In the less than eight decades since Superman's debut in 1938, comic book superheroes have become an indispensible part of American society and the nation's dominant mythology. They quickly expanded from their sequential art origins to become a part of nearly every portion of society, from film and television to art and academia. They represent America's hopes, dreams, fears, and needs and have become ingrained in the nation's social and cultural fabric. As a form of popular literature, superhero narratives have closely mirrored and molded social trends and changes, influencing and reflecting political, social, and cultural events. This study provides a decade by decade chronicle of American history from 1938 to 2010 through the lens of superhero comics, revealing the spandex-clad guardians to be not only fictional characters but barometers of the place and time in which they reside.

This volume examines advertising for McDonald's, Levi's, Frito-Lay, and Coca-Cola used in Poland from 1990 to 2007. Case studies reveal a complex relationship between the corporations and Polish society and challenge the assumption that companies force products and ideas into a new market and thus destroy traditions and cultures. Companies instead found that they must adapt to meet Poland's cultural needs and pressures. Against a backdrop of globalization, the book contends, Poles transform and assimilate these outside products into their culture.