CFP Critical Readings on the Silver Surfer (1/31/2026)

Critical Readings on the Silver Surfer

deadline for submissions:
January 31, 2026

full name / name of organization:
Mike Lemon and Rob Weiner

contact email:
mike.lemon@ttu.edu

source: https://call-for-papers.sas.upenn.edu/cfp/2025/07/08/critical-readings-on-the-silver-surfer

Since his debut in Fantastic Four #48, the Silver Surfer has become an integral part of Marvel Comic’s sprawling universe. In his six-decade existence, the character has been featured in merchandise and Marvel’s transmedia properties, including cartoons, movies, video games, and podcasts.

While there exists a smattering of academic research on the Silver Surfer, this edited collection welcomes differing perspectives on this character. We welcome contributions from different disciplinary and interdisciplinary perspectives, including comics studies, film and media studies, communication, theology, literary criticism, and so on.

Possible topics include, but are not limited to:

• Silver Surfer’s role in Marvel’s space operas.
• Silver Surfer as a messianic figure.
• Silver Surfer as colonizer, post-colonial figure, or something in between.
• Surfer as “Other.”
• His relationship with other characters (Galactus, Heralds of Galactus, Fantastic Four, Thanos, Thor, Hulk, Dr. Doom, symbiotes, etc.).
• His relationship with different superhero teams (Fantastic Four, Defenders, Guardians of the Galaxy, etc.).
• His portrayal by creative teams (Lee/Kirby, Lee/Moebius, Straczynski/Ribic, Slott/Allred, etc.).
• Stand-alone graphic novels
• AU Surfer (Fantastic Four: First Steps/Shaballa, Ultimates, What If?, Marvel Zombies, DC/Marvel crossovers, etc.).
• Surfer’s transmedia portrayals (Animated Series, Films, Video Games, Novels, etc.).

Interested contributors are requested to submit their proposals (250–400-word abstract, 100–150-word bio, and 5-6 key words) to Rob Weiner (rob.weiner@ttu.edu) and Mike Lemon (mike.lemon@ttu.edu) by January 31st, 2026.



Last updated July 8, 2025

CFP Second Call for Chapters: Spider-Man's Villains - Specific Villains (5/1/2025)

 

Second Call for Chapters: Spider-Man's Villains - Specific Villains

deadline for submissions: 

May 1, 2025

full name / name of organization: 

Matthew McEniry, Robert G. Weiner, and Kevin Scott

contact email: 

matthew.mceniry@ttu.edu

source: https://call-for-papers.sas.upenn.edu/cfp/2025/02/25/second-call-for-chapters-spider-mans-villains-specific-villains.

We invite contributons to an edited volume that delves into the complex and often nuanced villains of the Spider-Man universe. We are specifically looking for chapters about the following villains: Kraven the Hunter, Carnage, Black Cat, Lizard, Sandman, Scorpion, Shocker, and Tombstone. Other submissions may be accepted, but we are not looking for chapters on Mysterio, Doc Ock, Electro, Vulture, Venom, Punisher, Green Goblin, Rhino, Kingpin, Jackal, Sinister Six, Spidey Super Stories, Spider-Man's War on Drugs, or J. Jonah Jameson.

This volume is being published by the University of Mississippi Press. We welcome a diverse range of scholarly analyses, including but not limited to: 

• Character Analysis: In-depth explorations of specific villains and their evolutions over time
• Cultural Context: How societal issues, such as class, race, and identity, shape villain narrative
• Psychological Perspectives: The motivations and psychological profiles of Spider-Man's villains
• Comparative Studies: Analyzing Spider-Man villains in relation to other superhero antagonists
• Media Adaptations: The portrayal of Spider-Man villains in films, animated series, and video games
• Feminist and Gender Studies: The role of female villains and their representation within the Spider-Man lore.
• Mythology and Symbolis: The archetypal elements present in the characterization of Spider-Man's enemies.
• Fan Culture and Reception: How fan communities interpret and engage with these villains.

Please submit an up-to 300-word abstract oulining your proposed chapter and a brief author bio by May 1, 2025 to matthew.mceniry@ttu.edu with the Subject "Spider-Man Villains Chapter Proposal_Author Name".

Chapters should be between 5,000 - 7,000 words and will use the Chicago Manual of Style with notes and bibliography.

Important Dates:

Second Call Abstract Submission Deadline: May 1, 2025

Notification of Acceptance: May 14, 2025

First Draft Submission Deadline: August 31, 2025

Final Draft Submission Deadline: November 30, 2025

We look forward to your proposed chapters for the impact and significance of these villains in the comic book world and broader cultural narratives.

Last updated April 16, 2025

CFP The Marvel Cinematic Universe: Examining a Post-Endgame World (9/30/19; NeMLA 2020)

The Marvel Cinematic Universe: Examining a Post-Endgame World
https://call-for-papers.sas.upenn.edu/cfp/2019/06/06/the-marvel-cinematic-universe-examining-a-post-endgame-world

deadline for submissions: September 30, 2019
full name / name of organization: Lindsay Bryde / Northeast Modern Language Association
contact email: Lindsay.Bryde@gmail.com


This roundtable will be looking holistically at perspectives on the first 22 films in the MCU. This arc will be brought to completion with Avenger’s Endgame. Now would be a good time to look back and assess which gambles have worked and/or failed now that a narrative arc has been completed. Participants are encouraged to consider the MCU both as a whole as well as specific franchises under the overall banner. 

The conference is through the Northeast Modern Language Association and will take place March 5-8th, 2020 in Boston, MA

Submissions are due: September 30, 2019

NeMLA uses a user-based system to process abstract submissions. Interested scholars should submit 250-word abstracts to Lindsay Bryde through the NeMLA website using the link below: https://www.cfplist.com/nemla/Home/S/17913

For questions about the new submission system, you can contact NeMLA web support here: websupport@nemla.org.

