The Natural Essay example -- essays research papers

We have been created with a need for heroes. We yearn for them because we are born with the want and desire to believe in someone, to have faith in someone, to trust in someone, and to look up and strive to be like someone. This someone is how Roy Hobbs is portrayed in the characterisation edition of The Natural. Roy in the movie version is utterly heroic. He struggles, after an almost fatal injury in his youth, to try to become the best that the game of baseball game has ever seen. He is quietly confident, without an arrogance to him. Iris is his former teenage-love who reappears after Roy makes it into the majors and stands up and inspires him when he is in a slump. Their relationship in the movie appears pure and innocent. Iris reminds Roy of home and all that is good and true in his life. Roy also has a relationship with Memo, who is his manager cut downs niece. She is a swart character who basically throws herself at Roy after he notices her beauty and wants to get to know her. Their relationship is dark and more sexual than Roy and Iris on-screen romance. Roy is respectful to his fans and in return they stand by him faithfully, in good-times and bad. He even goes as far to helping the batboy make a bat resembling Roys own bat, Wonderboy. Roy views shovel in as a father figure. Even after he is poisoned by Memo and blackmailed by Gus and the Judge, Roy decides to play in his last game to win Pop the pennant he had always wanted. By doing this he risks his life because of his stomach illne...

Capital Punishment is Too Lenient for Sick and Vile Criminals :: Argumentative Persuasive Essays

Capital Punishment is Too Lenient for Sick and Vile Criminals I eternally considered the death penalty as an issue which I never had to concern myself with. First of all Im notplanning to commit any vial crimes, and I dont think anyone I c be about hasevil plans either. Secondly, Ive never been conscious or concerned with thelives of criminals. When we began speaking on the subject, I thought we wereonly going to talk about the institution of racism in capital punishment, andwas quite unawargon of the feeling this subject would arouse in me. Needless tosay, I defy formed some opinions on the issue which confused even me. I always considered myself pro-capital punishment. I was of the mindthat if someone killed me, I would like my death avenged, besides pondering on theissue of cultural differences has made me discredit my prior convictions. First ofall, I am against the use of the lethal injection. I understand that it iscleaner, solely if the law wants to inflict death as a pu nishment, it mustunderstand that death is not a pretty thing. Criminals are painlessly put tosleep, and let out in the same manner that Dr. Kavorkians patients choose.Personally, if I was faced with the option of living the remainder of my life inisolation, perpetually haunted by pain and images of terror, I would absolutelychose to die by lethal injection. There is no true punishment in this method,except the fear of going to hell, which I strongly doubt is of much concern tomost convicts on death row. Assuming that the judicial processes which convict these individualsare legitimate, the only common bond within this group is that they are allmortal, and hold no respect for human life. These delinquents are on death row,because they have committed a crime of such ghastly proportions, that ships companyhas deemed them unfit to live. They deliberately and nonchalantly depravedanother human of their life. They emphatically par in additionk in reprehensible maliceof inhuman dimension s, never bothered by their conscience. They are sick andvile individuals who do not acknowledge social conventions such as religion andthe law. They have broken the law, and in leaving it they removed themselvesfrom the security department of the law. The 8th Amendment should no longer apply tothese sick dements who deserve none of my compassion. Yet, the bleeding heartscontinue to defend them and oppose capital punishment because it is too cruel.In an article in the Chicago Tribune, the Roman Catholic church vented its

Tennessee v. Garner 1985 Essay -- Supreme Court Decision Essays Case

NameTennessee v. GarnerCitationNo. 83-1035, 83-1070 (1985)FactsOn October 3, 1974, Memphis Police Officers Hymon and Wright were dispatched to answer a prowler inside call. When the police arrived at the scene, a populate gestured to the house where she had heard glass breaking and that someone was breaking into the house. While one of the officer radioed that they were on the scene, the other officer went to the rear of the house listening a door slam and saw someone run across the back gee. The suspect, Edward Garner stopped at a 6-feet-high fence at the edge of the yard and proceeded to climb the fence as the police officer called out police, halt. The police officer figured that if Garner made it over the fence he would deject away and also figured that Garner was unarmed. Officer Hymon then shot him, hitting him in the back of the head. In using deadly force to counter the escape of Garner, Hymon used the argument that actions were made under the authority of the Tennessee s tatute and pursuant to Police Department policy. Although the departments policy was slightly more(prenominal) restrictive than the statute it still allowed the use of deadly force in cases of burglary. Garners fathers argument was made that his son was shot unconstitutionally because he was captured and shot possessing ten dollars that he had stolen and being unarmed showing no threat of danger to the officer. The incident was then reviewed by the Memphis Police Firearms Revie...

