Education
University of Rochester, Department of History 1987-1992
Ph.D., 1993.
Master of Arts, 1989.
American History. Minors in Cultural Theory and Modern European History.
University of Sydney 1983-1986
Bachelor of Arts (First Class Honours).
American, Australian, and European History, Political Economy, and Government.
Sydney Technical College 1977-1980
Library Practice Certificate (Honours).
Teaching
2001 (July- present) Associate Professor, Dept. of History, National University of Singapore.
2001 (January-June) Associate Professor, American Studies Centre, National University of Singapore.
1999 (June) - 2000 Assistant Professor, American Studies Centre, National University of Singapore.
1994 - 1998 (January) Senior Lecturer and Head of Faculty of Visual Communications, KvB Institute of Technology.
1991 Instructor, Recent American History course, Summer School, University of Rochester.
1990 Instructor, Australian Cultural History course, Summer School, University of Rochester.
1988-90 Teaching Assistant, Upper Division Writing Courses, Department of History, University of Rochester.
1988-90 Graduate Resident Adviser, University of Rochester.
1986-87 Resident History Tutor, Women's College, University of Sydney.
Research
Current Research Interests: Memory, Nostalgia, and History; Intellectual Property and Brand Names; Ethnic Imagery and Globalisation.
1992-93 Research Associate / Project Administrator, Ethnic Imagery Project, Archives Center, National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution.
Administration
February 1, 2008 - June 2009 Deputy Director, University Scholars Programme, National University of Singapore.
January 2004 - June 2006 Head, Department of History, National University of Singapore.
2001 - 2003; 2006 (June) - American Studies Convenor, National University of Singapore.
1999 (February-June) Acting Director Residential Colleges, University of Southern Queensland.
1998 - 1999 (June) Associate Director (Residential Life) Residential Colleges, University of Southern Queensland.
1996 - 1997 Acting Dean, KvB Institute of Technology.
1994-1997 Head of Faculty of Visual Communications, KvB Institute of Technology.
Publications
Books
Comic Strips and Consumer Culture, 1890-1945. (Washington, DC: Smithsonian Institution Press, 1998). Paperback edition 2002.
Comics and Ideology. co-edited. (New York: Peter Lang, 2001).
Film and Comic Books. co-edited. (Jackson: University Press of Mississippi, 2007)
Articles and Review Essays
“Let Us Not Call Them Graphic Novels: Comic Books as Biography and History,” Radical History Review (forthcoming).
“In Praise of Comic Books as History: Joseph Witek and Comics Scholarship,” in Graphic Subjects: Critical Essays on Autobiography and the Graphic Novel, Michael Chaney ed., (Madison: University of Wisconsin Press, forthcoming, 2010).
"Making Comics Respectable: How Maus helped Redefine a Medium," in New Directions in Narrative Art, James Lyons ed., (Jackson: University Press of Mississippi, forthcoming 2010).
“The American Media’s Representation of Malaysia,” in Malaysia and the United States: Reinvigorating Bilateral Relations in the 21st Century. K. S. Nathan (eds) (Singapore: ISEAS, forthcoming).
Blockbuster Meets Superhero Comic, or Art House Meets Graphic Novel?: The Contradictory Relationship Between Film and Comic Art,” (with Matthew P. McAllister and Mark Jancovich,) in Key Readings in Media Today: Mass Communication in Contexts. Joseph Turow and Brooke Erin Duffy, (eds) (New York: Routledge, 2008).
“Read From the Left: Wobblies: A Graphic History of the Industrial Workers of the World,” Labor: Studies in Working-Class History of the Americas, 5 (Fall 2008): 9-12.
"Academics Behaving Badly," Cultural Politics, 4 (April 2008): 123-128.
“Nostalgia, Myth, and Ideology: Visions of Superman at the End of the American Century,” in Cultural Studies. Michael Ryan (ed). (Malden, MA: Blackwell, 2008).
“Introducing Film and Comics,” in Film and Comic Books. Ian Gordon, Mark Jancovich and Matthew P. McAllister (eds). (Jackson: University Press of Mississippi, 2007).
Blockbuster Meets Superhero Comic, or Art House Meets Graphic Novel?: The Contradictory Relationship Between Film and Comic Art,” (with Matthew P. McAllister and Mark Jancovich,) Journal of Popular Film and Television, 34 (Fall 2006): 108-114.
