers, and is now widely considered one of the definitive works about the medium of comics. He followed in 2000 with the more controversial "Reinventing Comics" (also in comics form), in which he outlined 12 "revolutions" that he argued would be keys to the growth and success of comics as a popular and creative medium. Finally, in 2006, he released "Making Comics." Following this publication, he went on a 50-state tour with his family which includes all 50 states, and parts of Europe (with a stop in Grand Forks). He was one of the earliest promoters of webcomics as a distinct variety of comics. McCloud has an active online presence with his web site where he publishes many of his ongoing experiments with comics produced specifically for the web. Among the techniques he explores in his online work is the "infinite canvas" permitted by a web browser, allowing panels to be spatially arranged in ways not possible in the finite, two-dimensional, paged format of a physical comic book. In 1990 McCloud coined the idea of a 24-hour comic, a complete 24-page comic created by a single cartoonist in 24 consecutive hours. It was a mutual challenge with cartoonist Steve Bissette, intended to compel creative output with a minimum of self-restraining contemplation. Thousands of cartoonists have since taken up the challenge. McCloud will meet informally with students Thursday, April 19, at 10 a.m. in the art department. All students are welcome to attend. For more information on Scott McCloud, visit his web site at www.scottmccloud.com For more information regarding the presentation contact Lucy Ganje, associate professor, art/graphic design, at 777-2670, e-mail, lucy_ganje@und.nodak.edu The presentation is sponsored by the art department, Office of Instructional Development, and the Harley Straus Visiting Photographer/Artists Fund. -- Lucy Ganje, Associate Professor, Art/Graphic Design, Lucy_ganje@und.nodak.edu, 701.777.2670