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Curriculum Vitae Dr. Hans-Joachim Backe Asger Rygs Gade 11 st. tv 1727 Copenhagen DENMARK +45 50 29 62 34 E-Mail: hanj@itu.dk

Date and Place of Birth 27. December 1973 in Völklingen (Germany)

Education

Nov. 2008 PhD in General and Comparative Literature, Saarland University,

Saarbrücken, Germany. Thesis: Strukturen und Funktionen des

Erzählens im Computerspiel. Eine typlogische Einführung

[Structures and Functions of Narrative in Computer Games. A

typological introduction]. Grade: Magna cum laude (very good)

Sept. 2002 Master of Arts (Magister Artium) in Comparative Literature

(Major), American Literature and English Literature from Saarland

University, Saarbrücken, Germany. Grade: very good.

June 1993 School graduation (Gymnasium). Grade: very good

Work Experience

Since Aug. 2014 Assistant Professor, IT University Copenhagen (Center for

Computer Games Research)

Oct. 2013 – July 2014 Post-Doctoral Assistant at the Department of General and

Comparative Literature, Ruhr-Universität Bochum, Germany

[con’t]

Feb. 2013 – Sept. 2013 Visiting Post-Doc, IT University Copenhagen (Center for Computer

Games Research): Teaching, supervision

April 2009 – Jan. 2013 Post-Doctoral Assistant at the Department of General and

Comparative Literature, Ruhr-Universität Bochum, Germany:

Teaching (2 classes per week), counseling and examination/

supervision, Erasmus coordination (8 universities), faculty board

member, assistant program coordinator

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Oct. 2008 – Mar. 2009 Lecturer at the Department of General and Comparative

Literature, Ruhr-Universität Bochum, Germany: Teaching (3 classes

per week)

Jan. 2004 – Dec. 2006 Federal PhD-Grant (Cusanuswerk)

Oct. 2002 – Sept. 2008 Graduate Assistant and Lecturer at Saarland University,

Saarbrücken, Germany: Teaching (2-3 classes per week),

curriculum revision, editorial work, web design/administration,

network administration, database development

Oct. 1996 – Sept. 2002 Student Assistant at the Department of General and Comparative

Literature, Saarland University, Saarbrücken, Germany: editorial

work, web design/administration, network administration

July 1993 – June 1994 Military Service

Languages

German – Mother tongue

English – Fluent

Danish – Intermediate (ongoing education, currently DU3 lvl. 3)

French – Intermediate (speaking, reading); basic (writing)

Italian – Basic

Design and Technology Skills

Graphic Design – Professional level in Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign

Webdesign – Proficient in HTML and CSS, basic knowledge of PHP and mySQL

Game Design – Working knowledge of game authoring tools and engines (Unity, Unreal,

CryEngine, GameMaker)

A/V Technology – Proficient in audio recording and mixing (Cubase, Waves Suite), Video

editing and post-production (AfterEffects)

Programming – Basic understanding of C++

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Record of Teaching

Certification

State certified university teacher. Diploma “Professionelle Lehrkompetenz für die Hochschule”

(150 hours), [“Professional teaching competence for universities”; http://www.hd-

nrw.de/weiterbildung/module/].

Supervision

16 Master-theses

50+ Bachelor-theses

10 projects currently ongoing

Evaluation

Excellent personal evaluations (in ITU’s 6-point scale between 5 and 6, average of 5,73) and solid

course evaluations of managed courses (at ITU between 4 and 5.67, average of 4,89)

Courses

Course manager on 36 courses (6 at ITU), co-teacher on 16 courses (8 at ITU)

33 different course topics (plus 8 individual lecture topics) since 2004

(* = courses taught at ITU)

Foundations of Play and Games *

Digital Game Theory *

Gameworld Design *

Transmedia Storytelling *

Thesis Preparation *

Ecocriticism

Hero-discourses from ‘Heros’ to

‘Superhero’

The Golem

Movie Adaptations of Literary

Classics

Literature and Games

Genres and Media

The Modernist Novel: Celine, Mann,

Joyce

Introduction to Film Analysis

Magic, the Occult and Charlatans

since the Enlightenment

Terrorism in Narrative Fiction

Short Narrative – Genre History and

Theory

Introduction to Game Studies

Narratives of Other Worlds

Sailors in World Literature

Introduction to Western Mythology

The Decadent Movement

A History ‘New Media’

(Post-)Crime Fiction

Reading Foucault/Poe

Irony in Popular Culture

‘Faust’-Adaptations

Themes and Problems of

Postmodernism

Intermedia Theory

Theories of Narrative

Narrative Genres

Poststructuralist Theory

Discourse Analysis

System Theory

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Management, Organization, and Grants

Functions in Academic Associations/Research Groups

Functions in the International Comparative Literature Association

Chairperson of the Research Committee on Literature in the Digital Age, 2010-

2015 (member since 2008)

Treasurer for Europe and Africa, 2013–2019

Member of the committee on Future Development, 2011-2013

Member of the committee for Early Career Support, 2015-2016

Member of the committee for Communication, 2015-2016

Founding Member of the German Association for Comic Studies (ComFor e.V.)