"Popular Graphic Forms in Nineteenth Century America: Introduction," (with Joshua Brown and Georgia Barnhill) Common Place, 7 (April 2007)
“Academic Computing in Asia: An Overview and a Case Study,” Social Science Computer Review, 23 (Summer 2005): 167-173.
“Superman on the Set: The Market, Nostalgia and Television Audiences,” in Mark Jancovich and James Lyons (eds), Quality Popular Television: Cult TV, the Industry and Fans (London: British Film Institute and Berkeley: University of California Press, 2003)
“Nostalgia, Myth, and Ideology: Visions of Superman at the End of the American Century,” in Matthew McAllister, Edward Sewell and Ian Gordon (eds), Comics and Ideology. (New York: Peter Lang, 2001).
"The US Presidential Elections and Digital Media: A View from Singapore," (with Ryan Bishop) Mediachannel.org (January 2001): 1-16.
“Beyond the Funnies: Comic Books, History, and Hegemony,” American Quarterly, 52 (March 2000): 145-150. Web version
"From The Bulletin to Comics: Comic Art in Australia, 1890-1950," in Bonzer: Australian Comics, 1900s-1990s. Annette Shiell editor. (Redhill South, Vic: Elgua Media, 1999).
"The Rise and Rise of the New York Intellectuals," Australasian Journal of American Studies, 17 (December 1998): 45-62.
"All That Jazz': New York, Modernism, & Advertising," Australasian Journal of American Studies, 16 (July 1997): 83-90.
"American Studies in the ESL Classroom: Response by Ian Gordon," (1997) http://www.georgetown.edu/crossroads/interroads/gordon1.html
"Mass Market Modernism : Comic Strips and the Culture of Consumption," Australasian Journal of American Studies, 14 (December 1995): 49-66.
"The Drug of a Nation?: Television and Mass Culture," Australasian Journal of American Studies, 12 (July 1993): 73-79.
Snowed Under: An exhibition of Australian Snow Domes at the Embassy of Australia in Washington, D.C. [exhibition catalogue]. (Washington, D.C.: Embassy of Australia, 1993).
"The Symbol of a Nation: Ginger Meggs and Australian National Identity," Journal of Australian Studies, no. 34 (September 1992): 1-14.
""But Seriously, Folks ...": - Comic Art and History," American Quarterly, 43 (June 1991): 122-126. Web Version
"Ten Years After - A History of Library Technicians in NSW," Australian Library Journal, 32 (August 1983): 26-30.
"Comics - Can They Be Used in Libraries?," SMMART, No. 4 (1981): 21-22.
Encyclopaedia Entries
Entries on: "Batey Ads," “Cultural Symbols,” “Culture of Consumption,” “Singapore Airlines,” and “War Bonds,” in The Advertising Age Encyclopedia of Advertising, (Chicago: Fitzroy Dearborn, 2003).
Entries on “Advertising” and “Coca-Cola,” in Encyclopedia of American Studies, (New York: Grolier, 2001).
Entries on: "Buster Brown," "Comics (Books and Strips)," "Felix the Cat," "Edward Hopper," "Kewpie Dolls," "Smithsonian Institution," "Upton Sinclair," "War Bonds," "Winnie Winkle," and "The Yellow Kid," in St. James Encyclopedia of Popular Culture (Detroit: St. James Press, 1999).
Book Reviews
“The Animated Man: A Life of Walt Disney, By Michael Barrier,” Review, Australasian Journal of American Studies, 27 (December 2008): 154-156.
“Popular Ideologies: Mass Culture at Mid-Century, By Susan Smulyan,” Review, Journal of American History, 95 (June 2008): 246-247.
"The Commodification of Childhood: The Children's Clothing Industry and the Rise of the Child Consumer, By Daniel Thomas Cook,” Review Australasian Journal of American Studies, 25 (December 2006): 124-126.
“Life is Not Complete Without Shopping, By Chua Beng Huat,” Review, Journal of Southeast Asian Studies, 37 (February 2006): 169-170.
“Stronger Than Dirt: A Cultural History of Advertising Personal Hygiene in America, 1875 to 1940, By Juliann Sivulka,” Review, Journal of American History, 89 (March 2003): 1450-1451.
“Comic Book Nation: The Transformation Of Youth Culture In America. By Bradford W. Wright,” Review, American Studies, 43 (Fall 2002): 137-138.
"Assimilating Asians: Gendered Strategies of Authorship in Asian America, By Patricia P. Chu," Review, Australasian Journal of American Studies, 21 (July 2002): 111-112.
