Due out this summer:
Monday, May 30, 2011
Saturday, May 21, 2011
Tondro's Superheroes of the Round Table
Superheroes of the Round Table: Comics Connections to Medieval and Renaissance Literature
Jason Tondro
Print ISBN: 978-0-7864-6068-7
ca. 65 illustrations, notes, bibliography, index
softcover 2011
Price: $40.00
Not Yet Published, Available Spring/Summer 2012
About the Book
Few scholars nursed on the literary canon would dispute that knowledge of Western literature benefits readers and writers of the superhero genre. This analysis of superhero comics as Romance literature shows that the reverse is true--knowledge of the superhero romance has something to teach critics of traditional literature. Establishing the comic genre as a cousin to Arthurian myth, Spenser, and Shakespeare, it uses comics to inform readings of The Faerie Queene, The Tempest, Malory’s Morte and more, while employing authors like Ben Johnson to help explain comics by Alan Moore, Jack Kirby, and Grant Morrison and characters like Iron Man, the Hulk, the X-Men, and the Justice League. Scholars of comics, medieval and Renaissance literature alike will find it appealing.
About the Author
Jason Tondro teaches superhero comics and graphic novels in the English department at the University of California, Riverside, as well as at community colleges in the Southern California area. He also blogs regularly as "Doctor Comics," both on his own blog at doctorcomics.blogspot.com and at other comics sites such as Comic Book Therapy.
Saturday, May 14, 2011
Scholarship by Jason Tondro
Here's a list of presentations and publications by Jason Tondo. Its a nice mix showing the potential for presentations at both popular-culture and traditionally non-popular-culture conferences. As the fruit of his labors, Jason has produced the essay “Camelot in Comics,” in King Arthur in Popular Culture (2002) and a dissertation on medieval comics: “An Imaginary Mongoose: Comics, Canon, and the Superhero Romance” (Univ. of California, Riverside, 2007), which is underrevision and set to be published by McFarland as Superheroes of the Round Table: Comics Connections to Medieval and Renaissance Literature. While writing his dissertation, Jason was also interviewed for the online magazine Sequential Tart.
“Spenser and the Comics Critic.” International Journal of Comic Art (vol 11, number 1: Spring 2009).
“Grant Morrison’s Grail Quest.” National Popular Culture and American Culture
Associations Conference (Comic and Comic Art Section). San Francisco, CA: April,
2008.
“Spenser’s Secret Identities: Arthegall and Talus the Yron Man.” National Popular
Culture and American Culture Associations Conference (Comic and Comic Art Section).
Boston, MA: March, 2007.
“Hwaet If: Beowulf as Comic Book Superhero.” Beowulf #4. San Diego: IDW
Publishing, 2007.
“The Superheroic Romance: A New Look at the Question of Genre.” National Popular
Culture and American Culture Associations Conference (Comic and Comic Art Section).
Atlanta, GA: March, 2006.
"Understanding Dante: Comics in the Commedia." National Popular Culture and
American Culture Associations Conference (Comic and Comic Art Section). San Diego,
CA: March, 2005.
“Hamlet on a Rooftop.” National Popular Culture and American Culture Associations
Conference (Comic and Comic Art Section). San Antonio, TX: April, 2004.
“Douce 104: A Comics Criticism Approach.” 10th (Dis)junctions Graduate Humanities
Conference. Riverside, CA: April, 2003.
“Holy Hagiography! Medieval Mystics and the Superhero.” 24th Southwest/Texas
Popular Culture Association Meeting (Medievalisms Section), Albuquerque, NM:
February, 2003.
“Camelot in Comics.” King Arthur in Popular Culture, ed. Elizabeth Sklar and Donald
Hoffman. Jefferson, NC: McFarland Press, 2002. 169-181.
“Carnival in Comics.” 34th Rocky Mountain Medieval and Renaissance Association
Meeting. Las Vegas, NV: May, 2002.
“The Four Color King is Dead,” 32nd Popular Culture/24th Annual American Culture Association Meeting (Arthurian Studies Section). Toronto, Ontario: March 13-16, 2002.
“Camelot in Comics.” National Popular Culture and American Culture Associations
Conference (Arthurian Studies Section). Philadelphia, PA: April, 2001.
“Return of the Four Color King: Arthurian Comics in the Year 2000.” National Popular
Culture and American Culture Associations Conference (Arthurian Studies Section). New Orleans, LA: April, 2000.
American Arthurian Medievalisms
Sponsor: The Medieval Association of the Midwest
Organizer: Peter H. Goodrich, Northern Michigan Univ.
"A Four-Color King: Arthur as American Comic Book Superhero." International Congress on Medieval Studies. May 1999.
“Four Color Kings: Arthur as Comic Book Superhero.” National Popular Culture and
American Culture Associations Conference (Arthurian Studies Section). San Diego, CA:
April, 1999.
“Blood in the Gutters: the Impact of Visual Storytelling on the Arthur Narrative.” Far West Popular Culture Association Meeting. Las Vegas, NV: Feb. 1999.
“Spenser and the Comics Critic.” International Journal of Comic Art (vol 11, number 1: Spring 2009).
“Grant Morrison’s Grail Quest.” National Popular Culture and American Culture
Associations Conference (Comic and Comic Art Section). San Francisco, CA: April,
2008.
“Spenser’s Secret Identities: Arthegall and Talus the Yron Man.” National Popular
Culture and American Culture Associations Conference (Comic and Comic Art Section).
Boston, MA: March, 2007.
“Hwaet If: Beowulf as Comic Book Superhero.” Beowulf #4. San Diego: IDW
Publishing, 2007.
“The Superheroic Romance: A New Look at the Question of Genre.” National Popular
Culture and American Culture Associations Conference (Comic and Comic Art Section).
Atlanta, GA: March, 2006.
"Understanding Dante: Comics in the Commedia." National Popular Culture and
American Culture Associations Conference (Comic and Comic Art Section). San Diego,
CA: March, 2005.
“Hamlet on a Rooftop.” National Popular Culture and American Culture Associations
Conference (Comic and Comic Art Section). San Antonio, TX: April, 2004.
“Douce 104: A Comics Criticism Approach.” 10th (Dis)junctions Graduate Humanities
Conference. Riverside, CA: April, 2003.
“Holy Hagiography! Medieval Mystics and the Superhero.” 24th Southwest/Texas
Popular Culture Association Meeting (Medievalisms Section), Albuquerque, NM:
February, 2003.
“Camelot in Comics.” King Arthur in Popular Culture, ed. Elizabeth Sklar and Donald
Hoffman. Jefferson, NC: McFarland Press, 2002. 169-181.
“Carnival in Comics.” 34th Rocky Mountain Medieval and Renaissance Association
Meeting. Las Vegas, NV: May, 2002.
“The Four Color King is Dead,” 32nd Popular Culture/24th Annual American Culture Association Meeting (Arthurian Studies Section). Toronto, Ontario: March 13-16, 2002.
“Camelot in Comics.” National Popular Culture and American Culture Associations
Conference (Arthurian Studies Section). Philadelphia, PA: April, 2001.
“Return of the Four Color King: Arthurian Comics in the Year 2000.” National Popular
Culture and American Culture Associations Conference (Arthurian Studies Section). New Orleans, LA: April, 2000.
American Arthurian Medievalisms
Sponsor: The Medieval Association of the Midwest
Organizer: Peter H. Goodrich, Northern Michigan Univ.
"A Four-Color King: Arthur as American Comic Book Superhero." International Congress on Medieval Studies. May 1999.
“Four Color Kings: Arthur as Comic Book Superhero.” National Popular Culture and
American Culture Associations Conference (Arthurian Studies Section). San Diego, CA:
April, 1999.
