DOCSLIB.ORG

Superhero Research Project

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Superhero Research Project Superhero Research Project Due Date: My Presentation Date: Objective: You will be researching superheroes, identifying superheroes in literature, creating your own superhero, and writing a narrative poem about your hero. All of your information and creations will be put on a power point presentation. Step One: Research 3 superheroes (see attachment) – Superhero Database. Check my website for links to sites. Put your information on 3 power point slides (plus 1 more for your introduction). Step Two: Through your research, identify a superhero in literature (not comic books). Identify the story and author and the purpose of the superhero in that work. Step Three: Complete the “How to Create a Superhero” chart. Step Four: Create a visual of your super hero. Check my website for the link to the site to complete this activity. Put your visual on a power point slide. Step Five: Complete a plot diagram to outline a story about your superhero. Write a summary to go along with the plot diagram. Think creatively! Step Six: Create a Narrative poem for from your short story and put it on your power point. Step Seven: Make your presentation – Introduction slide, 3 superhero research slides, superhero in literature slide, superhero visual slide, plot summary slide, a narrative poem slide, and a bibliography slide. (at least 9 slides) Step 1 Research 3 Superheroes You will research 3 superheroes of your choice. By looking at other superheroes, you will get ideas for how you want to develop your own. The information that you obtain about the 3 superheroes will be put on power point slides (one slide for each superhero). You will need the following information for each superhero: Real name Superhero name Any other aliases Birth date and place (if available) Alignment – is he/she good or bad Gender Race – human, alien, etc. Height Eye color Hair color Occupation (of both true person and superhero persona) Base – where he/she operates from Picture of hero 3 interesting facts about this superhero Short biography Create a bibliography for your information using easybib.com Step 2 Research Superheroes in Literature Through your research, find an example of a famous superhero in literature. This cannot be an example from a comic book, but from a literary text. On this slide, include the following: o A picture o Title of story, book, novel, etc. and the author o A brief summary about the character and how he/she was a superhero Add your sources to the bibliography slide What is a Superhero? A superhero possesses “extraordinary or superhuman powers” and is dedicated to protecting the public. However, by most definitions, characters do not strictly require actual superhuman powers to be deemed superheroes. Terms such as costumed crime fighters or masked crusaders are sometimes used to refer to those such as Batman and Green Arrow. Normally, superheroes use their powers to counter day-to-day crime while also combating threats against humanity by super-villains, their criminal counterparts. Often, one of these super-villains will be the superhero’s archenemy. Common Traits Many superhero characters display the following traits: Extraordinary powers or abilities, relevant skills and/or advanced equipment. o Superhuman strength o Ability to fly o Enhanced senses o The projection of energy bolts A strong moral code o Willingness to risk one’s own safety in the service of good without expectation of reward. o Refusal or strong reluctance to kill or wield lethal weapons. A motivation o Sense of responsibility (Spider-Man) o A formal calling (Wonder Woman) o Personal vendetta against criminals (Batman) o Strong belief in justice and humanitarian service (Superman) Secret Identity o Protects the superhero’s friends and family from becoming targets of his/her enemies (Clark Kent) o Protect themselves from getting arrested by police (Spider-Man) A distinctive costume o Often used to conceal the secret identity An underlying motif or theme, that affects the hero’s name, costume, personal effects, and other aspects of his/her character. (Batman and Spider-Man) A supporting cast of recurring characters o Friends o Co-workers o Love interests o Personal relationships are complicated by this dual life o Enemies they often fight Independent Wealth o Or an occupation that allows for minimal supervision A headquarters or base of operations o Kept hidden from the general public A backstory that explains the circumstances by which the character acquired his/her abilities as well and his/her motivation