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the hero that we feel we need in order tosupport who we are as a nation
There's nothing here hinting at Superman being the world hero he is today. Based on this study, it seems that Supemran's transition from an American icon to a world hero was either very recent, or very long and didn't fully kick in until very recently. Because of this, it seems that this study is challenging the findings of other sources I have looked at describing Superman's early transitions from a national icon to a world hero.
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major change to Superman mayactually be to revert him back to his 1930s origin and persona
Looking back at who Superman was in the 30's and who he is now and considering that this study was produced in 2009, I can say with good confidence that the Superman of today is very similar to the Superman of the 1930's as he stands for the rights of all people and fights against corporate greed. the main difference being that Superman now fights for the rights of everyone around the world, as oppose to just worrying about America and the American people.
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de-emphasizing shared values and societal unity (Rowland and Jones 432)
It now seems that the American public lost interest in Superman because he was not conforming to the new era of shared values and societal unity. Now that Superman has transformed to meet those standards, I wonder what the most recent sales of Superman comics show. How popular is Superman now compared to the 2000's decade when the comics weren't selling to great?
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the third issue ofSuperman: Birthright sold only 41,805 copies—the same month that Batman sold235,122 (Miller, John)
This highlights how Superman's popularity is decreasing while Batman is taking the lead. I wonder if people are not a fan of Superman's new complex narratives about his personal life. Did people only like Superman for his American pride that he showed throughout the great depression and in world war II and for his conservative traits shown throughout the 1970's and 80's. It seems that as Superman has become more of a world hero, taking a more inclusive approach at truth and justice, that he has lost a lot of public interest over time. what does that say about American society?
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Clark in Birthright is so conflicted about his paththat he leaves his home to spend time in Africa, soul searching and working as ajournalist.
This highlights Superman struggles as he searches for his place in the world and his identity on earth, showing viewers that he is not just an all powerful flawless character. this is likely a results of the 1950's era coming to an end and the moving culture of America. Superman stories are now being filled with more complex personal narratives about his life as to entertain new audiences with something interesting. The next step into Superman's story is being added to what came in the 50's with his house life, his job and his romantic interactions with Lois Lane and various other women.
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- Apr 2025
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eprints.kingston.ac.uk eprints.kingston.ac.uk
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and toclaim, as the lethal President, the higher morality of killing
I am very confused by this entire argument
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connections between his portrayal ofSuperman and the character's represention in the recent comic books raisesthe possibility
This connects a lot to the idea of trans media storytelling in source 2. this reinforces the importance of using past stories and characterizations to inspire future stories as to get the fans to go back and read more variations of comics and films.
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Conclusion: Contest and Contradiction - The Unpredictable Future ofSuperman
This is a very very very long book so I will simply just be reading the conclusion as to understand all the authors main ideas he covered throughout the book. If there is something that stands out to me, I can always go back and read more into the book!
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rep.knlu.edu.ua rep.knlu.edu.ua
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using literary and visual narratives to address relevant issues and challenges
I didn't read the part about genres and their affect on society because it seemed irrelevant, but maybe I'll go back and read it later!
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national values and the embodiment of the«American way»
Aren't these qualities of both democrats and republicans?
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«Supermen of America» — with a letter urging them tosupport the national defense by purchasing defense stamps.
This exact scenario in actions comics #43 was discussed in source one!
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regardless of national borders,
Considering that the popularity of American cinema is mainly responsible for turning superman into a global hero, I would argue that Superman still fights under social and cultural American beliefs, but now on an international level. I wonder what social and cultural beliefs other counties strongly practice that Superman doesn't portray in today's most recent media?
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Through the global popularity of Americanfilms, Superman has transformed from an American national hero into a globalsymbol, known and respected in every corner of the world [11]. This process hasnot only expanded his influence but also changed the perception of the characterfrom a traditional defender of American values to a fighter for global justice andpeace.
This is definitely something worth talking about in the video documentary! the process Superman went through from an American hero to a global icon is very important and complex, especially considering that American cinema is what played a big role in this transformation.
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also as means to reflect and express socio-cultural values in Americansociety.
Now that I think about it, Superman still mostly appeals to American values because of this whole idea of "individualism" and "personal freedom" which a very strong American cultural value. I wonder what examples i could ind of this in recent Superman films/comics?
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He not only stands for ideals of justice and freedom but is also dressed in acostume reminiscent of the American flag
I wonder if the inspriation for Superman's red and blue suit came from the colors of the American flag?
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This reflects an enduring belief that every individual has a right to justice, which isfundamental to the American government and its constitutional principles.
Nowadays when I think of Superman, I think of a hero who fights for the world and doesn't choose sides. because of Superman's strong origins as an American icon, I wonder if theres still any resemblance today of his origins as an American hero in the most recent Superman films and comics?
