From the Marvel and DC cinematic universes to small screen caped-crusaders and vigilantes, superheroes are more popular than ever. But how do superheroes reflect our place and power within society?
Whether it’s symbolic representations of asylum seekers and First Nations people on Cleverman, Jessica Jones battling PTSD or The Watchmen exploring the moral ambiguity of individuals with tremendous power, superheroes have the power (dare we say great responsibility?) to tell nuanced, reflective and universal stories.
Join us to discuss how our heroic representations hold a mirror up to contemporary views on ethics, justice and equality.
About the panel
Martyn Pedler
Martyn Pedler is a writer and academic who focuses on superhero stories. He's published chapters and presented internationally on subjects like how the Flash runs in a medium without movement and why Doctor Doom cried after 9/11. He's also been a longtime pop culture critic for Bookslut, Time Out Melbourne, Triple J Magazine and more. He is the writer of the 2012 feature film EXIT, and has several other screenplays in development.
Dr Liam Burke
Dr Liam Burke is the Cinema and Screen Studies coordinator at Swinburne University of Technology. He has written and edited a number of books on comic books and cinema including Superhero Movies, Fan Phenomena Batman, and The Comic Book Film Adaptation: Exploring Modern Hollywood’s Leading Genre. Liam is a chief investigator on the Superheroes & Me research project with ACMI. He recently directed the documentary short film @HOME, which was screened at a number of international film festivals and was broadcast on Irish television.
Brooke Maggs
Brooke Maggs is a freelance narrative designer and writer for games, VR and other creative industries. She one of the women featured in ACMI's Code Breaker's exhibition where you can play one of her latest projects, The Gardens Between, an adventure puzzle game.Recently, she received the 2017 MCV Pacific XBOX Women in Games Creative Impact award for her work in the games industry. Brooke is writing a science fiction novel for which she was shortlisted for the Ray Koppe Writer’s Residency and awarded a residency at the Varuna House. Her other writing includes academic research in creative writing practice.
Copyright Acknowledgments:
Title: The Avengers (2012)
Copyright: Marvel Studios / Walt Disney Production Company
Title: Spiderman (2002)
Copyright: Marvel Enterprises / Columbia Pictures
Title: Superman (1978)
Copyright: Warner Bros
Title: Man of Steel (2013)
Copyright: DC Entertainment / Warner Bros Pictures
Title: Daredevil Season 1 Episode 2
Copyright: Marvel Television / Netflix
Title: Cleverman Season 1 Episode 2
Copyright: Sundance Studios / ABC TV
Title: Superman Returns (2006)
Copyright: Legendary Pictures / DC Comics / Warner Bros Pictures