“Blood in the Gutters: the Impact of Visual Storytelling on the Arthur Narrative.” Far West Popular Culture Association Meeting. Las Vegas, NV: Feb. 1999.
Medieval Comics Scholarship 2010
Getting closer to now:
Forty-fifth International Congress on Medieval Studies
May 13–16, 2010
Global Progeny
Sponsor: Scholarly Community for the Globalization of the Middle Ages
(SCGMA)
Organizer: Gabriel Gryffyn, Univ. of Minnesota–Twin Cities
The Percival Complex: Understanding the Role of the Imperfect Hero in the Global Popularity of Juvenile Manga Series
Lorna Wolcott Cooper, Lubbock Christian Univ.
Medievalism in Music and the Fine Arts
Sponsor: Studies in Medievalism
Organizer: Richard Utz, Western Michigan Univ.
Jeff Smith’s “Bone”: Revising Tolkien and Lewis’s Antimodernist Fantasies
Andrew Taylor, Western Michigan Univ.
2010 Joint Conference of the National Popular Culture and American Culture Associations
March 31 – April 3, 2010
Renaissance Grand Hotel St. Louis
“Darkly Dreaming Dexter and the Incredible Hulk: Modern Gothic Mutations of Stevenson’s Iconic Doppelganger” (?)
Matthew English
(Presented under the Gothic in Literature, Film, & Culture Area)
“'The Past and Future King!': Camelot 3000, Context, and the Limits of Adaptation”
Dion Cautrell, University of Nebraska at Kearney
(Presented under the Arthurian Legends Area)
“Her Guardiner: Alan Moore’s Swamp Thing as the Green Man” (?)
Colin Beineke, University of Nebraska, Lincoln
(Presented under the Comic Art & Comics Area)
Forty-fifth International Congress on Medieval Studies
May 13–16, 2010
Global Progeny
Sponsor: Scholarly Community for the Globalization of the Middle Ages
(SCGMA)
Organizer: Gabriel Gryffyn, Univ. of Minnesota–Twin Cities
The Percival Complex: Understanding the Role of the Imperfect Hero in the Global Popularity of Juvenile Manga Series
Lorna Wolcott Cooper, Lubbock Christian Univ.
Medievalism in Music and the Fine Arts
Sponsor: Studies in Medievalism
Organizer: Richard Utz, Western Michigan Univ.
Jeff Smith’s “Bone”: Revising Tolkien and Lewis’s Antimodernist Fantasies
Andrew Taylor, Western Michigan Univ.
2010 Joint Conference of the National Popular Culture and American Culture Associations
March 31 – April 3, 2010
Renaissance Grand Hotel St. Louis
“Darkly Dreaming Dexter and the Incredible Hulk: Modern Gothic Mutations of Stevenson’s Iconic Doppelganger” (?)
Matthew English
(Presented under the Gothic in Literature, Film, & Culture Area)
“'The Past and Future King!': Camelot 3000, Context, and the Limits of Adaptation”
Dion Cautrell, University of Nebraska at Kearney
(Presented under the Arthurian Legends Area)
“Her Guardiner: Alan Moore’s Swamp Thing as the Green Man” (?)
Colin Beineke, University of Nebraska, Lincoln
(Presented under the Comic Art & Comics Area)
Medieval Comics Scholarship 2009
STUDIES IN MEDIEVALISM CONFERENCE
OCTOBER 8-10, 2009
“The Dragon Ne Dyeth Nat: Alchemical Sins and Sacrifice in 'The Canon’s Yeoman’s Tale’ and Full Metal Alchemist.”
Lorna Wolcott Cooper, Texas Tech University
OCTOBER 8-10, 2009
“The Dragon Ne Dyeth Nat: Alchemical Sins and Sacrifice in 'The Canon’s Yeoman’s Tale’ and Full Metal Alchemist.”
Lorna Wolcott Cooper, Texas Tech University
Medieval Comics Scholarship 2005
Fortieth International Congress on Medieval Studies
May 5–8, 2005
Pop Cultural Medievalism in the Late, Long Twentieth Century
Sponsor: Medieval Studies Institute, Indiana Univ.–Bloomington
Organizer: Brent Addison Moberly, Medieval Studies Institute, Indiana Univ.–
Bloomington
Professor A and the X-Men: Augustine of Hippo’s Neo-Platonic Demonology
Matthew McConnel, Western Michigan Univ.
May 5–8, 2005
Pop Cultural Medievalism in the Late, Long Twentieth Century
Sponsor: Medieval Studies Institute, Indiana Univ.–Bloomington
Organizer: Brent Addison Moberly, Medieval Studies Institute, Indiana Univ.–
Bloomington
Professor A and the X-Men: Augustine of Hippo’s Neo-Platonic Demonology
Matthew McConnel, Western Michigan Univ.
Medieval Comics Scholarship 2006
PCA / ACA 2006
Atlanta, GA
The Once and Future Queen: Reincarnating Femininity in Camelot 3000
Christine Neufeld, Eastern Michigan University
(Presented under the Arthurian Legends Area)
Atlanta, GA
The Once and Future Queen: Reincarnating Femininity in Camelot 3000
Christine Neufeld, Eastern Michigan University
(Presented under the Arthurian Legends Area)
Medieval Comics Scholarship 2007
Now from 2007:
Culture and the Medieval King
University of Northern Iowa: April 13, 2007
The Noble Eightfold Path to Camelot: Samsara and Nirvana in Camelot 3000
Matt Bloom, University of Northern Iowa
2007 Joint Conference of the National Popular Culture and American Culture Associations
April 4 - 7, 2007
Boston Marriott Copley Place
The Symbiosis of Norse and Medieval Christian Eschatology in DC Vertigo’s Lucifer Series
Katherine Allocco, Western Connecticut State University
(Presented under the Medieval Popular Culture Area)
Culture and the Medieval King
University of Northern Iowa: April 13, 2007
The Noble Eightfold Path to Camelot: Samsara and Nirvana in Camelot 3000
Matt Bloom, University of Northern Iowa
Mike W. Barr and Brian Bolland’s graphic novel Camelot 3000 tells the story of King Arthur and his knights’ return in the year 3000. The majority of the characters have all undergone the process of reincarnation; their souls reside in new bodies, oftentimes quite different from the ones they knew when they first served with Arthur. Reunited with their king, the knights attempt to not only
defend Earth from Morgan Le Fay and her alien army, but to build a bright new Camelot which will encompass the whole world. This effort ultimately proves futile, however, as the baggage of the knights’ past lives continuously weigh them down, causing them to repeat past sins and to sabotage present endeavors.
The struggles that the knights experience in their new lives serves as a metaphor for samsara, the process of rebirth taught in Eastern religions such as Hinduism and Buddhism. In samsara, a person is continuously reborn into new lives, with the ultimate goal being to eventually shrug off worldly attachments and attain a blissful state of existence sometimes referred to as nirvana. For the Knights of the Round Table, that nirvana is Camelot itself, and their attachments to their own pasts are what prevents a new Camelot from being realized in the year 3000.
This paper will examine this metaphor in depth, looking especially at the over-attachment to the past found in Arthur, Lancelot, Guinevere, Morgan Le Fay and Modred. And to provide contrast, it will also examine the development of Tristan, the only character in Camelot 3000 who manages to let go of her past and subsequently find a form of bliss previously unobtainable to her.
2007 Joint Conference of the National Popular Culture and American Culture Associations
April 4 - 7, 2007
Boston Marriott Copley Place
The Symbiosis of Norse and Medieval Christian Eschatology in DC Vertigo’s Lucifer Series
Katherine Allocco, Western Connecticut State University
(Presented under the Medieval Popular Culture Area)
Further Comics Scholarship 2008
Here are some further examples of medieval comics scholarship presented at various conferences since 2000, when I started tracking them.
