Ebook: The Avatar Television Franchise: Storytelling, Identity, Trauma, and Fandom

Nickelodeon’s Avatar: The Last Airbender (2005-08) and its sequel The Legend of Korra (2012-14) are among the most acclaimed and influential U.S. animated television series of the 21st century. Yet, despite their elevated status, there have been few academic works published about them. The Avatar Television Franchise: Storytelling, Identity, Trauma, Fandom and Reception remedies this gap by bringing together a wide range of scholarly writings on these shows. This edited collection is comprised of 13 chapters organized into 4 sections. “Storytelling” features close readings of key episodes, analyzing how they create meaning as well as illustrating how established theories can guide those readings. “Identity” explores different theories relating to identity as well as considers the repercussions of depicting real-world identities in these shows. “Trauma” examines the various manifestations of trauma from throughout the franchise as well as illustrates different scholarly approaches to the topic. Finally, “Fandom and Reception” utilizes fan studies to understand the myriad ways viewers have responded to and interpreted the Avatar franchise. This edited collection is designed with an undergraduate readership in mind. An instructor could assign any single chapter along with one or two corresponding episodes in order to introduce and explore a specific topic. At the same time, these chapters exist in dialogue with one another, within and, at times, across the different sections. They complement, expand, and challenge each other’s arguments and ideas, rewarding those who read through the whole collection.