Superman : the persistence of an American icon /
Recognized the world over, Superman is a figure that has retained an enormous popularity for some eighty years. Aspects of the story, such as his Kryptonian origins, are so familiar to his audience that they require little explanation. But aspects of Superman's creation and authorship are often...
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| Format: | Book |
| Language: | English |
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New Brunswick, New Jersey :
Rutgers University Press,
[2017]
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| Series: | Comics culture.
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| Summary: | Recognized the world over, Superman is a figure that has retained an enormous popularity for some eighty years. Aspects of the story, such as his Kryptonian origins, are so familiar to his audience that they require little explanation. But aspects of Superman's creation and authorship are often mythologized, and the reasons for his iconic status and long-term popularity little examined. Superman: The Persistence of an American Icon studies the origins of the character, his rapid success and rise to an American icon. The book argues that Superman cannot be understood simply as a comic book character, indeed by 1940 he already appeared in several forms of media, but must be understood in his totality. His popularity cannot be tabulated by adding up all the instances of his appearance over the years, but rather lays in the way each appearance reinforces and calls on other appearances. Producers of Superman comic books, television series and films have been aware of this and used nostalgic memories of earlier versions to appeal to audiences. Indeed, one form of pleasure to be derived from any recent version of Superman is to recognize the source material or referents and take satisfaction in being in the know. This book analyzes the long-term success of Superman through a discussion of his mythology and ideology. It shows that his creation and authorship is a more complex issue that generally understood and it emphasizes the part played by his audience in shaping Superman's character, and the market for Superman goods. |
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| Physical Description: | xii, 210 pages : color illustrations ; 24 cm. |
| Bibliography: | Includes bibliographical references and index. |
| ISBN: | 9780813587523 0813587522 9780813587516 0813587514 |