for becoming a superhero. o Often tragic elements are involved o Freak accidents that result in the development of the hero’s abilities Work independently or might have a sidekick, or a team. Common Costume Features A superhero’s costume helps make him or her recognizable to the general public. Costumes are often colorful to enhance the character’s visual appeal and frequently incorporate the superhero’s name and theme. (Captain America) Many features of superhero costumes recur frequently, including the following: Wear a mask – allows for a believable disguise and recognizable facial expressions A symbol – such as a stylized letter or visual icon, usually on the chest. Form-fitting clothing Capes Parts could be functional – utility belt, armor Might dress like people from various professions or subcultures (stage magician, biker, etc.) Militaristic Bases/Headquarters Many superheroes have headquarters or a base of operations. These locations are often equipped with state-of-the-art, highly-advanced or alien technologies, and they are usually disguised and/or in secret locations to avoid being detected by enemies, or by the general public. Those that do not have a permanent headquarters are said to have a mobile base of operations. To the heroes and villains who have secret bases, these bases can serve a variety of functions. Types of Superheroes Superheroes are formally organized into categories or archetypes based on their skills and abilities. Acrobat – skills rely on acrobatic skills and gymnastic abilities Aerial – primary power is flight, or is an extraordinary aviator Armored Hero – a gadgeteer whose powers are derived from a suit of powered armor Aquatic – abilities either come from living underwater or from being trained to adapt to underwater conditions. Blaster – one whose power is a distance attack – energy blast Brick/Tank – superhuman degree of strength and endurance, oversized muscular body Elementalist – a hero who controls some natural element or part of the natural world (weather, magnetism, vegetation, fire, ice, electricity, etc.) Gadgeteer – invents special equipment that often imitates superpowers, but has not superpowers themselves Ghost – has “ghost” type powers – invisibility, intangibility Healer – able to quickly recover from serious injury Mage – a hero trained in the use of magic Marksman – uses projectile weapons Martial artist – physical abilities are mostly human rather than superhuman and has phenomenal hand-to-hand combat skills Mentalist – possesses psionic abilities (telekinesis, telepathy, extra-sensory perception) Molecular – power to manipulate molecules, thus being able to alter the laws of physics Paragon – possesses the basic powers of super-strength, flight and invulnerability. One of the most powerful types. Rider – rides either a powerful vehicle or a unique creature Robotic – skills and nature are derived from a biotechnology. Shapeshifter – can manipulate his/her own body to suit his/her needs Size Changer – can alter his/her size Speedster – possesses superhuman speed and reflexes Super Genius/Mastermind/Detective – possesses superhuman/superior intelligence or intellect Teleporter – is able to teleport from point A to point B to point C, etc. Time Manipulater – possesses either a natural, magical, or science-based control of time. Can travel through time or make time stop. Wolf-Dog – originates from the side of the enemy but changes sides and fights against his kind to protect humanity. Step 3 How to Create a Superhero Choose your superhero’s powers. The powers help to shape the character. Try to be unique. What type is your hero? Decide how the character got those powers. One thing that most superheroes have in common is that they do not choose the superhero lifestyle – it chooses them. Base/Headquarters. Does your hero have a base or headquarters? Give your superhero a tragic flaw. By giving him/her a fatal weakness, you make battles more interesting. Choose a gender and build for your superhero. The superpowers you have chosen will help you determine the character’s physicality. Flesh out your character’s superhero personality. Is he/she aggressive, confident? Quiet and shy? Backhanded and manipulative? Brassy and funny? Outrageous and pompous? Etc. …….. Flesh out your character’s everyday personality. Most superheroes have alter-egos that keep them safe from enemies and help them navigate the normal human world. Determine the community’s relationship to both the superhero self and the everyday self. Do people look up to both personalities? Does anyone know they are really a superhero? Is your superhero proud or ashamed of