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Articles by J. Andrew Deman
How Online Communities Are Reshaping Comics Culture
TLDR: Comics culture is evolving online as fans, creators and scholars use social media, webcomics and digital platforms to discuss and shape the medium. Comics are more than a reading experience. They are a culture. While reading a comic has traditionally been the centrepiece of that culture — with comics being the “social object” that binds and unites the culture, in the words of sociologist Jyri Engeström — the social experience doesn’t end when you put the comic down.
Want to talk comics? Today, that often means going online Original
Comics are more than a reading experience. They are a culture. While reading a comic has traditionally been the centrepiece of that culture — with comics being the “social object” that binds and unites the culture, in the words of sociologist Jyri Engeström — the social experience doesn’t end when you put the comic down. Comics culture has a storied history of conventions, shop conversations, swaps and sale events, collector exhibits and even academic courses on the subject.
Want to talk comics? Today, that often means going online
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How Marvel’s Fantastic Four discovered the human in the superhuman Original
The Fantastic Four: First Steps is the second cinematic reboot of the Fantastic Four franchise, and there's a lot riding on this film. While cinema-goers have responded enthusiastically to many of the films in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the history of the Fantastic Four on the silver screen is less heralded. All the previous Fantastic Four films have been "commercial and critical failures," with the 2015 film being an infamous box office bomb.
How Marvel’s Fantastic Four discovered the human in the superhuman
© 2025 Tolerance.ca ® Inc. All reproduction rights reserved. All information reproduced on the Web pages of www.tolerance.ca (including articles, images, photographs, and logos) is protected by intellectual property rights owned by Tolerance.ca ® Inc. or, in certain cases, by its author. Any reproduction of the information for use other than personal use is prohibited.
‘Iyashikei’ healing manga comforts readers with attention to small joys
This article was originally published on The Conversation, an independent and nonprofit source of news, analysis and commentary from academic experts. Disclosure information is available on the original site. ___ Author: J. Andrew Deman, Professor of English, University of Waterloo Iyashikei is a Japanese genre that, according to Japanese studies scholar Paul Roquet, tells stories that are designed to comfort and heal weary readers by creating an aesthetic of calm.
'Iyashikei' healing manga comforts readers with attention to small joys
Iyashikei is a Japanese genre that, according to Japanese studies scholar Paul Roquet, tells stories that are designed to comfort and heal weary readers by creating an aesthetic of calm. In order to achieve this, as Roquet articulates, these stories are presented as tales with little or no plot conflict. That simple idea is, however, somewhat antithetical to longstanding western storytelling traditions, where conflict has been considered key to plot development.
‘Iyashikei’ healing manga comforts readers with attention to small joys
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‘Iyashikei’ healing manga comforts readers with attention to small joys
By J. Andrew Deman, Professor of English, University of Waterloo Iyashikei is a Japanese genre that, according to Japanese studies scholar Paul Roquet, tells stories that are designed to comfort and heal weary readers by creating an aesthetic of calm. In order to achieve this, as Roquet articulates, these stories are presented as tales with little or no plot conflict.
‘Iyashikei’ healing manga comforts readers with attention to small joys
Iyashikei is a Japanese genre that, according to Japanese studies scholar Paul Roquet, tells stories that are designed to comfort and heal weary readers by creating an aesthetic of calm. In order to achieve this, as Roquet articulates, these stories are presented as tales with little or no plot conflict. That simple idea is, however, somewhat antithetical to longstanding western storytelling traditions, where conflict has been considered key to plot development.
X Mind-Bending Ways 'X-Men' Was Almost Completely Different
In 1980 Cyclops left the X-Men. In his travels, he falls in love and eventually has a child. During this era, he is portrayed as unburdened, self-invested, and ultimately quite happy. He actually got out. Author Miles Booy notes, however, that editorial influence (and toy licensing) forced Claremont's hand when Cyclops' ride into the sunset was undone by editorial mandate within an industry that was just starting to recognize the value of intellectual property.
Our Best X-Men Story Is “Vanities”
In a franchise that has run for over 50 years, there is bound to be debate about which story is “the best”. Listicles will be written, podcasts will be recorded, debate will be never ceasing. In this series, we’ve gathered ComicsXF writers to share what they personally think are their best X-Men stories ever. Uncanny X-Men #239 (1988) “Vanities”, written by Chris Claremont, penciled by Marc Silvestri, inked by Dan Green, colored by Glynis Oliver, lettered by Tom Orzechowski.
