In short: collaborators, language, sex, violence, poetry, adapters, prolific, Central England, underappreciated.

They're closer than you might think.

And what does this say about the human condition?

There's potent political allegory in superhero comics these days. In the graphic novel Two Americas, Captain America takes on the Tea Party Movement.

Margaret Atwood explores science fiction, fantasy and mythology in her newest book In Other Worlds. This excerpt contains her look at Batman through a Jungian lens.

Some works of art lay everything out for you. Some acknowledge the audience, and pull them out of their chairs, into the arena.

Sales of e-books increase, sales of physical books decrease. How do comics adapt? Like this...

Why does the hero need to be pushed to the point of near defeat for the victory to mean so much?

These three forms of entertainment all hit you at the mythic level of development.

Mark Meer is an Edmonton based actor, writer and improvisor. His totems are Jim Henson, John Cleese, Alan Moore, Doctor Doom, and Tom Waits.

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Television shows and comic books have long been considered fluff and little else, even by their fans. But in the past decade both media have evolved, offering more challenging and richer stuff to anyone willing to go along for the ride. And what spurred this evolution? Us.

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