Sources
Primary Sources
The Incredibles. Dir. Brad Bird. By Brad Bird. Pixar Animation Studios, 2004.
Heavy Iron Studios. The Incredibles. Disney Interactive, 2004. GameCube.
Campbell, Joseph. The Hero With a Thousand Faces. Novato, CA: New World Library, 2008. Print.
Walker, Landry, and Mark Waid. "The Incredibles." N.p.: Boom! Studios, 2009. Print.
"The Incredibles Characters Presented by Disney Movies." Disney Movies. Disney Pixar, n.d. Web. 15 Feb. 2017. <http://movies.disney.com/the-incredibles/characters>.
Winkle, Chris. "Using the Heroine’s Journey." Mythcreants. N.p., 26 Sept. 2014. Web. 06 Mar. 2017. <http://mythcreants.com/blog/using-the-heroines-journey/>.
Critical Readings
Barrier, Michael. "INTERVIEWS Brad Bird." MichaelBarrier.com. N.p., 27 Feb. 2005. Web. 11 Feb. 2017. <http://www.michaelbarrier.com/Interviews/Bird/Bird_Interview.htm>.
This source is an interview with Brad Bird, the writer and director of The Incredibles. I believe this source is credible because an interview with the lead mind behind the original source material is useful for insight and this interview is posted by a known and reputable journalist. While there isn’t much of consequence to take from this interview in relation to the character of Mr. Incredible himself, it does have potential uses for shedding light on why Bird wrote the character the way he did, the changing medium of animation surrounding the film’s release and the slow movement toward more adult animated features (meaning themes that are important to adult audiences, not necessarily mature rated content). Bird mentions that the character were written with powers that reflected the common household situation - the father being strong and powerful, the mother being pulled in many directions (hence Elastic Girl), the teenager being insecure (using invisibility and barriers), the ten-year old being hyperactive and the baby being unknown. This will likely prove relevant when we look at the overall picture of who Mr. Incredible is and break down his journey.
Beck, Bernard. "It's A Gift: Ray, The Incredibles And Lives Of Greatness." Multicultural Perspectives 7.3 (2005): 20-23. Academic Search Complete. Web. 11 Feb. 2017.
This academic journal focuses on two movies, Ray and The Incredibles, to compare and contrast them. It examines, among other things, the relation of a heroic figure and how the audience of that hero finds finds hope in that hero choosing to, against all odds, do what they truly love. This source is sound as it has been peer reviewed. This source is relevant to Mr. Incredible as it looks at his heroic journey in a different light - that of someone who can not give up doing what they love, even through persecution. This is compared to a much more down to earth (and unfortunately more accurate) look at the struggles and persecutions of a black man in America following his own passions against all odds. The article itself acts more as a summary of observation in the media rather than an actual research piece. This relates to other sources by pointing out a piece of the heroic journey that isn’t necessarily represented fully by Campbell.
Bramesco, Charles. "The Slippery Politics of The Incredibles and Other Superheroes." The Dissolve. N.p., 6 Nov. 2014. Web. 15 Feb. 2017. <https://thedissolve.com/features/movie-of-the-week/812-the-slippery-politics-of-the-incredibles-and-other/>.
This is an essay by Charles Bramesco on a movie review website where the author analyzes the political significance of superhero movies, specifically The Incredibles. He looks at The Incredibles from Ayn Rand's point of view and uses interviews from IGN's Andy Patrizio and animation historian Michael Barrier. By looking at The Incredibles through this cultural context, we can analyze its significance better.
Corliss, Richard, and Desa Philadelphia. "All Too Superhuman." Time 164.17 (2004): 78-83. Academic Search Complete. Web. 11 Feb. 2017.
A brief article by Time that discusses the Incredibles using partial interview statements from Brad Bird while examining his inspiration for creating the project based on his previous experiences at Disney, his film The Iron Giant and his recent work with Pixar. This source is from a fairly reputable magazine and using quotes to back up the writer's opinions. This source is useful as it discusses the basic premise of the mid life crisis that Mr. Incredible seems to be experiencing for much of the film. This is backed by evidence that the writer was drawing from his own life experiences and challenges in some ways to try to create a more human character than what Pixar was previously known for. This connects to Barriers interview to help paint a more complete picture of Mr. Incredibles character and the circumstances surrounding his creation.
