The poster to go along with my Dissertation Presentation (Hey! That rhymes! ^_^ ). Basically, it's a very brief summary of my 10,000 word magnum opus I am currently trying to write.
There's a quote from "
Superhero: The Secret Origin Of A Genre" (O'Neil, 2006) at the top left, which is a fantastic description of what has happened within superhero comics from the 1980s onwards and links in perfectly with the argument of my essay. Namely, that superhero comics are still relevant today (despite many holding the opposite opinion) because they are able to grow, mature and evolve along with society.
There's a rough time-line of the different superhero "ages" (kind of like art movements) since the genre's conception along the centre of the poster, and the three comics I'm focusing my essay on are expanded out from the time-line along with the major themes and panels I'll be covering in my chapters.
I have to say - I'm
so glad I chose superhero comics for my dissertation, rather than something more fine-art related. I think that would have driven me nuts. At least this way I got to study my butt off about something I'm actually interested in. I don't think I've ever done so much research and in-depth study of soemthing before in my life, but its like I'm just scratching the surface. Pretty awesome =D
I'm pretty thrilled as well that, although for two of my comics (Dark Knight Returns & Kingdom Come) I've been given good groundwork by the theory books I've been reading, nobody's really written anything about Runaways. I'm the first!!!!! =D
I feel so studious and awesome - like I'm a pioneer within the intellectual study of the superhero! Much like the Runaways themselves (both the characters within the story, and the comic within the on-going development of the genre), I am breaking free from what has gone before and forging a path towards a new and fresh future of my own devising! =D Or something like that anyway. Maybe I'm just on a sugar high from the half-can of relentless I drank earlier...
Anyway, as much as I could happily nerd-up and talk about superhero comics till the second coming... I really need to finish this post. A warm bath is calling out to me, followed by my comfy bed <3 I had an uneasy sleep last night, having gone to see Paranormal Activity:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F_UxLEqd074
I have to say - was
very impressed by this film. I always find scary films that rely on atmosphere and the unknown a lot more effective and creepy than ones which go for all-out gore.
Point in case: The Descent was one of the scariest films I'd seen... for the first twenty minutes. As soon as it turns into an army of Gollums-On-Crack it just becomes ridiculous - suitable only for mockery and laughter :P Meanwhile, Blair Witch Project kept me up for weeks when I first watched it. What can I say? I have an over-active imagination.
So yeah. If you have the chance, check out Paranormal Activity. I'm not really a fan of scary films, but its the best one I've seen in...ever, probably.
Of course, the protagonists had clearly never watched Supernatural. I was sitting there watching them pace about the house terrified, and NOT ONCE did they go get salt. I mean, come on! First rule of Supernatural: SALT AND BURN!!!! XD Ah, back in the good old days of the first two seasons... then it went all emo and "serious" - blergh!