"Defining New Yorker Humor, by Judith Yaross Lee," Review, Journal of American History, (December, 2001): 1127-1128.
“The Sounds of Commerce: Marketing Popular Film Music, by Jeff Smith,” Review, Journal of American History, 87 (September, 2000): 758-759.
“Silicon Gold Rush: The Next Generation of High-Tech Stars Rewrite the Rules of Business, by Karen Southwick,” Review, Resource Center for Cyberculture Studies, (January 2000).
"The Conquest of Cool: Business Culture, Counterculture, and the Rise of Hip Consumerism, by Thomas Frank," Review, Journal of American History, 86 (December, 1999): 1396-1397.
''Comics in Australia and New Zealand: The Collections, The Collectors, The Creators, Toby Burrows and Grant Stone eds.," Review, Inks, 3 (February 1996): 42.
"The Art of the Funnies: An Aesthetic History, by Robert Harvey," Review, Inks, 2 (May 1995):44.
"The Best American Essays: 1993," Review, Australasian Journal of American Studies, 13 (December 1994):106-109.
"Making a New Deal: Industrial Workers in Chicago, 1919-1939, by Lizabeth Cohen," Review, Australasian Journal of American Studies, 10 (December 1991): 87-88.
Published Conference Papers
“Transferring Learning Responsibilities to Students and Computer Mediated Discussion Forums,” (with Glen O’Grady) in C. M. Wang editor, TLHE Symposium 2002: Second Symposium on Teaching and Learning in Higher Education. (Singapore: Centre for Development of Teaching and Learning, National University of Singapore, 2002), pp. 370-375.
"The Capable Library Technician - Myth or Reality?," in Sharing: proceedings of the first combined conference of the LAA and the NZLA. Sydney: Library Association of Australia, 1981, pp. 312-315.
Other Publications
New Resources in American Studies: Internet Archives,” with Keith Beattie, Australasian Journal of American Studies, 25 (December 2006): 142-143.
New Resources in American Studies: Anti-Americanism,” with Keith Beattie, Australasian Journal of American Studies, 22 (December 2003): 64-71.
“New Resources in American Studies: 11 September 2001,” Australasian Journal of American Studies, 21 (December 2002): 83-85.
“New Resources in American Studies: Film and History,” with Keith Beattie, Australasian Journal of American Studies, 20 (December 2001): 79-89.
“Laying the Foundation,” Hogan's Alley, 9 (Summer 2001): 124-131.
“New Resources in American Studies: ,” with Keith Beattie, Australasian Journal of American Studies, 19 (July 2000): 61-72.
Conference Papers and Public Talks
Refereed Conference Papers
“Smallville: Superheroes, Adaptation, Derivative Works and Intellectual Property Regimes,” British Association for American Studies Annual Conference, University of Nottingham, April 17, 2009.
“When Old Properties Enter New Media: Superman, Intellectual Property, Fans, and the Media,” Fourth International Conference on Multimodality, Singapore Management University, August 1, 2008.
“Heroes and Villains: Everyday Folks, Powers and Abilities Far Beyond Mortals,” Australia and New Zealand American Studies Association Conference, University of Sydney, July 5, 2008.
“A Labor of Love: Fans and the Craft of the Mixed Tape.” Rethinking Labour, Affect and Material Culture, UCD Clinton Institute of American Studies, University College of Dublin, Dublin, Ireland, April 19, 2008.
“Lost in Time and Space: Superman and American Memory,” ICAF, Library of Congress, Washington, DC, October 18, 2007.
"Media in American Culture: Impact on Malaysia,"Malaysian Association for American Studies Conference, Kuala Lumpur, August 22, 2006.
"Fan Audiences, Intellectual Property, and Comic Book Movies and TV Series," Performers, Practioners and Audiences in American Studies Conference, University of Tasmania, Launceston, 2006.
“Superman, Myth and Nostalgia,” Men in Tights: A Superheroes Conference, University of Melbourne, 2005.
"Representations of Asians in American Popular Graphics," ICAS3 - Third International Convention of Asia Scholars, Singapore, 2003.
“Transferring Learning Responsibilities To Students And Computer Mediated Discussion Forums,” with Glen O’Grady, 2nd Symposium on Teaching and Learning in Higher Education, Singapore, 2002.
“Recovering the Chinese in New York’s Chinatown circa 1909,” Asian Diasporas and Cultures, Singapore, 2001.
“Media and Policy in the Age of the Internet,” Malaysian Association for American Studies Conference, Kuala Lumpur, September 11-12, 2000.
