Captain Britain And The Narration Of Nation

Bibliographic Data

ID4487474
AuthorsJason Dittmer (0000-0002-1022-4978, Lecturer in geography at University College London, London wc1e 6bt, United Kingdom. []., corresponding author)
Year2011
Volume101
Issue1
Pages71-87
Publication date2011-01-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueGeographical Review (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0016-7428 • E-ISSN: 1931-0846
PublisherInforma UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1111/j.1931-0846.2011.00073.x
OpenAlexW1988335539
LanguageEN
Citations received8
References cited16

Captain Britain Weekly (1976–1977) was the first comic book specially created for the British market by New York‐based Marvel Comics. The title character was created as an analogue to Captain America, the legendary American nationalist hero of the so‐named comic book, but with key differences meant to resonate in the British context. I utilize visual and textual discourse analysis to study the narrative and imagery used to introduce this character to British comics fans, and I discuss readers' letters to the editor to evaluate audience response to the character and story lines. Attention is drawn to the hero's origin, which fuses science and magic to construct a paradoxically primordial, yet modern, British identity. Villains in these story lines provide hints about "un‐British" behavior and provide lessons for young readers, with direct moral connections to, and contrasts with, the narratives found in Captain America.Keywordscomic booksidentitynarrativepopular geopoliticsUnited Kingdom I thank Pauliina Raento for her expert editing, three reviewers for excellent feedback, and also Marvel Comics for permission to reprint images. This research was funded through a grant from the British Academy.I thank Pauliina Raento for her expert editing, three reviewers for excellent feedback, and also Marvel Comics for permission to reprint images. This research was funded through a grant from the British Academy.NotesI thank Pauliina Raento for her expert editing, three reviewers for excellent feedback, and also Marvel Comics for permission to reprint images. This research was funded through a grant from the British Academy

Art · Character (mathematics · Comics · Context (archaeology · HERO · Literature · Media studies · Narrative · Reprint · Sociology · Visual arts · Comics and Graphic Narratives · Digital Games and Media · Gender, Feminism, and Media · History

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