Magic and the Supernatural in Medieval English Romance -- New From D. S. Brewer

Magic and the Supernatural in Medieval English Romance 
Corinne Saunders

Details
First Published: 15 Apr 2010
13 Digit ISBN: 9781843842217
Pages: 312
Size: 23.4 x 15.6
Binding: Hardback
Imprint: D.S.Brewer
Series: Studies in Medieval Romance
Subject: Medieval Literature
BIC Class: DSBB

The world of medieval romance is one in which magic and the supernatural are constantly present: in otherwordly encounters, in the strange adventures experienced by questing knights, in the experience of the uncanny, and in marvellous objects - rings, potions, amulets, and the celebrated green girdle in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. This study looks at a wide range of medieval English romance texts, including the works of Chaucer and Malory, from a broad cultural perspective, to show that while they employ magic in order to create exotic, escapist worlds, they are also grounded in a sense of possibility, and reflect a complex web of inherited and current ideas. The book opens with a survey of classical and biblical precedents, and of medieval attitudes to magic; subsequent chapters explore the ways that romances both reflect contemporary attitudes and ideas, and imaginatively transform them. In particular, the author explores the distinction between the `white magic' of healing and protection, and the more dangerous arts of `nigromancy', black magic. Also addressed is the wider supernatural, including the ways that ideas associated with human magic can be intensified and developed in depictions of otherworldly practitioners of magic. The ambiguous figures of the enchantress and the shapeshifter are a special focus, and the faery is contrasted with the Christian supernatural - miracles, ghosts, spirits, demons and incubi.

Contents
1 Introduction
2 Classical and Biblical Precedents
3 The Middle Ages: Prohibitions, Folk Practices and Learned Magic
4 White Magic: Natural Arts and Marvellous Technology
5 Black Magic: The Practice of 'Nigromancy'
6 Otherworld Enchantments and Faery Realms
7 Christian Marvel and Demonic Intervention
8 Malory's Morte Darthur
9 Epilogue: Towards the Renaissance
10 Bibliography

Professor CORINNE SAUNDERS Saunders teaches in the Department of English, University of Durham.

Merlin Season 3

The SyFy Channel premieres Season 3 of BBC1's Merlin next week.

Kalamazoo Session Cancelled

I am sorry to report that our co-sponsored session "Arthurian Villains on Film: Studies in Commemoration of the Thirtieth Anniversary of John Boorman’s Excalibur" has been cancelled due to under-whelming interest in the topic.

Tony Lee and Sam Hart's Excalibur: The Legend of King Arthur (2011)

I came across this today on Amazon and posted a notice to the Arthur of the Comics Project blog, but it is also very relevant here for Tony Lee's introduction of a new villain, Ulric, and its presentation of Morgan le Fay.

Forthcoming from Walker Books and Candlewick Press:

Excalibur: The Legend of King Arthur

Tony Lee (Author), Sam Hart (Illustrator)

Hardcover $21.99 (978-0763646448).

Paperback $11.99 (978-0763646431).

In a dramatic and moving tale of trickery and betrayal, forgiveness and hope, the legend of King Arthur, his loves and losses, the fall of Camelot, his Knights of the Round Table, the secrets of his past and mysteries of his future, all come to bear in this visually stunning portrait of a man. Before Arthur's father, Uther Pendragon, was murdered by Ulric, as a final act, Uther thrust his sword, Caliburn, into a rock. Only a man true of heart would be able to draw and wield the weapon once more. Until that time, Ulric would become King of the Britons, raining terror over all the land. And the people of Albion would wait for a beacon of hope. The wizard Merlin knows just who that person is destined to be. If Ulric is to be overthrown, then it is Arthur, son of Uther, who must pull out the sword and become the rightful leader of the Britons. So, until Arthur comes of age, Merlin hides the future King - in so doing he strikes a dangerous bargain with the dark Unseelie Fae. As the day approaches when Arthur will come of age, there are strong powers at play. Not everyone wishes for Arthur to succeed - for it was Morgana, Arthur's half-sister, who Merlin traded to the Unseelie, in place of her brother, all those years ago. And now the witch has a vengeful score to settle.

