Comics, The X-Men, and Popular Culture
Ismael Nava
Cultural Studies
May 9, 2013
Comics, The X-Men, and Popular Culture The genre of comic books and the characters that are included in this fictional universe have taken an importance seat in American popular culture today. Comics can serve many purposes. Comics can be the favorite entertainment material that a person chooses to read. Comics can help someone pass the time as they take a break from a walk around their local mall, airport, or grocery store. The comic book can be the form of art a person enjoys the most in reading material because it serves not only as a visual stimulant, but also provides as a getaway from the realities of life. Comics can also serve the purpose as the main literary source that a person may be accustomed to. The certain comic book title that a person chooses to immerse themselves into can tell a great deal about who they are as a person and what topics they may enjoy reading about. Differences in comics can range from the light-hearted cartoon to the very detailed-graphic type of style many artists use today in paper or hardback. Others could be attracted to the ease that web-comics supply to the reader by smart-phone applications and many others on notepad devices. With so many titles to choose from, this can provide a very daunting task when it actually comes to decide what title and story line to read. Someone can be introduced to this form of popular culture in many different ways. These can range from being handed a comic from a family member or friend, to randomly picking up a comic on a store shelf, or by watching a movie about a certain character/team. In this seminar paper, I will explain how the comic book team the X-Men has been commercialized and advertised to society through the last five decades, how the subculture of the X-men can provide a communication link between people, and also how impactful this fictional team has been on the economy in popular culture today by using different theoretical
Cultural Studies
May 9, 2013
Comics, The X-Men, and Popular Culture The genre of comic books and the characters that are included in this fictional universe have taken an importance seat in American popular culture today. Comics can serve many purposes. Comics can be the favorite entertainment material that a person chooses to read. Comics can help someone pass the time as they take a break from a walk around their local mall, airport, or grocery store. The comic book can be the form of art a person enjoys the most in reading material because it serves not only as a visual stimulant, but also provides as a getaway from the realities of life. Comics can also serve the purpose as the main literary source that a person may be accustomed to. The certain comic book title that a person chooses to immerse themselves into can tell a great deal about who they are as a person and what topics they may enjoy reading about. Differences in comics can range from the light-hearted cartoon to the very detailed-graphic type of style many artists use today in paper or hardback. Others could be attracted to the ease that web-comics supply to the reader by smart-phone applications and many others on notepad devices. With so many titles to choose from, this can provide a very daunting task when it actually comes to decide what title and story line to read. Someone can be introduced to this form of popular culture in many different ways. These can range from being handed a comic from a family member or friend, to randomly picking up a comic on a store shelf, or by watching a movie about a certain character/team. In this seminar paper, I will explain how the comic book team the X-Men has been commercialized and advertised to society through the last five decades, how the subculture of the X-men can provide a communication link between people, and also how impactful this fictional team has been on the economy in popular culture today by using different theoretical
Cited: 82fire28 (2013). The Wolverine 2013 - Opening CGI Action Scene - Very Violent - X-Men: Origins Videogame – HD. Message posted to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tPYnzm_EME4&list=PL6Ca1d0AQcv3OsjLL0KqCH5CTzPFR-5el&index=5 ARTaylor (2011, May 30) deadlyfeet (2000, August 4). Did you watch the same movie I watched? Message posted to http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120903/reviews?filter=hate;filter=hate;start=20 emalka-2 (2001, December 21) hottheadliberty (2010, September 29). I know its been out awhile, but i am still that mad. Message posted to http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120903/reviews?filter=hate hubbard (2000, July 24) Kevin N. (2000, July 16). Comic book fans BEWARE! Message posted to http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120903/reviews?filter=hate;filter=hate;start=20 Shooter, Jim (2011, July 4) Stratton, David (2012, April 9). Why are they so popular? Message posted to http://scifi.stackexchange.com/questions/14528/why-was-x-men-first-started Storey, J X-Men Vs. X-men. [Movie summary analysis of all five X-Men movies] Opening Weekend. Retrieved from http://www.boxofficemojo.com/showdowns/chart/?id=vs-xmen.htm Yumpin Yimany (2011, May 31) Zolipara (2005, January 10). Comic books vs. books. Message posted to http://www.bookandreader.com/threads/comic-books-vs-books.3252/