Publisher and co-owner of Chook and Geek shop looks at enemy images in American superhero comics and their evolution over the 20th century.
The stronger, the more charismatic and memorable the enemy—the more popular is the superhero. In the golden age of American comics, the image of the enemy evolved to reflect historical and political trends of the day. The Capitalist, the Nazi, the Communist and the Sadomasochist have each played the key part of the antagonist—or the enemy—in American superhero comics.
Russian publisher and comics expert Vasily Shevchenko will look at how such different characters could be cast for the same role and trace the evolution of the characteristics the state and the public sought in the enemy. Starting his story from the Great Depression and finishing with the Cold War, he will show how drawn stories for kids can reflect ideological struggles and serve as a propaganda tool.
