The superhero symbol : media, culture, and politics /
The superhero symbol : media, culture, and politics /
edited by Liam Burke, Ian Gordon, and Angela Ndalianis.
- vi, 327 pages : illustrations (some color) ; 24 cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
Introduction: "Everlasting" Symbols: Unmasking superheroes and their shifting symbolic function, Liam Burke -- "What Else Can You Do With Them?": Superheroes and the Civic Imagination / "America Is A Piece of Trash": Captain America, Patriotism, Nationalism, and Fascism / "This Land is Mine!" Understanding the Function of Supervillains / Interview 1: Comics artist, writer, and "herstorian" / The Secret Commercial Identity of Superheroes: Protecting the Superhero Symbol / Siegel and Shuster as Brand Name / Practicing Superhuman Law: Creative License, Industrial Identity, and Spider-Man's Homecoming / The sound of the cinematic superhero / Interview 2: Former President of DC Entertainment / Arkham Knave: The Joker in Game Design / Being Super, Becoming Heroes: Dialogic Superhero Narratives in Cosplay Collectives / "From Pages to Pavements": A Criminological Comparison Between Depictions of Crime Control in Superhero Narratives and "Real-Life Superhero" Activity / Interview 3: Dark Night: A True Batman Story writer Paul Dini -- Captain America, National Narratives, and the Queer Subversion of the Retcon / Apes, Angels, and Super Patriots: The Irish in Superhero Comics / Missing in Action: The Late Development of the German-Speaking Superhero / Chinese Milk for Iron Men: Superhero Coproductions and Technological Anxiety / Age of the Atoman: Australian Superhero Comics and Cold War Modernity / Interview 4: Cleverman creator Ryan Griffen and star Hunter Page-Lochard. Henry Jenkins -- Neal Curtis -- Jason Bainbridge -- Trina Robbins -- Mitchell Adams -- Ian Gordon -- Tara Lomax -- Dan Golding -- Diane Nelson -- Steven Conway -- Claire Langsford -- Vladislav Iouchkov and John McGuire. -- Naja Later -- Liam Burke -- Paul M. Malone -- Shan Mu Zhao -- Kevin Patrick -- Part 1: Superheroes, Politics, and Civic Engagement -- Part 2: The Superhero as a Brand -- Part 3: Becoming the Superhero -- Part 4: Superheroes and National Identity --
""As a man, I'm flesh and blood, I can be ignored, I can be destroyed; but as a symbol... as a symbol I can be incorruptible, I can be everlasting". In the 2005 reboot of the then dormant Batman film franchise, Batman Begins, Bruce Wayne articulates how the figure of the superhero can serve as a transcendent icon. It is hard to imagine a time when superheroes have been more pervasive in our culture. Today, superheroes are intellectual property jealously guarded by media conglomerates, icons co-opted by grassroots groups as a four-color rebuttal to social inequities, masks people wear to more confidently walk convention floors and city streets, and bulletproof banners that embody regional and national identities. From activism to cosplay, understanding how these different groups and interests have made use of this powerful icon is essential to unmasking the appeal of superheroes and their wider impact. To address this interest, The Superhero Symbol brings together scholars from a range of disciplines, alongside key industry figures. Collectively, these contributions provide fresh perspectives on how these costume-clad heroes have engaged with media, culture, and politics, thereby becoming the "everlasting" symbols to which a wayward Bruce Wayne once aspired"--
9780813597171 081359717X 9780813597164 0813597161
2019010257
Superheroes--Social aspects.
Comic strip characters in motion pictures.
Superhero films--History and criticism.
Superheroes in literature.
Heroes in motion pictures.
PN6714 / .S83 2020
Includes bibliographical references and index.
Introduction: "Everlasting" Symbols: Unmasking superheroes and their shifting symbolic function, Liam Burke -- "What Else Can You Do With Them?": Superheroes and the Civic Imagination / "America Is A Piece of Trash": Captain America, Patriotism, Nationalism, and Fascism / "This Land is Mine!" Understanding the Function of Supervillains / Interview 1: Comics artist, writer, and "herstorian" / The Secret Commercial Identity of Superheroes: Protecting the Superhero Symbol / Siegel and Shuster as Brand Name / Practicing Superhuman Law: Creative License, Industrial Identity, and Spider-Man's Homecoming / The sound of the cinematic superhero / Interview 2: Former President of DC Entertainment / Arkham Knave: The Joker in Game Design / Being Super, Becoming Heroes: Dialogic Superhero Narratives in Cosplay Collectives / "From Pages to Pavements": A Criminological Comparison Between Depictions of Crime Control in Superhero Narratives and "Real-Life Superhero" Activity / Interview 3: Dark Night: A True Batman Story writer Paul Dini -- Captain America, National Narratives, and the Queer Subversion of the Retcon / Apes, Angels, and Super Patriots: The Irish in Superhero Comics / Missing in Action: The Late Development of the German-Speaking Superhero / Chinese Milk for Iron Men: Superhero Coproductions and Technological Anxiety / Age of the Atoman: Australian Superhero Comics and Cold War Modernity / Interview 4: Cleverman creator Ryan Griffen and star Hunter Page-Lochard. Henry Jenkins -- Neal Curtis -- Jason Bainbridge -- Trina Robbins -- Mitchell Adams -- Ian Gordon -- Tara Lomax -- Dan Golding -- Diane Nelson -- Steven Conway -- Claire Langsford -- Vladislav Iouchkov and John McGuire. -- Naja Later -- Liam Burke -- Paul M. Malone -- Shan Mu Zhao -- Kevin Patrick -- Part 1: Superheroes, Politics, and Civic Engagement -- Part 2: The Superhero as a Brand -- Part 3: Becoming the Superhero -- Part 4: Superheroes and National Identity --
""As a man, I'm flesh and blood, I can be ignored, I can be destroyed; but as a symbol... as a symbol I can be incorruptible, I can be everlasting". In the 2005 reboot of the then dormant Batman film franchise, Batman Begins, Bruce Wayne articulates how the figure of the superhero can serve as a transcendent icon. It is hard to imagine a time when superheroes have been more pervasive in our culture. Today, superheroes are intellectual property jealously guarded by media conglomerates, icons co-opted by grassroots groups as a four-color rebuttal to social inequities, masks people wear to more confidently walk convention floors and city streets, and bulletproof banners that embody regional and national identities. From activism to cosplay, understanding how these different groups and interests have made use of this powerful icon is essential to unmasking the appeal of superheroes and their wider impact. To address this interest, The Superhero Symbol brings together scholars from a range of disciplines, alongside key industry figures. Collectively, these contributions provide fresh perspectives on how these costume-clad heroes have engaged with media, culture, and politics, thereby becoming the "everlasting" symbols to which a wayward Bruce Wayne once aspired"--
9780813597171 081359717X 9780813597164 0813597161
2019010257
Superheroes--Social aspects.
Comic strip characters in motion pictures.
Superhero films--History and criticism.
Superheroes in literature.
Heroes in motion pictures.
PN6714 / .S83 2020