[Commlist] CFP: The Superhero Project - 3rd Global Meeting

CALL FOR PRESENTATIONS

The Superhero Project: 3rd Global Meeting

Friday 20^th to Sunday 22^nd September 2019

Die Wolfsburg, Mülheim an der Ruhr, Essen, Germany

________________________________________

“/The Bat-Man, a mysterious and adventurous figure, fighting for 
righteousness and apprehending the wrong doer, in his lone battle 
against the evil forces of society… his identity remains unknown./” – 
Detective Comics #27 (1939)

In 2018, the superhero genre reached a remarkable milestone with the 
eightieth anniversary of Superman, with the character’s signature title 
of /Action Comics/ reaching its one thousandth issue, which sold over 
half a million copies and, not unimportantly, finally returned The Man 
of Steel to his iconic red trunks.

And yet, it was undoubtedly a banner year for the genre beyond that, 
particularly in the realm of cinema, where the superhero maintains an 
aggressive dominance: the Marvel Cinematic Universe celebrated its tenth 
anniversary, its grand inter-connected narrative reaching no less than 
twenty films (and eleven television series); the Ryan Coogler-directed 
/Black Panther/ achieved enormous cultural impact, widely deemed to be a 
vital moment in black American history; the electrifying /Spider-Man: 
Into The Spider Verse/ set a thrilling new benchmark in animation and a 
vivid view of the Spider-Man mythos; /Aquaman/ returned some lustre to 
the faltering movie endeavours of DC Comics, grossing over one billion 
dollars.

Meanwhile, in the source medium of comics, the superhero genre continues 
to generate works of great diversity and nuance: Jeff Lemire’s /Black 
Hammer/ (Dark Horse) explored, with exquisite melancholy, the aftermath 
of a superhero saga; Superman (DC) has compellingly utilised the 
character’s role as a father in highlighting his innate goodness; 
Captain America (Marvel) has powerfully examined the hero’s identity 
within the contemporary political divisions in the United States; 
/Mister Miracle/ (DC) masterfully fuses interpersonal family drama with 
Kirby-esque spectacle; /Batman: White Knight/ (DC) was a striking and 
thoroughly gripping inversion of the power dynamic between The Dark 
Knight and his nemesis, The Joker and /The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl/ 
(Marvel) offered a heady mix of comedy and female empowerment. In the 
midst of such vibrant activity, however, the comics industry was rocked 
by the death of Stan Lee, the “Marvel Bard”, who was very much the 
genial, effervescently-creative face of the superhero genre for decades.

Soaring into its ninth decade, then, the superhero currently occupies a 
diverse and expansive space in modern popular culture. Perceived as a 
modern form of mythology or folklore, the character's signature emblems 
are among the most recognisable in the world, functioning as powerful, 
pervasive and vastly profitable brands. Yet, while still largely 
American in focus, the superhero has become increasingly international, 
capable of reflecting specific issues and operating as a powerful 
messenger of them - a power they have possessed since their inception

The superhero remains regarded as an inspirational figure, but also a 
divisive one, perceived in some quarters as a promoter of violence and 
vigilantism. Superheroes position themselves as purveyors of a specific 
set of moral values, sometimes above the law, but always striving for 
the greater good. Superheroes are typically depicted in a constant 
struggle with notions of personal responsibility, and questions of 
identity and destiny, in line with Joseph Campbell's "Monomyth". As more 
and more people wear the symbols of superheroes (via t-shirts et al) as 
an expression of values as well as fandom, the superhero is becoming us.

The 3^rd Global Conference on Superheroes invites inter-disciplinary 
discussion on superheroes and the notion of the super-heroic. In 
particular, this edition welcomes a focus on Batman, whose eightieth 
anniversary is being marked in 2019.

Indicative themes for discussion may include but are not limited to:

1. Post-Humanism:

- Technology & augmentation / armour

- Cyborgs

- Prosthesis

- The Übermensch

- Mutations and genetic engineering

2. Dual Identities:

- The power of the mask

- Alter-egos and secret identities

- Costume and Disguise

- Cosplay

3. Gender & Ethnicity:

- Hyper-masculinity

- Depictions of the female superhero

- Ethnic diversity in superhero comics and their readership.

4. Sexuality:

- LGBT Superheroes

- Queer readings of established characters

- Gay Representation in Superhero Comics

- Camp and the Superhero

- Superheroes vs Sexual Violence

5. Deconstruction:

- The anti-hero

- The post-9/11 Superhero

- The Everyman superhero

6. Social Responsibility:

- Vigilantism

- Superheroes as role models

- Childhood play

- Heroism and cowardice

7. The Heroic & the Patriotic:

- The monomyth (the hero's journey)

- Patriotism and nationalism

- National personification

- The Soldier as Superhero

- "Truth, justice and the American way"

8. Pop Culture Depictions:

- Adaptation

- The superhero as brand

- Merchandising and franchising

- Fans and cultural capital

What to Send:

300 word abstracts should be submitted by Monday April 15^th 2019 to the 
following e-mail: (super3 /at/ uni-due.de) <mailto:(super3 /at/ uni-due.de)>

If an abstract is accepted for the conference, a full draft paper should 
be submitted by Friday 16th August 2019. Abstracts should be submitted 
simultaneously to both Organising Chairs; abstracts may be in Word or 
RTF formats with the following information and in this order: a) 
author(s), b) affiliation as you would like it to appear in programme, 
c) email address, d) title of proposal, e) body of proposal, f) up to 10 
keywords.

E-mails should be entitled: *_SUPER3 Abstract Submission_*.

Please use plain text (Times Roman 12) and abstain from using any 
special formatting, characters or emphasis (such as bold, italics or 
underline). We acknowledge receipt and answer to all paper proposals 
submitted. If you do not receive a reply from us in a week you should 
assume we did not receive your proposal; it might be lost in cyberspace! 
We suggest, then, to look for an alternative electronic route or resend.

Organising Chairs:

Danny Graydon (University of Hertfordshire): (d.graydon /at/ herts.ac.uk) 
<mailto:(d.graydon /at/ herts.ac.uk)>

Torsten Caeners (University of Duisburg-Essen): 
(torsten.caeners /at/ uni-due.de) <mailto:(torsten.caeners /at/ uni-due.de)>



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