Questions specific to the roundtable can be sent to Lindsay.Bryde@gmail.com



Last updated June 7, 2019

CFP Essays on the Punisher (expired)

A final expired call for the night. This is also on a much-needed topic. I wish them luck in finalizing the project.

Essays on the Punisher
https://call-for-papers.sas.upenn.edu/cfp/2017/11/06/essays-on-the-punisher

deadline for submissions:
January 31, 2018

full name / name of organization:
Texas Tech University

contact email:
rob.weiner@ttu.edu



The Punisher: Judge, Jury, and Executioner

Edited by Matthew McEinry, Alicia Goodman, Ryan Cassidy, and Robert G. Weiner


With Netflix’s The Punisher being released in November 2017, it is apparent that a character like the Punisher has a certain kind of widespread appeal. The Punisher was played with great acclaim in Netflix’s Daredevil Season 2 by Jon Bernthal. There were, however, three previous Punisher movies of varying quality dating back to 1989. None of the previous Punisher films did blockbuster business, although 2004’s The Punisher and The Punisher War Zone (2008) were successful on home video.

Created by Gerry Conway, John Romita, and Ross Andru (with help from Stan Lee) in 1974, The Punisher appeared at a time when the idea of vengeance was permeating our popular culture with films like Death Wish and the Dirty Harry series. The character first appeared in Amazing Spider-Man #129, but quickly grew to be a favorite among fans and eventually earned his own series, which continues to the present day. The Punisher is judge, jury, and executioner and is considered by many of the heroes in the Marvel Universe to be morally questionable if not outright villainous.

The editors of this volume seek original essays on the character of the Punisher in his various iterations in popular culture, including the Netflix series, films, video games, animated series, and, of course, the comics. We seek tight essays of around 3,000-4,500 that explain why the Punisher continues to be a popular character.


Possible topics include:

• The Punisher in Vietnam
• Why the three previous Punisher Films failed to garner blockbuster status, but did well on video?
• What is the morality of the Punisher? Is the Punisher justified in his crusade against criminals?
• Punisher fan films like Dirty Laundry and what do they tell us about the character?
• Netflix’s version of the Punisher
• The Punisher in kid-friendly shows like Super Hero Squad.
• The modern Punisher in the comics
• How has the character evolved over the years?
• How did the different writers (Garth Ennis, Chuck Dixon, Steven Grant, Greg Rucka, Archie Goodwin, and Mike Baron) envision the character?
• The Punisher in Marvel’s Civil War.
• The Punisher’s relationship to the rest of the Marvel Universe and specific characters e.g., Daredevil, Spider-Man, Captain America, Wolverine, and Nick Fury.
• Is the Punisher a villain or a hero?
• The Punisher in the Ultimate Universe
• The Punisher in video games
• What is the Punisher’s relationship to police, the military, S.H.E.I.L.D., etc.?
• Analysis of the Black Widow/Punisher animated film.
• 1980s Punisher stories that avoided the Comics Code
• What does the continued popularity of the character say about humanity?
• The Punisher and feminism (female characters in the series)

These are only a few of the topics related to the Punisher. Please send a 200-300 word abstract to alicia.goodman@ttu.edu and matthew.mceniry@ttu.edu by January 31, 2018.


Please note: We plan to shop this volume around for peer review after it is completed. Acceptance of abstract does not necessarily [sic]

CFP Edited Collection: BOOM! #*@&! Splat: Comics and Violence (expired)

Sorry. Yet another missed call.

Edited Collection: BOOM! #*@&! Splat: Comics and Violence
https://call-for-papers.sas.upenn.edu/cfp/2018/04/11/edited-collection-boom-splat-comics-and-violence

deadline for submissions:
May 31, 2018

full name / name of organization:
Jo Davis-McElligatt, PhD & Jim Coby, PhD

contact email:
joannacdavis@gmail.com



BOOM! #*@&! Splat: Comics and Violence

In the introduction to Seduction of the Innocent, Frederic Wertham suggested that “chronic stimulation, temptation and seduction by comic books [...] are contributing factors to many children’s maladjustment” (10). Anxious that children would be forever corrupted by the content of comics, Wertham identified representations and structures of violence as among his primary objections to comics narrative: “Here is violence galore, violence in the beginning, in the middle, and at the end” (8). Though anxieties regarding representations of violence in comics have largely fallen to the wayside, thematic and symbolic visual depictions of violence remain central to the comics form. From Captain America punching his way into the American consciousness to Phoebe Gloeckner’s depictions of sexual abuse, violence is an integral aspect of the comic medium. Though scholars such as Hillary Chute, Harriet Earle, and Martin Barker have addressed specific trends and/or themes related to violence in comics, such as war, trauma, horror comics, no sustained scholarly inquiry has yet to address this issue.

Our collection, in taking an inclusive and wide-ranging approach to both violence and comics, seeks to understand how the confluence of words and images might ask readers to consider violence in ways unique to the medium. We welcome scholarship from academics of comics and other fields alike. A notable academic press has expressed enthusiastic interest in this project.

