Join us on Tuesday, May 5th at Noon at the Audie Murphy/American Cotton Museum for a program by Dr. Rebecca Rowe on "A Studio at War: Comfort, Duty and the Disney Touch."

The presentation will focus on two different ways Disney was an important cultural impact on WWII: first, how Disney's media during this time period impacted the war effort; second, how soldiers during WWII used Disney media as a connection to each other to home. Examining Disney's propaganda and edutainment for both the public and the military, Disney-inspired military insignia, the use of Donald Duck, and more, this presentation will ultimately explore why adults turn to children's media like Disney during our darkest hours.

Rebecca Rowe is Asst. Professor of Children's Literature in the Dept. of Literature and Languages at East Texas A&M University where she teaches about the complicated power dynamics surrounding literature and media for young audiences. She is also the founding editor of the International Journal of Disney Studies and has published 10 articles and 3 edited book chapters, with her first monograph, Adapting American Adulthood: From Children's Literature to Kidult Media, set to come out this October. Her research mostly examines how adaptations, both professional and fan-made, adapt identities due to cultural, media, and audience differences.

For additional questions contact the Museum at (903) 450-4502. Admission to the program is free for museum members; otherwise there is a $5 general admission fee.