The Myth of the American Superhero

Download The Myth of the American Superhero PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing
ISBN 13 : 0802825737
Total Pages : 429 pages
Book Rating : 4.8/5 (28 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis The Myth of the American Superhero by : John Shelton Lawrence

Download or read book The Myth of the American Superhero written by John Shelton Lawrence and published by Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing. This book was released on 2002 with total page 429 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: As the nation seems to yearn for redemption from the evils that threaten its tranquility, the authors maintain that Joseph Campbell's monomythic hero is alive and well, but significantly displaced, in American popular culture.

The American Superhero

Download The American Superhero PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Bloomsbury Publishing USA
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : 383 pages
Book Rating : 4.2/5 (16 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis The American Superhero by : Richard A. Hall

Download or read book The American Superhero written by Richard A. Hall and published by Bloomsbury Publishing USA. This book was released on 2019-02-06 with total page 383 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This compilation of essential information on 100 superheroes from comic book issues, various print and online references, and scholarly analyses provides readers all of the relevant material on superheroes in one place. The American Superhero: Encyclopedia of Caped Crusaders in History covers the history of superheroes and superheroines in America from approximately 1938–2010 in an intentionally inclusive manner. The book features a chronology of important dates in superhero history, five thematic essays covering the overall history of superheroes, and 100 A–Z entries on various superheroes. Complementing the entries are sidebars of important figures or events and a glossary of terms in superhero research. Designed for anyone beginning to research superheroes and superheroines, The American Superhero contains a wide variety of facts, figures, and features about caped crusaders and shows their importance in American history. Further, it collects and verifies information that otherwise would require hours of looking through multiple books and websites to find.

Bending Steel

Download Bending Steel PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Univ. Press of Mississippi
ISBN 13 : 1626746141
Total Pages : 288 pages
Book Rating : 4.6/5 (267 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Bending Steel by : Aldo J. Regalado

Download or read book Bending Steel written by Aldo J. Regalado and published by Univ. Press of Mississippi. This book was released on 2015-07-16 with total page 288 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "Faster than a speeding bullet. More powerful than a locomotive. Able to leap tall buildings in a single bound . . . It's Superman!" Bending Steel examines the historical origins and cultural significance of Superman and his fellow American crusaders. Cultural historian Aldo J. Regalado asserts that the superhero seems a direct response to modernity, often fighting the interrelated processes of industrialization, urbanization, immigration, and capitalism that transformed the United States from the early nineteenth century to the present. Reeling from these exciting but rapid and destabilizing forces, Americans turned to heroic fiction as a means of explaining national and personal identities to themselves and to the world. In so doing, they created characters and stories that sometimes affirmed, but other times subverted conventional notions of race, class, gender, and nationalism. The cultural conversation articulated through the nation's early heroic fiction eventually led to a new heroic type--the brightly clad, super-powered, pro-social action heroes that first appeared in American comic books starting in the late 1930s. Although indelibly shaped by the Great Depression and World War II sensibilities of the second-generation immigrants most responsible for their creation, comic book superheroes remain a mainstay of American popular culture. Tracing superhero fiction all the way back to the nineteenth century, Regalado firmly bases his analysis of dime novels, pulp fiction, and comics in historical, biographical, and reader response sources. He explores the roles played by creators, producers, and consumers in crafting superhero fiction, ultimately concluding that these narratives are essential for understanding vital trajectories in American culture.

All New, All Different?

Download All New, All Different? PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : University of Texas Press
ISBN 13 : 1477318976
Total Pages : 393 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (773 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis All New, All Different? by : Allan W. Austin

Download or read book All New, All Different? written by Allan W. Austin and published by University of Texas Press. This book was released on 2019-11-05 with total page 393 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Taking a multifaceted approach to attitudes toward race through popular culture and the American superhero, All New, All Different? explores a topic that until now has only received more discrete examination. Considering Marvel, DC, and lesser-known texts and heroes, this illuminating work charts eighty years of evolution in the portrayal of race in comics as well as in film and on television. Beginning with World War II, the authors trace the vexed depictions in early superhero stories, considering both Asian villains and nonwhite sidekicks. While the emergence of Black Panther, Black Lightning, Luke Cage, Storm, and other heroes in the 1960s and 1970s reflected a cultural revolution, the book reveals how nonwhite superheroes nonetheless remained grounded in outdated assumptions. Multiculturalism encouraged further diversity, with 1980s superteams, the minority-run company Milestone’s new characters in the 1990s, and the arrival of Ms. Marvel, a Pakistani-American heroine, and a new Latinx Spider-Man in the 2000s. Concluding with contemporary efforts to make both a profit and a positive impact on society, All New, All Different? enriches our understanding of the complex issues of racial representation in American popular culture.

