Issuu

10—15 MAY 2021

COMIC DE— CONSTRUCTION The evolution of the superhero image in comic books as a reflection of social change, 1940s -present An Interactive Multi—Media Event Experience at the Pompidou Centre, Paris.

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Published in 2021 by Éditions du Centre Pompidou, Spector Books Pompidou Centre 125 Rue Saint-Martin, 75004 Paris, France. Phone:+33965152959 Editor: Megan Coleman Editorial Design: Megan Coleman Cover Design: Megan Coleman © 2021, Megan Coleman. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored or transmitted in any manner without written permission from the copyright holder, except in the context of reviews. ISBN—13: 978—1—85669—644—9 Commissioned by the Pompidou Centre, Paris in association with the International Journal Of Comic Art, NYU. Contains bibliographical references

CONTENTS

Comic Deconstruction

CONSTRUCTING THE SUPERHERO

Pg 7

Patriotism and Propaganda: the Superhero and Public Support of WW2

DECONSTRUCTING THE ANTIHERO

Pg 25

Disillusionment and Moral Ambiguity: Changing Public Opinion in the Wake of the Vietnam War

RECONSTRUCTING THE HERO

Pg 43

Representation and Realism: Redefining Heroism in Comic Books following 9/11

Bibliography 3

Contents

Pg 60

INTRODUCTION Culture is defined by the Cambridge English dictionary as “the way of life, especially the general customs and beliefs, of a particular group of people at a particular time.” It’s an everevolving thing. We can see this evolution through the political and social transformations American society underwent in the decades following WWII, specifically regarding the Cold War and American involvement in the Vietnam war as a catalyst for antigovernment action. Accepting the viewpoint that objects reflect cultures, it’s interesting to contemplate the extent with which certain objects impact our understanding of cultural changes. Culture, as discussed by Michael Keren, can be divided into two strands: high and low culture. By Keren’s definition, “High culture is that created and consumed by elites, while low, or popular culture is created for and consumed by the masses.” Therefore, it can be argued that popular culture objects give a more accurate representation of changing values in society, as they reflect the interests and attitudes of the masses rather than those of specific groups within society. As a medium rapidly produced for and consumed by the masses, comic books provide us with insight into changing political and social values. A comic book is a “simultaneously material artefact… [and] semiotic system,” and thus can be considered a “useful primary source that can shed light on commonly held cultural attitudes and values.” In a study about the impact of authoritarianism in comic books, the authors comment on the relationship between the comic book writer and reader, posing the notion that often editorial decisions were made by writers to please fans. As a result of writers taking creative inspiration from the interests and viewpoints of their readers, we can consider the content of comic book to be a social commentary about culture at the time. Comic Deconstruction

Through the lens of American comic books, we can gain insight into how these objects of popular culture reflected the changing social perspective of government foreign policy. This event will draw parallels between the deconstruction of the superhero image in response to changing political and social climates; transitioning from the patriotic image of the superhero during World War 2, to the morally-flawed antihero following the Cold War, to ultimately result in the gritty realism of the hero as a bystander in the wake of 9/11

AS A MEDIUM RAPIDLY PRODUCED FOR AND CONSUMED BY THE MASSES, COMIC BOOKS PROVIDE US WITH INSIGHT INTO CHANGING POLITICAL AND SOCIAL VALUES. MEGAN COLEMAN

Introduction

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CONSTRUCTING THE SUPERHERO Patriotism and Propaganda: the Superhero and Public Support of WW2