"Creativity Through Time." Creativity Through Time. Computer Graphics World, n.d. Web. 27 Feb. 2017.
This article from Computer Graphics World, discusses the Pixar collective. There has been a large change in the CG world and the movies have only progressed as they have continued to make more. It also discusses the changes in the company. This is a trustworthy article because it comes from Computer Graphics World, a magazine that reports on Pixar very often and hires credible writers.
Dunn, David Hastings. "The Incredibles: An Ordinary Day Tale of a Superpower in the Post 9/11 World." Millennium 34.2 (2006): 559-62. Web.
This article discusses the significance of The Incredibles in a post 9/11 world. It discusses how The Incredibles correlates to the US foreign policy at the time. The author talks about how the emergence of a new threat in the movie is directly related to the emergence of a new threat seen after 9/11.
Fillery, Ben. "Licence to Thrill: Selecting Successful Licences." Young Consumers 7.1 (2005): 29-33. ProQuest. Web. 26 Feb. 2017.
This article discusses how McDonald’s decides what toys to license to be featured in their Happy Meals. It talks about how they decide on which toys to use based on the current trends. In this article, the author, Ben Fillery, focuses specifically on the Happy Meal toys based on The Incredibles.
Foley, Margaret. "At the Children's Bookstore." Off Our Backs 36.2 (2006): 62-64. JSTOR. Web. 27 Feb. 2017.
This article discusses how children are more likely to want something if there is a character from a movie or show they already know. The mother in the story continues to question why it is so hard for children to pick up a book with some new characters they do not know. This author is credible because it was printed in a peer-reviewed article in Off Our Backs magazine.
Garson, Patrick. "Incredible Movies: The Secret Identity Behind Children's Film." Screen Education.38 (2004): 28,33,35. ProQuest. Web. 27 Feb. 2017.
This article discusses the wrongs of the movie, “The Incredibles.” It argues that it does not convey correct morals for children and it teaches them the opposite of what they should learn. This article explains how impressionable children are, yet this movie is telling them things they have been told not to do. Of course every kid dreams of being the big superstar, but this movie tells them to stop doing that and instead, be part of a team, do not show off. This is a critique for the movie. The author of this article is also credible seeing as how he has done many critiques for various magazines and other media platforms.
Gillam, Ken, and Shannon R. Wooden. "Post-Princess Models Of Gender: The New Man In Disney/Pixar." Journal Of Popular Film & Television 36.1 (2008): 2-8. Academic Search Complete. Web. 11 Feb. 2017.
This academic article looks at three Pixar films and examines their progressive look at gender identity of a masculine character. It claims the characters acceptance of their more “traditionally” feminine traits is the building block of them achieving their more mature state in the end. This source is peer reviewed and useful to the overall themes being presented in our project. In relation to Mr. Incredible himself, it shows the side of his own heroic journey from a mental and social state rather than a physical one. This source in particular is very useful to help examine the hero journey as a more internal journey, rather than external one, in relation to Mr. Incredible. It relates to other sources by providing a more straightforward look at Mr. Incredible as a very human hero of a modern time.
"The Incredibles:." The Incredibles: Anti-Child, Anti-Wife Family Film | Movie-analysis | Pro-Youth Pages. The Pro-Youth Pages, 2009. Web. 06 Mar. 2017. <http://www.proyouthpages.com/incredibles.html>.
This article critiques The Incredibles as being a not so family friendly movie after all. It talks a lot about underlying messages of adultery and poor parenting. The poor parenting can be seen when Mr, and Mrs. Incredible let the kids fight and use their powers in the beginning of the movie. It also mentions that Mr. incredible’s behavior while hiding the use of his powers from his wife can be seen as being similar to a man that is cheating on his significant other. In addition to that, it talks a lot about how the parents are ageist and don’t treat their kids right, almost as if they know they’re superior to them. This can be seen when Mrs. Incredible tells Violet to create a forcefield around the plane even after telling her to never use her powers. Overall, this article gives an interesting point of view on how this movie may not be as family friendly as it once seemed.
