Comic Book Superheroes Affect on Society Q

I am doing a research paper on the relevance of comic book superheroes on modern society for an undergraduate class. I have gotten permission from the professor use responses to a questionnaire posted to any relevant on-line forums. To that end, I would like to ask you all to read the following questions and send me a response either private or public. No names, handles or real, will be collected as data for this research project. Please, if you choose to respond, be honest.

1. What is your age?

2. What is your gender?

3. What nation(s) are you a citizen of?

4. At what age did you first read comic books?

5. Do you presently read comic books?

6. Have you ever read an online superhero comic?

7. How have comic book heroes affected you personally?

8. Do you value the abilities/powers of a comic book superhero or the character/story development of the superhero?

9. Do you think superhero comic books have had a significant impact on society?

10. What value(s) do superhero comic books bring to modern society?

11. Do you think the value(s) superhero comic books provide has changed over the last 20, 30, 50 years?

12. What era or decade do you think superhero comic books had the greatest impact on society?

13. What have you thought about the movies in recent years that are based on comic book superheroes?

14. Do you think modern technologies (e.g. video games, MMO’s) have affected the creativity of recent superhero comic book publications?

15. What, if any, new superhero publications have you seen in the last two years?

Optional Additional Comments:


Thank you all for your participation and/or consideration in this matter.

1. What is your age?
30

2. What is your gender?
male

3. What nation(s) are you a citizen of?
Germany

4. At what age did you first read comic books?
5 (Spiderman vs. Doc Octopus... something about his arms breaking the Doc out of jail)

5. Do you presently read comic books?
yes

6. Have you ever read an online superhero comic?
yes

7. How have comic book heroes affected you personally?
'There is no problem that can´t solved by brute force'
j/k Comics show me a world that´s not necessarily better than ours, but which is easier to change (by single persons). You could say they are my anti-depressiva.

8. Do you value the abilities/powers of a comic book superhero or the character/story development of the superhero?
Both, but character and story are more important.

9. Do you think superhero comic books have had a significant impact on society?
yes

10. What value(s) do superhero comic books bring to modern society?
It´s not that much about values this days anymore. Providing good fun seems more important.

11. Do you think the value(s) superhero comic books provide has changed over the last 20, 30, 50 years?
yes

12. What era or decade do you think superhero comic books had the greatest impact on society?
2000 till now

13. What have you thought about the movies in recent years that are based on comic book superheroes?
They´re great and I´m hoping for more.

14. Do you think modern technologies (e.g. video games, MMO’s) have affected the creativity of recent superhero comic book publications?
yes

15. What, if any, new superhero publications have you seen in the last two years?
hmm, really absolutetly new? None, but there were a few good ideas.

Optional Additional Comments:
Can we see your paper when it´s done?

@Redcap

1. What is your age?
41

2. What is your gender?
male

3. What nation(s) are you a citizen of?
USA

4. At what age did you first read comic books?
7

5. Do you presently read comic books?
Yes

6. Have you ever read an online superhero comic?
Yes

7. How have comic book heroes affected you personally?
How to take responsibility for what talents you have (thanks Spider-man!), seeing that we can make the world a better place

8. Do you value the abilities/powers of a comic book superhero or the character/story development of the superhero?
Both, but more so the character/story.

9. Do you think superhero comic books have had a significant impact on society?
Yes

10. What value(s) do superhero comic books bring to modern society?
A way to express societal problems and solutions, a good look back on previous problems

11. Do you think the value(s) superhero comic books provide has changed over the last 20, 30, 50 years?
Yes, as they evolve to address actual events vs. just a villain of the week

12. What era or decade do you think superhero comic books had the greatest impact on society?
Probably the 60s - the start of the Silver Age. This era introduced so many of the comic books that we still see today, and helped inspire the next generation of artists and writers.

13. What have you thought about the movies in recent years that are based on comic book superheroes?
Like all movies, some are good and some are bad.

14. Do you think modern technologies (e.g. video games, MMO’s) have affected the creativity of recent superhero comic book publications?
Yes. If anything, it's brought more potential readers to the table.