Diabetes Mellitus Essay -- essays research papers

Diabetes MellitusIs a multisystem disease related to abnormal insulin production, impaired insulin utilization, or both. Diabetes Mellitus is a serious health problem throughout the world. It is the 5th leading make water of death in the U.S. It is the leading cause of heart disease, stroke, adult blindness, and nontraumatic lower limb amputations.Etiology and PathophysiologyCurrent theories link the cause of diabetes, singly or in combination, to genetic, autoimmune, viral, and environmental factors (obesity, stress). Regardless of its cause, diabetes is primarily a disorder of glucose metabolism related to absent or insufficient insulin supplies and/or silly utilization of the insulin that is available. The two most common types of diabetes atomic number 18 classified as type I or type II diabetes mellitus. Gestational diabetes and secondary diabetes are other classifications of diabetes commonly seen in clinical practiceNormal Insulin MetabolismInsulin is a hormone produced by the B cells in the islets of Langerhans of the pancreas. Under normal conditions, insulin is constantly released into the consanguinitystream in small pulsatile increments (a basal rate), with increased release (bolus) when food is ingested. The activity of released insulin lowers blood glucose and facilitates a stable, normal glucose range of approximately 70 to long hundred mg/dl. The average amount of insulin secreted daily by and adult is approx. 40 to 50 U, or 0.6 U/kg of body weight.Other hormones (glucagons, epinephrine, growth hormone, and cortisol) sprain to oppose the effects of insulin and are often referred to as counterregulatory hormones. These hormones work to increase blood glucose levels by stimulating glucose production and output by the liver and by decreasing the movement of glucose into the cells. Insulin and the these counterregulatory hormones provide a sustained but regulated release of glucose for energy during food intake and periods of fasting and usual ly maintain blood glucose levels within the normal range. An abnormal production of any or all of these hormones may be present in diabetes.Insulin is released from the pancreatic B cells as its precursor, proinsulin, and is hence routed through the liver. Proinsulin is composed of two polypeptide chains, chain A and chain B, which are linked by the C-peptide chain. The presence of C peptide in serum and urine is a useful indic... ...d at bedtime).Pancreas Trans programtationIs used as a tx option for patients with type I diabetes mellitus who have end-stage renal disease and who have had or plan to have a kidney transplant. Kidney and pancreas transplants are often done together. If renal failure is not present, the ADA recommends that pancreas transplantation should only be considered for patients who exhibit the following terce criteria*A history of frequent, acute, and severe metabolic complications (hypoglycemia, hyperglycemia, ketoacidosis) requiring medical attention*Clini cal and emotional problems with exogenous insulin therapy that are so severe as to be disable*Consistent failure of insulin-based management to prevent acute complicationsSuccessful pancreas transplantation can improve the quality of life of people with diabetes, primarily by eliminating the motivation for exogenous insulin, frequent daily blood glucose measurements and many of the dietary restrictions imposed by the disorder. Pts who undergo pancreas transplantation require immunosuppression to prevent rejection of the graft and potential regaining of the autoimmune process that might again destroy pancreatic islet cells.

Essay --

IntroductionSam wakes up, grabs her ph 1, unlocks it, checks her Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram, and then gets up and brushes her teeth, in that order. Whether one choses to acknowledge it or not, computer mediated communication (CMC), and more specifically, social networking websites and applications have become an integral part of ones daily routine. Millions of people across the populace have integrated Social Networking Sites (SNSs) into their everyday lives. Amongst those million, adolescents and young adults spend the most amount of time online communicating with their peers (Reich, Subrahmanyam, & Espinoza, 2012). Although many of the SNSs have unique networking functions to offer, generally they achieve the same way in allowing individuals to (1) connect with people they already share ties to, and (2) to make new connections based on shared interest or in demand(p) qualities (Reich, Subrahmanyam, & Espinoza, 2012). SNSs are a vastly growing apparatus, but there is still much to be learned about how and if these networks have a direct printing on how individuals communicate face-to-face (Boyd & Ellison, 2007). Past and current CMC studies have studied interpersonal communication amongst college aged adults, and late adolescents. However, it is rare to find a use up that gives mention to how CMC through SNSs impact FTFC in early adolescents and pre-teens. Understanding how SNS impact face-to-face communication amongst todays preadolescents can help predict the incoming of communication.This paper examines existing literature on the use of computer- mediated-communication through social networks and its impact on face-to-face communication amongst adolescents, in hopes that it provide identify limitations in past and current studies,... ...nclude the sample not being able to be generalizable to all users of CMC because the participants in the proposed study are preadolescents. The sample size is also as well small for it to be generalizable for a ll preadolescents, and it only focusing in a school setting provides limitations as well. Another limitation that can be sham is due to the fact that the data being collected is self reported therefore everything collected must be taken at face lever and can be flawed due to selective memory, telescoping, or exaggeration. If access to the schools or parental consent is denied, this could be a big limitation as well. The objective of the current proposed study was to gain insight into how CMC through SNSs affect FTFC in early adolescents. Hopefully researchers will see the value of this study and they will be inspired to conduct further research on the topic.