The American Superhero

Download The American Superhero PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Bloomsbury Publishing USA
ISBN 13 : 1440861242
Total Pages : 399 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (48 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis The American Superhero by : Richard A. Hall

Download or read book The American Superhero written by Richard A. Hall and published by Bloomsbury Publishing USA. This book was released on 2019-02-06 with total page 399 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This compilation of essential information on 100 superheroes from comic book issues, various print and online references, and scholarly analyses provides readers all of the relevant material on superheroes in one place. The American Superhero: Encyclopedia of Caped Crusaders in History covers the history of superheroes and superheroines in America from approximately 1938–2010 in an intentionally inclusive manner. The book features a chronology of important dates in superhero history, five thematic essays covering the overall history of superheroes, and 100 A–Z entries on various superheroes. Complementing the entries are sidebars of important figures or events and a glossary of terms in superhero research. Designed for anyone beginning to research superheroes and superheroines, The American Superhero contains a wide variety of facts, figures, and features about caped crusaders and shows their importance in American history. Further, it collects and verifies information that otherwise would require hours of looking through multiple books and websites to find.

Hot Pants and Spandex Suits

Download Hot Pants and Spandex Suits PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Rutgers University Press
ISBN 13 : 1978806051
Total Pages : 217 pages
Book Rating : 4.9/5 (788 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Hot Pants and Spandex Suits by : Esther De Dauw

Download or read book Hot Pants and Spandex Suits written by Esther De Dauw and published by Rutgers University Press. This book was released on 2021-01-15 with total page 217 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The superheroes from DC and Marvel comics are some of the most iconic characters in popular culture today. But how do these figures idealize certain gender roles, body types, sexualities, and racial identities at the expense of others? Hot Pants and Spandex Suits offers a far-reaching look at how masculinity and femininity have been represented in American superhero comics, from the Golden and Silver Ages to the Modern Age. Scholar Esther De Dauw contrasts the bulletproof and musclebound phallic bodies of classic male heroes like Superman, Captain America, and Iron Man with the figures of female counterparts like Wonder Woman and Supergirl, who are drawn as superhumanly flexible and plastic. It also examines the genre’s ambivalent treatment of LGBTQ representation, from the presentation of gay male heroes Wiccan and Hulkling as a model minority couple to the troubling association of Batwoman’s lesbianism with monstrosity. Finally, it explores the intersection between gender and race through case studies of heroes like Luke Cage, Storm, and Ms. Marvel. Hot Pants and Spandex Suits is a fascinating and thought-provoking consideration of what superhero comics teach us about identity, embodiment, and sexuality.

Ages of Heroes, Eras of Men

Download Ages of Heroes, Eras of Men PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Cambridge Scholars Publishing
ISBN 13 : 1443871044
Total Pages : 255 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (438 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Ages of Heroes, Eras of Men by : Julian C. Chambliss

Download or read book Ages of Heroes, Eras of Men written by Julian C. Chambliss and published by Cambridge Scholars Publishing. This book was released on 2014-11-10 with total page 255 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Ages of Heroes, Eras of Men explores the changing depiction of superheroes from the comic books of the 1930s to the cinematic present. In this anthology, scholars from a variety of disciplines including history, cultural studies, Latin American studies, film studies, and English examine the superheros cultural history in North America with attention to particular stories and to the historical contexts in which those narratives appeared. Enduring comic book characters from DC and Marvel Comics including Superman, Iron Man, Batman, Wonder Woman and the Avengers are examined, along with lesser-known Canadian, Latino, and African-American superheroes. With a sweep of characters ranging from the Pulp Era to recent cinematic adaptations, and employing a variety of analytical frameworks, this collection offers new insights for scholars, students, and fans of the superhero genre.