Youth-oriented comics with LGBTQ+ positive characters are busting binaries
In a polarized cultural milieu, the portrayal of LGBTQ+ characters in popular media for youth and children is sometimes contentious. In March, for example, the Disney corporation was criticized for covertly supporting Florida legislation that bars instruction about “sexual orientation or gender identity” for young schoolchildren. This comes on the heels of controversy about the treatment of queer characters in Disney films.
The Claremont Run
Description Praise Contents Finalist — San Diego Comic-Con International 2024 Eisner Award in Best Academic/Scholarly Work A data-driven deep dive into a legendary comics author’s subversion of gender norms within the bestselling comic of its time. By the time Chris Claremont’s run as author of Uncanny X-Men ended in 1991, he had changed comic books forever.
J. Andrew Deman and Matthew Poulter
‘Cowboy Bebop’ drew international viewers with its genre-bending fusion of American mafia movies, Italian westerns, Japanese cyberpunk, Hong-Kong style martial arts and its eclectic soundtrack.
Groundbreaking anime series earns a Netflix remake for iconic artistic fusion
The classic 1998 anime series Cowboy Bebop is back in the public eye with a bold and much-anticipated live-action adaptation arriving on Netflix on Nov. 19. The occasion offers a moment to reflect upon the vast cultural and artistic significance of an anime that crossed literal and figurative borders to help carve out an international audience for the Japanese animation industry. The original Cowboy Bebop played a monumental role in establishing the transnational potential of anime.
Relire Harry Potter en confinement donne un nouveau sens aux aventures du jeune sorcier
La franchise à succès Harry Potter n’aura pas connu sa meilleure année en 2020. Les commentaires transphobes de J.K. Rowling ont eu des retombées négatives de même que le remplacement de Johnny Depp, de la saga Animaux fantastiques, à la suite de ses déboires avec la justice. Bien sûr, 2020 n’aura pas été la meilleure année pour personne en raison des consignes sanitaires imposées pour contrer la pandémie de Covid-19.
Reading Harry Potter in a new light during the coronavirus pandemic
This has not been the best year for the Harry Potter franchise, assailed as it has been by the fallout from transphobic comments by J.K. Rowling and an abuse scandal surrounding Johnny Depp, star of the Fantastic Beasts spin-off franchise. Of course, this hasn't been the best year for a lot of things as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent isolation protocols.
Reading Harry Potter in a new light during the coronavirus pandemic
This has not been the best year for the Harry Potter franchise, assailed as it has been by the fallout from transphobic comments by J.K. Rowling and an abuse scandal surrounding Johnny Depp, star of the Fantastic Beasts spin-off franchise. Of course, this hasn’t been the best year for a lot of things as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent isolation protocols.
How a Canadian superhero brought queer representation to Marvel Comics
Marvel Comics is frequently referred to as “the house of ideas,” yet the idea of a queer superhero did not fully arrive at Marvel until the 1990s. Despite Marvel’s reputation as a campus phenomenon and as a hotbed for liberal — even subversive — discourse, Stan Lee’s comics publishing juggernaut would not feature a canonically gay character until some 30 years after the debut of The Fantastic Four. There’s a reason for that.
The Harry Potter series actually has a lot to teach us about death
Harry Potter is the literary phenomenon of the past century, and while our society has had no difficulty celebrating J.K. Rowling’s work, the literary community has been somewhat slower in figuring out exactly what the series has to say. We tend to think of Harry Potter as an escapist delight, but Rowling’s work also expertly constructs a poignant extended theme that has more in common with King Lear than most English professors might care to admit.
Ever to Ashes: The Unadaptable Nature of the Dark Phoenix Saga
Dark Phoenix TPB Cover by Bill Sienkiewicz INTRO As Hollywood takes its second big stab at The Dark Phoenix Saga, the most popular X-Men storyline of all-time, certain age-old arguments about the adaptability of comics properties find new footing in our collective culture once again. There exists a narrative (perhaps a myth) that supposes comics should be easy to adapt to film – they are, as many have pointed out, basically storyboards.
This 1970s X-Men writer’s storytelling style is why Game of Thrones is so bingeable
A quiet revolution has occurred within all of our homes, one that has fundamentally altered the way we watch television. Given the North American love of television, it is not hyperbole to say this revolution has had a notable effect on our lives, our culture, and our identities. It is strange to consider that we might owe a great deal of these cultural changes to the work of a single X-Men comics writer.
How an "X-Men" writer inspired binge-worthy, character-driven TV from "Buffy" to "Game of Thrones"
A quiet revolution has occurred within all of our homes, one that has fundamentally altered the way we watch television. Given the North American love of television, it is not hyperbole to say this revolution has had a notable effect on our lives, our culture and our identities. It is strange to consider that we might owe a great deal of these cultural changes to the work of a single X-Men comics writer.