Essay --

IntroductionSam wakes up, grabs her phone, unlocks it, checks her Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram, and then gets up and brushes her teeth, in that order. Whether one choses to realise it or not, computer mediated communication (CMC), and more specifically, social networking websites and applications check become an integral part of ones daily routine. Millions of people across the globe have integrated Social Networking Sites (SNSs) into their everyday lives. Amongst those million, adolescents and young adults spend the most amount of time online communicating with their peers (Reich, Subrahmanyam, & Espinoza, 2012). Although many of the SNSs have unique networking functions to offer, generally they perform the resembling way in allowing individuals to (1) connect with people they already sh be ties to, and (2) to make new connections based on shared interest or desired qualities (Reich, Subrahmanyam, & Espinoza, 2012). SNSs are a vastly growing apparatus, but there is still much to be learned about how and if these networks have a direct effect on how individuals communicate face-to-face (Boyd & Ellison, 2007). Past and current CMC studies have studied interpersonal communication amongst college aged adults, and late adolescents. However, it is rare to find a study that gives reference point to how CMC through SNSs impact FTFC in early adolescents and pre-teens. Understanding how SNS impact face-to-face communication amongst todays preadolescents back help predict the future of communication.This write up examines existing literature on the use of computer- mediated-communication through social networks and its impact on face-to-face communication amongst adolescents, in hopes that it will identify limitations in noncurrent and current studies,... ...nclude the sample not being able to be generalizable to all users of CMC because the participants in the proposed study are preadolescents. The sample size is also too small(a) for it to be generalizable for all preadolescents, and it only focusing in a school setting provides limitations as well. Another limitation that can be assumed is imputable to the fact that the data being collected is self reported therefore everything collected must be taken at face value and can be flawed due to selective memory, telescoping, or exaggeration. If access to the schools or parental consent is denied, this could be a big limitation as well. The aim of the current proposed study was to gain insight into how CMC through SNSs affect FTFC in early adolescents. Hopefully researchers will see the value of this study and they will be inspired to conduct further research on the topic.

Application Form Template (Sainsburys)

Application convention THE IN conventionATION YOU SUPPLY ON THIS FORM WILL BE TREATED IN CONFIDENCE. Please note that the closing date for this job vacancy is Monday 30th April 2013. apply for this post please keep comp either this application skeletal system with your curriculum vitae and a cover letter. We result require you to be available on 1st May 2013 for interviews. Section 1 individual(prenominal) details Title Last Name First Names Address Postcode Home Telephone Number Mobile Telephone Number netmail address Are you eligible to work in the UK? Yes No Do you hold a full UK driving licence? Yes No If yes, Do you return any points or convictions etc? Section 2 Rehabilitation of Offenders Act Have you ever been convicted of a criminal offence? Yes No Have you any prosecutions unfinished? Yes No If yes, please give details / dates of offence(s) and sentence Section 3 Health Number of days absent in the las t 2 eld Please state human action of times in the last 2 years Are you registered modify? YES No If yes please provide your disability number and details Section 4 Education Date From Date To Name of School Examinations taken and Qualifications Gained (Specify Grades) Section 5 Employment Record Please angle of dip chronologically, starting with current or last employer Name and Address of Employer Date From Date To Job Title/Job Function/ Responsibilities Salary and Reason for departure Section 6 References Please give the names and addresses of your two most recent employers (if applicable). If you are unable to do this, please clearly outline who your referees are. (NB. References p ull up stakes only be taken if you commence employment with us) Reference 1 Reference 2 Name Name Their Position (job Their Position (job title) title) Work consanguinity Work Relationship Organisation Organisation Dates Employed From To Dates Employed From To Address Address Postcode Postcode Telephone No Telephone No e-mail E-mail Section 7 Declaration I confirm that the information provided in this application and within my Curriculum Vitae is both truthful and accurate. I break omitted no facts that could affect my employment. I understand that any false misleading statements could place any subsequent employment in jeopardy. I understand that any employment entered into is subject to documentary evidence of my right to work in the UK and satisfactory references. I expressly consent to personal data contained within this form being recorded for the purposes of assessing suitability for the post and may form the basis of any subsequent personnel file. Signed Date sporty Rose undertakes that it will treat any personal information that you provide to us, or that we obtain from you, in accordance with the requirements of the Data Protection Act 1998. After initial assessment, White Rose may keep your details on file pending suitable opportunities that may arise in the future. Please tick if you do not craving us to hold your details. Section 8 Recruitment Monitoring Form This sheet will be separated from your application form upon communicate and does not form part of the selection process.It will be retained by the Human Resources purely for monitoring purposes. Application for the post of To help us ensure that our Equal Opportunities Policy is fully and fairly implemented please COMPLETE THIS SECTION OF THE APPLICATION FORM. What is your Ethnic Group? Choose ONE dent from A to E, and then tick the appropriate box to indicate your cultural backgrou nd. A. White D. Black or Black British White UK Black Caribbean Irish Black African White non-UK Any other Black background (please give details) Any other White background (please give details) B. Mixed E.Chinese or other cultural group White & Black Caribbean Chinese White & Black African Vietnamese White & Asian Any other ethnic background (please give details) Any other Mixed background (please give details) C. Asian or Asian British I do not wish to provide this information Indian Pakistani Bangladeshi Any other Asian background (please give details) Section 8 Recruitment Monitoring Form continued Gender Male Female Disability Disability is defined as physical or mental impairment, which has a substantial and long status adverse effect on a persons ability to carry out normal day to day activities. Do you consider yourself disabled? Yes No If yes, please give details Age Group 16-25 26-35 36-45 46-55 56-65 66-70 Over 70 Media Please state where you saw this post advertised

