The World Superhero Registry: Real Life Super Heroes!

I read about the "world superhero registry" in a magazine last summer. The website is a database of real-life people who don costumes and patrol the streets of their towns.

Here is Jade Justice, Defender of Rochester, Minnesota:




The World Superhero Registry can be seen at: http://www.worldsuperheroregistry.com/

The alternative newspaper City Pages in Minneapolis has an interesting article on the phenomenon: http://articles.citypages.com/articles/2008-01-16/feature/superheroes-in-real-life/

Discussion Questions to Ponder Regarding Heroes and Popular Culture

Here are some of the questions that came out of our first class discussion. This is just the beginning!


Is the study of heroes in popular culture the history of the future or a look back at previous mythology?

Does a heroic person or icon ever cease being heroic?

If a hero lets you down, are they still a hero?

Can a hero have flaws? Should a hero be required to have flaws?

Is a hero’s alter ego a different aspect of their identity or is there no such thing as an alter ego?


Other Topics:

-The academic prejudice against studying popular culture
-Fiction versus fact: the real person and the legend

Hello, Comm 480 students! Here are two sites that you might want to check out.

1. The Popular Culture Association web site is: http://www.pcaaca.org

2. If you have an interest in "Film and History," check out: http://www.uwosh.edu/filmandhistory/index.php

I would like to put together a paper proposal for this conference that will take place in the fall. If you might be interested in this, send me an email. (DOC)

Superman Monologue: Kill Bill Volume 2

Bill philosophizes about Superman, identity, mythology, and the mysteries of Ms. Beatrix Kiddo.

Welcome!

Welcome to Heroes in Popular Culture!

This is going to be a dynamic and interactive seminar in which we will explore the creation and the nature of heroes and superheroes:

• what they are
• who they are
• why we have them
• how they are created
• how they are treated in the media
  
• what they communicate to us about ourselves
• what they communicate to us about our relationship to the universe

Our class sessions will feature lively discussions of ideas, facts, and artifacts. This blog is an opportunity to continue our discussions beyond the confines of a classroom space.

So let's get started...!

In every generation there is a Chosen One. She alone will stand against the vampires, the demons and the forces of darkness. She is the Slayer.

Email Doc the name of the television series that featured the character referred to in the quotation above by 1:52 p.m. Pacific Standard Time on Monday, Jan. 28, 2008: acr1@humboldt.edu

If your answer is correct, DOC will award you with one extra credit point!