Comic Con Research Articles

Geek nostalgia: The reflective and restorative defence of white male geek culture

During recent decades, geek culture has become increasingly visible, and the geek has left the cultural margins, becoming more popular than ever. At the same time, nostalgia has emerged as a central component of geek culture. Framed by a post-structural understanding of gender and race and drawing on cultural theorist Svetlana Boym’s distinction between reflective and restorative nostalgia, this article explores how and why geeks nostalgically long for a time when they were largely marginalized. We combine readings of Swedish online geek podcasts and YouTube channels with ethnographic visits to geek conferences and pop-cultural “geek fairs,” such as Comic Con and SciFiWorld. We argue that geek nostalgia represents a clinging on to a “constitutive wound,” allowing the geek figure to mobilize masculine victimhood in ways that simultaneously underpin geek privilege and allow the geek to continue operating as a white male gatekeeper of geek culture.

Recreating, remodeling and expanding the Game of Thrones universe through cosplay

Game of Thrones is a widely popular series which has been at the center of media attention not only due to its quality and widespread fandom, but also for its highly controversial representations of sexuality, violence, women and diversity. This article explores how cosplayers address these representations through their practices. Through ethnographic fieldwork and interviews, we study Game of Thrones cosplayers’ behavior at The MCM London Comic Con in 2016 and 2017. Our results show that when at conventions, Game of Thrones cosplayers not only recreate but also remodel and expand the fictional universe beyond the limits of the franchise.

Sovereign Traces, Volume 1: Not (Just) (An)Other ed. by Gordon Henry Jr. and Elizabeth LaPensée (review)

Reviewed by: Sovereign Traces, Volume 1: Not (Just) (An)Other ed. by Gordon Henry Jr. and Elizabeth LaPensée Lee Francis IV (bio) Sovereign Traces, Volume 1: Not (Just) (An)Other edited by Gordon Henry Jr. and Elizabeth LaPensée University of Manitoba Press, 2018 SCOTT MCCLOUD, the illustrator and comic book scholar describes the term "interdependent" in his seminal work Understanding Comics: The Invisible Art (1993). He states that the best work in comics happens when words and images synchronize to convey something that neither can do separately. Interdependence is, essentially, the magic that happens when words and pictures come together. It's a fitting term to use when thinking about one of the first Indigenous literary graphic anthologies. Sovereign Traces is the culmination of several years of work by James Sinclair, Gordon Henry Jr., and Elizabeth LaPensée. The anthology features the work of nine Native literary luminaries and runs the creative spectrum from werewolves to Deer Woman to an unfortunate trickster. Each of the writers was partnered with an illustrator tasked with a tall order of bringing each of the works into the sequential graphic medium. To this end, Sovereign Traces is a rousing success. As McCloud articulates, the best sequential illustration work comes when the words and pictures build upon each other to create a synthesis that conveys a greater meaning beyond what is contained in the story or the art itself. If each of the works in the anthology remained only as words on a page, they would still shine with energy and articulation. The synthesis of words and illustrations elevates this work to something more luminous. The lead story is a black and white tale of after-school terror from the master of Indigenous horror, Stephen Graham Jones. As the opener for the anthology, Jones's story is a great way to warm up the reader with sly humor and solid illustrations (by Delicia Williams). As the anthology continues, the interplay between art and words is clearly evident in "Ice Tricksters" by Gerald Vizenor. Ever the Trickster, Vizenor's work is masterfully illustrated by GMB Chomichuk, who brings texture and deeper meaning to the meta-narratives that are a hallmark of Vizenor's scholarship and fiction. For example, there is a brilliant moment when a character lies down on the text. Over the next few panels, the text box shrinks, and the character changes positions in response to the shrinking text in a way that is both subtle and striking. The playful nature of these illustrations breaks the fourth wall and allows more [End Page 131] insight into the text itself. Near the end of the anthology, comic veteran Weshoyot Alvitre creates some of the most powerful imagery in the volume including a portrait of Poet Laureate Joy Harjo that truly captures the poetic soul of one of the finest writers of our age. The other pieces in the anthology are no less powerful and build on themes of resilience and empowerment. As each work individually achieves cohesion through interdependence so too does the anthology as a whole, as each story weaves and connects to the others, shining a positive light on the series' editors, Henry Jr. and LaPensée. The editors deftly allow the anthology to breathe and develop into something greater than the sum of its parts. Since time immemorial, Indigenous peoples have understood the importance of interdependence. The multitude of stories that speak of weavings and webs attests to the importance sovereign people placed on the connections between all things in all of Creation. As an example of Indigenous philosophical understandings, Sovereign Traces Volume 1 is a beautiful visual articulation of Indigenous ways of being and knowing and should be on the list for any lover of Indigenous literature, comics, and philosophy. You can find Sovereign Traces, Volume 1 at Red Planet Books and Comics or online through Michigan State University Press. [End Page 132] Lee Francis LEE FRANCIS IV is the CEO/Publisher for Red Planet Books and Comics, the only Native American comic shop in the world, and the founder of the Indigenous Comic Con. Copyright © 2022 Regents of the University of Minnesota

