'Nuff Said: American Graphic Media

The recent article from Fine Book Magazine on prices for comics points out a particular problem associated with attention on comic book media. The rush to pay high prices for Golden Age comic book has put the spotlight on collecting and the cultural value of the comic books, especially the superhero comic book. With this rise in value comes a serious re-evaluation by academics and cultural critics. The real value in the article is the overview of price points--Silver Age stuff in six figures, Golden Age stuff in the seven figure range. Rarity is a more complex question than this article reveals. There are a number of lesser known Golden Age characters that arguably would be easier to find, but would the average reader even recognize such characters. Recently, as I was putting together my TEDx Orlando talk, I was cautious not to use characters under copyright protection. Thus those characters from Marvel (Spider-Man) and DC (Superman) were for the most part off limits. On the othe...

The run up to TEDx Orlando got me thinking about the origin of the superhero and the link to the American experience. At some point in the future, you will be able to check out my talk online, but I continue to observe the intersection of graphic media and the American experience. Consider the announcement and speculation over the casting of the new Superman film . It comes to no surprise to me that this re-reboot (coming after the less than stellar Superman Returns in 2006) will be an origin story. Interest is strong in part because the names behind the camera have had big success with other comic properties. Christopher Nolan is producing, David Goyer is scripting and Zack Snider is directing and together these innovative creative types have decided to go with an origin story!?! Some diehard comic fans I know have already asked why, but they are missing the point. The success the collective creators have experience with Batman Begins, The Dark Knight, 300, and the Watchmen all...

I'm gearing up for a presentation on the U.S. experience and Superhero for TEDx Orlando . TED talks are about ideas worth sharing and if you know anything about me you know I am a fan of comic books. I'm a fan of many things, but comics are easy for people to understand. Honestly, given the marginalizing nature of academic endeavors, having something to talk about that people understand is not a bad thing. Despite my confused appearance, I have a pretty focused approach to scholarship . Yet, regardless of my focus, the vast majority of people dismiss academia. The old saying of "Those that can-do and those that cannot-teach" makes a lot of sense to people. It is wrong, thus proving the need for an education. Still, the United States puts a lot of stock in going out and "doing" as better than the learning and understanding achieved through intense study. Given this popular sentiment, you would think Rollins would be more well-known to the wider publi...