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[mattx5]

For my Independant Studies course next year (Last year of high school) I want to put together a short documentary on the importance of superheroes (comic book superheroes that is) in our culture in terms of the values they represent, social impact, how their universe compares to ours, etc etc.

I'm wondering if anyone knows any good resources detailing a topic like this?

(My original topic was going to be about methods of control in the novel 1984 versus those present in our world today, but with Farenheit 9/11 having just come out, I don't want to put something together that could be considered too similar).

 

[Willco]

There's a lot of good resources on this. I'm too lazy to dig any up, though.

 

[Felidae_Khrall]

For my Independant Studies course next year (Last year of high school) I want to put together a short documentary on the importance of superheroes (comic book superheroes that is) in our culture in terms of the values they represent, social impact, how their universe compares to ours, etc etc.

I'm wondering if anyone knows any good resources detailing a topic like this?

(My original topic was going to be about methods of control in the novel 1984 versus those present in our world today, but with Farenheit 9/11 having just come out, I don't want to put something together that could be considered too similar).

Me. I am a superhero. Come and document my life, and I will reward you with magical powers!

 

[Escape Goat]

Go study mythology and the path of the hero. Thats what comics are.

 

[Wellington]

For my Independant Studies course next year (Last year of high school) I want to put together a short documentary on the importance of superheroes (comic book superheroes that is) in our culture in terms of the values they represent, social impact, how their universe compares to ours, etc etc.

I'm wondering if anyone knows any good resources detailing a topic like this?

(My original topic was going to be about methods of control in the novel 1984 versus those present in our world today, but with Farenheit 9/11 having just come out, I don't want to put something together that could be considered too similar).

Dude... several comics deal with this. Check out Marvels. It'll essentially write your paper for you. Also check out Kingdom Come.

 

[sefskillz]

wellington knows his shit, i think im gonna hug em

 

[mattx5]

Dude... several comics deal with this. Check out Marvels. It'll essentially write your paper for you. Also check out Kingdom Come.

Thanks, I'll be sure to check them out

 

[mattx5]

Ok, a question about Marvels-

Should I get the regular edition or the 10th anniversary edition?

What are the differences?

Was Marvels originally split up into seperate volumes, because that's what one of the descriptions says?

 

[mattx5]

?

 

[Future Trunks]

10th Anniversary?? Holy --- ! I feel old now...

Seriously, someone else mentioned it, study archetypes (like Jungian archetypes and stuff) and see how they relate to a particular aspect of the psyche and human needs and such.

I think I wrote a paper for my senior year in high school on heroic archetypes featuring Beowulf and Robotech (predominantly on the exploits of Rick "Mr. Right-Place-At-The-Right-Time" Hunter) and how they related to each other and archetypes we assume as individuals. Uhhh...yeah. **scratches head** I should probably go re-read it, it's somewhere on my HDD.

A google search should give you plenty of ideas, as there are plenty of universities that offer courses on this subject (I took one myself as a freshman). There has to be plenty of people who have written their views on the subject and put them on the web, or at least provided parenthetical documentation as to where they got their ideas from.

At any rate, good luck.

 

[Wellington]

Ok, a question about Marvels-

Should I get the regular edition or the 10th anniversary edition?

What are the differences?

Was Marvels originally split up into seperate volumes, because that's what one of the descriptions says?

Reg'lar is alright.

Wait 10th anniversary? *joins FT*

Here are some Amazon reviews:

This fascinating graphic novel is a history of the Marvel universe, seen through the eyes of "common people", and more particularly, Phil Sheldon, press photographer. Throughout his career, Phil watches the superheroes ("Marvels" as he calls them), and also he watches the common people as they interact with the Marvels. Along the way, the reader is treated to a few essays by Stan Lee, Kurt Busiek, Alex Ross, and Scott McCloud, with their thoughts on the Marvels.

This book bored my eight-year-old son, as the superheroes were such minor characters. But, I found myself caught up in the story; reliving memories of watching the Marvel universe unfold throughout my life. (Boy, do I wish that I had saved those old comic books!) I found the authors' take on things to be quite though provoking. Indeed, he showed how people have always had a love/hate relationship with the Marvels from their inception through the 1970s, in spite of the other changes in their world.

This is a great graphic novel, one with a refreshingly different take. I highly recommend it to you!