The dimensions of experience economy and its reflections on the participants' emotions of the Comic Con Experience (CCXP)

The dimensions of experience economy and its reflections on the participants' emotions of the Comic Con Experience (CCXP)

The Impact of Popular Culture Fandom on the Quality of Life of Visitors to Comic Con Africa 2019

This study aimed to establish the effects that travel motives and life domains have on visitors’ quality-of-life. Based on the setting, a convenience sampling technique was used in which fieldworkers administered the questionnaire to visitors at Comic Con Africa 2019. Data from 433 (N) completed questionnaires were captured regarding their travel motives, life domains, life domains overall, and quality-of-life affect, and analysed. A structural equation modelling analysis indicated a positive linear relationship between the visitors’ travel motives, life domains measured, life domains overall, and quality-of-life; all of which attained good composite reliabilities. The findings indicate that travel motives have an influence on visitors’ life domains, positive and negative, relevant to their perceived importance. Overall, a visit to this pop culture event had a positive effect on visitors’ quality-of-life. Based on the visitor demographics, social media marketing should be aimed at niche lifestyle aspects that are most enticing to visitor’s pop culture life. The approach would most likely appeal to the markets’ higher-order needs, which could increase visitor numbers and help improve their quality-of-life overall. This research opened the door to the new pop culture life domain, and contributes to the literature and methodology in tourism, life domains and quality-of-life.

ПОПУЛЯРНА КУЛЬТУРА США В ДЗЕРКАЛІ КОНВЕНЦІЙ ВІДЕОІГРОВОЇ ІНДУСТРІЇ

Video game culture is one of the most dynamically developed forms of modern popular culture. Over the past 10 years, the number of communities that represent certain areas has grown rapidly. Being in direct connection with film industry, literature and music the video game culture has occupied a new segment that requires detailed research. New opportunities of online communication have transformed the traditional understanding of gaming culture. Social segment identifies as gamers. This kind of culture can be used to spread a social message using human interactions. It should be noted that in a comprehensive sense, this problem covers the interaction with computer and algorithm art, artmedia, demoscene, cybernetic and digital art, evolutionary and generative art, new media, systems art and other areas which are represented in PC, VR, Console, Handheld, Tabletop. Communities of gamers, as well as game developers have created and promoting quite recognizable festivals and conventions which are described in this article. Games and game-related merchandise by Sony Interactive Entertainment – PlayStation Experience; BlizzCon by Blizzard Entertainment with their major franchises: Overwatch, Warcraft, StarCraft, Heroes of the Storm et al; general video gaming and video game streaming – TwitchCon convention; RTX conventions by Rooster Teeth; Penny Arcade Expo as gaming culture festivals with their PAX Arena, LAN Party, eSports tournament and Omegathon. This article does not describe the US comic con conventions that carry much more content than the focus on video games, such as San Diego Comic-Con International, New York Comic Con et al. Gamers have developed specific communication languages and rituals, they spread their culture on gaming conventions and discussion websites that create a distinct virtual space. An important part of video game culture is the activity of gamers on YouTube, gaming channels are very popular, this is confirmed by millions of subscribers. Post-dynamic structure of changes was formed in all streams of public life during the growth of the pandemic. COVID-19 is accelerating existing trends and indicate future transformations in the video game industry.

