Born in the States

For the USA, the early seventies represented one of the unhappiest periods in the country's history - it was being painfully and belatedly appreciated that not all wars are winnable. Yet for a young country in the process of celebrating its two hundredth birthday, disillusionment could not last long - there was still life in the American Dream. The worst of the oil crisis seemed to be passing, and once again the dollar took its place as the world's strongest currency. The super-heroes were still around, but in regenerated form, more human and fallible, asking questions, tackling social issues like drugs and ecological disasters, and powered by the big specialist publishers like DC and Marvel. Meanwhile, the independent comics carried on, faithful to the spirit of the underground tradition. The film includes interviews with July Simons, Howard Chaykin, Alan Moore and Beto Hernandez, and features X-men, Ronin, Watchmen, Love and Rockets and Elf Quest.

Part of the series Comics, The Ninth Art