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. Please  see list below

      Please  send abstracts for paper topics by August 30th

       

      [log in to unmask] 

       

      Some of  the following topics could be addressed.

        

   Captain       America ’s role in inspiring servicemen during World War 2 

   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       

   1950s       Captain America : Commie Smasher 

   The       return of the “Winter Soldier” Bucky back from       the dead after 65 years 

   Captain       America on Film (I would write this essay). 

   Captain       America ’s role in the Avengers 

   The       Red Skull as the perfect Nazi 

   Other       Nazi villains in Cap’s life. 

   Hydra:       Captain America ’s terrorist nemesis. 

   A       comparisons between the traditional Marvel Universe Captain America and       the recent Ultimates Universe Captain America 

   Captain       America ’s relationship to his partner in the 1970s the Falcon. 

   Captain       America almost partner Rick Jones (A Bucky wanna be). 

   Captain       America during the 1980s. 

   Captain       America during the 1990s. 

   Captain       America as a defender of the Thomas Paine and Thomas Jefferson’s       idea of democracy and justice. Marvel’s Civil War and the Right of Freedom       

   Captain       America and Wolverine: Strange Bedfellows: Not always Seeing       Eye to Eye. 

   The       recent death and defeat of Captain America and the mainstream media’s       response to his iconic death 

   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 

   Captain       America ’s disillusionment with the government and his subsequent change       into Nomad while the U.S. Agent takes the mantel of Cap. 

   The       Invaders: Captain America ’s role in this revisionist WW 2 superhero group       (which was published during the 1970s). 

   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 

   How       romance is portrayed in the Captain America books 

   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. 

   Captain       America and Captain Britain   

       



----

Online resources for film/TV studies may be found at ScreenSite

http://www.ScreenSite.org