"The Incredibles." The Incredibles - The F-Word. The F Word - Contemporary UK Feminism, 11 Jan. 2005. Web. 06 Mar. 2017. <https://www.thefword.org.uk/2005/01/the_incredibles/>.
This article mainly talks about certain stereotypes that are present in The Incredibles movie. It frames Mr Incredible as the strong dad, Mrs. Incredible as the classic suburban mom/housewife, Violet as the shy goth girl, Dash as the young brat, Frozone as the fly black superhero, and Mirage as the sexy female figure. We feel as though this article is a bit biased because it is coming from a feminist website, but the points that are brought up in the article are certainly valid. We can use this article in comparing Mr. Incredible to his family and also for our cultural analysis.
"The Incredibles." Pop Culture Pug. N.p., 05 July 2015. Web. 18 Feb. 2017. <https://popculturepug.com/2015/03/07/the-incredibles/>.
This is an overview on a family-friendly website that does movie reviews about how kid-friendly certain movies are and reviews the value of the messages and morals contained in the movie. There is a section of this review that turns to cultural analysis involving body types and gender.
Jenkins, Claire. "Splitting the Nuclear Family?: The Superhero Family in The Incredibles and Sky High." Ed. Julian C. Chambliss, William L. Svitavsky, and Thomas C. Donaldson.Ages of Heroes, Eras of Men: Superheroes and the American Experience. Newcastle upon Tyne: Cambridge Scholars, 2014. 214-28. Print.
This book chapter discusses the family aspect featured in The Incredibles. It compares the family in the movie to the family featured in Sky High, a popular superhero film released around the same time. It focuses on the family as a whole, as well as aspects of the different family members.
Johnson, Kerri L., Leah E. Lurye, and Jonathan B. Freeman. "Gender Typicality and Extremity in Popular Culture." Ed. Robin S. Rosenberg and Jennifer Canzoneri. The Psychology of Superheroes an Unauthorized Exploration. Dallas (Tex.): Benbella, 2008. 229-44. Print.
This Chapter focuses on the design of the characters in The Incredibles based on gender. It discusses the stereotypical design of male and female characters, while also comparing these stereotypes to the design of the Parr family. The authors compare the transformation of Bob Parr to Mr. Incredible to the transformation of Helen Parr to Elastigirl.
Jones, Norma, and Bob Batchelor. Aging Heroes: Growing Old in Popular Culture. Lanham, (Md.): Rowman & Littlefield, 2015. Print.
This text talks a lot about the stages Mr. Incredible goes through and his transition from a once superb hero to a normal man going through his midlife crisis. In the beginning of the movie he possesses the ideal qualities of a hero, but after several years he begins to lose those traits. This text analyzes this transformation, and presents the idea that the ideal man may actually be the flexible, collaborative, interpersonally oriented woman. We hope to use this text for our cultural analysis because it offers a great perspective on what it means to be a man and a hero in general.
Kosut, Mary. "Children's Programming: Cartoons." Encyclopedia of Gender in Media. Los Angeles: Sage Publications, 2012. 31-62. Print.
The chapter of this book discusses the empowerment for young girls that has only just begun to appear in cartoons. Disney is a big believer in having strong female characters. This chapter also discusses the issues with violence and how young boys are much more likely to enjoy watching it, than young girls. It also discusses how in many of Pixar’s new movies, such as The Incredibles, have an alpha-male that learns he must lead and follow, and accept the help from those around him.
Meinel, Dietmar. "'And When Everyone Is Super [...] No One Will Be': The Limits Of American Exceptionalism In The Incredibles." European Journal Of American Culture 33.3 (2014): 181-194. Academic Search Complete. Web. 11 Feb. 2017.