The Superhero

SYMBOLS OF PATRIOTISM Early comic books from the 1940s promoted strong narratives about brave and valiant heroes triumphing over evil. Superman was the first comic book superhero to be conceptualised, making his debut in Action Comics, 1938. As a superhuman spaceman, clad in the American colours, Superman projected a visual embodiment of power. With escalating tensions emerging in Europe threatening a war, it is unsurprising that comic book narratives developed which promoted American domination and supremacy. The politically uncertain time sparked a wave of comic books featuring narratives about super-human heroes intent on saving the world from destruction. One such hero was Captain America, who became a personification of Americanism and American ideals. When the first issue of the Captain America comics was published in 1940, America was following a foreign policy of isolationism and hadn’t officially entered the war. the publication of this issue in itself was a political statement by authors Jack Kirby and Someone Simon, as it promotes the idea of America entering the war, emphasising the cultural significance of the comic book medium as a tool for understanding social values at the time. Many of the villains in Golden Age comic books were non-democratic, and thus were a threat to American way of life. The visualisation of good triumphing over evil promoted American liberalism as it connotes a destruction of non-americas, anti-democratic ideals. Captain America became a symbol of American national identity during WWII. Clad head to toe in America colour, his uniform featuring the patriotic stars and stripes, the visual link to the American flag, the emblem of American national identity, is undeniable. It was through this cult of the flag mentality that the superhero image came to be synonymous with social support for Comic Deconstruction

THE SUPERHERO BECAME A SYMBOL OF AMERICAN NATIONAL IDENTITY DURING WW2. Cover of Issue #1 Captain America, Joe Simon and Jack Kirby, March 1941

The Superhero

the war effort. The following extract is from an essay by Mia Sostaric entititled The American Wartime Propaganda During World War II: How Comic Books Sold the War.

Cover of Issue #13 Superman comics, cover art by Fred Ray, Novermber 1939

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POLITICAL CONTEXT OF THE SUPERHERO Superheroes made their entrance in comic books in the late 1930s, with Superman hitting newsstands in 1938. Comic books basked in the glory of a golden age from the debut of Superman and throughout the 1940s. They quickly came to have a large cultural significance and were influential in shaping public opinion on the war. In 1942, 12 million copies of comic books were sold each month, with a third of these comics read by people over the age of eighteen. Readership was so wide that 80% of youths between 6 and 17 read comic books during the war. People in all age groups read comic books and cartoons (such as those included in newspapers) during the war. Soldiers read comic books in prodigious numbers on the front. One in every four magazines sent to troops was a comic book. Over 40% of troops in training camps read at least six comic books a month. The timing of Captain America’s inaugural issues alerts us to a fact often forgotten in the long memory of World War II as “the Good War”: Americans were divided in their willingness to join the call to war in both 1940 and 1941 prior to the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbour on December 7, 1941. Many Americans were convinced that the United States’s involvement in World War I was a mistake. Most Americans initially reacted with rage to the attack on Pearl Harbour on December 7, 1941 but this sentiment was not universally shared immediately after the attack. Debates over the United States’ entry into the war were heated in the months prior to Pearl Harbour and groups such as America First strongly argued against the United States’ participation in the war. America First and pacifist groups argued that it was in the nation’s self-interest and safety to stay out of the war. On the other side, opponents 11

The Superhero

ABOVE: US Marines raise a flag atop Mount Suribachi on Iwo Jima, February 23, 1945, prior to the US invasion of Okinawa, Japan

RIGHT: U.S. Marine advancing through Japanese machinegun fire during the Battle of Okinawa, May 10, 1945.

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ABOVE: Desmond Doss, a conscientious objector, who earned a medal of honour at the battle of Okinawa for saving 75 lives.

The Superhero

IN FIGHTING A SUPERHUM UNITED STATES, WHICH W A GREAT, PRINCIPLED, AN THE SUPERHERO PRESEN JUST AND WORTHY CAUS INSTILLED NATIONAL PRI Comic Deconstruction

MAN BATTLE FOR THE WAS PRESENTED AS ND FREE COUNTRY, NTED THE WAR AS A SE. IT ALSO SURELY IDE. MIA SOSTARIC

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to pacifist and non-interventionist groups argued that entry into the war was the United States’ chance to ‘fight for freedom’ and become a world leader. While American citizens were divided over whether the United States should join the war before Pearl Harbor, the American government had started preparing and mobilising for the war in 1940. Congress allowed the sale of arms to Britain in a “cash and carry” agreement that later developed into the Lend-Lease Act in 1941. In September of 1940, the first American peacetime draft was enacted. In 1941, President Franklin D. Roosevelt froze Japanese assets, which virtually ceased trade between the countries while providing billions of dollars’ worth of arms to Britain, China, and the Soviet Union. Indeed, the United States government sought to “sell” the war to citizens in 1940 and 1941, and throughout the course of the war.