his/her powers? Name your superhero. Be unique. All of the traits you have chosen should help to determine a name. Design a costume. The costume should be based on your hero’s super powers. Think about color; no more than 3 because you do not want to distract from your hero. The colors could be symbolic. Will your hero have a cape, logo, mask, utility belt, or other gadgets? Trademark. A symbol or logo makes superheroes more memorable and helps make their costumes complete. You could also have: a catchy phrase, trademark pose, trademark weapon or vehicle. Will your superhero have a sidekick? Is the sidekick/team useful or do they make mistakes? Develop the sidekick the same way you did your superhero. Main enemies. Does your superhero have any main enemies? First adventure. What was the very first adventure that your superhero experienced? How did they discover their powers? Step 4 Create a Visual of Your Superhero You will use the Marvel Comic site to create your own superhero with their Superhero Avatar Creator.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Myth, Metatext, Continuity and Cataclysm in Dc Comics’ Crisis on Infinite Earths
    WORLDS WILL LIVE, WORLDS WILL DIE: MYTH, METATEXT, CONTINUITY AND CATACLYSM IN DC COMICS’ CRISIS ON INFINITE EARTHS Adam C. Murdough A Thesis Submitted to the Graduate College of Bowling Green State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of MASTER OF ARTS August 2006 Committee: Angela Nelson, Advisor Marilyn Motz Jeremy Wallach ii ABSTRACT Angela Nelson, Advisor In 1985-86, DC Comics launched an extensive campaign to revamp and revise its most important superhero characters for a new era. In many cases, this involved streamlining, retouching, or completely overhauling the characters’ fictional back-stories, while similarly renovating the shared fictional context in which their adventures take place, “the DC Universe.” To accomplish this act of revisionist history, DC resorted to a text-based performative gesture, Crisis on Infinite Earths. This thesis analyzes the impact of this singular text and the phenomena it inspired on the comic-book industry and the DC Comics fan community. The first chapter explains the nature and importance of the convention of “continuity” (i.e., intertextual diegetic storytelling, unfolding progressively over time) in superhero comics, identifying superhero fans’ attachment to continuity as a source of reading pleasure and cultural expressivity as the key factor informing the creation of the Crisis on Infinite Earths text. The second chapter consists of an eschatological reading of the text itself, in which it is argued that Crisis on Infinite Earths combines self-reflexive metafiction with the ideologically inflected symbolic language of apocalypse myth to provide DC Comics fans with a textual "rite of transition," to win their acceptance for DC’s mid-1980s project of self- rehistoricization and renewal.
    [Show full text]
  • Queer Here: Poetry to Comic Emma Lennen Katie Jan
    Queer Here: Poetry to Comic Emma Lennen Katie Jan Pull Quote: “For the new audience of queer teenagers, the difference between the public and the superhero resonates with them because they feel different from the rest of society.” Consider this: a superhero webcomic. Now consider this: a queer superhero webcomic. If you are anything like me, you were infinitely more elated at the second choice, despite how much you enjoy the first. I love reading queer webcomics because by being online, they bypass publishers who may shoot them down for their queerness. As a result, they manage to elude the systematic repression of the LGBTQA+ community. In the 1950s, when repression of the community was even more prevalent, Frank O’Hara wrote the poem “Homosexuality” to express his journey of acceptance as well as to give advice to future gay people. The changes I made in my translation of the poem “Homosexuality” into a modern webcomic demonstrate the different time periods’ expectations of queer content, while still telling the same story with the same purpose, just in a different genre. Despite the difference between the genres, the first two lines and the copious amount of imagery present in the poem allowed for some near-direct translation. The poem begins with “So we are taking off our masks, are we, and keeping / our mouths shut? As if we’d been pierced by a glance!” (O’Hara 1-2). While usually masks symbolize hiding your true self and therefore have a negative connotation, the poem instead considers it one’s pride. Similarly, for many superheroes, the mask does not represent shame, it represents power and responsibility.
