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"A Is A": Spider-Man, Ayn Rand, and What Man Ought to Be
Journal
PS: Political Science & Politics
ISSN
1049-0965
ISSN-Digital
1537-5935
Type
journal article
Date Issued
2014-01-01
Author(s)
Abstract
In 1979, writer Tom DeFalco was paired with artist and cocreator of Spider-Man, Steve Ditko, to work on an issue of Machine Man, one of the many superheroes populating the universe of Marvel Comics. Instead of the usual introduction and business chatter, Ditko challenged DeFalco during a first conversation: "Are you Tom? What gives you the right to write about heroes?" (Tucker 2012). By the time of this exchange, Ditko had not only (co-) created and continued numerous superhero stories, ranging from Captain Atom to Dr. Strange or the Hulk, but he had also dedicated a lot of thought to the question as to what composed true heroism. In the 1960s, he had already found answers in a place not uncommon for that time, namely, in the novels of a Russian immigrant whose work should serve, in her own words, as "the projection of an ideal man" (Rand 1943, ix; 1975, 162; 2005, 230): Ayn Rand (1905-1982).
Language
English
Keywords
Ayn Rand
Steve Ditko
Frank Miller
Alan Moore
Spider-Man
Objectivism
superhero
comics
graphic novel
HSG Classification
contribution to scientific community
HSG Profile Area
SHSS - Kulturen, Institutionen, Maerkte (KIM)
Refereed
Yes
Publisher
Cambridge University Press
Publisher place
Cambridge
Volume
47
Number
1
Start page
90
End page
93
Pages
4
Subject(s)
Eprints ID
228368