This academic journal uses The Incredibles to examine American culture in comparison to “American Exceptionalism” written about by Alexis de Tocqueville and “neo-liberalism” to show the contradictory nature of these two beliefs. This source using the primary source itself and other key sources to create a valid argument and has been peer reviewed. While I don’t know if the main arguments of this article will be of much use to the project, I do think many of the insights within can be used to further understand Mr. Incredible’s journey. This is because much of this article breaks down the individual characters in The Incredibles and examines them related to American standards and beliefs. This source represents a fresh and unique angle that can be used to examine Mr. Incredible in comparison to the more straightforward looks of some of the other sources.
Muir, John Kenneth. "The Incredibles." The Encyclopedia of Superheroes on Film and Television. Jefferson, NC: McFarland, 2008. 347-50. Print.
The section in this book discusses how the family is the main focus of The Incredibles. It discusses the success of the film as a whole. In addition, it talks about the significance of the film in American society today.
Negroni, Jon. "Retronalysis: What “The Incredibles” Taught Me About Inequality." N.p., 04 Mar. 2016. Web. 18 Feb. 2017. <https://jonnegroni.com/2013/12/16/what-the-incredibles-taught-me-about-inequality/>.
This is a blog entry from film and entertainment blogger who is also well-known for his film podcasts. Negroni takes a look at The Incredibles' take on the concept of "inequality" (i.e. the famous "If everyone is special, then no one is"). He uses quotes from economists and politicians to look at this viewpoint from a cultural perspective and analyzes the movie's idea of "fairness".
Navarro, Alex. "The Incredibles Review." GameSpot. GameSpot, 28 Sept. 2004. Web. 01 Mar. 2017. <http://www.gamespot.com/reviews/the-incredibles-review/1900-6112324/>.
This is a review for the video game version of The Incredibles. One of the several adaptations of The Incredibles is the video game. This videogame is available on a variety of different consoles including the Playstation 2 and GameBoy Advance. GameSpot is a well known and popular website that has been reviewing games for years. When games first come out, people will often look to GameSpot for a review to determine whether they should buy a game or not. This is why GameSpot is a viable source to use when looking at The Incredibles videogame.
Robertson, Barbara. “Hero Animation.” Computer Graphics World 27.11 (2004)
This article discusses the thought, time and process that went behind putting The Incredibles together. This was a movie that made new standards for other animated movies. The way they made costumes for each person and the realistic muscle movements. I know this is a credible source because at the end of the article it says, “Barbara Robertson is an award-winning journalist and a contributing editor for Computer Graphics World.”
Robinson, Tasha. "The Incredibles' Incredible Focus on the Family." The Dissolve. N.p., 4 Nov. 2014. Web. 15 Feb. 2017. <https://thedissolve.com/features/movie-of-the-week/810-the-incredibles-incredible-focus-on-the-family/>.
This is an article from a movie review website that analyzes the success of The Incredibles movie due to it's focus on the family unit. The author has a lot of positive things to say about it in regards to the film's take on feminism and traditional family tropes. It analyzes why Brad Bird's script writing makes the film so successful for it's intended audience.
Story Structure - Incredibles - MBD. Dir. D4Darious. Youtube. N.p., 10 Nov. 2015. Web. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cmAxWh6xMYA>.
This is a really interesting fan analysis of the script and story structure of the movie. D4Darious analyzes the film scene by scene, pointing out the best parts of the writing where Brad Bird introduces foreshadowing and other important parts of the movie that aren't noticeable at a surface level glance. It's a fifteen minute video and a very in-depth look at the film as a whole.
"Superman." DC. Warner Brothers Entertainment Company, n.d. Web. 01 Mar. 2017. <http://www.dccomics.com/characters/superman>.
This is the official DC website. We are comparing Mr. Incredible to various other heroes, and what better hero to compare him to than Superman. The website talks about Superman’s past and gives a backstory on how he came to be. It lists his various powers and talks about him as an iconic hero of the ages. We will use this source to pick out parallels and differences between Superman and Mr. Incredible. This would definitely be a credible source because all the information is coming from the official website of the company that created Superman.