    [Show full text]
  • With a Particular Focus on the Saga of Grettir the Strong, Gisfi Surrson's
    Volume 3: 2010-2011 ISSN: 2041-6776 School of English Studies With a particular focus on The Saga of Grettir the Strong, Gisfi Surrson’s Saga and Nijar’s Saga, discuss the nature and role of the supernatural in Icelandic saga literature and assess the extent to which it reveals a religious significance. Georgina Georghiou At the end of the Viking Age, the Icelanders developed a literary tradition in the vernacular, Old Icelandic, in which the legendary tales of Iceland’s sogooki (the Saga Age, c. 9E1030 CE) were written.’ Hitherto sustained by the oral tradition (hence the designation saga, from segja, to say, tell’), the tales which constitute the islendrgasogur (Sagas of Icelanders, written between the twelfth and fourteenth centuries) journeyed through phases of Iceland’s cultural evolution, most notably its political movement from the Commonwealth to the Norwegian monarchy in 1262 CE, and its religious conversion from Norse paganism to Christianity under the sovereignty of King Olaf Tryggvason (995-1000 CE). Chronicling events which occurred during and after this cultural whirlwind, the sagas in their present form reflect a mystical synthesis of Norse-pagan and Christian conceptions of the sacred, both of which incited a conviction in the Supernatural’. Despite their differences, they commonly present the Scandinavian world as one which interacts with unworldly beings and forces, and whilst this ‘unworldliness’ has contributed to the modern view that the sagas are ‘pseudo- historical’,5 for the medieval Icelander, they were a record of historical truth. The truth’ invested in the supernatural involves it, inevitably, in sacred matters, and the affiliation between the supernatural and the religious has thus been a highly debated topic among saga scholarship.
    [Show full text]
  • Why No Wonder Woman?
    Why No Wonder Woman? A REPORT ON THE HISTORY OF WONDER WOMAN AND A CALL TO ACTION!! Created for Wonder Woman Fans Everywhere Introduction by Jacki Zehner with Report Written by Laura Moore April 15th, 2013 Wonder Woman - p. 2 April 15th, 2013 AN INTRODUCTION AND FRAMING “The destiny of the world is determined less by battles that are lost and won than by the stories it loves and believes in” – Harold Goddard. I believe in the story of Wonder Woman. I always have. Not the literal baby being made from clay story, but the metaphorical one. I believe in a story where a woman is the hero and not the victim. I believe in a story where a woman is strong and not weak. Where a woman can fall in love with a man, but she doesnʼt need a man. Where a woman can stand on her own two feet. And above all else, I believe in a story where a woman has superpowers that she uses to help others, and yes, I believe that a woman can help save the world. “Wonder Woman was created as a distinctly feminist role model whose mission was to bring the Amazon ideals of love, peace, and sexual equality to ʻa world torn by the hatred of men.ʼ”1 While the story of Wonder Woman began back in 1941, I did not discover her until much later, and my introduction didnʼt come at the hands of comic books. Instead, when I was a little girl I used to watch the television show starring Lynda Carter, and the animated television series, Super Friends.
    [Show full text]
  • CAPTAIN MARVEL # History: the History of the Drug Supplier and Cult Leader Known As the Black Talon Is Currently Unrevealed
    BLACK TALON Villain Real Name: Unrevealed. Occupation: Cult leader, drug supplier. Identity: Secret. Legal Status: Citizen of the United States (Puerto Rico) with no criminal record. Other Aliases: The Living Loa, "Chicken-head". Place of Birth: Presumably somewhere in Puerto Rico. Marital Status: Single. Known Relatives: None. Group Affiliation: Head of his own voodoo cult. Base of Operations: A sugar/cocaine plantation in Puerto Rico. First Post-Reboot Appearance: CAPTAIN MARVEL # History: The history of the drug supplier and cult leader known as the Black Talon is currently unrevealed. At some point in the past, he learned the art of voodoo and put that talent to work in raising zombies to work a farm – in reality a Colonial-era plantation he either inherited or acquired – where he grew marijuana and coca plants alongside sugar cane (the plantation's legitimate crop). At the same time, he began a cult of voodoo worshippers who revered him as a "living loa" (the "loa" being the spirits or gods – the line between them is often blurred – invoked by voodoo practitioners.). In time, he became one of the largest suppliers of marijuana and cocaine in the Caribbean, with contacts in Miami, Havana, San Juan, and New Orleans. Black Talon's operations first came into conflict with the current generation of superheroes when a rocket launched by NASA carrying a payload of a powerful nerve gas to be disposed of by being sent into the sun was sabotaged and landed off the coast from his plantation. This brought him into conflict with Captain Marvel, who was under orders from his superior, Colonel Yon-Rogg, to release the nerve gas on a human settlement (see Captain Marvel; Yon-Rogg).
