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Spider-Man, Star Wars and the Power of Myth
Like Star Wars, Spider-Man has the classic elements of a successful myth. A typically American story, it's less pretentious and hyped than Star Wars and more accessible to kids and die-hard comic book buffs, who remember the great, golden age of Marvel Comics. I'm one of them, I was there.
The old form still has legs. One film analysts told the Wall Street Journal last week that with the success of Spider-Man, the blockbuster bar has been raised. In fact, he said, this movie has changed Hollywood's perception of what a blockbuster is. That makes it interesting for George Lucas, next up at your local megaplex.
It's tough to explain, in the age of cable, gaming, the Net and the Web, just how central comics were for years to a culture of brainy, nerdy, alienated pre-Net teenage boys. Now, hostile jerks can flame people on the Net. Before, they could only read sci-fi books, build model planes and erector sets, but mostly, feast on comics and dream of becoming more powerful.
In the 21st century, they can download, program and game, but in the 50s and 60s, comic books and rock-and-roll were prominent among the few accessible forms of popular culture for individualists with brain cells, a cheap, simple pleasure that cost a dime, then a quarter. How shockingly primitive when compared to the world of the computer nerd or hacker.
Mainstream culture was dull, religiously appropriate and homogenized. Comic books and rock music were rebellious, subversive and naturally came under murderous fire from parents, teachers and politicians.
Before, they could only read comics and fantasize about becoming more powerful. Elaborate ratings systems and restrictive codes eventually suffocated the comics' angry, biting spirit and made them as bland as network TV -- a cultural loss and free-speech outrage heading soon to a computer near you -- but not before Marvel and other comic creators cranked out some classic yarns, from Spider-Man and Batman to the X-Men and other superheroic tales.
What makes these stories so popular and enduring? Perhaps because they all embody certain themes. There's the split-personality hero, usually a nerd who acquires great powers but at enormous cost, who always gets something and loses something. He gets to zip along past New York City skyscrapers, for instance, but we know he isn't likely to end up with the girl. Or, he lives in a mansion and drives a Batmobile, but he's depressed and lonely. Or he's a mutant wolverine with fingers of steel who can't ever have a casual beer with his pals.
He cherishes his powers, but we know he can't ever be comfortable with his life. Robert Kane's early Batman: The Dark Knight was disturbingly dark and angry before the moralists turned comic books to bland mush. Few people remember that Kane ended his first Batman series with our hero giving up on life and essentially committing suicide by turning himself into the famed Arkham Asylum, where villains from the Joker to the Riddler were being held.
Stories like Spider-Man and Batman also have a uniquely American and, until September 11, old-fashioned sense of civics. Spider-man's motto is "With great power comes great responsibility, " a bizarre notion even to hackers. Wouldn't that have seemed clunky before the terrorist attacks? Now it has a certain resonance.
Batman's Bruce Wayne, along with the Superhero stars and any number of X-Men, never shirk their duty to the public, even though the fickle populace is sure, at some point, to turn on them. No matter how tempted, they are, they do what they're supposed to do.
The late teacher and mythologist Joseph Campbell wrote that myth was still one of the powerful forces in the world. The origins and power of myth are still central, from the comic book lover to the hacker. The success of revived yarns like Stan Lee's Spider-Man, while they rarely seem to take themselves as seriously as their fans take them, is amazing, and proves his point. We seem to constantly be turning backwards to myths for inspiration and entertainment, while we are busy making the myths of tomorrow but don't really know which ones will take.
The Spider-Man story is pretty basic, especially when compared to the lumbering twists and turns of Star Wars: wimpy outer-borough kid contracts enormous powers, learns to use them wisely and well, faces terrible danger, sacrifices much.
Peter Parker isn't as deep as the Skywalker brothers and Uncle Ben is no Obi-Wan. But as the box office receipts demonstrate, the writers at Marvel comics have held their own when it comes to myth-making. Sometimes, simpler is better.
Katz posted something reasonable!
I'll bet there will be more reasonable and pleased responses to this than to any other Katz article, and hopefully teach Katz something about the power and nature of a good review.
is competition good, or is duplication of effort bad?
Skywalker had a brother? Which Skywalker? Not Luke (maybe Jon Katz has the Really Special Edition, who knows). I know Anakin doesn't have a brother... hmmm... another Katz mix up?
"Backups are for wimps. Real men upload their data to an FTP site and have everyone else mirror it." -- Linus Torvalds
Actually, Leia and Luke are brothers
the web-slinging arachnoid-nerd from Queens who gets the bad guy but really wants the girl
This reminds me of something!
$ /usr/games/fortune -o
Fortune's Guide to Movies:
G: No girl.
PG: The hero gets the girl.
R: The bad guy gets the girl, then the good guy gets the girl.
X: The hero still gets the girl in the end, but he's never sure which end it will be.
XXX: Everybody gets the girl.
