An ongoing series dedicated to the superhero. Host Umapagan Ampikaipakan takes an in depth look at how this uniquely American invention has grown, over the last century, to become a global cultural phenomenon and how this modern mythology has come to bear such an incredible influence over our collective cultures.
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Episode #22: Studying Superheroes (When We Last Left Our Heroes)
The comic book, the strip, the superhero lark, they have traditionally been seen as a “low” cultural form - filled with coarse language, silly jokes, and subversive sentiments not worthy of critical attention. They have been overlooked by serious scholars and academics because they’re circulated in newspapers and sold at corner shops rather than hung in museums and galleries. Lately, however, the comic book is slowly beginning to gain the attention of serious academics. And it's not just Art Spiegelman’s Maus or Harvey Pekar’s American Splendour or Joe Sacco’s Palestine. Of late, even the more conventional corner shop comics have gained recognition in academic circles. This month, on When We Last Left Our Heroes, Uma speaks to Dr. Dominic Davies about comics and academia, and how this recent revival on television and cinema has helped elevate the art form.