Potential avenues for exploration include:

• Form and structure elements (i.e., symbolia, jagged speech balloons, emanata)
• Receptions of violence in comics genres (e.g., horror, superhero, war, and adventure)
• Cultural production and contexts
• Cartoon and slapstick violence (e.g., Krazy Kat, Calvin and Hobbes)
• Comics and war/witness (e.g., Joe Sacco, Marjane Satrapi, Art Spiegelman)
• Physical and psychological family violence (e.g. Alison Bechdel, Craig Thompson, Will Eisner)
• Sexual violence (e.g., Phoebe Gloeckner, Justin Green)
• Superhero violence (e.g., Alan Moore, Frank Miller, Jack Kirby, Marvel/DC)
• History and violence (e.g., John Lewis, Andrew Aydin, & Nate Powell, Keiji Nakazawa, Chester Brown)
• The grotesque and/or bizarre (e.g., Daniel Clowes, Jason, Charles Burns)
• Pedagogical approaches to teaching violence in comics

Interested parties should submit bio of 150-200 words and an abstract of approximately 300-500 words to Joanna Davis-McElligatt (jcdmce@louisiana.edu) and Jim Coby (james.coby@uah.edu) by May 31. Contributors will be notified no later than July 30. Completed essay drafts (4000-5000 words) will be due December 15th, 2018.

CFP The Ages of the Black Panther (expired)

Sorry again to have missed this call.

The Ages of the Black Panther: Essays on the King of Wakanda
https://call-for-papers.sas.upenn.edu/cfp/2018/02/23/the-ages-of-the-black-panther-essays-on-the-king-of-wakanda

deadline for submissions:
April 1, 2018

full name / name of organization:
Joseph J. Darowski

contact email:
agesofsuperheroes@gmail.com



The editor of The Ages of the Black Panther: Essays on the King of Wakanda is seeking abstracts for essays that could be included in the upcoming collection. The essays should examine the relationships between the Marvel comic book adventures the Black Panther and the social era when those comic books were published. Analysis may demonstrate how Black Panther’s comic books stories and the creators who produced the comics embrace, reflect, or critique aspects of their contemporary culture. This will be a companion volume to existing essay collections in the series that have already focused on Superman, Wonder Woman, the X-Men, the Avengers, Iron Man, the Incredible Hulk, the Justice League, and the Flash.

Potential chapters include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Introducing the Black Panther: Contextualizing the First Appearance
• From Black Panther to The Panther to Black Leopard and Back Again: Real World Politics and the Name of Marvel’s First Black Superhero
• An African King Joins The Earth’s Mightiest Heroes
• Afro-Futurism or Western Paternalism? The Early Appearances of T’Challa
• The Black Panther’s First Solo Series Was Titled Jungle Action?
• The First African Superhero Versus the Ku Klux Klan
• Christopher Priest Retcons the Black Panther’s Early Appearances
• Adding Everett Ross to the Mix
• Addressing American Imperialism in the Pages of Comic Books
• Black Panther and Storm: When Marketing Meets Storytelling
• Expanding the Wakandan Universe: Sisters, Bodyguards, and Politicians
• The Black Panther Without Fear: When T’Challa Became Daredevil
• The Ta-Nehisi Coats Era of Black Panther

Essays should focus on stories featuring Black Panther from his own comic book series or team series. Issues of the the Avengers or other teams that have included Black Panther as a member would be welcome for analysis, so long as the analysis focuses primarily on Black Panther, as would any Marvel mini-series that included Black Panther as a principal character. Similarly, essays focusing on characters that are closely associated with Black Panther would be acceptable. Essays should solely focus on comic book adventures, not media adaptations of the characters. Furthermore, essays should look at a single period of comic book history, rather than drawing comparisons between different publication eras. For example, an essay that analyzed Black Panther comics from the early 1980s and contextualized them with what was happening in American society would be more likely to be accepted than an essay that contrasted 2017 comic books with 1964 comic books. The completed essays should be approximately 15-20 double-spaced pages in MLA format.


Submissions should be sent to Joseph J. Darowski at agesofsuperheroes@gmail.com.

 

CFP Mixed Race/Superheroes Collection (7/1/2018)

Great idea for a collection; my apologies for having come across it so late:

Mixed Race/Superheroes
https://call-for-papers.sas.upenn.edu/cfp/2018/04/05/mixed-racesuperheroes

deadline for submissions: July 1, 2018

full name / name of organization: Sika Dagbovie-Mullins and Eric Berlatsky

contact email: sdagbovi@fau.edu



Call for Papers

Mixed-Race/Superheroes (co-edited by Eric Berlatsky and Sika Dagbovie-Mullins)

One of Marvel’s earliest superheroes, Prince Namor (aka the Sub-Mariner), could be considered one of the first symbolically mixed-race superheroes due to his both human and Atlantean lineage. According to this logic, one could identify other half-humans in this category, including recent iterations of Wonder Woman (half-Amazon, half goddess), Captain Marvel/Carol Danvers (half-human, half-Kree) and the Marvel version of Hercules (half-human, half-god). The Marvel universe has also more recently introduced more conventionally mixed-race characters such as Miles Morales (the ultimate Spider-Man) and Danielle Cage (daughter of Luke Cage and Jessica Jones). The editors are currently seeking essays that focus on (literal, metaphorical, or symbolic) representations of racial mixedness and related issues (hybridity, belonging/nonbelonging, racial authenticity and “purity,” passing, racial alienation, post-racialism) in superhero texts (comics, films, television shows, etc.).
These may include but are not limited to:

• mixed race actors who play superheroes on film/TV (Halle Berry in Catwoman and the original X-Men film franchise, Zendaya in Spiderman: Homecoming, Tessa Thompson as Valkyrie in Thor: Ragnarok, Jessica Alba in Fantastic Four, Keiynan Lonsdale as Kid Flash in the Flash television show, Dwayne Johnson in the upcoming Shazam franchise, Jason Momoa as Aquaman, Eartha Kitt as Catwoman in the 1960s Batman TV show)
• literal or symbolic mixed-race characters in superhero comics, films, or TV shows (Miles Morales/Ultimate Spider-Man, New 52 Wally West/Kid Flash, Liz Toomes in Spider-Man: Homecoming, Superman or Supergirl [Kryptonians raised by humans], Daken -- son of Wolverine and Itsu, Kamala Khan/Ms. Marvel, Barry Allen in the Flash TV show [a white child raised by an African-American father figure], The Mongrels – children of Wolverine, Tobias Whale [both black and albino] in the Black Lightning TV series)
• metaphors of racial mixedness in franchises such as X-Men and/or the Inhumans
• representations of superherodom and racial mixedness in popular culture such as Obama/Calvin Ellis as Superman in Final Crisis and other Grant Morrison stories and/or images of Obama as Superman in popular media

Please send 500-word abstract submissions (with tentative paper titles and abbreviated CVs) to sdagbovi@fau.edu and eberlats@fau.edu by July 1st.

