Cultural Studies

Paper dolls might seem the height of simplicity--quaint but simple toys, nothing more. But through the centuries paper figures have reflected re...

Like other forms of fan fiction, slash fictioncentered on same sex relationships between fictional charactersis a powerful cultural dialogue. Thoug...

The zombie--popular culture's undead darling--shows no signs of stopping. But as it develops to suit changing audience tastes, its characteristi...

From his first year in the majors, George Herman Babe Ruth knew he could profit from celebrity. Babe Ruth Cigars in 1915 marked his first attemp...

Across generations and genres, comics have imagined different views of the future, from unattainable utopias to worrisome dystopias. These presagin...

Wolverine. Logan. Weapon X. By any name, Marvel Comic's savage, brooding antihero is, in his own words, the best at what he does--killing with g...

Vampire narratives are generally thought of as adult or young adult fare, yet there is a long history of their appearance in books, film and ot...

This critical study of video games since 9/11 shows how a distinct genre emerged following the terrorist attacks and their aftermath. Comparison...

When The Book is Dead was first published in 2007, smartphones, ebooks and social media were yet to take over, and Borders bookstores still dominat...

Often considered to be in opposition, American popular culture and popular religion are connected, forming and informing new ways of thinking, w...

Vincent van Gogh continues to fascinate more than a century after his death in 1890. Yet how much of what is commonly known about this world-ren...

Winner of the Urban History Association's 2005 Best Book in Non-North American Urban History Award. In traditional Chinese cities, a lively stree...

In recent years, shapeshifting characters in literature, film and television have been on the increase. This has followed the increased use of such...

The epidemic of the living dead is stronger than ever in today's pop-culture, but history is rife with tales of the undead: the dark spells and inc...