CSUN English professor is honored

Charles Hatfield, assistant professor of English and a specialist in comic art, has been named the Jerome Richfield Memorial Scholar for 2005-06, an honor reserved each academic year for an outstanding CSUN faculty member conducting research in the arts, sciences or humanities.

In 1992, CSUN established a memorial research endowment in honor of Jerome Richfield, dean emeritus and professor of philosophy. The fellowship provides three units of release time for fall 2005 or spring 2006.

A specialist in comic art, children’s literature, word/image studies, film, animation and media, Hatfield is “honored and deeply thankful” to have been named the Richfield scholar.

“It’s encouraging to see research in my specialty—comics studies—recognized and supported at the university level,” he said. “I feel lucky to be working in an area where interest is high and recognition is growing.”

Currently co-editing a collection of essays on underground “comix” for the University of Massachusetts Press, Hatfield also is writing a monograph for the University Press of Mississippi. Titled “Jack Kirby: The Burning Hand,” the monograph discusses the work of the influential comic book creator/illustrator whose characters include Captain America, The Fantastic Four, XMen and The Hulk, among others.

Hatfield has published widely on the theory and criticism of comics as a literary form. His recent publications include a book, “Alternative Comics,” published in August 2005 by the University Press of Mississippi.

He earned his doctoral and master’s degrees in English from the University of Connecticut.