'Nuff Said: American Graphic Media

Don't worry if the title doesn't make sense, give it a minute. Ages of Heroes, Eras of Men is coming along. Our contributors are finishing up the last touches and the editors are making our list and checking it twice. As I have mentioned in the past, the book's contributors offer a complex and interesting look at comics and comic culture in the United States. Nonetheless, sealing the deal in regards to this book is keeping me working during my summer "vacation." I'm starting to miss the regular grind of grading papers and hearing student complain (I'm kidding...mostly). Anyway, I think the key to this process is to stay focus and work the process. The book exists, it just not in its final form. As it always the process, there are some people sending things in late, but most people have the their submissions done. We are a little concerned about length (the problems of a down economy, everything is more expensive--shaving a few pages from each subm...

I recently got feedback on Ages of Heroes, Eras of Men from a prospective publisher. It a tough process, getting feedback from someone who doesn't know all the work you have put into something. It is honest feedback and I will take it and make sure the final product answer the editor's questions. We have done a lot of great work on the book, but publishers are a cold and objective bunch slow to hand out praise (and contracts). As I scramble to reply to the press, I realize I have not done much with one of the chapters I am writing for the book. My chapter looks at the introduction of African-American superheroes to the Marvel Universe in the 1960s and 1970s. The decision to introduce minority characters to a fictional universe may seem petty compared to the titanic struggles occurring over Civil Rights during the 1960s, but those struggles drove the decision to incorporate minorities into comics. The question for me is what does the Marvel Comic experience integrating per...

One of the things that proves to me the new Ages of Heroes, Eras of Men edited volume will work for a broader audience is that I see evidence of comics and comic culture in everyday life. The Winter Park Sidewalk Art Festival is a big annual event in Winter Park, FL. I discovered this artist's display on a visit this year and had to take a picture. The artist is Unmarid Eitharong. I do not know much about the artist, but clearly the use of Superman set against a picture of the D-Day landing gives one pause. Comic book influences are everywhere. Look for more information on comics and society and the book coming your way.

I'm sold on the idea of a critical anthology about superhero comics in the United States. Part of the reason I am so high on the project has everything to do with teaching. As a history professor, I am always looking for ways to get students interested in history. Much of that innovation (if you want to call it innovation) is to consider different material for historical analysis. Music, movie, television, and political cartoons have found their place in the academy. Yet, as I began teaching comic books as part of my U.S. history classes I realize this uniquely American creation, the superhero comic, has not gotten the kind of academic examination other pop culture receives on a regular basis. There is not much available for classroom use. When I and my colleague William Svitavsky created American Graphic Media , we recognized gaps in the literature that needed filling and wanted a collection like the one we are creating for weekly reading assignments. While we found some great...

There is no doubt that academics have a very particular view of the world. The public can be dismissive of academic writing and thought because they "live in an ivory tower." People tend to forget the purpose of the "ivory tower" is to allow some small part of society to think and write without fear their words will lead to reprisals. Why do I mention this? Well, like any other subject that get a critical appraisal, comics, under the right critical lens, can be a source of contention. Above you see Michael Lecker at the 2009 Florida Conference of Historian. Mr. Lecker's “You Made Them Strong, We’ll Make Them Army (Avengers) Strong: How the Marvel Universe’s Story Arc and Ad Usage are Propaganda for Army Recruitment, " is one example of how Ages of Heroes, Eras of Men applies cutting edge scholarship. Lecker's work is heavily influence by French theorist Michel Foucault. Specifically, he is using Foucault's Biopower concept to explore how the ...

Does popular media shape your belief or does belief shape media? It is a good question, and of course, comic books are one way to consider the problem. Think about it, comic books have for many decades, offered their readers a self-contained world with detailed character histories and evolving circumstances. If you read Superman in the 1940s his dress, ideas, language, and surrounding reflect that time. Today, they reflect contemporary life incorporating radically different social, political, and economic circumstances. The writers update the characters and their world so that readers feel a connection to the story. Thus, we can make the argument strongly that comics reflect culture incorporate new ideas as they come. On the other hand, when comics introduce readers to concepts such as challenging political corruption in the 1930s, attacking the fascism in the 1940s, or challenging racism in the 1960s they do so ahead of mainstream opinion. Therefore, those comics help to shape the ...

Above, Micheal Goebel from George Mason University explore dual identity and question of gender in Superman comics at the 2009 Florida Conference of Historian meeting. One of the most interesting things about Ages of Heroes, Eras of Men is how the contributors have applied the latest academic theory to the comic medium. Mike's contribution asks us to consider the implication of the blending of Clark Kent and Superman's traits in comic publications over the last decade and how that decision reflects deeper questions of changing views about masculinity in the United States. It should come as no surprise that such an analysis is possible, but two few cultural studies text has examine Superman in this light. Yet, a quick survey of Superman's iconic history reveals the link between the character's depictions and evolution of United States' social, political, and economic fortunes. Superman and other mainstream characters receive serious consideration in the pages o...