All talks will take place at the UM Library, Periodicals Section.
Open to everyone. Booking is required.
Discover how a small team at UM will be producing a youth-focused comic book, with the aim to empower and inspire 11–16-year-olds across Malta.
Based on the real-life experiences of Maltese women professionals working in STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, Mathematics) and a co-creative collaboration with middle-school students, these stories will be transformed into engaging characters and narratives that reflect the local unique culture and community.
Ever wondered how someone invents a language for elves, aliens, or warrior cultures and why they don’t just sound like random gibberish? In this talk, we’ll explore how invented or constructed languages (conlangs) from pop culture and science are built using real linguistic principles. Whether you love fantasy, sci-fi, or just cool facts about language, this talk will show you why invented languages are more real than you think.
K-comics (manhwa), in the form of webtoons, have been steadily rising as part of Korea’s globalization of pop culture and digital media. But what are k-comics and how did they grow from a small local industry to the third largest market in the world? In this talk, Dr. Emily Hall will explore the origins and impact of k-comics; the growth of digital comic platforms; and the influential k-dramas and artists powering the webcomic industry.
The panel discussion explores the structural and creative challenges faced by long-term comic creators, from financial precarity and limited distribution channels to burnout and small-market constraints. The panel will examine what ecosystem-level interventions, funding schemes, institutional support, educational pathways, and cross-media collaboration are required to move beyond passion projects towards a sustainable industry. Grounded in the Maltese context, the discussion asks how Malta can build continuity, audience development, and professional viability for its comic creators.