REGIONAL MEDIEVALISMS
AT WESLEYAN COLLEGE
The 23rd Annual Conference on Medievalism
October 9th - 11th, 2008
Excalibur as Science Object: Democratizing the Power behind the Arthurian Throne
Michelle Braun (Northeastern)
Manga and Medieval Romance: Bleach and Boys’ Tales
Lorna Cooper (Texas Tech)
22e Congrès de la Société Internationale Arthurienne
Rennes, 15-20 Juillet 2008
« Spanish Arthuriana and the treatment of its sources: form medieval romances to modern-day comics »
Juan Miguel ZARANDONA
Forty-third International Congress on Medieval Studies
May 8–11, 2008
Arthur and Dilbert
Dominick Grace, Brescia Univ. College
(Presented as part of Mass Media Arthuriana: The Matter of Britain in Modern Popular Culture, a session sponsored by The Society for the Study of Popular Culture and the Middle Ages)
2008 Joint Conference of the National Popular Culture and American Culture Associations
March 19 – 22, 2008
San Francisco Marriott
“Lady Death, Lady Pendragon and the Battleaxes: the Peculiar Guidelines for Medieval Women with Power in Modern Comic Books”
Katherine Allocco, Western Connecticut State University
(Presented under the Medieval Popular Culture Area)
“Playing with Gender in Arthur, King of Time and Space”
Christina Francis, Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania
(Presented under the Arthurian Legends Area; published as "Playing with Gender in Arthur, King of Time and Space" in Arthuriana 20.4.)
REGIONAL MEDIEVALISMS
AT WESLEYAN COLLEGE
The 23rd Annual Conference on Medievalism
October 9th - 11th, 2008
Excalibur as Science Object: Democratizing the Power behind the Arthurian Throne
Michelle Braun (Northeastern)
Magical objects frequently appear in Arthurian narratives and the object that appears most frequently in stories about King Arthur is his sword, Excalibur. In medieval and other Arthurian texts, Excalibur is a magical object, but in some contemporary iterations of the legend, Excalibur becomes a technological object, whose function can be explained by scientific principles. The graphic novel, Camelot 3000 (1988) reimagines Excalibur as a nuclear powered weapon, while A.A. Attanasio’s Arthurian tetrology (1996-1999) reveals the sword-in-the-stone episode as a trick made possible by manipulating a magnetic field. Both magic and science are forms of power, so that in translating Excalibur as a technical object, the reader is invited to share in the understanding of its power. These Arthurian narratives democratize the process of king-making by revealing it to be facilitated by science. Science is more democratic than magic (we teach it in our schools believing that anyone can learn science) and magic is most often represented as something that only certain people have a facility for and it is therefore a more exclusive pursuit. By re-imagining Excalibur as a technological, rather than a magical object, these Arthurian narratives become more democratic, reflecting the tastes and interests of their twentieth century readers. This paper will describe the use of science and technology as a means for explaining the king-making events involving Excalibur in two contemporary Arthurian tales. As a manifestation of power, Excalibur’s status as magical symbol shifts to technological tool in Attanasio’s work and Camelot 3000, but its essential function stays the same. These authors’ decision to use science and technology instead of magic to validate Arthur’s authority and reign, invites readers to participate in the legend by explaining it in language that twentieth century readers understand and value.
Manga and Medieval Romance: Bleach and Boys’ Tales
Lorna Cooper (Texas Tech)
Manga, or Japanese comics, is not only a new media that has emerged in the last few decades, but it is also a new outlet for medievalism. To say that a Western genre like the medieval chivalric romance has influenced the twentieth and twenty-first century Eastern popular culture phenomenon like Japanese manga could seem unfounded. A myth criticism study could easily be done comparing a hero comparing the heroes of chivalric romance to those of shonen (boys') manga. The fact that medievalism is appearing specifically in boys' manga is significant when one considers that the Arthurian tales in the Mabinogion are also widely speculated to be boys' tales. The root word "mab" means boy, leaving room to speculate that the tales were either for boys or about knights in their boyhood. A centuries-wide span still reveals that that chivalric tales are about boys and intended to inspire boys. Comparing twenty-first century manga with chivalric courtly romance reveals an almost identical treatment of the individual in his relation to his idealized abilities, nobility, other world journeys, training, friends, and love. The only topoi that seem to have changed over the centuries are the treatment of women who are allowed to be part of the warrior class and the hero whose weaknesses are more realistically portrayed. He is still the best, strongest, and most determined, but the audience is allowed to see him draw at a battle or be injured near death and undergo a long recovery process. Nonetheless, he is still the hero. In addition, his true love also shares the heroic spotlight. She is only worthy of the hero if she possess similar "supernatural" powers. I have chosen to examine the series Bleach out of a dozen boys' manga that contain numerous influences of medievalism.
22e Congrès de la Société Internationale Arthurienne
Rennes, 15-20 Juillet 2008
« Spanish Arthuriana and the treatment of its sources: form medieval romances to modern-day comics »
Juan Miguel ZARANDONA
Forty-third International Congress on Medieval Studies
May 8–11, 2008
Arthur and Dilbert
Dominick Grace, Brescia Univ. College
(Presented as part of Mass Media Arthuriana: The Matter of Britain in Modern Popular Culture, a session sponsored by The Society for the Study of Popular Culture and the Middle Ages)
2008 Joint Conference of the National Popular Culture and American Culture Associations
March 19 – 22, 2008
San Francisco Marriott
“Lady Death, Lady Pendragon and the Battleaxes: the Peculiar Guidelines for Medieval Women with Power in Modern Comic Books”
Katherine Allocco, Western Connecticut State University
(Presented under the Medieval Popular Culture Area)
“Playing with Gender in Arthur, King of Time and Space”
Christina Francis, Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania
(Presented under the Arthurian Legends Area; published as "Playing with Gender in Arthur, King of Time and Space" in Arthuriana 20.4.)
Presentations/Publications by Michael A Torregrossa
My focus has been mostly on Arthurian comics but at times I've expanded to look at the larger corpus of medieval-themed comics.
“Prince Valiant and Beyond: (Re-)Assessing the Corpus of Medieval-Themed Comics.” “Love, Friendship, Marriage”: 32th Annual Medieval and Renaissance Forum, Plymouth State University (Plymouth, NH). 16 April 2011.
“Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man in King Arthur’s Court: A Way into the Corpus of Arthurian-Themed Comics.” Presented under The Beowulf to Shakespeare: Popular Culture in the Middle Ages and the Renaissance Area. 2009 Mid-Atlantic Popular/American Culture Association Conference, Hilton Boston Logan Airport (Boston, MA). 7 November 2009.
“America’s First Arthurian-Inspired Superhero: Quality Comics’ Merlin the Magician (1940-42).” Presented under The Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Legend Area. 2009 Conference of the Northeast Popular Culture/American Culture Association, Queensborough Community College, CUNY (Bayside, NY). 24 October 2009.
“Contextualizing King Arthur Was a Gentleman (1942): The Matter of Britain as World War II Propaganda: Focus on Ace Magazine’s The Sword (1942-45).” Presented as part of “Medievalisms at War I,” a session sponsored by The Society for the Study of Popular Culture and the Middle Ages and organized by Michael A. Torregrossa. 44th International Congress on Medieval Studies, Western Michigan University (Kalamazoo, MI). 8 May 2009.
