PTC's Chris York releases new book, COMIC BOOKS AND THE COLD WAR, 1946-1962

PTC’s own Dr. Chris York, a favorite instructor among PTC students, has co-written and co-edited a new book, COMIC BOOKS AND THE COLD WAR, 1946-1962. York worked with his brother, Rafiel York, who teaches English at a high school in Jackson, Minn., to create and release the book, now available via Amazon.com and McFarland publishers.

"Comic books as an academic area is relatively new, and a significant gap in the literature exists," York says. "No one has done a lot of visual analysis of the comic books from the early cold war era that the book covers or has studied the narrative of the text themselves or the way the images relate to the text and the narrative," York adds.

At PTC, York teaches College Composition, Introduction to Creative Writing, Advanced Composition, and Popular Culture and American Social Dynamics. York has been an active participant in the Comics and Comic Art Area at the National Popular Culture Association Conference for nearly a decade, and his comics scholarship has appeared in the International Journal of Comic Art.

It’s well-known around PTC that York’s favorite comic book character is Batman; after all, he wrote his master’s thesis on the character: LETTERS FROM THE BATCAVE: POPULAR CONSTRUCTION OF THE BATMAN MYTH. York earned his master’s degree in American Studies from California State University, Fullerton, and his Ph.D. in American Studies from Michigan State University.

More about COMIC BOOKS AND THE COLD WAR, 1946-1962
Conventional wisdom holds that comic books of the post-World War II era are poorly drawn and poorly written publications, notable only for the furor they raised. Contributors to this thoughtful collection, however, demonstrate that these comics constitute complex cultural documents that create a dialogue between mainstream values and alternative beliefs that question or complicate the grand narratives of the era. Close analysis of individual titles, including EC comics, Superman, romance comics, and other, more obscure works, reveals the ways Cold War culture – from atomic anxieties and the nuclear family to communist hysteria and social inequalities – manifests itself in the comic books of the era. By illuminating the complexities of mid-century graphic novels, this study demonstrates postwar popular culture was far from monolithic in its representation of American values and beliefs.

Photo at top: Dr. Chris York with a copy of his book, COMIC BOOKS AND THE COLD WAR, 1946-1962.

Illusion Theatre brings award-winning play, "My Antonia," to Pine City

Illusion Theatre is bringing Willa Cather's vibrant character of Antonia to life with a statewide tour of the award-winning show, "My Antonia," and the show comes to Pine City Fri. Mar. 9. Theatre management, in collaboration with Pine City Public Schools, Community Education, the Pine City Public Library, Pine City Arts Council, and Heritage Theatre present this critically acclaimed production locally, funded in part by the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund, at 12:30 p.m. at the Pine City Elementary Auditorium on Friday, March 9th. All local partners extend a special, free invitation to PTC students, staff, and faculty.

"What a wonderful opportunity!" says Joan Bloemendaal-Gruett, Dean of Academic Affairs. "We have been extended an invitation to attend this award-winning presentation at no charge. It's not often such opportunities arise, and I encourage anyone who is able to attend," Bloemendaal-Gruett adds.

To reserve your seat at the performance, R.S.V.P./e-mail Bloemendaal-Gruett (BloemendaalJ@pinetech.edu) with your intent to attend no later than Fri. Feb. 25. Attendees must arrive and be seated by 12:15 p.m. on Mar. 9, for the production to start at 12:30.

About "My Antonia"
In 1918, Willa Cather wrote about 1880s European immigrants who came to the U.S. to make their American dreams come true. They endured bitter winters and struggled to make things grow in the hard, scrabble soil of the windswept Nebraska prairie. Moore's new adaptation is told through the memories of narrator Jim Burden, who after 20 years of living in the East, returns to his small prairie town to see Antonia, the Czech immigrant girl who shaped his understanding of life. The story is wrapped in an environment of the changing prairie created by the actors, set, and sound.

The one-and-a-half hour drama will relate to high school students and the public in the East Central Region of Minnesota -- an area also populated by Czech immigrants whose culture and language enriched local history. The 2010 production of "My Antonia" was the recipient of two Twin Cities Theatre Ivey Awards.

Photo at top: Actors portray a scene from "My Antonia." (photo courtesy of Illusion Theatre.)

PTC’s Gunsmithing Technology students learn from notable alum, Kevin Muramatsu

Kevin Muramatsu graduated from PTC in 2007, having earned both the Gun Repair Certificate and the Advanced Gunsmithing Diploma, and now, Muramatsu revises the textbooks that today's students use.

Muramatsu says he is fascinated by the inner workings of the ‘tools’ (guns) and also the art of being a good and consistent shooter. Muramatsu also claims the reason why many people may have not discovered the shooting sports is because they don’t have enough information about guns and shooting and may not know where to turn to for the right start.

“There are basic, easily-taught concepts such as safety, recoil management, and competitive opportunities,” Muramatsu says. “The first gun a youngster – or any beginner – shoots should not be a .44 Mag, or a .30-06. Gun safety is simple, but absolutely necessary, and the repetitive efforts in ensuring it bring confidence,” Muramatsu adds.

Muramatsu is an NRA-certified instructor, teaches carry/permit classes, and is a lead instructor at the School of Outdoor Sports in Woodbury, Minn.

Photo: PTC Gunsmithing Technology student Marcus Lhotka studies the GunDigest® Book of Rimfire Rifles, revised by Muramatsu.