History of Art PhD Student Peter Smyth presented at this year’s Comics Crossroads Columbus.  The event at the Billy Ireland Cartoon Research Library, held at the city’s premier comics festival, highlighted the intersection of academia and the vibrant world of comics.

Peter was part of a panel moderated by Sydney Heifler, a graduate student in the Department of History at Ohio State, which featured the perspectives of three OSU graduate students working on comics. Peter’s contribution provided a historical perspective on the relationship between comics and fine art, delving into the historical separation of comics and fine arts, tracing the evolution of both mediums. This history presented how comics have been seen as a lesser art form but sitting examples of how fine artists have drawn inspiration from comics, blurring the lines between the two. Smyth’s analysis highlighted the growing recognition of comics as a legitimate and influential art form.

More information can be found in a story on the graduate school’s website here.