Representation of the American South in Marvel Comics, 1963-2016

Author

Katherine Gill, University of MississippiFollow

Date of Award

1-1-2016

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

M.A. in Southern Studies

Department

Southern Studies

First Advisor

Andy Harper

Second Advisor

Kathryn McKee

Third Advisor

Tom Franklin

Relational Format

dissertation/thesis

Abstract

My work tracks the role of the American South and Southern characters in Marvel Comics, from 1963 to 2016. This thesis spring from a simple question: how stereotypical does this Northern industry portray the American South? To achieve this goal, I read a lot of comics, applying literary theory (such as Patricia Yeager and Tara McPherson) as well as American cultural studies (1980s televangelism and the history of human trafficking in America) to my findings. After reading multiple comic books from multiple sources, I settled on four different texts, each with a unique approach to portraying the South: the portrayal of the Southern environment in Amazing Spider-Man and Adventure into Fear, the use of metaphorical Southerners in God Loves, Man Kills, the changing depiction of Marvel's premier Southern character Rogue in two limited series she stars in, and the portrayal of a modern, urban, South in the series Scarlet Spider. Likewise, they consist of different types of work: ongoing series, limited series, graphic novel, etc. Though my findings, I argue that Marvel has always had a nuanced and complex view of the South, but one must look towards the sidelines and works primarily set outside of the mainstream public consciousness in order to find it.

Recommended Citation

Gill, Katherine, "Representation of the American South in Marvel Comics, 1963-2016" (2016). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. 1224.
https://egrove.olemiss.edu/etd/1224