Primary Sources
The Incredibles. Dir. Brad Bird. By Brad Bird. Pixar Animation Studios, 2004.
Heavy Iron Studios. The Incredibles. Disney Interactive, 2004. GameCube.
Campbell, Joseph. The Hero With a Thousand Faces. Novato, CA: New World Library, 2008. Print.
Walker, Landry, and Mark Waid. "The Incredibles." N.p.: Boom! Studios, 2009. Print.
"The Incredibles Characters Presented by Disney Movies." Disney Movies. Disney Pixar, n.d. Web. 15 Feb. 2017. <http://movies.disney.com/the-incredibles/characters>.
Winkle, Chris. "Using the Heroine’s Journey." Mythcreants. N.p., 26 Sept. 2014. Web. 06 Mar. 2017. <http://mythcreants.com/blog/using-the-heroines-journey/>.
Critical Readings
Barrier, Michael. "INTERVIEWS Brad Bird." MichaelBarrier.com. N.p., 27 Feb. 2005. Web. 11 Feb. 2017. <http://www.michaelbarrier.com/Interviews/Bird/Bird_Interview.htm>.
This source is an interview with Brad Bird, the writer and director of The Incredibles. I believe this source is credible because an interview with the lead mind behind the original source material is useful for insight and this interview is posted by a known and reputable journalist. While there isn’t much of consequence to take from this interview in relation to the character of Mr. Incredible himself, it does have potential uses for shedding light on why Bird wrote the character the way he did, the changing medium of animation surrounding the film’s release and the slow movement toward more adult animated features (meaning themes that are important to adult audiences, not necessarily mature rated content). Bird mentions that the character were written with powers that reflected the common household situation - the father being strong and powerful, the mother being pulled in many directions (hence Elastic Girl), the teenager being insecure (using invisibility and barriers), the ten-year old being hyperactive and the baby being unknown. This will likely prove relevant when we look at the overall picture of who Mr. Incredible is and break down his journey.
Beck, Bernard. "It's A Gift: Ray, The Incredibles And Lives Of Greatness." Multicultural Perspectives 7.3 (2005): 20-23. Academic Search Complete. Web. 11 Feb. 2017.
This academic journal focuses on two movies, Ray and The Incredibles, to compare and contrast them. It examines, among other things, the relation of a heroic figure and how the audience of that hero finds finds hope in that hero choosing to, against all odds, do what they truly love. This source is sound as it has been peer reviewed. This source is relevant to Mr. Incredible as it looks at his heroic journey in a different light - that of someone who can not give up doing what they love, even through persecution. This is compared to a much more down to earth (and unfortunately more accurate) look at the struggles and persecutions of a black man in America following his own passions against all odds. The article itself acts more as a summary of observation in the media rather than an actual research piece. This relates to other sources by pointing out a piece of the heroic journey that isn’t necessarily represented fully by Campbell.
Bramesco, Charles. "The Slippery Politics of The Incredibles and Other Superheroes." The Dissolve. N.p., 6 Nov. 2014. Web. 15 Feb. 2017. <https://thedissolve.com/features/movie-of-the-week/812-the-slippery-politics-of-the-incredibles-and-other/>.
This is an essay by Charles Bramesco on a movie review website where the author analyzes the political significance of superhero movies, specifically The Incredibles. He looks at The Incredibles from Ayn Rand's point of view and uses interviews from IGN's Andy Patrizio and animation historian Michael Barrier. By looking at The Incredibles through this cultural context, we can analyze its significance better.
Corliss, Richard, and Desa Philadelphia. "All Too Superhuman." Time 164.17 (2004): 78-83. Academic Search Complete. Web. 11 Feb. 2017.
A brief article by Time that discusses the Incredibles using partial interview statements from Brad Bird while examining his inspiration for creating the project based on his previous experiences at Disney, his film The Iron Giant and his recent work with Pixar. This source is from a fairly reputable magazine and using quotes to back up the writer's opinions. This source is useful as it discusses the basic premise of the mid life crisis that Mr. Incredible seems to be experiencing for much of the film. This is backed by evidence that the writer was drawing from his own life experiences and challenges in some ways to try to create a more human character than what Pixar was previously known for. This connects to Barriers interview to help paint a more complete picture of Mr. Incredibles character and the circumstances surrounding his creation.
