Every one of us is both a hero and a monster, and the world we inhabit is both beautiful and twisted. We are shaken by changes, losses, gains, insights, desires

Linda, a witch, Brian, a zombie, Will, a ghost, and Mina, a vampire, are heroes because they are determined to help others and undo whatever harm has been done

Linda (the witch), Brian (the zombie), Will (the ghost), and Mina (the vampire) are monsters who fight for good. While other monsters try to hurt people, these

Magic, Monsters, and Make-Believe Heroes looks at fantasy film, television, and participative culture as evidence of our ongoing need for a mythic vision—for

Children choose their heroes more carefully than we think. From Pokemon to the rapper Eminem, pop-culture icons are not simply commercial pied pipers who practi