On May 23rd, 2008, New York Times bestselling author Neil Gaiman (Sandman, American Gods, Mirrormask) presented the inaugural Julius Schwartz Lecture at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, followed by a casual, highly entertaining conversation with media scholar and head of the MIT Comparative Media Studies program Henry Jenkins III.

Topics covered include defining genre, the relationship between musicals and hardcore ornography, darkness in children's literature, the superhero and the Silver Age of comics,Jack Kirby, the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund and, of course, Sandman.

The Julius Schwartz Lecture is an annual event hosted by the MIT Comparative Media Studies program to honor an individual who has made significant contributions to the culture, creativity and community of comics and popular entertainment. The lecture was founded to honor the memory of longtime DC Comics editor Julius 'Julie' Schwartz, whose contributions to our culture include co-founding the first science fiction fanzine in 1932, the first science fiction literary agency in 1934, and the first World Science Fiction Convention in 1939.

Schwartz's career in comics lasted for well over 42 years, during which he helped launch the Silver Age of Comics, introduced the idea of parallel universes, and had a hand in reinventing such characters as Batman, Superman, the Flash, Green Lantern,Hawkman and the Atom.

DVD LENGTH: 1hr 45mn

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Release Date 12/17/08