ENG 204 - superheroes a modern mythology PDF

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lecture notes on superheros as a modern mythology
professor Allman ...

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ENG 204

1. Superheroes: a modern mythology a. Comic books i. Derived from comic strips ii. First comic books were packaged reprints of previously published strips iii. Comic books also derived from pulp magazines 1. Called “pulp” due to the fact they were printed on the cheapest paper possible for inexpensive mass production 2. Can be traced back to dime novels of the civil war era 3. Catered to a more adult audience 4. Featured action, mystery, fantasy, suspense, and adventure 5. Very popular in the 1930’s iv. 1933: “first” comic book 1. harry wildenberg and max c. gaines (future creators of mad magazine) folded traditional tabloid-sized newspaper print magazines in half, saddle stitched them, and published them using four color tenchnique 2. funnies on parade a. eastern color and dell publishing b. sold at newsstands (which was so successful, they became the main distributor of comics all the way until the 1990’s) b. first superhero comics i. Jerome siegel and joseph shuster, jewish immigrants from Cleveland 1. Teenagers and boyhood friends 2. Creators of slam bradly ii. 1933: siegel wrote a story based on Nietzsche’s 1. superman was an evil mastermind with vast mental powers iii. later underwent vast change

1. reworked as a hero with powers like a Greek god iv. comics are now a major draw for Hollywood 2. Superheroes a. Popularity of Superhero comics: a brief history b. Golden age of comics: late 1930’s – early 1950’s i. Comics popular largely due to WW2 ii. Superman, wonder woman, captain America and batman were very popular c. Superhero comics become a target d. Fred Wertham, “the seduction of the innocent” i. Supposedly linked superhero comics to juvenile delinquency ii. Questioned batman’s relationship to robin iii. Superhero comics practically vanished iv. Only superman, batman, and wonder woman remained without interruption e. Silver age of comics: 1956 – 1971 i. Bay of pigs invasion and Cuban missle crisis ii. Superheroes make a big comeback f.

Bronze age of comics: 1971-1985 i. Introduction of more mature and darker plot elements ii. More socially relevant topics covered

g. Modern era: 1985 – now i. Even darker and grittier storylines emerged ii. Independent titles become popular h. Three times superheroes become very popular i. late 1930’s ii. early 1960’s iii. after 2001 i.

mythic aspects of superheroes

i. most golden age heroes are rooted in mythology ii. batman is an unusual case 1. batman was inspired by a movie 2. the bat whispers iii. so was the joker 3. characteristics of superhero stories a. lost/absent parents b. modern gods c. devotion to justice d. superpowers contrasted with normalcy e. secret identities/lives f.

political and moral aspects

g. science as “magic” 4. the superman mythos a. superman is an immigrant story b. alien from krypton adopts earth and USA as his home c. came to earth in a small rocket d. is fully “naturalized” American, but his homeland still has power over him e. secret identity as Clark Kent i. clark kent = superman trying to assimilate ii. is mild mannered yet has a god inside him iii. an inspiration to those who feel they are super being yet lack conviction f.

superman the movie i. direct by Richard donner, starring Christopher reeve as superman/clark kent ii. represented a big change in superhero movies iii. verisimilitude...