CFP: The Ages of the Avengers (collection; Jan. 15)

CFP - Collection:

The Ages of the Avengers:

Essays on the Earth’s Mightiest Heroes

in Changing Times

Edited by Joseph J. Darowski

Publisher: McFarland & Company

The editor of The Ages of the Avengers: Essays on the Earth’s Mightiest Heroes in Changing Times is seeking abstracts for essays which could potentially be included in the upcoming collection. The essays should examine the relationships between Avengers comic books and the period of American history when those comics were published. Analysis may demonstrate how the stories found in Avengers comic books (and the creators who produced the comics) embrace, reflect, or critique aspects of their contemporary culture.

Essays should focus on stories from the Avengers’ 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 Avengers 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 Avengers comic books from the 1970s with Avengers comic books from the 1990s. Any of the spin-off Avengers titles or mini-series that focus on teams (West Coast Avengers, Young Avengers, Mighty Avengers) can be considered, but solo titles that feature members of the Avengers (Iron Man, Captain America, Thor)should not be used as the primary focus of an essay. The completed essays should be 12-15 double-spaced pages.

Some possible topics for essays include, but are not limited to, the following:

“Captain America Joins…the Avengers”: The World War II Hero Encounters a New Generation of Americans; The Kree/Skrull War: Conspiracies, Government Agencies, and Public Protests; The Avengers/Defenders War: Just What Are We Fighting this War for Anyway?; Korvac Saga: Gods, Religion, and Faith on the Comic Book Page; Affirmative Action and Tokenism: Falcon Takes a Stand by Leaving the Avengers; Race and Gender Issues on Superhero Teams: Captain Marvel and Team Leadership; “The War on Olympus” and Guilt for Collateral Damage; “Operation: Galactic Storm” and Proactive Versus Reactive Philosophies to Potential Threats; Avengers Forever: Questions of Time, History, and Meaning at the Turn of the Century; “Ultron Unlimited” and the Fear of Evolving Technology; “Red Zone”: Hidden Threats Right in Front of Our Eyes; The Ultimates: Fashioning Earth’s Mightiest Heroes for a New Millenium; “Breakout”: Rebooting a Franchise for Blockbuster Audiences; Young Avengers and Avengers Academy: Addressing Homosexuality in Superhero Comic Books; The Uncivil Debate Within of Marvel’s Civil War; Dark Avengers: Are There Good Guys Anymore?

Abstracts (100-500 words) and CVs should be submitted by January 15, 2013
Please submit via email to Joseph Darowski, darowskij@byui.edu

Assembled! 2: Earth's Mightiest Heroes and Villains

Here's the press release for a new book on the Marvel Comics super-team The Avengers, edited by "Friend of the Blog" Van Allen Plexico. ASSEMBLED! 2
Earth’s Mightiest Heroes and Villains

The Jarvis Heads are back with another humorous and insightful look at Marvel Comics’ Avengers and their foes in ASSEMBLED! 2 – Earth’s Mightiest Heroes and Villains.

Sequel to the very successful ASSEMBLED! and an intensive examination of all things Avengers, this book focuses on the "Big Three"-- Thor, Iron Man, and Captain America-- plus the "Big Two" villains, Ultron and Kang! What makes each of them tick? How have their relationships toward one another evolved over the years, through events such as the Kree-Skrull War or Civil War? What might become of the Big Three in the future?

Additional chapters look at the recent IRON MAN movie plus YOUNG AVENGERS, AVENGERS FOREVER and more. And to top it all off, Marvel Executive Editor Tom Brevoort supplies a fascinating and quite surprising introduction.

The Jarvis Heads combine insightful analysis with humor and sometimes surprising opinions for a total package that will both inform and entertain—and the profits go to the HERO Initiative charity for retired comics pros!

Written by the Jarvis Heads of AvengersAssemble.net, created and edited by Van Allen Plexico, and with an introduction by Marvel Comics Executive Editor Tom Brevoort.

Cover by Anthony Schiavino
Book design by Danny Wall
Asst. Editor Joe Crowe.

Diamond Previews order number:
SEP091067 ASSEMBLED 2 GT EARTHS MIGHTIEST HEROES & FOES SC

A White Rocket Book. For more information, visit http://www.whiterocketbooks.com