Panels & Pixels

A virtual comics exhibition

UNT Libraries Digital Scholarship Commitee and the Comics Studies at UNT Outreach Initiative.

Panels and Pixels: A virtual comics exhibition banner

Land Acknowledgment

Because this event is meant to celebrate the space of our campus, both physical and virtual, as a creative and communal space, it is appropriate that we acknowledge the history of the land that the University of North Texas currently occupies. To do so is both an Indigenous practice and a sign of our respect and gratitude. This land acknowledgment recognizes and respects the Indigenous Peoples who are the traditional stewards of this land and the continuing relationship between those peoples and their traditional territories. We do this not only out of gratitude and appreciation for this place and its people, but also to acknowledge that colonialism is an ongoing process and one that continues to impact Indigenous Peoples, the land itself, and those of us who participate in or benefit from colonialism in the present day. Our duty to address this ongoing colonialism doesn’t end with this acknowledgment, but begins here. We would like to open, then, by acknowledging that the land on which we gather, and which we represent in these virtual spaces, is the occupied/unceded/seized territories of the Wichita, Caddo, Tawakoni, Kiikaapoi/Kickapoo, and Jumano peoples. We offer our respect and thanks to these traditional stewards, and to the land itself, in humble recognition of our debts to them.

The University of North Texas

This virtual exhibition of comic art and storytelling features works by University of North Texas students, faculty, and staff as part of an event, "Panels & Pixels: A Virtual Comics Exhibition", held on November 9, 2021, and sponsored by the UNT Libraries Digital Scholarship Committee and the Comics Studies at UNT outreach initiative. This event is meant to highlight the creative work of the UNT community as well as to envision the campus itself as a creative space in which to read, draw, imagine, and be inspired. We are utilizing ArcGIS StoryMaps for this exhibit, as well as a live event via Zoom, to demonstrate how digital tools and technologies can be used to create communities of shared interest across both physical and virtual spaces.

Willis Library

Willis Library at UNT is the home of our comics & graphic novels collection (on the 3rd floor, front shelves), as well as comics-related items in our Special Collections, Music Library, and general collections. It is also where our Digital Scholarship Committee and our Comics Studies at UNT Outreach Initiative are headquartered. See our Comics Studies Guide for more comics resources: https://guides.library.unt.edu/comics-studies

Sycamore Library

The Sycamore Library (formerly Eagle Commons Library) in Sycamore Hall houses our government documents collection, juvenile literature collection, and other great resources, including a little-known collection of Government Comics! See our Government Comics guide for more information: https://guides.library.unt.edu/government-comics

"Getting my mind off my ex boo" by Laura Alexa Pedrero Barron

I wanted to show a light hearted representation of what its life to get over a breakup. I drew two ghosties and one is helping the other get their mind off of their former significant other but doing healthy activities.

"Double-Crossed" by Omar Torres

The comic is about the moment a deal turns sour. A group of survivors are tricked into gathering supplies and are double-crossed as the buildings doors are opened to let zombies inside. The survivors now must fend for themselves as the double-crosser watches them on surveillance camera.

"Coffee Muse" by Tasnova Rahaman

I have created this piece to add light to a coffee place where students can come and wake up with the brightening colors.

"The Future is Queer" by Alyx Dickson

Gender and embodiment, as well as deconstruction are vital to the dire need to understand time and identity in order to build community and reimagine the world around us. The piece allows for the exploration of self and other through time.

"Indecisive Libra" by Sasha Sanders

This diary comic explores my typical interaction at Starbucks. I created it because I was asked to document my week in comic form. This encounter happens more often than I'd like to admit. My favorite place to draw on campus is my office in GAB. I've even created a comic out of washi tape on my office wall.

"Titan" by David Artley

A depiction of a comic book character's origin

"Central Zoo" and "The Portland Express" by Roger Wilbanks

"Central Zoo" is a daily comic strip I do that introduces an autistic child and illustrates the moment he has an anxiety attack. "The Portland Express" is a page from my webcomic.

"Portrait of the Queen" and "The Throne" by Kristen Baxter

This piece highlights the main character of my graphic novel, the Snow Queen, a retelling of the original fable by Hans Christian Andersen inspired by the biblical story of Naomi and Ruth. I created this piece to set the tone of the Snow Queen's character, her decorum, frigidness and loneliness. It was really important to keep the palette monochrome and minimal, but with high contrast to really help the scene reflect the sharpness and bitter cold of not only the throne room but of the Queen herself.

"Bluebird Flew Away" by Reagan Boerner

This is a comic based off of the lyrics from the song Bluebird Flew Away by the band Maybird.

Credits & Thanks

We would like to thank all of the artists who contributed to this exhibit and those who participated in our live Zoom event to share items from their comics collections. You are the community that we're celebrating through this event. We also want to thank Dr. Lauren Cross and her Interdisciplinary Art and Design Studies students for contributing to both parts of this event.

Land Acknowledgment

Because this event is meant to celebrate the space of our campus, both physical and virtual, as a creative and communal space, it is appropriate that we acknowledge the history of the land that the University of North Texas currently occupies. To do so is both an Indigenous practice and a sign of our respect and gratitude. This land acknowledgment recognizes and respects the Indigenous Peoples who are the traditional stewards of this land and the continuing relationship between those peoples and their traditional territories. We do this not only out of gratitude and appreciation for this place and its people, but also to acknowledge that colonialism is an ongoing process and one that continues to impact Indigenous Peoples, the land itself, and those of us who participate in or benefit from colonialism in the present day. Our duty to address this ongoing colonialism doesn’t end with this acknowledgment, but begins here. We would like to open, then, by acknowledging that the land on which we gather, and which we represent in these virtual spaces, is the occupied/unceded/seized territories of the Wichita, Caddo, Tawakoni, Kiikaapoi/Kickapoo, and Jumano peoples. We offer our respect and thanks to these traditional stewards, and to the land itself, in humble recognition of our debts to them.

