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<b>“Holy Men in Tights!"– a Superheroes Conference <br>
</b> <br>
Superheroes and supervillains – whether human or god, born or created,
product of nature or creature of science – they have existed as cultural
icons for centuries. Why have they endured? How have they transformed
over the decades? What is their cultural or mythic function? Where does
the hero end and the superhero begin? <br>
<br>
We call for papers or panel sessions that address the varying roles,
identities, and social functions that these enduring beings serve.
Superheroes and Supervillains may be interpreted through the lens of:
<ul>
<li>historical approaches;
<li>censorship codes;
<li>industry and franchise differentiation (e.g. DC vs. Marvel Comics);
<li>mythology;
<li>national and cultural specificity;
<li>gender identity and power shifts;
<li>ethnicity, class and race
<li>diverse media formats (cinema, comics, computer games, television)
and their distinctive versions of superheroes;
<li>the female superhero (Wonderwoman, Catwoman, Jean Grey, Sable, Martha
Washington, Sailer Moon, Buffy, Xena);
<li>serial form and the cliff hanger;
<li>the current resurgence in the cult of superpowers in recent cinema;
<li>the supervillain;
<li>the super-collective;
<li>super-auteurs (e.g. Frank Miller, Alan Moore, Tezuka Osamu,
Massimiliano Frezzato);
<li>superhero universes (e.g. Matrix, Star Wars);
<li>fan culture and superheroes;
<li>the science and physics of the superhero;
<li>the 'hero' who isn't 'super'.
</ul>(Super)hero (and their villainous counterpart) examples can include
(but are not limited to):
<ul>
<li>the comic book superheroes from classics like Batman, Superman,
Spiderman, Catwoman, Captain American, and X-Men, to revisionist and
anti-(super)hero types found in the Invisibles, Dark Knight Returns,
Watchmen, Preacher, Sandman, Punisher, Wolverine;
<li>television (e.g. Buffy, Angel, Stargate SG-1, Alias, Dark Angel,
Xena);
<li>animation (Justic League of America; He-Man; PowerPuff Girls, Silver
Surfer, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles)
<li>manga and anime (Astroboy, Prince Planet, Vampire D, the Zoids, Ikari
Shinji, Akira, Pokemon);
<li>computer game hero types: Lara Croft, Final Fantasy heroes, Superhero
Quake mods, ;
<li>ancient and mythological heroes (e.g. Odysseus, Hercules, Odin,
Thor);
<li>samurai warriors, Chinese super(natural) heroes, and Asian heroes in
myth, literature, and visual media;
<li>the cult of the C16th-C17th saint & martyr as superhero.
</ul> <br>
We also welcome contributions from fields other than cinema, media,
popular culture and cultural studies. E.g History, Asian Studies,
Classics, Art History, Science, Medicine.<br>
<br>
The deadline for paper proposals and panel sessions is June 5th 2004. The
conference will be held between 10th-12th June 2005 and hosted by the
Cinema Studies Program, School of Art History, Cinema, Classics
&Archaeology, University of Melbourne, Australia.<br>
<br>
<b>Send proposals to:</b> Angela Ndalianis at
<u>angelan@unimelb.edu.au</u>, or mail to:<br>
Assoc. Prof. Angela Ndalianis, <br>
Head of Cinema Studies, <br>
School of Art History, Cinema, Classics & Archaeology,<br>
Elisabeth Murdoch Building,<br>
University of Melbourne,<br>
Victoria 3010. Australia. <br>
<x-sigsep><p></x-sigsep>
<font color="#808080">Associate Professor Angela Ndalianis<br>
Head of Cinema Studies Program<br>
School of Art History, Cinema, Classics & Archaeology<br>
University of Melbourne<br>
Victoria 3010<br>
Ph: + 61-3 8344 6851<br>
Fax: + 61-3 8344 5563<br>
email: angelan@unimelb.edu.au<br>
<a href="http://www.ahcca.unimelb.edu.au/refractory/" eudora="autourl">http://www.ahcca.unimelb.edu.au/refractory/</a>
<br><br>
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