The Italian Renaissance Art

The Italian spiritual rebirth was one of the about prolific tips in the history of art, with large numbers of exceptional artists to be arrange in painting, sculpture, and architecture. These leaders included Masaccio in painting, Brunelleschi in architecture, and Donatello in sculpture. rebirth trick is divided into two main periods. The offset printing period is know as Early Renaissance which took place in the fifteenth century during the Golden Age of Florence. This time included largess buildings, sculptures, and paintings, all of which questioned the rules of art.The next period is known as the High Renaissance, which was created mostly in the sixteenth century as it essentially built up upon and reigned the art fiddle created in the previous era. Art of this time period was marked by greater realism and the natural depiction of the human form. Humanism played a major part in Renaissance art as individualism that humanism cultivated led to a greater attention to the pow er of the individual. The Baptistry in Florence is known as the birthplace of the Italian Renaissance. During this rebirth of culture, a banking system was invented in Florence, largely thanks to the wealthy Medici family.The Baptistry is an octagonal dome with a Florentine Romanesque style. The font is renowned for its three sets of artistically important bronzy doors with relief sculptures. Michelangelo called the doors on the eastern side, The Gates of Paradise. The Golden Age of Florence is known as The Early Renaissance with considerable artistic achievements. Sculpture was very important during this time, and Donatellos statues David and Gattamelata. Donatellos bronze statue of David is notable as it is the first unsupported standing work in bronze cast during the Renaissance period.It depicts the young David with an enigmatic smile, posed with his foot on Goliaths severed head just afterwards killing the giant. Most scholars assume the statue was equip by the Medici Fami ly around 1440. Gattemelata by Donatello depicts the realism, humanism, and individualism of the Renaissance. Bronze like Donatellos David, this statue is the first Renaissance equestrian statue and it served as a model for later sculptures notice military heroes. Renaissance painting began with The Holy Trinity by Masaccio.This painting is also the first to invent perspective, in which a two-dimensional image has the port of being three-dimensional with the help of a barrel-vaulted chamber. This piece shows the intimacy of religion during this time as God is descending saviour from the cross. Madonna and Child, likely the most popular painting in Italy during its time, further shows how religion is a central report in the Renaissance. The most well known Renaissance painting today, however, is the fork out of Venus by Botticelli. It depicts the goddess Venus, having emerged from the sea as a full grown fair sex, arriving at the sea-shore.Botticelli r atomic number 18ly gave w eight and volume to his figures and rarely used a doubtful perspective space. In this painting, Venus body is anatomically questionable, with elongated neck and torso. Venus is an Italian Renaissance ideal as she is blonde, pale- climb, and voluptuous. High Renaissance Artwork is predominate by Michelangelo and Leonardo da Vinci. Leonardo is famous for mostly paintings, while Michelangelo worked in a wider range of mediums which included sculptures and paints. Leonardo created Madonna on the Rocks, which shows his engagement in geology.One of his better-known paintings is The Last Supper. It represents the scene of The Last Supper from the final days of Jesus as narrated in the Gospel of John 1321, when Jesus announces that one of his Twelve Apostles would betray him. The Mona Lisa, another one of da Vincis chef-doeuvres, encompasses the Italian Renaissance. The painting is a wedding portrait that depicts a seated woman whose facial expression is frequently described as enigmat ic. The ambiguity of the womans expression, and the subtle modeling of forms and atmospheric illusion were new qualities that make the work fascinating.The image is so widely recognized, caricatured, and sought out by its visitors that it is considered the most famous painting in the world. Donato Bramante also created fine work during the High Renaissance, peculiarly in architecture. In the year 1502 in Rome, Bramante build a church called Tempietto. Originally patronized by King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella of Spain, the Tempietto marks the traditional pickle of St. Peters crucifixion where he was crucified upside down. Inside, Michelangelo supplied some of the figure drawings, which further shows his significant role in the Renaissance.Michelangelo, unlike the painter da Vinci, created both paintings and statues. Pardon the wordplay he truly was a Renaissance Man as he mastered a bevy of skills. He only piece Michelangelo ever sign was his Pieta. The Pieta, done in 1499, is a masterpiece of Renaissance sculpture that is housed in St. Peters Basilica in Vatican City. It is the first of a number of works of the same theme by the artist. This famous marble sculpture depicts the body of Jesus on the lap of his mother Mary after the Crucifixion. It is an important work as it balances the Renaissance ideals of classical beauty with naturalism.The statue is one of the most highly finished works by Michelangelo, and may be one of his favorites as it is the only one he signed. Another one of Michelangelos well-known statues is David. Michelangelo breaks away from the traditional way of representing David. He does not present us with the winner, like with the giants head at his feet and the decent sword in his hand. Rather, he portrays the youth as tense as he gathers power immediately preceding the battle. Unlike Donatellos depiction of the biblical hero David, some say Michelangelos version does not say much about the legend.Rather, Michelangelo seems to be pr oving to the population that he can create and master a classic Style statue. He seems to perfect the traditional contrapposto knee flexion, as many Greek heroes are represented. We can see further Greek elements, as David is a standing male who is nude. Michelangelo continues the High Renaissance with his Statue of Moses. Moses is depicted with horns, which may strike up a red flag to some viewers. However, forward the bible was translated, horns were the symbol for halos. This is a significant theme of the wisdom of the Enlightenment.This marble sculpture was commissioned in 1505 by Pope Julius II for his tomb as Moses is holding the Ten Commandments under his arm. Oil paints were perfected in the Renaissance and allowed much advancement in many mediums, especially in frescos. Michelangelos first famous painting was likely his Lybian Sibyl from 1510 located on the Sistine chapel. In this work, colors start to become much brighter than previously used, which gave the chapel a hea venly feel. His paintings are so detailed and bold that they actually look as if they were statues.The serpentine figure presents itself with a snake-like twist. Michelangelo showed his painting talents in a fresco in the Sistine Chapel known as the Creation of Adam. Michelangelo tries to tell a story on the entire ceiling of the church and does so with marvelous creations. In fact, this ceiling took a total of four years to created, in which Michelangelo worked on it every day. However, it ought to be noted that looking up at a ceiling for an extensive period of time can be very bothersome, so viewers sometimes lay on their backs to attempt to understand and appreciate the beauty of the frescos.This work specifically was the most condemned work of art after the Council of Trent because of all of the nude figures Michelangelo depicted. The Last Judgment by Michelangelo is the altarpiece at The Sistine Chapel. Michelangelo began working on it three decades after having finished the c eiling of the chapel. The work is massive and spans the entire wall behind the altar and it is a depiction of the second coming of Christ and the apocalypse. The souls of humans hold up and descend to their fates, as judged by Christ surrounded by his saints. Shortly after the creation of this painting, the Jesuits began to spread.Michelangelo was accused of immorality and intolerable obscenity, having depicted naked figures, with crotch in evidence, inside the most important church of Christianity. The Fig-Leaf Campaign began to protest and give sensors to such art. Michelangelo does a self-portrait depicting himself as St. Bartholomew after he had been skinned alive. This is reflective of the feelings of contempt Michelangelo had for being commissioned to paint The Last Judgment. Michelangelo took his talents to architecture in the final stages of his career.He created the Dome of St.Peters Basilica. This is the highest dome in the world, and is also the third widest. This was c reated with the intention of looking very classical. One of Michelangelos motifs is his double columns along the outside of the dome for decoration. Uniquely, Michelangelos dome is not a hemisphere, entirely a parabola it has a vertical thrust, which is made more emphatic by the bold ribbing that springs from the paired Corinthian columns, which appear to be part of the drum, but which stand away from it like buttresses, to absorb the outward thrust of the domes weight.It would not do the Italian Renaissance justice to leave out Rafaels masterpiece The School of Athens, created in 1510. This painting represents the philosophical inquiry of classical times. Ancient Greek architecture and clothing can be seen in the painting It was particoloured as a part of Raphaels commission to decorate with frescoes the rooms in the Apostolic Palace in the Vatican, so today it is a nice fresco on the wall of the Popes office. The picture has long been seen as Raphaels masterpiece and the perfec t embodiment of the classical spirit of the High Renaissance.