For more information on land acknowledgments, see the UNT Libraries Land Acknowledgment Guide:  https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc1833406/ 

To learn more about Indigenous territories and their peoples, see Native Land Digital:  https://native-land.ca/ 

The University of North Texas

This virtual exhibition of comic art and storytelling features works by University of North Texas students, faculty, and staff as part of an event, "Panels & Pixels: A Virtual Comics Exhibition", held on November 9, 2021, and sponsored by the UNT Libraries Digital Scholarship Committee and the Comics Studies at UNT outreach initiative. This event is meant to highlight the creative work of the UNT community as well as to envision the campus itself as a creative space in which to read, draw, imagine, and be inspired. We are utilizing ArcGIS StoryMaps for this exhibit, as well as a live event via Zoom, to demonstrate how digital tools and technologies can be used to create communities of shared interest across both physical and virtual spaces.

Willis Library

Willis Library at UNT is the home of our comics & graphic novels collection (on the 3rd floor, front shelves), as well as comics-related items in our Special Collections, Music Library, and general collections. It is also where our Digital Scholarship Committee and our Comics Studies at UNT Outreach Initiative are headquartered. See our Comics Studies Guide for more comics resources:  https://guides.library.unt.edu/comics-studies 

Sycamore Library

The Sycamore Library (formerly Eagle Commons Library) in Sycamore Hall houses our government documents collection, juvenile literature collection, and other great resources, including a little-known collection of Government Comics! See our Government Comics guide for more information:  https://guides.library.unt.edu/government-comics 

"Getting my mind off my ex boo" by Laura Alexa Pedrero Barron

I wanted to show a light hearted representation of what its life to get over a breakup. I drew two ghosties and one is helping the other get their mind off of their former significant other but doing healthy activities. 

"Double-Crossed" by Omar Torres

The comic is about the moment a deal turns sour. A group of survivors are tricked into gathering supplies and are double-crossed as the buildings doors are opened to let zombies inside. The survivors now must fend for themselves as the double-crosser watches them on surveillance camera. 

"Coffee Muse" by Tasnova Rahaman

I have created this piece to add light to a coffee place where students can come and wake up with the brightening colors.

"The Future is Queer" by Alyx Dickson

Gender and embodiment, as well as deconstruction are vital to the dire need to understand time and identity in order to build community and reimagine the world around us. The piece allows for the exploration of self and other through time. 

I like to think about my art and theorizing when I am walking outside around campus close to the GAB and the Language building. I enjoy sitting outside and underneath my desk on the third floor of the GAB to think about how my panels can be engaged with, in addition to what potentials my gutters might allow for. The actual creation of my art generally takes place with me sitting on the floor in my home on my stomach and knees while crafting on my iPad, my physical body, and various papers.

"Indecisive Libra" by Sasha Sanders

This diary comic explores my typical interaction at Starbucks. I created it because I was asked to document my week in comic form. This encounter happens more often than I'd like to admit. My favorite place to draw on campus is my office in GAB. I've even created a comic out of washi tape on my office wall.

"Titan" by David Artley

A depiction of a comic book character's origin

"Central Zoo" and "The Portland Express" by Roger Wilbanks

"Central Zoo" is a daily comic strip I do that introduces an autistic child and illustrates the moment he has an anxiety attack. "The Portland Express" is a page from my webcomic.

I prefer to work from my studio at home.

"Portrait of the Queen" and "The Throne" by Kristen Baxter

This piece highlights the main character of my graphic novel, the Snow Queen, a retelling of the original fable by Hans Christian Andersen inspired by the biblical story of Naomi and Ruth. I created this piece to set the tone of the Snow Queen's character, her decorum, frigidness and loneliness. It was really important to keep the palette monochrome and minimal, but with high contrast to really help the scene reflect the sharpness and bitter cold of not only the throne room but of the Queen herself.

My favorite space to draw on campus would be the 3d floor of CVAD or the 3rd floor of the Union because the couches are comfortable. 

"Bluebird Flew Away" by Reagan Boerner

This is a comic based off of the lyrics from the song Bluebird Flew Away by the band Maybird.

I love working in the CVAD building. This is my first semester on campus since transferring and the CVAD building has so many perfect spots for inspiring creativity. I usually try to pick an area with a window view to the courtyard as it's nice to see outside and people watch.

Credits & Thanks

We would like to thank all of the artists who contributed to this exhibit and those who participated in our live Zoom event to share items from their comics collections. You are the community that we're celebrating through this event. We also want to thank Dr. Lauren Cross and her Interdisciplinary Art and Design Studies students for contributing to both parts of this event.

We also want to say a special thanks to Monique Sheppherd, the Graduate Assistant for the Digital Scholarship Committee, who did an amazing job of helping us prepare for this event, promoting it, creating our submission forms, and helping proofread and edit this exhibit. We appreciate all her hard work and enthusiasm.

All the members of the UNT Libraries Digital Scholarship Committee have contributed to this and other events this year, and continue to support library patrons in all of their scholarly and teaching efforts. They include: John Edward Martin, Marcia McIntosh, Robbie Sittel, Jacob Mangum, Greg Hardin, and Kristin Wolski.

Finally, thanks to the Comics Studies at UNT community, which includes faculty, students, and staff who love and promote comics through their scholarship, teaching, creative work, and personal hobbies. We hope this exhibit and all of our comics outreach efforts continue to provide a supportive space for this community.