top of page

WILL

SIMPSON, phd

ABOUT

I teach, research, and write about the art and

narratives of comics. My work examines the formal

features of comics, their relationship to esoteric,

occultist, and subversive traditions of thought,

and their place in American cultural life.

My research allows me to explore issues of

selfhood, cognition, emotion, representation,

identity, and culture.

Since 2012, I have developed and instructed university courses in philosophy, religious studies, and culture. From 2014-2018, I was a graduate employee at the University of Louisville, where I earned a Ph.D in Humanities (2018). I also hold an M.A. in Religious Studies (2013), and B.A.s in Philosophy and Religious Studies (2010) from Western Kentucky University, where I was a graduate employee from 2011-2013.

about

recent

work

"Feelings in the Gutter: Opportunities for Emotional Engagement in Comics"

ImageText vol. 10, no. 1 (2018)

----

In this article, the author investigates ways in which comics can offer unique opportunities for emotional engagement, specifically in relation to their form. The author argues that understanding certain formal aspects of comics, in light of a philosophically robust understanding of emotions as processes, allows us to understand how this narrative medium offers readers opportunities for emotional responses that are distinct from the opportunities provided by other narrative media.

recent work
bottom of page