Alex Grand on COMIC BOOKS - AND REALISM!

Hello my friends! Had a great discussion with Dr. Alex Grand about how the comic book industry continues to evolve to meet changing consumer expectations, focused on the idea of comic book realism. Dr. Grand has authored Understanding Superhero Comic Books: A History of Key Elements, Creators, Events, and Controversies -  a  ground breaking book on how comic books have evolved, and continue to do. Absolutely fascinating conversation - with all my most geeky instincts coming to play! 

Dr. Grand looks at how over time, comic books injected greater levels of realism into the story lines - in part thanks to Stan Lee, but actually reflecting a trend begun well before Spidey, the Fantastic Four, and the other seminal Marvel characters. This helped tell a good story, but was also essential to keeping the industry viable as readers' expectations evolved. We also talk about the industry today, where comic book characters are developed as intellectual property that must translate across an array of media, including movies.  

A fascinating exploration - and you don't need to be a comic book geek to enjoy it. Dr. Grand has a great site on comic book history, and it was a great treat to chat. And by all means check out his really cool YouTube sight, chock full of GREAT videos!

Enjoy, dear listeners - and see you soon (I promise) with a brand new episode!