Legion World Forums LEGION CLUBHOUSE The Legion of Super-Heroes New Critical Book on the Legion

If anyone here is interested, I'm editing a book of critical essays on The Legion of Super-Heroes, and I'm looking for submissions from academics and fans of the series. I want the book to have a diverse range of approaches (literary, social, aesthetic, critical, etc), and I'd like to see as many eras of the Legion represented as possible. I have a publishing deal with Sequart Books (they published my previous book, a critical look at Grant Morrison's early career), and now it's just a matter of looking at submissions. If you have something to say about a period of Legion history, and you have sharp analytical skills to back up your opinions, even if you've never been published before, then please contact me: TCallah@hotmail.com

Legion as academic fodder?

Legion on Oprah? Flight rings for all audience members.

Dr. Phil interviews Braniac. Tells him to "get over it."

Bill O'Reilly points his finger at ML Lad, for the last time.

No sharp analytical skills here. I'm just filling time until someone smart shows up.

Lash and EDE already have quite a bit of material in the form of reviews and overviews of certain periods of LSH history right here on LW.

Sweet, eh?

Betcha one of our smart people could dig a bunch of it out.

Then there are always Dean's infamous "Hair threads". (a personal favorite) That's definitely a different perspective for you.

a new book about the Legion? sounds interesting.

What a great idea! I'll give this some thought. In any case, please be sure to keep us informed so we know when to be looking for it. And best of luck!

I'll try to come up with something as well.

how soon would you need stuff from us?

If you can get submissions to me by June, that would be ideal.

E-mail me if you have any ideas!

Do you want articles on the Legion or would you accept submissions on something like what the Legion means to you? Those of us who have been fans for most of our lives might have more to say from the personal level.

The original plan is to make the book a compilation of essays about the Legion from some sort of analytical perspective. Like that "Sandman Papers" book by Fantagraphics, only with a focus on the Legion. (And, ideally, close looks at each major era of the title, from multiple critical perspectives.) But if you have some wonderfully-written personal essay, I might be able to find a spot for it. If you're interested, send it my way: TCallah@hotmail.com

An Update:

I've received commitments from several contributors so far. One is working on an analysis of Hamilton's "Death of Lighting Lad" arc, one is working on an analysis of the artistic trends of the Legion, and one is working on an essay exploring the Waid Threeboot as an example of generation theory.

Barry Lyga says he'd like to contribute something as well, if he can fit it into his schedule.

But I still need more! Please let me know if you'd like to write about some era of the Legion from some interesting critical perspective.

If you've written something for the board that you could turn into an essay, let me know. (Or if you've written something for your blog, or the Legion Outpost and you'd like to see it revised and reprinted, whatever).

I want to make this book the ultimate example of Legion analysis. What do you say?

Do you have anybody writing about Dave Cockrum's impact on the Legion,His art and designs on the title are what hooked me on comics.

I don't Lone Wolf. Write an essay on that topic and email it to me:
TCallah@hotmail.com

Anyone else?

I still need more contributions for the Legion book (scheduled to premiere at the New York Comic-Con in 2008)! I can tell you what who's working on what essays so far, though:

1) Paul Levitz has expressed interest in writing the Foreword (assuming the book is positive toward DC, which it will be)

2) Scott Cederlund is writing about "Doomed Teenagers: Why the Legionnarires Can't Grow Up"

3) Sara Ellis is writing about "Architecture and Utopia"

4) James Kakalios is writing about "The Future-Science of the Legion"

5) Chris Sims is writing about "The (Often Arbitrary) Rules of the Silver Age Legion"

6) Richard Bensam is writing about "Edmund Hamilton and 'Event' Comics"

7) Jae Bryson is writing about "Racial Politics in the Legion"

8) Matthew Elmslie is writing about "Generational Cycles and the Threeboot"

9) Dean Lee is writing about "The Art of the Future"

10) Barry Lyga is writing an Afterword about how the Legion inspired him to become a writer.

But there are still dozens (hundreds?) of topics that could be explored! Email me with your proposals if you want to join this esteemed crew of writers.

--Tim
TCallah@hotmail.com

Make sure Bryson writes on the racist attitudes displayed in the book towards one-eyed characters.

Me?

I'm more of an "idea" guy.

Affects and history of the letter columns/message boards might be interesting.

still an idea guy.

Good luck. I'll buy one.

ooh ooh or an enumeration of each time Levitz confused momentum with force or velocity with acceleration.

Speculation of the whereabouts of Tinya's third body. I think Brainy's Ma took her.

and a random sampling survey of the general populace knowledge of the existance of the Legion. In this world of Superman/FF and X-men, I'm surprised how often a mention of Cosmic Boy is met with vague recognition instead of a 911 call.

Hmmm....

The book is finished, thanks to the help from some people on this board. I tried to include an image of the cover, but it doesn't seem to be working. The cover image is available here as well: http://bp3.blogger.com/_zDxkLCohXSo...ie9e-JdvOY/s1600-h/Legion_REV-2_Beat.jpg

The final book features a Foreword by Matt Fraction, an Afterword by Barry Lyga, and essays by Me, Matthew Elmslie, Chris Sims, James Kakalios, Julian Darius, and many, many others.

A special pre-release version of the book will be available at the New York Comic-Con in April, and then it will be available in late May via Amazon and normal bookstore channels.

Thanks again for the Legion fan community's help on this project!

How much will the book be,I'll buy it regardless of the price, but would like to have an idea of the cost that and how many pages it will have.

Tim, I added the image to your upload folder here and corrected the link.

Awesome cover and will soon be added to my list of Adv. #247 homages. Can't wait for this to come out.

Thanks for this Tim. My wallet would thank you too, but it's busy trying to figure out how to fit this book into my monthly "comic book" budget.

Awesome cover/tribute! What's not to like about this book?

Lone Wolf: The price isn't set yet, but for a scholarly book like this--at this page count (around 350 pages!)--I'm guessing it will be around $30. I'm hoping that the publisher will go a little lower than that, but I'm expecting it to be within the $30 ballpark.

LL: Thanks!

OC: I know what you mean! That one of the reasons I edited this book and contributed to it, so I could get free copies! Hope you like it?

Are any of you guys going to the New York convention?

Brilliant!

And I won't be attending NY, as I'm a West Coaster.

Any chance to get the book in Germany as well?

Tim, I won't be at the NYC but if its available before or at SDCC I'll definitely be picking it up.