To Honor America : Essays Devoted To Over 65 Years Of Captain America
Edited by Robert G. Weiner
Captain America , who was created by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby in 1941, has
been a flagship Superhero of Marvel comics for over 65 years. He was the
first Superhero to blatantly call attention to the Nazis and Hitler, almost
a year before the United States entered World War II; the first issue of
Captain America Comics showed him slugging Hitler. Captain America quickly
became Marvel’s first real super star with millions of his comics selling
every month. He quickly became a stable character, and was even featured
in other titles like All Select Comics and All Winners Comics. Although he
was published regularly during the 1940s, by the end of the decade,
Superheroes were in decline. He was revived briefly during the 1950s when
he became a fighter against Communism. He was revived again in 1964, and
has been a major part of the Marvel Universe since that time. Every month
since 1964, a Captain America comic has been published.
Captain America , who was dressed up in an America Flag, was
one of the first Superheroes that had a patriotic slant. Far from just
being a stooge of the U.S. Government, Captain America represents all that
is noble, good, and just about America and its history. He represents the
honest ideals of America : democracy, freedom, justice, and the desire to
do what is right. He has never been a self-serving Superhero, and in fact
is probable the only Hero who never has been accused or written about in
that way. Every writer who has used Cap as a character has portrayed him
as a Hero who does what is right. In this way, I think one could argue
that Captain America is the most noble of all Superheroes, even more noble
than Superman, because he does represent the American Ideal. Papers dealing
with the Red Skull (as the perfect Nazi?) or Cap villians/Bucky etc., will
be considered as well.
The topics below are topics that are left for someone write about. If there is a unique topic related to the good Captain, please email and we can discuss it.
Please send abstracts for paper topics by November 27th
[log in to unmask]
ome of the following topics could be addressed.
Hitler as seen through the pages of the Captain America Comics
The role of Captain America in the All Winners Squad
Captain America and Atomic Power
Captain America Comics after the war and the “new” female Bucky
The Red Skull as the perfect Nazi
Other Nazi villains in Cap’s life.
Hydra: Captain America ’s terrorist nemesis.
Captain America ‘s relationship to his partners in the 1970s the Falcon.
Captain America almost partner Rick Jones (A Bucky wanna be).
Captain America and Wolverine: Strange Bedfellows: Not always Seeing
Eye to Eye.
Joe Simon and Jack Kirby: Creators of an Icon of Truth Justice and the
American Way Timely (Marvel) comics style.
The Fighting America : Joe Simon and Jack Kirby’s 1950s response to
“commie smashers” and a “new” Captain America
Bucky and the Young Allies: Dead End Kids/Bowery Boys in support of the
War Effort.
Bucky and the Liberty Legion.
Baron Zemo and his hatred of Captain America
Captain America ’s relationship to S.H.E.I.L.D. and Nick Fury.
Captain America Fan Fiction: An Analysis from the Internet.
Captain America portrayed in prose novels.
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Online resources for film/TV studies may be found at ScreenSite
http://www.ScreenSite.org
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