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The story of Superman as an immigrant from another planet whobecomes a hero of his new homeland reflects the American myth of themelting pot, where diverse cultures unite into a new society.
What does this idea of the "Melting Pot" describe exactly?
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Each ofthese characters has unique abilities and circumstances, but they share a commonorigin as orphaned heroes who fight for justice, often stepping outside the law
This idea of Superman being a vigilante is reinforced in this article just as it was stated in source one. Growing up, I never really thought of Superman someone acting unlawfully. I would be interested to hear some specific examples that.
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www-tandfonline-com.ezp1.lib.umn.edu www-tandfonline-com.ezp1.lib.umn.edu
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orld. Superman, as a branded franchise, had cut across amultitude of media, often simultaneously, acting as a site through which ostensiblynon-integrated cultural industries had conver
Lots of great information in this source about the role Superman played in the cultural period of war propaganda that brought the country together. It is clear that the early Superman comic strips, the radio program and television series were all intentionally build off of each other to build w wide audience for Superman as to attract viewers to a big war time superhero that represents unity and patriotism.
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The Adventures of Super-man would be consumed as a transmedial form of entertainment, with the med-ium’s own circulated cultural connectivity coming to enable listeners to makesense of such entertainment according to its presence in other media
The answer to my question I asked in the beginning! this form of trans media entertainment played a key role in Superman's portrayal of an American War Hero.
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For Jenkins, transmedia storytelling is the‘integration of multiple texts to create a narrative so large that it cannot be con-tained within a single medium.’ 11 It thus concerns the strategy of building, extend-ing or expanding, rather than contradicting, replacing or repeating, previouslynarrated story content across an array of media forms.
Has trans media storytelling played a role in shaping how Superman's portrayal throughout the years in comics and films can be interpreted?
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scholarworks.bellarmine.edu scholarworks.bellarmine.edu
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Ultimately in this story, Superman, once a force forgood and the protection of the oppressed, is twisted to serve selfish and chaotic purposes.
This seems like an attempt by conservative people in power to convince the public that what they are doing is right. The figure of Superman was once a force of good and who protected the oppressed, which is why he'd be an attractive figure for people to use to push their political agendas.
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ThisSuperman answers blindly to the authority of Ronald Reagan and the American government. Bybeing a tool of the state, he believes he is still able to save lives, though it becomes clear that theactions that the government asks of him do have harmful side effects.
I had no idea that Superman was used in this way in the 80's. I am curious how Superman became who he is today because for such a long time his portrayal is represented by the standards of American society, very much still so in the 80's comics.
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Unlike thedecades leading up to this point, the 60s are significant in that Superman’s square personality andstale narrative prove that he did not change to reflect American Society.
If Superman didn't change to reflect American society and was out of touch with the counter culture than what exactly did superman stand for in the 60's?
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counterculture
what is counterculture?
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There was no need for the social change
I find it har to believe that there was no need for any social change in the 1950's. Superman's portrayal in comics seem to be influenced by American society at this point as oppose to Superman influencing American society.
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“Spectral Superman” hasour superhero become contaminated with radioactive nuclear energy in a nuclear project gonewrong.
I wonder why the decision was made to use peoples fear to drive the storyline of the comics. Wouldn't it be better to use comics to promote the values that Americans are in search of as oppose to making people more aware of their fears?
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non-Aryan
what is non Aryan?
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It also implied that they could become like Superman by becoming asoldier who, like Superman, could save their country and the world
Were Americans convinced that they were doing good for the whole world and that superman was supporting the whole world? it seems that Americans at the time were very self centered and that they thought the world revolved around them.
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However, this would change at the start of World War II,as Superman would alter himself to be patriotic and less radical in order to meet the new andevolving sentiments and attitudes of the people once more.
Did Superman original creators influence the way Superman was presented during the world war two era? did they speak out at all?
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At the time, thesetypes of wrongdoings were what most American citizens were concerned about in the 1930s
Right away, I can tell that Superman was originally created as an American icon and to support the needs of Americans. I'm seeing no hints at the hero of the world that Superman is today.
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From here on out, many images and storylines of Superman showcased patriotism andacted as a spokesperson of the government to remind the American people to be obedient.
it now seems that Superman is changing himself to met American standard beliefs and values. This is not something that today's Superman would do, as today, Superman is the person who always stands up for whats right no matter what people think about it.
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Pearl Harbor brought the war to the forefront and became therallying symbol of the American cause.
It seems as though Superman only acted in his earlier days in the interest of American citizens. despite the fact that other people around the country were struggling, Superman only stepped in to help when America was now at risk. This is much different than today's Superman.
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he actually uses aggressive means tocombat the equally aggressive acts towards the poor and innocent. And unlike the currentSuperman, this one killed without batting an eye, from throwing goons out of third storywindows onto the pavement to dropping one off his shoulder mid-flight.
