Comments on: Superman, Spiderman, Batman: The Enemies of Coyote http://www.mythic-cartography.org/2005/08/28/superman-spiderman-batman-the-enemies-of-coyote/ Revitalizing Riddles, Mythic Story, Family, Village and Land. Sun, 1 Aug 2010 07:14:57 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.3.2 By: Administrator http://www.mythic-cartography.org/2005/08/28/superman-spiderman-batman-the-enemies-of-coyote/#comment-24 Administrator Fri, 23 Sep 2005 03:58:47 +0000 http://www.mythic-cartography.org/2005/08/28/superman-spiderman-batman-the-enemies-of-coyote/#comment-24 I think that's awesome Abby. That would definitely explain why someone would even create something that, at least on the surface, appears unnecessary and anachronistic: the superhero. We have our heroes, many of which are military or political ones. George Washington, General Patton, etc. And we have science fiction heroes, and fantasy heroes. So who needs the mythological beastie of the <i>modern</i> age known as " the superhero"? That being said, this culture is good at coopting notions that seem antithetical to its values, so the superheroes' turn towards establishment ends may be sad but not surprising. Frank Miller (Sin City, Daredevil, the Dark Knight) began writing a new kind of Batman in the last 20 years, one who began fighting corporate/media power, so its seems the tide can turn more than once. I think that’s awesome Abby. That would definitely explain why someone would even create something that, at least on the surface, appears unnecessary and anachronistic: the superhero. We have our heroes, many of which are military or political ones. George Washington, General Patton, etc. And we have science fiction heroes, and fantasy heroes. So who needs the mythological beastie of the modern age known as ” the superhero”?

That being said, this culture is good at coopting notions that seem antithetical to its values, so the superheroes’ turn towards establishment ends may be sad but not surprising.

Frank Miller (Sin City, Daredevil, the Dark Knight) began writing a new kind of Batman in the last 20 years, one who began fighting corporate/media power, so its seems the tide can turn more than once.

]]> By: abby http://www.mythic-cartography.org/2005/08/28/superman-spiderman-batman-the-enemies-of-coyote/#comment-23 abby Thu, 22 Sep 2005 07:27:30 +0000 http://www.mythic-cartography.org/2005/08/28/superman-spiderman-batman-the-enemies-of-coyote/#comment-23 Interesting. What would you say, though, to the fact that the ur-superhero of the 20th century, Superman, had his start pre-WWII as the defender of the working man, the battler of coporations and fascists? True, his post war, mid-century incarnation defended the status quo, but that was not his original purpose. I heard a fellow on NPR the other day talk about this - I had read your article above before and so thought of you as he discussed Superman's origins. I tihnk Batman may have been similarly conceived. http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4851397 This article by Arie Kaplan, "HOW THE JEWS CREATED THE COMIC BOOK INDUSTRY Part I: The Golden Age (1933-1955)" draws parallels between Superman and the Jewish myth of the Golem. Interesting stuff! http://www.reformjudaismmag.net/03fall/comics.shtml "The Golem was very much the precursor of the super-hero in that in every society there's a need for mythological characters, wish fulfillment. And the wish fulfillment in the Jewish case of the hero would be someone who could protect us. This kind of storytelling seems to dominate in Jewish culture." --Will Eisner Interesting. What would you say, though, to the fact that the ur-superhero of the 20th century, Superman, had his start pre-WWII as the defender of the working man, the battler of coporations and fascists? True, his post war, mid-century incarnation defended the status quo, but that was not his original purpose. I heard a fellow on NPR the other day talk about this - I had read your article above before and so thought of you as he discussed Superman’s origins. I tihnk Batman may have been similarly conceived. http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4851397

This article by Arie Kaplan, “HOW THE JEWS CREATED THE COMIC BOOK INDUSTRY Part I: The Golden Age (1933-1955)” draws parallels between Superman and the Jewish myth of the Golem. Interesting stuff! http://www.reformjudaismmag.net/03fall/comics.shtml

“The Golem was very much the precursor of the super-hero in that in every society there’s a need for mythological characters, wish fulfillment. And the wish fulfillment in the Jewish case of the hero would be someone who could protect us. This kind of storytelling seems to dominate in Jewish culture.”
–Will Eisner

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