CFP Of Superpowers and Privilege: Diversity in Superhero Narratives (Roundtab;e) (9/30/2017; NeMLA 2018)

NeMLA 2018 Roundtable CFP - Of Superpowers and Privilege: Diversity in Superhero Narratives
https://call-for-papers.sas.upenn.edu/cfp/2017/09/03/nemla-2018-roundtable-cfp-of-superpowers-and-privilege-diversity-in-superhero

deadline for submissions: September 30, 2017

full name / name of organization: Mary Ellen Iatropoulos / Northeast Modern Language Association

contact email: maryiatrop@gmail.com


The word “diversity” has been thrown around a lot lately in the world of superhero narratives. The last two years have featured an increased diversity in Marvel Comics’ set of characters and creative staff, with Ta-Nehisi Coates’s work on Black Panther, G. Willow Wilson’s co-creation of Ms. Marvel, the character Jane Foster being deemed worthy of Mjolnir and with it the name Thor, and Riri Williams taking over the role of Iron Man from Tony Stark. At the same time, Marvel has faced criticism for whitewashing of films such as Doctor Strange, and a refusal to increase diversity in casting with its main character taking on the white savior narrative in Iron Fist. While creators and editors at Marvel have taken steps to increase diversity, the company’s vice president of sales, David Gabriel, recently blamed “diversity” for slumping sales. Fans’ backlash to such failure to increase diversity, even to blame diversity, demonstrates that, for all the repetition of the word “diversity,” its ideals are far from its implementation.

As each case shows, what it means for a story, comic, or film to be “diverse” and “have diversity” can change from context to context. While diversity as an idea seems to be everywhere, at least in conversation, this session determines to investigate diversity in actual representation. This roundtable session seeks papers investigating how “diversity” has manifested in twenty-first century superhero narratives, and to what ends. How has “diversity” manifested in 21st-century superhero narratives, and to what ends? To what degree are recent conversations regarding diversity in superhero narratives indicative of social progress being made (or not)? How do corporate experiments with diversity subvert or reinforce institutional oppression of marginalized groups? What’s the interplay between attempts at diversity on screen and “diversity” in real life?

To submit an abstract to this roundtable CFP. you must first create an account and log-in for the NeMLA online abstract submissions system. All abstracts must be submitted via each presenter's own user account. Abstracts submitted by email will not be considered.

For more info and to create an account, please visit www.nemla.org.

Last updated September 7, 2017

Spider-Man: Season One Revisited

Marvel's Season One series was established (like DC's Earth One series) to present more contemporary origins of its classic characters. Cullen Bunn's Spider-Man: Season One (2012) is a worthy attempt at reworking (and expanding) the hero's origin from Amazing Fantasy No. 15. To start, Bunn focuses much of the story on the perspective of our young hero, and we get a really good sense of Peter Parker here and all of the motivations that make him become Spider-Man, first as an entertainer and later as a hero. We also have a much more developed relationship between Peter and his Uncle Ben, so readers really feel for Peter when Ben is killed. Finally, Bunn gives us two Spider-Foes, both the Vulture and J. Jonah Jameson. The Vulture is very much the classic character we've come to know over the years, but Bunn adds some nuances to JJJ that really make him someone we want to hate.

Further details on the graphic novel can be found on Marvel's website at http://marvel.com/comics/issue/39689/spider-man_season_one_2011_1.

Art of Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2

An informative read with much insight into the creative process:

Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2: The Art of the Movie Slipcase (Hardcover)

Writer: Jacob Johnson

Extended credits and info
Imprint: Marvel Universe
ISBN: 978-1-302-90270-4
Format: Hardcover
Price: $50.00
FOC Date: Mar 13, 2017 Published: May 03, 2017
Rating: All Ages

The Guardians are back! After saving the universe, Star-Lord, Gamora, Drax, Rocket and Groot find themselves with expunged records and a new mandate: Guard what needs guarding. Now, go inside the Marvel studios in this new collectible volume! Discover exclusive concept art, production stills, and commentary from cast and crew — including returning director James Gunn and Marvel’s extraordinary Visual Development team. Complete your ART OF THE MOVIE collection with this latest installment as the Guardians soar to new heights!

http://marvel.com/comics/collection/60045/marvels_guardians_of_the_galaxy_vol_2_the_art_of_the_movie_slipcase_hardcover

CFP The Marvel Cinematic Universe as Literature (Roundtable) (9/30/215; NeMLA Hartford 3/17-20/2015)

The Marvel Cinematic Universe as Literature (NeMLA 2016 Roundtable 15845)
full name / name of organization: Mary Ellen Iatropoulos, Independent Scholar / Derek S. McGrath, SUNY Stony Brook
contact email: maryiatrop@gmail.com / derek.s.mcgrath@gmail.com
http://call-for-papers.sas.upenn.edu/node/63351

With dynamic individual superhero/superhuman characters populating a world of complex, interwoven mythologies and origin stories, the films and television series of Marvel Comics Studios present an experiment with long-form transmedia storytelling that is at once both commercially successful and critically acclaimed. Given the ongoing debate in film criticism and media studies surrounding the degree to which analyzing films as literature is useful (or not), that such a commercially popular phenomenon also emphasizes artistic elements (e.g. narrative continuity, highly stylized cinematic aesthetics) renders the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) a fascinating site in which the conflict and tension play out between popular culture and cinematic aestheticism, between accessibility and esotericism, between high art and low art. How can scholars of literature use explorations of the MCU to understand or glean fresh insight into the ways in which the MCU's approaches to modern cinematic storytelling function as literature?

