Judge, Jury and Executioner

Alicia M. Goodman is a professor of theatre management and administration at Indiana State University in Terre Haute, Indiana. Matthew J. McEniry is an associate librarian and the director of the Digital Scholarship Lab at Texas Tech University. Ryan Cassidy is an associate librarian at Texas Tech University, where he runs the University Library's Makerspace and Virtual Reality Lab. Robert G. Weiner is the popular culture librarian at Texas Tech University. His work has been published in the Journal of Popular Culture, Public Library Quarterly, Journal of American Culture, International Journal of Comic Art and Popular Music and Society, and is the author/editor/coeditor of numerous books related to popular culture.

• Table of ContentsAcknowledgmentsIntroductionAlicia M. Goodman, Matthew J. McEniry and Robert G. WeinerSection I: Philosophy and AnalysisTo Shame Its Inadequacy: The Punisher and His CriticsKent WorcesterA Tough Pill to Swallow: The Punisher as the Cure for the Ills of Modern SocietyRyan LitseyThe Long Cold Dark: The Punisher Mindset and Its Dissemination into the Collective UnconsciousJohn HarnettBlack and White and Nothing in Between? Some Thoughts on the Morality of the PunisherAnders LundgrenDetermined to Punish: Three Case Studies in PunishmentMatthew J. McEnirySection II: Gender and FeminismThe Punisher as Female: A Thought ExperimentAlicia M. GoodmanFrank Castle, Fanfiction and the Female GazeElizabeth Jendrzey and Meredith PasahowTakes One to Kill One: Punisher MAX’s War on Hegemonic MasculinityKelly KanayamaSection III: Veteran StudiesRecalling Vietnam in Marvel Cinematic Universe’s Punisher StorylinesMike LemonFighting a Lonely War: Frank Castle and the Domestication of VietnamKathleen McClancyFrank Castle’s Other War: Meaning, Memory and the Vietnam WarStephen ConnorSection IV: Politics and Gun Violence­Bullet-Riddled Production: The Punisher’s Influence on Violence in Decades of TragedyRob E. King“When is the right moment to release a TV series about a heroic mass shooter?” Contemporary American Politics and the Reception of Netflix’s The PunisherMiriam KentAbout the ContributorsIndex

“A compelling book that offers a complete and varied analysis of one of the most controversial figures in the world of comics…a detailed analysis…captivating…fascinating…a more than interesting compilation of articles, the editors have done a great job compiling great quality works as well as making a thematic selection that allows a fluid reading of the essays.”—Journal of Graphic Novels and Comics