Expanding Our View of Sherwood: Exploring the Matter of the Greenwood in Comics (A Roundtable) (Virtual)
60th International Congress on Medieval Studies
Western Michigan University (Kalamazoo, MI)
Session 444: Saturday, 10 May, from 3:30-5:00 PM EDT
Principal Sponsoring Organization:
Medieval Comics Project
Co-Sponsoring Organization(s):
International Association for Robin Hood Studies (IARHS)
Organizers: Michael A. Torregrossa, Bristol Community College; Carl B. Sell, Univ. of Pittsburgh
Presider: Alexander L. Kaufman, Ball State Univ.
Getting to the Greenwood: Resources for Accessing the Legends of Robin Hood in Comics
Michael A. Torregrossa, Bristol Community College
Abstract:
The comics medium is now widely recognized as a valid subject for academic research, yet the impact of comics studies within a particular field often remains very limited. This seems also true of Robin Hood Studies despite the widespread popularity of the Matter of the Greenwood as a source for comics. In this presentation, I will highlight the approaches made by previous comics scholars to define the scope and variety of the corpus of works inspired by the Matter of the Greenwood. From there, I’d like to suggest additional resources and tools that can help us to expand and refine our knowledge of these materials. Through these endeavors, I hope to offer us all a better mapping of how a wider array of comics creators how adapted and transformed the legends of Robin Hood and his associates for their readers.
Michael A. Torregrossa (he/him/his) is a graduate of the Medieval Studies program at the University of Connecticut (Storrs) and works as an adjunct instructor of writing and literature courses in both Rhode Island and Massachusetts. His research focuses on popular culture’s adaptation, appropriation, and transformation of literary classics, including the Robin Hood stories. In addition to these pursuits, Michael is the founder of The Alliance for the Promotion of Research on the Matter of Britain (2000-) and The Association for the Advancement of Scholarship and Teaching of the Medieval in Popular Culture (2004-). He also serves as editor for these organizations' various blogs and as moderator of their discussion lists and leads the development of their conference activities. Besides this work, Michael is active in the Northeast Popular Culture/American Culture Association (a.k.a. NEPCA) and organizes sessions for their annual conference in the fall. Since 2019, Michael has been NEPCA’s Monsters and the Monstrous Area Chair, but he previously served as its Fantastic (Fantasy, Science Fiction, and Horror) Area Chair, a position he held from 2009-2018.
DC's Green Arrow: Oliver Queen, Robin of Locksley, and the Outlaw Vigilante Heritage
Carl B. Sell, University of Pittsburgh
Abstract:
Robin Hood has appeared in various comics throughout his long literary career. From comics adapting Howard Pyle and other famous stories of Sherwood to appearances in Chris Claremont’s The Black Dragon and David Hazan’s Nottingham, the outlaw hero has lived a long life. However, there is another archer that often does not get the credit he is due, save by staple fans and a few medievalists: Oliver Queen, DC’s own Emerald Archer, Green Arrow. From his costume, which evokes the merry men of Pyle’s Robin Hood, to the use of a bow and arrows, and his dual status as a wealthy heir and vigilante outlaw, Oliver Queen epitomizes the modern day fascination with Robin Hood that no amount of terrible movies, well-intentioned comics, and pulp novels seems to be able to shake from our public consciousness. Indeed, Green Arrow is often mockingly, and lovingly, referred to as “Robin Hood” amongst his friends and foes, and while Star City is no Sherwood Forest, for one brief, glorious arc in the New 52’s Brightest Day event, it actually does become a forest. It is in this storyline that I am most interested, as is places our contemporary Robin Hood in a space wherein we expect to see a longbow-wielding, green-clothed man interacting with enemies and mysterious friends who are not what they seem to be. While I seek to broadly discuss Oliver Queen’s relationship to Robin Hood throughout his career as Green Arrow, I will focus on the most Sherwood-like story arc from Brightest Day, wherein Green Arrow merges with Robin Hood in a unique way.
Dr. Carl B. Sell (he/him/his) is the Associate Director for McNair and Undergraduate Research Programs and is a Part-Time Instructor of English Literature at the University of Pittsburgh. His research explores appropriations of Arthurian legend narratives, characters, and themes in popular culture as an extension of the medieval adaptive tradition. He serves as a member of the advisory boards for The Association for the Advancement of Scholarship and Teaching of the Medieval in Popular Culture and the Alliance for the Promotion of Research on the Matter of Britain, and he is the author of journal articles and book chapters on Arthurian topics and DC’s Aquaman.
"Okay. This looks bad": Redefining Heroism and Narrative Innovation in Aja and Fraction's Hawkeye
Irene García Ruano, Valladolid Univ.
Abstract:
Clint Barton, a.k.a. Hawkeye, became the greatest sharpshooter known to man. He then joined the Avengers. This is what he does when he's not being an Avenger." Thus begins Hawkeye (2012), the groundbreaking series by Matt Fraction and David Aja, which breaks away from the traditional legacy of archer heroes based on Robin Hood. Far from the forests of Sherwood and set in the bustling city of New York, this version of Hawkeye is far from the perfect hero: he grapples with deafness and the ongoing injuries sustained from his confrontations, which not only enrich his character but also redefine the concept of heroism in contemporary comics.
Fraction’s script, combined with Aja’s masterful visual execution, portrays a vulnerable and deeply human Clint Barton. His heroic feats are interwoven with everyday challenges, and far from epic battles, the series focuses on his personal relationships and seemingly trivial moments that shape the identity of the most human of the Avengers. This approach departs from genre conventions, offering a narrative where the hero’s flaws and limitations.
This proposal, on the one hand, explores how Fraction and Aja reconfigure the hero archetype, moving away from physical perfection and traditional glamour to present a deeply human, imperfect, yet extraordinary Hawkeye. These narratives not only expand the creative boundaries of the comic but also invite readers to reflect on sensory and emotional experiences. On the other hand, the series introduces innovative visual approaches, such as the depiction of sound absence through sign language and a fresh perspective of the world seen through the eyes of a dog.
Irene Garcia Ruano is a musicologist who graduated from the University of Valladolid (UVa) in 2022, where she received the Extraordinary End-of-Degree Award. She later completed a master’s in Hispanic music in the UVa and another in Teacher Training in the Valencian International University. Currently, she is a Ph.D student at the UVa, holding a predoctoral FPU contract awarded by the Spanish Government. Her research focuses on the study of musical female comic book collections published during the Francoist regime in Spain. In addition, she teaches the Strategies for Musical Analysis course to first year undergraduate students of Musicology at the University of Valladolid.