(South) Africa’s online animation revolution: the case of Jonas Lekganyane’s The adventures of Noko Mashaba

ABSTRACT The staging of the first Comic Con Africa in Johannesburg, South Africa in September 2018, which was a sold out event, confirmed the progressive maturation of the comics industry in South Africa and Africa generally. Despite this welcomed advancement, the traditional printed comic book modality remains exclusionary for a majority of black South African comic artists interested in generating and publishing their own material. This paper is interested in how comic animations disseminated via the Internet have emerged as an alternative and redemptive practice for black South African comic artists seeking to insert their content into the creative industries mainstream. Through a reading of Jonas Lekganyane’s The adventures of Noko Mashaba animated series, I show how black South African comic artists have, through online and virtual platforms, circumvented the difficult to access comics publishing terrain in South Africa – and the rest of Africa generally – to contribute much needed creative plurality related to imaging of contemporary Africanity. The online animations have also cultivated a new cyber-space-based fan culture within South Africa’s comics landscape.

Queering Fandoms from the Periphery? A Conversation between Queer Fan Event Organizers in Mexico and the Philippines

Queering Fandoms from the Periphery?A Conversation between Queer Fan Event Organizers in Mexico and the Philippines Fen Garza (bio), Kristene Michelle Santos (bio), and James Welker (bio) James Welker: To get things started, please give us a brief overview of your events and your roles in them. Kristene Michelle Santos: I'm one of the founding organizers of Lights Out, in 2004—called BLush since 2012. Lights Out was the first BL convention not just in the Philippines but in Southeast Asia. We usually hold BLush in a convention space in Metro Manila that can accommodate around 600 attendees plus around 100 circles, exhibitors, and guests, in contrast with the just over 100 people, including organizers, who attended the first event. In recent years, we've held the event in July or August to accommodate the schedules of speakers and guests. In 2020, since August 1 will be on a Saturday, BLush will be held on and celebrating "Yaoi no Hi," that is, "yaoi day." "Yaoi," of course, is an alternative Japanese pronunciation of the numbers 801. BLush was founded by a group of friends, including myself, who are very fond of BL. There are three of us from that group who have remained since the beginning, and, along with seven more people, we actively plan the logistics, collaterals, theme, and activities of each event. As a specifically BL event, we encourage participating circles and exhibitors to have at least 60 percent BL-related merchandise. The event's notion of BL-related merchandise is quite loose, however. As long as items they sell are original BL or feature "ships" (relationships pairing of characters) that a circle is interested in—even if the romantic or sexual relationships between them are not explicit—they've satisfied that requirement. So, the event often captures the pulse of fandom as circles produce fan merchandise—ranging from illustration cards and acrylic keychains to stickers and so on—for popular series. What's popular naturally differs from year to year. More often than [End Page 119] not, BL fan merchandise related to anime and manga that is most popular. There is always a handful of merchandise on sale that's related to Anglophone media and fandoms such as Marvel and DC series and English-language films and TV series—but this all also depends on the kinds of series released in a year and their popularity. Last year, we had a couple of fans who made fan merchandise, colloquially called "fan merch," based on K-pop, Thai BL, and danmei [Chinese BL] ships. We hope to continue creating with artists and general participants an increasingly diverse fan space, encouraging different forms of BL as we move forward. Fen Garza: Along with Julio Juaristi, I created Oops Summer Fest in Monterrey in 2015. I currently run it primarily by myself with a closely-knit staff of five and around thirty volunteers. Oops was the first yaoi fan event in Mexico, and when we broadened our focus in 2017 it became the first LGBT comic con in the country. The event started off as mainly focused on yaoi/BL but from the beginning we knew we wanted to open up to other genres not represented at local conventions. Our first event, however, was held the same day as FujoshiCon was first held in Chile. I believe that makes Oops and FujoshiCon the first two BL events in Latin America. Oops is held each year in early September, the last weekend of summer. From the beginning we have held it at Cintermex, Monterrey's main convention center, which has plenty of space to host the roughly 1200 attendees and 200 artists who've participated in the past couple years. BL is very big in Mexico, especially original Japanese BL, as well as all the derivative works based on non-BL media, like fan art, fan fic, and so forth. However, in recent years we've seen more content based on western animation and Chinese and Korean webcomics, as well as a dramatic surge in K-pop-inspired fan art. In the beginning, we expected somewhat more works based on American comics, namely DC and Marvel, with the recent...