“Introducing the Medium,” “The Medieval Comics Project: Defining the Corpus (Again),” and “Using Comics in Your Teaching and Research.” PowerPoint presentations presented as part of “The Comics Get Medieval at Kalamazoo: A Workshop on the Comics Medium in the Medieval Studies Classroom and Medievalist Research,” a session sponsored by The Society for the Study of Popular Culture and the Middle Ages and organized by Michael A. Torregrossa. 43rd International Congress on Medieval Studies, Western Michigan University (Kalamazoo, MI). 10 May 2008.
“Holy Grail, Batman! The Use (and Abuse) of the Grail Legend in the DC Comics Universe.” Presented as part of “The Grail in Popular Culture,” a session sponsored by the International Arthurian Society, North American Branch, and organized by Janina P. Traxler of Manchester College. 43rd International Congress on Medieval Studies, Western Michigan University (Kalamazoo, MI). 8 May 2008.
“Undead Arthuriana: Vampires and the Matter of Britain.” Presented as part of “Manuscripts, Monsters, and Medievalism,” a session sponsored by the Society for the Study of Popular Culture and the Middle Ages for the Medievalism in Popular Culture Area and organized by Michael A. Torregrossa. 2007 Conference of the Northeast Popular Culture/American Culture Association, Clark University (Worcester, MA). 27 October 2007.
“Lost in the Stargate? The Matter of Britain in Science Fiction Film and Television Programming.” Presented as part of “Cinema Arthuriana: Old and New,” a session sponsored by the International Arthurian Society, North American Branch, and organized by Peter H. Goodrich of Northern Michigan University. 41st International Congress on Medieval Studies, Western Michigan University (Kalamazoo, MI). 5 May 2006.
"Comics." In “The Arthurian Legend in Literature, Popular Culture, and the Performing Arts, 1999-2004.” Eds. Raymond H. Thompson and Norris J. Lacy. Arthurian Literature 22 (2005). Print, ISBN 1-84384-062-6. (This listing is the fourth supplement to The New Arthurian Encyclopedia, ed. Norris J. Lacy [New York: Garland, 1991].)
“A ‘Marvel’-ous Morgan: Phillip De Guere’s Dr. Strange (1978), a Forgotten Example of Cinema Arthuriana.” Presented as part “Arthurian Film,” a session sponsored by the Society for the Study of Popular Culture and the Middle Ages and organized by Michael A. Torregrossa. 28th Annual New England Popular Culture Association Conference, Sacred Heart University (Fairfield, CT). 29 October 2005.
“Holy Grail, Batman! The Dark Knight Detective in King Arthur’s Court—DC Comics’ Batman and the Arthurian Legend.” Presented as part of “The Comics Get Medieval 2005,” a session sponsored by the Society for the Study of Popular Culture and the Middle Ages and the Arthurian Legend, the Comics & Comic Art, and the Medieval Popular Culture Areas of the Popular Culture Association and organized by Michael A. Torregrossa. 35th Annual Meeting of the Popular Culture Association, San Diego Marriott Hotel and Marina (San Diego, CA). 24 March 2005.
“Once and Future Kings: The Return of King Arthur in the Comics.” In Adapting the Arthurian Legends for Children: Essays on Arthurian Juvenilia. Ed. Barbara Tepa Lupack. Studies in Arthurian and Courtly Cultures. Series ed. Bonnie Wheeler. New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2004. Pp. 243-262.
“The Many Returns of King Arthur during World War Two: King Arthur Was a Gentleman (1942) and Its Contexts.” Presented as part of “Heroes and Heroism in Medieval Films at War,” a session sponsored by The Society for the Study of Popular Culture and the Middle Ages and organized by Michael A. Torregrossa. War in Film, Television, and History: 3rd Biennial Conference of the Film & History League, American Airlines Training & Conference Center (Dallas, TX). 12 November 2004.
“The Comics Get Medieval: Defining the Corpus.” Presented as part of a “Medieval Classics Illustrated: Using the Comics to Teach Medieval Legends and Text (A Roundtable),” a session sponsored by the Arthurian Comics Discussion List/Society for the Arthurian Popular Culture Studies and organized by Michael A. Torregrossa. 39th International Congress on Medieval Studies, Western Michigan University (Kalamazoo, MI). 9 May 2004.
“Visions of Merlin in Four Colors: Illustrating the Legend of Merlin in the Comics.” Presented as part of “Arthurian Illustration,” a session sponsored by the International Arthurian Society, North American Branch, and organized by Donald L. Hoffman of Northeastern Illinois University. 38th International Congress on Medieval Studies, Western Michigan University (Kalamazoo, MI). 10 May 2003.
“The Women of Camelot in Four Colors: Representations of Arthurian Women in the Comics Medium.” Presented under the Arthurian Legends Area. 33rd Annual Meeting of the Popular Culture Association Conference, Marriott Hotel (New Orleans, LA). 17 April 2003.
"Comics." In “Arthurian Literature, Art, and Film, 1995-1999.” Eds. Norris J. Lacy and Raymond H. Thompson. Arthurian Literature 18 (2001): 193-255. Print. ISBN 0-85991-617-0. (This listing is the third supplement to The New Arthurian Encyclopedia, ed. Norris J. Lacy [New York: Garland, 1991].)
“Professor Pendragon and His Uncanny X-Knights of the Round Table: The Use and Abuse of the Arthurian Legend by Marvel Comics.” Presented as part of “The Medieval in Popular Culture,” a session organized by Michael G. Cornelius of the University of Rhode Island. English Studies and the Uses of Popular Culture III, University of Rhode Island (Kingston, RI). 27 October 2001.
“An Abundance of Arthurs: The Myth of the Return of King Arthur in the Comicbook Medium.” Camelot 2000: A Millennial Conference on the Arthurian Legends, University of Rochester (Rochester, NY). 26 October 2000. (Portions incorporated, with extensive revision, in my essay “Once and Future Kings? The Return of King Arthur in the Comics” [2004].)
“Camelot 3000 and Beyond: An Annotated Listing of Arthurian Comic Books Published in the United States c. 1980-1998. Revised ed. (May 2000).” Part of The Arthuriana / Camelot Project Bibliographies. Maintained by Alan Lupack. University of Rochester, May 2000. Available at http://www.lib.rochester.edu/camelot/acpbibs/comicbib.htm. Web.
“Merlin at the Multiplex: A Filmography of Merlin in Arthurian Film, Television and Videocassette 1920-1998.” In 1999 Film & History CD-ROM Annual. Eds. Peter C. Rollins, John E. O’Connor, and Deborah A. Carmichael. Cleveland, OK: Film & History, 1999. 31 pp. CD-ROM. ISBN 0-641775-6-8.
“Camelot 3000 and Beyond: An Annotated Listing of Arthurian Comic Books Published in the United States c. 1980-1998.” In Modern and Post-Modern Arthurian Literature. Ed. John Matthews. Spec. issue of Arthuriana: The Journal of Arthurian Studies 9.1 (Spring 1999): 67-109. Print. ISSN 0890-4944.
“Prince Valiant and Beyond: (Re-)Assessing the Corpus of Medieval-Themed Comics.” “Love, Friendship, Marriage”: 32th Annual Medieval and Renaissance Forum, Plymouth State University (Plymouth, NH). 16 April 2011.
“Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man in King Arthur’s Court: A Way into the Corpus of Arthurian-Themed Comics.” Presented under The Beowulf to Shakespeare: Popular Culture in the Middle Ages and the Renaissance Area. 2009 Mid-Atlantic Popular/American Culture Association Conference, Hilton Boston Logan Airport (Boston, MA). 7 November 2009.
“America’s First Arthurian-Inspired Superhero: Quality Comics’ Merlin the Magician (1940-42).” Presented under The Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Legend Area. 2009 Conference of the Northeast Popular Culture/American Culture Association, Queensborough Community College, CUNY (Bayside, NY). 24 October 2009.
