November 30, 2021
Course on comic book films offered next semester
Submitted by Shannon Blake Skelton
For the spring 2022 semester, the School of Music, Theatre, and Dance will offer the course Theatre 630 D: Modern Comic Book Superheroes in Film, instructed by Shannon Blake Skelton, associate professor of theatre. The three credits course will be taught 11:30 a.m.-12:20 p.m. on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. Students should enter "17257" in their cart to enroll.
For decades, the comic book superhero has been the subject of a variety of adaptations from radio and television to video games and even stage musicals. Since Tim Burton’s Batman in 1989, the modern comic book superhero — as adapted for cinematic screens — has been the center of much discourse and analysis. This course examines comic book superheroes on the silver screen through screenings, discussion, readings, research and creative projects.
Topics include intertextuality, representation and race, queer identity, genre hybridity, adaptation, identity fluidity, aesthetics and design, gender dynamics, utopia and dystopia, historical approaches, body horror, intellectual property law, fan discourse and class.
Films include "Batman" from 1989, "The Avengers" and the Marvel universe, "Black Panther," "Spider-Man," "Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse," "The X-Men" franchise, "Iron Man," "The Dark Knight," Zack Snyder’s "Justice League," "Blade," "Wonder Woman," "Brightburn," "Kick-Ass," "Joker," "Logan," "Hellboy," "Deadpool," "The Crow," "Super," "Watchmen" and others.
For more information or assistance with enrollment, please contact Skelton at sbskelton@k-state.edu.