Founding Member of the GfM (German Association for Media Studies) Research Group

Comic Studies

Auditor for 2011–2014, German Comparative Literature Association

Institutional Services

Guest Member, Subject Area Team Games (ITU)

Organizer, Game Lecture Series 2016 (ITU)

Internal Member on a Board of Appeals (2016)

Expert Respondent, teachIT Project and Thesis Supervision course (ITU)

Member of Professoral Hiring Committee (“Berufungskomission,” Ruhr-Universität

Bochum)

Reviewer for Diegesis, Games and Culture, Game Studies, Literary and Linguistic

Computing, Neohelicon, Revista de Filología Alemana

Conference Reviewer for ICLA 2013, DiGRA (2015, 2016), CEEGS (2015, 2016, also Track

Chair for Theory), Philosophy of Games (2015, 2016), Games & Literary Theory (2013-

2016)

Congress/Workshop/Panel Organization

(Co-Organizer) Symposium “Zur Ästhetik des Gemachten in Animation und Comic”

[Aesthetics of ‘Made-ness’ in animation and comic], German Association for Media

Studies (GfM), Nov. 9 – 11, 2016, Schloss Herrenhausen, Hannover, Germany

Conference Panel “Towards a Definition of Meta-Games,” DiGRA/FDG 2016, Abertay

University, Dundee, Scotland

Conference Panel “Do you speak digital? The Past, Present, and Future of Electronic

Literatures,” ICLA World Congress 2016, University of Vienna, Austria

One-Day-Workshop “Meta-Games,” CEEGS 2015, Jagiellonian University, Kraków, Poland

Conference Panel “Meta-Games and Meta-Gaming,” DiGRA 2015, Leuphana University,

Lüneburg, Germany

One-Day-Workshop “Comicforschung trifft Medienwissenschaft“ [Comic studies meets

media studies], April 25-26, 2014, Ruhr-University Bochum, Germany.

Conference Panel “Comparative Approaches To Digital Literature,” XXth ICLA World

Congress, July 18 – 24, 2013, Université de la Sorbonne Nouvelle, Paris, France

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(With Monika Schmitz-Emans): Organization of the German Research Foundation’s (DFG)

First Comparatist Symposium “Literature as a Risk,“ Oct. 3 – 7, 2011, Villa Vigoni, Loveno,

Italy

Conference Panel “Digital Narrative 2.0. Aesthetics and criticism beyond literature,” XIXth

ICLA World Congress, August 15 – 21, 2010, Chung-Ang University, Seoul, South Korea

Awards and Grants

Preparation: Partner in VR-project application to AP Møller Fonden led by DR

Pending: Horizon2020 application “Play European” as Co-PI with Torill Mortensen

(Consortium: Aphra Kerr (IRL), Jussi Holopainen (ESP), Tomasz Majkowsky (POL), Frans

Mäyrä (FIN), Jaakko Stenros (FIN))

Co-Recipient EU-OPSTART grant (DKK 75.000) for “Play European”

Co-Recipient, Symposium “Zur Ästhetik des Gemachten in Animation und Comic.”

Funding by Volkswagenstiftung, 27.000 €.

Invited as Visiting PostDoc to IT University Copenhagen (Februar – September 2013)

Co-Recipient (43.200 €) for German Research Foundation’s (DFG) First Comparatist

Symposium “Literature as a Risk,“ Oct. 3 – 7, 2011, Villa Vigoni, Loveno

Anna Balakian Memorial Award of the International Comparative Literature Association

for the best first book of a young scholar between 2007 and 2010

Federal PhD-Grant (Cusanuswerk) , fully funded, 2004 – 2006

Further experience: Co-Applicant for 3 national (2 German, 1 Danish) federal grants and 3

EU grants, regular participant in workshops and info meetings

Current Research

Main Fields of Research

Game studies

Transmedia Aesthetics and Narratology, Comparative Media Theory, Intermediality

Popular culture (esp. film, comics, computer games)

19th to 21st Century Literature

Publications

Monographs and Editions

1. Ed. (with Claudia Schmitt and Christiane Solte-Gresser): Vergleichen an der Grenze.

Beiträge zu Manfred Schmelings komparatistischen Forschungen. Würzburg:

Königshausen & Neumann, 2016. (ISBN 978-3-8260-5689-5)

2. Guest Editor, Special Issue “Digital Literature. Aesthetics, Didactics, Technology.” Literary

and Linguistic Computing. Vol. 27 (3/2012). (Online ISSN 1477-4615. Print ISSN 0268-

1145)

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3. Ed. (with Manfred Schmeling): From Ritual to Romance and Beyond. Comparative

Literature and Comparative Religious Studies. Würzburg: Königshausen & Neumann,

2011. (ISBN: 978-3-8260-4583-7)

4. Under the Hood. Die Verweisstruktur der Watchmen. Bochum and Essen: Christian A.

Bachmann Verlag, 2010. (ISBN: 978-3-941030-10-7)

5. Strukturen und Funktionen des Erzählens im Computerspiel. Eine typologische Einführung.

[Structures and Functions of Narrative in Computer Games. A Typological Introduction.]

Würzburg: Königshausen & Neumann, 2008. (ISBN: 978-3-8260-3986-7) Awarded the

2010 Anna Balakian Memorial Award by the International Comparative Literature

Association. [Extensive abstract in English: http://www.hajobacke.com/wp-

content/uploads/2015/07/structures_and_functions_english_abstract.pdf]

Papers in Peer-Reviewed Journals, Proceedings, and Collections

1. (Forthcoming) “Within the Mainstream. An Ecocritical Framework for Digital Game

History.” In: Ecozon@: European Journal of Literature, Culture and Environment 8.2 -

Green Computer and Video Games.

2. (Forthcoming) “League of Extraordinary Gentlemen as (Literary) History.” In: Dolle-

Weinkauff, Bernd/Grünewald, Erich (eds.): Geschichte im Comic/History in Comics.

Proceedings of the 11th Conference of the German Association for Comics Studies. Berlin:

Christian A. Bachmann.

3. (Forthcoming) “Narrative.” In: Nunez, German Alfonso/Görgen, Arno/Fangerau, Heiner

(eds.): Popular Culture and Biomedicine: Knowledge in the life sciences as cultural

artefacts. Berlin/Heidelberg: Springer.

4. (Forthcoming) “Green Gaming. Vorschläge für eine Ökokritik des Computerspiels.” In:

Christiane Solte-Gresser and Claudia Schmitt (eds): Literatur und Ökologie. Bielefeld:

Aisthesis, 2017, p. 171–184.

5. (Forthcoming) “Crysis , The Posthuman, and the Mirror Stage.” In: Goggin, Joyce/Welsh,

Timothy: The Games and Literary Theory Collection. London: Bloomsbury.

6. (Under Review, co-authored with Ea Christina Willumsen): “How to Approach Health

Packs in the Wild. Journal of the Philosophy of Computer Games.” In: Journal of the

Philosophy of Computer Games.

7. “Past Time. Questionable Epistemologies of Time and Identity in SUPERHOT and Metal

Gear Acid 2.” Proceedings of the Philosophy of Computer Games Conference 2016,

University of Malta.

http://pocg2016.institutedigitalgames.com/site/assets/files/1015/backe_-_past_time.pdf

8. “Lynching Luther. The Crime Thriller as Reflection of Psychology Tropes in Television.“ In:

Schleich, Markus/Nesselhauf, Jonas (eds): Das andere Fernsehen?! Eine

Bestandsaufnahme des »Quality Television«. Bielefeld: transcript, 2015, 125–139.

9. “Alan Moores League of Extraordinary Gentlemen: Comics als/über/durch

Literaturgeschichte.” In: Hölter, Achim/Schmitz-Emans, Monika (eds.): Literaturgeschichte

und Bildmedien. Bielefeld: Transcript, 2015, 293–310.

10. “The Literary Canon in the Age of New Media.” In: Poetics Today (2015) 36(1-2): 1–31.

doi:10.1215/03335372-2879757

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11. “Where’s the Battletech in Mechwarrior Online? A Case Study in Game Adaptation.” In:

Well-Played 4.1 (2015): 11–34.

12. (with Espen Aarseth): “Ludic Zombies: An Examination of Zombieism in Games.” In:

Defragging Game Studies. Proceedings of DiGRA 2013.

13. “Greenshifting Game Studies.” In: First-Person Scholar. 19 March 2014.

14. “The Literary Straitjacket. Comics and Literature in Chabon and Vaughan.” In: Saussy,

Haun/Gillespie, Gerald (eds.): Intersections and Interferences: Literature and Other Arts.

Bruxelles: P.I.E. Peter Lang, 2014, 111–123.

