CFP: Make the Superhero Great Again!

Publication
Galactica Media: Journal of Media Studies
Peer reviewed publication
Editors: Dr. Todd McGowan & Dr. Rastyam Aliev
October 2020
Stichtag: 30.06.2020

The image of a superhero has become one of the fundamental images in the modern mass culture of the 20th and 21st centuries. Coming down from the pages of American comics, they have made their way into the most diverse areas of modern culture: cinema, computer games, anime, cosplay, etc. They are no longer heroes only for young people, becoming a kind of cultural core around which a whole universe of images, ideas, meanings, concepts, etc. is built.

The emergence of the superhero phenomenon is connected with the neo-mythological paradigm of American Mass Culture as an integral feature of the early 20th century Modernist cultural model. The superhero appears in a period of depressive moods in society. Their emergence is close to the collective dream of common Americans seeking support and encouragement in somebody during the economic and social crises, united by the common name of the Great Depression. The new hero shows such traits as willingness to come to the rescue of an ordinary human, to risk his own life, and the quintessence of heroism itself – death for the interests of others.

It is certain that a superhero is a kind of litmus test that indicates the directions of modern society development. But it is also a testing ground, where certain ideas are tested, because society votes with its attitude to each new image of a superhero, approaching it quite critically, accepting or rejecting it. Therefore, we can say that a superhero is a dynamic figure, developing and well indicating the state of public moods, aspirations and expectations.

Actualization of the superhero character in the 21st century is a marker of complex global problems that humankind has faced. The study of this phenomenon in modern culture provides an opportunity to consider these problems from a new angle.

Aim & Scope: to bring together different researchers of comics and superheroic in all their manifestations (comics, movie, fan community, cosplay, etc.) for a comprehensive study of the problem and challenges of our time.

Submissions
The deadline for submission of manuscripts for the specialized issue is June 30, 2020. The issue is scheduled for the end of September – beginning of October 2020. You can submit your manuscripts via the electronic manuscript submission system marked „For the thematic issue of „Make the Superhero Great Again! – https://galacticamedia.com/index.php/gmd/about/submissions (please read the material requirements carefully) or by email to admin@galacticamedia.com

All manuscripts are first reviewed by editor of the issue, then two experts in the field perform a blind review of each article, and then the editorial board makes a final decision on the inclusion of the article in the issue.

Topical Sections:

  • Comics Studies;
  • Superhero in Cinema;
  • Superhero Videogames Studies;
  • The Hero’s Body;
  • The Place of the Superhero and Comics in Modern Mass Culture;
  • Superhero: from Theory to Sociocultural Practice;
  • The Rise of the Female Superhero and Gender Politics;
  • The Political Significance of the BAME Superhero;
  • Superhero & (Super)Violence;
  • Superhero and Mental Health;

This list is not exhaustive and other areas of research and suggestions for articles are welcome

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