Tony Lee has been a writer for over twenty years. He has worked for a variety of publishers including Marvel Comics, IDW Publishing, Markosia, Rebellion, Panini and Titan. He has contributed to many popular and high-profile properties such as X-Men, Doctor Who, Spider Man, Starship Troopers, Wallace & Gromit and Shrek. In 2008 Tony was nominated in the category for "Best Newcomer Writer" at the prestigious Eagle Awards. He lives in London. Sam Hart is a comic book artist and magazine illustrator, having worked on Starship Troopers and Judge Dredd and for publishers Markosia and DC Comics, amongst others. Born in England, he now lives and teaches comic art in Brazil.

Merlin Season Two Marathon Airs This Week on Syfy

Syfy celebrates the conclusion of the second season of the BBC1 series Merlin on Friday with an all-day marathon of the entire season that culminates in the season finale at 10 PM EST. Season two adds a number of villains to the pantheon and presents old faithfuls, particularly Morgan le Fay, Morgause, and Mordred, in innovative ways.

Details of the marathon are as follows:

FRI., 2 JULY
10:00 AM MERLIN, SEASON 2: THE CURSE OF CORNELIUS SIGAN
11:00 AM MERLIN, SEASON 2: THE ONCE AND FUTURE QUEEN
12:00 PM MERLIN, SEASON 2: THE NIGHTMARE BEGINS
01:00 PM MERLIN, SEASON 2: LANCELOT AND GUINEVERE
02:00 PM MERLIN, SEASON 2: BEAUTY AND THE BEAST - PART 1
03:00 PM MERLIN, SEASON 2: BEAUTY AND THE BEAST - PART 2
04:00 PM MERLIN, SEASON 2: THE WITCHFINDER
05:00 PM MERLIN, SEASON 2: THE SINS OF THE FATHER
06:00 PM MERLIN, SEASON 2: THE LADY OF THE LAKE
07:00 PM MERLIN, SEASON 2: SWEET DREAMS
08:00 PM MERLIN, SEASON 2: THE WITCH'S QUICKENING
09:00 PM MERLIN, SEASON 2: THE FIRES OF IDIRSHOLAS
10:00 PM MERLIN, SEASON 2: THE LAST DRAGONLORD

CFP: Arthurian Villains on Film/TV/Etc (9/1/10; Kalamazoo, MI 5/12-15/11)

CALL FOR PAPERS
ARTHURIAN VILLAINS ON FILM:
STUDIES IN COMMEMORATION OF THE THIRTIETH ANNIVERSARY OF JOHN BOORMAN'S EXCALIBUR
THE 46TH INTERNATIONAL CONGRESS ON MEDIEVAL STUDIES,
WESTERN MICHIGAN UNIVERSITY, KALAMAZOO, MI
12-15 MAY 2011
CO-SPONSORED BY THE ALLIANCE FOR THE PROMOTION OF RESEARCH ON THE VILLAINS OF THE MATTER OF BRITAIN AND THE VIRTUAL SOCIETY FOR THE STUDY OF POPULAR CULTURE AND THE MIDDLE AGES
PROPOSALS BY 1 SEPTEMBER 2010 (EARLY SUBMISSION RECOMMENDED)

In furtherance of our respective missions, the Alliance for the Promotion of Research on the Villains of the Matter of Britain and the Virtual Society for the Study of Popular Culture and the Middle Ages (formerly the Society for the Study of Popular Culture and the Middle Ages) are proposing a session devoted to the theme of Arthurian Villains on Film: Studies in Commemoration of the Thirtieth Anniversary of John Boorman’s EXCALIBUR. Papers included in these sessions will explore the representations of the villains of the Matter of Britain, both traditional ones (e.g. Cerdic, Lot of Orkney, Mark of Cornwall, Mordred, Morgan le Fay, Morgause, and Vortigern) as well as those (e.g. Brack, Cynric, Mab, Mad Madame Mim, Palamides, Ruber, and, even sometimes, Merlin) unique to specific productions, as represented in films, television programming, and other visual electronic multimedia, such as electronic games and Internet videos.

