Up, Up, and Away:
The American Superhero
What do you think of when you
say “superhero”?
Let’s begin with a KWL chart.
• Everyone get out a sheet of notebook paper
and create 3 equal columns sideways.
• Label the following columns:
What I Already Know
What I Want to Learn
What I Learned from the Unit
WHERE DID SUPERHEROES COME
FROM?
The Origin
• The American Superhero was first invented in
the 1930s.
• It grew out of the pulp detective and
adventure novels that were common at the
time.
• “Pulps” come from the cheap paper stock that
they were printed on.
• The first detective pulp was Nick Carter (not
the boy-band guy) series in 1886.
The Pulp Detectives
• They were “hard-boiled.”
• They rescued damsels and beat
up mobsters, “sickos”, and
cultists.
• 1920’s The Black Mask brought
the stereotypical “bareknuckles” detective that would
later inspire the Humphrey
Bogart’s character in The
Maltese Falcon.
• In the 1960s, James Bond-type
spies took over the pulps.
Tarzan
• The first superstar of the pulps was Tarzan
(1912’s All Story).
• Lord Greystoke, lost heir of a rich family, is
marooned as an infant in the jungle after a
mutiny at sea.
• It’s popularity
launched a large
movie franchise.
The 1930’s: We need a hero!
• During the Depression, Americans were looking
for a hero.
• Mobsters (Al Capone, for example) brought
violence to the city streets during Prohibition.
• The illegal alcohol trade and gambling
encouraged corruption and graft in the politicians
of the day.
• Americans were looking for someone to save the
day, but what kinds of heroes would they want?
The Shadow
• Started as a radio host
• Became a great mystery story
character
• A detective & master of disguise
• Armed with twin .45 automatics
• Held secret knowledge.
– Tibetan magic/mystic skill: “cloud
men’s minds”, creates illusions,
mind over matter.
1938 The Birth of Superman
Let’s go over some terms we need to
know.
Comic Book Terms
• Nemesis/Archenemy
• Story Arc
• Crossover
• Trade Paperback
• Origin
• Alter Ego
Literary Terms
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Archetype
Plot
Inference
Onomatopoeia
Dialogue
Symbolism
Monologue
Graphic Novel
Protagonist
Antagonist
Crisis
Tragic flaw
Comic Book Terms
• Nemesis- the main enemy of a hero, usually associated with the
hero’s origin story (Joker, Lex Luthor); synonym Archenemy
• Story Arc- a series of issues of a comic whose plots connect to each
other like chapters in a book usually limited to 4 to 6 issues.
• Crossover- an event in which characters from one comic, company
or “reality” run into characters from a different comic, company or
“reality.”
• Trade Paperback- a collection of issues of a comic book series
• Origin- the back story of a hero in which a hero’s tragic flaw or
source of his/her power is shown.
• Alter Ego- the other identity that a superhero keeps. For example,
Peter Parker is also Spiderman.
Literary Terms
• Archetype- the “blueprint” of the character in early
mythology.
• Plot- the series of events in a story.
• Inference- The skill a reader uses to draw conclusions
from clues given by the writer/artist; “to infer” is the
opposite of “to imply.”
• Onomatopoeia- words that imitate sounds.
• Dialogue- Words exchanged between two or more
characters.
• Symbolism- When something stands for something
else, as in a heart meaning love.
Literary Terms (Cont’d)
• Monologue- characters talk to themselves rather
than one another.
• Graphic Novel- a literary genre where pictures are
used with words to convey a message.
• Protagonist- the lead character in a work
• Antagonist- the opposing force against the lead
character; also called the foil.
• Crisis- the conflict that drives the plot
• Tragic Flaw- the weakness found in most heroes;
largely symbolic but can be literal.
How do you
read a comic
book?
• Comic books are read from up to down and left
to right like all English writing.
• Manga (Japanese Comics) are not read that way.
• Sometimes the conversation is layered because
the characters are speaking back and forth.
• Be attentive to what words are being used. Since
comic books have very few words, it is important
to see what carefully chosen words the author
has selected. The writing will be extremely clear
and concise.
• Examine the pictures first on a superficial level. Most
of the story will actually be told through the
graphics. Notice the characters, what they are
wearing, the setting and any action being depicted.
This will fill in some of the details left out of the text.
• Dig deeper into the picture. Notice the use of color,
shadowing and facial expressions. Think about
common images & symbols, such as
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white and light colors = good,
black and darker colors = bad,
smiles = happy feelings
frowns or eyebrows drawn in = sad feelings.
• Infer the transitions. You will need to examine
the next frame the same way you did the first,
then infer, or figure out, what details probably
tied the two together. Unlike a book or movie,
a comic is more of a snap shot portrayal of a
story that moves from frame to frame.
• Have fun. No matter how serious a comic
book seems, there will be subtle humor to
look for.