Synopses & Reviews
For over seventy-five years,and#160;Archieand#160;and the gang at Riverdale High have been Americaandrsquo;s most iconic teenagers, delighting generations of readers with their never-ending exploits. But despite their ubiquity,and#160;
Archieand#160;comics have been relatively ignored by scholarsandmdash;until now.and#160;
Twelve-Cent Archieand#160;is not only the first scholarly study of theand#160;Archieand#160;comic, it is an innovative creative work in its own right. Inspired byand#160;Archieandrsquo;sand#160;own concise storytelling format, renowned comics scholar Bart Beaty divides the book into a hundred short chapters, each devoted to a different aspect of theand#160;Archieand#160;comics. Fans of the comics will be thrilled to read in-depth examinations of their favorite characters and motifs, including individual chapters devoted to Jugheadandrsquo;s hat and Archieandrsquo;s sweater-vest. But the book also has plenty to interest newcomers to Riverdale, as it recounts the behind-the-scenes history of the comics and analyzes howand#160;Archieand#160;helped shape our images of the American teenager.and#160;
As he employs a wide range of theoretical and methodological approaches, Beaty reveals that theand#160;Archieand#160;comics themselves were far more eclectic, creative, and self-aware than most critics recognize. Equally comfortable considering everything from the representation of racial diversity to the semiotics of Veronicaandrsquo;s haircut,and#160;Twelve-Cent Archieand#160;gives a fresh appreciation for Americaandrsquo;s most endearing group of teenagers.and#160;
Review
andquot;In his erudite and fascinating study, Hoberek reveals how Watchmen, that singularity at the heart of the comic canon, rewrote our literary categories and why its disturbing visions of Apocalyptic American Superpowers continue to haunt readers decades after it first appeared.andquot;
Review
andquot;This is a smart, authoritative, and nuanced book, operating at a highly sophisticated level while still remaining accessible to a wide range of readersandmdash;a true knockout punch.andquot;
Review
andquot;Considering Watchmen is every conversation youandrsquo;ve ever had about the legendary comic, straightened out and smartened up to the point that you rediscover its original force.andquot;
Review
andquot;Filled with engaging close readings of various Wonder Woman texts, Wonder Woman fills an important gap in superhero comics studies.andquot;
Review
andquot;Zounds! Who knew the wonders of Wonder Womanand#39;s sadomasochistic complexities? If you only know the TV show, get ready for the ropes and lassoes and chains of the 40and#39;s comics as examined by Noah Berlatsky. Be sure to buy the e-book to see the original images in glorious color!andquot;
Review
andquot;In this smart and engaging book, Noah Berlatsky reveals howand#160;psychology, polyamory, bondage, feminism, and queer identities inspired comic booksand#39; most enduring superheroine. A fascinating read for anyone interested in comics, pop culture, or gender politics!andquot;
Review
andquot;Whether youandrsquo;re interested in the differences between Harry Luceyandrsquo;s Archie and Bob Montanaandrsquo;s, or simply haunted by the signifying structure that is Betty Cooperandrsquo;s ponytail, thereandrsquo;s something here for everyone whoandrsquo;s ever read an Archie comic.andquot;
Review
andquot;Hoberek examines [Watchmen] from a variety of angles, crafting a well-written and well-argued series of interlocking theses. The focus on one work and dedication to formal discourse will appeal greatly to students of literature and philosophy as well as fans of serious deconstructions of popular culture.andquot;
Review
andquot;Berlatsky can always be counted on to show us new facets of what he examines, in fact, to show that the facets are part of a whole shape heretofore unperceived.andquot;
Review
andquot;Insightful...Berlatsky examines some of the most complex and controversial aspects of Wonder Woman. The analysis is solid, the research is thorough, and the conclusions are valid.andquot;
Review
andquot;Wonder Woman [is] engaging and entertaining.andquot;
Review
andquot;An engaging read from start to finish, and Berlatskyandrsquo;s love of Golden Age Wonder Woman comics comes through on every page.andquot;
Review
andquot;The research is astonishing. The dedication is breathtaking. And the fact that this would actually be usable as a college textbook in either a womenandrsquo;s literature, comic history, or even pop culture class is awesome.andquot;
Review
andquot;Berlatsky, the editor of Hooded Utilitarian (a comics and culture site), has written a work filled with deep scholarly insights on the history and politics of Wonder Womanand#39;s creator, as well as a larger examination of the histories, lifestyles and personal ethos that gave rise to one of popular cultureand#39;s most powerful figures.andquot;
Review
andquot;Hoberek offers a scholarly approach toand#160;Alanand#160;Moore and David Gibsonand#39;sand#160;
Watchmen as a graphic novel, looking at elements most are aware of on an almost subconscious level. The author focuses onand#160;how
Watchmen reached iconic status and on how itand#160;can be used as a touchstone for applying techniques from cultural studies, art studies, and literary studies to the emergent genre of the graphic novel. Overall, Hoberek does an outstanding job of injecting these fields, in addition to economics and history, into this slim overview ofand#160;
Watchmen. Detailed endnotes and a useful bibliography are the icing on the cake. Recommended.andquot;
Review
andquot;Noah Berlatsky took a deep dive into the marriage of psychology and artwork that is [William] Marstonandrsquo;s enduring pop culture impact.andquot;
Review
andquot;Assiduously researched and carefully written...