This is the first time that when I finished reading a comic book I thought, "This would make a wonderful movie." This is a story told not from a superhero point of view but from that of a photographer. It highlights some of the major events in Marvel comics history from the original Human Torch to the coming of the X-Men to, my personal favorite, the death of Gwen Stacy. Kurt Busiek has crafted a story that flows so smoothly once you start to read you won't want to quit until it's over and then you'll want to re-read. This is only highlighted by the dazzling art of Alex Ross who realistic style meshes together so well with the story. If you're a fan of Marvel comics or a good story, this is the book for you.

It's hard for me to justify the expense of a hardcover graphic novel, especially if it's a collection of individual issues I already have, but when I heard about the Marvels 10th Anniversary edition I knew I would have to get it. Not only is Marvels one of my favorite comics of all time, but the extras packed into this book really show how collected editions are starting to become the DVD equivalent for comic books.

In "Marvels," Kurt Busiek and Alex Ross took us through the life of photojournalist Phil Sheldon, an old-fashioned newspaperman with printer's ink in his veins and a camera to his eye. Phil, however, lives in a more fantastic universe than you or I, he lives in the Marvel Universe, home of Captain America, the Fantastic Four, Spider-Man and the X-Men. Through four issues, we watch how Phil and his world grew and changed, how people thought about the superheroes -- the Marvels, as Phil called them -- and how perceptions evolved along the way. It's a beautiful, poignant series about ordinary heroism, hero worship, and the heroic ideal. Ten years later, it's still one of the best comics I've ever read.

If you've already read the comics, though, there is still stuff here for you. This collection includes the four pitches Busiek and Ross went through to get the series made, the complete scripts for all four issues, character sketches, production and promotional artwork, a guide to "Easter Eggs" in the artwork, a section on Ross' technique of painting from photographed models and even the text of all the newspaper articles that only partially appeared throughout the series. It's packed, and that makes the reading all the more fun.

If you've never read "Marvels," you're missing out. If you read it and loved it, this book takes the story one step further. Kudos to Marvel for putting out such a great edition of such an important comic book.

That should be what you are looking for.

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/t..._books_1/104-5689972-0903927?v=glance&s=books

$13.97

 

[Future Trunks]

Superman on the Couch: What Superheroes Really Tell Us About Ourselves and Our Society
by Danny Fingeroth, Stan Lee (Paperback - February 2004)

Features

Paperback: 192 pages ; Dimensions (in inches): 0.59 x 8.84 x 6.04
Publisher: Continuum Pub Group; (February 2004)

About the Author
Danny Fingeroth is former Group Editor of Marvel Comics's Spider-Man line.

Book Description
Why are so many of the superhero myths tied up with loss, often violent, of parents or parental figures? What is the significance of the dual identity? What makes some superhuman figures "good" and others "evil"? Why are so many of the prime superheroes white and male? How has the superhero evolved over the course of the 20th and early 21st centuries? And how might the myths be changing? Why is it that the key superhero archetypes - Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Spider-Man, the X-Men - touch primal needs and experiences in everyone? Why has the superhero moved beyond the pages of comics into other media? All these topics, and more, are covered in this lively and original exploration of the reasons why the superhero - in comic books, films, and TV - is such a potent myth for our times and culture.
http://www.smoothreading.com/comics-graphic-novels/Graphic-Novel-Histories/-0826415407.htm

I will continue editing as I find more info/reading material. EDIT: BOLD is me talking.

Jungian reflections within the cinema : a psychological analysis of sci-fi and fantasy archetypes
• By: James F Iaccino
• Publisher: Westport, Conn. : Praeger, 1998.
• ISBN: 0275950484

This one sounds interesting.

http://www.comicbookbin.com/archetypes.html

EXCERPT: The first one is the Innocent, the character who lives in a child like state. He is inexperienced, refuses to face reality and refuse to age. This is kinda like the state a young hero enters when he or she discovers they are THE ONE and refuses to believe it and try to remain ignorant of their responsibility, y'know?

The second is the Orphan. He is a disillusioned character, complaining about the unfairness of life. He has high expectations of others. His feeling of powerlessness and having fallen from grace may lead him to addictions.

We Are All Warriors

The third archetype is the Wanderer. Having lived his early life in captivity and hardships, he seeks change, continuous adventure, travel. He hates commitments and is lonely.

The next archetype is the Warrior. He is the traditional hero, whose purpose is to confront fears and challenges. Assertive, he works continuously.

