Uploaded October 2021 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago

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Shazam! Our Contemporary Artists/Ancient Voices podcast series concludes with a look at the influences that ancient Egypt and the Middle East had on the creation of the American comic book hero. Cultural anthropologist and comic book scholar Stanford Carpenter joins us for a discussion on the sense of other in comics centered around the character of Black Adam, the primary Shazam villain turned anti-hero. Tune in as we anticipate the upcoming Black Adam film, and explore how creators have used ancient religions and mythology to redefine a character that is soon to become a household name.

This podcast concludes our Contemporary Artist/Ancient Voices series, a set of conversations with artists who draw inspiration from the ancient Middle East.

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Please excuse the audio and video quality, this was recorded at home during the pandemic.

2021, Oriental Institute

Images: DC Comics, Warner Brothers, and Marvel Comics
Intro Music: bensound.com