Considering Watchmen should be regarded as essential reading for any critic interested in the evolution of late twentieth-century print fiction.andquot;
Review
andquot;Funny, insightful, and perfectly paced, this is a highly enjoyable volume of criticism, one that would be equally at home in the ivory tower or by the porcelain throne.andquot;
Review
andquot;Berlatsky does a dazzling and remarkably accessible reading of the 1940s Wonder Woman comics against some of the heavyweights of modern feminist theoryandmdash;Judith Butler, Luce Irigaray, Shulamith Firestone, Julia Kristeva, Susan Brownmiller.andquot;
Review
andquot;[Berlatsky] combs the verbal and visual texts to show how Marston and Peter conveyed their unique notions of liberation through bondage, submission, and the glorification of lesbian sexuality while simultaneously linking these ideas to feminism and freedom.andquot;
Review
andquot;For readers interested in the history and form of comics as art, Beaty offers analyses of visual humour, borderless panels and the central authors and illustrators of this era. Twelve-Cent Archie will satisfy cultural critics, Archie fans and comics fans more broadly ... This book is as fun and satisfying as reading an Archie digest.andquot;
Synopsis
In this groundbreaking new study, Andrew Hoberek examines Alan Moore and Dave Gibbonsandrsquo;s landmark comic book series
Watchmen from a variety of angles: as an artistic achievement, as a political statement, and as a self-conscious piece of intellectual property. He not only provides a historical context for appreciating how innovative
Watchmen was in the 1980s, but also demonstrates the continued influence it has exerted on both comics and literature as a whole.and#160;
Synopsis
and#160;Alan Moore and Dave Gibbonsandrsquo;s
Watchmen has been widely hailed as a landmark in the development of the graphic novel. It was not only aesthetically groundbreaking but also anticipated future developments in politics, literature, and intellectual property.and#160;
Demonstrating a keen eye for historical detail, Considering Watchmen gives readers a new appreciation of just how radical Moore and Gibbonsandrsquo;s blend of gritty realism and formal experimentation was back in 1986. The book also considers Watchmenandrsquo;s place in the history of the comics industry, reading the graphic novelandrsquo;s playful critique of superhero marketing alongside Alan Mooreandrsquo;s public statements about the rights to the franchise. Andrew Hoberek examines how Moore and Gibbons engaged with the emerging discourses of neoconservatism and neoliberal capitalism, ideologies that have only become more prominent in subsequent years.and#160;
Watchmenandrsquo;s influences on the superhero comic and graphic novel are undeniable, but Hoberek reveals how it has also had profound effects on literature as a whole. He suggests that Watchmen not only proved that superhero comics could rise to the status of literatureandmdash;it also helped to inspire a generation of writers who are redefining the boundaries of the literary, from Jonathan Lethem to Junot Dandiacute;az. Hoberek delivers insight and analysis worthy of satisfying serious readers of the genre while shedding new light on Watchmen as both an artistic accomplishment and a book of ideas.and#160;
Synopsis
William Marston was an unusual manandmdash;a psychologist, a soft-porn pulp novelist, more than a bit of a carny, and the (self-declared) inventor of the lie detector. He was also the creator of Wonder Woman, the comic where he expressed two of his greatest passions: feminism and women in bondage. Noah Berlatsky takes us on a wild ride through the Wonder Woman comics of the 1940s, showing how Marston and illustrator Harry Peter came together to create a fictional universe that celebrated female empowerment and queer sexualities.
Synopsis
William Marston was an unusual manandmdash;a psychologist, a soft-porn pulp novelist, more than a bit of a carny, and the (self-declared) inventor of the lie detector. He was also the creator ofand#160;
Wonder Woman, the comic that he used to express two of his greatest passions: feminism and women in bondage.and#160;
Comics expert Noah Berlatsky takes us on a wild ride through theand#160;Wonder Womanand#160;comics of the 1940s, vividly illustrating how Marstonandrsquo;s many quirks and contradictions, along with the odd disproportionate composition created by illustrator Harry Peter, produced a comic that was radically ahead of its time in terms of its bold presentation of female power and sexuality. Himself a committed polyamorist, Marston created a universe that was friendly to queer sexualities and lifestyles, from kink to lesbianism to cross-dressing. Written with a deep affection for the fantastically pulpy elements of the earlyand#160;Wonder Womancomics, from invisible jets to giant multi-lunged space kangaroos, the book also reveals how the comic addressed serious, even taboo issues like rape and incest.and#160;
Wonder Woman: Bondage and Feminism in the Marston/Peter Comicsand#160;1941-1948and#160;reveals how illustrator and writer came together to create a unique, visionary work of art, filled with bizarre ambition, revolutionary fervor, and love, far different from the action hero symbol of the feminist movement many of us recall from television.