"Creativity Through Time." Creativity Through Time. Computer Graphics World, n.d. Web. 27 Feb. 2017.
This article from Computer Graphics World, discusses the Pixar collective. There has been a large change in the CG world and the movies have only progressed as they have continued to make more. It also discusses the changes in the company. This is a trustworthy article because it comes from Computer Graphics World, a magazine that reports on Pixar very often and hires credible writers.
Dunn, David Hastings. "The Incredibles: An Ordinary Day Tale of a Superpower in the Post 9/11 World." Millennium 34.2 (2006): 559-62. Web.
This article discusses the significance of The Incredibles in a post 9/11 world. It discusses how The Incredibles correlates to the US foreign policy at the time. The author talks about how the emergence of a new threat in the movie is directly related to the emergence of a new threat seen after 9/11.
Fillery, Ben. "Licence to Thrill: Selecting Successful Licences." Young Consumers 7.1 (2005): 29-33. ProQuest. Web. 26 Feb. 2017.
This article discusses how McDonald’s decides what toys to license to be featured in their Happy Meals. It talks about how they decide on which toys to use based on the current trends. In this article, the author, Ben Fillery, focuses specifically on the Happy Meal toys based on The Incredibles.
Foley, Margaret. "At the Children's Bookstore." Off Our Backs 36.2 (2006): 62-64. JSTOR. Web. 27 Feb. 2017.
This article discusses how children are more likely to want something if there is a character from a movie or show they already know. The mother in the story continues to question why it is so hard for children to pick up a book with some new characters they do not know. This author is credible because it was printed in a peer-reviewed article in Off Our Backs magazine.
Garson, Patrick. "Incredible Movies: The Secret Identity Behind Children's Film." Screen Education.38 (2004): 28,33,35. ProQuest. Web. 27 Feb. 2017.
This article discusses the wrongs of the movie, “The Incredibles.” It argues that it does not convey correct morals for children and it teaches them the opposite of what they should learn. This article explains how impressionable children are, yet this movie is telling them things they have been told not to do. Of course every kid dreams of being the big superstar, but this movie tells them to stop doing that and instead, be part of a team, do not show off. This is a critique for the movie. The author of this article is also credible seeing as how he has done many critiques for various magazines and other media platforms.
Gillam, Ken, and Shannon R. Wooden. "Post-Princess Models Of Gender: The New Man In Disney/Pixar." Journal Of Popular Film & Television 36.1 (2008): 2-8. Academic Search Complete. Web. 11 Feb. 2017.
This academic article looks at three Pixar films and examines their progressive look at gender identity of a masculine character. It claims the characters acceptance of their more “traditionally” feminine traits is the building block of them achieving their more mature state in the end. This source is peer reviewed and useful to the overall themes being presented in our project. In relation to Mr. Incredible himself, it shows the side of his own heroic journey from a mental and social state rather than a physical one. This source in particular is very useful to help examine the hero journey as a more internal journey, rather than external one, in relation to Mr. Incredible. It relates to other sources by providing a more straightforward look at Mr. Incredible as a very human hero of a modern time.
"The Incredibles:." The Incredibles: Anti-Child, Anti-Wife Family Film | Movie-analysis | Pro-Youth Pages. The Pro-Youth Pages, 2009. Web. 06 Mar. 2017. <http://www.proyouthpages.com/incredibles.html>.
This article critiques The Incredibles as being a not so family friendly movie after all. It talks a lot about underlying messages of adultery and poor parenting. The poor parenting can be seen when Mr, and Mrs. Incredible let the kids fight and use their powers in the beginning of the movie. It also mentions that Mr. incredible’s behavior while hiding the use of his powers from his wife can be seen as being similar to a man that is cheating on his significant other. In addition to that, it talks a lot about how the parents are ageist and don’t treat their kids right, almost as if they know they’re superior to them. This can be seen when Mrs. Incredible tells Violet to create a forcefield around the plane even after telling her to never use her powers. Overall, this article gives an interesting point of view on how this movie may not be as family friendly as it once seemed.