The Arthurian legend has been represented in films since at least the late 1890s and in television programming since the 1950s, and the villains of these productions serve important, though often overlooked, roles as the initiators of dramatic action and as the counteragents to their respective heroes. Despite these vital narrative functions, study of the filmic villains of the Matter of Britain remains in its infancy with few studies engaged with their role in specific productions and with only a handful of overviews of their careers as investigated (in chronological order) by Elizabeth S. Sklar, Jacqueline de Weever, Maureen Fries, and Michael A. Torregrossa.

Since its introduction in the 1980s, Arthurian film and television studies has matured into a legitimate field of investigation, and the thirtieth anniversary of John Boorman’s EXCALIBUR (1981), a key text for the study of Arthurian villains on film, marks an appropriate time to reflect upon the role that the villains play in the Arthurian story. Boorman’s EXCALIBUR has become a seminal text for scholars of Arthurian-themed films and part of the modern canon of popular Arthuriana. Moreover, it is especially important for its presentation of the villains Morgana and Mordred and their relationship to King Arthur, as Boorman is the first filmmaker (as Torregrossa has explored) to fully depict the incest of King Arthur (here with Morgana), an act that results in the conception of Mordred, and its consequences. In addition, Boorman’s versions of both Morgan le Fay and Mordred have shaped countless later representations of these characters in popular Arthuriana throughout the globe.


PLEASE SUBMIT PROPOSALS OF 500 WORDS OR LESS, PARTICIPANT INFORMATION FORM (AVAILABLE AT
http://www.wmich.edu/medieval/congress/submissions/index.html IN JULY), AND A COPY OF YOUR CV TO THE ORGANIZERS AT

ArthurianVillainyResearch-AT-gmail-dot-com


PLEASE INCLUDE “KALAMAZOO 2011 PROPOSAL” IN THE SUBJECT LINE


FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE ALLIANCE FOR THE PROMOTION OF RESEARCH ON THE VILLAINS OF THE MATTER OF BRITAIN, PLEASE CHECK OUT OUR BLOG AT http://ArthurianVillainyResearch.blogspot.com/

FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE VIRTUAL SOCIETY FOR THE STUDY OF POPULAR CULTURE AND THE MIDDLE AGES, PLEASE CHECK OUT OUR BLOG AT
http://popularcultureandthemiddleages.blogspot.com/

Kalamazoo 2011 Update

We have had an update on sessions for next year's International Congress on Medieval Studies at Kalamazoo. One session our proposal (accessible here) has been accepted, and a call for papers will be forthcoming.

Avalon High the Movie

The Disney Channel is now filming a live-action adaptation of Meg Cabot's young-adult novel Avalon High. No word on whether or not this production will incorporate material from the three-part manga sequel Avalon High: Coronation (from which the accompanying image, representing Marco [Mordred] and Morgan, is drawn). Details from a press release about the film can be found on various web sites including the following from The Futon Critic:

[05.03.10 - 10:50 AM]
PRODUCTION HAS BEGUN IN NEW ZEALAND ON "AVALON HIGH," A DISNEY CHANNEL ORIGINAL MOVIE THAT BRINGS ARTHURIAN LEGEND ALIVE AT A CONTEMPORARY HIGH SCHOOL
Released by Discovery
[NOTE: The following article is a press release issued by the aforementioned network and/or company. Any errors, typos, etc. are attributed to the original author. The release is reproduced solely for the dissemination of the enclosed information.]