This is surprising to me because I would have thought that Superman, even in his earlier days would have had some sort of moral code. Although Superman was for the people, it seems as though his aggressive ways are what set him aprt from today's Superman.
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Ultra-Humanite advocated for pro-business measures and mimicked theforsaking of minorities in favor of the perfect race. And in contrast, Superman rallied for anti-business sentiments and the protection of all minorities and the oppressed.
Considering that racism and corporate greed has always been a large part of American society, one could argue that Superman in his earlier days was fighting against society. as oppose to superman conforming himself to meet American society's standards, it seems that Superman is stading up agisnst tha status quo.
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Ultra-Humanite’s escape can also be theorized asa representation to how the issue of big business will never truly be solved, with the threat ofbusinesses becoming too strong in the future always a possibility
The future has been perfectly predicted, as big businesses and corporate greed is a very large theme in todays society. I wonder if all those who claim to love Superman truly suprort the values that Superman has held, ever since his brith?
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Amongst them, Superman decides to show the boss just howdangerous the conditions in the mines are for his workers, and causes another collapse on top ofthem.
I wish there was a way for all the greedy corporations today and all the privileged people in power to experience just how bad their policies are. then, maybe they'd feel just a little but bad about their selfish ways.
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When askedabout mine repairs, he replies with “there are no safety hazards in my mine...But if there were,what of it? I’m a businessman, not a humanitarian”
The boss seems to have no regrets at all, knowing well what he is doing. He is putting his wealth before humanity. Has this attitude became an acceptable mindset in American society?
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Superman embodied these sentiments as what Jeffrey K. Johnson calls the “NewDeal Avenger” in his creation years by taking multiple stands against corrupt businesses andwrongdoing hoodlums.
Superman, as he was born was for the people and against corporate greed. I wonder what Donalds Trump would say if he were interviewed about Superman. is he anti superman?
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it releases an issue monthly
This will give a much more detailed sense of the evolving changes of Superman as oppose to just his changes over the years and decdes!
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Does Superman’s narrative in comics change based on the time period in which it waswritten?• If so, do these shifts in his writing reflect the evolving attitudes and beliefs of AmericanSociety throughout history since the Great Depression?
These research questions are all about the evolving social/political influences of Superman since his creation which is along the exact same lines as my research question! I wonder how focusing on the changing beliefs in American society as it affects the portrayal of Superman will add to the conversation, as oppose to just looking at Superman's influence on society.
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it is plausible to think that Superman’s identity and narrative may have beeninfluenced by the varying beliefs American Society went through.
This is intriguing to me because I was originally focused on how Superman has influenced the media and American society, but I haven't thought about how society has possibly influenced the portrayal of Superman. This will definitely be something to consider throughout my project!
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But his popularity has slowly declined, due to readers believing that his outlandishpowers and black-and-white morality make him boring and unrelatable to the conflicts and ideasof reality.
This really stands out to me because when I tell people that Superman is my favorite superhero, this is the exact response I receive. I'm told that he's over powered and that he's not cool because he's to powerful and too perfect. But they're missing the main point. Superman is so much more than just a badass superhero. Superman is about the whole idea of being different and embracing those differences to use what we're given to make the world a better place. Its about the concept of hope and how our spirit is always strong and cannot be killed by any supervillain ever. Not even with a thousand swords could it be killed. And no, Superman is not perfect. He has struggles, regrets and pain just like all the rest of us. Superman is about so much more than just what he is seen as by so many.
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In previous decades, the belief that they were purely for childhoodenjoyment had caused them to be seriously undervalued as a medium in academic studies, to thepoint where they must elevate themselves to become “graphic novels” in order to be givenlegitimate recognition. But, as many are beginning to discover through similar research, there ismuch more to comics than the surface-level storyline of good versus evil. In fact, they oftenserve as a visual reflection of the society in which they were written. One could say that comicsare today’s modern mythology, with messages and lessons about society and politics. In theirbook What is a Superhero?, clinical psychologist Robin S. Rosenburg and Peter Coogan, thefounder of the Institute for Comics Studies, argued that real-life social tensions were expressedthrough the narrative of comics as a “metaphorical way of discussing [subjects such as]immigration, Americanization, American identity, changing concepts of race and gender,capitalism, and modernism” (Rosenburg xviii). As reflections of the concerns of their decades,comics reveal much to the reader about that society’s values and struggles, if one chooses to divedeep enough into the narrative. What one may see as an over-the-top, monologuing supervillainand a charismatic, strong-willed superhero could also be the author’s representation ofchallenging ideas of power and politics that were threatening at the time.
This section explains how comic books have such large relevance to the social/political world of the time they were written in and how different times reflect the evolving changes in the values of American society. Graphic novels are often used as metaphoric tools to showcase the real world issues going on throughout time.
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