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http://www.omniture.com --> Sections Home Page Local News AP News Archives Business Classifieds Event Calendar Forums Life Opinion Obituaries Photo Gallery Readers Photo Gallery Sports Tempo Weather Special Coverage 2006 Britt Festivals --> Shop Our Valley AutoFinder HomeFinder JobFinder Search Our Valley Special Sections Readers' Choice Homelife Magazine Joy Magazine Neighborhoods Employment Guide Oregon Golf Info Oregon Wine Info Other Publications Local Links Ashland News eSouthernOregon Newspapers In Education Personals Moving Here Movie Listings TV Listings Volunteer Customer Service Advertise With Us Media Kit Place Classified Ad Contact Us FAQ's Home Delivery Site Map --> Email Story to a Friend October 29, 2006 A Shakespeare party favor and a golf book make up some of the artifacts in the Shakespeare mass media exhibit in the Southern Oregon University library. (Mail Tribune / Bob Pennell) Shakespeare, pop culture and kitsch, oh my! A recent donation to SOU's Hannon Library focuses on Shakespeare's lasting influence on popular culture By ANITA BURKE Mail Tribune ASHLAND — Boxes packed with comic books and video cassettes with links to William Shakespeare have joined printings of the playwright's early work in the special collections section of Southern Oregon University's Hannon Library. While the Second Folio, a printing of Shakespeare's plays from 1632, lies protected under glass, archivists are still sorting through the library's recent addition — The Michael P. Jensen Collection of Shakespeare in Mass Media and Popular Culture. Jensen, an independent Shakespeare scholar from Menlo Park, Calif., donated the collection of comics, postcards, bookmarks and other items that he has accumulated over the years. What do Shakespeare action figures, a "Welcome Back, Kotter" comic with the Sweathogs performing "Julius Ceasar," and a party noisemaker with Will's face on it tell us about the Bard? Probably not much, Jensen admits. Advertisement "It's not useful for studying Shakespeare, but it is useful for studying the world we live in," he said. "The point of the exercise is to see how he permeates our culture." Jensen has collected and cataloged references from the obvious — videos of Shakespeare productions, comic books telling Shakespearean stories for use in British classrooms — to the obscure — phrases in "The Incredible Hulk" and "X-Men" that seem to mimic lines from plays, some of which are now common expressions. "It's a burgeoning field of study, how Shakespeare has influenced our society," said Mary Jane Cedar Face, collection development coordinator at SOU's Hannon Library. Jensen has contributed to "Shakespeares After Shakespeare," a two-volume reference work about Shakespeare in mass media and popular culture, coming out soon from a British publisher. The encyclopedia chronicles the lasting influence of Shakespeare on popular culture with sections on media to which Shakespeare has been adapted and discussion of individual adaptations, according to the publisher's description. Jensen wrote sections for the book on radio and comics, efforts that both drew on and added to his collection of Shakespeariana. "I'm a magnet for Shakespeare trinkets," he said. "Friends and family pick up all kinds of things and think 'Mike will like this.' " His book-filled home was getting too crowded to accommodate the collection of videos, board games, drawings and more, so he wanted to find a place to house it where he and other scholars could access it. "He knows this is a Shakespeare town and he wanted these items to be used," Cedar Face said. Jensen said he is still sorting through items, including catalogs from publishers of tomes on Shakespeare and promotional materials from productions. "It's my junk mail, but 100 years from now, I think it will be interesting for scholars to see how Shakespeare books and festivals were marketed," he said. He also continues to actively solicit donations to make the collection as complete as possible. Anyone with a piece of Shakespeariana, art or kitsch to donate can contact him at [email protected]. Put "Jensen Collection" in the subject field. Selected items from the collection are on display at the Hannon Library in the special collections area on the second floor. Reach reporter Anita Burke at 776-4485 or at [email protected] Would you like to respond to this story? If so Click Here to visit our forums. Advertisement Copyright © 1997-2006 Mail Tribune, Inc. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions | Website Feedback online casinos news Home Security Systems Online Casino Reviews Men's Clothing GMAT Prep Fundraisers UK Homeowner Loans Discount Hotel Reservations Send Flowers Casinos Canada Texas Electric Choice Compare Electric rates in Texas Windermere Van Vleet Trunks, Footlocker Online poker at AbsolutePoker.com