Hey Kids, Comics! Childhood Comic Book Cultures in Vermont 1950-1995
Recently, Associate Director and Archivist (and resident comic nerd) Andy Kolovos has been exploring childhood engagement with comic books in Vermont through the memories of cartoonists in their 40s to 70s, who actively purchased comic books here from the 1950s to the early 1990s. Andy presented a short paper about this recent project at this year’s American Folklore Society conference. With the Non-Fiction Comics Festival coming up this weekend, we decided to share Andy’s paper where he (and the people he interviewed) talk about how comics served as a launching pad for their childhood art-making.
Research Update: Turkey Tales
Read about this interview project in collaboration with the Vermont Department of Fish and Wildlife to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the reintroduction of wild turkeys here in Vermont.
Tell Me More: Resources for Oral History
Casey Dooley, VFC Education intern (Fall 2021), shares a rich list of resources available from other organizations that provides some guidance for those embarking on their own oral history projects.
Reflections 10 Years after Irene from Mendon, Vermont
On July 14, 2021, twelve residents of Mendon, Vermont gathered to discuss the lasting impact of Tropical Storm Irene, which is approaching its 10 year commemoration. As the Vermont Folklife Center's summer intern, and University of Vermont student, I helped facilitate a group conversation called a story circle. The opportunity to look at the impact of Irene as a story circle observer allowed me to witness the importance of community and helping out your neighbors.
The Most Costly Journey
El viaje más caro is an ethnographic cartooning and graphic medicine project that uses collaborative storytelling as a tool to mitigate loneliness, isolation, and despair among Latin American migrant farm workers on Vermont dairy farms. This May, the project released The Most Costly Journey, a 252 page collection of these comics for an English speaking audience.