This roundtable session welcomes submissions undertaking literary analysis of the films, TV shows, and paratextual media products that comprise the MCU. Approaches may include analysis of one or more films; storytelling across genre and medium; adaptations of the original Marvel Comics to film and television; and applications of various schools of literary and media theory to MCU properties.

Please do not directly send abstracts by email. Abstract submissions should be processed by the NeMLA database and user-based system. To this end, presenters should upload their abstracts athttps://www.cfplist.com/nemla/Home/cfp by choosing session # 15845, and following the instructions to create a user account. Please contact NeMLA Support Staff support@nemla.org regarding any questions you have about using the new system.

About NeMLA 2016:

Northeast Modern Language Association
47th Annual Convention
Hartford, Connecticut
March 17-20, 2016
Hosted by the University of Connecticut

In spring 2016, the Northeast Modern Language Association (NeMLA) will meet in Hartford, Connecticut, for its 47th Annual Convention. Every year, this event affords NeMLA’s principal opportunity to carry on a tradition of lively research and pedagogical exchange in language and literature. The convention will include a full array of sessions, workshops, literary readings, film screenings, and guest speakers.

Hartford features some of the most significant historic and cultural sites in New England: the adjacent and interconnected Mark Twain and Harriet Beecher Stowe Houses; the artistic and cultural collections at the Wadsworth Atheneum; classic and contemporary performances at the Hartford Stage, Theater Works, and the Bushnell Center for Performing Arts; archives and research opportunities at the Connecticut Historical Society and Connecticut State Library and State Archives; unique and offbeat museums for kids and families such as the Connecticut Science Center and the CRRA Trash Museum; and much more. Both Adriaen’s Landing (the newly completed area around the convention center) and the historic downtown feature a variety of restaurants, shops, and parks.

This convention will feature approximately 400 sessions, dynamic speakers and cultural events. Interested participants may submit abstracts to more than one NeMLA session; however, panelists can only present one paper (panel or seminar). Convention participants may present a paper at a panel and also present at a creative session or participate in a roundtable.


By web submission at 08/09/2015 - 00:23

CFP Marvel Cinematic Universe - Phase One (Update) (7/31/15)

CFP - Edited Collection on Marvel Cinematic Universe - Phase One
https://networks.h-net.org/node/13784/discussions/75807/cfp-edited-collection-marvel-cinematic-universe-phase-one
Discussion published by Kris Barton on Sunday, July 19, 2015

Your network editor has reposted this from H-Announce. The byline reflects the original authorship.

Type: Call for Papers
Date: July 31, 2015
Location: United States
Subject Fields: Film and Film History, Cultural History / Studies

As one of the biggest and most successful film franchises of all time, Marvel’s approach to developing an interconnected film universe has seemingly revolutionized the way superhero films are being made. Creating a shared universe with elements that crossover and interconnect individual films (culminating in perhaps the ultimate “team-up” film, The Avengers), this approach to filmmaking changed the way characters and storylines are developed. Marvel’s foresight has resulted in a long-term plan for the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), which at this point consists of three distinct phases.

With that said, there has been relatively little exploration of how this approach to filmmaking affects both the stories being told and the way they are being consumed by audiences. This collection seeks to investigate these issues, but in a way that mirrors the approach that Marvel has laid out for its properties. To that end, this edited collection is the first in a proposed trilogy of books, each volume of which will explore a distinct phase of the MCU and dissect how the characters evolve, how storylines grow, and how the success of the franchise continually expands the scope of the stories being told. Specifically, this proposed collection will look at Phase One of the MCU, which is comprised of the following films:

Iron Man (2008)
The Incredible Hulk (2008)
Iron Man 2 (2010)
Thor (2011)
Captain America: The First Avenger (2011)
The Avengers (2012)

While a number of chapters have already been completed for this collection, we are still looking specifically for the following:

1. Hawkeye/Black Widow – How do the non-super powered Avengers fit into the MCU? Are their roles different given they lack any paranormal enhancements?
2. Villains – What role/function do the villains of Phase One play in the MCU and/or how are the depicted?
3. Franchise building – How has the MCU shaped other comic book properties’ approach to film narrative (DC, X-Men) or other properties in general?
4. Linkages – A general look at how different elements of the MCU (Tesseract, Nick Fury, Coulson, S.H.I.E.L.D.) are used to bridge films and create a cohesive cinematic universe.
5. A limited number of other topics will be considered. Please e-mail with questions regarding topics not listed above.

Please note: the chapters contained in the collection will focus exclusively on events in Phase One of the MCU, so discussion of development or events from subsequent films should be avoided.

Chapters should be 5,000-7,000 words (MLA format, no footnotes or endnotes please) that fit into one of the above sections. Article abstracts (500+ words) and a brief CV should be submitted by July 31, 2015 to Dr. Kristin Barton at kmbarton@daltonstate.edu. Submissions with detailed outlines or in draft form will be given stronger consideration. Completed essays must be submitted by September 30, 2015. Brief queries are welcome should there be questions about appropriate submission topics. Selected authors will be notified by August 2015, and please note that invitation to submit a full essay does not guarantee inclusion in the volume. A contract for this book through a university press is pending a review of proposed chapters.

