“Demanding Respectis a solid, well-researched social history of the comic book in North America—detailed, thorough, and well-written. Theoretically sophisticated, it moves beyond the existing emphasis on fan culture to encompass the entire comic book art world. This is a valuable contribution to the literature on American popular culture.”—Laura Grindstaff, Associate Professor in the Department of Sociology at the University of California, Davis
Paul Lopesis Associate Professor of Sociology at Colgate University. He is the author ofThe Rise of a Jazz Art World.
Acknowledgments
Introduction: The Evolution of the American Comic Book
1. The Early Industrial Age I: Pulp Logic and the Rise of the American Comic Book
2. The Early Industrial Age II: The Crusade Against Comic Books and the End of the Comic Book Boom
3. The Late Industrial Age: The Return of the Superhero and the First Comic Book Rebellion
4. From the Late Industrial to the Heroic Age: Comic Book Fandom and the Mainstream Pulp Rebellion
5. The Heroic Age II: Alternative Comics and a Rebellion from the Margins
6. The Heroic Age III: New Movements, Winning Respect, and the Rise of the Graphic Novel
Conclusion: The Development of an Art Form
Notes
Index
How is it that comic books—the once reviled form of lowbrow popular culture—are now the rage for Hollywood blockbusters, the basis for bestselling video games, and the inspiration for literary graphic novels? InDemanding Respect,Paul Lopes immerses himself in the discourse and practices of this art and subculture to provide a social history of the American comic book over the last 75 years.
Lopes analyzes the cultural production, reception, and consumption of American comic books throughout American history. He charts the rise of superheroes, the proliferation of l#l
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