THE ALLURE OF SUPERHERO COMICS IS THAT THE HEROES ARE IN FACT SUPER. MIA SOSTARIC

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Cover of Issue #14 Superman comics, cover art by Fred Ray, January 1940.

The Superhero

Captain America Issue #13, 1941 Comic Deconstruction

BELOW: Captain America Issue #18, 1941.

The Superhero

ABOVE: Issue #18 Superman comics, cover art by Fred Ray, 1940

DEMONIZING THE ENEMY Creators Joe Simon and Jack Kirby portrayed the United States as the “good” actor in the stories of Captain America while the Nazi and Japanese featured as “evil” foes set out to destroy democracy and the American way of life. The enemy tirelessly attempted to destroy democracies around the world. This mode of enemy agency marked the Axis powers as decidedly evil, since they were clearly committing atrocities out of their own volition. Enemies also visually differed in their depiction which helped to “other” the enemy. Captain America clearly and simply illustrated the Axis as “evil” and the US and Captain America as the “good” guys for defeating the enemy, visually and ideologically. Captain America always had a dichotomy of goodversus-evil within their stories, this split did not necessarily reflect early wartime propaganda. Captain America’s artists drew all non-white Americans as racial caricatures. This included racial minorities on the home front and the enemy. Japanese characters were drawn very negatively compared to all other races in the comic books, especially toward the end of the war. Captain America increasingly turned toward the Japanese as villains in 1944 with the belief that the war in Europe was coming to an end. The Japanese were drawn as demonic and subhuman. Japanese villains were drawn with yellow skin, with either buck teeth or fangs, slanted eyes, and generally did not look fully human. The Japanese were also drawn as part of an undifferentiated horde and referred to as ‘Japs’ or ‘Jap-anazi’ throughout the wartime comics. The Japanese were seen as evil. Captain America also drew the Japanese as short and were differentiated by their canary yellow skin as the United States became more xenophobic and racist toward the Japanese. The allure of superhero comics is that the heroes are in fact super. Captain America was created in a government experiment Comic Deconstruction

to create a super-soldier. He thus pushes the limits of what is humanly possible. His strength, size, and intelligence surpasses all other humans. In fighting a superhuman battle for the United States, which was presented as a great, principled, and free country, it presented the war as a just and worthy cause. It also surely instilled national pride. If the great Captain America defended the United States with all his might and eagerness, it must have been a very honourable cause to the comic’s readers. Within the comic books, numerous advertisements for war stamps and bonds encouraged readers to emphasise the justness of the war and help the war effort. The stories, activities, and advertisements within Captain America sold the war to its readers through engaging readers’ sense of patriotism and enthusiasm to contribute to the war. The stories and activities appealed to public political obligations using the founding principles of the United States Simon and Kirby wished to emphasise and their belief in democracy. The reason for the use of public political obligations was multifaceted. Using public political obligations continued the tradition of instilling patriotism to the nation-state in children while simultaneously demonstrating the creators’ patriotism. It also made thematic sense to have a noble, relatable cause for a superhero to defend and fight for.