PRODUCTION HAS BEGUN IN NEW ZEALAND ON "AVALON HIGH," A DISNEY CHANNEL ORIGINAL MOVIE THAT BRINGS ARTHURIAN LEGEND ALIVE AT A CONTEMPORARY HIGH SCHOOL

Production has begun in New Zealand on "Avalon High," a fantasy-filled Disney Channel Original Movie starring Britt Robertson ("Life Unexpected") and Gregg Sulkin ("Wizards of Waverly Place," Disney Channel UK's "As the Bell Rings"). Based on the award-winning novel by best-selling author Meg Cabot ("The Princess Diaries"), the movie follows Allie Pennington, a new student to Avalon High who is shocked to discover that her new classmates are reincarnations of King Arthur and his Court. "Avalon High" is slated to premiere in fall 2010.

In "Avalon High," Allie is ecstatic when her parents, traveling professors who specialize in King Arthur's legend, tell her she will be staying at Avalon High until she graduates. She can finally join the track team, make new friends and be a normal high school student. But shortly after arriving, Allie discovers that something strange may be afoot. While researching a term paper on King Arthur's legacy, she begins to notice some interesting parallels between the past and the present - from handsome quarterback Will, his cheerleader girlfriend, Jen, and their best friend, Lance, to Will's brooding step-brother, Marco, a quirky kid named Miles and football players who act like knights of the roundtable. The deeper Allie searches, the more convinced she is that her school is a contemporary Camelot, and it's up to her to solve of the mystery of Avalon High before notorious traitor Mordred wins again.

Starring are: Britt Robertson as Allie Pennington, Gregg Sulkin as Will Wagner, Joey Pollari (Disney XD's "Skyrunners") as Miles, Devon Graye ("Dexter") as Marco, Molly Quinn ("Castle") as Jen, Christopher Tavarez ("Big Momma's House 2") as Lance, and Steve Valentine ("I'm in the Band," "Wizards of Waverly Place The Movie," "Crossing Jordan") as Mr. Moore.

The teleplay, based on the book by Meg Cabot, was written by Julie Sherman Wolfe ("Jonas," "Phil of the Future") and is directed by Stuart Gillard (Disney Channel's "Hatching Pete," "90210"). "Avalon High" is a production of Sudden Motion Productions, Inc. and Ranger Productions Ltd.

Disney Channel is a 24-hour kid-driven, family inclusive television network that taps into the world of kids and families through original series and movies. Currently available on basic cable in over 99 million U.S. homes and to millions of other viewers on Disney Channels around the world, Disney Channel is part of the Disney/ABC Television Group.

Kalamazoo Sessions 2011

The Alliance has just completed the paperwork for our sponsored sessions for next year's International Congress on Medieval Studies. Proposals will be accepted later this year pending approval by the conference organizing committee.


Arthurian Villains on Film: Studies in Commemoration of the Thirtieth Anniversary of John Boorman’s Excalibur

In furtherance of our respective missions, the Alliance for the Promotion of Research on the Villains of the Matter of Britain and the Virtual Society for the Study of Popular Culture and the Middle Ages (formerly the Society for the Study of Popular Culture and the Middle Ages) are proposing a set of two sessions devoted to the theme of Arthurian Villains on Film: Studies in Commemoration of the Thirtieth Anniversary of John Boorman’s Excalibur. Papers included in these sessions will explore the representations of the villains of the Matter of Britain, both traditional ones (e.g. Cerdic, Lot of Orkney, Mark of Cornwall, Mordred, Morgan le Fay, Morgause, and Vortigern) as well as those (e.g. Brack, Cynric, Mab, Mad Madame Mim, Palamides, Ruber, and, even sometimes, Merlin) unique to specific productions, as represented in films, television programming, and other visual electronic multimedia, such as electronic games and Internet videos.

