Comics, Costumes, and Cultural Appropriation
Join us at Comic-Con in San Diego for a panel with Douriean Fletcher, the specialty jewelry designer for Black Panther, and Joseph P. Illidge, Executive Editor at Valiant!
Theme: Comics, Culture, and Cultural Appropriation
Time: Thursday, July 19, from 12-1pm.
Place: Room 26AB, Convention Center
Panelists:
- Susan Scafidi (Founder, Fashion Law Institute; author, Who Owns Culture? Appropriation and Authenticity in American Law),
- Douriean Fletcher (Wearable artist, Douriean.com; specialty jeweler, Black Panther),
- Joseph P. Illidge (Executive Editor, Valiant; writer, Solarman, The Ren, and The Mission), and
- Jeff Trexler (Associate Director, Fashion Law Institute)
Modern comics, animation, and related media exhibit an unprecedented degree of diverse representation, but they also raise compelling questions about culture and inspiration:
- How are today’s cutting-edge designers making global culture a vital part of their work?
- Must creators color within the lines of their own heritage?
- Is wearing a Black Panther costume problematic for anyone not of African descent?
- Does using folklore or cultural imagery require asking permission from source communities-or even paying them royalties?
From creative expression to cosplay and commerce, this panel will discuss the styles, history, theory, and ethics of comics and cultural exchange!