SUPERHERO NARRATIVES INCREASINGLY TURNED TOWARD THE JAPANESE AS VILLAINS IN 1944 WITH THE BELIEF THAT THE WAR IN EUROPE WAS COMING TO AN END, A REFLECTION OF THE MILITARY FOREIGN POLICY AT THE TIME. MIA SOSTARIC

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US Invasion of Okinawa, 1945

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The Superhero

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DECONSTRUCT— ING THE ANTIHERO Disillusionment And Moral Ambiguity: Changing Public Opinion In The Wake Of The Vietnam War

The Antihero

SYMBOLS OF CYNICISM Comic books changed drastically from the 1980s. Whereas the wartime comics of the 1940s presented the superhero as a personification of American ideals, with clear distinctions between good and evil, and an uncanny ability to triumph in every battle, the comic books of the 1980s took on a darker interpretation of what it meant to be a hero. This move away from patriotic, morally integral heroes defending America against external threats reflected the changing social climate of the 70s and 80s. A new genre of hero emerged: the antihero, who presented as a flawed hero operating in a morally ambiguous society. The graphic novel Watchmen is the penultimate exemplar for this era of comics, as it perfectly encapsulates the nihilism and disillusionment society was experiencing in the wake of the Vietnam War, the Watergate scandal, and the lingering fears surrounding the Cold War. Whereas wartime comic superheroes clearly demonstrated the social support and belief in the war effort, the flawed, selfishlymotivated heroes of the 1980s encapsulated the social distrust of government policymaking in the 80s. Each character in Watchmen represents a certain flawed aspect of heroism, under scrutiny by Alan Moore. This deconstruction of the early, aspiration heroes of WW2 reflects societies disillusionment with government policy, as lowbrow popular culture was beginning to reflect the negative aspects of the American way of life. Society’s doubts about authority is personified in the character of Dr. Manhattan, who is the only character among the group of costumed heroes to possess superhuman abilities. However, unlike Superman or Captain America, who used their superpowers to help humanity and serve the greater cause, Dr. Manhattan becomes disconnected from societies problems. This change in perspective is very evident Comic Deconstruction

THE ANTIHERO WAS AN EMBODIMENT OF THE DARKER ASPECTS OF SOCIETY IN THE 1980s. Watchmen (#12) 1986, by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons.

The Antihero

Watchmen (#12) 1986, by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons.

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THE ORIGIN OF THE ANTIHERO The changing ideas about morality is examined further in the following excerpt from The Greater Good: Analysing Morality in Watchmen by Jeffrey Wu: Unlike other classic comic books, Watchmen does not have a clear protagonist or antagonist. The characters are eerily human for the genre, struggling through life’s various moral and personal obstacles including bullying, child abuse, and adultery. Most do not have any sort of superpowers. What sets them apart is their morality, their minds: each feels a deep need to be a hero and that is what ultimately pushes him or her to become one. The true sense of morality in Watchmen lies in its lack of a “true hero,” the absence of a sense of “right and wrong,” or a “correct” answer. The world the Watchmen inhabit is dark, gloomy, and above all, vicious. Around every corner, behind every door, violence lurks. The art throughout the comics is graphic, and the colours are dreary, with menacing black and blood red used wherever possible. In a single word, Watchmen is gothic. In his article, “‘Nothing ever ends’: facing the apocalypse in Watchmen,” Christian W. Schneider looks at how Moore uses gothic elements and traits to enhance the story telling in Watchmen. Schneider argues that the extensive use of dark and blood red colours, vivid crimes, and violent scenes provides a gothic atmosphere, showing that Watchmen’s world is “bleak, with its glaringly negative sides exposed... ultimately, it is not worth saving” (Schneider 89). With a world so gloomy and the air so ominous, lines become blurred. Criminals are not the only ones killing; the murders committed by the heroes, who are supposed to prevent crime, may be even crueler.