15. What, if any, new superhero publications have you seen in the last two years?
Last two years? The new 52 from DC? Other than those, the "youngest" titles I am currently reading are Irredeemable and Incorruptible, which are between 2-3 years old.

Optional Additional Comments:
I think that it's great that some of the most favored comics are coming out of vendors that aren't one of the big two (Marvel, DC). Even though some of those have become more mainstream (Dark Horse, for example), it's nice that these smaller companies are experiencing success in the medium.

1. What is your age?
41

2. What is your gender?
Male

3. What nation(s) are you a citizen of?
USA

4. At what age did you first read comic books?
3-4, soon as I could read

5. Do you presently read comic books?
Yes

6. Have you ever read an online superhero comic?
Yes, I author them, and have over 100 issues published (self)

7. How have comic book heroes affected you personally?
I see a different view of the world because of comics. I see things analytically and am inherently a more honest person
because of my 'heroes' in the books.

8. Do you value the abilities/powers of a comic book superhero or the character/story development of the superhero?
I value characters more than powers. I want to know what's happening with Reed and Sue, but at the same time, watch the Thing kick ***.

9. Do you think superhero comic books have had a significant impact on society?
I think it has, whether society wants to admit it or not. Movies affect society, but comics are a more widespread art form
and storytelling tool. And there is more original stories in comics than in any other medium that exists.

10. What value(s) do superhero comic books bring to modern society?
A sense of right and wrong, and that no matter what makes a person who they are, there is always more than meets the eye.

11. Do you think the value(s) superhero comic books provide has changed over the last 20, 30, 50 years?
Yes, stories in the 70s-80s were more intense, the art is more detailed, and eye-popping now, but the stories seem not thought out

12. What era or decade do you think superhero comic books had the greatest impact on society?
I would have to say the 1930s and the 1980s. 30s because it is the dawn of the Superhero, the mythos that we all aspire to be like.
The 80s because of the storytelling that has inspired almost every single movie that has been based on a comic book and been a blockbuster.

13. What have you thought about the movies in recent years that are based on comic book superheroes?
I'm like a kid in a candy store, and can't wait for the next one.

14. Do you think modern technologies (e.g. video games, MMO’s) have affected the creativity of recent superhero comic book publications?
I honestly don't think they have meshed the two properly yet. COH has brought it out of the closet, but still hasn't reached
the potential that is really there. As far as meshing the two, I don't think they have tapped that idea yet.

15. What, if any, new superhero publications have you seen in the last two years?
I still read Wizard Magazine, when I get a chance, and Superherohype.com when I can. Other than that, if you mean comics, I pick
comics depending upon the story being portrayed. I really don't like DC Comics characters, so I keep away from their titles, and
the new 52 doesn't interest me in the least bit. The Ultimate Universe I find interesting and compelling.

1. What is your age? 26 and 10/12 ^.^

2. What is your gender? Male

3. What nation(s) are you a citizen of? USA

4. At what age did you first read comic books? Between 5 and 8 I think. I don't remember any comics before 93, but I know i liked them enough to know quite a bit about them and I know I got Batman 500

5. Do you presently read comic books? Yes

6. Have you ever read an online superhero comic? "online"? I don't know what qualifies as that. So maybe with a strong leaning towards probably

7. How have comic book heroes affected you personally? I can only guess that my earliest motivation for being creative came from characters that originated in comics...had I not liked TMNT or those types of things I might be a millionaire athlete rather than who I am today >.>

8. Do you value the abilities/powers of a comic book superhero or the character/story development of the superhero? Yes.

9. Do you think superhero comic books have had a significant impact on society? A cursory glance at the history of super heroes should convince anyone that it has directly or indirectly.

10. What value(s) do superhero comic books bring to modern society?
Money, Modern Myths, Morality tales, sames as any story telling medium has.

11. Do you think the value(s) superhero comic books provide has changed over the last 20, 30, 50 years? Comics are generally ahead of the times and since in the last 100 years we went from leave it to beaver and june cleaver to friends, seinfeld, simpsons, to family guy, south park, and those types of things in society one would have to say that yes they have...