“Contextualizing King Arthur Was a Gentleman (1942): The Matter of Britain as World War II Propaganda: Focus on Ace Magazine’s The Sword (1942-45).” Presented as part of “Medievalisms at War I,” a session sponsored by The Society for the Study of Popular Culture and the Middle Ages and organized by Michael A. Torregrossa. 44th International Congress on Medieval Studies, Western Michigan University (Kalamazoo, MI). 8 May 2009.
“Introducing the Medium,” “The Medieval Comics Project: Defining the Corpus (Again),” and “Using Comics in Your Teaching and Research.” PowerPoint presentations presented as part of “The Comics Get Medieval at Kalamazoo: A Workshop on the Comics Medium in the Medieval Studies Classroom and Medievalist Research,” a session sponsored by The Society for the Study of Popular Culture and the Middle Ages and organized by Michael A. Torregrossa. 43rd International Congress on Medieval Studies, Western Michigan University (Kalamazoo, MI). 10 May 2008.
“Holy Grail, Batman! The Use (and Abuse) of the Grail Legend in the DC Comics Universe.” Presented as part of “The Grail in Popular Culture,” a session sponsored by the International Arthurian Society, North American Branch, and organized by Janina P. Traxler of Manchester College. 43rd International Congress on Medieval Studies, Western Michigan University (Kalamazoo, MI). 8 May 2008.
“Undead Arthuriana: Vampires and the Matter of Britain.” Presented as part of “Manuscripts, Monsters, and Medievalism,” a session sponsored by the Society for the Study of Popular Culture and the Middle Ages for the Medievalism in Popular Culture Area and organized by Michael A. Torregrossa. 2007 Conference of the Northeast Popular Culture/American Culture Association, Clark University (Worcester, MA). 27 October 2007.
“Lost in the Stargate? The Matter of Britain in Science Fiction Film and Television Programming.” Presented as part of “Cinema Arthuriana: Old and New,” a session sponsored by the International Arthurian Society, North American Branch, and organized by Peter H. Goodrich of Northern Michigan University. 41st International Congress on Medieval Studies, Western Michigan University (Kalamazoo, MI). 5 May 2006.
"Comics." In “The Arthurian Legend in Literature, Popular Culture, and the Performing Arts, 1999-2004.” Eds. Raymond H. Thompson and Norris J. Lacy. Arthurian Literature 22 (2005). Print, ISBN 1-84384-062-6. (This listing is the fourth supplement to The New Arthurian Encyclopedia, ed. Norris J. Lacy [New York: Garland, 1991].)
“A ‘Marvel’-ous Morgan: Phillip De Guere’s Dr. Strange (1978), a Forgotten Example of Cinema Arthuriana.” Presented as part “Arthurian Film,” a session sponsored by the Society for the Study of Popular Culture and the Middle Ages and organized by Michael A. Torregrossa. 28th Annual New England Popular Culture Association Conference, Sacred Heart University (Fairfield, CT). 29 October 2005.
“Holy Grail, Batman! The Dark Knight Detective in King Arthur’s Court—DC Comics’ Batman and the Arthurian Legend.” Presented as part of “The Comics Get Medieval 2005,” a session sponsored by the Society for the Study of Popular Culture and the Middle Ages and the Arthurian Legend, the Comics & Comic Art, and the Medieval Popular Culture Areas of the Popular Culture Association and organized by Michael A. Torregrossa. 35th Annual Meeting of the Popular Culture Association, San Diego Marriott Hotel and Marina (San Diego, CA). 24 March 2005.
“Once and Future Kings: The Return of King Arthur in the Comics.” In Adapting the Arthurian Legends for Children: Essays on Arthurian Juvenilia. Ed. Barbara Tepa Lupack. Studies in Arthurian and Courtly Cultures. Series ed. Bonnie Wheeler. New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2004. Pp. 243-262.
“The Many Returns of King Arthur during World War Two: King Arthur Was a Gentleman (1942) and Its Contexts.” Presented as part of “Heroes and Heroism in Medieval Films at War,” a session sponsored by The Society for the Study of Popular Culture and the Middle Ages and organized by Michael A. Torregrossa. War in Film, Television, and History: 3rd Biennial Conference of the Film & History League, American Airlines Training & Conference Center (Dallas, TX). 12 November 2004.
“The Comics Get Medieval: Defining the Corpus.” Presented as part of a “Medieval Classics Illustrated: Using the Comics to Teach Medieval Legends and Text (A Roundtable),” a session sponsored by the Arthurian Comics Discussion List/Society for the Arthurian Popular Culture Studies and organized by Michael A. Torregrossa. 39th International Congress on Medieval Studies, Western Michigan University (Kalamazoo, MI). 9 May 2004.
“Visions of Merlin in Four Colors: Illustrating the Legend of Merlin in the Comics.” Presented as part of “Arthurian Illustration,” a session sponsored by the International Arthurian Society, North American Branch, and organized by Donald L. Hoffman of Northeastern Illinois University. 38th International Congress on Medieval Studies, Western Michigan University (Kalamazoo, MI). 10 May 2003.
“The Women of Camelot in Four Colors: Representations of Arthurian Women in the Comics Medium.” Presented under the Arthurian Legends Area. 33rd Annual Meeting of the Popular Culture Association Conference, Marriott Hotel (New Orleans, LA). 17 April 2003.
"Comics." In “Arthurian Literature, Art, and Film, 1995-1999.” Eds. Norris J. Lacy and Raymond H. Thompson. Arthurian Literature 18 (2001): 193-255. Print. ISBN 0-85991-617-0. (This listing is the third supplement to The New Arthurian Encyclopedia, ed. Norris J. Lacy [New York: Garland, 1991].)
“Professor Pendragon and His Uncanny X-Knights of the Round Table: The Use and Abuse of the Arthurian Legend by Marvel Comics.” Presented as part of “The Medieval in Popular Culture,” a session organized by Michael G. Cornelius of the University of Rhode Island. English Studies and the Uses of Popular Culture III, University of Rhode Island (Kingston, RI). 27 October 2001.
“An Abundance of Arthurs: The Myth of the Return of King Arthur in the Comicbook Medium.” Camelot 2000: A Millennial Conference on the Arthurian Legends, University of Rochester (Rochester, NY). 26 October 2000. (Portions incorporated, with extensive revision, in my essay “Once and Future Kings? The Return of King Arthur in the Comics” [2004].)
“Camelot 3000 and Beyond: An Annotated Listing of Arthurian Comic Books Published in the United States c. 1980-1998. Revised ed. (May 2000).” Part of The Arthuriana / Camelot Project Bibliographies. Maintained by Alan Lupack. University of Rochester, May 2000. Available at http://www.lib.rochester.edu/camelot/acpbibs/comicbib.htm. Web.
“Merlin at the Multiplex: A Filmography of Merlin in Arthurian Film, Television and Videocassette 1920-1998.” In 1999 Film & History CD-ROM Annual. Eds. Peter C. Rollins, John E. O’Connor, and Deborah A. Carmichael. Cleveland, OK: Film & History, 1999. 31 pp. CD-ROM. ISBN 0-641775-6-8.
“Camelot 3000 and Beyond: An Annotated Listing of Arthurian Comic Books Published in the United States c. 1980-1998.” In Modern and Post-Modern Arthurian Literature. Ed. John Matthews. Spec. issue of Arthuriana: The Journal of Arthurian Studies 9.1 (Spring 1999): 67-109. Print. ISSN 0890-4944.
Friday, May 13, 2011
Robin Hood Comics Scholarship
I've been working recently on assessing the history of medieval comics scholarship. Here are the details based on the various meetings of The International Association for Robin Hood Studies based at The University of Rochester. I had access to all of the programs but that for 2007 and 2011 (to be held July 8-10).