The Antihero

Student anti-war protest march in Boston, October 1965. Photo by Frank C. Curtain

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LEFT AND ABOVE: Photo of children fleeing the South Vietnamese (supported by US government) bombing of Napalm, June 8 1972. Photos by Nick Ut

The Antihero

THE EXTENSIVE USE OF D COLOURS, VIVID CRIMES, PROVIDES A GOTHIC ATM THAT WATCHMEN’S WORL ITS GLARINGLY NEGATIVE ULTIMATELY, IT IS NOT WO Comic Deconstruction

DARK AND BLOOD RED , AND VIOLENT SCENES MOSPHERE, SHOWING LD IS “BLEAK, WITH E SIDES EXPOSED... ORTH SAVING.” JEFFERY WU

The Antihero

The true sense of morality in Watchmen lies in its lack of a “true hero,” the absence of a sense of “right and wrong,” or a “correct” answer. The world the Watchmen inhabit is dark, gloomy, and above all, vicious. Around every corner, behind every door, violence lurks. The art throughout the comics is graphic, and the colours are dreary, with menacing black and blood red used wherever possible. In a single word, Watchmen is gothic. In his article, “‘Nothing ever ends’: facing the apocalypse in Watchmen,” Christian W. Schneider looks at how Moore uses gothic elements and traits to enhance the story telling in Watchmen. Schneider argues that the extensive use of dark and blood red colours, vivid crimes, and violent scenes provides a gothic atmosphere, showing that Watchmen’s world is “bleak, with its glaringly negative sides exposed... ultimately, it is not worth saving” (Schneider 89). With a world so gloomy and the air so ominous, lines become blurred. Criminals are not the only ones killing; the murders committed by the heroes, who are supposed to prevent crime, may be even crueler.

CHARACTERS ARE EERILY HUMAN FOR THE GENRE, STRUGGLING THROUGH LIFE’S VARIOUS MORAL AND PERSONAL OBSTACLES. JEFFERY WU

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Opening of Watchmen 1986, by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons.

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Watchmen 1986, by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons. Comic Deconstruction

BELOW: Dr. Manhattan in Vietnam, ink by Daniel Pascual

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ABOVE: Watchmen 1986, by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons.

CHARACTERISING THE ANTIHERO The deconstruction of the hero is further discussed in this extract from “On a More Meaningful Scale”: Marketing Utopia in Watchmen by Graham J. Murphy : The superheroes in Watchmen are notable because not one of them, with the exception of Dr. Manhattan, has any super powers. These masked adventurers are all essentially mundane individuals with well-tuned fighting skills, an impressive array of handy tools, and skintight suits. These superheroes also risk becoming outlaw vigilantes when the Keene Act is passed and all costumed adventuring is outlawed, except in those rare cases when they serve government interests. They are therefore caught in a bind: serve the state or be branded lawless vigilantes. As Peter Paik writes in From Utopia to Apocalypse: Science Fiction and the Politics of Catastrophe, “if superheroes really existed, their powers would be made to advance the interests of the state in its pursuit of geopolitical power”, a turn of events that comes to define both Dr. Manhattan and the Comedian who, in their respective ways, are “forced to come to terms with the brutal and feverishly expansionist policies of a belligerent American administration” Through their diverse characterisations and intricate plotting, Moore and Gibbons’s Watchmen “would irrevocably change the conventional wisdom about superheroes”; specifically, the “familiar comic book icon of Superman, the noble and indomitable hero who defines truth and justice, [is turned] on its head’. Although this iconic superhero never physically appears in Watchmen, Superman’s importance to the comic cannot be understated. For example, following the ill-fated science experiment that transforms Jon Osterman into the blue-tinged super-powered being, Professor Milton Glass writes the (fictional) article “Dr. Manhattan: Super-Powers and the Superpowers.” He reports that after Dr. Manhattan’s first appearance “a certain phrase was used that has—at varying times—been attributed both

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to me and to others. On the newsflashes coming over our TVs on that fateful night, one sentence was repeated over and over again: ‘The superman exists and he’s American.’ On one hand, Dr. Manhattan is the seemingly traditional costumed adventurer who tries to join a superhero team and fight for truth, justice, and the American way; on the other hand, Dr. Manhattan becomes increasingly distant from humanity, symbolised by his gradual shedding of clothing and culminating in complete nudity 24/7, all the while engaging in morally questionable actions, including violent interventions into Vietnam, his service to the American military, and, by the end of the story, his complicity in the violent resolution to the AmericanSoviet nuclear escalation. Snyder’s adaptation intensifies Dr. Manhattan’s problematic characterisation with brutal intensity, notably in the Vietnam War scenes, because, as Snyder reveals in an interview, “[i]f Superman grabbed your arm and pulled really hard, he’d pull your arm out of your socket. That’s the thing you don’t see in a Superman movie.