    [Show full text]
  • GRAPHIC NOVELS in ADVANCED ENGLISH/LANGUAGE ARTS CLASSROOMS: a PHENOMENOLOGICAL CASE STUDY Cary Gillenwater a Dissertation Submi
    GRAPHIC NOVELS IN ADVANCED ENGLISH/LANGUAGE ARTS CLASSROOMS: A PHENOMENOLOGICAL CASE STUDY Cary Gillenwater A dissertation submitted to the faculty of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the School of Education. Chapel Hill 2012 Approved by: Madeleine Grumet James Trier Jeff Greene Lucila Vargas Renee Hobbs © 2012 Cary Gillenwater ALL RIGHTS RESERVED ii ABSTRACT CARY GILLENWATER: Graphic novels in advanced English/language arts classrooms: A phenomenological case study (Under the direction of Madeleine Grumet) This dissertation is a phenomenological case study of two 12th grade English/language arts (ELA) classrooms where teachers used graphic novels with their advanced students. The primary purpose of this case study was to gain insight into the phenomenon of using graphic novels with these students—a research area that is currently limited. Literature from a variety of disciplines was compared and contrasted with observations, interviews, questionnaires, and structured think-aloud activities for this purpose. The following questions guided the study: (1) What are the prevailing attitudes/opinions held by the ELA teachers who use graphic novels and their students about this medium? (2) What interests do the students have that connect to the phenomenon of comic book/graphic novel reading? (3) How do the teachers and the students make meaning from graphic novels? The findings generally affirmed previous scholarship that the medium of comic books/graphic novels can play a beneficial role in ELA classrooms, encouraging student involvement and ownership of texts and their visual literacy development. The findings also confirmed, however, that teachers must first conceive of literacy as more than just reading and writing phonetic texts if the use of the medium is to be more than just secondary to traditional literacy.
    [Show full text]
  • Dc Comics: Wonder Woman: Wisdom Through the Ages Pdf, Epub, Ebook
    DC COMICS: WONDER WOMAN: WISDOM THROUGH THE AGES PDF, EPUB, EBOOK Mike Avila | 192 pages | 29 Sep 2020 | Insight Editions | 9781683834779 | English | San Rafael, United States DC Comics: Wonder Woman: Wisdom Through the Ages PDF Book Instead, she receives the ability to transform into the catlike Cheetah, gaining superhuman strength and speed; the ritual partially backfires, and her human form becomes frail and weak. Diana of Themyscira Arrowverse Batwoman. Since her creation, Diana of Themyscira has made a name for herself as one of the most powerful superheroes in comic book existence. A must-have for Wonder Woman fans everywhere! Through close collaboration with Jason Fabok, we have created the ultimate Wonder Woman statue in her dynamic pose. The two share a degree of mutual respect, occasionally fighting together against a common enemy, though ultimately Barbara still harbors jealousy. Delivery: 23rdth Jan. Published 26 November Maria Mendoza Earth Just Imagine. Wonder Girl Earth She returned to her classic look with help from feminist icon Gloria Steinem, who put Wonder Woman — dressed in her iconic red, white, and blue ensemble — on the cover of the first full-length issue of Ms. Priscilla eventually retires from her Cheetah lifestyle and dies of an unspecified illness, with her niece Deborah briefly taking over the alter ego. In fact, it was great to see some of the powers realized in live-action when the Princess of Themyscira made her big screen debut in the Patty Jenkins directed, Wonder Woman. Submit Review. Although she was raised entirely by women on the island of Themyscira , she was sent as an ambassador to the Man's World, spreading their idealistic message of strength and love.
