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Superhero Costumes: A Detail Analysis


cosmicarus

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  • 3 weeks later...
Posted

Nothing will be perfect as the costume on the comic page, true. That said, thousand dollar costumes come close enough for the effect. What is the effect? Awe. When you see people going 'DAM!' and snapping hundreds of pictures of you row after row of gawkers at a convention, you know you have achieved awe.

Costumes I would like for cons:

Firefly Cosmop World Generic

Grendel Khan

Grendel Prime

Generic Xman (comics not movies plzkthx!)

Babylon 5 (Psicorp or B5 Security)

DS9/Fed

  • 3 weeks later...
Posted

I've been meaning to comment on this one.

I enjoyed the essay but the one thing that entered my mind is how Freudian the analysis becomes two-thirds the way through. He writes:

But in fact the superhero’s costume often functions as a kind of magic screen onto which the repressed narrative may be projected. No matter how well he or she hides its traces, the secret narrative of transformation, of rebirth, is given up by the costume. Sometimes this secret is betrayed through the allusion of style or form: Robin’s gaudy uniform hints at the murder of his circus-acrobat parents, Iron Man’s at the flawed heart that requires a life-support device, which is the primary function of his armor.

Freud stated that repressed drives are sublimated into other activities, like creative work. In this case, the superhero costume articulates trauma or anxiety. There are other points in the essay that relate to Freud but I hesitate to express them given the nature of this community. :oops:

That's my two cents.

Posted

The analysis of film and fiction tends to get pretty Freudian, which kind of annoys me, especially horror film analysis :roll:

Personally, I've always prefered Jung; He's more artisitically inclined, draws upon folklore and mythological sources, and has a more positive tone in general (Freud can get pretty dire).

Posted

Jung is a lovely read, especially his thoughts on love at first sight, but unfortunately I'm more attuned to Freud. He was a prevelant figure in my college education. Whereas I agree Jung is far more anthropological and optimistic, Freud is great for critically-minded discourses. Civilization and Its Discontents remains my favourite work of Freud's and a startling critique of modernism.

I should be reading more Jung, especially before I go to sleep. :)

Posted

I need to read more Freud (and Jung, for that matter), but I find him somewhat negative and simplistic, not unlike BF Skinner, even though I think they both have a lot to teach us. Personally, I'm more of an Adlerian myself ;)

*shows of his fancy-schmancy college learnin'*

Posted

But Skinner is the king of the behavourists! He's the reason why workplaces are so efficient! :D

I'm kidding, I rather like behavourism. Though operant conditioning has terrifying social implications (moderating behaviour for whose benefit, exactly?) but if you want to stop biting your nails or whatever it works like a charm. Adler, on the other hand, I'm not familiar with at all.

Interesting how the discussion moved from superhero costumes to psychology. :)

Posted

I'm kidding, I rather like behavourism. Though operant conditioning has terrifying social implications (moderating behaviour for whose benefit, exactly?) but if you want to stop biting your nails or whatever it works like a charm. Adler, on the other hand, I'm not familiar with at all.

William James FTW! :D

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