CFP: Monster Media Conference 2026

 As long as humans have been making media, we have been making media about monsters. From neolithic paintings of monsters in the Cave of Beasts and the myriad monsters of Homer’s Odyssey, to the now-classic monsters of 19th-century Gothic literature and the creature features of 20th-century cinema, to zombie video games and Lady Gaga’s Monster Ball tour, our fascination with monsters has spanned across nearly every medium. While monstrosity is complex and its manifestations manifold, Jeffrey Jerome Cohen has theorized that the monster will defy easy categorization, that it is an embodiment of a specific cultural moment, and that it will evolve and shift to ensure its survival through the ages (“Monster Culture (Seven Theses)”). While it has often been accepted that media can be a cipher for a specific cultural moment, new directions in media studies, particularly theories of intermediality, find even more similarities between media and the monster: intermediality posits that media categories are not actually as solid as we may like to believe (Lúcia Nagib and Anne Jerslev, Impure Cinema: Intermedial and Intercultural Approaches to Film), and that media forms evolve and shift over time while maintaining traces of their predecessors in their new forms (Jay Bolter and David Gruisin, Remediation: Understanding New Media). This conference aims to explore the relationship between monsters and the media in which they are portrayed, and the way monsters and monster theory can help us better understand media itself. We are interested in papers on the following topics (or any others that deal with the intersection of monsters and media): 

– Media about monsters – Vampire movies, zombie video games, ghost novels, etc. 

– Media that is itself monstrous – Remix/mashup, adaptation, hybrid media forms, etc. 

– Relationships between monster narratives and their mediums 

– How medial affordances affect constructions of monstrosity 

– Media as part of the telling of monster narratives/part of the construction of monstrosity 

– Adaptations, transmediations, and retellings of monster narratives 

– Media forms that, like the monster, defy boundaries 

– Monstrosity in non-narrative media forms – Fashion, music, painting, photography, sculpture 

– Monsterizing effects of mediation 

– Using monster theory to better understand medial phenomena/using medial theory to better understand monstrosity

In addition to academic papers, we are interested in showcasing practical and artistic works that use monstrous medial approaches. These could take many forms, including a film screening, a visual art piece, a musical performance, a literature reading – or whatever else your monstrous mind can dream up! 

We will also feature keynote talks, presentations, and interactive workshops from special guests – check our website for updates. 

Monstrous media that inspired the organizers: 

– Monograph: Gothic Remixed: Monster Mashups and Frankenfictions in 21st-Century Culture, Megen de Bruin-Molé 

– Article: “Vampire Adaptation”, Thomas Leitch 

– Film: Ringu, Hideo Nakata 

– Novel: Jane Bites Back, Michael Thomas Ford 

– Video Game: Layers of Fear: Legacy, Bloober Team 

The conference will take place 18-19 June 2025 at the University of Edinburgh. Remote participants are welcome and will present their works virtually. 

Please submit a title and 250-word abstract to: monstermediaconference@gmail.com by 15 March 2026. In your email, please include your name, what type of submission you are proposing (paper or practical work), and if you expect to be presenting in-person or remotely.