12. What era or decade do you think superhero comic books had the greatest impact on society? One might say the 90s but I would think the 40-60s they had the most impact what with Batgirl and Wonder woman being strong feminist symbols as well as the whole UFO phenomena...and the fact that the generations that read those comics and group in that era are the ones that are making huge leaps in science and technology and social rights. While the 90s had more sales they simply didn't have the same impact on the readers and such...

13. What have you thought about the movies in recent years that are based on comic book superheroes? Some are horrendously dumbed down tripe like Green Lantern while others pay homage and do a good job like Batman Begins and Watchmen

14. Do you think modern technologies (e.g. video games, MMO’s) have affected the creativity of recent superhero comic book publications? I think that it has less to do with technology and more to do with the modern business model that is feeding into a degenerative system.

15. What, if any, new superhero publications have you seen in the last two years? If you are talking about publishers, 0. If you are talking about titles over the last 2 years I caught up on a number of series that I had stopped reading and the new52 launched and i read all of those titles so depending on how you view this between 0 and hundreds...not very helpful

Optional Additional Comments:

1. What is your age?
46

2. What is your gender?
male

3. What nation(s) are you a citizen of?
USA

4. At what age did you first read comic books?
5

5. Do you presently read comic books?
Nope. I don't think much of what gets published (based on what I see and hear) as it tends to just be chasing after money and has precious little artist merit of any sort (often the case through-out their history of course...). I think the last superhero ones I bought must have been like 1995 or so. I get more from reading "complex" material - I grew up but comics never really did, past a few notable exceptions.

6. Have you ever read an online superhero comic?
Not that I can recall.

7. How have comic book heroes affected you personally?
I was going to say 'none', but they have opened up areas of creative thinking for me, so there's that.

8. Do you value the abilities/powers of a comic book superhero or the character/story development of the superhero?
Character by a long shot.

9. Do you think superhero comic books have had a significant impact on society?
Not that I can think of. I think of them as just the modern version of mythic characters, like Beowulf.

10. What value(s) do superhero comic books bring to modern society?
Not much that I can think of.

11. Do you think the value(s) superhero comic books provide has changed over the last 20, 30, 50 years?
Oh yes, they're always changing. Lately (say since the 80s) I think for the worse, based on what I see and hear. One critique I've heard of post-Watchmen comics is they misunderstood the "gritty" tones Moore used and are just a lot of "apocalypse-porn", which I feel is a valid point. Considering the post-9/11 landscape though, a lot of media has gone that route, not just comics. I think most media, comics included, have suffered a coarsening over the past few decades.

12. What era or decade do you think superhero comic books had the greatest impact on society?
Maybe during WWII, as readership was highest back then (not just superhero stuff though), but I'm not really sure they have ever had much impact on society.

13. What have you thought about the movies in recent years that are based on comic book superheroes?
Some are ok escapist material, others just the usual special-effects extravaganzas that happen to feature superheroes. See above about 'apocalypse porn'. When a new one pops up I'll admit it might initially hold my interest at first more than other sorts of films, as in "huh, this may be good... or not."

14. Do you think modern technologies (e.g. video games, MMO’s) have affected the creativity of recent superhero comic book publications?
As I don't read them I can't really say but I kind if think not. From what I hear about them it's a pretty moribund genre.

15. What, if any, new superhero publications have you seen in the last two years?
None.

Optional Additional Comments:

1. What is your age? 45

2. What is your gender? Male

3. What nation(s) are you a citizen of? USA

4. At what age did you first read comic books?6

5. Do you presently read comic books?No

6. Have you ever read an online superhero comic?Yes

7. How have comic book heroes affected you personally?I like to think they provide hope for people. They also (Use to) help explain social and political issues to children.

