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Much of the holiday season is saturated with a canon of Christmas movies. However, the recent release of "Krampus" has reminded movie goers that there are some darker holiday legends. Analyze these lesser known stories and whether or not you think they should be considered for holiday prime time.

Over the summer a friend expressed an interest in starting to read comics to me, however he seemed overwhelmed and eventually disheartened by the idea. Too many titles, too much history, and too expensive… it can be a little much for people on the outside. It's become a somewhat accepted fact that actual reading of comic books is a subculture. Look into how this small readership (vs cinematic and televisions viewers) effects the industry. What can be done to make people more interested in picking up the titles? How do we help people with the interest start?

With Ms. Marvel and Batgirl of Burnside as just two examples, how are Marvel and D.C. writing young women as heroes? What sort of plot devices do they use to make them relatable? In what areas do they succeed or fail? Furthermore, analyze whether or not these characters have been successful in reaching a wider demographic for the comic industry.

Comic fans love their heroes, and their tested and true stories that have been rewritten and reimagined for well over half a century. Recently, however, there's been talk of creating new heroes, new teams, and new identities that better represent our modern ideologies and culture. What really makes a new hero worth publishing? What sort of criteria should be followed to give a character the longevity of the greats? What aspects of our society can we fuse into new heroes to further the ongoing mythology of the superhuman? Analyze whether it is about diversity, history, relatability, or something else entirely.

I'm taking a course on race in pop culture and was recently assigned to read Truth: Red, White, and Black. This alternate mythos of the Captain America story suggests that before Steve Rogers and Sam Wilson there was another Captain America- a black man named Isaiah Bradley. Bradley (and many other African American men) are unwillingly forced into government experimentation to perfect the super serum that will later make Rogers a hero. However, many of these early test subjects died on the table, or suffered from complications later on. Isaiah is the only survivor, and dawns the Captain America costume on a suicide mission behind enemy lines. Though he survives, Isaiah is ultimately mistreated by the American government until Steve Rogers finds out about him and demands a form of justice. Including this title, there have now been two black men do wear the Captain America persona. Should this be getting more attention? Does the popularity of Steve Rogers (as much as I love him) above Sam Wilson and Isaiah Bradley say something about the way we accept our superheroes; especially one as symbolically loaded as Captain America?

There’s a steady mix of both praise and outrage at the idea of a black Captain America; but the real issue is not a question of Steve Rogers or Sam Wilson. It’s a question of what diversity means to different fans and what solutions can be reached to ensure the inclusion of everyone invested in comic book culture. Does changing the race of a well known character help this process? Would it be more effective to just create new characters?