15. “Politrickery. Brian K. Vaughans Meta-Politik.” In: Packard, Stephan (ed.): Comic und

Politik/Comics and Politics. Bochum/Essen: Christian A. Bachmann, 2014, 443–460.

16. “Disappearing Acts: Stage Magic and the Illusion of the Body.” In: Comparative Critical

Studies e-supplement (eCCS) 10 (2013), 91–106.

17. “Vom Yellow Kid zu Super Mario. Zum Verhältnis von Comics und Computerspielen.” In:

Bachmann, Christian A./Sina, Véronique/Banhold, Lars (eds.): Comics intermedial.

Beiträge zu einem interdisziplinären Forschungsfeld. Bochum and Essen: Christian A.

Bachmann, 2012, 143–157.

18. “Transformation und Aneignung literarischer Prätexte in Moores und Gibbons’

Watchmen.” In: Schmitz-Emans, Monika: Literatur und Comic. Berlin/New York: de

Gruyter, 2012, 187–202.

19. “Narrative Rules? Story Logic and the Structures of Games.” Literary and Linguistic

Computing. Vol. 27 (3/2012), 243–260.

20. “Der Text als Luftmensch: Mr. Vertigo.” In: Bachmann, Christian A./Sauer-Kretzschmer,

Simone (eds.): Paul Auster. Beiträge zu Werk und Poetik. Bochum and Essen: Christian A.

Bachmann, 2012, 33–53.

21. “Narrative Feedback: Computer Games, Comics, and the James Bond Franchise.” In:

Frenk, Joachim/Krug, Christian (eds.): The Cultures of James Bond. Trier: WVT, 2011,

221–233.

22. ‘Entertainology’? Das Computerspiel als Herausforderung für die Erzählforschung.” In:

Hölter, Achim (ed.): Comparative Arts. Neue Ansätze zu einer universellen Ästhetik.

Heidelberg: Synchron Verlag, 2011, 273–280.

23. “Von der Superhelden-Fiktion zur Meta-Helden-Fiktion. Watchmen und die

Dekonstruktion des Heldentums.” In: Kritische Berichte 1/2011 (39. Jg.), 5–19.

24. “Age and Aging in Computer Games.” In: Revista Texto Digital 6/2 (2010), 47–64.

25. “The Narrative Edge of Gaming.” In: Mitgutsch, Konstantin/Klimmt,

Christoph/Rosenstingl, Herbert (eds.): Edges of Gaming. Conference Proceedings of the

Vienna Games Conference 2008-2009. Wien: Wilhelm Braumueller, 2010, 265–276.

26. “Postkoloniale Monstrosität? Schiffbruch und Verlust der Menschlichkeit in Arthur

Gordon Pym und Life of Pi.” In: Röttgers, Kurt/Schmitz-Emans, Monika (eds.): Monster.

Philosophisch-literarische Reflexionen, Bd. 12. Essen: Die Blaue Eule, 2010, 56–66.

27. “Narratological interplay, or: What literary criticism can learn from computer gaming

studies.” Neohelicon 2/2009. Special Issue: Cyberliteratures of the World. (Guest Editor:

Dolores Romero López), 525–532.

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28. “Textual Constitution of Narrative in Digital Media.” In: Gächter, Yvonne et. al. (eds.):

Storytelling – Media-theoretical Reflections in the Age of Digitalization. Innsbruck:

Innsbruck University Press, 2008, 229–237.

29. “Caillois Revisited.” In: Ghosh-Schellhorn, Martina/Marti, Roland (eds.): Playing by the

Rules of the Game/Jouer selon les règles de jeux. Berlin: Lit Verlag, 2008, 53–63.

Published Invited Talks and Commissioned Book Chapters

30. “Das Spiel im Spiel – im (Computer-)Spiel.” In: Backe, Hans-Joachim/Schmitt,

Claudia/Solte-Gresser, Christiane (eds): Vergleichen an der Grenze. Beiträge zu Manfred

Schmelings komparatistischen Forschungen. Würzburg: Königshausen & Neumann, 2016,

37–74.

31. “Preachers, Butchers, Politicians, or: The Gravitational Pull of Liminal Superheroes.” In:

Klütsch, Rebecca et. al. (eds): Breaking the Panel! Comics as a Medium. Wien/Zurich: LIT,

2015, 21–36.

32. “Sex mit Foucault. Autorschaft als Schlüsselkonzept im zeitgenössischen Sexualdiskurs.”

In: Canpalat, Esra et al. (eds.): Literatur und Sexualität: Beiträge zum Studierenden-

kongress Komparatistik 2014. Berlin: Christian A. Bachmann, 2015, 13–30.