Playing with Transgression: Cultural Transformations of Robin Hood
at The University of Rochester
16-18 October 1997
"Robin Hood and Green Arrow: Outlaw Bowmen in the Modern Urban Landscape"
Sarah Beach (Los Angeles, CA)
(Published in Robin Hood in Popular Culture: Violence, Transgression, and Justice, ed. Thomas Hahn [D. S. Brewer, 2000])
Robin Hood: Past and Present, Local and Global
The Second International Conference of Robin Hood Studies
Nottingham, 14th - 18th July, 1999
‘"Begone, Knave! Robbery is out of Fashion Hereabouts!": Robin Hood in 1950s Comic Books’
Allen W. Wright
The Third Biennial Robin Hood Conference
The University of Western Ontario
May 31-June 2, 2001
"The Archer Explodes: Green Arrow, Social(ist) Justice, and the Reinvention of
the Playboy Comic Book Adventurer,1970-1986"
Jonathan Stover (UWO)
IMAGES OF ROBIN HOOD
Fifth Biennial Meeting of the International Association for Robin Hood Studies
September 29 to October 2, 2005
University of Delaware (Newark, Delaware)
Robin Hood Comic Books From the 1970s to the Present
Allen Wright, Mohawk College
ROBIN HOOD: MEDIA CREATURE
The Seventh Biennial Conference of the International Association for Robin Hood Studies
October 22-25, 2009
University of Rochester, Rochester, NY (USA)
“Investigating the Robin Hood/Green Arrow Identity Crisis”
Jeff Kirchoff (Bowling Green State University)
“Spin-Offs and Stand-Alones: The Co-Dependency of Robin Hood Comics”
John H. Chandler (University of Rochester)
“The Secret Origin of Robin Hood” (?)
Allen W. Wright (Independent Scholar)
Playing with Transgression: Cultural Transformations of Robin Hood
at The University of Rochester
16-18 October 1997
"Robin Hood and Green Arrow: Outlaw Bowmen in the Modern Urban Landscape"
Sarah Beach (Los Angeles, CA)
(Published in Robin Hood in Popular Culture: Violence, Transgression, and Justice, ed. Thomas Hahn [D. S. Brewer, 2000])
Robin Hood: Past and Present, Local and Global
The Second International Conference of Robin Hood Studies
Nottingham, 14th - 18th July, 1999
‘"Begone, Knave! Robbery is out of Fashion Hereabouts!": Robin Hood in 1950s Comic Books’
Allen W. Wright
The Third Biennial Robin Hood Conference
The University of Western Ontario
May 31-June 2, 2001
"The Archer Explodes: Green Arrow, Social(ist) Justice, and the Reinvention of
the Playboy Comic Book Adventurer,1970-1986"
Jonathan Stover (UWO)
IMAGES OF ROBIN HOOD
Fifth Biennial Meeting of the International Association for Robin Hood Studies
September 29 to October 2, 2005
University of Delaware (Newark, Delaware)
Robin Hood Comic Books From the 1970s to the Present
Allen Wright, Mohawk College
ROBIN HOOD: MEDIA CREATURE
The Seventh Biennial Conference of the International Association for Robin Hood Studies
October 22-25, 2009
University of Rochester, Rochester, NY (USA)
“Investigating the Robin Hood/Green Arrow Identity Crisis”
Jeff Kirchoff (Bowling Green State University)
“Spin-Offs and Stand-Alones: The Co-Dependency of Robin Hood Comics”
John H. Chandler (University of Rochester)
“The Secret Origin of Robin Hood” (?)
Allen W. Wright (Independent Scholar)
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
Medieval Comics at PCA/ACA
There were a number of papers of interest at last month's Joint Conference of the National Popular Culture & American Culture Association and the Southwest/Texas Popular Culture & American Culture Association held in San Antonio, Texas, from 4/20-23/11. They included the following:
Session 6115: Graphic Novels, Comics, and Popular Culture: Alan Moore
Paper 2 of 4: Socializing the Heroic Psyche: Organized Outsiders in the Irish Finn Cycle and Alan Moore's Top Ten
Hannah Means-Shannon (Georgian Court University)
This study investigates the alternative heroic society of super-powered policemen of Alan Moore’s Top Ten in comparison to earlier mythological “outsider” motifs found in the Irish Finn Cycle. Both outsider groups are formed as microcosms of society as a whole founded upon inverse principles, valuing qualities which in “mainstream” society function as indicators of difference. The development of characters in Top Ten also suggests the development of necessary “insider” qualities such as community loyalty and the support of community goals. In order for a cohesive alternate society to function, a balance must be struck between the potential power and violence of the psyche and the potential unity and collectivising aspects of the social ego consciousness. Using the psychoanalytical writings of Carl Jung and Erich Neumann as well as scholarship on the “warband” literature of the Irish Finn Cycle, this study will illustrate the traditional and ongoing concern in heroic literature for the inherent conflict between the organized, collective aspects of an ego-based society and the less controlled but empowering aspects of the psyche-driven individual.
Session 8076: Arthurian Legends: Women in Arthuriana
Paper 1 of 4: Frailty Thy Name is Woman: An Examination of Arthurian Women in Modern Comics and Graphic Novels
Jody Helme-Day (Wayne State University)
The legends of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table have experienced renewed interest in the past two decades, with several books, plays, and movies created. One of the most innovative genres used to retell the tales has been comic books and graphic novels. The King and his Knights, and their code of chivalry and moral and physical strength, have been integrated into well-known super hero comics such as Spider Man and Batman, or they have been re-situated into whole new stories with more modern scenes and situations, such as Camelot 3000. The women of the legends have found their way into these comics as well, and just as modern writers have carried over the traditional, glorious depictions of the men, they have also kept those of the women: the weakness of Guinevere, the evil sensuality of Morgan and Nimue, and the danger a woman represents to a man if he is distracted by her charms, or if she does not play the required role in a world of male warriors. The authors of these comics are held by the constraints of the legends themselves, as there is no room for female power if an Arthurian tale is to be told in a recognizable way, but the exaggerated depiction of the female Arthurian characters suggests a latent anxiety about female power that has not changed since Malory’s time.
Session 9486: Comic Art and Comics: Comics and Some Old Fashioned Ideas
Paper 2 of 4: Holding Out for a Hero: The Recasting of the Renaissance Epic Hero as a Contemporary Comic Superhero
Cheyenne Matthews (Independent Scholar)
Despite the division of literature into such categories as classical, Renaissance, or modern periods, the use of conventions, characters, and themes is cyclical, with the same myths and archetypes appearing in different manifestations through the ages. The evolution of one such archetype can be traced from the Renaissance epic hero to the contemporary comic book superhero, which both exhibit traits of heightened morality, mental fortitude, and exceptional strength while combating oppressive influences. Although these exemplary figures serve a dual purpose of entertainment and instruction to reinforce a value system threatened by an unstable, oppositional society, they communicate markedly divergent messages regarding sociopolitical institutions and ideological elitism. Providing a distinct correlation between vastly different time periods, this paper will analyze these messages by using Joseph Campbell’s comparative mythology and Soren Kierkegaard’s philosophy of morality and its “double danger” to examine the reconstitution of the epic poem as serialized comics and their multimedia spin-offs, the recasting of the Renaissance epic heroes of Torquato Tasso’s Jerusalem Delivered as modern superheroes in Stan Lee’s X-Men, and the convergence of these archetypes and themes in Neil Gaiman’s graphic novel Marvel 1602.