    [Show full text]
  • An Examination of Superhero Tropes in My Hero Academia
    The University of San Francisco USF Scholarship: a digital repository @ Gleeson Library | Geschke Center Master's Projects and Capstones Theses, Dissertations, Capstones and Projects Spring 5-29-2020 The World’s Greatest Hero: An Examination of Superhero Tropes in My Hero Academia Jerry Waller [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://repository.usfca.edu/capstone Part of the Comparative Literature Commons, Japanese Studies Commons, Modern Literature Commons, and the Visual Studies Commons Recommended Citation Waller, Jerry, "The World’s Greatest Hero: An Examination of Superhero Tropes in My Hero Academia" (2020). Master's Projects and Capstones. 1006. https://repository.usfca.edu/capstone/1006 This Project/Capstone is brought to you for free and open access by the Theses, Dissertations, Capstones and Projects at USF Scholarship: a digital repository @ Gleeson Library | Geschke Center. It has been accepted for inclusion in Master's Projects and Capstones by an authorized administrator of USF Scholarship: a digital repository @ Gleeson Library | Geschke Center. For more information, please contact [email protected]. The World’s Greatest Hero: An Examination of Superhero Tropes in My Hero Academia ​ Jerry Waller APS 650: MAPS Capstone Seminar May 17, 2020 1 Abstract In this paper the author explores the cross-cultural transmission of genre archetypes in illustrated media. Specifically, the representation of the archetype of American superheroes as represented in the Japanese manga and anime series, My Hero Academia. Through ​ ​ examination of the extant corpus of manga chapters and anime episodes for the franchise, the author draws comparison between characters and situations in the manga series with examples from American comic books by Marvel Comics and DC Comics.
    [Show full text]
  • DC Comics Jumpchain CYOA
    DC Comics Jumpchain CYOA CYOA written by [text removed] [text removed] [text removed] cause I didn’t lol The lists of superpowers and weaknesses are taken from the DC Wiki, and have been reproduced here for ease of access. Some entries have been removed, added, or modified to better fit this format. The DC universe is long and storied one, in more ways than one. It’s a universe filled with adventure around every corner, not least among them on Earth, an unassuming but cosmically significant planet out of the way of most space territories. Heroes and villains, from the bottom of the Dark Multiverse to the top of the Monitor Sphere, endlessly struggle for justice, for power, and for control over the fate of the very multiverse itself. You start with 1000 Cape Points (CP). Discounted options are 50% off. Discounts only apply once per purchase. Free options are not mandatory. Continuity === === === === === Continuity doesn't change during your time here, since each continuity has a past and a future unconnected to the Crises. If you're in Post-Crisis you'll blow right through 2011 instead of seeing Flashpoint. This changes if you take the relevant scenarios. You can choose your starting date. Early Golden Age (eGA) Default Start Date: 1939 The original timeline, the one where it all began. Superman can leap tall buildings in a single bound, while other characters like Batman, Dr. Occult, and Sandman have just debuted in their respective cities. This continuity occurred in the late 1930s, and takes place in a single universe.
    [Show full text]
  • A Caltech Particle Physicist Comes to Iron Man's Aid 24 May 2010
    Theoretical Man: A Caltech Particle Physicist Comes to Iron Man's Aid 24 May 2010 particle accelerator, the Large Hadron Collider, which sends proton beams smashing into each other to investigate fundamental questions of physics. So volunteering his expertise did not seem a stretch. He and one of his graduate students, Tim Dulaney, went to Marvel Studios in Manhattan Beach to give the filmmakers a crash course in elementary particle physics. Wise and Dulaney met for two hours with a group Tony Stark, played by Robert Downey Jr., uses brute of producers as well as the film's screenwriter. The force rather than a physicist's skills to put the finishing filmmakers wanted input on a scene in which Stark touches on his new power source. [Credit: Paramount finds clues hidden in a model of buildings that his Pictures] father used long ago to design a science theme park. "We discussed using the buildings to represent electrons in an atom," Wise says. In a (PhysOrg.com) -- When Iron Man can't do the job, later scene, in which Stark produces the mystery who ya gonna call? Well, how about Caltech element, the filmmakers sought Wise and theoretical physicist Mark Wise? In Iron Man 2, the Dulaney's advice on what type of apparatus you'd blockbuster science-fiction film based on the comic need to build if you wanted to discover a new book superhero, Tony Stark, aka Iron Man, is element. slowly dying from the palladium that gives him superhuman strength. He must come up with a "I don't remember how much of our input was used, new element to power the portable nuclear reactor and it's hard to remember who contributed what," attached to his chest so that he can defeat the evil Wise says, "but I enjoyed the discussion.