Contact Info:
Kristin M. Barton
Chair and Associate Professor
Dalton State College
Contact Email: kmbarton@daltonstate.edu

CFP Marvel Feature Films Collections (11/15/14)

Here's a call I'm really excited about:

CFP Marvel Feature Films
Location: Texas, United States
Call for Papers Date: 2014-11-15 (in 27 days)
Date Submitted: 2014-09-17
Announcement ID: 216439
https://www.h-net.org/announce/show.cgi?ID=216439

Marvel Feature Films edited by Robert Moses Peaslee, Matthew McEniry, and Robert G. Weiner

The recent release of Guardians of the Galaxy marks the penultimate film in the so-called second “phase” of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, a group of big-budget tentpole films that include Marvel’s The Avengers, Captain America: The Winter Solider, Thor: Dark World, Iron Man 1-3, and the Incredible Hulk. Meanwhile, other studios like Sony and Fox have had success with films based on Marvel properties such as the X-Men and Spider-Man.

Feature films and full-length television movies based on Marvel characters go back to the 1970s, however, and very little scholarship has been produced on these films. The editors of this volume seek essays that discuss Marvel feature length films, and while we will consider essays that deal with the Marvel Cinematic Universe and more recent films, we are particularly interested in those films that have not received a lot of scholarly attention (including television and animated features).  We are also interested in work dealing with films produced when certain characters were Marvel properties (like Transformers, G. I. Joe, and Conan). Please note we are not interested in television series, per se, but rather the full-length films produced from them. We are also interested in the business aspect of Marvel Films and Marvel Animation.  We will also consider essays on those unauthorized foreign films based on Marvel characters like Turkish Captain America/Spider-Man, etc.

We are particularly interested in considering essays dealing with:

Transfomers (1986), G.I. Joe (1987), Howard the Duck (1986), Captain America  (1979, 1990), Inhumanoids: the Movie (1986),  Trial of the Incredible Hulk (1989), Man-Thing (2005), Ghost Rider (2007, 2011), Spider-Man: The Dragon’s Challenge (1979), Dr. Strange (1979), Generation X (1996), Power Pack (1991), Punisher (1989), Nick Fury: Agent of Shield (1998), Blade 1-3 (1998, 2002, 2004), Elektra (2005), Thor: Tales of Asgard (2011), Iron Man: Rise of Technovore (2013), Planet Hulk (2010), Fantastic Four (1994) and Next Avengers (2008).

A brief but by no means conclusive list of interesting questions to consider:

• How has Disney’s acquisition of Marvel changed the blockbuster landscape?
• Why were certain television or direct to video films like Captain America (1990), Captain      America: Death Too Soon or Spider-Man: The Dragon’s Challenge released theatrically overseas?
• Why did Howard the Duck fail to live up to its hype, and what are we to make of his recent reappearance in the CMU?
• How can we think more deeply about the use of legend and myth in these films?
• What was the production history of Transformers (1986) and how did the film eventually factor into the continuity of the      Marvel comics series? 
• Cyberpunk influences, particularly in films like Iron Man: Rise of Technovore
• Faustian influences in the Ghost Rider films and the use of the original Ghost Rider, Carter Slade, in the first film.
• How Daredevil and Thor were used in the Hulk television films?
• While Blade was moderately successfully in 1998, why did it take the 2000’s X-Men to kick start the current wave of Marvel and superhero films?
• Generation X as an example of X-film?
• Has Marvel Animation been successful compared to DC in producing high quality      animated films?
• Planet Hulk as Greek/Roman myth?
• Traditional vampire lore in the Blade series.
• Spider-Man as a villain in the Turkish 3 Dev Adam, also featuring Captain America.
• The Bollywood 'Tu Mera Superman featuring a mash-up of Superman and Spider-Woman?
• Production history of producer Roger Corman’s ill-fated attempt at the $2 million Fantastic Four film.

Please submit a 200-500 word abstract by November 15th Rob.weiner@ttu.edu  and Matthew.mceniry@ttu.edu

Upon acceptance final essays will be due on Feb 15th

Matthew McEniry
Texas Tech University Library
18th and Boston
Box 40002
Lubbock Texas 79409
Email: matthew.mceniry@ttu.edu

X-Men: Days of Future Past Home Video News

The recent film X-Men: Days of Future Past comes to home video this October (10/14/14) with Blu-Ray/Digital HD combo packs (with optional 3D disc), a DVD only version, and Digital Video only versions.




Full details on the Blu-Ray extras has been posted on the Blu-Ray.com site (http://www.blu-ray.com/news/?id=14558) and includes the following:

Special Features:
Disc 1: Theatrical Feature (Blu-ray 3D)
Disc 2:Theatrical Feature (Blu-ray 2D)
Deleted Scenes [with Optional Audio Commentary by Bryan Singer]
Kitchen Sequence
Gag Reel
Double Take: Xavier & Magneto
X-Men: Reunited
Classification: M
Sentinels: For a Secure Future
Gallery: Trask Industries
Theatrical Trailers
Second Screen App
Digital HD

There are also rumors of an extended edition to be release in 2015.

Amazing Spider-Man 2 Now on Home Video

Marvel's The Amazing Spider-Man 2 is now available on home video on Blu-Ray/DVD/Ultraviolet, DVD/Ultraviolet, and Digital Video. A full review of the Blu-Ray set can be found on Blu-Ray.com at http://www.blu-ray.com/movies/The-Amazing-Spider-Man-2-Blu-ray/63965/#Review.