Superheroes and American Self Image

Download Superheroes and American Self Image PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Routledge
ISBN 13 : 1317048393
Total Pages : 271 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (17 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Superheroes and American Self Image by : Michael Goodrum

Download or read book Superheroes and American Self Image written by Michael Goodrum and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2017-05-15 with total page 271 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book offers an interdisciplinary approach to the study of comic-books, mobilising them as a means to understand better the political context in which they are produced. Structured around key political events in the US between 1938 and 1975, the author combines analyses of visual and textual discourse, including comic-book letters pages, to come to a more complete picture of the relationship between comic-books as documents and the people who read and created them. Exploring the ways in which ideas about the US and its place in the world were represented in major superhero comic-books during the tumultuous period of US history from the Great Depression to the political trauma of Watergate and the end of the Vietnam War, Superheroes and American Self-Image sheds fresh light on the manner in which comic-books shape and are shaped by contemporary politics. As such it will appeal to scholars of cultural and media studies, history and popular culture.

How Comics Reflect Society

Download How Comics Reflect Society PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : GRIN Verlag
ISBN 13 : 3640831128
Total Pages : 49 pages
Book Rating : 4.6/5 (48 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis How Comics Reflect Society by : Björn Saemann

Download or read book How Comics Reflect Society written by Björn Saemann and published by GRIN Verlag. This book was released on 2011-02-15 with total page 49 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Master's Thesis from the year 2011 in the subject English - Literature, Works, grade: 1,5, University of Hildesheim (Institut für englische Sprache und Literatur ), language: English, abstract: American superhero-comics have been around for over 70 years now. In that period not only the genre and its medium matured but also the social, cultural and political environment changed. This paper hypothesizes that superhero comics change over time to stay relevant and that the observant reader can make conclusions about the time during which a comic was written by analyzing it. The first part of this paper gives a short summary of the history of superhero comics from the creation of Superman in 1939 to the Modern Age of Comics. It explains how the superhero comic originated in the late 1930s, blossomed in the 1940s, struggled in the 1950s and reinvented itself in the 1960s. Events like the introduction of the Comic Book Code and the death of Gwen Stacy will be presented and it will be explained why they had an immense impact on the comic-book culture. Also, the definition of the term superhero will be discussed. Afterwards, the essay focuses on the different kinds of comic-book revisionism and the different reasons for it. This and the chapters before help to understand how the comic book industry works and how innovations in comic books are introduced and why they happen. The main part of the essay continues to prove the hypothesis on the example of three superheroes that have all existed since the Golden Age of Comics: Wonder Woman, Captain America and Batman. Each of those superheroes will provide an example for a different kind of social change: With the help of Wonder Woman, the change of the women's role and the change of feminism will be examined. Captain America is a great example of a superhero created out of a social and political need and of the struggle that arises when this need is fulfilled. He also poses as an example for how comics comment on political changes. Finally, the Batman comics are used to illustrate the power Dr. Frederic Wertham's book Seduction of the Innocent had over society and over comics itself. That chapter also discusses what the changes, made to Batman comics in reaction to the accusation of homosexuality, say about the reputation of homosexuals in the 1950s. The last part of this essay gives an example for the possibilities to use this topic in school, in English as a foreign language or history classes.

Champions of the Oppressed?

Download Champions of the Oppressed? PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Hampton Press (NJ)
ISBN 13 : 9781612890036
Total Pages : 289 pages
Book Rating : 4.8/5 (9 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Champions of the Oppressed? by : Christopher Murray

Download or read book Champions of the Oppressed? written by Christopher Murray and published by Hampton Press (NJ). This book was released on 2011-01 with total page 289 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book explores the relationship between American superhero comics and progaganda during World War II. It contends that superhero comics were an important means by which the war was represented to the American people and argues that the ideological links between superhero comics and propaganda resides in the imagery and rhetoric they both employed in order to fashion, maintain and reshape conceptions of identity, power and morality for poltical purposes

Capitán Latinoamérica

Download Capitán Latinoamérica PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : State University of New York Press
ISBN 13 : 1438480164
Total Pages : 364 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (384 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Capitán Latinoamérica by : Vinodh Venkatesh