"The Incredibles." The Incredibles - The F-Word. The F Word - Contemporary UK Feminism, 11 Jan. 2005. Web. 06 Mar. 2017. <https://www.thefword.org.uk/2005/01/the_incredibles/>.
This article mainly talks about certain stereotypes that are present in The Incredibles movie. It frames Mr Incredible as the strong dad, Mrs. Incredible as the classic suburban mom/housewife, Violet as the shy goth girl, Dash as the young brat, Frozone as the fly black superhero, and Mirage as the sexy female figure. We feel as though this article is a bit biased because it is coming from a feminist website, but the points that are brought up in the article are certainly valid. We can use this article in comparing Mr. Incredible to his family and also for our cultural analysis.
"The Incredibles." Pop Culture Pug. N.p., 05 July 2015. Web. 18 Feb. 2017. <https://popculturepug.com/2015/03/07/the-incredibles/>.
This is an overview on a family-friendly website that does movie reviews about how kid-friendly certain movies are and reviews the value of the messages and morals contained in the movie. There is a section of this review that turns to cultural analysis involving body types and gender.
Jenkins, Claire. "Splitting the Nuclear Family?: The Superhero Family in The Incredibles and Sky High." Ed. Julian C. Chambliss, William L. Svitavsky, and Thomas C. Donaldson.Ages of Heroes, Eras of Men: Superheroes and the American Experience. Newcastle upon Tyne: Cambridge Scholars, 2014. 214-28. Print.
This book chapter discusses the family aspect featured in The Incredibles. It compares the family in the movie to the family featured in Sky High, a popular superhero film released around the same time. It focuses on the family as a whole, as well as aspects of the different family members.
Johnson, Kerri L., Leah E. Lurye, and Jonathan B. Freeman. "Gender Typicality and Extremity in Popular Culture." Ed. Robin S. Rosenberg and Jennifer Canzoneri. The Psychology of Superheroes an Unauthorized Exploration. Dallas (Tex.): Benbella, 2008. 229-44. Print.
This Chapter focuses on the design of the characters in The Incredibles based on gender. It discusses the stereotypical design of male and female characters, while also comparing these stereotypes to the design of the Parr family. The authors compare the transformation of Bob Parr to Mr. Incredible to the transformation of Helen Parr to Elastigirl.
Jones, Norma, and Bob Batchelor. Aging Heroes: Growing Old in Popular Culture. Lanham, (Md.): Rowman & Littlefield, 2015. Print.
This text talks a lot about the stages Mr. Incredible goes through and his transition from a once superb hero to a normal man going through his midlife crisis. In the beginning of the movie he possesses the ideal qualities of a hero, but after several years he begins to lose those traits. This text analyzes this transformation, and presents the idea that the ideal man may actually be the flexible, collaborative, interpersonally oriented woman. We hope to use this text for our cultural analysis because it offers a great perspective on what it means to be a man and a hero in general.
Kosut, Mary. "Children's Programming: Cartoons." Encyclopedia of Gender in Media. Los Angeles: Sage Publications, 2012. 31-62. Print.
The chapter of this book discusses the empowerment for young girls that has only just begun to appear in cartoons. Disney is a big believer in having strong female characters. This chapter also discusses the issues with violence and how young boys are much more likely to enjoy watching it, than young girls. It also discusses how in many of Pixar’s new movies, such as The Incredibles, have an alpha-male that learns he must lead and follow, and accept the help from those around him.
Meinel, Dietmar. "'And When Everyone Is Super [...] No One Will Be': The Limits Of American Exceptionalism In The Incredibles." European Journal Of American Culture 33.3 (2014): 181-194. Academic Search Complete. Web. 11 Feb. 2017.