DR. MANHATTAN BECOMES INCREASINGLY DISTANT FROM HUMANITY, SYMBOLISED BY HIS GRADUAL SHEDDING OF CLOTHING AND CULMINATING IN COMPLETE NUDITY 24/7, ALL THE WHILE ENGAGING IN MORALLY QUESTIONABLE ACTIONS, INCLUDING VIOLENT INTERVENTIONS INTO VIETNAM. GRAHAM J. MURPHY

The Antihero

American involvement in Vietnam War, 1965—1975

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The Antihero

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RECONSTRUCT— ING THE HERO Representation And Realism: Redefining Heroism In Comic Books Following 9/11

The Hero

THE HERO AS A BYSTANDER Popular culture underwent a massive shift following the terrorist attack of 9/11, in which the Twin Towers in New York were destroyed. Where comic books of the 1980s had implied social discontent and feelings of the brewing anti-establishment mentality by questioning the credibility of the superhero through the actions of the antihero, this nihilistic view of society was replaced by a sense of realism in the events portrayed, as well as a return to patriotism in comics in the early 2000s. Comics such as The Amazing Spiderman and Captain America brought into question the meaning of heroism in the wake of an attack on American national identity. In the 1940s, heroism meant defeating evil, and saving the ideals of America. In the 1980s, this was brought into question as the heroes of Watchmen saved the world by sacrificing millions of lives. In the 00s, heroism is presented in a more humanistic way, as the heroes following 9/11 were depicted responding to the devastation, assisting first responders such as firemen clear the wreckage, instead of preventing the destruction as 1940s superheroes would have done. Societies feelings of loss, disbelief and despair are evident in the comic book response to this event in American history. This more gritty realism in comics reflected the move towards a more defensive social mentality. America was under threat and heroes could not save the day. The representation of heroes as responders rather than saviours is examined more closely in the following extract from called The Aluminium Age: Postmodern Themes In American Comics Circa 1985- 2018 by Amy Collerton

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THE HERO BECOMES A RESPONDER RATHER THAN A SAVIOUR FOLLWONG THE EVENTS OF 9/11 Amazing Spiderman #36, “the Black Issue” by J. Michael Straczynski and John Romita Jr.

The Hero

Terrorist hijackers crash plane into Twin Towers, 11 September 2001

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Around 3000 people were killed in the 9/11 attacks. LEFT: first responders on the scene following the destruction.

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Amazing Spiderman #36, “the Black Issue” by J. Michael Straczynski and John Romita Jr.

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RESPONDING TO CATASTROPHE Popular media underwent a fundamental shift following the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Centre and the Pentagon on September 11, 2001. As the inevitable comparisons to the attack on Pearl Harbor began, it would be natural to assume that producers of popular media would rush to defend America’s shared national values, but the comic book industry world changed between 1941 and 2001. Comics, once the perfect tool for the dissemination of propaganda, were now the domain of a cynical, nihilistic, morally relativistic subculture. As historian Bradford Wright wrote, “September 11th forced comic book markers to step back and reevaluate the place of their industry in American culture. Some found it difficult for a time to find anything relevant to say with super-powered heroes in tights. Others called for a new moral direction in comic books.” Artist Jim Steranko in particular called for an end to the cynicism and nihilism that overtook the comics industry in the 1980s and 1990s in a press release put our two weeks after the attacks. In December 2001, the attacks appeared in the storylines of mainstream, ongoing comics. Amazing Spider-Man v.2 #36 was the first mainstream comic to address the attacks. It emphasised unity and hope in the face of tragedy while making it clear that even if superheroes were unable to stop terrorist attacks, they would be there to help however they could. The narration called upon the reader to “draft a covenant with your conscience, that we will create a world in which such things need not occur. A world which will not require apologies to children, but also a world whose roads are not paved with the husks of their inalienable rights.” The goal of the Spider-Man story was to present a hopeful message of recovery and honour those who died in the attacks. Ultimately, the so-called “Black Issue” of Amazing Spider-Man 49