Here are the complete details about Blu-Ray and DVD extras as  posted on EW.com in June (http://insidemovies.ew.com/2014/06/16/amazing-spider-man-2-blu-ray/):

Blu-ray & DVD Bonus Features Include:
4 All-New Deleted Scenes with Commentary by Marc Webb
Filmmaker Commentary
Alicia Keys “It’s On Again” music video

Exclusively Available on Blu-ray:
9 Additional Deleted Scenes with Commentary by Marc Webb, including “Peter Meets His Father”
“The Wages of Heroism: Making The Amazing Spider-Man 2,” featuring revealing, in-depth segments including:
“Lessons Learned: Development and Direction” — Filmmakers and cast discuss their approach to the sequel and their efforts to make it the best Spider-Man yet.
“Heart of the City: Shooting in New York” — A behind-the-scenes look at the film’s unprecedented access to 
New York City during production.
“Triple Threat: Attack of the Villains” — An inside look at the development of Spider-Man’s fearsome foes, Electro, 
the Green Goblin and Rhino.
“A More Dangerous World: Transforming Electro and the Green Goblin” — From make-up to costuming, see what it took to transform Jamie Foxx and Dane DeHaan into their fearsome alter-egos.
“A Bolt From the Blue: Visual Effects” — Sony Pictures Imageworks artists and animators show how they created the gravity defying, web-slinging and pumped-up action in the new film.
“Spidey Gets His Groove Back: Music and Editing” — Learn how the film’s soundtrack and score came together in this behind-the-scenes look at jam sessions with Composer Hans Zimmer and the team of master musicians he assembled, including Pharrell Williams, Johnny Marr, Michael Einziger and more.

Exclusive to the DVD:
New Public Service Announcement for the Worldwide Orphans Foundation (WWO), featuring Andrew Garfield & WWO CEO Dr. Jane Aronson

Song of Spider-Man

An interesting read offering insight into the creation of Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark: 

Song of Spider-Man: The Inside Story of the Most Controversial Musical in Broadway History
By Glen Berger

Simon & Schuster
384 pages
Hardcover (ISBN 9781451684568) $25.00
eBook (ISBN 9781451684582) $12.99
November 2013

Trade Paperback (ISBN 9781451684575) $17.00
November 2014

As one can imagine, writing a Broadway musical has its challenges. But it turns out there are challenges one can’t imagine when collaborating with two rock legends and a superstar director to stage the biggest, most expensive production in theater history.

Song of Spider-Man is playwright Glen Berger’s story of a theatrical dream—or nightmare—come true. Renowned director Julie Taymor picked Berger to cowrite the book for a $25 million Spider-Man musical. Together—along with U2’s Bono and Edge— they would shape a work that was technically daring and emotionally profound, with a story fueled by the hero’s quest for love—and the villains’ quest for revenge. Or at least, that’s what they’d hoped for.

But when charismatic producer Tony Adams died suddenly, the show began to lose its footing. Soon the budget was ballooning, financing was evaporating, and producers were jumping ship or getting demoted. And then came the injuries. And then came word-of- mouth about the show itself. What followed was a pageant of foul-ups, falling-outs, ever-more-harrowing mishaps, and a whole lot of malfunctioning spider legs. This “circus-rock-and-roll-drama,” with its $65 million price tag, had become more of a spectacle than its creators ever wished for. During the show’s unprecedented seven months of previews, the company’s struggles to reach opening night inspired breathless tabloid coverage and garnered international notoriety.

Through it all, Berger observed the chaos with his signature mix of big ambition and self-deprecating humor. Song of Spider-Man records the journey of this cast and crew as a hilarious memoir about friendship, collaboration, the foibles of hubris, and the power of art to remind us that we’re alive.

CFP Ages of the Incredible Hulk (7/15/14)

Darowski's at work again:

The Ages of the Incredible Hulk: Essays on Marvel's Jade Giant in Changing Times
full name / name of organization:
Joseph J. Darowski
contact email:
darowskij@byui.edu

The editor of The Ages of the Incredible Hulk: Essays on Marvel’s Jade Giant in Changing Times is seeking abstracts for essays which could be included in the upcoming collection. The essays should examine the relationships between Incredible Hulk comic books (or comic books featuring Hulk-related characters) and the culture when those comics were published. Analysis may demonstrate how the stories found in Hulk comic books and the creators who produced the comics embrace, reflect, or critique aspects of their contemporary culture. This will be a companion volume to The Ages of Superman, The Ages of Wonder Woman, The Ages of the X-Men, The Ages of the Avengers, and The Ages of Iron Man.

Potential chapters include, but are not limited to, the following:

-Controlling the Bomb: A Scientist’s Unintended Consequences in The Incredible Hulk
-Nuclear Power, the U.S. Military, and Fear: The Weaponization of Bruce Banner
-Balance of Power: The Hulk’s Awkward Role in The Avengers
-The Hulk Versus the U.S. Military in the Vietnam War Era
-The Two Sides of Nuclear Power: Bruce Banner and Samuel Sterns
-Hulk Versus the Abomination: Cold War Politics in Superhero Adventures
-She-Hulk and the Working Woman
-The Incredible Hulk: Crossroads and the Search for Identity
-Raising Awareness of Child Abuse in Marvel Comics and a New Origin for the Hulk
-Future Imperfect: Unchecked Power After the Cold War
-Addressing AIDS in Marvel Comics: Jim Wilson, Rick Jones, and the Hulk
-The Sensational She-Hulk and Hyper-Awareness of Form in Contemporary Comics
-Hulk: The End and Dystopian Fears in the New Millennium
-Twenty-First Century Gladiator: Planet Hulk
-Red Hulk: Becoming What You Fear.

Essays should focus on stories from the Hulk’s comic book adventures, not media adaptations of the character. Furthermore, essays should look at a single period of comic book history, rather than drawing comparisons between different publication eras. For example, an essay that analyzed Hulk comics from the early 1960s and contextualized them with what was happening in American society would be more likely to be accepted than an essay that contrasted Hulk comic books from the 1970s with Hulk comic books from the 1990s. Any team title or mini-series that features Hulk, or Hulk-related characters such as She-Hulk, Red Hulk, or Skarr, can be considered as source material for potential chapters.