33. “Between ‘One-for-all’ and ‘Free-for-all’ – Transmedia Storytelling.” In: Lenhardt,

Eva/Rauscher, Andreas (eds.): Film and Games. Interactions. On the occasion of the

Exhibition Films and Games. Interactions, Deutsches Filmmuseum, Frankfurt am Main,

July 1, 2015 to January 31, 2016. Berlin: Bertz + Fischer, 2015, 90–95.

34. Parallel Publication in German: “Zwischen Ellbogengesellschaft und Schulterschluss –

Transmedia Storytelling.” In: Lenhardt, Eva/Rauscher, Andreas (eds.): Film und Games. Ein

Wechselspiel. Zur Ausstellung Film und Games. Ein Wechselspiel, Deutsches Filmmuseum,

Frankfurt am Main, 1. Juli 2015 bis 31. Januar 2016. Berlin: Bertz + Fischer, 2015, 90–95.

35. “Das Computerspiel – ein literarisches Genre?” In: Drews, Albert (ed.): Kulturgut

Computerspiel? Ein Mediengenre zwischen Schmuddelimage und Akzeptanz. Rehburg-

Loccum: Evangelische Akademie Loccum, 2012, 45–60.

36. “Mit Gefühlen spielen: Emotionalität zwischen den Regel- und Zeichensystemen von Spiel

und Erzählung.” In: von Brincken, Jörg/Konietzny, Horst (eds.): Emotional Gaming.

München: epodium, 2012, 47–60.

37. “The Creation of Literary Golems: Art and Artifice.” In: Schmeling, Manfred/Backe, Hans-

Joachim (eds.): From Ritual to Romance and Beyond. Würzburg: Königshausen &

Neumann, 2011, 89–99.

38. “Introduction.” In: Schmeling, Manfred/Backe, Hans-Joachim (eds.): From Ritual to

Romance and Beyond. Würzburg: Königshausen & Neumann, 2011, 15–19.

Entries in Dictionaries

39. (Forthcoming) “Computerspiel.” [Computer Game] In: Martínez, Matías: Metzler

Handbuch Erzählen. Stuttgart: Metzler, 2017.

40. “Computergestütztes Erzählen.” [Computer-based narrative] In: Martínez, Matías:

Metzler Handbuch Erzähltheorie. Stuttgart: Metzler, 2011.

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41. “Computer und Gattung.” [Computers and Genre] In: Zymner, Rüdiger (ed.): Metzler

Handbuch Gattung. Stuttgart: Metzler, 2010.

42. “Medialität und Gattung”. [Mediality and Genre]. In: Zymner, Rüdiger (ed.): Metzler

Handbuch Gattung. Stuttgart: Metzler, 2010.

43. “John Barth.” In: Schmitz-Emans, Monika/Lindemann, Uwe/Schmeling, Manfred (eds.):

Lexikon der Poetiken. Berlin/New York: De Gruyter, 2009.

44. “Harold Bloom.” In: Schmitz-Emans, Monika/Lindemann, Uwe/Schmeling, Manfred (eds.):

Lexikon der Poetiken. Berlin/New York: De Gruyter, 2009.

45. “Salman Rushdie.” In: Schmitz-Emans, Monika/Lindemann, Uwe/Schmeling, Manfred

(eds.): Lexikon der Poetiken. Berlin/New York: De Gruyter, 2009.

46. “Alfred Kubin: Die andere Seite.” In: Bogner, Ralf: (ed.): Deutsche Literatur auf einen Blick.

400 Werke aus 1200 Jahren. Ein Kanon. Darmstadt: WBG, 2009.

47. “Albert Ehrenstein: Tubutsch.” In: Bogner, Ralf: (ed.): Deutsche Literatur auf einen Blick.

400 Werke aus 1200 Jahren. Ein Kanon. Darmstadt: WBG, 2009.

48. “Gustav Meyrink: Der Golem.” In: Bogner, Ralf: (ed.): Deutsche Literatur auf einen Blick.

400 Werke aus 1200 Jahren. Ein Kanon. Darmstadt: WBG, 2009.

49. “B. Traven: Das Totenschiff.” In: Bogner, Ralf: (ed.): Deutsche Literatur auf einen Blick. 400

Werke aus 1200 Jahren. Ein Kanon. Darmstadt: WBG, 2009.

50. “Joseph Roth: Radetzkymarsch” In: Bogner, Ralf: (ed.): Deutsche Literatur auf einen Blick.

400 Werke aus 1200 Jahren. Ein Kanon. Darmstadt: WBG, 2009.

Miscellanea

51. Narratology Between Transmediality and Medium-Specificity. Review of Jan-Noël Thon:

Transmedial Narratology and Contemporary Media Culture. In Diegesis 5/2 (2016).