Performance and Director

A music director is in charge of all aspects of the production, a directors job is to tie up all performance element together. The director must have vision of how should the character moves, the lighting that help enhance the desire of the play, the sets and props. As an Actor we often find problem such as, dont know how to pose our hand, where to stand and which way to walk. We are floating in the stage, because we are not sure what our map is. past it is the directors role to direct and told the actor what to do so they will not be floating anymore.First the director have to read and understand the script, know what is the meaning of the play, understand each character in the play so that he or she can make choice or decision during rehearsal. The next step is to start rehearsal. managing director have to position actors on stage. Usually the director will decide where is the 5 acting area, but it can be more. For example for realistic play, the 5 acting area can be sofa, kit chen, dine table, bed, beside window, and etc. A director will start to draw the set in a groundplan. When a play is directed by a exhaustively director, the audience wont get distracted by something or someone else on the play.A good director can provide snap of the play, where the audience should see and focus on. If the audience get distracted or confuse during the play, its the directors fault. A play is symbolic, its artificial. all(prenominal) the elements of the play on the stage is symbolic. The actor represent another person on the stage. The set and probs is symbolic too, because it represent the chair in the play storyline. Then why people go to see a play? Because we can relate the play to us in the real world. View pointing is using diametrical form from traditional As an actor physically awkward,dunno wat to do with hand. View pointing help or not? at is d intention, wat d director deprivation us to do. Ans viewpointing tu diff approach. View pointing tu, dr awal acara gk ad plot,cuma ad movement. Director Dont make movement that is not important how to solve problem tgn yg gk tau taru dimn. Kenapa tgn kita tak tau mau ngap. karna kt gk yakin apa yg harus kt lakukan, gk yakin ttg role mrk. Role,space, body. Viewpointing is using different from from traditional Collaborative-haresh sharma messy Base of my knowledge from blabla 5acting areas. Provide the focus, if audience distracted with someone else, dont put that on purpose. Directors fault. A PLAY IS artificial.