<em>Sakkai Muniyai</em>: A Look at Sri Lanka's First Sinhalese BL Manga

Sakkai MuniyaiA Look at Sri Lanka's First Sinhalese BL Manga Lakshmi Menon (bio) The Sri Lankan anime fan community, while small but active, is among the organizers of annual events such as Lanka Comic Con and Colombo Comic Expo. It has also proven to be a community that is supportive of the artists among them. Perhaps surprisingly, given Sri Lanka's cultural conservatism, this includes those who specialize in BL (boys love) themed original and fan art. As a result, Sri Lanka's BL artists have found space at events such as Lanka Comic Con to sell their art and meet like-minded members of the BL fan community, although for the most part they are yet to produce many original works. Sakkai Muniyai is a black-and-white Sinhalese-language webcomic drawn in a manga style by Sri Lankan artist Achintya Amarakoon.1 The work, which is hosted within photo albums on the Facebook page "Papadamn," debuted in 2018, and in October 2019 entered its second "season," complete with a full-color cover illustration (Figure 1). Unlike two English-language manga that Amarakoon posted on the tapas.io website,2 Sakkai Muniyai is not explicitly a BL work. However, the manga contains several elements of queerness within the narrative, and it is easy to understand how a reader familiar with BL could identify the dynamics of the genre in the relationship between the two protagonists. The plot draws heavily on elements of Sri Lankan myth. Sakkai Muniyai is the story of Sakka, or Shakra II, the son of the King of Gods, and Muniya, or Vesamuni II, the son of the King of Demons. In a subversion of tropes, the god Sakka is characterized as being willful, spoiled, and rather too violent, while the demon Muniya is too cowardly to be a demon. The two are sent to present-day Sri Lanka by their fathers so they can learn to behave as they are expected. The comic plays on many tropes that are common in fish-out-of-water narratives, as the gods try to navigate the complexities of human society while at the same time making commentary on the ground realities of contemporary Sri Lanka. The protagonists' lack of awareness of gender norms in particular, however, is noteworthy throughout this narrative. Most notably, they often perform gender in subversive ways and open up the text to queer [End Page 143] readings. Visually, Sakka and Muniya are both drawn in what might be called a bishōnen, or Japanese "beautiful boy," style, with the former being more feminine with softer features and (in his manifestation as a god) longer hair (Figure 2). This image is at odds with his brash, foul-mouthed, aggressive personality. Muniya, who in his demonic form is red skinned and sharp toothed, also fails to adhere to expectations of masculinity because he is "soft" and incapable of the violence that is expected of him as a demon prince. The theme of subversion is continued in the character of Muniya's sister, who is shown to be in a close relationship with a young woman whom she befriended during a time spent as an amnesiac in the human world. With Sri Lanka being a relatively conservative society and with the manga having a mixed readership, Sakkai Muniyai never goes so far as to explicitly state that the relationship between the main characters is a romantic one. However, the author does make it a point to drop hints as to their sexuality: both Sakka and Muniya are completely unaware of the romantic overtures that female characters make toward them, and at one point are visibly distraught when Kalu, a womanizing demon from Sri Lankan myth, takes them to spy on women bathing. The author also makes use of a number of traditional romance tropes that readers who are familiar with manga aesthetics will be able to identify. For instance, at the end of the first season of the manga, Sakka leaps in front of an enemy's blade and nearly dies trying to protect Muniya, leading to a dramatic, rage-filled reaction from the latter. In a post on Medium, Amarakoon revealed that the intention...