52. Review of Kristine Jørgensen: Gameworld Interfaces. In: Game Studies 15/1 (2015).

53. “Sprache, Liebe, Hoffnung. Zum Tod Terry Pratchetts.” Orbituary. In Literatur und

Feuilleton 13.05.2015.

54. “Vor dem Spiel ist nach dem Text.” Review of Thomas Böhm: New Level. Computerspiele

und Literatur. In Literatur und Feuilleton 30.12.2014.

55. “Frauenfroschmonster und Schwanzzerkleinerer.” Review of Dietmar Dath/Oliver

Scheibler: Mensch wie Gras wie. In Literatur und Feuilleton 27.03.2014.

56. Discussion minutes in Schmitz-Emans, Monika (Hg.): Literatur als Wagnis. DFG

Symposium 2011. Berlin/Boston: de Gruyter, 2013, S. 190–197, 373–380, 496–500, 637–

643, 766–772, 828–831.

57. Review of Elke Richter / Karen Struve / Natascha Ueckmann (Hg.): Balzacs »Sarrasine«

und die Literaturtheorie. Zwölf Modellanalysen. In: Romanische Forschungen 2/2013,

292–296.

58. Congress report: XIX. Weltkongress der Association International de Littérature

Comparée/International Comparative Literature Association. 15. bis 21. August 2010 in

Seoul, Südkorea. In: Hölter, Achim: Komparatistik. Jahrbuch der Deutschen Gesellschaft

für Allgemeine und Vergleichende Literaturwissenschaft 2010. Heidelberg: Synchron

Verlag, 2011, 135–138.

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Interviews

Expert-interviews on games, transmedia, and fan culture in DR, Jyllandsposten, My Daily Space

(web), Deutschlandfunk (German National Culture Radio)

Talks

Keynotes

1. (Accepted): Frankfurt, June 2017 (Industry Workshop “Narrativa. Impulse für

Gegenwärtiges Erzählen”): “Inspiration Transmedia Storytelling”

2. (Accepted): Kiel, March 2017 (Conference “Playful Meaning – Close reading strategies in

game studies”): “A Study in Meta: Metal Gear Acid 2”

3. Hamburg, December 2016 (Conference “Praktiken medialer Transformationen:

Übertragungen in und aus dem digitalen Raum”, University of Hamburg): “Die (De-)

Konstruktion des perfekten Spiels. MechWarrior Online und Computerspieladaption im

Free-to-Play Zeitalter”

4. Chicago, November 2015 (President’s Symposium, Annual Conference of the Society for

Computers in Psychology): “The Glove and the Hand. A Lacanian approach to player-

avatar relationship.”

5. Munich, September 2014 (Student Conference “Das Videospiel zwischen Kunst, Code und

Kommerz”): Keynote “‘Working as a team increases your chance of survival

overwhelmingly’. Mechwarrior Online als interdisziplinäre Fallstudie.”

6. Bochum, June 2014 (German Students’ Comparative Literature Conference): Keynote

“Sex mit Foucault. Autorschaft als Schlüsselkonzept im zeitgenössischen Sexualdiskurs.”

7. Dortmund, May 2013 (Comics Student Conference, TU Dortmund): Keynote „Butchers,

Preachers, Politicians. Superheroes for the 21st Century.“

Invited Talks

8. Lund, September 2016 (Lunds Universitet, Dept. Media Studies): “Introduction to Game

Studies.”

9. Cologne, November 2015 (Clash of Realities, Cologne Games Lab): “Game Studies in

Denmark.”

10. Bochum, July 2015 (Lecture in lecture series, Dept. of Comparative Literature, Ruhr-

University Bochum): “Dante-Pop. Danterezeption in der Popkultur.”

11. Bochum, July 2015 (Guest lecture, Seminar “Dante und die Bilder”, Dept. of Comparative

Literature, Ruhr-University Bochum): “Dante im Computerspiel.”

12. Bochum, November 2013 (Lecture series “Thanks for Playing”, Ruhr-Universität Bochum):

“Außer Kontrolle: ‘Willing Suspension of Agency’ als Stilmittel aktueller Computerspiele.”

[‘Willing suspension of agency’ as a stylistic device of current computer games.]

13. Saarbrücken, November 2013 (Lecture series in honor of Manfred Schmeling): “Das Spiel

im Spiel im Computerspiel.” [The play within the play in computer games.]

14. Milwaukee, September 2012 (Guest Talk at the Center for 21st Century Studies, University

Wisconsin-Milwaukee; Hosts: Richard Grusin & Stuart Moulthrop): „Becoming Batman.

