Why Superheroes? “The answer is pretty simple: because superheroes show us who we are and what we are capable of achieving (O’Connor, 2013).” Dr. Patrick O’Connor is a clinical psychologist that has mastered the art of psychotherapy through comic books and superheroes. He has managed to use the hobbies and childhood heroes of many of his clients to help them overcome mental health problems as well as childhood traumas. Dr. O’ Connor’s form of therapy has been so successful among his clients, that he currently teaches others how to help their patients in a course at The Chicago School of Professional Psychotherapy: “Geek Culture in Therapy”. In an attempt to help those who are not able to access “Geek Therapy” Dr. O’Connor also started an online database, Comicspedia, which describes hundreds of comic book storylines and matches them to themes which include being different, losing a loved one, family relationships, difficult decisions, and facing fears to name a few.
Although, it may be difficult for some to understand exactly how a comic book story line can help those struggling with their mental health, Dr. O’Connor accredits Positive Psychology. Studies done by Dr. Ed Diener, from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, claim happiness is found through people. This claim is made with the assumption that being around other people increases our mood, reading about others and their trials inspire us, and learning about others and their stories energizes us. In essence, human beings want to trust one another, and as trust is gained so is happiness. Lets take a look now at the main focus of this paper, superheroes, and the influence they have on their audience. Superheroes thrive on doing what’s best for all mankind. They a...
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...John was able to use him as a model to embrace his own differences as strengths and use them to overcome his challenges.
John is one of many success stories where clients have been able to overcome challenges by looking towards superheroes and their problem solving skills depicted in each comic. Mental health issues were once seen as weird and uncomfortable topics to be dealt with in society. As a matter of fact, as global and an American society, people are still struggling to understand and face mental health issues. Comic Books have also been seen as uncanny and inappropriate in society. Ironically, they are both being used hand in hand to strengthen and heal many who have not been able to find help anywhere else.
Works Cited
O'Connor, P. (2013, May 22). Comic books and psychology: The comicspedia blog. Retrieved from http://comicspedia.blogspot.com/
Since the reader is directly responsible for interpreting "action" in a comic, he or she is more directly engaged on a far more personal level. Fun Home is one such example of a graphic novel making use of comics as a means of opening a discourse about the scars family members leave on their children and finding some form of connections and closure through sharing these stories with others. This novel really shows how comics are moving in new directions and demonstrates a willingness to engage readers in new and challenging ways. Each image seems to give a very specific emotion that is carried throughout her story and the pictures contain elements of beauty, longing, memories, and
We are currently living in the Golden Age of Superheroes. They dominate our cultural life, and have become seemingly permanent fixtures in modern media. Since X-Men burst onto the screen fifteen years ago, we have witnessed the release of over forty superhero movies. By 2020 we will have seen the release of more than twenty-five more. Today, the much anticipated film Superman vs. Batman has come to theaters. Though a plethora of superhero movies have been released, it is to the dissatisfaction of many, having long been exhausted by the stories of the Hulk, Batman, and Spider-man. Although I must agree that it is quite easy to get bored with the constant action, and flashing colors of these films, if one looks deep enough into the story they will discover universal themes and metaphors. Though they may be fighting off alien invasions, these heroes are also battling with their personal challenges, challenges which we can
The collective image is built from us, integrating all the characteristics into our behavior, personalities and ethics. So simply to say, we like them because they inspire us to do greater things. Of course it has been very less time to consider this genre as significant as Greek mythology, but it may turn out that next generations pose their own mythology, with superheroes becoming the legends, same like Heracles and Theseus, similar like now we are drawing our inspiration from them. And who knows, maybe someday we will have an event with the same scope as Olympic Games, which came from festivals in honor of Zeus and Olympic Gods, that captures the world every four years. After all the discussion it turned out that there is not such a big difference between three thousand years old Geek boy and modern kid enjoying the next movie about Iron Man, we still need things to be explained in the simplest way, that is why we came back to the most efficient method, proven by hundreds of centuries ago, mythology just changed its appearance, but still remains a very important aspect of our
to evoke pride in every American still used today. Superheroes give an escape from reality that only an average human can only dream of different from the glamour portrayed by Golden Age movie stars;
In the 40s, comic books had a large audience. There would have been at least a dozen people in your class who read comics, claims Chabon. A few years later in the 70s, there would have been less than a dozen but more than one or two people who read comics. Now, it is hard to find more than a few people that you know who actually read comics. If you read comics today, you are considered unique. Children are loosing interest in everything that stimulates the mind in a positive way. Chabon claims that the obvious decline in interest in comic books should make authors want to take initiative and fix the
The heroic archetype is a creative expression borne of the individual's desire to know and to understand the uncontrollable and often chaotic world in which he lives. In the popular culture of America we can find many reflections of the heroic figure; in writing, in the graphic art of comic books, and most certainly in the aftermath of September 11th, heroes are ever present. Our cultural champions speak to our collective need to make sense of the nonsensical and to establish order in both our external and internal worlds. Indeed it is through the internal world of the psyche and the lens of psychological thought that we may gain a better perspective of the fusion of creativity and knowledge that we have come to call the heroic figure.
