Smallville

Smallville, the hit series which follows the adventures of a teenaged Clark Kent and his friends - including Lana Lang and a certain Lex Luthor - is simply one of the hottest shows on TV. This authorized companion tells you everything you could possibly need to know about season one, and is packed with exclusive interviews, unseen photos, behind-the-scenes secrets and a complete episode guide. Also included are insights into the world of Smallville, with excerpts from the town and high school newspapers, the Smallville Ledger and the Smallville Torch!

In 2001, yet another adaptation of the Superman comic book came to television. Lasting 10 seasons, Smallville took the traditional Superman story and turned it into an American teen action drama about Clark Kent's life at high school—before he donned the famous blue tights and red cape. Instead of depicting Superman's clashes with criminals in Metropolis, the show focused on how Clark first developed his powers and learned to cope with girls, school, and teenage angst. Although largely overlooked by critics and derided by Superman fans who regarded it as too far a departure from the comic book canon, Smallville nonetheless endeared a whole new generation of viewers. The setting, style, narrative, and cast of fresh-faced actors suggested that the Superman story was not only ready for a makeover but also still relevant for a post-9/11 American audience. In The Smallville Chronicles: Critical Essays on the Television Series, scholars examine the multiple narratives of the Smallville universe. Addressing issues related to gender, sexuality, national identity, myth, history, and politics, these essays explore how the series uses the Superman story to comment on contemporary social issues. Additional essays investigate the complex relationship the show's audience has with the characters through blogging, fan fiction, visits to filming locations, and the creation of websites. As the first book-length study specifically focused on the Smallville television series, this collection is an excellent text for studies in science fiction, fandom, and teen television scholarship, and it will also have general appeal to fans of the show.

One of the first full-length academic projects on the television series Smallville, this collection of new essays explains why the WB/CW series is important to understanding contemporary popular culture. The essays are presented in four sections covering broad categories: Clark Kent's metamorphosis to Superman and the influence of his parents and the home; the role of the series' noteworthy female characters; the series' representations of the Other, explorations of identity, and the ways in which characters speak to Clark's own struggles; and audience reception of the series and its position within the Superman narrative universe.

Can Superman keep Smallville from going to the dogs?Acts of awesomeness are happening around town. People are being rescued, runaway tractors stopped, and fires extinguished. This is all in a day’s work for the hero known only as “Superman.” But who is he, really? Thirteen-year-old Clark Kent knows. He has a super secret-one his parents are constantly worried will get out. Clark promises to be extra careful, but when random objects begin to take flight and disappear, his parents threaten to ground him. Except he’s innocent! If Superman isn’t responsible…who is? Join Clark in this hilarious adventure as he sniffs out the real culprit. From New York Times bestselling and Eisner Award-winning creators Art Baltazar and Franco comes a fun, whimsical story featuring young Lana Lang, Lex Luthor, and of course, Clark Kent.

A New York Times Bestseller! When we left Clark Kent at the end of Smallville Season 10, he had finally donned the iconic Superman suit and set out to defend Earth from Apokolips. Picking up six months later, Smallville Season 11 explores Clark's understanding of the true power of his Superman identity, its effect on those close to him and its ability to inspire the people of Earth. Smallville Season 11 features Clarke as well as fan-favorite characters including Oliver Queen/Green Arrow, Chloe Sullivan-Queen, Lois Lane, Lex Luthor, and General Lane.

This book is based on the second International Workshop on Agent Theories, Architectures, and Languages, held in conjunction with the International Joint Conference on Artificial Intelligence, IJCAI'95 in Montreal, Canada in August 1995. The 26 papers are revised final versions of the workshop presentations selected from a total of 54 submissions; also included is a comprehensive introduction, a detailed bibliography listing 355 relevant publications, and a subject index. The book is structured into seven sections, reflecting the most current major directions in agent-related research. Together with its predecessor, Intelligent Agents, published as volume 890 in the LNAI series, this book provides a timely and comprehensive state-of-the-art report.

Discover the unique challenges confronting the club industry As a distinctive sector of the hospitality industry, private clubs have their own unique set of challenges. Club Management Issues in Australia and North America provides a one-of-a-kind exploration of the membership, human resource, and other key management issues of the niche industry of private clubs—on two very different continents. This book closely examines the latest research to provide scholars and practitioners with a clear picture of the economic and social implications springing from the growth of the diverse private club industry while offering cogent discussions on effective management strategies. The impact of economic downturns affects all sectors of the hospitality market, including the private club industry. Club Management Issues in Australia and North America illustrates the trends now seen in the club industry in two major world markets. The book examines the declining membership issues in the United States and presents thoughtful consideration of member recruitment strategies. Australia’s marked differences in private clubs are comprehensively explained, with a clear focus on the gaming aspect present there. An overview of the history of the club industry in Australia is presented, with emphasis on gaming machine operations and the positive and negative social and economic impact gambling has on the country. A thematic review of club management issues from years past gives readers a clearer understanding of where the industry is today and what areas need more empirical research. Employment relations are discussed in detail. A comparative analysis is also presented of the various challenges faced by clubs competing with one another. Legislative restrictions of advertising and marketing are explored, along with crucial membership and patronage issues. The book provides: research on changes in memberships in clubs in the United States a study on declining waiting lists at clubs characteristics club managers look for in job applicants differences in equity and non-equity membership structures an overview of the history of machine gambling in New South Wales analyses of past issues of taxation legislation, employment relations, social issues, innovation, and others—and the need for further empirical study how regulatory changes impact wage determination the effects of legislation restrictions on gaming advertising, promotion, and external signage analysis of the impact of clubs’ involvement with special events consumer behavior in the club industry a case study of a club’s failed attempt to tap into the youth market Club Management Issues in Australia and North America is timely, informative reading for hospitality educators and students, hospitality professionals, and hospitality companies doing research in the private club industry.

Combining an exciting methodology alongside high-interest casestudies, Television in Transition offers studentsof television a guide to a medium that has weathered the challengesof first-run syndication, a multi-channel universe, netlets, majormedia conglomerates, deregulation, and globalization--all in thespace of twenty years. Examines a return in television programming to actionnarratives with individual (super) heroes intended to navigate thisnew, international, multi-channel universe Explores how television programming "translates" to new spatialgeographies: different nations, cultures, broadcast systems; anddifferent formats, distribution outlets, and screen sizes Looks at the value of a program's "afterlife," the continuedcirculation, repackaging and repurposing of programming beyond itsinitial iteration Blends institutional and textual analyses in casestudies of Highlander: The Series, Smallville, 24,and Doctor Who