Shawn O’Rourke is an Adjunct Instructor and Speech and Debate Coach at Orange Coast Community College. He has an MA in History and has presented papers at several academic conferences. He is on Facebook and can by followed on twitter (spo1981). Check out his blogs at www.spo1981.blogspot.com and www.futureofprint.blogspot.com.
Features
Thursday, May 26 2011
When Superheroes Die
The death of Randy Poffo, aka Macho Man Randy Savage, once again revealed the dark history of professional wrestling. A history replete with drug abuse, murder and suicide. In this essay a writer and fan explores the varied reactions to Savage's death; a death which created more questions than answers.
Wednesday, November 10 2010
"What If Superman Was Hopelessly Insane?": Mark Waid's Irredeemable
The man who made me love Superman, now makes me terrified of someone with such god-like powers.
Wednesday, September 22 2010
The Future of Comic Stores in the Digital Era
Joe Field, owner of Flying Colors Comics and founder of Free Comic Book Day, shares his insights into comicbooks, new media and the prospect of a world without print.
Tuesday, August 24 2010
Trail Blazers in the World of Academia
As we continue to enter this new era in which comics become more integrated into both the larger popular culture and the resulting professional areas that examine it, it is important to remember that until very recently it wasn’t always so.
Wednesday, July 21 2010
Lone Wolf and Cub Part 7: A Wall of Swords
In the classic Lone Wolf and Cub writer Kazuo Koike achieves the redemption of the villainous Yagyu Clan by a meticulous depiction of their fighting style, the infamous Wall of Swords.
Reviews
Thursday, February 9 2012
The Evolving Anthropological Tone of Star Wars in "Dawn of the Jedi"
When examining a work whose mythology is an expansive as Star Wars, it almost becomes a historiographical investigation as opposed to a literary one.
Friday, September 30 2011
Prodigal Sons and Daughters Return in Teen Titans #1
In Teen Titans #1 writer Scott Lobdell captures that youthful energy of characters both honoring a heroic legacy, and rebelling against their forebears who enshrine it.
Tuesday, September 20 2011
And… Action! It's 'Deathstroke #1'
In Deathstroke #1 writer Kyle Higgins' use of easily-recognizable action movie tropes is the farthest thing from derivative. Instead, it is a user-friendly shorthand for new readers to the little-known DC character.
Monday, September 19 2011
Terry Moore Rising?
Rachel Rising feels very much like the third runaway hit for fan-favorite indie publisher Terry Moore. But will the notoriously protracted publication schedule finally be put aside to bring a mainstream success the creator so richly deserves?
Friday, September 9 2011
Reanimated: Snyder Reasserts the Moody Genius of Swamp Thing
By reasserting the classic dilemmas of the original Swamp Thing, retooling these for a 21st century audience, and writing a superb, concise introduction to both the character and its setting, Scott Snyder may have crafted the first genuine hit of DC's New 52.
Blogs
Tuesday, May 31 2011
Can Viral Videos Be Art?
Is there such a thing as a highbrow viral video? We'll Never Know the Difference.
Thursday, February 3 2011
Comic Retailers to Get Access to Growing Digital Market Through comiXology
How will comic book stores survive in the coming years when a fan can download titles directly to their computer or tablet without leaving their home?
Friday, August 27 2010
Wylie and Random House Resolve Their Dispute Over Contested Odyssey Edition Titles
Thursday, August 12 2010
The Odyssey of Andrew Wylie
As traditional print media is being slowly but irresistibly subsumed by electronic competitors, powerhouse agent Andrew Wylie argues that writers should get a larger cut of e-book sales. But is Wylie, in reality, seeking to destroy paper-based publishing houses?
