Jake Johnson

Singular and star-studded writings on America’s neon-lit playground At once a Technicolor wonderland and the embodiment of American mythology, Las Vegas exists at the Ground Zero of a reverence for risk-taking and the transformative power of a winning hand. Jake Johnson edits a collection of short essays and flash ideas that probes how music-making and soundscapes shape the City of Second Chances. Treating topics ranging from Cher to Cirque de Soleil, the contributors delve into how music and musicians factored in the early development of Vegas’s image; the role of local communities of musicians and Strip mainstays in sustaining tensions between belief and disbelief; the ways aging showroom stars provide a sense of timelessness that inoculates visitors against the outside world; the link connecting fantasies of sexual prowess and democracy with the musical values of Liberace and others; considerations of how musicians and establishments gambled with identity and opened the door for audience members to explore Sin City–only versions of themselves; and the echoes and energy generated by the idea of Las Vegas as it travels across the country. Contributors: Celine Ayala, Kirstin Bews, Laura Dallman, Joanna Dee Das, James Deaville, Robert Fink, Pheaross Graham, Jessica A. Holmes, Maddie House-Tuck, Jake Johnson, Kelly Kessler, Michael Kinney, Carlo Lanfossi, Jason Leddington, Janis McKay, Sam Murray, Louis Niebur, Lynda Paul, Arianne Johnson Quinn, Michael M. Reinhard, Laura Risk, Cassaundra Rodriguez, Arreanna Rostosky, and Brian F. Wright

Music and Myth in Las Vegas

The Possibility Machine

Adrienne Dellwo

Dave Ring

Jason Evans

Gary Cuba

Tim Rohr

Wendy Qualls

Leonard Apa

Paul McMahon

David Court

Leod Fitz

Che Gilson

Elliotte Harold

Ian Healy

Stephen Kotowych

Laura Lamoreaux

Robert Mendenhall

Aaron Ritchey

Eric Rosenfield

K. Vaughan

A multi-author collection of eighteen original superhero tales ranging from the dark to the hysterical to the downright bizarre. "And Introducing the Scarlet Scrapper" by Leonard Apa: A Golden Age tale of an actor who hates playing a superhero on the radio but discovers a new role awaiting him. "Sovereign's Last Hurrah" David Court: In a retirement home, elderly supervillains scheme to return an item of power to their greatest enemy. "RIGHTMAN! Loses the Faith" Gary Cuba: Being a superhero is what you make of it, and what you can make from it. "Dax and the Red Eyes" Adrienne Dellwo: Dax's disability prevents him from telling anyone about his brother using powers to hurt people. "Dum Dum" Leod D. Fitz: Some supervillains are geniuses, and others are simply well-trained. "Light Therapy" Che Gilson: Being a sidekick is a thankless job. "Pinning Portugal" Elliotte Rusty Harold: A group of supervillains hatches a new scheme that naturally goes awry. "When Fukayna Danced Her Libraries" Jake Johnson: Eventually even superheroes need to step away from the job. "Super Frenemies" Stephen Kotowych: A group of super-powered children take on the neighborhood bully with surprising results. "The Faces of the Wind" Laura Lamoreaux: After World War II, the country no longer needed superheroes, leaving the heroes with difficult decisions. "Capacity Crowds" Paul McMahon: He wants to be a real superhero, but can't seem to find a villain to match him. "Heart of the Matter" Robert J. Mendenhall: Cameron's powers are preventing the medical treatment that may save his life. "Ebony Boneshaft, Secret Superhero" Wendy Qualls: She didn't mean to discover Ebony Boneshaft's secret identity, and when she did, it caused no end of trouble for her. "Eye of the Beholder" Dave Ring: Being seen as the object of everyone's desire is a poor way to live life. "I Am Hathor" Aaron Michael Ritchey & Jason Henry Evans: Balancing superheroics and motherhood is a difficult dance for Hathor. "The Romulus Proposition" Tim Rohr: When the mighty have fallen, it's probably because they were pushed. "Saul, Again" Eric Rosenfield: A time traveler takes a circuitous, long-term approach to facing a dangerous villain. "Damn the Dark, Damn the Light" K. H. Vaughan: There's a fine line between heroism and nihilism and sooner or later everyone crosses it.

An Anthology of Superhero Tales

Caped

Jake Johnson

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