NE Indiana News

Final Humanities Symposia looks at war’s impact on comic origins

Trine University’s Humanities Symposia concludes Nov. 18 with a presentation by Patrick Ridout, assistant director of information services, titled “Wartime Secrets: The Secret Origins of Comic Protagonists.”

“War stories have always existed within comics, as backdrops to characters’ pasts, set pieces for heroes to appear in, and most importantly, origin stories,” said Ridout. “Origins of many superheroes, of villains, of mentors and support characters stem from wars and conflicts around the world. Each conflict sees its motivations, characteristics and values change to reflect the times. This can appear in unique and varied ways, often not in the way you expect.”

From Captain America’s creation in World War II to Vagabond’s Battle of Sekigahara and the more recent War Heroes conflict in Afghanistan, each reflection of war comes with an origin story of super science, magic, aliens, gods and religion that become molded by each conflict in different ways, Ridout said.

The presentation will look at how each war has impacted society’s views of heroes and villains, and how that has impacted the origins of comic heroes and villains born of conflict.

Held in Wells Theater inside Taylor Hall, Trine’s Humanities Symposia is free and open to the public. Talks, beginning at 3 p.m., usually last about 30 minutes and are immediately followed by time for any questions, which usually leads to a total time of one hour.

Wells Theater seats 75 guests, so attendees are encouraged to arrive early if they have specific seating preferences.

For more information about the Symposia, contact Melissa Mayus, Ph.D., associate professor in Trine’s Department of Humanities and Communication, at mayusm@trine.edu.

Original source can be found here.