“Remembering and Reinvigorating the Superman Myth,” Australian and New Zealand American Studies Association Conference, Canberra, 1998.
“Searching for an Australian Identity,” National Museum of Australia Seminar, September 1996.
“Urban Visions, Comic Strips, and The Culture of Consumption,” Cultural Studies Association of Australia Conference, Sydney, 1994.
“Comic Stripping America: Illustrated Humor and National Culture, 1890-1930,” Organization of American Historians Annual Meeting, Anaheim, 1993.
“Not Just a Pair of Shoes: Buster Brown, Comic Strips, and Consumer Culture, 1900-1920,” American Studies Association Annual Meeting, Costa Mesa, 1992.
“Dolls, The Culture of Consumption and Children's Play, 1890-1930,” Australian and New Zealand American Studies Association Conference, Sydney, 1990.
“Ginger Meggs, America, and Australian National Identity,” at the 5th American Association of Australian Literary Studies Conference, Winter Park, Florida, 1990.
Public Lectures, and Presentations
“Superhero Movies,” Australian Centre for the Moving Image, June 12, 2005.
“Globalization and Mass Media: Manga,” Singapore Art Museum, Public Lecture, November 20, 1999.
“Australian Cinema and the New Cultural Nationalism,” Panel on Australian Film, Embassy of Australia and Washington D.C. Film Festival, 1993.
“The Origin of the Doll Factory,” Jumeau Doll Workshop, Strong Museum, Rochester, New York, 1989.
“A Comment on Rock 'n' Roll,” at the Interpreting Rock Conference, University of Rochester, 1988.
Fellowships, Scholarships, Awards, and Recognition
Entry in Who’s Who in Asia. 2007-
Entry in Who’s Who in the World. 2001 and subsequent online editions.
National University of Singapore, Teaching Excellence Award (2004-05)
National University of Singapore, Provost Award for High Quality Teaching and Learning (2005-06)
National University of Singapore, Provost Award for High Quality Teaching and Learning (2004-05)
National University of Singapore, Provost Award for High Quality Teaching and Learning (2003-04)
National University of Singapore, Teaching Excellence Award (2002-03)
University of Rochester, Graduate Dean's Dissertation Fellowship in the Humanities, 1992.
Smithsonian Institution Pre-Doctoral Fellowship, 1991-1992.
Swann Foundation Fellowship, 1990-91.
Smithsonian Institution, Graduate Student Fellowship, 1989.
Strong Museum, H.J. Swinney Fellowship, 1988.
University of Rochester, History Department Fellowship, 1987-90.
Commonwealth Post-Graduate Research Award, 1987.
Professional and other activities
Member: American Studies Association, Organization of American Historians, American Historical Association, and Australian and New Zealand American Studies Association.
Manuscript Reader: Australasian Journal of American Studies, Blackwell, Cambridge University Press, Cultural Politics, The Historian, ImageTexT, Journal of American History, MELUS, Popular Communication, Radical History, University of Massachusetts Press, University of Minnesota Press, University of Pennsylvania Press, University Press of Mississippi.
2004- June 2006 Chairman, Editorial Board, Journal of Southeast Asian Studies
2003- Editorial Board ImageTexT
2002- Editorial Board, American Studies Asia
2001- 2003 Australian Universities Quality Agency Panel of Auditors
2001- International Contributing Editor, Journal of American History
1999- Editorial Board, H-AMSTDY list on internet.
1999- 2002 Managing Editor, H-AMSTDY list on internet.
1999- Editorial Board, Australasian Journal of American Studies
1999- Editorial Board, International Journal of Comic Art
1992-1993 Participant, New York Institute for the Humanities Seminar Series on Realism.
1987 Secretary, Sydney University Postgraduate Representative Association.
1987 Co-Editor Past Imperfect, University of Sydney History Journal.
1986-1988 Contributor to University of Sydney student newspaper and literary magazines: Honi Soit, Hermes, and Union Recorder.
1985-1987 Co-host Blues and Soul Review Radio 2RSR.
1983-1984 Treasurer Library Association of Australia - NSW Branch (now ALIA)
1982 Member NSW TAFE Library Technician Course Advisory Committee.
1979-1980 Member Management Staff Consultative Committee State Library of NSW. Chairperson 1980.
Other Employment
I have been employed as a Judgments Officer for the NSW Supreme Court Library, a library technician, a cleaner, a debt collector, a car detailer, an actor, a choir boy, in an abattoir, and in a newsagency.