▼ Comic books, as items of mass culture, are designed to sell, designed to be profitable. To generate profit, they have to be popular. Comic book titles that Americans could not relate to did not sell and were then canceled. Some of the most popular and long-standing comic books are ones that star superheroes. Superheroes represent idealized American heroes. Their superpowers give them the ability to protect Americans in a way that older pulp magazine and dime novel heroes could not. By looking at superheroes during different points in time, we can see what Americans during those times valued and what they feared. American hopes, fears, and dreams can all be found in comic books. The first chapter in this thesis discusses dime novels and pulp magazines as contributing to the development of comic books. As works of popular fiction, aimed at the working class, dime novels and pulp magazines are very much like comic books. The following chapters outline periods in American history and provide insight into how comic books reflect the popular attitudes and beliefs of Americans during these periods using two well-known superheroes, Batman and Spider-Man. The willingness of Americans to accept super-powered heroes reflects their belief in an all-powerful government and a super-powered nation. In a world where America was all-powerful, Americans needed heroes that were just as powerful to show them how to use that power responsibly. This thesis ends with a discussion of how the concept of superheroes helps Americans deal with the disparate division of power in a republican democracy and with the repercussions of being part of a superpower nation. Advisors/Committee Members: Tingley, Stephanie.

▼ The focus of this thesis is to allow the reader to better understand the subculture of living historians. Oral history interviews were conducted over a two-month period with ten living historians from local reenacting groups and living history museums in the Ohio/Pennsylvania/West Virginia area. The interviews wielded information which allows the reader to better understand how the structure of the living history community works, especially the private lives of historical reenactors. Chapter 1 of this thesis discusses the history of the two main subcultures of living history; living history museums and historical reenacting. Chapter 2 describes the interviewees and the structure of living history organizations. Chapter 3 contains many sections, such as For Love of the Game, Edutainment, and Physical and Mental Hardships. This chapter allows the reader to better understand the mindset of living historians, the subculture in which they participate, and the value of living history as a form of interpretation. Chapter 4 discusses the struggles living historians are faced with, including criticism from academics, the public, and even each other and the changing generations of reenactors. Chapter 5 concludes the thesis by discussing the future of living history museums as well as historical reenacting. With support from historical museums, reenactors, and academics, living history does not have to be a dying art in America. Living history allows for an interactive education which intrigues the minds of the audience both young and old. The professional field which struggles financial to support such an intensive program and reenactments, with numbers constantly dwindling, can work together to support one another for the success of living history. Advisors/Committee Members: Tingley, Stephanie.