New Peplum

Nicholas Diak is a pop culture scholar specializing in Italian spy films, post-industrial and synthwave music, and the works of H.P. Lovecraft. He has contributed essays, editorials and reviews to a variety of books, journals, and pop culture websites. He lives in Glendale, Arizona.

• Table of ContentsAcknowledgmentsForeword (David R. Coon)Introduction (Nicholas Diak) Part One: Crossing the Rubicon: Expanding the ­Neo-Peplum Boundaries Adapting to New Spaces: Swords and Planets and the ­Neo-Peplum (Paul Johnson)Hercules: Transmedia Superhero Mythology (Djoymi Baker)From Crowds to Swarms: Movement and Bodies in ­Neo-Peplum Films (Kevin M. Flanagan)Part Two: Wisdom from the Gods: Mythological Adaptations There Are No Boundaries for Our Boats: Vikings and the Westernization of the Norse Saga (Steve Nash)Sounds of Swords and Sandals: Music in ­Neo-Peplum BBC Television Docudramas (Nick Poulakis)Hercules, Xena and Genre: The Methodology Behind the Mashup (Valerie Estelle Frankel)Part Three: The “Glory” of Rome: Depictions of the EmpireMale Nudity, Violence and the Disruption of Voyeuristic Pleasure in Starz’s Spartacus (Hannah Mueller)Sex, Lies and Denarii: Roman Depravity and Oppression in Starz’s Spartacus (Jerry B. Pierce)In the Green Zone with the Ninth Legion: The ­Post-Iraq Roman Film (Kevin J. Wetmore, Jr.)Part Four: Sculpted in Marble: Gender and RepresentationLaughing at the Body: The Imitation of Masculinity in Peplum Parody Films (Tatiana Prorokova)Queering the Quest: ­Neo-Peplum and the ­Neo-Femme in Xena: Warrior Princess (Haydee Smith)Afterword (Steven L. Sears)About the ContributorsIndex

“Remarkable...each chapter is a scholastic adventure featuring fresh and provocative topics...detailed historical context and insightful close-readings of the films and television episodes...a welcomed addition”—Journal of American Culture; “[The genre] has seen a major revitalization on screens both large and small...brings much-needed scholarly attention to the titular genre”—Journal of Popular Film and Television; “The peplum genre fulfilled my classic mythological niche...it’s relevant to look back on these movies now”—Steven L. Sears, writer and co-executive producer, Xena: Warrior Princess