The Martyr suffers hardship and self sacrifice to prevail. Unselfish he has a great unwavering sense of duty. They believe in themselves and their mission. Their work is dedicated to do the right thing, not because it benefits them, but the world or another person.

Unlike the other archetypes, the Magician lives within his environment and has no fear of it. He prefers going with the flow of the universe, instead of against it. The world is their home. They leave their guards down.
I believe I was a "warrior" when we did this test in english class...probably developed a bit of orphan and wanderer aspects as I went through college.

http://home.elp.rr.com/dansite/e335/archetype.htm

Archetypes and the Collective Unconscious

This is a nice, simple breakdown of Jung's Collective Unconscious (the main, academic idea a lot of these superhero archetypes papers come from). Obviously, you'll be wanting something more recognized, but that shouldn't be a problem in your library (just search for collective unconscious and Jung and such).

Oh, and these archetypes extend themselves into all realms of fictional writing: Greek tragedies (Medea, Oedipus, Antigone, all kinds of stuff) and the classics (Iliad, Odyssey, and Virgil's Aeneid), comics, sci-fi, romance novels, whathaveyou.

EDIT: I should also note, there are different archetype groupings other than Jung's (but most come from his). Here's another look at a "hero's journey" in relation to writing - this helps identify Joseph Campbell's version of archetypes and heroes, although the words may be from Vogler's book (see below).

http://members.tripod.com/~ma_belle69/stages.html

I point it out because a lot of old heroic tales follow this algorithm, and of course, our modern works of fiction derive from these tales.

This is nice. Article on "A HISTORICAL OVERVIEW OF HEROES IN CONTEMPORARY WORKS OF FANTASY LITERATURE "

http://www.towson.edu/~flynn/heroes.html

With a bib at the end with lots of credible sources

http://outer-rim.lweb.net/mythos/strange.html

Another one. But this one provides examples of transitions into different archetypes (like Vadar's transition in Return of the Jedi that earns him redemption).

MORE:

http://www.hotkey.net.au/~melinda1/archtype.htm

Bib:

Recommended Reading
Bolen, Jean Shinoda. Goddesses in everywoman : a new psychology of women. San Francisco: Harper & Row, c1984. ISBN: 006091291X

Bolen, Jean Shinoda. Gods in everyman : a new psychology of men's lives and loves. San Francisco: Harper & Row, c1989. ISBN: 0060972807

Campbell, Joseph. The Hero With A Thousand Faces New York: Fine Communications, 1996. ISBN 1567311202

Dare, Justine. Wild Hawk. Topaz, 1996. ISBN: 0451406575

Davis, Justine. Lord of the Storm New York: Topaz, 1994. ISBN: 0451404904
(Note: Sadly LOTS is out of print but you may be able to find copies in second-hand book stores)

Davis, Justine. The Sky Pirate. Topaz, 1995. ISBN: 0451404912

Lowell, Elizabeth. Enchanted. Avon Books, 1994. ISBN: 0380772574

McCutcheon, Pam. Quicksilver. Leisure Books, 1996. ISBN: 0505521415

Pearson, Carol S. Awakening The Heroes Within San Francisco: Harper, 1991. ISBN 0062506781

Vogler, Christopher. The Writer's Journey: mythic structure for storytellers and screenwriters Studio City, CA: Michael Wiese Productions, 1992. ISBN 0941188132

This one isn't a article or anything (looks like a course assignment for a college course) but it bring up some interesting questions regarding Greek heroes, archetypes, modern culture, the way you view yourself (or look).

http://www.curriculumlink.org/mythicmirror/wk1.html

EXAMPLES:

Why do we cheer for these characters? Why do we like them? How are we like them?

share with the class how every culture, in every time, has had heroes and why this is so.

Discuss what characteristics heroes of different cultures seem to have in common.

This lesson introduces Greek mythology through archetypal heroes, and involves students in researching a particular mythological character. Students also consider how heroes are a reflection of culture, and how the arts might contribute to the reflection of culture.

Article about heroes/anti-hero archetypes and how they relate to american cinema -- I assume you could relates this to comics too.

http://www.usask.ca/relst/jrpc/art7-archetypes.html

This is probably too much info and I'm probably taking you FAR away from what you're trying to cover with your film, so I'll just stop bothering you now.

 

[mattx5]

Wow, this is making my work so much easier.

Thanks for all the help guys

 

[Future Trunks]

Added more.

 

[Future Trunks]

Bumping, in case any other comic book afficionados wanna chime in to help mattx5