The Superhero costume : Identity and disguise in fact and fiction

Author

• Brownie, Barbara

Additional Author(s)

• Graydon, Danny

Publisher

London: Bloomsbury Academic, 2021

Language

English

ISBN

9781474260114

Series

Subject(s)

• IDENTITY (PSYCHOLOGY)
• POPULAR CULTURE
• SUPERHEROES

Notes

. .

Abstract

Costume defines the superhero, disguising and distinguishing him or her from the civilian alter ego. The often garish garb expresses a hero’s otherness and empowers its wearers to seek a primal form of justice.

This book provides the first interdisciplinary analysis of the superhero costume and investigates wide-ranging issues such as identity, otherness, ritual dress and disguise. Analysis focuses on the implications of wearing superhero costume, exploring interpretations of the costumed hero and the extent to which the costume defines his or her role. Using examples across various media (comic books, film, and television) with case studies including The X-Men, Watchmen, real-life superheroes such as Phoenix Jones and Pussy Riot, and audience activities such as cosplay, The Superhero Costume presents new perspectives on the increasingly popular genre.

A lively and thorough account of superhero fashions throughout history, The Superhero Costume will be essential reading for students of visual culture, popular culture, fashion and cultural studies.

Physical Dimension

Number of Page(s)

1 online resource (xii, 170 p.)

Dimension

-

Other Desc.

ill.

Summary / Review / Table of Content

Superman: codifying the superhero wardrobe --
Identity, role and the mask --
Evolution and adaptation: form versus function --
Wearing the flag: patriotism and globalization --
Dressing up, dressing down: a spectacle of otherness, and the ordinariness of the civilian alter-ego --
Channelling the beast --
Superheros and the fashion of being unfashionable --
Superhero cosplay --
Real-life superheroes --
Watchmen --
Iron Man --
The X-Men.

Exemplar(s)

#	Accession No.	Call Number	Location	Status
1.	01576/21	391 Bro S	Online !	Available