Malfourmed writes “The University of Melbourne‘s Cinema Studies Program, School of Art History, Cinema, Classics & Archaeology is hosting a four day conference (and fancy dress ball and movie programme)
on superhoeroes and supervillains. The interdisciplinary conference
will address the varying roles, identities, and social functions that
these superheroes serve. Topics include censorship; industry and
franchise differentiation (eg DC vs Marvel); mythology;
the female superhero (“It has been a very much
male-centred universe,” co-convener Saige Walton said.
“They need some more chicks.”); ethnicity, class and race; diverse
media formats (cinema, comics, computer games, television) ; the
resurgence in the cult of superpowers in recent cinema; super-auteurs
(eg Frank Miller, Alan Moore, Tezuka Osamu, Grant Morrison); fan
culture; the science and physics of the superhero; ancient superheroes;
and the ‘hero’ who isn’t ‘super’.”

Source: Slashdot.com