Nickelodeon’s Avatar: The Last Airbender (2005-08) and its sequel The Legend of Korra (2012-14) are among the most acclaimed and influential U.S. animated television series of the 21st century. Yet, despite their elevated status, there have been few academic works published about them. The Avatar Television Franchise: Storytelling, Identity, Trauma, Fandom and Reception remedies this gap by bringing together a wide range of scholarly writings on these shows.
This edited collection is comprised of 13 chapters organized into 4 sections, featuring close readings of key episodes, analyzing how they create meaning as well as illustrating how established theories can guide those readings. Some chapters explore different theories relating to identity as well as considering the repercussions of depicting real-world identities in these shows, while others examine the various manifestations of trauma from throughout the franchise as well as illustrates different scholarly approaches to the topic. Still others utilize fan studies to understand the myriad ways viewers have responded to and interpreted the Avatar franchise.
List of Images Introduction Francis M. Agnoli (Independent scholar, USA) Section 1: Storytelling 1. Noble Lady's Beauty Parlor: Ba Sing Se Fashion and Coding Shuyin Yu (University of Calgary, Canada) 2. Zuko Rides into the Sunset: Avatar and the Western Film Genre Francis M. Agnoli (Independent scholar, USA) 3. Environmental Bending: How Avatar: The Last Airbender Introduces Viewers to Environmentalism Gia Coturri Sorenson (University of North Carolina at Greensboro, USA) Section 2: Identity 4. Social Identity in Avatar: The Last Airbender Douglas Schulz (University of Bradford, UK) 5. “What Does Me Being a Girl Have to do with Sewing?” Representations of Gender in Avatar: The Last Airbender Ruth Richards (Independent scholar, USA) 6. A Queer Relationship: Mapping The Legend of Korra’s Industrial Journey Across Mediums Emily Baulch (The University of Queensland, Australia) and Oliver Eklund (Queensland University of Technology, Australia) 7. Material-Spiritual Bodies: Posthuman Performativity of Avatar Safak Horzum (Hacettepe University) and Süleyman Bölükbas (Pennsylvania State University) Section 3: Trauma 8. “Born in You, Along with All the Strife, is the Power to Restore Balance to the World”: Exploring Representations of Children’s Experiences of Trauma through Avatar: The Last Airbender Joseph V. Giunta (Rutgers University-Camden, USA) 9. Lessons from the Southern Air Temple: How Avatar: The Last Airbender Negotiates the Trauma of Imperialism Ryanne Kap (University of Calgary, Canada) 10. Far from the Last Airbender: Cultural Trauma Construction and Diasporic Reimaginings in Avatar and Korra Caleb Horowitz (Independent Scholar, USA) Section 4: Fandom and Reception 11. From Fan Blogs to Earth Rumble VI: Disability Discourse on Avatar: The Last Airbender Max Dosser (University of Pittsburgh, USA) 12. Ships at the Edge Ashley Hendricks (Georgia State University, USA) 13. Fans, Gender, and The Sequel: Analyzing Audience Reaction to The Legend of Korra Brecken Hunter Wellborn (The University of Texas at Dallas, USA) Index
Francis M. Agnoli is an independent scholar in the U.S. whose previous research has focused on the intersection between race and animation studies.
Reviews for The Avatar Television Franchise: Storytelling, Identity, Trauma, and Fandom
Avatar: The Last Airbender and The Legend of Korra are 2 of the most beloved contemporary animated television programs, with multifaceted characters, intricate storylines and a beautifully-rendered and morally complex world. It is only fitting that they deserve a scholarly treatment worthy of their complexity. The Avatar Television Franchise: Storytelling, Identity, Trauma and Fandom is that volume. The essays constitute a remarkable and thorough investigation into the franchise as situated across multiple disciplines. This book is highly recommended as a comprehensive resource for students, researchers and fans alike. * Amy Ratelle, University of Toronto, Canada *
