Earth’s Mightiest Father

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

4-1-2026

Abstract

In this autoethnography of aesthetic moments between myself and my father, I highlight bonds between family and fandom, between comics and community, and how these loves survive looming losses of various importance. Throughout my entire life, my dad has shared his love for comic books and their many worlds through everything from comics and graphic novels, to movies and shows (with quality ranging from questionable to quintessential), to comic book stores and conventions close and far. These experiences have been vital to the crafting of bonds between us, creating a firm foundation that may be impacted by suffering and loss but never truly fails. Throughout the telling of these stories, I establish an aesthetics of alignment as a form of visual performativity, demonstrating one means by which autoethnography can demonstrate aesthetic merit.

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