Superheroes and Critical Animal Studies: The Heroic Beasts of Total Liberation

(Hardback)

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Description

Superheroes and Critical Animal Studies explores and puts into dialogue two growing field of studies, comic studies and critical animal studies. The books aim is to create a form of praxis that people can use to actualize many of the values superheroes strive to protect. To this end, contributor chapters are divided into sections on the foundation of superhero representation and how to teach it, criticisms of particular superheroes and how they fall short of truly protecting the planet, and interpretations of specific characters that can be read to produce a positive orientation to the nonhuman world and craft strategies to promote liberation in the real world. Altogether, the book produces a form of scholarship on the media that is both intersectional in scope and tailored to have an impact on the reader beyond theorizing superheroes for theorizations sake.

Reviews

What Superheroes and Critical Animal Studies: The Heroic Beasts of Total Liberation does for superhero studies and critical animal studies isabsolutely monumental. The book brilliantly brings the untapped world of nonhumans in comics to the forefront of our cultural imaginations. There is no doubt that such a strategy will inspire droves of new scholars and activists to join in our quest for total liberation. -- Amber E. George, Institute for Critical Animal Studies
In this uncanny collection, Schatz and Parson assemble a team of political scientists, literary theorists, and gender scholars in order to take on the villainy of speciesism. By powering up with the modern mythology of superheroes, this incredible volume gives a properly heroic and epic dimension to the fight for truth, justice, and the liberation of all sentient beings. The chapters here manage to deftly weave together pop culture with theoretical fluency in ways that are sure to set your scholar sense tingling. So face front, true believers! It's time to read and engage with this timely work. -- James Stanescu, Mercer University
This collection brings together many areas of analysis, from critical animal studies to critical race studies to queer theory, all wrapped up in colorful spandex and a cape. It is a chance to indulge in your deepest geekery whilst learning how this intersects with animal liberation amongst many other issues. Whether you love comics, or not, this collection will challenge you to don a lycra onesie and unleash your inner superheroine, for total liberation. -- Jessica Ison, La Trobe University

Author Bio

J. L. Schatz is lecturer and director of the Speech and Debate Team at Binghamton University. Sean Parson is assistant professor in the department of Politics and International Affairs and the MA program in sustainable communities at Northern Arizona University.