NEW Deadline: June 6, 2021

Superheroes have long been portrayed in animation. Across the decades, we have seen animated films and television series starring superheroes expressly created for them (as The Incredibles or The Powerpuff Girls) as well as animated works featuring adaptations of superheroes conceived for a different medium (like Batman or Spiderman). We have also seen popular animated characters become superheroes for a film or one or more episodes of a series (e.g., Super Goofy). Moreover, both examples of human and animal animated superheroes can be detected. With this theme Animation Studies 2.0 hopes to find bring to the foreground the different ways in which animation has (re)imagined the superhero across the decades. Therefore, we invite posts looking at animated superheroes from any perspective.

Topics may include but are not limited to:

  • Parody, animation and the superhero;
  • From comic book to animation: adapting the superhero;
  • Gender and animated superheroes;
  • Race, ethnicity and animated superheroes;
  • Animation and the superhero as role model;
  • Animal superheroes and animation;
  • Animated stars as temporary superheroes (e.g., Super Goofy);
  • Superhero moments in non-superhero animated films;
  • Seriality, superheroes and animation.

Posts of between 600 and 900 words, which discuss any aspect of the above topic are welcome. Contributors are encouraged to include clips and at least one image to support their posts. Please also include a short bio and 3 keywords. All permissions are the responsibility of the contributor. Please contact the managing editor Cristina Formenti (cristina.formenti@unimi.it) with submissions or questions.