Our Gods Wear Spandex

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Authors: Chris Knowles

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PRAISE FOR OUR GODS WEAR SPANDEX

“Magnificent layers of information have been sifted through so we can find the real background of our superheroes.”

—Ron Turner, Publisher,
Last Gasp

“Amazons and avatars abound in Knowles' excellent history of the myth and magic behind comics.”

—Trina Robbins, author of
Eternally Bad
and
From Girls

“A lively and compelling history of mankind's eternal need for heroes and gods and the superhuman figures who answer the call.”

—Clint Marsh,
Wonderella.org
and author of
The Mentalist's Handbook

“
Our Gods Wear Spandex
has convinced me that magic, mysticism, and esoteric knowledge shaped superhero comics from the beginning. As much as any interpreter of the comics, Knowles helps us understand superhero tales as theologies for today's young people.”

—John Shelton Lawrence, author of
The Myth of the American Superhero

“Joseph Campbell, world-renowned mythologist, challenged the people of the twentieth century to create new myths. Christopher Knowles eloquently demonstrates that these new myths were already there, hiding in the humble pages of the comic book. Amazing, insightful, and timely stuff!”

—Michelle Belanger, author of
The Psychic Vampire Codex

“Christopher Knowles'
Our Gods Wear Spandex
is absolutely delicious—as fun and colorful as its title would suggest. It is not, however, just another litany of comic book trivia served to quell the adolescent appetites of basement-dwelling bachelors. It is a profound examination of what is in essence modern mythology—the archetypal characters, fears, hopes, and dreams that battle for truth, justice, and enlightenment in each of us. Our Gods
do
where spandex, and Knowles has positioned himself as the Joseph Campbell of comic books!”

—Lon Milo DuQuette, author of
The Magick of Aleister Crowley

“From the ghettos of Prague to the Halls of Valhalla to the Fortress of Solitude and the aisles of Comic-Con,
Our Gods Wear Spandex
is the first book to fully explain this meta-history of comics. And, finally, Hawkgirl, Black Canary, Phantom Lady, Scarlet Witch, and She-Hulk get well-deserved attention. A MUST READ!”

—Varla Ventura, author of
Sheroes: Bold, Brash (and Absolutely Unabashed) Superwomen

“I cannot imagine my own childhood without the comforting presence of comic book superheroes. And Christopher Knowles explains why. Carefully probing the genre's mythological, literary, and spiritual origins, Knowles helps us understand what these colorful characters mean and why they have assumed such an essential place in the lives of so many.
Our Gods Wear Spandex
is more than just a fan's appreciation of superheroes. The “secret history” presented here is a reflection on the eternal human compulsion to transcend the limits of body, mind, and mundane existence. This is an important contribution to the growing scholarship on comic book heroes and their rightful place in cultural history.”

—Bradford W. Wright, author of
Comic Book Nation: The Transformation of Youth Culture in America
.

“
Our Gods Wear Spandex
belongs on every college student's bookshelf, right next to the copy of the Joseph Campbell book he or she bought and pretended to read. The comic book protagonist has long been overlooked as the contemporary American hero figure. Knowles has written the anthropological companion to Scott McCloud's
Understanding Comics
.”

—Bucky Sinister, author of
All Blacked Out and Nowhere to Go
and
King of the Roadkills

First published in 2007 by

Red Wheel/Weiser,
LLC

With offices at:

500 Third Street, Suite 230

San Francisco, CA 94107

www.redwheelweiser.com

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from Red Wheel/Weiser,
LLC
. Reviewers may quote brief passages.

ISBN-10: 1-57863-406-7

ISBN-13: 978-1-57863-406-4

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Knowles, Christopher, 1966-

Our gods wear Spandex : the secret history of comic book heroes / Christopher Knowles.

p. cm.

Includes bibliographical references.

ISBN 1-57863-406-7 (alk. paper)

1. Comic books, strips, etc.--History and criticism. 2. Heroes in literature.

3. Myth in literature. 4. Heroes. I. Title.

PN6714.K56 2007

741.5'352--dc22

2007020350

Cover and text design by Roland “Pete” Friedrich, Charette Communication Design.

Typeset in Scala, Meanwhile, and Helvetica.

Printed in Canada

TCP

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

The paper used in this publication meets the minimum requirements of the American National Standard for Information Sciences--Permanence of Paper for Printed Library Materials Z39.48-1992 (R1997).

www.redwheelweiser.com

www.redwheelweiser.com/newsletter

Acknowledgments

First and foremost, I need to acknowledge the wisdom and genius of my personal Bodhisattva, Joseph Michael Linsner. This project took shape in a series of freewheeling phone chats while we were both scribbling our lives away, and it was Joe's mystical listening powers that allowed these ideas and concepts to come to fruition.

Next, I need to acknowledge the vision, hard work, and nurturing of Brenda Knight, whose rare intuitive gifts helped bring this project to life. A special thanks to everyone at Red Wheel/Weiser for their hard work and forbearance: Jan Johnson, Bonni Hamilton, Jordan Overby, Caroline Pincus, Amber Guetebier, Donna Linden, Rachel Leach, Meg Dunkerley, and Amy Grzybinski.

Then I'd like to thank the men who help keep me out of the poorhouse: my mentor Chris Fondacaro, the man who taught me that “good enough” is never good enough. The IF was working overtime on this one, sir! And to Tom Marvelli, a consummate professional, who lives up to his name in more ways than one. If Chris and Tom ran the world, we wouldn't need superheroes.

Then a round and a bag of crisps to my main man Scott Rowley, an editor most writers would swim the Atlantic to work for. A hearty cheers to Ian Fortnam as well. Eternal gratitude to Jon B. Cooke, the most talented man I've ever known, and to John Morrow, who ultimately is to blame for me getting started in the writing racket. Special thanks to Jim McLauchlin and especially Stan the Man, who first taught me the love of language. Excelsior!

And eternal love and gratitude to my wife, Vicky, for saving my life more times than I can count. And extra love and hugs to the Rooster, Jibbles, and Extra Ponies.

CONTENTS

I Want to Believe

Part I: Superheroes, Reborn

CHAPTER 1.
LOOK, UP IN THE SKY

Invocation

Decline and Fall

CHAPTER 2.
KINGDOM COME

The Hero as Messiah

Hollywood Homegrown Heroes

CHAPTER 3.
THE CULT OF THE SUPERHERO

Part II: Ancient Mysteries

CHAPTER 4.
DAWN OF THE GODS