(Un)Conventional Voyages?—Star Trek: The Cruise and the Themed Cruise Experience

(Un)Conventional Voyages?—<i>Star Trek: The Cruise</i> and the Themed Cruise Experience

Comic Cons and Libraries: Opportunities for Patron Outreach

ABSTRACTComic books and graphic novels are a common part of public library collections. This research used quantitative survey methodologies to investigate the library-based behaviors and attitudes of attendees of a large metropolitan comic book convention. The intent is to provide context for librarians interested in patron outreach through comic cons. Results found that comic con attendees are library patrons, and provided clues for other types of outreach to related populations.

Putting the “Extra” in Extraordinary: Creating a Library Comic Con

I am a lady of many hats—children’s librarian by day, Renaissance faire rogue and comic con cosplay queen by night (and weekend). I was drawn to these activities not only because of my passion, but because of other people’s exuberance for the characters, the activities, and the stories. It’s something I see in the library all the time when children want to share stories about their hobbies or their new favorite book.That exuberance got me thinking—how could I share my weekend passions with my library patrons?

New Energy for Indian Comics: A Qualitative Study at Comic Con India

Based on more than thirty semi-structured interviews conducted at Comic Con India in New Delhi in December 2016, this article explores the current status and perception of comics in India from the point of view of different stakeholders including publishers, artists, scholars, and fans. Studies of Indian comics are comparatively scarce in the growing comics studies field apart from historical and cultural analyses, many of them focusing only on the most prolific publisher of Indian comics, Amar Chitra Katha. This research goes beyond those studies to understand how comics are being consumed in India, the ways they are used by casual readers and scholars alike, and what is at stake if Indian libraries and cultural institutions do not collect and preserve these materials. This research brings to comics studies an understanding of the cultural status and circulation of comics in India. It also establishes for library and information studies the relative urgency of the need to address barriers to popular culture preservation in India and investigates the role academic libraries abroad could play in addressing those issues.