Paper 3 of 4: Medieval Literature, Modern Comics
Tom Miller (McMaster University)
Session 6175: Graphic Novels, Comics, and Popular Culture: Teaching With Comics and Graphic Novels
Paper 1 of 4: Teaching Medieval and Renaissance Literature and Culture through the Comic/Graphic Novel
Christina Angel (Metropolitan State College of Denver)
In the field of Medieval and Renaissance studies, it is often difficult to engage students in new and meaningful ways, particularly since the traditional method of teaching these subjects often provides no relevance to the average student (one can practically hear the “but it’s boring” lament right here). This paper explores the various ways we can reinvigorate the study of the English Middle Ages and Renaissance via engagement with the graphic novel. Opening from a discussion of Moore and Lloyd’s V for Vendetta as segue into the early modern space of Shakespearean intrigue and Jacobean politics, the essay further explores uses of Gaiman’s Sandman and Gareth Hinds’ Beowulf series, for example, as gateways to literary discovery. My general assertion is that students will come to appreciate (or even adore) this area of literature if they are provided relevance and a reason to read within and around it.
Session 7659: Anime Manga: Cross-Cultural Themes in Anime & Manga
Paper 3 of 3: Narukami: The Depiction of the Norse god Thor in Matantei Loki
Traci Cohen (CSU Sacramento)
Thor is easily the most recognizable character in Norse mythology. Even if someone has no familiarity with mythology they will know the image of Thor. In America that image is based on the Marvel comic book The Mighty Thor. Eastern countries, such as Japan have also integrated Thor into their popular culture. In Matantei Loki (Mythical Detective Loki), a manga about Norse gods being sent to modern day Japan, by Sakura Kinoshita there is an emphasis on traits within Thor that coincide with the samurai value system. Because Kinoshita had these traits to work with in the character of Thor she is able to appropriate the epitome of Norse culture, Thor, and place him within a Japanese background without forfeiting his basic nature.
In my paper I am discussing the character of Narugami (Narugami is the human name of the god Thor) in Kionshita’s work and how, although he has been give Japanese characteristics, Narugami still retains a connection to the god Thor off of which he was based. I look at both Thor and Narugami in their relation to the samurai code as laid out in Yamamoto Tsunetomo’s Hagakure. The specific values I look at are loyalty, bravery, simplicity, truthfulness and politeness. Ultimately, through Narugami Kinoshita is reworking and, in some cases, mocking these traditional values in the modern world.
Session 7646: Medieval Popular Culture: Medievalism and the Modern
Paper 3 of 4: Red Days, Black Knights: The Middle Ages in American Containment Culture
Peter Lee (Independent Scholar)
My proposed topic examines the European Middle Ages as presented in American comic books after the Second World War. With the onset of the Cold War and descent of the Iron Curtain, American comic books, film, magazines, and other mediums of popular culture reinforced the United States as the leader of the Free World. Stories set in the Middle Ages underscored various facets of American culture; in re-imagining the past, creators infused American myths and enlightenment into the Dark Ages. Such themes included the “Horatio Alger” motif of untitled youths working their way up a chivalric ladder, an affirmation of Christian values over other faiths, and a demonization of a barbaric other in contrast to Anglo-Saxon heroes. While some of these themes stemmed from the Middle Ages itself, as well as later historical novels, creators adapted these tales to reflect American standards in the postwar decade. In infusing the Middle Ages with these stories, creators implied the longevity, legitimacy, and superiority of American values over that of their communist antagonists.
Session 6115: Graphic Novels, Comics, and Popular Culture: Alan Moore
Paper 2 of 4: Socializing the Heroic Psyche: Organized Outsiders in the Irish Finn Cycle and Alan Moore's Top Ten
Hannah Means-Shannon (Georgian Court University)
This study investigates the alternative heroic society of super-powered policemen of Alan Moore’s Top Ten in comparison to earlier mythological “outsider” motifs found in the Irish Finn Cycle. Both outsider groups are formed as microcosms of society as a whole founded upon inverse principles, valuing qualities which in “mainstream” society function as indicators of difference. The development of characters in Top Ten also suggests the development of necessary “insider” qualities such as community loyalty and the support of community goals. In order for a cohesive alternate society to function, a balance must be struck between the potential power and violence of the psyche and the potential unity and collectivising aspects of the social ego consciousness. Using the psychoanalytical writings of Carl Jung and Erich Neumann as well as scholarship on the “warband” literature of the Irish Finn Cycle, this study will illustrate the traditional and ongoing concern in heroic literature for the inherent conflict between the organized, collective aspects of an ego-based society and the less controlled but empowering aspects of the psyche-driven individual.
Session 8076: Arthurian Legends: Women in Arthuriana
Paper 1 of 4: Frailty Thy Name is Woman: An Examination of Arthurian Women in Modern Comics and Graphic Novels
Jody Helme-Day (Wayne State University)
The legends of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table have experienced renewed interest in the past two decades, with several books, plays, and movies created. One of the most innovative genres used to retell the tales has been comic books and graphic novels. The King and his Knights, and their code of chivalry and moral and physical strength, have been integrated into well-known super hero comics such as Spider Man and Batman, or they have been re-situated into whole new stories with more modern scenes and situations, such as Camelot 3000. The women of the legends have found their way into these comics as well, and just as modern writers have carried over the traditional, glorious depictions of the men, they have also kept those of the women: the weakness of Guinevere, the evil sensuality of Morgan and Nimue, and the danger a woman represents to a man if he is distracted by her charms, or if she does not play the required role in a world of male warriors. The authors of these comics are held by the constraints of the legends themselves, as there is no room for female power if an Arthurian tale is to be told in a recognizable way, but the exaggerated depiction of the female Arthurian characters suggests a latent anxiety about female power that has not changed since Malory’s time.
Session 9486: Comic Art and Comics: Comics and Some Old Fashioned Ideas
Paper 2 of 4: Holding Out for a Hero: The Recasting of the Renaissance Epic Hero as a Contemporary Comic Superhero
Cheyenne Matthews (Independent Scholar)
Despite the division of literature into such categories as classical, Renaissance, or modern periods, the use of conventions, characters, and themes is cyclical, with the same myths and archetypes appearing in different manifestations through the ages. The evolution of one such archetype can be traced from the Renaissance epic hero to the contemporary comic book superhero, which both exhibit traits of heightened morality, mental fortitude, and exceptional strength while combating oppressive influences. Although these exemplary figures serve a dual purpose of entertainment and instruction to reinforce a value system threatened by an unstable, oppositional society, they communicate markedly divergent messages regarding sociopolitical institutions and ideological elitism. Providing a distinct correlation between vastly different time periods, this paper will analyze these messages by using Joseph Campbell’s comparative mythology and Soren Kierkegaard’s philosophy of morality and its “double danger” to examine the reconstitution of the epic poem as serialized comics and their multimedia spin-offs, the recasting of the Renaissance epic heroes of Torquato Tasso’s Jerusalem Delivered as modern superheroes in Stan Lee’s X-Men, and the convergence of these archetypes and themes in Neil Gaiman’s graphic novel Marvel 1602.
Paper 3 of 4: Medieval Literature, Modern Comics
Tom Miller (McMaster University)
Session 6175: Graphic Novels, Comics, and Popular Culture: Teaching With Comics and Graphic Novels
Paper 1 of 4: Teaching Medieval and Renaissance Literature and Culture through the Comic/Graphic Novel
Christina Angel (Metropolitan State College of Denver)
In the field of Medieval and Renaissance studies, it is often difficult to engage students in new and meaningful ways, particularly since the traditional method of teaching these subjects often provides no relevance to the average student (one can practically hear the “but it’s boring” lament right here). This paper explores the various ways we can reinvigorate the study of the English Middle Ages and Renaissance via engagement with the graphic novel. Opening from a discussion of Moore and Lloyd’s V for Vendetta as segue into the early modern space of Shakespearean intrigue and Jacobean politics, the essay further explores uses of Gaiman’s Sandman and Gareth Hinds’ Beowulf series, for example, as gateways to literary discovery. My general assertion is that students will come to appreciate (or even adore) this area of literature if they are provided relevance and a reason to read within and around it.