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Computer Games, Comics, and Concepts of Intermediality.“ [Available online:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cP-hUAADE0Y ]

15. Saarbrücken, January 2010 (Guest lecture): “Game Studies und Literaturwissenschaft.”

16. Loccum, May 2009 (Evangelische Akademie Loccum/Deutscher Kulturrat: “Kulturgut

Computerspiel? Ein Mediengenre zwischen Schmuddelimage und Akzeptanz”): “Das

Computerspiel – ein literarisches Genre?“ [Computer games – a literary genre?]

Peer-Reviewed Conference Presentations

17. Krakow, November 2016 (Games and Literary Theory): “The Struggle with Structure”

18. Malta, November 2016 (Philosophy of Computer Games): “Past Time. Questionable

Epistemologies of Time and Identity in SUPERHOT and Metal Gear Acid 2”

19. Lublin, October 2016 (Central and Eastern European Game Studies Conference): “Atomic

Procedures. The Granularity of Procedural Expression”

20. Dundee, August 2016 (DiGRA/FDG, Abertay University): “Representing Processes.

Procedurality in Terms of Peirce”

21. Dundee, August 2016 (DiGRA/FDG, Abertay University), panel-moderation and -segment:

“Towards a Definition of Meta-Games”

22. Vienna, July 2016 (ICLA, University of Vienna): “The Palimpsest and Gesamtkunstwerk of

Dead Space. A Close Reading”

23. Vienna, July 2016 (ICLA, University of Vienna): “‘A Series of Interesting Choices.’

Serialization and Computer Games”

24. Vienna, July 2016 (ICLA, University of Vienna), panel-moderation and -segment: “Do you

speak digital? The Past, Present, and Future of Electronic Literatures”

25. New Orleans, November 2015 (Games and Literary Theory): “‘Explaining processes with

other processes.’ On Procedurality, Signification, and Meta-Referentiality.”

26. Krakow, October 2015 (CEEGS, Jagiellonian University; Co-Author Ea Christina

Willumsen): “Pharmacopeia ludi. Health packs between procedural and semiotic

meaning.”

27. Berlin, October 2015 (Annual Conference of the Association for Philosophy of Computer

Games, BTK – Hochschule für Gestaltung; Co-Author Ea Christina Willumsen): “How to

approach health packs in the wild. Meta-ontological reflections.”

28. Lisbon, June 2015 (Workshop “Fear in/of Literature”, Universidade Católica Portuguesa):

“Fear of the Literary. Narrators and Narrative as Objects of Anxiety in Digital Games.”

29. Lüneburg, Mai 2015 (DiGRA, Leuphana University): “Minigames as Metareference.”

30. Lüneburg, Mai 2015 (DiGRA, Leuphana University): “The Palimpsest and

Gesamtkunstwerk of Dead Space: a Close Reading.”

31. Tübingen, April 2015 (Workshop “The Mediality and Materiality of Contemporary

Comics”): “Love in the Kingdom of TV-Heads. Metalepsis as Media Commentary in B.K.

Vaughan’s Saga.”

32. Amsterdam, November 2014 (2nd International Conference on Games and Literary

Theory, University of Amsterdam/Netherlands Research School for Literary Studies):

“Crysis and Lacan’s Mirror Stage.”

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33. Saarbrücken, November 2014 (Interdisciplinary Conference “Quality-Television –

Zwischen Laudatio und In Memoriam”, Saarland University): “Lynching ‘Luther’. The

Crime Thriller as Reflection of Psychology Tropes in Television.”

34. Marburg, October 2014 (German Media Studies Annual Conference): “Ästhetik der

Selbstjustiz. Bruch von Comickonventionen als Reflektion von Rechtsdiskursen.”

35. Snowbird (Utah), August 2014 (Well-Played Summit @ DiGRA): “Where’s the Battletech in

Mechwarrior Online?

36. Saarbrücken, June 2014 (German Comparative Literature Association Triennial

Conference, DGAVL): “Green Gaming. Vorschläge für eine ökokritische

Geschichtsschreibung des Computerspiels.”

37. Atlanta, August 2013 (DiGRA, Co-Author Espen Aarseth): “Ludic Zombies: An Examination

of Zombieism in Games.”

38. Atlanta, August 2013 (DiGRA): “Transcreating Mythology in Batman: Arkham Asylum.”

39. Paris, July 2013 (Workshop “Comparative and Narrative Approaches in Comics Studies”,

ICLA World Congress): “100 Bullets. Between Superhero Comics and Hard-Boiled Tradition.”

