Periodic Table of Comic Books, Northern Kentucky U., Nov. 1, 2006

[selegue]

Lecture/demonstration of the Periodic Table of Comic Books

 

12:00 noon

November 1, 2006

 

Science Center 402

Northern Kentucky University

Nunn Drive

Highland Heights, KY

 

Abstract:

 

The Periodic Table of Comic Books

 

John P. Selegue, Department of Chemistry, University of Kentucky

 

Public attitudes toward science are

strongly reflected in popular culture. The comic book, a major medium of American popular culture in the twentieth century, is no exception. This offspring of pulp magazines and the Sunday funnies was born during the Great Depression of the 1930s, accompanied U.S. troops into World War II in the early 1940s, wandered off in lurid directions that attracted the attention of rabid censors in the 1950s, hobbled into the 1960s as emasculated kiddy fare, was celebrated as Pop Art and got hooked on drugs in the late 1960s, imploded in the 1970s, was born again in the 1980s, became Big Business in the 1990s, and survives in the 2000s as a breeding ground for television and movie blockbusters. This presentation will review aspects of chemistry as depicted in tales of Superman, Batman, Plastic Man, Donald Duck, Hydro-Man, the Incredible Hulk and dozens of other comic-book heroes and villains. Comic-book writers and artists show their fascination with and fear of science in their work. The uses and abuses of science in comic books provide touchstones that can grab students' attention and engage them in the descriptive chemistry of the elements.

[143ksk]

I do hope you're going to include Professor Duck's pioneering work on methylene

[selegue]

I do hope you're going to include Professor Duck's pioneering work on methylene

 

Yep, I showed the page, read and discussed a few excerpts from it, talked a little about Barks. If the talk weren't already too long, I'd scan and include the page of Organic Chemistry by Morrison and Boyd that includes the CH2 panel.

 

JPS

in an osmotic fog

[Sal]

how'd it go? you get good turnout?

[selegue]

how'd it go? you get good turnout?

 

It wasn't a huge room but it was full -- probably about 50.

Typical me. I was way overprepared and overly optimistic about what I could cover in about 50 minutes. The nature of thistalk is that I end up including a lot of asides and anecdotes -- comments about Wertham, a little bio data about William Moulton Marston, connections to current movies. It's not often that I get to mention Jessica Alba's bra in a lecture -- so it moves along slowly. I could have given one hour from Action 1 to about 1960 and another hour from 1960 on!

 

Thanks for asking.

 

Jack