How an X-Men writer inspired binge-worthy, character-driven TV from Buffy to Game of Thrones
by J. Andrew Deman An early comics book writer inspired today’s TV writing. The Umbrella Academy (Netflix), based on the comic book by Gerard Way and Gabriel Bá, tops binge-worthy TV lists this month. Mary J. Blige plays Cha-Cha, an assassin that can travel through time. Christos Kalohoridis / Netflix A quiet revolution has occurred within all of our homes, one that has fundamentally altered the way we watch television.
How an X-Men writer inspired binge-worthy, character-driven TV from Buffy to Game of Thrones
A quiet revolution has occurred within all of our homes, one that has fundamentally altered the way we watch television. Given the North American love of television, it is not hyperbole to say this revolution has had a notable effect on our lives, our culture and our identities. It is strange to consider that we might owe a great deal of these cultural changes to the work of a single X-Men comics writer.
COMMENTARY: The ‘F@#k Batman!’ promo points to an evolution of the telling of superhero stories
“F@#k Batman” is an odd sentiment to launch a DC TV series with, but a closer look at the history of the Teen Titans franchise and its impact on superhero storytelling reveals that “F@#k Batman” holds the potential to be a profound sentiment, one that is life-changing within a genre that traditionally avoids the very concept of life-changing.
Titans on TV: The life-changing magic of 'F@#k Batman!’
“F@#k Batman” is an odd sentiment to launch a DC TV series with, but a closer look at the history of the Teen Titans franchise and its impact on superhero storytelling reveals that “F@#k Batman” holds the potential to be a profound sentiment, one that is life-changing within a genre that traditionally avoids the very concept of life-changing.
The life-changing magic of 'F@#k Batman!'
“F@#k Batman” is an odd sentiment to launch a DC TV series with, but a closer look at the history of the Teen Titans franchise and its impact on superhero storytelling reveals that “F@#k Batman” holds the potential to be a profound sentiment, one that is life-changing within a genre that traditionally avoids the very concept of life-changing.
Versions of Han Solo's blaster exist – and they're way more powerful than real lightsabers would be
People who think physics is boring couldn’t be more wrong. It can explain everything from spooky interactions on the tiny scale of atoms and particles to how the entire universe behaves. As if that wasn’t enough, it can also be used to assess how realistic futuristic technology in science fiction is. My area of expertise – plasma physics – can explain many aspects of both lightsabers and the Death Star within Star Wars lore, for example.
Harry Potter and the Deathly Mortality Themes
Harry Potter is the literary phenomenon of the past century, and while our society has had no difficulty celebrating J.K. Rowling’s work, the literary community has been somewhat slower in figuring out exactly what the series has to say. We tend to think of Harry Potter as an escapist delight, but Rowling’s work also expertly constructs a poignant extended theme that has more in common with King Lear than most English professors might care to admit.
What is the real message of the Harry Potter series? (Hint: it’s about death)
Harry Potter is the literary phenomenon of the past century, and while our society has had no difficulty celebrating JK Rowling’s work, the literary community has been somewhat slower in figuring out exactly what the series has to say. We tend to think of Harry Potter as an escapist delight, but Rowling’s work also expertly constructs a poignant extended theme that has more in common with King Lear than most English professors might care to admit.
Harry Potter and the surprisingly poignant literary theme
Harry Potter is the literary phenomenon of the past century, and while our society has had no difficulty celebrating J.K. Rowling’s work, the literary community has been somewhat slower in figuring out exactly what the series has to say. We tend to think of Harry Potter as an escapist delight, but Rowling’s work also expertly constructs a poignant extended theme that has more in common with King Lear than most English professors might care to admit.
Harry Potter and the surprisingly poignant literary theme
Harry Potter is the literary phenomenon of the past century, and while our society has had no difficulty celebrating J.K. Rowling’s work, the literary community has been somewhat slower in figuring out exactly what the series has to say. We tend to think of Harry Potter as an escapist delight, but Rowling’s work also expertly constructs a poignant extended theme that has more in common with King Lear than most English professors might care to admit.
Star Wars is colonial fantasy: How our future imaginings are limited by our past
Most Star Wars films open with the simple text “A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away….” To many people this is a cute gimmick, but it actually gives the audience an important sense of what is to come because the Star Wars franchise is, and has always been, far more interested in our past than in our future. Despite the “long time ago,” Star Wars is set in the future in terms of how we conceive of it.
A team divided: Who is the hero of Justice League?
The reviews are coming in harsh for Justice League (Warner Bros.), the keystone movie of the DC extended-universe. In some ways this shouldn’t come as a surprise, given the somewhat dubious artistic record of the Justice League comics.
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