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Palgrave Macmillan

A Brief History of Comic Book Movies

  • Book
  • © 2017

Overview

Authors:
  1. Wheeler Winston Dixon

    1. University of Nebraska–Lincoln, Lincoln, USA

  2. Richard Graham

    1. University of Nebraska–Lincoln , Lincoln, USA

  • The first brief, yet academic, history of the genre with coverage ranging from mainstream American superhero films to independent foreign films
  • Details the history of comic book movies as they moved from various adaptations to a genre all their own
  • Written in an accessible manner equally useful to researchers in the field and general audiences alike

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About this book

A Brief History of Comic Book Movies traces the meteoric rise of the hybrid art form of the comic book film. These films trace their origins back to the early 1940s, when the first Batman and Superman serials were made. The serials, and later television shows in the 1950s and 60s, were for the most part designed for children. But today, with the continuing rise of Comic-Con, they seem to be more a part of the mainstream than ever, appealing to adults as well as younger fans. This book examines comic book movies from the past and present, exploring how these films shaped American culture from the post-World War II era to the present day, and how they adapted to the changing tastes and mores of succeeding generations.

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Table of contents (5 chapters)

  1. Front Matter

    Pages i-xi
    Download chapter PDF

  2. Origins

    • Wheeler Winston Dixon, Richard Graham
    Pages 1-14

  3. The DC Universe

    • Wheeler Winston Dixon, Richard Graham
    Pages 15-28

  4. The Marvel Universe

    • Wheeler Winston Dixon, Richard Graham
    Pages 29-45

  5. Animé

    • Wheeler Winston Dixon, Richard Graham
    Pages 47-61

  6. Indies and Outliers

    • Wheeler Winston Dixon, Richard Graham
    Pages 63-77

  7. Back Matter

    Pages 79-98
    Download chapter PDF
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Reviews

“Comic book / superhero movies have become extremely popular in recent years. This book explores their history. … Comic book fans and pop culture fans will love this book … . It is short, very easy to read and well worth the reader's time. This easily gets five stars.” (Paul Lappen, Reviewer's Bookwatch, midwestbookreview.com, Vol. 17 (4), April, 2017)

Authors and Affiliations

  • University of Nebraska–Lincoln, Lincoln, USA

    Wheeler Winston Dixon

  • University of Nebraska–Lincoln , Lincoln, USA

    Richard Graham

About the authors

Wheeler Winston Dixon is the James Ryan Professor of Film Studies, Coordinator of the Film Studies Program, and Professor of English at the University of Nebraska, Lincoln.

Richard Graham is an associate professor and Media Services Librarian at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, USA, and a nationally recognized authority on comic books, graphic novels, and comic book movies.


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