UPDATED: Fri, Jul 15, 09:30AM Pop culture's ability to empower people with mental illnesses is reaching new heights, from celebrated depictions of superhero struggles to the personal stories of creators themselves. Does mental health represent the next wave of diversity in comics, or is that just "crazy" talk? Eisner Award winner and New York Times best-selling graphic novelist Nate Powell (March, Swallow Me Whole) will discuss the current state of mental health representation in comic books and graphic novels, as well as the progress that still needs to be made. Psychologist Janina Scarlet, Ph.D., (Superhero Therapy) will share moving stories of patients inspired by accurate comic book depictions of mental disorders in their recovery from mental illnesses. Forensic psychiatrist Vasilis K. Pozios, M.D., (Broadcast Thought) will discuss Aura, his PRISM Award-winning short story about a stigmatized superhero with bipolar disorder, published in RISE: Comics Against Bullying #2 from Northwest Press. Forensic psychiatrist Praveen R. Kambam, M.D., (Broadcast Thought) will discuss how entertainment can be a force for good in mental health and why more accurate and less stigmatizing mental health representations are a "win-win" for media outlets and people with mental illnesses alike. Attorney Jeff Trexler (The Beat, The Comics Journal) moderates.
Saturday July 23, 2016 5:30pm - 6:30pm PDT
Room 24ABC