This academic journal uses The Incredibles to examine American culture in comparison to “American Exceptionalism” written about by Alexis de Tocqueville and “neo-liberalism” to show the contradictory nature of these two beliefs. This source using the primary source itself and other key sources to create a valid argument and has been peer reviewed. While I don’t know if the main arguments of this article will be of much use to the project, I do think many of the insights within can be used to further understand Mr. Incredible’s journey. This is because much of this article breaks down the individual characters in The Incredibles and examines them related to American standards and beliefs. This source represents a fresh and unique angle that can be used to examine Mr. Incredible in comparison to the more straightforward looks of some of the other sources.
Muir, John Kenneth. "The Incredibles." The Encyclopedia of Superheroes on Film and Television. Jefferson, NC: McFarland, 2008. 347-50. Print.
The section in this book discusses how the family is the main focus of The Incredibles. It discusses the success of the film as a whole. In addition, it talks about the significance of the film in American society today.
Negroni, Jon. "Retronalysis: What “The Incredibles” Taught Me About Inequality." N.p., 04 Mar. 2016. Web. 18 Feb. 2017. <https://jonnegroni.com/2013/12/16/what-the-incredibles-taught-me-about-inequality/>.
This is a blog entry from film and entertainment blogger who is also well-known for his film podcasts. Negroni takes a look at The Incredibles' take on the concept of "inequality" (i.e. the famous "If everyone is special, then no one is"). He uses quotes from economists and politicians to look at this viewpoint from a cultural perspective and analyzes the movie's idea of "fairness".
Navarro, Alex. "The Incredibles Review." GameSpot. GameSpot, 28 Sept. 2004. Web. 01 Mar. 2017. <http://www.gamespot.com/reviews/the-incredibles-review/1900-6112324/>.
This is a review for the video game version of The Incredibles. One of the several adaptations of The Incredibles is the video game. This videogame is available on a variety of different consoles including the Playstation 2 and GameBoy Advance. GameSpot is a well known and popular website that has been reviewing games for years. When games first come out, people will often look to GameSpot for a review to determine whether they should buy a game or not. This is why GameSpot is a viable source to use when looking at The Incredibles videogame.
Robertson, Barbara. “Hero Animation.” Computer Graphics World 27.11 (2004)
This article discusses the thought, time and process that went behind putting The Incredibles together. This was a movie that made new standards for other animated movies. The way they made costumes for each person and the realistic muscle movements. I know this is a credible source because at the end of the article it says, “Barbara Robertson is an award-winning journalist and a contributing editor for Computer Graphics World.”
Robinson, Tasha. "The Incredibles' Incredible Focus on the Family." The Dissolve. N.p., 4 Nov. 2014. Web. 15 Feb. 2017. <https://thedissolve.com/features/movie-of-the-week/810-the-incredibles-incredible-focus-on-the-family/>.
This is an article from a movie review website that analyzes the success of The Incredibles movie due to it's focus on the family unit. The author has a lot of positive things to say about it in regards to the film's take on feminism and traditional family tropes. It analyzes why Brad Bird's script writing makes the film so successful for it's intended audience.
Story Structure - Incredibles - MBD. Dir. D4Darious. Youtube. N.p., 10 Nov. 2015. Web. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cmAxWh6xMYA>.
This is a really interesting fan analysis of the script and story structure of the movie. D4Darious analyzes the film scene by scene, pointing out the best parts of the writing where Brad Bird introduces foreshadowing and other important parts of the movie that aren't noticeable at a surface level glance. It's a fifteen minute video and a very in-depth look at the film as a whole.
"Superman." DC. Warner Brothers Entertainment Company, n.d. Web. 01 Mar. 2017. <http://www.dccomics.com/characters/superman>.
This is the official DC website. We are comparing Mr. Incredible to various other heroes, and what better hero to compare him to than Superman. The website talks about Superman’s past and gives a backstory on how he came to be. It lists his various powers and talks about him as an iconic hero of the ages. We will use this source to pick out parallels and differences between Superman and Mr. Incredible. This would definitely be a credible source because all the information is coming from the official website of the company that created Superman.