Synopsis
For over seventy-five years, Archie and the gang at Riverdale High have been Americaandrsquo;s most iconic teenagers. Yet they have been relatively ignored by scholarsandmdash;until now. Twelve-Cent Archie is both the first academic study of these comics and an innovative creative work in its own right. In a hundred short chapters, renowned comics scholar Bart Beaty takes us on a witty, eclectic tour of the Archie universe, addressing everything from the history of the American teenager to the mystery of Jugheadandrsquo;s hat.and#160;
About the Author
NOAH BERLATSKY is the editor of the comics and culture blog The Hooded Utilitarian. He has written on gender, comics, and culture for many publications, including Slate, Public Books, The Chicago Reader, Reason, The Comics Journal, The Baffler, and The Atlantic.
Table of Contents
The Twelve-Cent Archie
Intro
- How to Write (Archie) Comics
- Story Length
- The Archie Hierarchy
- Archie Andrews
- How Well Does Archie Speak French?
- Bowling
- Harry Luceyandrsquo;s Rhythm
- Veronica Lodge
- Riverdale, USA
- The Daily Strip
- Footnote
- andldquo;Why is it Always Between Archie and Reggie?andrdquo;
- Archieandrsquo;s Jalopy
- Itandrsquo;s as Easy as A-B-V
- United Girls Against Jughead
- Archieandrsquo;s Giant Series
- Invisible Paint
- Archie Comics Versus Art
- Betty Cooper
- Riverdaleandrsquo;s Racial Problem
- Fashion
- Bettyandrsquo;s Ponytail
- Self-Plagiarism
- Archieandrsquo;s Sweater Vest
- Jughead Jones
- Beatniks, Hippies, and Other Undesirables
- Dilton Doily
- Moose
- Reggie Mantle
- Jealousy
- andldquo;Are You Familiar With Shakespeare, My Young Ignoramus?andrdquo;
- andldquo;I Never Squeaked a Pip, Either!andrdquo;
- Jugheadandrsquo;s Hat
- Fantastic Elements
- Archieandrsquo;s Joke Book
- Often Imitated, Never Duplicated
- The Historical Archie
- Mutually Assured Destruction
- Betty = Veronica
- Head Over Heels
- Mr. Weatherbee
- Caveman Archie
- Life With Archie
- What is the Zip Code for Riverdale?
- Cover Art
- Fairy Godmothers
- Dan DeCarloandrsquo;s Foreground Portraits
- Archie as an Adventure Comic
- Text Pieces
- Previously on Archie
- Notes for the Norton Anthology
- Archie : Arch : Archiekins
- Eep! Omigosh! And Other Unusual Contributions to the Language of Comics
- Archieandrsquo;s Black Book
- Laugh and Pep: The Residual Titles
- Pureheart the Powerful
- Errors
- Midge
- You Can Take the Boy Out of Riverdale . . .
- Archie Club News
- Veronicaandrsquo;s Mother
- Mr. Lodge
- Bettyandrsquo;s Parents
- Jingles
- Liandrsquo;l Jinx
- Archieandrsquo;s Gender Politics
- Should Archie Marry Betty or Veronica?
- Big Ethel
- The Mayor of Riverdale
- Worst. Archie. Story. Ever.
- Archie the Klutz
- Celebrity Culture
- Jugheadandrsquo;s Dipsy Doodles
- Imitation is the Lowest Form of Flattery
- Surf and Ski
- Samm Schwartzandrsquo;s Art
- Self-Referential Meta-Fictions
- Riverdale High
- Who Cut Veronicaandrsquo;s Hair?
- Little Archie
- Credits
- Juvenile Delinquency
- Teenese
- The Archies
- Pop Tateandrsquo;s Choklit Shoppe
- Unusual Panels
- Smithers
- The Archie Archive
- Fads and Fashions
- Borderless Panels
- A Comic About Nothing
- Fred (and Mary) Andrews
- The Banjo in Archie Comics
- Wordless Stories, or Nearly So
- Hot Dog
- Dan DeCarloandrsquo;s Split Horizon Girl
- The (Nearly) Perfect Archie Story
- The Myth of Archie
- Archie and Me