Working-Class Comic Book Heroes Class Conflict and Populist Politics in Comics

Edited by Marc DiPaolo

Contributions by Phil Bevin, Blair Davis, Mark DiPaolo, Michele Fazio, James Gifford, Kelly Kanayama, Orion Ussner Kidder, Christina M. Knopf, Kevin Michael Scott, Andrew Alan Smith, and Terrence R. Wandtke

n comic books, superhero stories often depict working-class characters who struggle to make ends meet, lead fulfilling lives, and remain faithful to themselves and their own personal code of ethics. Working-Class Comic Book Heroes: Class Conflict and Populist Politics in Comics exam- inesI working-class superheroes and other protagonists who populate heroic narratives in serialized comic books. Essayists analyze and deconstruct these figures, viewing their roles as fictional stand-ins for real- world blue-collar characters. Informed by new working-class studies, the book also discusses how often working- class writers and artists created these characters. Notably , a working-class Jewish artist, created several of the most recognizable working-class superheroes, including Captain America and the Thing. Contributors weigh industry histories and marketing concerns as well as the fan community’s changing attitudes towards class signifiers in superhero adventures. The often financially strapped Spider-Man proves to be a touchstone figure in many of these essays. ’s Superman, Marvel’s Shamrock, and David Lloyd’s for Vendetta, and The The first book to tackle Walking Dead receive thoughtful treatment. While there have been many scholarly works concerned with the blue-collar hero and issues of race and gender in comics, this book stands as the first to deal explicitly with issues of class, cultural capital, and economics as its main themes. working class creators

Marc DiPaolo, Weatherford, Oklahoma, is assistant professor of English at Southwestern Oklahoma State University. He is author of Fire & Snow: Climate Fiction from the Inklings to “Game of Thrones”; War, Politics and Superheroes: Ethics and Propaganda in Comics and Film; and Emma Adapted: Jane Austen’s Heroine from Book to Film. He has edited five collections of scholarly essays on intersections of film, literature, politics, and religion, and has been interviewed on NPR and BBC 4.

MAY, 240 pages (approx.), 6 x 9 inches, 45 b&w illustrations Printed casebinding $90.00S 978-1-4968-1664-1 Paper $30.00S 978-1-4968-1818-8 Ebook available

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