Session 7659: Anime Manga: Cross-Cultural Themes in Anime & Manga
Paper 3 of 3: Narukami: The Depiction of the Norse god Thor in Matantei Loki
Traci Cohen (CSU Sacramento)
Thor is easily the most recognizable character in Norse mythology. Even if someone has no familiarity with mythology they will know the image of Thor. In America that image is based on the Marvel comic book The Mighty Thor. Eastern countries, such as Japan have also integrated Thor into their popular culture. In Matantei Loki (Mythical Detective Loki), a manga about Norse gods being sent to modern day Japan, by Sakura Kinoshita there is an emphasis on traits within Thor that coincide with the samurai value system. Because Kinoshita had these traits to work with in the character of Thor she is able to appropriate the epitome of Norse culture, Thor, and place him within a Japanese background without forfeiting his basic nature.
In my paper I am discussing the character of Narugami (Narugami is the human name of the god Thor) in Kionshita’s work and how, although he has been give Japanese characteristics, Narugami still retains a connection to the god Thor off of which he was based. I look at both Thor and Narugami in their relation to the samurai code as laid out in Yamamoto Tsunetomo’s Hagakure. The specific values I look at are loyalty, bravery, simplicity, truthfulness and politeness. Ultimately, through Narugami Kinoshita is reworking and, in some cases, mocking these traditional values in the modern world.
Session 7646: Medieval Popular Culture: Medievalism and the Modern
Paper 3 of 4: Red Days, Black Knights: The Middle Ages in American Containment Culture
Peter Lee (Independent Scholar)
My proposed topic examines the European Middle Ages as presented in American comic books after the Second World War. With the onset of the Cold War and descent of the Iron Curtain, American comic books, film, magazines, and other mediums of popular culture reinforced the United States as the leader of the Free World. Stories set in the Middle Ages underscored various facets of American culture; in re-imagining the past, creators infused American myths and enlightenment into the Dark Ages. Such themes included the “Horatio Alger” motif of untitled youths working their way up a chivalric ladder, an affirmation of Christian values over other faiths, and a demonization of a barbaric other in contrast to Anglo-Saxon heroes. While some of these themes stemmed from the Middle Ages itself, as well as later historical novels, creators adapted these tales to reflect American standards in the postwar decade. In infusing the Middle Ages with these stories, creators implied the longevity, legitimacy, and superiority of American values over that of their communist antagonists.
Sunday, May 8, 2011
Comics Get Medieval 2012 Call for Papers
THE COMICS GET MEDIEVAL 2012:
A CELEBRATION OF MEDIEVAL-THEMED COMICS IN
COMMEMORATION OF THE 75TH ANNIVERSARY OF PRINCE VALIANT
CALL FOR PAPERS (PCA: BOSTON, MA 4/4-7/12)
SPECIAL SESSIONS OF THE COMICS & COMIC ART AREA
ORGANIZED BY MICHAEL A. TORREGROSSA AND JASON TONDRO
PROPOSALS DUE TO ORGANIZERS BY 1 DECEMBER 2011
Celebrating our sixth year in 2012, proposals are now being considered for inclusion at “The Comics Get Medieval 2012,” a series of panels and roundtables sponsored by The Virtual Society for the Study of Popular Culture and the Middle Ages and to be hosted by the Comics & Comic Art Area of the Popular Culture Association (PCA) for the 2012 Joint Conference of the National Popular Culture and American Culture Associations to be held from 4-7 April 2012 in Boston, Massachusetts.
The goal of these sessions is to foster communication between medievalists, comics scholars, and specialists in popular culture studies in general. The organizers define “medieval comics” as any aspect of the comics medium (panel cartoons, comic strips, comics books, comics albums, band dessinée, graphic novels, manga, webcomics, comics to film/film to comics, etc.) that feature medieval themes either in stories set during the Middle Ages or in stories presenting some element of the medieval in the post-medieval era. We are also interested in papers looking at medieval comics from a pedagogical perspective.
Completed papers should be delivered in 15-20 minutes (depending on the number of presenters).
All proposals will also be considered for inclusion in an essay collection to be edited by the panel organizers beginning in late 2011/early 2012. (Individuals only interested in submitting for the collection should also send proposals by 1 December 2011 deadline and indicate their preference in the email.)
In addition, a select list of potential topics and a bibliographic guide to medieval comics will appear as part of THE MEDIEVAL COMICS PROJECT web site available at http://MedievalComicsProject.org and THE ARTHUR OF THE COMICS website available at http://Arthur-of-the-Comics.org, both organized by the Virtual Society for the Study of Popular Culture and the Middle Ages.
No later that 1 December 2011, interested individuals (who must be members of PCA or ACA or join for 2012) should submit full contact information (name, address, phone/cell, and email), titles, and abstracts of 300-500 words to the sessions’ organizers, who will then forward them to area chair.
Address all inquiries and proposals to the organizers at the following address:
Medieval.Comics.Project@gmail.com and include “Comics Get Medieval 2012” in the subject line.
A CELEBRATION OF MEDIEVAL-THEMED COMICS IN
COMMEMORATION OF THE 75TH ANNIVERSARY OF PRINCE VALIANT
CALL FOR PAPERS (PCA: BOSTON, MA 4/4-7/12)
SPECIAL SESSIONS OF THE COMICS & COMIC ART AREA
ORGANIZED BY MICHAEL A. TORREGROSSA AND JASON TONDRO
PROPOSALS DUE TO ORGANIZERS BY 1 DECEMBER 2011
Celebrating our sixth year in 2012, proposals are now being considered for inclusion at “The Comics Get Medieval 2012,” a series of panels and roundtables sponsored by The Virtual Society for the Study of Popular Culture and the Middle Ages and to be hosted by the Comics & Comic Art Area of the Popular Culture Association (PCA) for the 2012 Joint Conference of the National Popular Culture and American Culture Associations to be held from 4-7 April 2012 in Boston, Massachusetts.
The goal of these sessions is to foster communication between medievalists, comics scholars, and specialists in popular culture studies in general. The organizers define “medieval comics” as any aspect of the comics medium (panel cartoons, comic strips, comics books, comics albums, band dessinée, graphic novels, manga, webcomics, comics to film/film to comics, etc.) that feature medieval themes either in stories set during the Middle Ages or in stories presenting some element of the medieval in the post-medieval era. We are also interested in papers looking at medieval comics from a pedagogical perspective.
Completed papers should be delivered in 15-20 minutes (depending on the number of presenters).
All proposals will also be considered for inclusion in an essay collection to be edited by the panel organizers beginning in late 2011/early 2012. (Individuals only interested in submitting for the collection should also send proposals by 1 December 2011 deadline and indicate their preference in the email.)
In addition, a select list of potential topics and a bibliographic guide to medieval comics will appear as part of THE MEDIEVAL COMICS PROJECT web site available at http://MedievalComicsProject.org and THE ARTHUR OF THE COMICS website available at http://Arthur-of-the-Comics.org, both organized by the Virtual Society for the Study of Popular Culture and the Middle Ages.
No later that 1 December 2011, interested individuals (who must be members of PCA or ACA or join for 2012) should submit full contact information (name, address, phone/cell, and email), titles, and abstracts of 300-500 words to the sessions’ organizers, who will then forward them to area chair.
Address all inquiries and proposals to the organizers at the following address:
Medieval.Comics.Project@gmail.com and include “Comics Get Medieval 2012” in the subject line.
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