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COMICS PUBLISHED IN TH SHOWED TRADITIONAL, M SUPERHERO COMICS CON REAL—WORLD EVENT MO THAN BEFORE. AMY COLLERTON

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HE WAKE OF 9/11 MAINSTREAM NFRONTING A ORE EXPLICITLY

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was a touching tribute to those who died in the attacks, but it was distinctively hands-off, with no political message outside of patriotism. It was meant to address the tragedy without ever commenting upon it. Comics never shied away from commenting on real world events. Still, comics published in the wake of 9/11 seemed to show traditional, mainstream superhero comics confronting a real-world event more explicitly than before. Superhero comics published during the 1940s addressed World War II but, in order to maintain suspension of disbelief, they rarely addressed particular wartime events. In contrast, some comics published after 9/11 not only depicted superheroes as helping with cleanup efforts, but some also addressed the underlying political and social atmosphere surrounding the attacks. The first story in Captain America volume 4, which began publication in April 2002, was rewritten following 9/11 in order to allow the writer to properly address the attacks. The story deals with Captain America hunting down a fictional terrorist named Faysal Al-Tariq who organised a terrorist attack on a small town seven months after the September 11th attacks because of American military actions in the Middle East.

THE ARCHETYPAL SUPERHERO SEES SHADES OF GREYWHERE HE ONCE SAW BLACK AND WHITE. AMY COLLERTON

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Amazing Spiderman #36, “the Black Issue” by J. Michael Straczynski and John Romita Jr.

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RESURGENCE OF PATRIOTISM IN SOCIETY

Superman and the heroes of September 11, 2001 / Alex Ross. Comic Deconstruction

Returning sense of patriotism in the aftermath of 9/11. Raising an American flag over the rubble of the collapsed World Trade Center buildings in New York.

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REDEFINING HEROISM The covers of the first six issues of Captain America v. 4 were suitably patriotic, but the tone of the comics themselves was not nationalistic. Rather than indiscriminately proclaiming that America had done no wrong, Captain America v.4 addressed the underlying political and social issues that motivated the terrorists, which meant that occasionally the terrorists were shown in a somewhat sympathetic light. Though Al-Tariq was undeniably the villain of the story, his motivations served to highlight some of the complexity surrounding the September 11th attacks and the subsequent War on Terror. John Cassaday, artist of Captain America v. 4, claimed that “Captain America is a creature born of propaganda. He’s the perfect venue for what’s going on right now.”130 Aside from some expected patriotic sentimentality, the first six issues of Captain America v.4 were not overly propagandistic. Captain America not only admitted to some of the more atrocious actions of the US Government, but also argued against the rampant xenophobia and antagonism that could be found in other forms of media. Thus, Captain America v. 4 featured “a new version of Captain America that was markedly different from the patriotic jingoism of the early wartime Cap [....] the archetypal superhero sees shades of grey where he once saw black and white.” At the same time that comics were intersecting with violent real-world events, the gratuitous violence that characterised the Dark Age saw a marked decline. John Cassaday observed that in the wake of the attacks, “comics about mass devastation [were] quickly being regarded as dinosaurs. Inappropriate dinosaurs.” One only has to look at how the destruction of the World Trade Centre was depicted in 1991’s X-Force v.1 #3 and Spider-Man v.1 #16 to understand the difference between the use of violence in 2000s comics and Dark Age comics of the 1980s. In these issues, the destruction of the

