Biography
Samantha Janes is a Ph.D. student in the Department of Communication Arts at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. Her research interests include classical Hollywood films, B-films, gender studies, media industries, and archival work in trade papers and ballyhoo. Her dissertation focuses on the creation of B-film stars of the 1930s—1950s. She works at the Wisconsin Center for Film and Theater Research as a project assistant and digital curator on the digital archives of the Alvin Boretz Collection and the Overture Center Collection.Recent Presentations:
- SCMS, “Class of ’07 and Apocalypse Comedy Series,” TV and Catastrophe Roundtable, forthcoming 2026
- The Hollywood Conference, “Supernatural Voodoo Woman: Situating Sugar Hill in 1970s Blaxploitation Horror,” 2025 SCMS, “Burlesque Goes Hollywood: Creating B-Film Stars in the 1940s,” 2025
- Wisconsin Historical Society IDEA Board, “Writer in Action: The Alvin Boretz Collection,” 2024 SCMS, “Guiding Early Television: TV Guide‘s ‘As We See It’ Column and Advertising Tensions,” 2022
- Digital Projects: Overture Center Collection – Digital Archive for the Wisconsin Center for Film and Theater Research, 2024
- Writer in Action: The Alvin Boretz Collection – Digital Archive for the Wisconsin Center for Film and Theater Research, 2023-2024
- “Globalizing and Enhancing the Media History Digital Library”, Summer 2021 and Summer 2022—
- Post-production team Honors/Awards: Kepley Research Award (Awarded to one or two distinguished dissertators who propose to use the funds in a transformative manner to conduct research on their project), 2026 Advanced Opportunity Fellowship, UW-Madison, Letters & Sciences, 2025-2026
- Elliot Dissertation Scholarship (Awarded to graduate students for defending their dissertation proposal) , 2025
- Robert J. Wickhem Scholarship (Awarded for achievements in media production), 2024
- Helen K. Herman Memorial Fund Scholarship (Acknowledging graduate students who demonstrate academic ability, need, and participation in extra-curricular activities), 2023
- Sharon Sites Scholarship in Radio, Television, and Film (Acknowledging outstanding women in Film and Media and Cultural Studies), 2021
- Advanced Opportunity Fellowship, UW-Madison, Letters & Sciences, 2020-2021
Publications:
- “Let’s Get that R-Rating: Student Bodies and Early Horror Parodies” in Horror Spoofs and Parody: Dying of Laughter, Reece Goodall (ed.),(Cardiff: University of Wales Press, forthcoming October 2026) Writer in Action: The Alvin Boretz Collection,” Wisconsin Center for Film and Theater Research Blog, March 22nd, 2024.
- ““In Defense of Writers” from the Alvin Boretz Collection,” Wisconsin Center for Film and Theater Research Blog, June 6th, 2023.
- Review of Refocus: The Films of Albert Brooks ed. by Christian B. Long. The Velvet Light Trap 90 (2022): 75- 77. Service: Velvet Light Trap Executive Board, 2024-2025
- Velvet Light Trap Reader Board 2020 – 2023, 2025-present
- GSO Representation, 2022-2023
- “Observations on Film Art” Blog, Social Media Manager for David Bordwell and Kristen Thompson, 2023-present
Education:
- M.A. Film Division, Communication Arts, University of Wisconsin – Madison, 2022
- M.A. English with a Certificate in Film Studies, Texas A&M University, 2020
- B.A. English, Texas A&M University, 2018
- CA100 – Introduction to Public Speaking, Teaching Assistant
- Fall 2021 and Spring 2022
- CA155 – Introduction to Digital Media Production, Teaching Assistant
- Fall 2022 and Spring 2023
- CA350 – Introduction to Film, Teaching Assistant
- Fall 2024 and Spring 2025
- CA465 – Editing and Post-Production, Lecturer
- Fall 2023 and Spring 2024
- CA465 – Editing and Post-Production (Asynchronous), Lecturer
- Summer 2024