8. Do you value the abilities/powers of a comic book superhero or the character/story development of the superhero?I think I was first struck by the Powers and abilities, then as I became familar with the the Hero/comic the story development was important

9. Do you think superhero comic books have had a significant impact on society?Most certainly

10. What value(s) do superhero comic books bring to modern society?Valuing Diversity, acceptance of being different

11. Do you think the value(s) superhero comic books provide has changed over the last 20, 30, 50 years? Yes, as society has allowed/accepted more "Pushing the Boundries" ideas things have changed. And in some cases I think have given us lesser values. Blood/gore and comics not the original intent

12. What era or decade do you think superhero comic books had the greatest impact on society?40's with WW2

13. What have you thought about the movies in recent years that are based on comic book superheroes?I have always wanted to see Hero's on the screen. Most are done very well with modern CGI. I really like what Marvel has done with the Avengers

14. Do you think modern technologies (e.g. video games, MMO’s) have affected the creativity of recent superhero comic book publications? No opinion... havnt been a part of comics for many years

15. What, if any, new superhero publications have you seen in the last two years?none

Optional Additional Comments:

1. What is your age? 31

2. What is your gender? Male

3. What nation(s) are you a citizen of? U.S.

4. At what age did you first read comic books? 13

5. Do you presently read comic books? No

6. Have you ever read an online superhero comic? Yes

7. How have comic book heroes affected you personally?
Allow me to envision Justice as more than just a hollow concept.

8. Do you value the abilities/powers of a comic book superhero or the character/story development of the superhero? Both, when the powers compliment the background, I feel more invested.

9. Do you think superhero comic books have had a significant impact on society? Very much.

10. What value(s) do superhero comic books bring to modern society?
Good Vs Evil, Imagination, RP. Escapism.

11. Do you think the value(s) superhero comic books provide has changed over the last 20, 30, 50 years? Very much, the comic code is all but gone now.

12. What era or decade do you think superhero comic books had the greatest impact on society? 1970's most likely.

13. What have you thought about the movies in recent years that are based on comic book superheroes?
Hollywood continues to dissappoint me, as a result I haven't seen most of the ones released since 2009.

14. Do you think modern technologies (e.g. video games, MMO’s) have affected the creativity of recent superhero comic book publications?
Unsure, can only judge from what I've heard online. I think the internet culture is driving change more than video games.

15. What, if any, new superhero publications have you seen in the last two years?
None
Optional Additional Comments:

Good luck!!

1. What is your age?
42

2. What is your gender?
Male

3. What nation(s) are you a citizen of?
United States

4. At what age did you first read comic books?
5 years old, but mainly my exposure to superheroes were from TV shows like Adam West’s Batman, and George Reeves’ Superman. I really started reading comics seriously at the age of 7 and up, after I found and went through boxes and boxes of comics owned by a babysitter’s son.

5. Do you presently read comic books?
Yes

6. Have you ever read an online superhero comic?
Yes. I read Spinerette and Side Chicks regularly, and other online superhero comics off and on.

7. How have comic book heroes affected you personally?
I’ve developed a hero complex cause of them. I’ve had friends that used to liken me to Captain America, as I was always jumping in to help people in trouble without much thought of my own safety. I once stopped a purse snatching, helped an old man being assaulted by a younger attacker, stopped someone from beating his girlfriend, tried to help a guy who was shot in a gunfight, ran through a rain of fire from a burning tree to knock on doorways to make sure everyone was safe, among other things, and always feel awful when I can’t do more to help.

8. Do you value the abilities/powers of a comic book superhero or the character/story development of the superhero?
I value the character’s character development; how they develop their moral compass and sense of justice. For instance, I loved that Tony Stark was a playboy and a ruthless weapon monger shark before seeing the error of his ways, and became a hero. I like that Tony still makes mistakes and struggles with his morality, because it’s what he’s always known. I like that Peter Parker tried to make money with his powers, but was changed when his self-serving attitude caused his Uncle to die. I like that Peter still faces everyday problems even with his powers, and that he is always tempted to cross the line to try to solve them.

However, my favorite hero is Captain America. Comparatively, he’s not very powerful. I like that he’s always a good guy in and out of the mask, and that he constantly inspires people to do good and be heroes themselves in spite of his lack of strong powers, and because of it.

9. Do you think superhero comic books have had a significant impact on society?
I don’t think that many people read comics, and for those that do, like most literature, people take in only what applies to their own ideals and outside influences.

10. What value(s) do superhero comic books bring to modern society?
Again it depends on the person reading it and the society they surround themselves. However, I do feel comics do inspire people to be whatever they think they should be.