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top half of the South Tower of the World Trade Centre is met with little concern from the superheroes. Granted, these issues came out before either of the attacks on the World Trade Centre, but the lack of concern paid by the superheroes to the devastation around them was indicative of the Dark Age. By contrast, the two-page spread of destruction in Amazing Spider-Man v.2 #36, by contrast, demonstrated the 2000’s attitude toward gratuitous violence. In the first story, Spider-Man barely acknowledges the destruction with a humorous “uh-oh,” while in the 9/11 commemorative issue, Spider-Man is rendered nearly speechless at the destruction. According to media researcher, Liam Burke, “the most immediate impact of 9/11 on comics was the necessary reworking of the comic book trope of ‘ever escalating stakes.’” Violence was still present in superhero comics, but the consequences of large-scale destruction in metropolitan areas were no longer brushed to the side. Instead, the consequences of mass violence were occasionally vividly displayed.

VIOLENCE WAS STILL PRESENTIN SUPERHERO COMICS, BUT THE CONSEQUENCES OF LARGESCALE DESTRUCTION IN METROPOLITAN AREAS WERE NO LONGER BRUSHED TO THE SIDE. INSTEAD, THE CONSEQUENCES OF MASS VIOLENCE WERE VIVIDLY DISPLAYED AMY COLLERTON

The Hero

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The smoldering rubble of the World Trade Center following 9/11 attack. Photo by Alex Fuchs.

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BIBLIOGRAPHY

Collerton, Amy. “The Aluminum Age: Postmodern Themes in American Comics Circa 2001-2018” Georgia State University. 5 August 2020. Thesis. Accessed 21 April 2021. https://scholarworks. gsu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.

Keren, Michael. “‘HIGH’ CULTURE AND ‘LOW’ CULTURE — THE DILEMMA.” Kesher / .2020 .no. 26, 1999, pp. 2e–3e. JSTOR.

Murphy, Graham J. “‘On a More Meaningful Scale’: Marketing Utopia in Watchmen.” Journal of the Fantastic in the Arts, vol. 28, no. 1 (98), 2017, pp. 70–85. JSTOR.

Sostaric, Mia. “The American Wartime Propaganda During World War II: How Comic Books Sold the War.” Australasian Journal of American Studies, vol. 38, no.

Stein, Daniel, et al. “Introduction: American Comic Books and Graphic Novels.” Amerikastudien / American Studies, vol. 56, no. 4, 2011, pp. 501–529. JSTOR.

Wu, Jeffrey. “The Greater Good: Analyzing Morality in Watchmen.” BU Arts and Science Writing Program. Web. 21 April 2021. http://www. bu.edu/writingprogram/journal/

1, 2019, pp. 17– 44. JSTOR.

past-issues/issue-8/wu

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Peterson, Bill E., and Emily D. Gerstein. “Fighting and Flying: Archival Analysis of Threat, Authoritarianism, and the North American Comic Book.” Political Psychology, vol. 26, no. 6, 2005, pp. 887–904. JSTOR. “Watchmen Explained.” YouTube, uploaded by Alt Shift X, 30 September 2019, https://www. youtube.com/ watch?v=wJ mg0uc3CjY&t=40s.

Bibliography

Roeder, Katherine. “Looking High and Low at Comic Art.” American Art, vol. 22, no. 1, 2008, pp. 2–9. JSTOR.

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This catalogue contains an edited collection of essays collated by Megan Coleman to provide deeper contextual understanding of the Comic Deconstruction Convention at the Pompidou Centre, Paris. Delve into a visual exploration of the transitioning of the superhero from the patriotic image of the superhero during World War 2, to the morally—flawed antihero following the Cold War, to ultimately result in the gritty realism of the hero as a bystander in the wake of 9/11.

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