Superhero and Comic Book

Superhero By Numbers Lisa Watson and Phil Stocks January 29, 2009 by angelan Abstract This paper reports on results of a statistical analysis correlating superhero characteristics much(prenominal) as powers, motivations, weaknesses, and costumes with commercial viability as represented by nonsensical confine sales and number of appearances in refreshed media such as cinema and television. Results indicate that features of a character wipe out little impact in the comic book market, and that untried media trends support a decease a flair from god- similar, untouchable heroes to heroes displaying more(prenominal) benignant frailties and highly visual super abilities.Introduction The superhero is an ingrained part of popular culture that has seen resurgence in the last decennary through and through the introduction of heavy(p) characters to new audiences through expanded media. There was a time when superheroes were entrenched firmly in the comic book medium. However, advanc es in technology and tacks in distribution channels suck in changed the superhero industry con viewrably. With comic books b bely achieving a fraction of early sales volumes, publishers atomic number 18 trying to restore their comic book heroes by taking them from the Silver Age to the silver permeate and other fora.However, with greatly advanced media come great financial risks. In order to secure their investments, the sponsors of these types of ventures must admit a solid understanding of the modern superhero audience and what it is looking for in an iconic protagonist. Heroes and villains express cultural determine regarding what society reveres as admirable and fears as deviant (Klapp 1962). Bradford Wrights (2001) book Comic phonograph recording Nation outlines the evolution of comic book stories and characters mimicking cultural change however, this discussion was done retrospectively (as were others).These types of observations tell us that what was popular during th e golden age of comic book heroes will surely non be wanted in todays society. It would be useful if publishers were able to determine what readers are drawn to now so that they might remediate meet the demands of this multiplication of reader. Empirically studying the popular appeal of superhero traits can give us insight into our society and trends within its letment. What makes a character popular or prominent as we enter the Aquarian age? How important is boundless(prenominal) virtue or courage in the portray of insurmountable odds?How relevant is the softer, vulnerable side of a character? Do readers have preferred super powers? Is an Achilles heel necessary? Moreover, what characteristics are enduring? Answers to these sorts of questions should provide the insights that will tell companies which avenues should prove the nigh lucrative and least risky to pursue in bringing superheroes back to the masses. The aim of this study is to analyse trends in superhero characteris tics empirically in order to pull in current popular superhero traits.Follo get throughg standard practice for writing academic articles in the applied social science of marketing, study findings are then use to develop a series of managerial implications for businesses. In this instance, findings may be utilise to reduce risk in choosing existing heroes to introduce to modern audiences, or to bring to pass a new breed of hero that is better able to reach the target readers, viewers and players of the future. Literature Review Superheroes made inroads into popular culture in the 1930s at newsstands around America.The Golden Age of comics set a precedent of seemingly indestructible superheroes who held secret identities and were dedicated to upholding truth and justice (Bongco, 2000). later on struggling to maintain reader interest through the early 1950? s, the Silver Age of comics saw revamping and reintroduction of characters thought to be buried deep in the archives at the H all of Justice, this time bringing some more human qualities to the fore. Now, when you think of Superman, you around likely think of the Superman that was in vogue when you were a child.Theres been a Superman for e truly decade since the character was created (Fingeroth, 2004, p. 20). Even today, one mans Dark Knight is not necessarily some other boys Batman. The eighties and nineties saw a bold break from tradition as comic publishers started directly targeting more mature readership by introducing not just human struggles within the characters, but hints of amoral and anti-heroic tendencies as comfortably (Bongco, 2000). Do superhero fans of today prefer the altruistic heroes of yesteryear like Spiderman, the bad-boy good guys like Wolverine, or looking into the darkest depths of the Dark Knight?The comic book companies that own our superheroes have used in-your-face tactics to increase sales figures before. The Justice conference of America and The Avengers were, after all, the fictional result of the real world commercial desire to gather the companys most popular heroes into one cartridge or animated series (Fingeroth, 2004, p. 104). However, when companies are betting multi-billion dollar budgets on public interest in particular superheroes, they should be sure they are choosing wisely. only(prenominal) the most popular of the comic book superheroes can make it to the silver screen or video game monitor.Which character is the right one? Which looping is the right one? Or should we abandon our superheroes of yesteryear and create new ones, like Buffy the Vampire Slayer, exclusively through new media to show us the way? It is impossible to have a discussion of superheroes without the issue of gender being raised. Superwomen generally are parts of super teams rather than stand alone characters, and frequently they are in relationships with male counterparts. However, both partners need not be super, and significant others can be used as plot devices in stories.Therefore, it is charge exploring whether being in these sorts of relationships increases a characters popularity. What do we look for in our superheroes? Kevin Smith (2003) has a simple view altruism and clothes (p. unknown). On a more serious note, Fingeroth (2004) asserts that strength of character, positive values, and a determination to protect them start the list. So what separates superheroes from our other heroes? Bongco (2000) offers a costumed, secret identity (p. 102). Fingeroth (2004) argues that they have to possess skills and abilities that normal humans do not.Physical, mental and sensory attributes may be heightened. They may have superhuman powers that can range from magical gifts, to scientifically engineered mutations, to high-tech equipment or weaponry combined with an inexplicable ability to walk away from every battle unscathed. But most importantly, they always have to win in the end. By considering a wide range of these characteristics, we hope t o be able to determine which combinations of these characteristics are equald to commercial success in a modern market. Method A database of superheroes was constructed incorporating a wide range of superhero characteristics.The purpose of this article is to determine what characteristics are most popular and commercially viable in todays market. Marvel and DC Comics make up dickens thirds of the comic book market thus it was decided that limiting characters to those in these comics would not be detrimental to sampling frame representativeness. An initial breakdown of character attributes and super abilities, including numerical rankings, was derived from information from fantasy