Vital Kinships: A Conversation with Eric Gansworth &amp; Arigon Starr

70 WLT MAY–AUGUST 2017 Vital Kinships A Conversation with Eric Gansworth & Arigon Starr by Susan Bernardin A central yet surprisingly undernoted facet of Native arts production is its interrelationality. Whether innovating across genres or moving across expressive forms, many Native artists refuse to settle. In doing so, they make visible vital kinships between visual and verbal forms, between image and text. Arigon Starr, a comics artist and musician, and Eric Gansworth , a painter and writer, exemplify the dynamic multiplicity at the heart of contemporary Native aesthetics. This interview, begun with Arigon at the Indigenous Comic Con in Albuquerque and concluded via lively email exchanges, was fittingly interactive . Following Eric’s suggestions, I asked each of them different questions. They then shared their responses, prompting more exchanges. Our ensuing asynchronous conversations are represented in abridged form here. Although they have not yet met, Arigon and Eric found ample interconnections, both in their work and in their affinities for nerd culture and 1970s rock stars. Comic Origin Stories Susan Bernardin: Whether we define the comics medium in Scott McCloud’s words as “juxtaposed pictorial images and other images in deliberate sequence” or as a form of visual storytelling, it has proved a generative source for both of you. What role did reading and writing comics play in your development as an artist? What were its stylistic , narrative, or structural elements that appealed to you? In what ways have your tribal nations’ forms of visual storytelling influenced or enhanced your aesthetic? Eric Gansworth: I came to comics through TV, latching onto Batman before the age of two. As soon as I could read, I leaped onto comics, and in fourth grade I made a comic, which went on display at the school (wish I still had it, but I remember it well). So, it’s always been a part of my thinking lexicon. Haudenosaunee culture is very image-driven —wampum figures carrying our culture, representational beadwork—but I didn’t really begin exploring its possibilities as a refractory lens until the beginning of my professional career. I was always aware of those images. From day one, giant electrical towers looked like monstrous wampum men towering over our landscape. Arigon Starr: There have always been comic books in my life, from Sunday funnies to Archie to superheroes. I started drawing my own comics in junior high, often featuring my favorite musicians of the time (yes, I made George Harrison into a superhero called “Hippie Man”). My tribal influences came from seeing artwork from Oklahoma artists like Acee Blue Eagle and Solomon McCombs (both from the Muscogee Creek Nation), who used a flat color rendering style with thick, traced outlines. Those paintings looked like Indian Comics to me! Additionally , my Kickapoo uncle Rudolph Wahpecome was an artist and architect, so I knew that an Indian might be able to make a living as an artist. Afterlives and Novel Forms Bernardin: Although contemporary Native artists and writers often work in multiple media, you two are unusually ambidextrous: Arigon, you are a musician, playwright, and comics artist. Moreover, your Super Indian, like any good superhero, has many lives, moving from a radio series to serial web comic to published volumes. Eric, you are a painter, poet, and novelist whose books feature interrelated visual and narrative designs. The vital, complex kinship between literary and visual forms is a signature feature of your work. cover feature new native writing WORLDLIT.ORG 71 How do you each perceive the relationship between the moving parts or platforms of your work? What does each offer? What kinds of work do you see each performing? How do you see these different platforms or forms engaging different audiences? Gansworth: Comics prepared me for flexing both sides of my voice. While I compose differently, visual and verbal forms are all the same story to me, filtered through different facets. Maybe it’s close to performance artists like Laurie Anderson and Karen Finley and progressive bands like Rush and Pink Floyd. Long before music videos, both bands explored the synthesis of simultaneously presented images and songs. I also (being a weird kid) loved early German expressionist silent films. By the age of nine, I‘d...

Science, CE, and Pop Culture Collide at the Silicon Valley Comic Con [Society News

Science, CE, and Pop Culture Collide at the Silicon Valley Comic Con [Society News

Marvel media convergence: Cult following and buddy banter

Abstract The social media driven paradigm shift and convergence of mass media has transformed celebrity culture, and affected the way fans are entertained and audiences interact with celebrities and fan communities. The series Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D marked Marvel Studio’s first foray into the medium of television. In a convergent media environment in which content saturation is a potential barrier to audience attention and commercial success, the leveraging of celebrity friendship is an effective means of promotion. The series was launched at the 2013 Comic Con in San Diego, during which the cast participated in interviews that were distributed online. This article explores the success of celebrity friendships as a marketing device through an analysis of audience comments in response to one online interview. It examines how displays of friendship generate online discussion, audience hype and reward loyalty, and the significance of perceived authenticity on the reception of bonds portrayed. It proposes the term ‘buddy banter’ as a means to illustrate the presentation of close celebrity friendships in a multi-gender, group environment. Analysis revealed banter to be a useful means of attracting audience attention, while audience interpretation of celebrity dynamics favoured the reading of close crossgender friendships as heterosexual couples.