The completed essays should be approximately 15-20 double-spaced pages.

Abstracts (100-500 words) and CVs should be submitted by July 15, 2014.

Please submit via email to Joseph Darowski, darowskij@byui.edu

Joseph Darowski
Brigham Young University-Idaho
525 S. Center
Rigby Hall 122
Rexburg, ID 83460
Phone: (517) 281-3275

By web submission at 06/09/2014 - 15:25

CFP Panel on Marvel Cinematic Universe (12/1/13)

Here's an older CFP, and I'm not sure why I never posted it before:

An Examination of the Marvel Cinematic Universe

Location:	Florida, United States
Call for Papers Date:	2013-12-01 (in 16 days)
Date Submitted:	2013-05-30
Announcement ID:	204172

Since its Silver Age rebirth, Marvel Comics has been a focal point of comic book fandom. Often casted as the upstart company in comparison to DC Comics, Marvel’s cultural weight and economic success has been tied to 1960s political protest and social anxiety. For more than 50 years Marvel’s emphasis on “real word concerns’ in its stories has generated fan engagement and popular appeal. In the new millennium the establishment of its own movie studio has allowed the “House of Ideas” to have a wider cultural impact in the United States and around the world. While scholars have examined Marvel characters in print, less consideration has been given to the implication of live action adaptions from Marvel’s cinematic universe. I seeking scholars for panel for the forthcoming 54th Annula Florida Conference of Historian meeting in St. Augustine, Florida (Jan 31st-Feb 1st, 2014). This panel will examine the ways the Marvel Cinematic Universe represents, constructs, and distorts American culture. Papers that examine specific characters, themes, or films are welcome. Paper title and abstract/proposal (200-300 words) 1. Brief vita or biography (one page max) 2. Complete personal information: name, department, academic affiliation, mailing address, and e-mail address. Abstracts should be sent to Julian C. Chambliss: jchambliss@rollins.edu Deadline for submission is December 1, 2013

Julian C. Chambliss Rollins College Email: jchambliss@rollins.edu

Hickman's Avengers

A quick post:

As part of the Marvel NOW! relaunching of the Avengers franchise, Jonathan Hickman offers an engaging rebirth of the Avengers team in the new Avengers title, and he comments in depth on his vision in a December 2012 interview on Newsarama at http://www.newsarama.com/10587-jonathan-hickman-brings-the-world-to-marvel-now-avengers.html.

So far. the series has been collected into two hardcover editions: Avenger's World and The Last White Event. The story thus far is reminiscent of aspects of Warren Ellis's oeuvre and offers, in part, an incorporation of Marvel's New Universe (last revived by Ellis) within the Marvel NOW! Marvel Universe. The collected editions include numbers 1 through 11 of the series and are an entertaining read, for the most part; however, the series falters a bit towards the end of volume 2 and grinds to a halt with the (apparently) unrelated and very mundane story in issue 11. Based on the ending, I'm not sure I'll pick up volume 3.

CFP Female Superheroes Collection (6/1/13)

Seems I'm forever catching up. I first saw this CFP in early March.

Female Superheroes Collection of Essays
Publication Date: 2013-06-01 (in 16 days)
Date Submitted: 2013-02-07
Announcement ID: 201167

From “A” like Aquagirl to “Z” like Zatana. More than 200 female superheroes have been around for the last 70 years. It all started with Fletcher Hanks's minor character Fantomah in the 1940s Fiction House’s Jungle Comics #2 and from that moment on the seal was broken. Female superhero after superhero made their appearances on paper as well as on screen. These female superheroes were simultaneously shaping and mirroring society; with the rise of second wave feminism some of these female characters changed as well. Suddenly, they could be more self-assured and more forceful; Marvel Girl transformed from an average superhero to the very powerful Phoenix. Later on, the years 2010/2011 witnessed a huge transformation in the graphic novels realms. Marvel, DC, and other publishers reinvented their superhero franchises; new alliances and relationships were formed, former friends became enemies and lovers who had been an item for decades were suddenly reassigned to other love interests. This new development in the graphic novel universes desperately calls for a close investigation.

Times have changed since the first comics became a mass medium in the 1920s. And while fans' opinions differ greatly about the advantages and disadvantages of these reboots, it must be acknowledged that this will not only be a very exciting, but also eye-opening time for laymen and scholars alike. What kind of changes will their beloved characters have to endure? How will these new superheroes be presented? Are they still going to mimic society or are they trying to push society to the next level? How should these reinterpretations be assessed? What is gained and what is lost, not only for these superheroes, but also for popular culture?

While DC started its revamp in September 2011, Marvel started his in spring 2012. This volume would focus on the reinvention of the female superheroes, and therefore, it will be the first of its kind.

This publication aims to examine these heroines in literature, art, and other media to question issues concerning sexuality, gender, identity, social change and feminism. It will provide an interdisciplinary stage for the development of innovative and creative research and examine this vital and complex female protagonist in all her various manifestations and cultural meanings.

What to Send:

300 - 500 word abstracts (or complete articles, if available) and CVs should be submitted by June 1, 2013. If an abstract is accepted for the collection, a full draft of the essay (5000 – 8000 words) will be required by December 1, 2013.

Abstracts and final articles should be submitted to: Nadine.Farghaly@gmx.net receipt of the abstracts will be send within one week. In case you do not receive an email, please resend your proposal.

Nadine Farghaly
Nadine.Farghaly@gmx.net
Email: nadine.farghaly@gmx.net