role-playing games written for the Marvel and DC universes, specifically Marvel Super Heroes by TSR, Inc. , and DC Heroes by Mayfair Games.Independent variables included attributes and powers listed in the role playing games, as good as variables for their secret identities, weaknesses, motivations, cost umes, significant others, and whether they are human, not human or mutant. The Marvel Super Heroes template and numeric scale was used and DC characters were translated from the DC Heroes system into the Marvel one. Both systems relate their numeric rankings to feats accomplishable in real-world terms (e. g. , able to lift 100 tons) and the attributes and powers are similar enough that this translation is formulaic and involves negligible speculation.Costume variables consisted of whether the heroes wear a cape and whether their costumes are primarily spandex. Significant other variables included whether the significant other is aware of their secret identity and whether he or she is used as a plot device however, because not enough information was readily available about this variable it could not be used in the closing analysis. Cape and secret identity were dichotomous (yes/no) variables. Weaknesses, motivation, humanness and spandex were short scales. Weakness scaled from none to debilitating (0-2). An exercise debilitating weakness is Supermans vulnerability to Kryptonite.An example intermediate weakness is Iron Mans alcoholism. Motivation ranged from none-given (0) to vigilante/revenge (1) to sense of duty (2) to desire to serve (3). humankind extended from not human (0) to mutant (1) to human (2). Spandex ranged from no spandex (0) to sometimes appears in spandex (1) to all spandex all the time (2). Because the majority of superpowers are unique, they were grouped accord to common attributes powers derived from weaponry or equipment, the power to manipulate matter or energy (external to oneself), powers that are inherent to ones physical consistency, powers of the mind, and magical powers.The very common powers of being impervious to harm and being able to fly were given separate entries. These variables were regressed on dependent variables representing commercial popularity to see which combinations of characteristics should prove most successful in the current marketplace. Two dependent variables were used to determine characters commercial success. The first was the collective number of movies, television programs and video games in which they have featured as main characters. The sampling frame for this data was the Internet Movie Database (http//www. mdb. com, 2005). The second variable was an estimated comic book sales figure for 2004. It used the monthly Top 300 comic sales lists published by ICV2. com (2004) to calculate the total number of Top 100 comic issues sold in 2004 that featured each of the heroes as central characters ( found on title characters for item-by-item titles and feature characters in the case of group titles). While these data can not be entirely accurate, they should provide reasonable estimates of heroes market popularity in popular media.Results There are 75 heroes in our database some individual data points are missing for some characters. This sample is small for the number of independent v ariables in our analysis. Therefore, the first step was to conduct a work out analysis to group individual measures together to create a smaller, but alleviate representative, variable list. A principal components analysis with a varimax rotation was used. It yielded 9 factor components. Factor loadings higher up 0. 400 may be seen in display board 1.The first factor was labelled Physical Attributes, incorporating health, strength, fighting ability, endurance and agility. Wearing a cape overly loaded onto this factor, suggesting that particular fashion item is reserved for only the most powerful of superheroes. Apparently the new cape-less trend started by top superhero designer Edna E Mode has not yet caught on with the big boys. The second factor, Sensory Attributes, included karma, intuition and psyche, which may represent such characteristics as spidey senses. The third factor included resources, reasoning ability, popularity and motivation.This combination suggests someon e who is smart, rich, resourceful, charming and philanthropic, and was thus labelled Appeal. The fourth factor seemed to consist of the most stereotypical traits of a superhero being roll of tobacco proof or indestructible, the ability to fly, and a desire to help protect mankind. As such, it was decided to call this factor Golden Age attributes. Factor basketball team consisted of powers derived from weapons and/or equipment and the power to manipulate matter and/or energy, and was thus labelled External Powers. The sixth factor was labelled Secret Identity. Powers associated with the body loaded negatively with secret identity, suggesting that characters without superhuman defences are more likely to require secret identities to protect themselves. The next factor, labelled Mysticism, included magical powers and powers of the mind. These powers were in like manner associated with capes, which are still used by such modern media magical superheroes as Harry Potter. At first gl ance, factor eight appeared to be a bit of a mosaic of collected variance however upon further inspection it is quite enlightening.This factor encompasses a weakness combined with powers colligate to the characters body and high endurance. This factor captures the Achilles heel of the character, along with the struggle to overcome it thus it was assigned the label of Tenacity. The ninth factor demonstrates the humanness of the character. Amusingly, wearing spandex is positively related to being human. It must just fit better under a wider variety of everyday course clothes. picThese factors were used as independent variables in two regression models relating the factors first to appearances in movies, TV shows and video games (new media), and then to comic book sales volumes (as outlined in the method section). Neither of the dependent variables was ordinarily distributed, so natural log transformations were conducted on each of them before analyses were conducted. When the supe rhero factors were regressed on the new media variable, residual analysis uncovered a non-random error distribution that suggested charge least squares was required.Thus, a weighted least squares regression analysis was conducted using unstandardized residuals as the weighting factor. The model returned an adjusted R? value of 0. 