The Arthurian legend has been represented in films since at least the late 1890s and in television programming since the 1950s, and the villains of these productions serve important, though often overlooked, roles as the initiators of dramatic action and as the counteragents to their respective heroes. Despite these vital narrative functions, study of the filmic villains of the Matter of Britain remains in its infancy with few studies engaged with their role in specific productions and with only a handful of overviews of their careers as investigated (in chronological order) by Elizabeth S. Sklar, Jacqueline de Weever, Maureen Fries, and Michael A. Torregrossa.

Since its introduction in the 1980s, Arthurian film and television studies has matured into a legitimate field of investigation, and the thirtieth anniversary of John Boorman’s Excalibur (1981), a key text for the study of Arthurian villains on film, marks an appropriate time to reflect upon the role that the villains play in the Arthurian story. Boorman’s Excalibur has become a seminal text for scholars of Arthurian-themed films and part of the modern canon of popular Arthuriana. Moreover, it is especially important for its presentation of the villains Morgana and Mordred and their relationship to King Arthur, as Boorman is the first filmmaker (as Torregrossa has explored) to fully depict the incest of King Arthur (here with Morgana), an act that results in the conception of Mordred, and its consequences. In addition, Boorman’s versions of both Morgan le Fay and Mordred have shaped countless later representations of these characters in popular Arthuriana throughout the globe.

Morgause on BBC's MERLIN

Morgause made her American debut tonight on the Syfy Channel's airing of "The Sins of the Father," episode eight of season 2 of the BBC's Merlin. Morgause is a sorceress and half-sister to Morgana, ward of Uther Pendragon, though both are unrelated to Arthur in the series, contrary to tradition. In this episode, Morgause uses her powers in an attempt to manipulate the young Prince Arthur against his father, Uther.

According to the Merlin Wiki, Morgause returns in episode twelve of the series, "The Fires Of Idirsholas."

Kalamazoo Paper of Interest

The following paper presented at this week's International Congress on Medieval Studies seems relevant to our cause:

THURSDAY, 13 MAY

10:00-11:30 AM

SESSION 17: VALLEY I, ROOM 109

Philosophical Themes and Issues in Malory’s Morte Darthur

Organizer: Felicia Nimue Ackerman, Brown Univ.

Presider: Felicia Nimue Ackerman

PAPER 2 OF 4: “We are all shamed and destroyed for ever!”: The Treasonous Tale of King Mark

Meredith Reynolds, Francis Marion Univ.

Kalamazoo 2010 Update #2

Here are the details on our sessions for this year's International Congress on Medieval Studies. According to panel presider Mikee Delony, the roundtable on Thursday was again well attended and offered both informative presentations and much discussion. Please join Mikee at our business meeting/reception on Saturday and share your ideas for the future of our group.


THURSDAY, 13 MAY
1:30-3:00 PM
SESSION 68: VALLEY I 105
Why Arthur? Reflections on the International Appeal of the Matter of Britain in the Post-medieval World (A Roundtable)
Sponsor: Alliance for the Promotion of Research on the Villains of the Matter of Britain and the Society for the Study of Popular Culture and the Middle Ages
Organizer: Michael A. Torregrossa, Alliance for the Promotion of Research on the Villains of the Matter of Britain/Society for the Study of Popular Culture and the Middle Ages
Presider: Mikee Delony, Abilene Christian Univ.

Glorious Gods: The Eschatology of Camelot
Joshua Fullman, Southern Illinois Univ.–Carbondale

Joshua Fullman is a first-year PhD student at Southern Illinois University Carbondale. He currently holds an MA in English from California State University Fullerton and an MSc in Medieval Studies from the University of Edinburgh. His MSc thesis was on visions of medieval kingship and the Wars of the Roses in Malory's Morte Darthur. And he plans to write his dissertation on apocalyptic literature of the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries.

Arthur’s Popularity: Legacy, Hybridity, and Salvation
Matthew T. Hanson, Cornell Univ.