40. Paris, July 2013 (Workshop “Comparative Approaches to Digital Literature”, ICLA World Congress):

“Stranger in a Strange Land. Representing and Simulating Alterity in Computer Games.”

41. Wien, December 2012 (Workshop “Literaturgeschichte und Bildmedien”, Allgemeine und

Vergleichende Literaturwissenschaft, Universität Wien): “‘The great English hero of his

age ...’ – Alan Moores League of Extraordinary Gentlemen als werkimmanente

Literaturgeschichte.” [‘The great English hero of his age ...’ – Alan Moore’s League of

Extraordinary Gentlemen and its immanent literary history.]

42. Frankfurt /Main, October 2012 (Annual GfM Conference [German Media Studies

Association] “Spekulation”, Goethe-Universität Frankfurt a. M.): “Sprache und narrative

Distanz im Computerspiel: Erzählen – Zeigen – Simulieren.” [Language and narrative

distance in computer games: narrating – showing – simulating.]

43. Freiburg, September 2012 (7th Annual Conference of German Comic-Studies Association

COMFOR „Comics and Politics“, Albert Ludwigs University Freiburg): “Politrickery. Brian K.

Vaughans Meta-Politik.”

44. Chicago, September 2012 (ICLA Colloquium “Intersections and Interferences: Literature

and Other Arts,” University of Chicago): “The Literary Straitjacket. Comics and Literature

in Chabon and Vaughan.”

45. Malta, March 2012 (Workshop “Digital Games and Literary Theory,” University of

Malta/IT University of Copenhagen): “Becoming Batman. Computer Games, Comics, and

Concepts of Intermediality.”

46. Bochum, December 2011 (Workshop „Comics – Intermedial & Interdisziplinär“, Ruhr

University Bochum): “Vom Yellow Kid zu Super Mario – Comics und Computerspiele.”

[From Yellow Kid to Super Mario – comics and computer games.]

47. London, September 2011 (ICLA Colloquium ”Fractured, Transformed, Travelling Narratives

in Writing, Performance and the Arts,” Goldsmiths College, University of London):

“Disappearing Acts. Stage Magic and the Illusion of the Body.”

48. Seoul, August 2010 (Workshop “Digital Narrative 2.0. Aesthetics and criticism beyond

literature,” ICLA World Congress): “Devices of Story Progression in Computer Games.”

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49. Tel-Aviv, June 2010 (International Conference “Western Canons in the Digital Era”, Tel Aviv

University/Israeli Science Foundation): “Age and Aging in Computer Games.”

50. Tel-Aviv, June 2010 (International Conference “Western Canons in the Digital Era”, Tel Aviv

University/Israeli Science Foundation): “Lest we forget: Challenges and benefits of a

canon of popular culture.”

51. Vienna, September 2009 (International Conference “Future and Reality of Gaming”,

Bundesprüfstelle für Positivprädikatisierung): “The Narrative Edge of Gaming.”

52. Bochum, June 2009 (Interdisciplinary Colloquium “Monster”, Ruhr-University

Bochum/Fernuniversität Hagen): “Postkoloniale Monstrosität? Schiffbruch und Verlust

der Menschlichkeit in Arthur Gordon Pym und Life of Pi.” [Post-colonial monstrosity?

Shipwreck and loss of humanity in Arthur Gordon Pym and Life of Pi.]

53. Freiburg, June 2009 (Colloquium “Literatur und Comic,” Freiburg Institute of Advanced

Studies FRIAS): “Transformation und Aneignung literarischer Prätexte in Moores und

Gibbons’ ‘Watchmen.’” [Transformation and appropriation of literary precursors in Moore

and Gibbons’ Watchmen.]

54. Saarbrücken, June 2009 (International Conference “The Cultures of James Bond”,

Saarland University): “Narrative Feedback: The Interplay of the James Bond Franchise and its

Successors.”

55. Münster, November 2008 (Conference of German Comparative Literature Association

DGAVL): “Komparatistik als ,Entertainology‘? Das Computerspiel als Herausforderung für

die Erzählforschung.” [Comparative literature as ‘entertainology’? Computer games as a

challenge for narrative theory.]

56. Bremen, August 2008 (Colloquium „From Ritual to Romance“ at Jacobs University

Bremen): “The Creation of Literary Golems: Ritual and Artifice.“

57. Innsbruck, December 2007 (International Conference hosted by University of Innsbruck

„Storytelling – Media-theoretical Reflections in the Age of Digitalization”): “Textual

Constitution of Narrative in Digital Media.”

58. Merzig, July 2006 (International Transcultura Conference “Playing by the Rules of the

Game - Jouer selon les règles du jeu”): “Caillois Revisited.”