Download or read book Capitán Latinoamérica written by Vinodh Venkatesh and published by State University of New York Press. This book was released on 2020-10-01 with total page 364 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Capitán Latinoamérica is the first study to examine the unique contribution of Latin American cinema, television, and web series to the global superhero boom. Through an analysis of superhero-themed media from Mexico to Argentina, Vinodh Venkatesh argues that contemporary Latin American superheroes are a hybrid of regional tropes and figures such as the famed luchador, El Chapulín Colorado, and North American blockbuster characters from the DC and Marvel universes. These superheroes channel anxieties specific to their respective national contexts. In Chile, for example, Mirageman rehashes and works through the Pinochet dictatorship and its traumatic aftermath; in Honduras, Chinche Man confronts neoliberalism and gang violence. In Colombia's El Man, in turn, rapid urbanization and drug cartels are the central concerns, whereas corruption and the political machinations of the state feature most prominently in the television and web series Capitán Centroamérica. While the Latin American superhero genre may be superficially characterized by low budgets and kitsch aesthetics, it also poses profound challenges to the social, political, and economic status quo. Covering a wide variety of media bookended by wrestling films from the early 1960s and multimedia productions from the 2010s, Capitán Latinoamérica offers a comprehensive introduction to, and assessment of, the state of the superhero in Latin America.

Superheroes on World Screens

Download Superheroes on World Screens PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Univ. Press of Mississippi
ISBN 13 : 1626746745
Total Pages : 192 pages
Book Rating : 4.6/5 (267 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Superheroes on World Screens by : Rayna Denison

Download or read book Superheroes on World Screens written by Rayna Denison and published by Univ. Press of Mississippi. This book was released on 2015-05-26 with total page 192 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Superheroes such as Superman and Spider-Man have spread all over the world. As this edited volume shows, many national cultures have created or reimagined the idea of the superhero, while the realm of superheroes now contains many icons whose histories borrow from local folklore and legends. Consequently, the superhero needs reconsideration, to be regarded as part of both local and global culture as well as examined for the rich meanings that such broad origins and re-workings create. This collection stands out as the first concentrated attempt to think through the meanings and significance of the superhero, not only as a product of culture in the United States, but as a series of local, transnational, and global exchanges in popular media. Through analysis of mainly film, television, and computer screens, contributors offer three challenges to the idea of the "American" superhero: transnational reimagining of superhero culture, emerging local superheroes, and the use of local superheroes to undermine dominant political ideologies. The essays explore the shifting transnational meanings of Doctor Who, Thor, and the Phantom, as these characters are reimagined in world culture. Other chapters chart the rise of local superheroes from India, the Middle East, Thailand, and South Korea. These explorations demonstrate how far superheroes have traveled to inspire audiences worldwide.

Icons of the American Comic Book [2 Volumes]

Download Icons of the American Comic Book [2 Volumes] PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Greenwood
ISBN 13 : 0313399239
Total Pages : 0 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (133 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Icons of the American Comic Book [2 Volumes] by : Randy Duncan

Download or read book Icons of the American Comic Book [2 Volumes] written by Randy Duncan and published by Greenwood. This book was released on 2013-01-29 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book explores how the heroes and villains of popular comic books--and the creators of these icons of our culture--reflect the American experience out of which they sprang, and how they have achieved relevance by adapting to, and perhaps influencing, the evolving American character. Multiple generations have thrilled to the exploits of the heroes and villains of American comic books. These imaginary characters permeate our culture--even Americans who have never read a comic book grasp what the most well-known examples represent. But these comic book characters, and their creators, do more than simply thrill: they make us consider who we are and who we aspire to be. Icons of the American Comic Book: From Captain America to Wonder Woman contains 100 entries that provide historical background, explore the impact of the comic-book character on American culture, and summarize what is iconic about the subject of the entry. Each entry also lists essential works, suggests further readings, and contains at least one sidebar that provides entertaining and often quirky insight not covered in the main entry. This two-volume work examines fascinating subjects, such as how the superhero concept embodied the essence of American culture in the 1930s; and the ways in which comic book icons have evolved to reflect changing circumstances, values, and attitudes regarding cultural diversity. The book's coverage extends beyond just characters, as it also includes entries devoted to creators, publishers, titles, and even comic book related phenomena that have had enduring significance. Includes contributions from 70 expert contributors and leading scholars in the field, with some of the entries written with the aid of popular comic book creators themselves Provides sidebars within each entry that extend readers' understanding of the subject Offers "Essential Works" and "Further Reading" recommendations Includes a comprehensive bibliography

Super-History

Download Super-History PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : McFarland
ISBN 13 : 0786490357
Total Pages : 230 pages
Book Rating : 4.7/5 (864 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Super-History by : Jeffrey K. Johnson

Download or read book Super-History written by Jeffrey K. Johnson and published by McFarland. This book was released on 2014-01-10 with total page 230 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In the less than eight decades since Superman’s debut in 1938, comic book superheroes have become an indispensable part of American society and the nation’s dominant mythology. They represent America’s hopes, dreams, fears, and needs. As a form of popular literature, superhero narratives have closely mirrored trends and events in the nation. This study views American history from 1938 to 2010 through the lens of superhero comics, revealing the spandex-clad guardians to be not only fictional characters but barometers of the place and time in which they reside. Instructors considering this book for use in a course may request an examination copy here.