Bad Kids: Incestuous Fantasy and Phenomenon in A Song of Ice and Fire

Bad Kids:Incestuous Fantasy and Phenomenon in A Song of Ice and Fire Michaela Baca Why does Western culture hate incest? Many versions of medieval Arthurian literature, including the alliterative Le Morte d'Arthur, feature King Arthur, one of history's most beloved heroes, participating in it. George R. R. Martin's hit series, A Song of Ice and Fire (perhaps better known as Game of Thrones), contains incest and is central to the plot. Malory's Le Morte d'Arthur has never been out of print, and Martin's series has exploded into a true culture phenomenon. This paper discusses how incest is manifested as a taboo in literature and why Martin chooses to use it as a main plot point (in his book series, not the television show that it inspired), thus tying incest directly to the medieval history in which he grounds his work. Specifically, in Martin, incest begins as a fantasy between two consenting individuals, but, when that fantasy becomes an actual phenomenon—when the incest produces a product—the taboo situates itself inside that product: the child. It is first necessary to look briefly at the origins of the incest taboo itself to understand its importance in the context of the paper. The question of why this particular taboo exists at all points back to the early hominid demonstrations of incestuous tendencies, suggesting that the practice is at the root of human desire and that a taboo against it is necessary to keep people from engaging in it. The incest taboo fits into the idea of the "other," a foreignness that speaks to the world in which one lives. Bruce Fink describes this foreignness as "a discourse or language that precedes [human] birth and that will live on after [human] death."1 The Roman Catholic Church governed marriage law in the Middle Ages, but the incest taboo long predates the organization of the Church. Turner and Maryanski provide a succinct explanation regarding the taboo's origin, tracing it back to the mother-son avoidance patterns demonstrated by hominids.2 Incest avoidance in this biological sense reduced the likelihood of the birth of unfit offspring. Tied to their presentation of Bachofen's idea of the "horde"—that is, a loosely knit group of [End Page 83] unrestricted promiscuity3—Turner and Maryanski trace the development of hominid relational status, incorporating the growing emotional intimacies that resulted in what they argue is the "conjugal pair that is the backbone of the nuclear family."4 Moreover, the development of emotional intimacy resulted in offspring remaining with their parents longer, enhancing the emotions tied directly with sex and love, thereby raising the number of incestuous occurrences between fathers and daughters, as well as sisters and brothers. Thus, humankind tabooed incest. Nevertheless, society has not entirely shunned the practice. In a 2012 interview with Pamela Horton at the Playboy Comic Con Party, George R. R. Martin responded to the question "Where do babies come from?" He answered, "avoid incest at all costs here. I may write about incest but I do not endorse it, let us make that perfectly clear."5 Martin pointed to a universally acknowledged truth in his interview, which holds that incest is taboo, while still remaining a matter of discussion. The surface, for him, has barely been scratched when it comes to the question of how and why to talk about incest. Martin's fantasy world, Westeros, is based around Europe during the Middle Ages. By reading his series through a medieval lens, modern readers can trace his plot motivators and themes in order to tease out what Martin questions about incestuous intimacy in his popular series. Incest in Westeros is used as a means to question the ways in which it is perceived and understood, while simultaneously engaging in a universal taboo. Martin is able to create an incestuous medievalism that at once draws in readers and repels them. Medieval literature is rife with examples of incest, like Sir Thomas Malory's Le Morte d'Arthur. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire expands the accidental incest that occurs between Arthur and Morgause through Jaime and Cersei Lannister, twin siblings of one of the...

Virtually Witness Augmentation Now: Video Games and the Future of Human Enhancement

Virtually Witness Augmentation Now: Video Games and the Future of Human Enhancement

“Cripping” Resilience: Contributions from Disability Studies to Resilience Theory

“Cripping” Resilience: Contributions from Disability Studies to Resilience Theory

Comic Con and the Business of Pop Culture: What the World's Wildest Trade Show Can Tell Us about the Future of Entertainment. RobSalkowitz. New York: McGraw Hill, 2012. 304 pp. $18.00 cloth.

Comic Con and the Business of Pop Culture: What the World's Wildest Trade Show Can Tell Us about the Future of Entertainment. RobSalkowitz. New York: McGraw Hill, 2012. 304 pp. $18.00 cloth.