Alexie, Sherman. "Superman and Me." Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles Times, 19 Apr. 1998. Web. 14 May 2014. http://articles.latimes.com/1998/apr/19/books/bk-42979
...ort the same element that this graphic novel supports. These people rushing to the aid of the woman (Moore and Gibbons XI, 25, panel 7) suggest that a true hero is not always in a costume, and does not always cover his/her face, however heroes are ordinary citizens that put their own issues aside just to help others.
When we become part of the fictional world of comics, either through the mediums of comic books/graphic novels, movies or television, our first thoughts do not go to the injustices we see before us. Instead of “Hm, that criminal is not being given his proper rights due to him”, we think, “Holy shit, Superman just punched that guy through a building” and enjoy the thrill of the story. We don’t pay attention to the forms and importance of justice, or better yet the lack of traditional justice we have come to know and respect in our world. We see flashy heroes in colorful spandex race through the sky or on the land to the next big criminal act to halt it in its tracks and deliver them to law enforcement, wrapped in a bow. However,
“But the life of a superhero is fraught with stress: Saving the city (or planet) from nefarious plots of evil-do-ers; and the hassles of daily life…” (deLusé 187). Superheroes are known to save mankind and defend the Earth, but what most people do not consider is the amount of stress these heroes deal with on a daily basis. The obstacles they must overcome include coping with their alter ego and superhero stress, keeping a secret identity and surpassing the expectations set for them.
Simon, Joe; Jim Simon (1990). The Comic Book Makers. Crestwood/II. p. 50. ISBN 1-887591-35-4. Reissued by Vanguard Productions in 2003.
Every child in the United States has heard or read the Marvel and DC comics books. If you have not then you have probably have heard of their characters like the famous star spangled hero, Captain America, or the Dark Knight himself, Batman. Both Marvel and DC has influenced the children and adults of American in its darkest times. The great wars affected many by its poisonous grasps, and its victims sought comfort with the antidote provided by the marvelous illustrators and writers of comic books. Now their cinematic counterparts are here to inspire the 21st century. The Marvel and DC cinematic universes have similar content, they both have unique characteristics that set them apart.
Being a hero means that one can show courage when it comes to facing a problem. It is a person who helps others in many ways, such as a person in danger. In the modern era, the creation of superheroes have become popular when it comes to producing films. Viewers can choose their favorite heroes due to the idea that there a many of them. However, most fans argue which superheroes are better. Two of the most popular superheroes are DC’s Batman and Marvel’s Iron Man. Although Batman and Iron Man are loved by many viewers because of how they help people in danger, they still demonstrate imperfections which can cause viewers to dislike them. However, both superheroes share similarities and differences between themselves. Batman and Iron Man have
Quick! You hear something about someone who is being abused by their parents. What do you do? Tell the police! Tell the principal! All of these are good answers, but the real question is something much deeper. Why help? Why care? Well, I believe people want to help and care for others because they still believe in superheroes. I feel that people want to help because of the ideals, morals, and basic ways of living installed in them by The X-Men, Spider-Man, and even The Power Rangers. It doesn’t matter how you may meet one of these interesting characters whether it be through comic books, movie theaters, T.V. shows, or video games you can’t help but be motivated to help and care for others as these great people do themselves. Superheroes though fabricated and impractical can express humanity on a deeper level than most real people can and this is the reason why superheroes are able to reinforce morals and ethics upon society today. Even though these superheroes are obviously fictional they can still leave a Hulk sized impact on people’s lives. ...
The classic comic book is a polar opposite of the complex nature of poetry. The comic book is designed for the younger reader and possesses a simplistic nature that allows the creator to use visual media combined with short written dialog to tell a story. The pictures in a comic book are an integral part of the makeup of a comic book. The pictures allow the creator to portray the protagonist and antagonist in a way that is common to all readers. This however inhibits the use of imagination by the reader. The pictures are all an artist's interpretations of the actions and settings that make up each scene. When a person reads descriptive text with no pictures, it allows the reader to build a mental picture of each scene that is unique to his/her own personality. The comic book does not allow for this expressiveness in its prefabricated structure.