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Gaitanos, Georgios. "The Story of Comic Books: Political Propaganda or an Urban Religious Cult?." Perspectives on Storytelling. Framing Global and Personal Identities. Eds. Lena Möller, Minerva Ahumada and Laurinda Brown. Oxford: Inter-Disciplinary Pr. 2014. 293–302. 
Added by: joachim (27/03/2016, 15:12)   
Resource type: Book Chapter
Language: en: English
BibTeX citation key: Gaitanos2014
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Categories: General
Keywords: Myth, Propaganda, Religion, Superhero, USA
Creators: Ahumada, Brown, Gaitanos, Möller
Publisher: Inter-Disciplinary Pr. (Oxford)
Collection: Perspectives on Storytelling. Framing Global and Personal Identities
Views: 14/673
Attachments   URLs   https://www.academ ... ban_religious_cult
Abstract
This chapter focuses on the myth of the superheroes of comic books and their comparison with the heroes of ancient mythologies. The chapter addresses the way in which the ‘adoration’ of superheroes is used by new generations to grapple with political and social expediency. A mythical frame was shaped around the superheroes, as they sought to resolve the problems of society by applying liberal ideas and proposals. Thus, the story of the superheroes constituted, most of the times, a political tool and was used differently from political powers. One should always keep in mind the intention/ideology/author hidden behind the curtain, because a mythical story can link a society or a state, but it can also divide it. So, these kinds of mythical stories can bring peace and social stability or instability. At the same time, through the chapter, I will examine the way in which the superheroes of the comic books could constitute a taxonomic category for the historian of religions as a part of an ‘urban religion’, differentiated to a large extent from the characteristics and the cult practices of organised religions.
  
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