In just over two weeks, The Superhero Project – the academic conference founded by writer Danny Graydon, ten years ago, reaches its eighth edition, returning to Eastbourne in East Sussex for another fast-paced and effervescently-social weekend of superhero scholarship.

Now an ongoing collaboration with University of Duisburg-Essen in Germany, this year’s theme for Super VIII is “Superheroes and Technology” and a suitably global array of academic voices will explore this fascinating aspect of the genre – in all its media forms – especially in an era of rapid and intense technological progress.

Established in 2015 by Danny Graydon in collaboration with Inter-Disciplinary.Net, The Superhero Project was the first academic conference solely dedicated to the superhero genre, initially run at Mansfield College in Oxford. Following the demise of I-D.net, The Superhero Project became a collaboration between Graydon – an academic with University of Hertfordshire – and Dr Torsten Caeners of University of Duisburg-Essen, Germany, who was a delegate at the first edition of the conference.

The Superhero Project was revived in late 2019 with its third edition in Mulheim an Der Ruhr in Germany, where it continues to run.

The Superhero Project has quickly distinguished itself as an invigoratingly diverse showcase of critical coverage of the superhero genre, amply demonstrating the scope of potential thereby illuminating what is a truly vibrant area of pop culture scholarship. 

“It’s a lot of work for us to put the SUPER’s on – and they’re a real rush while they’re happening!,” says Danny, who is also a journalist, author and academic specialising in Film and Comics. “But it’s always such an enjoyable experience and a great, energising prelude to the new academic year.

“It’s amazing to think we will do SUPER X in ’26,” he continues. “Our first books will be out next year via Intellect and we’re making plans for a journal too.”

• The Superhero Project: 8th Global Meeting: “The Technological Superhero” Friday 13th – Sunday 15th September, 2024, The View Hotel, Eastbourne, East Sussex

• The Superhero Project is online at superheroproject.net | Facebook | Instagram | Podcast | YouTube |X

John Freeman

The founder of downthetubes, which he established in 1998. John works as a comics and magazine editor, writer, and on promotional work for the Lakes International Comic Art Festival. He is currently editor of Star Trek Explorer, published by Titan – his third tour of duty on the title originally titled Star Trek Magazine.

Working in British comics publishing since the 1980s, his credits include editor of titles such as Doctor Who Magazine, Babylon 5 Magazine, and more. He also edited the comics anthology STRIP Magazine and edited several audio comics for ROK Comics. He has also edited several comic collections, including volumes of “Charley’s War” and “Dan Dare”.

He’s the writer of “Pilgrim: Secrets and Lies” for B7 Comics; “Crucible”, a creator-owned project with 2000AD artist Smuzz; and “Death Duty” and “Skow Dogs” with Dave Hailwood.

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