11. Do you think the value(s) superhero comic books provide has changed over the last 20, 30, 50 years?
During the golden age, good and evil were black and white and were written for young children. Silver age comics became darker with many heroes and villains crossing in and out of the grey areas or even to the other side very easily. The Silver age tried to appeal to an older age bracket of teens and young adults who were collecting comics at the time. Lately, the comics appear again to widen the gap between good and evil as the writers write again for a younger age of kids, though not quite what is was like during the Golden Ages.

12. What era or decade do you think superhero comic books had the greatest impact on society?
Probably the Golden Age comics probably had the greatest impact on the kids of that generation, as it was clear cut what they wanted to teach the kids.

13. What have you thought about the movies in recent years that are based on comic book superheroes?
I love them, I collect them, give me more. I feel like a kid again watching them.

14. Do you think modern technologies (e.g. video games, MMO’s) have affected the creativity of recent superhero comic book publications?
Of course, you can see their influence on pretty much every book, but it’s the same in all generations. Creativity has always been influenced by the technology the writers submerse themselves in. In the Golden Age it was Television and Action and Sci-Fi Movie Serials. During the Silver Age, it was mainly TV Cops, along with Action and Vigilante Grindhouse Movies and Exploitation films. Presently, video games stories add to an influence of Action Movies and Cartoons.

I should also point out the opposite is also true…that developers and pioneers of technology have also been influenced by the literature they read throughout the ages. This is especially true more so today than before, as the new technologies have also made many things more possible.

15. What, if any, new superhero publications have you seen in the last two years?
Shanna the She-Devil, Bomb Queen, Batman, and many Marvel comic titles and series. I’ve also read runs of non-superhero books like Walking Dead and Y the Last Man.

. What is your age? 51

2. What is your gender? Male

3. What nation(s) are you a citizen of? USA

4. At what age did you first read comic books? 8 or 9 -- I know they were a dime then.

5. Do you presently read comic books? Yes

6. Have you ever read an online superhero comic? Yes

7. How have comic book heroes affected you personally? Some. I know I've been creative based on it -- Paper RPGs , written fiction, screenshot art, etc.

8. Do you value the abilities/powers of a comic book superhero or the character/story development of the superhero? Both really -- I think that is the main way the genre has changed since I started. Back then they were maybe 80% powers and 20% character at best. Now its 50/50 sometimes going 40/60.

9. Do you think superhero comic books have had a significant impact on society? They are the modern day equivalent to classic mythology.

10. What value(s) do superhero comic books bring to modern society? The remind of of values that modern society otherwise tends to devalue if not forget.

11. Do you think the value(s) superhero comic books provide has changed over the last 20, 30, 50 years? Yes. As the complexity of both artwork and stories have grown over the years, it is a much RICHER medium and genre. Barriers are sometimes hit and touched -- Race issues, Drug abuse, homosexuality. Any modern issue can and usually does find its way into stories.

12. What era or decade do you think superhero comic books had the greatest impact on society? Tough one. Socially, I'd say the Forties. Financially I'd say the 2000s. Creatively I'd say the 80s.

13. What have you thought about the movies in recent years that are based on comic book superheroes? Long overdue -- I watched early attempts, and frequently they were trying to change the character to fit society at large as well as current special effects technology. Many of them missed the target because they focused on the wrong things. They missed the essence of the character in the process. Compare the Live Action TV Spiderman (70s?) to the movies today. NO comparison. Modern attempts seem to be much better at finding the right balance of script, special effects, casting.

14. Do you think modern technologies (e.g. video games, MMO’s) have affected the creativity of recent superhero comic book publications?
If anything they might affect the usual tendancy to redesign costumes -- Where an artist can do that sometimes on a whim, they game designer will take a lot longer to catch up. Look how many DC characters are now WRONG in DCU Online thanks to the 52 reboot.

15. What, if any, new superhero publications have you seen in the last two years? Beyond the comics themselves? Nothing.

sorry, didn't see it was over, move along, nothing to see here...

Take the Magic: The Gathering 'What Color Are You?' Quiz.

sorry I didn't answer in time to be useful....hopefully still interesting though