I am so witty today!!1!
Why is it so essential to try to analyze something that should just be left alone. Let it be what it is, don't try to explain it, compare it, what ever. Those of us who read/saw/etc Spiderman etc and those who didn't really don't need the effort. Its part of your life and it relates to you, or it doesn't, you learn what you can from it, the experience is solely yours. Sheesh.
Perhaps you can learn a bit from Ben Parker: "With great power comes great responsibility".
Now how about adapting that to more meaningful journalism, instead of trying to over analyze everything.
Salon had an interesting editorial presenting
a different perspective, suggesting that Star Wars had
its roots in sci fi fiction rather than grand myths.
Check it out, it's a worthwhile read.
-- Martini
As I begun to read it:
"Oh great, another JonKatz rant..."
After the first paragraph or two though, I began to think:
"Hm, maybe Jon gets a bad rap too much, this actually makes a bit of sense."
Then he started tying in the net and how script kiddies are today's version of comic book readers:
"Well, he started off well, this is kind of a little out-there, but I'll cut him some slack."
Then he starts talking about the post-9/11 meaning of sci-fi:
"Forget it, this guys a twit. I shouldn't have even started reading it."
Moral of the story: Jon can write pretty well if he wants to. Not everything has to deal with 9/11 though or about the alienation of nerds and geeks.
int func(int a);
func((b += 3, b));
" I'll bet Peter Parker's adventure surpasses the upcoming opening weekend of Attack of the Clones and teaches George Lucas something about the power and nature of myth. "
Can you moderate a post as Flamebait?
Tell me that throwing this into a nerd discussion isn't like throwing raw steak into a den of hungry lions
Or he's a mutant wolverine with fingers of steel who can't ever have a casual beer with his pals.
Obviously, you're talking out of your ass again. Wolvie has adamantium claws and frequents bars quite often, usually enjoying a brewsky or two. Hell, he's Canadian and if you don't drink at least two beers a day, they'll deport your ass faster than you can say "Hockey Night in Canada".
Nothing to see here, move along.
Linux - Because Mommy taught me to Share.
for all you midless twits in an attempt to save some bandwidth and disk space: "Jon Katz BAD. Linux GOOD. Jon Katz like MICROSOFT. Jon Katz like RIAA. Jon Katz like WIPO. Linux like SOFT FLUFFY BUNNIES. Linux like, uh, like LINUX."
Before, they could only read comics and fantasize about becoming more powerful.
Yeah, and I'm floored that he didn't stick a "post-Columbine" reference in here! And I didn't see globalism mentioned once! Has the world turned topsy-turvy?
GMD
watch this
He managed to squeeze a reference to 9-11 in a freakin cartoon review. I love it. I had no idea the world was as deep and mysterious until Mr. Katz started writing. I think I will go buy his book on dogs to see if I am missing something there too.
***I GOT NUTHIN***
Not everything has to deal with 9/11 though or about the alienation of nerds and geeks.
;-)
He writes about Columbine too! Well, ok that is covered by the alienation thing but it IS a different event
Eve Fairbanks says I drive a hybrid!LOL
...committing suicide by turning himself into the famed Arkham Asylum
I knew Batman was powerful, but I had no idea that he could transmute into works of architecture!
-- Give me ambiguity or give me something else!
Please post a spoiler warning if you're going to give away the plot of Episode 7! :-)
The "Comic Book Store Guy" in the Simpsons was modeled after you, wasn't he?
I'd say it was semi-decent right up until the point Posted by JonKatz....
Outdoor digital photography, mostly in New Engl
Spider-Man shocked analysts and critics last week, racking up a record-breaking $114 million opening weekend for Sam Raimi's warm-hearted adaptation about the web-slinging arachnoid-nerd from Queens who gets the bad guy but really wants the girl.
My God, Mr. Katz, you make Spider-Man sound like some indie flick from the early Kevin Smith days instead of a summer blockbuster that Sony Pictures, Inc. spent over $50 million marketing the flick to the masses. How does it surprise anyone other than you that it made $114 million? Here's a surprise prediction for you: Spider-Man, AotC, the Two Towers, and Goldmember are all going to make $200+ million dollars for their studios! Wow. I surprise myself! Maybe I should go into internet journalism and write witty and insightful columns about how everything relates to the Columbine shootings and the alienation of nonconformist high-schoolers... oh, wait. That position's filled.
Light a fire for a man and he'll be warm for a day. Light a man on fire and he'll be warm for the rest of his life.
Star Wars: Cut arm off at bar
Empire: Cut Luke's hand off
Jedi: Cut Vader's hand off
Menace: Cut Maul in half
Lucas seems to be consistent. Is it going to be EP2 or 3 that Anakin gets it so bad to need the life support suit?
I have a feeling lots of apendages are going to be cut off in the next 2 movies and I don't mean castrating Jar-Jar.