Matthew Hanson graduated from Brown University where he concentrated in Classics and Late Antique Cultures. After stints, though not terribly short, as an Egyptologist and then a Germanic philologist, he has turned his attention to Middle English romance in the guise of a close-reading literary critic. He is currently a PhD candidate at Cornell University in the Medieval Studies program. His dissertation examines the three alliterative treatments of the Alexander Romance through a post-colonial lens.

Crafting the Witch: The Transformation of Morgan le Fay
Heidi J. Breuer, California State Univ.–San Marcos

Heidi got her Ph.D. from the University of Arizona and now teaches at Cal State University, San Marcos. She published her first monograph, titled CRAFTING THE WITCH: GENDERING MAGIC IN MEDIEVAL AND EARLY MODERN ENGLAND, with Routledge in April 2009. Her book offers an answer to the question, "How did the witch become wicked?"--especially in the Arthurian literary tradition. You'll hear more about her book today in her talk for this round table. Heidi's research interests include medieval and contemporary Arthurian literature, representations of magic and the occult, feminist theory, gender studies, and LGBT studies, and she has recently published a dialogue on the pedagogy of canonical medieval texts in the undergraduate survey course.

Perception and Joy: Political Commentary in Dryden’s King Arthur and Milton’s Paradise Lost
Kara Larson Maloney, Binghamton Univ.

Kara Larson Maloney is a first year English PhD student at Binghamton University in upstate New York. Her academic interests include Arthurian studies, the concept of nation and identity in the Medieval world, and Viking sagas. She plans to write her dissertation on the concept of national identity within King Arthur's court. Current articles in progress include studies of the role of Statius in Dante's Commedia, and Terence's influence on gender within Hrotsvitha's Pelagius. She received her MA in English, specializing in the medieval literature of the British Isles, from Cal State University Long Beach. When not immersed in dead languages and thousand-year-old texts, she pursues her goal of reaching all seven continents. This summer, she hopes to combine both interests by exploring some of the Viking saga sites of Iceland.

Arthur and Merlin go to France: Arthurian Fantasy in French [WITHDRAWN]
Anne Berthelot, Univ. of Connecticut



SATURDAY, 15 MAY
12:00 PM
VALLEY II GARNEAU LOUNGE
Society for the Study of Popular Culture and the Middle Ages and the Alliance for the Promotion of Research on the Villains of the Matter of Britain
Business Meeting and Reception

Kalamazoo 2010

A reminder that the Alliance has sponsored two events at this year's International Congress on Medieval Studies now in progress at Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, Michigan. The complete schedule at corrigenda can be accessed at http://www.wmich.edu/medieval/congress/sessions.html.

Thursday, 13 May: 1:30 PM
Session 68: Valley I, Room 105

Why Arthur? Reflections on the International Appeal of the Matter of Britain in the Post-medieval World (A Roundtable)
Sponsor: Alliance for the Promotion of Research on the Villains of the Matter of Britain and the Society for the Study of Popular Culture and the Middle Ages
Organizer: Michael A. Torregrossa, Alliance for the Promotion of Research on the
Villains of the Matter of Britain/Society for the Study of Popular Culture and the Middle Ages

Presider: Mikee Delony, Abilene Christian Univ.

Glorious Gods: The Eschatology of Camelot
Joshua Fullman, Southern Illinois Univ.–Carbondale

Arthur’s Popularity: Legacy, Hybridity, and Salvation
Matthew T. Hanson, Cornell Univ.

Crafting the Witch: The Transformation of Morgan le Fay
Heidi J. Breuer, California State Univ.–San Marcos

Perception and Joy: Political Commentary in Dryden’s King Arthur and Milton’s Paradise Lost
Kara Larson Maloney, Binghamton Univ.

