http://dspace1.isd.glam.ac.uk:80/dspace/handle/10265/342 Fri, 24 May 2013 07:55:32 GMT 2013-05-24T07:55:32Z http://dspace1.isd.glam.ac.uk:80/dspace/handle/10265/492 Title: Transatlantic terror! French horror theater and American pre-code comics Authors: Hand, Richard J.; Wilson, Mike Abstract: At first glance it may seem farfetched, if not ludicrous, to draw a parallel between French theater of the modern period and American comics of the 1950s. In the case of the Théâtre du Grand-Guignol (1897–1962), however, and the pre-code EC comics (1950–55), there are not merely a number of formal and thematic parallels to be drawn but several points where the Grand-Guignol can be seen to have had a direct influence on EC's titles. This influence can be detected in EC's direct reference to the Grand-Guignol's legendary status as the “The Theatre of Horror,” but there are also instances where EC makes use of Grand-Guignol archetypes or “borrows” storylines from the French repertoire.This article will investigate the hitherto neglected link between two specific examples of French theater and American comics both of which came to share a monumental significance—and notoriety—in their respective fields of popular horror culture. The article will give an overview of their respective legends before looking at the parallels between their formal structures, theme and content. Sun, 29 Apr 2012 23:00:00 GMT http://dspace1.isd.glam.ac.uk:80/dspace/handle/10265/492 2012-04-29T23:00:00Z http://dspace1.isd.glam.ac.uk:80/dspace/handle/10265/491 Title: Undead radio: zombies and the living dead on 1930s to 1940s US radio Authors: Hand, Richard J. Abstract: The zombie is ubiquitous in popular culture: from comic books to video games, to internet applications and homemade films, zombies are all around us. Investigating the zombie from an interdisciplinary perspective, with an emphasis on deep analytical engagement with diverse kinds of texts, Better Off Dead addresses some of the more unlikely venues where zombies are found while providing the reader with a classic overview of the zombie's folkloric and cinematic history.What has the zombie metaphor meant in the past? Why does it continue to be so prevalent in our culture? Where others have looked at the zombie as an allegory for humanity's inner machinations or claimed the zombie as capitalist critique, this collection seeks to provide an archaeology of the zombie-tracing its lineage from Haiti, mapping its various cultural transformations, and suggesting the post-humanist direction in which the zombie is ultimately heading.Approaching the zombie from many different points of view, the contributors look across history and across media. Though they represent various theoretical perspectives, the whole makes a cohesive argument: The zombie has not just evolved within narratives; it has evolved in a way that transforms narrative. Hand’s chapter looks at radio zombies. Sun, 29 Apr 2012 23:00:00 GMT http://dspace1.isd.glam.ac.uk:80/dspace/handle/10265/491 2012-04-29T23:00:00Z http://dspace1.isd.glam.ac.uk:80/dspace/handle/10265/490 Title: Radio drama handbook: audio drama in context and practice Authors: Hand, Richard J.; Traynor, Mary J. Abstract: The Radio Drama Handbook combines both theory and practice to lead, stepwise, to a full understanding of radio drama form. Broken down into two large sections, the first gives the reader an overview of English language radio drama in the US and UK and explains a variety of approaches to how radio can be understood to function as a dramatic and performative medium. The second section puts the academic groundwork into practice by leading the reader through the process of developing and creating a radio script and gives an understanding of the unique techniques demanded in radio performance skills. With a wide selection of case studies and practical exercises to make the book engaging and, above all, useful, the authors analyze War of the Worlds, We’re Alive: A Story of Survival, and The Terrifying Tale of Sweeney Todd! Each section will be accompanied by practical exercises and suggested activities. Practice oriented and teacher/student friendly, this handbook is sure to become the new standard for all radio drama courses. Sun, 29 Apr 2012 23:00:00 GMT http://dspace1.isd.glam.ac.uk:80/dspace/handle/10265/490 2012-04-29T23:00:00Z