marvel: in comic culture

THE SUPER

HEROES OF

INPOPULAR COMICS CULTURE

“Words and pictures are yin and yang. Married,

they produce a progeny more interesting than

either parent.”- Dr Seuss

INTRODUCTION TO

BRIEF ABOUT

STARTED AS TIMELY PUBLICATIONS IN 1939 (IN 1950S AS ATLAS COMICS) IS

NOW MARVEL WORLDWIDE INC.

MARVELS IS A LEADING AMERICAN PUBLISHER OF COMIC BOOKS AND

RELATED MEDIA.

THEY ARE CURRENTLY ACQUIRED BY THE WALT

DISNEY COMPANY

THE BRAND IS SYNONYMOUS WITH ITS REVOLUTIONARY

APPROACH TOWARDS COMICS AND ACCLAIMED FOR ITS

HEROIC THEMES

IDEATION AND THEMES

The ideas and themes of the Marvel comics are

deeply influenced by the cultural and socio-political state of America including Post World war situations, Cold War effects and dawn

of Post Modernist approach. The style is though Pop in nature!

IDEATION AND THEMES MOST OF MARVEL'S FICTIONAL CHARACTERS OPERATE

IN A SINGLE REALITY KNOWN AS THE MARVEL UNIVERSE, WITH LOCATIONS THAT MIRROR REAL-LIFE

AMERICAN CITIES. MARVEL SUPERHEROES SUCH AS SPIDER-MAN, THE X-MEN, THE FANTASTIC FOUR AND THE AVENGERS

ARE FROM THIS UNIVERSE.

THE SUPERHERO CHARECTERS MARVEL‘s SUPERHEROES

SEEM TO BE MORE THAN JUST MORALISTIC FIGURES.SOME OF THEM CO-EXIST WITH A HUMAN IMAGE

WHICH MAKES THEM A PART OF THE GENERAL PUBLIC

THE ROLES ARE INSPIRED FROM POPULAR SUBJECTS

LIKE WAR-FRONT MARSHALS, MUTATIONS,

MACHINE AGE, ASSASSINS, RETURN OF

MYTHICAL HEROISM ETC.

THE SUPERHEROES REFLECT THE SOCIO-

POLITICAL LIFESTYLE AND PROBLEMS.

THE UNLIKELYHEROES

WHILE MARVEL’S COUNTERPARTS WERE FOCUSING ON LARGELY ACCETED

NOTIONS OF SUPER-HEROES MARVEL INTRODUCED CHARECTERS LIKE HULK,

SHE-HULK, WOLVERINE, BEAST, PROFESSOR X, THE THING ETC

THEY INTERGUED THE CONCEPT OF NOT SO PERFECT SUPER

HEROES

THE CONCEPT OF VILLAINYMARVEL'S VILLAINS ARE, OFTEN

AS CLASSIC AND ICONIC AS THE HEROES THEY OPPOSE, AND

MANY HAVE FAN FOLLOWINGS IN THEIR OWN RIGHT.

POPULAR VILLAINS INCLUDE DR DOOM, LOKI (HULK), MAGNETO (X-MEN), ULTRON

(AVENGERS) ETC.

VILLAIN TEAM:BROTHERHOO

D OF EVIL MUTANTS

THE GOOD –BADIMAGE

MANY MARVEL HEROES HAVE A MIXED IMAGE. IT IS NOT SURPRISING TO SEE HEROES

TURNING EVIL AND EVIL TURNING RESONABLE

THE MENTALITY BEHIND THE CREATIONS

THE SUPER HEROES SERVE AS GREAT INSPIRATIONS FOR

HUMANITARIAN APPROACH. BUT IT IS NOT THE ONLY PURPOSE THE

HEROES PROJECT

THE FEAR OF WORLD’S END IS REFLECTED IN SEVERAL MARVEL

SUPERHEROES SERIES

FIGHT FOR DOMINANCE AND BREAKDOWN OF

CONSTITUTIONAL MACHINERY

ACCEPTING THE IMPERFECT SUPER HERO

JUSTIFIED VILLAINY!!

EXAGGERATION

IMPACT ON POPULAR CULTURE

FREEDOM OF EXPRESSIONVENTING NEW CONCEPTS OF STORYTELLING AND VISUAL

REPRESENTATION

CREATING A WORLD OF VIRTUAL REALITY WITH UNREALISTIC

POSSIBILITIES

ENHANCING THE CAPACITY OF CONTEMPORARY LITERATURE.

THANKS TO CONTRIBUTION OF MARVEL’S STORY-MAN STAN LEE

INCOURAGING VIOLENCE

INCREASING PLAY OF WOMEN AS SUPER HEROES

POPULARITY

COMPETITION

POPULARITY AND ACCEPTANCE

THE POPULARITY OF THE HEROES SPAWNS FROM COMIC BOOKS TO

ANIMATED TV SERIES TO BLOCKBUSTER MOVIES TO LIVE

SHOWS AND THEME PARKS

MARVEL HAS AN EFFECTIVE FAN BASE WHICH ARE ALSO KNOWN AS

MARVELS’s TRUE BELIEVERS

MARVEL’S EXTENSIVE PROMOTIONAL PRODUCTS FURTHUR HELP ITS POPULARITY

POPULARITY AND ACCEPTANCE

IN THE SCENERIO OFCOMPETITION

WITH ALMOST SIMILAR THEMES AND SUPERHERO

COUNTERPARTS THERE IS ALWAYS TOUGH COMPETITON BETWEEN MARVELS AND DC COMICS IN COMICS MARKET

MARVEL PULLED AHEAD OF DC COMICS IN 1970S WITH ITS

CONTEMPORARY THEMES ONLY TO LOOSE GROUND TO RIVAL DC IN

LATE 80s

BUT MARVEL HOLDS A MAJOR GROUND WITH ITS DIVERSIFIED VENTURE INTO MERCHANDISE

AND MEDIA WITH A HIGHER TURNOVER IN ALL

CONCLUDING

BESIDES TOUGH COMPETITION MARVEL’S STRATEGIC PLAN AND

UNIQUE SELLING CAPACITIES KEEP ITS TRADITION ALIVE.

ITS SUPERHEROES SERIES AND VIRTUALISTIC EXPERIENCES

BOUNDS ITS FANS INTREST AND EXPECTATION

THANK YOU

BY HARSHITA HAJELA