Harrison recently attended "Understanding Superheroes," a conference hosted by the University of Oregon in conjunction with an exhibition at the Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art, titled "Faster than a Speeding Bullet: The Art of a Superhero."

     "I’ve been to numerous conferences based on comic books, but this was the first conference, as far as I know, focused exclusively on superheroes," said Harrison, a member of MC’s department of modern foreign languages. "It was intended to be a little different, exploring the cultural impact of superheroes. The scholars that were gathered came from all over the United States, as well as Wales and Canada, and there were many different disciplines represented, such as American studies, comparative literature and film and media studies."

     Keynote speakers addressed topics such as "Jews, Comics and the Creation of the Superhero," and the impact of comics artist Jack Kirby. Panel topics included "The Signifying Super-Villain" and "Wearing the Flag: Nationalism, Regionalism and Race."

     "It was really a multi-faceted experience, and I thought it went very well for the first year," Harrison said.

     The new Monmouth faculty member said he has been interested in superheroes and comics since he was a child, and named Batman and Robin as his favorites.

     "I have an identical twin brother, so I really identified with that one, in particular," he said, adding that the Batman story is typical of what is occurring in the modern world of comics.

     "In the 1960s, you had the light, campy Batman on TV. In the late 1980s, the first of the much darker Batman films was made. The characters have a lot more depth, and we begin to focus more on who Batman is and the psychological issues that drive him. The superheroes of the 1940s were essentially fighting crime. Superman had an immigrant narrative and became a symbol of being American. Now, the characters are a lot more complex."

     When asked if he would bring some of what comics can teach to his classroom, Harrison said he plans to have a "comics component" in a course he will teach on contemporary Spanish culture during the spring semester.

     "Comics were used in Spain as a way to express distaste for the dictatorship," he said

     Superheroes such as Captain Marvel and Wonder Woman are familiar throughout the world, but there are some characters who are nation-specific. In Spain, that includes El Hombre Enmasquerado (The Masked Man) and El Guerrero del Antifaz. The latter hero, said Harrison, is a "medieval hero who extolls specific national Catholic virtues."