This Companion explores the evolution, representation, and meaning of superheroes within the broader popular media and culture landscape, as connected … More
Category: Print Essays
The Divided Fourth Phase of Marvel Licensed Video Games (2013-)
The Early Phases (1982-2012) Borrowing terminology from the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), there are currently four distinct “Phases” when examining … More
Approaching Superhero Studies as a Field [Introduction]
In the 21st century, superheroes have proliferated and multiplied across the multimedia landscape. While superhero stories and characters have been … More
The Future of Resident Evil Video Games: Remakes, Revivals, and the RE Engine
The future of Resident Evil is (not) about market value. In her essay ‘Zombies in Gamespace’, Tanya Krzywinska offers that … More
Aliens in Gaming: Half-Life (Valve, 1998–2020)
Developed by Valve and initially published by Sierra On-Line (1998–2003) to then be also published by Valve, the Half-Life series … More
Death as Interconnectivity: ‘Death Stranding’ (2019)
Created by Steve Russell and assisted by other members of the Tech Model Railroad Club at the Massachusetts Institute of … More
Digital Avengers, Disassembled: Understanding Thirty Years of Changing Superhero Bodies in Marvel Licenced Video Games Across Three Distinct Phases (1982-2012)
In part, this essay is prompted by Martin Flanagan, Mike McKenny, and Andy Livingstone’s observation in 2017 of ‘a position … More
The Narratives of Survival: Final Girls in Videogames
In the 2015 preface to Men, Women, and, Chainsaws, Carol J. Clover concisely explains that within slasher movies the Final … More
“My relationship with Batman has never been what I’d call ‘stable'”: Catwoman’s Flirtations with Superheroism and Her Evolving Role as the Monstrous Feline Fatale
Clinical psychologist Robin S. Rosenberg considers Catwoman to be a “straightforward criminal” who “in many stories is motivated to acquire … More
Changing Masculinities: ‘Aquaman Volume I: The Trench’
Aquaman walks into a sea-side restaurant; he orders seafood and reassures horrified onlookers that he does not talk to fish … More
EDITOR – The Australasian Journal of Popular Culture (Volume 12. Issue 1): Special Issue on “Superheroes”
Table of Contents with Abstracts: Re-examining superhero politics in popular culture Authors: Carl Wilson, Lorna Piatti-Farnell Abstract:This Special Issue re-examines … More
Re-Examining Superhero Politics in Popular Culture [Editorial]
Superheroes have proliferated and multiplied in the twenty-first century, coming to prominence in comics, film, television and video game industries … More
Carl Wilson 