Details
Nature: Public Presentation
Title: Superhero Archetypes and Cartoon Consciousness
Speaker: Susan Waitt
Event: The Malta Comic Con 2011
Date: 26th November
Time: Between 4pm-5pm
Place: Partitioned Upper Gallery, St. James Cavalier
Susan Waitt
Susan Waitt is a versatile artist who has produced commercial books for both Disney and Fisher Price through Langley Studios in Western Massachusetts (USA) as well as freelance work for Grolier and Gordon Fraser. Today she lives and works in Malta. Visionary painting intensives in Italy and Vienna have introduced her to the MischTechnik (mixed media) which is allowing her to explore and incorporate more painterly effects in her cartooning, which has taken on a decidedly Low-Brow Pop Visionary/Pop Gothic/Pop Surreal flavour – as seen in her “zomblings” and “botlings” series. Too, Susan has facilitated art- and-philosophy -related Conversational Salon Evenings in Malta and in the USA, as well as co-organised an academic conference on the Consciousness of the Megalithic temple builders in Malta. Her interest in just why humanity dreams the dreams it does – particularly superhuman dreams – remains for her an intriguing and compelling mystery.
Superhero Archetypes and Cartoon Consciousness
The origin of our most beloved (and feared) comic superheroes (and supervillains) lies deep within our human psyche. We are hard-wired to reach beyond what merely is into what could possibly be. The superhero archetypes that constellate in the stories we tell ourselves are indications that humanity”s destiny is decidedly post-human, whatever that will ultimately mean. In this presentation, Susan will lead us into a cursory understanding of the basic “types” of superheroes that people our comics, graphic novels, popular films, etc…as well as the philosophical and even neurological (!) underpinnings from which they are drawn – with forays into Nietzsche and Transhumanism and even Terence McKenna”s DMT – activated cartoon landscapes. Special interest will be given to the most “uber” of ubermen – Superman! This talk invites lively participation, speculation and comment from the audience – since on some level we all already know precisely why we are deeply drawn to one superhero or another – or at least we will possess that knowledge afresh by the time the presentation is over.