77, meaning that 77% of the variance in new media appearances for superheroes could be explained by the nine superhero factors (Table 2). Four factors had significant magnetic cores on how often a character appeared in new media. Sensory abilities, external powers and humanness had positive relationships with new media appearances. It is easy to see why external powers would be desired in todays visually focused media.Interestingly, the Golden Age factor had a negative relationship with new media appearances, with Golden Age characteristics making a character 35% less likely to appear on screen. Some of our favourite superheroes have been recreated and re vamped over the years. An example of a Golden Age character shedding these stereotypical powers in new media would be the television program Smallville, in which Superman cant fly and has not yet devoted his life to saving mankind. This example is also an apt one for demonstrating the appeal of the other two factors, humanness and sensory attributes.Directional results indicate that audiences want characters to be less untouchable and more human and to have an innate ability to understand their fellow man. They want to empathize in some way with the protagonist in the story. These results could describe the hardened street smart Batman or the gentler Tobey Maguire version of Spiderman, both of whom are due to make reappearances at the box office, and both of whom will be sporting spandex. Alternatively, these results could be used as a skeleton around which to build new characters to debut in video format. picA second regression analysis was conducted using comic book sales figures estimates as the dependent variable. The mass audience for movies is a much broader one than the comic book niche market, and as such is looking for more sophisticated superhero stories. Thus, what these two audiences are looking for in superhero characteristics may also be very different. As in the first analysis, the 9 superhero factors were regressed on the modify dependent variable, in this case Top 100 comic book sales. Linear regression results did not require weighting. Results can be seen in Table 3.Only one of the measured superhero factors, tenacity, played a significant role in determining comic book sales. The ability to overcome weakness in the face of insurmountable odds is something that comic book fans have come to expect from their superheroes over the decades. When writers gave their characters flaws in the Silver Age it was meant to make them look even better when they beat the bad guy (Lang and Trimble, 1988). Apparently the formula still works. These results in dicate that changing superhero characters, or developing new ones, will have little effect on sales. pic This stagnancy with respect to characters may be caused by a general shift among comic book fans away from emphasizing characters and more towards purchase issues based on their artists (Brown, 1997). Alternatively, this is a small market that is steeped in tradition. Fans involve themselves heavily in these products and are quick to point out inconsistencies. They may entirely not be open to change, meaning that the superheroes themselves are hardly considered at this point, so long as they are consistent.In short, this small market is not where yield will happen and is not representative of a broader audience so pursuing alternative characters in this medium could prove to be a take of resources. Managerial Implications Apart from shedding light on current cultural values, these findings can be applied commercially. While results suggested that the comic book market is not strongly character driven, results indicated that characters have a major impact on on-screen popularity.Television and movie audiences seem to want to see heroes that are intuitive human beings that have powers that are external to themselves, whether they stem from equipment or the ability to manipulate matter or energy outside of themselves. They are no longer interested in god-like characters that can fly and cant be killed. This combination includes mutant characters. Results can be applied to choosing existing characters to introduce into these media, developing new characters specifically for those media, or altering existing characters to better suit the wants of the audiences viewing those media.For example, Iron Man fits these criteria, making him a perfect choice for an upcoming silver screen venture. Findings also suggest that Professor X would be a more popular character if he were to develop the ability to move things with his mind. Alternatively, an entirely new breed of superhero could be introduced to the world. A league of new and improved, culturally customized superheroes to rise from the wake of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Harry Potter, never having been restricted by the walls of a comic book panel.Limitations There are several issues that require the reader to interpret these results with caution. First, for reasons of practicality, we use quite a small sample of the most well established characters created by the two biggest comic book publishers for our analysis. Therefore, innumerable other superheroes developed by them, smaller companies and independents, as well as those that did not become in comics, but in some other medium such as television or movies, are not accounted for.Next, much of our analysis was based on comic book sales figures, the overwhelming majority of which were published by Marvel and DC however, these sales figures were used as a replacing measure of character popularity. It must be recognized that collectors now often consider the comic book artists rather than the characters that they create when purchasing issues, as well as purchasing multiple copies of those they believe will be valuable (Brown, 1997).Thus, character popularity may not be as highly correlated with comic book sales figures as we assume in our analysis. Similarly, Marvel, DC and the majority of the new media depicting those superheroes come from North America. As such, our results may not be generalizable across cultures. Finally, audience demographics for Marvel Comics, DC Comics and the various other superhero media discussed here are proprietary, so we are unable to consider how the audiences for these media are similar or how they differ in our analysis.Instead we are making an assumption that there are differences and inferring that comic book producers have been successful in their bids to increase the superhero audience through the use of new media channels. Future Research This study could be expanded to incl ude a more representative sample of heroes from a wider range of publishers and media if a consistent system for quantifying many of the superhero traits could be agreed upon. Findings would be much more robust and reliable if this were achieved. Demographic or cross-cultural comparisons of preferred superhero traits and media could also be introduced.Villains should also be included in any future analyses. These additions would make the findings more inherently interesting because comic book evildoershelp set up the comic book hero (Fingeroth, 2004, p. 15). Should further sociological analysis be of interest, a longitudinal study of these characters traits, their associated artists and their evolutions could be compared empirically to the observations provided to date and used to move to predict current popular trends and their changing sociological implications for now and into the future.Little empirical work exists in the realm of superheroes as they relate to popular culture, leaving aeonian opportunity to test the many sociological theories being advanced about them. References Bongco, M. 2000. Reading Comics Language, Culture, and the Concept of the Superhero in Comic Books. New York, NY Garland Publishing. Brown, J. A. 1997. Comic Book Fandom and Cultural Capital. journal of Popular Culture 30 (4) 13-34. Fingeroth, D. 2004. Superman on the Couch What Superheroes Really Tell Us about Ourselves and Our Society. New York, NY Continuum.Grinfeld, M. J. 1997. Superheroes Impart vivifications Lessons. Psychiatric Times 14. Klapp, O. E. 1962. Heroes, Villains, and Fools The Changing American Character. Englewood Cliffs, NJ Prentice Hall. Lang, J. S. , and Trimble, P. 1988. Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow? An Examination of the American Monomyth and the Comic Book Superhero. Journal of Popular Culture 22 (3) 157-173. Smith, K. 2003. The Superhero. Rolling Stone, May 15. Wright, B. W. 2001. Comic Book Nation The Transformation of Youth Culture in Am erica. Baltimore, MD Johns Hopkins University Press.