Enter the Superheroes

Download Enter the Superheroes PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Scarecrow Press
ISBN 13 : 0810891727
Total Pages : 247 pages
Book Rating : 4.8/5 (18 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Enter the Superheroes by : Alex S. Romagnoli

Download or read book Enter the Superheroes written by Alex S. Romagnoli and published by Scarecrow Press. This book was released on 2013-06-20 with total page 247 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Ever since the first appearances of Superman and Batman in comic books of the late 1930s, superheroes have been a staple of the popular culture landscape. Though initially created for younger audiences, superhero characters have evolved over the years, becoming complex figures that appeal to more sophisticated readers. While superhero stories have grown ever more popular within broader society, however, comics and graphic novels have been largely ignored by the world of academia. In Enter the Superheroes:American Values, Culture, and the Canon of Superhero Literature, Alex S. Romagnoli and Gian S. Pagnucci argue that superheroes merit serious study, both within the academy and beyond. By examining the kinds of graphic novels that are embraced by the academy, this book explains how superhero stories are just as significant. Structured around key themes within superhero literature, the book delves into the features that make superhero stories a unique genre. The book also draws upon examples in comics and other media to illustrate the sociohistorical importance of superheroes—from the interplay of fans and creators to unique narrative elements that are brought to their richest fulfillment within the world of superheroes. A list of noteworthy superhero texts that readers can look to for future study is also provided. In addition to exploring the important roles that superheroes play in children’s learning, the book also offers an excellent starting point for discussions of how literature is evolving and why it is necessary to expand the traditional realms of literary study. Enter the Superheroes will be of particular interest to English and composition teachers but also to scholars of popular culture and fans of superhero and comic book literature.

The New Mutants

Download The New Mutants PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : NYU Press
ISBN 13 : 1479814334
Total Pages : 365 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (798 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis The New Mutants by : Ramzi Fawaz

Download or read book The New Mutants written by Ramzi Fawaz and published by NYU Press. This book was released on 2016-01-22 with total page 365 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: 2017 The Association for the Studies of the Present Book Prize Finalist Mention, 2017 Lora Romero First Book Award Presented by the American Studies Association Winner of the 2012 CLAGS Fellowship Award for Best First Book Project in LGBT Studies How fantasy meets reality as popular culture evolves and ignites postwar gender, sexual, and race revolutions. In 1964, noted literary critic Leslie Fiedler described American youth as “new mutants,” social rebels severing their attachments to American culture to remake themselves in their own image. 1960s comic book creators, anticipating Fiedler, began to morph American superheroes from icons of nationalism and white masculinity into actual mutant outcasts, defined by their genetic difference from ordinary humanity. These powerful misfits and “freaks” soon came to embody the social and political aspirations of America’s most marginalized groups, including women, racial and sexual minorities, and the working classes. In The New Mutants, Ramzi Fawaz draws upon queer theory to tell the story of these monstrous fantasy figures and how they grapple with radical politics from Civil Rights and The New Left to Women’s and Gay Liberation Movements. Through a series of comic book case studies—including The Justice League of America, The Fantastic Four, The X-Men, and The New Mutants—alongside late 20th century fan writing, cultural criticism, and political documents, Fawaz reveals how the American superhero modeled new forms of social belonging that counterculture youth would embrace in the 1960s and after. The New Mutants provides the first full-length study to consider the relationship between comic book fantasy and radical politics in the modern United States.

Unstable Masks

Download Unstable Masks PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher :
ISBN 13 : 9780814214183
Total Pages : 300 pages
Book Rating : 4.2/5 (141 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Unstable Masks by : Sean Guynes

Download or read book Unstable Masks written by Sean Guynes and published by . This book was released on 2020 with total page 300 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Contextualizes the history of race within comic books and the unspoken whiteness that overwhelms American superhero narratives.