Arthur and Merlin go to France: Arthurian Fantasy in French [WITHDRAWN]
Anne Berthelot, Univ. of Connecticut



Saturday, 15 May
12:00 PM: Valley II, Garneau Lounge
Society for the Study of Popular Culture and the Middle Ages and the Alliance for the Promotion of Research on the Villains of the Matter of Britain
Business Meeting and Reception--All are welcome to attend

Villainous Papers at PCA/ACA

The following represent the offerings related to Arthurian villains at the upcoming Popular Culture Association and American Culture Association Annual Meeting to be held next week in St. Louis. The complete program (and addendum) can be accessed at: http://pcaaca.org/conference/national.php.


THURS., 12:30-2:00 PM

Lucas (21st Floor)
2148 Arthurian Legends: Morgan, Mordred, and Magic: Arthuriana out in Left Field
Session Chair: Michele D. Braun, Northeastern University
“‘Sympathy for the Devil’: The Dichotomy of Mordred in Popular Fiction”
Diana M. Vecchio, Widener University
“Reining in Morgaine: Revising Feminist Possibilities out of The Mists of Avalon”
Deidra Donmoyer, Wesleyan College
“Magic and the Feminine in the BBC's Merlin”
Christina Francis, Bloomsbury University
“Saving Baseball, Saving Arthur: Morganna the Kissing Bandit Resurrects Morgan le Fay”
Jill Hebert, University of St. Mary

Coming Soon to DVD: King Arthur and the Knights of Justice

Image Entertainment has announced the March 2nd release of the complete series King Arthur and the Knights of Justice, an animated series that aired for two seasons in syndication during the early 1990s. The premise of the series is that Morgana has imprisoned King Arthur and his Knights, and Merlin and the Lady of the Round Table summon a team of college football players to serve as their surrogates. Each episode pits these new knights against Morgana and her army of Warlords.

A trailer for the DVD set, featuring the series's opening and several minutes of the first episode, has been posted on Amazon.com.

Villainous Merchandise: Ring of Morgaine

From the Pyramid Collection catalog:

Ring of Morgaine
Item #: P41616

Price: $44.95

Many call her a Witch; others (including The Mists of Avalon author Marion Bradley), a priestess. No matter: As half sister of Arthur Pendragon, King of Camelot, Morgaine's status as attendant to the goddess inspired the creation of this impressive sterling silver ring, antique finished and flashing with insets of genuine marcasite. Whole sizes 5-10.

CFP: Arthurian Villains in Film/Television/Electronic Games (1st Round 4/1/10; Kalamazoo 5/12-15/11)

The Alliance for the Promotion of Research on the Villains of the Matter of Britain, in conjunction with the Society for the Study of Popular Culture and the Middle Ages, will be proposing a set of panels for the 2011 International Congress on Medieval Studies (Western Michigan University, 12-15 May 2011) on the topic of Arthurian Villains in Film/Television/Electronic Games in celebration of the 30th anniversary of John Boorman's Excalibur (1981). Prior to submitting our session proposal, we would like to gauge interest in the topic and appreciate brief proposals and a short CV from potential presenters.

Michael A Torregrossa
The Alliance for the Promotion of Research on the Villains of the Matter of Britain
34 Second Street
Smithfield, RI 02917-3627
United States
Email: arthurianvillainyresearch-at-gmail.com
Visit the website at http://arthurianvillainyresearch.blogspot.com/

Muppet King Arthur Alert

Comic book publisher Boom! Studios is set to release a four-issue series called Muppet King Arthur in which the popular Muppets characters take on various Arthurian roles. The final issue appears to feature a confrontation between Kermit as King Arthur and his nephew Robin, who plays Mordred. The official solicitation follows along with a possible cover.

Muppet King Arthur #4 (of 4)
By: Paul Benjamin, Patrick Storck, David Alvarez, David Petersen
Type: Comics : Kids
Genres: Humor
Series: Muppets
Publisher: Boom! Studios
Pub. Date: March 31, 2010

Every great quest must come to an end, and for now the Knights of Arthur must be tabled. But not before the epic battle against Mordred (Robin), as he attempts to claim the throne! Can Arthur (Kermit) defeat his son in the most deadly form of combat known to man - a pun-off?