    [Show full text]
  • Comics and Webcomics: Super-Heroes, Over-Heroes and Poser-Heroes
    H-ermes. Journal of Communication H-ermes, J. Comm. 19 (2021), 249-262 ISSN 2284-0753, DOI 10.1285/i22840753n19p249 http://siba-ese.unisalento.it Comics and webcomics: super-heroes, over-heroes and poser-heroes Heraldo Aparecido Silva Comics and webcomics: super-heroes, over-heroes and poser-heroes. This article aims to analyse the superhero subgenre in comic books and webcomics. First, the study focuses on the characteristics of hero, superhero and antihero categories. Then we briefly describe some contemporary aspect of the history of the stories in superhero comics to propose the inclusion of two new sub-categories: the over-hero and the poser-hero. The theoretical foundation is based on authors such as: Moya (1977; 1994; 2003), Eco (1993), Mix (1993), Beirce (1993), Bloom (2002; 2003), McLauglin (2005), Knowles (2008), Irwin (2009), Mazur; Danner (2014), among others. The literature specializing in comic books and philosophical perspectives functions as analytical and theoretical support for the interpretation of themes taken from the superhero universe.With the advent of computer graphics and the internet, comic books have conquered new formats, new technologies and new audiences from a democratized distribution. In addition, two factors are important to understand the relevance of webcomics to the history of comics. First, as comics in print are scanned, the comics/webcomics distinction is not exclusive. In this text, we discuss about heroes and superheroes that can be found and read in both printed and digital formats. Second, webcomics have enabled many artists to achieve more visibility for their work through social media. From this perspective, we argue that the notion of webcomics evolve from the notion of comics.
    [Show full text]
  • Heroes and Superheroes: from Myth to the American Comic Book
    Heroes and superheroes: from myth to the American comic book Hougaard Winterbach Faculty of Arts, Tshwane University of Technology, Pretoria. E-mail: [email protected] This article demonstrates that the mythological hero who appears in myth, legend and folklore has resurfaced in the twentieth century as the American comic book superhero. First, the differences between the hero and the superhero are explained. Then the characteristics of the archaic hero are discussed to show its parallels with the modern superhero. The argument is based on Joseph Campbell’s formulation of the complex pattern in the stages of the adventure of the hero. An analysis of a superhero comic book, Daredevil: Born Again, serves to show how these different stages, as distinguished by Campbell, form the basis for both the archaic and the American comic book superhero. Helde en superhelde: van mite tot die Amerikaanse strokiesprent Hierdie artikel demonstreer dat die mitologiese held wat in mites, legendes en volksverhale verskyn, sy herverskyning maak in die twintigste eeu in die vorm van die Amerikaanse strokiesprent superheld. Die verskille tussen die held en die superheld word eerstens bespreek. Vervolgens word die eienskappe van die argaïese held bespreek om die ooreenkomste met die moderne superheld aan te toon. Die argument is gebaseer op Joseph Campbell se formulering van die komplekse patroon in die fases van die held se avontuur. 'n Analise van 'n superheld strokiesprent (Daredevil: Born Again) toon hoe hierdie verskillende fases, soos deur Campbell onderskei, die basis vir sowel die argaïese held as vir die Amerikaanse strokiesprent vorm. he superhero1 has been a key character in the comic book, published largely in the United States of America, since 1938.
    [Show full text]