Myth, media, and culture in Star wars : an anthology Cover Image

Book

Myth, media, and culture in Star wars : an anthology / edited by Douglas Brode, Leah Deyneka.

Brode, Douglas, 1943- (Added Author). Deyneka, Leah, 1971- (Added Author).

Summary:

On 1977, Star Wars blazed across the screen to become one of the highest grossing and most beloved movies of all time. It was followed by two sequels and three prequels, all of which became blockbusters. Comic books, novels, graphic novels, and magazines devoted to the films have added to the mythology of George Lucas's creation. Despite the impact of the franchise on popular culture, however, discussion of the films from a scholarly perspective has not kept pace with the films.

In Myth, Media, and Culture in Star Wars: An Anthology, Douglas Brode and Leah Deyneka have assembled an intriguing collection of essays addressing the influences that shaped the films and how the series has affected popular culture. Contributors; discuss the Star Wars universe and what its connection to various cultural touchstones-from fairy tales and Joseph Campbell to Disneyland and Marvel comics-means to viewers.

Essays examine the films as well as incarnations of the Star Wars universe in video games, comic books, and television programs, including the films' influence on new generations of filmmakers. A companion volume to Sex, Politics, and Culture in Star Wars, Myth, Media, and Culture in Star Wars, is a diverse collection of criticism that investigates the dynamic force Star Wars has become in popular culture, from every imaginable angle. Book jacket.

Record details

ISBN: 9780810885127 (cloth : alk. paper)
ISBN: 9780810885134 (ebook)
Physical Description: xiv, 192 p. ; 25 cm.
Publisher: Lanham, Md. : Scarecrow Press, 2012.

Content descriptions

Bibliography, etc. Note:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Formatted Contents Note:

Introduction / Douglas Brode -- "Cowboys in Space": Star Wars and the Western Film / Douglas Brode -- Is Star Wars a Modernized Fairy Tale? / Arthur Berger -- From Disneyland to Modesto: George Lucas and Walt Disney / Craig Svonkin -- May the Myth Be with You, Always: Archetypes, Mythic Elements and Aspects of Joseph Campbell's Heroic Monomyth in the Original Star Wars Trilogy / Leah Deyneka -- Not so long ago, not so far away: New Variations on Old Themes: Questioning Star Wars' Revival of Heroic Archetypes / Dan Rubey -- From Sky-Walking to Dark Knight of the Soul: George Lucas' Star Wars Turns to Tragic Drama / John C. McDowell -- Under the Influence of Akira Kurosawa: The Visual Style of George Lucas / Michael Kaminski -- Balancing the Force: How Media Created by Star Wars Now Defines the Franchise / Crystal Renee White -- "A Long Time Ago on a Newsstand Far, Far Away": The Mythic Comic Book Hero in Marvel Comics' Star Wars / Jon Hogan -- The Jedi Network: Star Wars' Portrayal and Inspirations on the Small Screen / Eric Charles -- Gaming in a Galaxy Far, Far Away: Expanded Worlds, Canon Conflicts, and Simplified Morality of Star Wars Video Games / Seth Sommerfeld -- Quentin Tarantino's Star Wars": Digital Cinema, Media Convergence, and Participatory Culture / Henry Jenkins -- Star Wars and the Technophobic Imagination / Cyrus R. K. Patell.