Sponsored Sessions on Animation (and More) for NeMLA 2025

Cross-posted from the Mass Mediævalisms blog:

We are organizing the following sessions for the 56th Annual Convention of the Northeast Modern Language Association to be held in Philadelphia, 6-9 March. The full schedule is available online and registration is required to attend. 

Thursday, Mar 6 - Track 4 (02:15-04:15 PM)

4.12 Saving the Day for Medieval Studies: Using Comics for Teaching the Middle Ages (Roundtable)
Chair: Michael Torregrossa, Bristol Community College
Chair: Karen Casebier, University of Tennessee-Chattanooga
Location: 402 (Media Equipped)
Pedagogy & Professional & Cultural Studies and Media Studies

"The Medieval Comics Project: Ongoing Efforts to Expand the Field of Medieval Comics Scholarship" Michael Torregrossa, Bristol Community College

"From Borders to Panels: Integrating Comic Books into Medieval Studies Pedagogy" Rachael Warmington, Seton Hall University

"Reshaping Literary Canon: Graphic Novels as the Future of Classics" Derek Castle, University of New Hampshire

"Marvel 1602 and its Connection to the Scientific Enlightenment" Madison Cothern, University of Memphis

Sunday, Mar 9 - Track 22 (08:15-10:15 AM)

22.20 (Re)Animating the Middle Ages: Adapting the Medieval in Animated Media (Seminar)
Chair: Michael Torregrossa, Bristol Community College
Chair: Karen Casebier, University of Tennessee-Chattanooga
Location: 410 (Media Equipped)
Cultural Studies and Media Studies & Interdisciplinary Humanities

"Animating Marie de France : Emile Mercier’s Bisclavret (2011)" Karen Casebier, University of Tennessee-Chattanooga

"Possibilities and Pitfalls in Arthurian Animation: An Exploration of the Darkstalkers Series (1995)" Michael Torregrossa, Bristol Community College

"The Black Knight: Women “Passing” as Knights in Children’s Entertainment" Megan Arnott, Lakehead University

"Cartoon Saloon's Wild Women: Monstrous Genders in Irish Animated Medievalism" Colin Wheeler, Kennesaw State University

"A Modern Look at Late Medieval Religion and Literacy in Obsidian Entertainment’s Pentiment" Olivia Mathers, Lehigh University

"Heresy and Crusades: How Modern Fascists Appropriated the Medieval Aesthetics of Warhammer 40k" William Weiss, Independent Scholar

Coming Soon in Paperback - Playing the Middle Ages: Pitfalls and Potential in Modern Games

Playing the Middle Ages: Pitfalls and Potential in Modern Games

Robert Houghton (Anthology Editor)

Full details and ordering information at https://www.bloomsbury.com/us/playing-the-middle-ages-9781350242920/.

Product details

Published Sep 21 2023

Available in Hardcover / eBook / and Paperback in 2025

Extent 288

Imprint Bloomsbury Academic

Illustrations 20 bw illus

Dimensions 9 x 6 inches

Series New Directions in Medieval Studies

Publisher Bloomsbury Publishing

Description

The Middle Ages have provided rich source material for physical and digital games from Dungeons and Dragons to Assassin's Creed. This volume addresses the many ways in which different formats and genre of games represent the period. It considers the restrictions placed on these representations by the mechanical and gameplay requirements of the medium and by audience expectations of these products and the period, highlighting innovative attempts to overcome these limitations through game design and play.

Playing the Middle Ages considers a number of important and timely issues within the field including: one, the connection between medieval games and political nationalistic rhetoric; two, trends in the presentation of religion, warfare and other aspects of medieval society and their connection to modern culture; three, the problematic representations of race; and four, the place of gender and sexuality within these games and the broader gaming community.

The book draws on the experience of a wide-ranging and international group of academics across disciplines and from games designers. Through this combination of expertise, it provides a unique perspective on the representation of the Middle Ages in modern games and drives key discussions in the fields of history and game design.

Table of Contents

List of Figures

List of Contributors

1 The Middle Ages in Modern Games: An Adolescent Field Robert Houghton, University of Winchester, UK

2 Unbending Medievalisms: Finding counterfactual history in sandbox games set in the Middle Ages, Ylva Grufstedt, Malmö University, Sweden

3 Playing the Sonic Past: reflections on sound in medieval-themed video games, Mariana López, University of York, UK

4 Medieval Sounds, Sounding Medieval, Karen M. Cook, University of Hartford, USA

5 All on board for the Crusades, Gordon Smith, University of Edinburgh, UK

6 Subverting the Valiant Crusader: The Sarafan in the Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver series, Liam McLeod, University of Birmingham, UK

7 Making Friendships, Breaking Friendships: Exploring Viking-Age Social Roles Through Player Strategy in A Feast for Odin, Adam Bierstedt, University of Reykjavik, Iceland

8 Abandoning Civilization: Medieval Rulership in Crusader Kings III, Reigns, and Mount and Blade: Warband, Robert Houghton, University of Winchester, UK

9 Joan of Arc, the Meme of Orléans: The Playful Liberties Taken with History by the Age of Empires 2 Gaming Community, Jonathan Bloch, Independent Scholar

10 On the Postcolonial Analysis of 'Indians' in Age of Empires II: A Theory of “Ethical Programs” Behind Postcolonial Criticisms of Videogames, Neil Nagwekar

11 Virtually (De)Colonized: Racial Identity and Colonialism in the Middle Ages and as Depicted in Kingdom Come: Deliverance, Innocence: A Plague Tale, The Elder Scrolls, and Black Desert Online, Johansen Quijano, University of Texas at Arlington, USA

12 Representations of Medieval Gender Archetypes in Fantasy Role-Playing Games, Markus Eldegard Mindrebø, Royal Holloway, UK

13 Ashen, Hollow, Cursed: Fragile Knighthood in the Dark Souls Series and its Medieval Antecedents, Patrick Butler, University of Connecticut, USA

14 Matilda of Canossa and Crusader Kings II: (Papal) Warrior Princess, Blair Apgar, University of York, UK

Index